Valentine Story II: Bitter Sweet

At the Harada residence. The siblings were quite busy preparing chocolates.

"Nee-san, take a look at this." it was Risa who handed the chocolate bread she baked.

"Hmm... It taste good, but it's lacking something..." said Riku

"Eh? Tell me... Do I need to add more sugar? Icing? Or Choco syrup?"

"Ah, it's not that you need to add more.. I think that Chocolate bread is quite sweet. It's just that, why are you focused on making it sweet even more?" Riku asked, she is even curious to whom Risa will give the Choco bread. Is it Fuji? But he is not a sweet tooth.

"Ah, because the person I like eats a lot of sweets..." Risa's face blushes as she reveals her secret.

"Eh? Really! I wonder who that lucky guy is? Hmm..." Riku is trying to bait her sister to confess the guy's name but...

"I can't tell his name yet, I am still thinking if he will like this or not because he used to taste all the kinds of sweets in town."

"Eh? Are you serious? Is that guy somehow a relative of the cookie monster? He might get fat if he ate that much." Riku starts to worry if the guy her sister might be an obese or what.

"Ah, I'll think of something else, Nee-san. I'll clean this up." Then she starts to pack up things.

At Riku's room, she grabbed her phone and dialed a number.

Phone ringing.

[Hello?]

"Hey, it's me..." there's an excitement with the tone of her voice.

[Oh Riku, why'd you call? Are you troubled?]

"Uhm.. Nothing, I just want to hear your voice..."

[*chuckles]

"Eh? Did you just laugh?"

[Oh, its nothing... I just think that if you haven't called tonight. I'll drop by your house.]

"Silly. Why would you do that?"

[Because, I miss you so badly.]

Riku was embarrassed and wasn't able to respond.

[Hey, are you still there?]

"Yeah... I am..."

[Why the sudden pause?]

"It's just that.. I didn't know you can say such embarrassing things though the way you said is in you Kansai accent, its weird!"

Then both of them laughed on the line.

"I miss you too..." Riku said

[Yeah, see you soon...]

*hangs up

At Risa's room

I should give something that is different from the sweets he's been eating already.

She suddenly snapped and an idea popped out of her mind. She immediately went to the kitchen and started the preparation.

Actual Valentines day.

Risa is at a park, she's been looking for someone. Then at the side bench she saw a familiar silhouette.

"Marui-kun!" she called to the guy who's hiding his face with a newspaper. But the person did not respond.

"Hey.. Marui-kun, it's me Risa... Why are you not responding? Did I do something wrong?" She's worried that she got ignored now the guy grabbed her and made her sit beside him with the newspaper covering their faces.

"Eh!?"

"Shhh! Don't talk, they might have heard us."

It really was Mario-kun! She said in her mind, but... What's with this position?

They're too close to each other. Her shoulder is being pressed at his chest, his left arm is over at her shoulder. Others might think that they actually are a real couple. She blushes at the thought. Then she heard voices calling out Marui's name.

"Marui-sama! Where are you?!" There's a horde of female students looking for him!

"Hey, Marui-kun, did you do something illegal? Why're they looking for you?"

"Those are the fangirls... Since they knew I like sweets, they're forcing me to eat the chocolates they made."

"Oh, I see... It's hard to be popular I guess?`` She is quite upset knowing that there were other people who wanted to give him chocolate.

The fan girls passed and when it seemed that the situation was peaceful they removed the newspaper that they've been using as a camouflage.

"By the way Risa-chan, what are you doing here?" Marui asked

"It just happened that I'm passing by and I am you so I think I used to call out. I thought I was being ignored."

"AH! Sorry, I didn't mean to do that.What can I do to compensate for it?I'll do anything!

"Eh? Really?"

"Yes!"

"Let me think... Hmmmm..."

She takes a look at the paper bag she's carrying. This is her chance, it's now or never!

"Then, will you accept this?" She handed the paper bag to Marui.

"Eh? What's that?" He is quite curious about what's inside the bag.

"It's something that I baked..." she is quite flushed

"Is it alright for me to eat this? I think you worked hard to give it to someone special"

"Actually it's.."

*sudden silence

*deep breathing

"It's baked for you." She finally said it.

"Marui-kun, would you accept my feelings for you!"

A sudden gust of wind makes the ambiance even more romantic. It was a straightforward confession with both of their eyes gazing at each other.

"Eh? Is that for real? These are for me?" Marui-kun asked as if he couldn't believe what he heard.

"Yes, but if you don't like it, it's alright... I won't force you to accept it.'' She remembers how Marui hated it when those fangirls tried to force all the chocolates.

"What are you talking about? I would definitely accept this." He showed that playful and sweet smile that has mesmerized Risa ever since they met.

"Can I open it now?" He asked.

"Y-yes!" Her face was all red, she couldn't believe that Marui accepted her baked choco bread and does it mean that???

"Hmm... It tastes different."

"Eh you don't like it?"

"Not that I don't like it, it's the first time I taste this bitter-sweet flavor."

"Ah, it's because you usually eat sweet things so I thought it would be better to make it different. So I decided to add more cocoa to make it taste bitter and sweet."

"I see, thank you! It tastes good."

"I'm glad you like it!"

"Since we're here at the park why won't we take a stroll?" Marui asked her

"That's if you are okay with me." Risa replied

"Of course, it was the first I ever received something that was meant for me pure-hearted!"

She was surprised with the way Marui justifies it so she took all her courage once again and asked:

"Hey, does that mean?.." He just takes a look at her and holds hands.

The dusk of the sunset is as warm as the newly discovered feelings for the two, though the moment they met was a bitter-sweet moment it just made their relationship stronger.