Nyanko da! (ft Natsume): A Brothers Conflict Fanfic

Omake: Valentine's Day Special (Part 2)

Previously: Mai's mother encourages her to treat herself to a self-love Valentine's treat from the family, a jibun-kazoku-choco, so to say. We continue...

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A few doors down from the station I spy what appears to be a bakery. The front window is aglow with Valentine's Day goodies; everything from pure chocolate to chocolate covered pastries and sugar figurines have been displayed behind the glass. Inside, a number of girls and women browse the shelves, pointing out to each other which ones they like best.

I walk over to the store and go inside. A simple tune chimes as I enter, and elsewhere behind the counter an employee calls in greeting. Nodding to them, I join the crowd of shoppers in the search for a Valentine's treat.

"Sugoi, these all look so good . . ."

And they smell good, too. The air is thick with the scents of cocoa and sugar. My stomach grumbles in response.

I put a finger to my lips as my gaze wanders over the many displays.

It's easy to tell the fancy honmei-choco apart from the giri-choco by their decorations and packaging. The former tend to be wrapped with brighter colours and have large ribbons and bows. The latter . . . a lot less so, and for good reason; one must distinguish a special gift for a lover from an obligatory one for a colleague.

My sights land on a small pink box tied with a single bow. The open display holds nine chocolates in total, each wrapped with a different coloured paper liner. In particular, the chocolate hearts look tantalizing with their glossy sheen and icing decorations. Furthermore. the price is quite agreeable to my budget, despite Kaasan telling me to splurge.

"This one, please," I tell the cashier.

"Hai." The cashier removes one of the boxes from the shelf and brings it over to the counter to her station. She rings the chocolates through and I pay up.

As I leave the store I think that rather than jibun-choco, this is kazoku-choco. I mean, it's still self-love chocolate, but it's technically from my family. It can be both, right?

I turn and head back toward the station, wondering to myself what I should make for dinner.

Something light enough that won't put off my appetite for dessert. Using the leftovers from yesterday should shorten cooking time . . .

I'm so lost in thought that I don't notice a trio of salary workers brush past me. I try to step aside for them to pass, but as I'm walking on the edge of the sidewalk my heel slips off the curb and onto the road.

In my surprise the chocolate box flies out of my hands and hits the asphalt, where it's run over by a car.

I steady myself back on the sidewalk and stare at the box, feeling just as crushed.

My jibun-kazoku-choco . . . Why am I getting déjà vu?

"Gomenasai," one of the salary workers says.

Behind him, one of his colleagues elbows him. "Mah, mah. Just because you don't have a girlfriend to give you chocolate doesn't mean you should sabotage other people's chocolate."

I can tell that he's teasing his colleague, but still.

"Seriously, Kazamatsuri?" the first salary worker grumbles. He looks to where the chocolates have tumbled out of the box and smeared like mud across the asphalt. "I'm really very sorry about that." He bows low at the waist.

"Iie, iie." I return the bow, not wanting him to feel bad for a total stranger.

"I should have paid attention to where I was going."