Chapter 328

In the kitchen of a house adjacent to the examination room in the corner of Symphonia’s royal capital, the homeowner, Vier, had a troubled look on her face.

[What’s wrong, Vier? Your expression doesn’t look good at all……]

[No, isn’t it weird? This is my home, right? Why are you feeling at home here, cooking with an apron on your body?]

[No, this isn’t an apron, this is a kappougi.] (T/N: A japanese full-body apron.)

[Heehhh…… Wait, that isn’t the problem here!]

(T/N: Kannougi.)

Neun, dressed in a kappougi, is cooking for tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day, and Vier, who had to lend her kitchen to her for some reason, lets out a sigh.

[……You could have just made it in your own home.]

[……B- But that’s embarrassing……]

Neun lives in Kuromueina’s home, sharing the house with many family members, and apparently feels embarrassed to make Valentine’s Day sweets there, and thus, she’s cooking at Vier’s home.

Vier has already reconciled with Kuromueina, but she continues to work as a doctor in the Symphonia Kingdom and lives apart from her family.

For her best friend Neun, it was an easily accessible place, and it’s unknown whether Neun herself knows that or not, but she didn’t complain to her that much.

[……So, what is Hikari making? That…… doesn’t look like chocolate, right?]

[Eh? Yes, I don’t really know chocolates…… western confectioneries that much, so I’m making ohagi.]

(T/N: Ohagi)

[Ohagi? Is that different from manjuu?]

[Yes, they’re a little different.]

Since Neun prefers eating japanese sweets, she doesn’t know much about western sweets and doesn’t have the confidence to make something delicious.

That’s why she’s making something she’s familiar with, japanese sweets…… ohagi for Valentine’s Day.

On the contrary, Vier only knows a bit about japanese sweets from hearing about them from Neun, so she watched the process of making ohagi with interest.

After watching the process for a while, Vier also picked up some of the ingredients and began to cook.

[……What are you making, Vier?]

[Unnn? I’m making herb cookies.]

[You’re not going to make chocolates?]

[Ahh~~ No. Because you see, I’m sure Miyama-kun will get a lot of chocolate, and with his kind personality, I think he would try to eat all of it. That’s why I’m thinking of making herb cookies that are mildly sweet and easy on the stomach.]

While deftly moving with her food preparations…… No, while occasionally nearly dropping the container just like the clutz she is, Vier makes the herb cookies she’s going to give to Kaito.

Seeing her carefully select the sweets she’s giving Kaito, knowing that he’s going to receive lots of chocolates, and how she’s carefully making it, Neun serenely smiled.

[……You’ve been thinking a lot about Kaito-san, aren’t you?]

[But of course. We’re talking about my beloved person here, so I would obviously think about him that much.]

[……Y- You’re just saying beloved that easily……]

[Unnn? Did I say anything strange?]

Hearing Vier mention how she loved Kaito as if it was obvious, Neun shyly muttered, and Vier curiously asked her while tilting her head.

[N- No, I mean, saying such things that boldly…… Are you not embarrassed?]

[Why? I like Miyama-kun after all. I love him, you know? I don’t think there’s anything I should be embarrassed for feeling that way.]

[T- That might be the case but……]

[Hmmm. It’s just that Hikari is shy…… If you stay like this, I’m going to monopolize Miyama-kun, you know?]

[Eh? Y- You can’t do that!]

[Fufufu.]

[Ahh…… No, that is……]

Neun, who flusteredly reacted to Vier’s joke, immediately turns her face down, as if she’s embarrassed by her earlier statement.

Gazing at her with a smile, Vier put the cookies in the oven and began baking them.

[……Well, each person has different ways of expressing their affections. I’m the type that thinks that since I love Miyama-kun, I want to convey these feelings a lot…… So, I don’t feel embarrassed about saying that I love Miyama-kun.]

[I- I see…… Vier is kinda, ummm, amazing.]

[R- Really? I think I’m just being simple-minded though.]

[Ahh, that might be true.]

[I- I’d like it if you deny it there though…… W- Well, Hikari can just keep going what you’ve always done and tell Miyama-kun how much you like him.]

Each person has their own way of expressing their love for each other. Whether it’s Vier, who doesn’t hesitate to express her love, or Neun, who feels embarrassed to say it too much, their feelings for Kaito are still the same.

Because they both know that, they can mutually talk about their feelings like this.

[……You’re right. I guess I’ll just…… keep going as I was before.]

[Unnn, unnn.]

[Somehow, Vier is cooler than usual today.]

[R- Really? If you say it like that, I’d get embarrassed…… Come on, until the cookies are baked, let’s have some tea—— Fugyaaahhh!?]

When Neun told her she was cool, Vier scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed, and was about to make a cup of tea…… but as per usual, her foot got caught on the table and she flashily fell down on the floor.

[Auuuu…… It hurts……]

[That klutziness of yours…… I guess that part is still the same huh.]

[Uuuuu, it’s not like I’m fond of being a klutz, you know……]

[Well, your klutziness is just like you, isn’t it!?]

[Eh? Does klutziness describe what I am? I kinda don’t want that……]

[Don’t suddenly trip and throw your cookies at Kaito-san’s face, okay?]

[I- It should be alright…… I- I’m going to make them float with magic, so even if I trip, the cookies won’t fall……]

[……There’s nothing you can do about it in the first place if you’re already planning for when you’re going to trip.]

Seeing Vier with tears in her eyes after hitting her face on the floor, Neun smiles and giggles.

[……Hikari, you’re definitely making fun of me, aren’t you?]

[No~~ I’m relieved to see that you’re still out of it like always.]

[Muuuuuuuu…… F- Fine! If you’re going to say it like that, I also have an idea!]

[An idea?]

[This…… “letter previously written and discarded by Hikari” to Miyama-kun……]

[Whaa!? Why do you have that with you!? That’s an invasion of privacy!!!]

[I have it because a certain someone treated my home as a love consultation center, before leaving without cleaning up, you know?]

[……Ugghhh…… F- For that matter…… I’m very sorry……]

At Vier’s words, Neun averted her gaze, as if she was hit in a sore spot.

As best friends, they can casually talk to each other like this. Even though they are opposites in the way they express their love, they still seem to be similar in some ways…… Conversing in such a manner until the end of the day, both of them made confectioneries for the same person.