Chapter 18

 

The following day was a blur for Reiko, as her friends couldn't stop talking about her disastrous attempt at making hand-made chocolates. Additionally, Reiko learned that Takeda had developed a crush on Mizushima Maki from Momo Girl's High, and Tsuchiya and Hyuga were assisting him in confessing his feelings to her.

 

Currently, Reiko is accompanied by Euna and Shuriko. The two girls are determined to help their Queen express her love for her first boyfriend, but not through cooking, as they have come to the realization that Reiko has no future in the culinary arts. They are currently at the mall, window shopping and asking Reiko about Yabuki's preferences and dislikes.

 

Reiko pauses and gazes at her two friends. "Actually... I have no idea," she admits, leaving Euna and Shuriko in disbelief. Shuriko playfully hits Reiko on the shoulder in response.

 

"What on earth, Reiko?!" Shuriko blurts out, causing Reiko to wince in pain as she rubs her injured shoulder. "Well, if that's the case, just give yourself to him for the rest of your life... he'll surely like it," she jokingly suggests, eliciting a sigh from Reiko as she contemplates the idea.

 

Shuriko suddenly comes to a halt and turns to Euna in surprise. "Hold on, she's actually considering doing that?!" she exclaims.

 

“Reiko-chan, are you truly serious with Yabuki-kun?”

 

“Why can’t I?” she simply said as Shuriko whistles, amazes at their friend’s answer.

 

“Well, you’re in love... so that’s that... Anyway, let’s go to that place. I think they’re selling some unique stuffs there,” Shuriko suggested as Euna agrees and Reiko let the two dragged her at the shop.

 

Café de Rovne

 

Hayato and Ryu spend their time at the café while the other three friends are still lingering near Maki's workplace. Meanwhile, Reiko is accompanied by Euna and Shuriko. Ryu initiates a conversation, leaning comfortably on the couch with Hayato.

 

"Do you think those three are still at her place?" Ryu asks to which Hayato nods in agreement. They both sit up and take sips of their drinks.

 

"It seems like it. They were quite excited that Takeda is planning to talk to her today," Hayato responds. Ryu absentmindedly plays with his straw in his juice as he mutters, "Takeda's determination is weak." Hayato nods in agreement.

 

"If I were Takeda, I would have just gone for it in one go," Ryu says, raising an eyebrow and smirking. Hayato then asks, "By the way, how many chocolates did you receive last year?" Ryu puts down his drink after taking a sip and responds.

 

"I don't know, maybe around 20," Ryu replies, prompting Hayato to nod and lean back on the couch.

 

"I received about 22," Hayato boasts, earning a glance from Ryu.

 

"I see, I think I got 30..." Ryu begins to respond, but his words are interrupted by a voice from the entrance of the café. They all turn their attention to Mizuo and Daisuke, who have just arrived.

 

"Well, you can subtract the Queen's chocolate from what you'll receive this year," Mizuo remarks, causing them all to look at him and Daisuke.

 

Hayato raises an eyebrow in confusion, noticing the grim expressions on the faces of Mizuo and Daisuke, which doesn't go unnoticed by Ryu, who smirks. It appears that they are aware of the girls' lack of cooking skills.

 

"Why is that?" Hayato asks, puzzled.

 

"Well, your girl's cooking . Don't get your hopes up for receiving hand-made chocolates from her," Daisuke replies, causing Hayato to look at him dumbfounded.

 

"How do you know?" Hayato inquires.

 

 

The next day at Kurogin High School

 

All the boys are taken aback as they witness a student from Momo Girl's High making her way into the school. Maki strides with determination yet carries a hint of disappointment as she heads towards Class 3D.

 

The sliding door of Class 3D's room abruptly opens, grabbing the attention of Reiko, who was casually sitting beside Ryu and Hayato. She raises an eyebrow upon seeing a student from Momo Girl's High and turns to Ryu and Hayato. "Is that Maki?" she asks, receiving nods from both guys who continue to observe the situation.

 

Maki locks eyes with Takeda and purposefully approaches him. "Maki-chan," he calls out.

 

Takeda, looking down with a sense of guilt, meets Maki's gaze. The entire class is too stunned to notice Yamaguchi's greetings, their attention captivated by the unexpected turn of events. As Maki slaps Takeda, Reiko abruptly stands up and rushes over to his side.

 

"Hey, wait! What did Takeda do to you?!" Reiko exclaims, surprising Maki with the presence of another girl in the classroom.

 

"Are they your friends?" Maki asks, quipping at Reiko, who nods in response.

 

Maki gazes at Takeda with hurt in her eyes. "What were you planning? Harassment? Did I do something to deserve this?" Reiko's eyes widen in surprise as she looks at Takeda, also noticing the guilty expressions on the faces of Tsuchiya and Hyuga.

