“Here you go, Satomi-kun”
”Mhhmm”
Maki handed the bottle over to Koutarou, and he took a mouthful. As he did, the chips that were stuck fell down into his stomach.
“Phew, I'm saved...”
“You're like a child, Satomi-kun”
“Leave me be”
“Fufu”
After Koutarou had drunk from the cola, Maki took it from him and took a sip like it was her natural right. Seeing that, Koutarou wanted to complain, but since she had helped when he was choking, he let her do as she pleased.
“...Hey, Kou”
Before he knew it, Kenji was looking at Koutarou. He had an expression that was half amazed, half angry.
“Hm?”
Koutarou couldn't understand what Kenji's expression was about and he tilted his head in confusion. The next moment, more chips were presented to him and he opened his mouth. As he did, Maki pushed the chips into his mouth.
“...No, it's nothing”
“Ish that sho?”
But in the end, Kenji didn't say anything. Unaware of what Kenji wanted, Koutarou continued chewing on the chips and tilted his head once more. That was when Maki called out to him again.
“So what will you do about the chocolate, Satomi-kun?”
“You really don't get it, Aika-san”
Koutarou chewed on his chips while shaking his index finger left to right.
“What we want isn't the taste of chocolate or a nice design! The chocolate itself is unimportant! Isn't that right, everyone!”
Koutarou asserted himself and looked back at the unpopular boys alliance, expecting to hear their agreeing voices. What Koutarou wanted was true love chocolate, not chocolate of an equivalent design.
“Aika-san, make one for me!”
“Me too!”
However, the alliance felt differently than Koutarou and one after another they ordered chocolates from Maki.
“Welcome, welcome! Please pay up front!”
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Maki put on her business smile and used the backside of the print out she had used in the previous lesson to accept orders.
“Ah, you idiots!! Have you fallen this low!?”
“I'd rather have chocolate than my pride. Aika-san, please make one for me too”
“I want three, and if possibly with different packaging”
“In that case, two of them would cost extra”
“I can deal with that. Don't worry about the cost”
“Okay, with pleasure~!”
Maki's paid for true love chocolate was a big hit. She received 20 orders before long and they were still pouring in.
If they weren't going to get a true love chocolate through normal means, they'd rather pay Maki for it. They wanted to eat a gorgeous handmade chocolate and at least feel like they had gotten a real true love chocolate. That's just how much the unpopular boys alliance had been cornered.
“Y-You guys...”
“So, what about you, Kou?”
”I don't need any!”
“You should buy some. It might be your last chance, you know?”
”Shut it, Mackenzie! You don't understand how I feel!”
The serious and stubborn Koutarou couldn't find it in him to pay for a true love chocolate. And with Kenji grinning in front of him, that choice was flat out impossible.
“You're the one who doesn't understand though...”
“You're so stubborn... you'll only lose out like that, Satomi-kun”
“Quiet you! Your business relies on the pure hearts of men!”
As a result, it looked like Koutarou would spend yet another lonely Valentine's Day.