 

"That's not it," Hyuga interjects, attempting to defend Takeda. "Takeda likes you."

 

"Is that why you did that?" Maki questions, while Takeda remains quiet, his gaze still downcast. "That was a despicable way of showing it. I despise weaklings like you! Don't come near me!" she exclaims, then turns to Reiko. "As a fellow girl, can't you understand? Please don't condone the actions of your friends." With those words, Maki walks away, leaving Yamaguchi surprised and heading to the center to find out what happened.

 

"What happened, Takeda?" Reiko asks, looking at Hyuga and Tsuchiya. "Were you two involved in this too?"

 

Silence fills the room as Hayato stands up and gently pulls Reiko away from Takeda. Reiko looks at Hayato, puzzled. "What? Are you going to just let this slide?"

 

Takeda looks at the couple, recognizing the tone of concern mixed with anger in Reiko's voice. He knows that when she directs that kind of tone at Hayato, something significant is about to happen. "It's not like that... We were all confused and worried," he explains, unsure of what will come next as Reiko's retaliating voice continues to target Hayato.

 

Tsuchiya and Hyuga, feeling guilty for their involvement, both look at the couple. "Actually, we got carried away too," Tsuchiya admits, prompting Reiko to shift her gaze towards Takeda.

 

Yamaguchi, who stands in the middle of the commotion, turns her attention to the youngest member of the group. "Takeda, is this true?" she asks.

 

"What kind of foolishness is this? Do you really think it's acceptable to use such cunning methods to make someone like you?" Reiko blurts out, frustration evident in her voice. Takeda ignores their comments and simply sits down on a chair. Hayato holds Reiko's hand, trying to calm her down and prevent her from saying more.

 

The tension in the room continues to escalate due to this incident, and even Yamaguchi, typically oblivious, notices how strongly Reiko is reacting to what happened. She understands well that they both know Takeda as a sweet and timid guy who is easily intimidated by conflict. However, they can never comprehend how Tsuchiya and Hyuga could have come up with such an idea, let alone involve themselves in it.

 

Yamaguchi expresses her disapproval, saying, "Isn't love supposed to be a pure feeling? Involving your friends like this... You're the worst." Takeda lets out a sigh and leans against the table behind him.

 

"I couldn't help it. I tried my best in the usual way, but I couldn't win her over," he responds. Reiko scoffs and tries to free herself from Hayato's grasp.

 

"Your best? What exactly did you do? Stalking? Harassing the girl and dragging Tsuchiya and Hyuga into it? You left everything to them and didn't do anything yourself. Is that what you call trying your best?" Reiko adds, glaring at Hayato. "Let go of me!"

 

Takeda stands up and approaches Reiko, saying, "It wouldn't have made a difference even if I did! I'm weak in confrontations and lack courage. I had no choice but to resort to a few underhanded tricks. If I hadn't done something cheap, she would have never even noticed me!"

 

Reiko glares at him, pushes Hayato away, and lands a punch on Takeda. The entire class, including Yamaguchi, stands there in shock. Ryu, observing the situation, lets out a sigh. When it comes to Takeda, Reiko is sensitive—he's like a little brother to her. Learning about his actions has broken her heart. "You're capable of more than this, Take," she says softly and leaves the room. Ryu looks at Hayato and nudges him, catching his attention. He nods toward the door, and Hayato understands, following Reiko out of the room.

 

 

Shinta Temple

 

 

The Next Day

 

After school, Reiko, Ryu, Hayato, Tsuchiya, and Hyuga set out to find Takeda, who hadn't shown up for school. They decided to check the café where Maki worked, but to their surprise, Yamaguchi was already there, searching for any sign of Takeda.

 

"Yankumi?" Reiko asked, while Hayato and the others looked at their teacher with amusement.

 

"What are you doing?" Hyuga inquired, as Yamaguchi turned around and spotted the group.

 

"Me? What are you guys doing here?" Reiko rolled her eyes, while Yamaguchi appeared bewildered.

 

"We thought Take might be here," Tsuchiya answered, and Yamaguchi looked at them with a gentle expression.

 

"You guys are concerned about your friend," Yamaguchi remarked, just as Ryu interrupted by entering the café.

 

"Now's not the time, Yankumi," Reiko said, and they all followed her inside.

 

As they scanned the café, searching for Takeda, Yamaguchi led the way. "Doesn't look like he's here," she said softly, and Reiko nodded sadly.

 

"That high schooler is an idiot," a loud voice suddenly exclaimed from the second floor of the café. The group halted their search, listening intently. "He doesn't stand a chance against Okudera."