The 14th day of the Month of Wood... With today being Valentine’s Day, I felt a bit restless.
I wondered if it was just part of my nature. No matter how old I got, this day always made me feel strangely fidgety.
Of course, that didn't mean I expected some bizarre incident to occur out of the blue. I intended to spend the day as I usually did, but...
"And so, Alice-chan makes her grand entrance!"
"..."
...And here we go. Striking a ridiculous pose, a certain idiot had just barged into my room.
"Oops, you look surprised! Heheh, I understand... You’re thinking, 'W-Why is Alice-chan here of all places?!' something like that, right?"
"Ah, yeah. Morning, Alice. Want some tea?"
"Oh, I’ll take some. Put in two sugars... wait, that’s not it!"
"Hmm?"
By now, I was well-practiced in handling her. I gave her a casual reply while pulling a yunomi filled with green tea out of my Magic Box and placing a cup of black tea in front of her.
Personally, I preferred Japanese tea in the morning. Coffee was an option, but I found that a strong cup of green tea was the best thing to wake up my senses.
"Kaito-san? Kaito-san? Why are you just relaxing by yourself? A shocking development is about to unfold. You need to be more on guard..."
"A shocking development?"
"Yes, exactly! That was a perfect lead-in! Heheh, even though you're secretly bursting with anticipation... You’re such a tease, Kaito-san!"
"...I’ve got some cookies, too. Do you want some?"
"I’ll gladly take them! Hey, I told you not to cut me off!"
Alice’s expression shifted rapidly—she was as entertaining as ever.
Come to think of it, she had shown up today without her mask. I’d always asked her to take it off whenever it was just the two of us, so it seemed she was finally taking that to heart.
"Right, right. So, what’s this shocking development?"
"Heheh, thank you for waiting! It’s Alice-chan's special Valentine's chocolate! Wow, Kaito-san, you really are a lucky man to get a gift from a transcendentally beautiful girl like me!"
"Oh, thank you. I'm happy to hear that."
"Why are you so calm?!"
"Eh? Uh..."
As I accepted the somewhat large box, Alice snapped at me, her face burning bright red.
I could more or less guess what she was thinking. She had worked herself into a nervous wreck to give this to me, so seeing me receive it so placidly probably felt off to her.
"...Actually, just so there’s no misunderstanding, I was pretty nervous too."
"Eh? But you were just so casual about it..."
"Well, you see... when people see someone else who is far more nervous and flustered than they are, they actually end up becoming calmer in response."
"...W-What are you even talking about?"
It was true. I had been quite restless right before she appeared.
However, that tension had dissipated the moment she walked in. The reason, quite frankly, was the girl standing right in front of me.
"Look, you might think you’re hiding it, but your eyes have been darting all over the place for a while now. Plus, your face has been beet-red since the moment you stepped inside..."
"Nyach?!"
I had been trying to be polite by not mentioning it, but since she asked, I pointed it out. Alice let out a strange, cat-like cry as her face turned even redder. I half-expected steam to start rising from her head at any moment.
"...Anyway, is it okay if I open it?"
"A-Ah, ha-ha, yes! P-P-P-Please, I know I'm unworthy, but...!"
"You're way too nervous, Alice..."
Caught off guard by my observation, her nerves had reached a breaking point, to the point where she started talking as if she were a bride being introduced to her new family.
I figured that pointing out her slip of the tongue would only make her panic more, so I let it slide and opened the large box she had given me.
"...Whoa... This is incredible..."
I was well aware of Alice’s culinary skills, and I’d had high expectations when I opened the lid, but the chocolate inside far exceeded anything I had imagined.
It was a small cake coated in a beautiful, lustrous chocolate. Atop the Sachertorte was a piece of candy craft that looked as though it were made of pure crystal. It featured figures of me, Bell, and Rin.
"W-Well, even I thought... maybe I went a bit overboard with the details... but cutting corners didn't feel right, so I decided to get serious."
"No, it’s truly amazing! This is me, Bell, and Rin, right?"
"Y-Yes, well."
"It’s so beautiful that it feels like a waste to eat it... Anyway, I’m really happy!"
"I-Is that so? Well, it’s a chocolate Alice-chan poured all her love into, so of course it’s a masterpiece..."
It really was a work of art. The candy craft used different colors for each section, perfectly reproducing Bell’s horns and Rin’s wings. My own candy figure even had my necklace correctly rendered.
It was exactly the kind of perfection I expected from Alice. It was so impressive that it truly did feel like a shame to eat it. If I still had a working smartphone, I would have been snapping photos from every angle.
"...It’s wonderful, but... how should I go about eating the candy craft? It seems almost too solid."
"Ah, right. Actually, I used a special kind of candy for this... Hold on a second."
"Hmm?"
When I asked her how to eat it, Alice pulled a small bottle containing a transparent liquid from her pocket. She uncapped it and poured the liquid over the candy figures.
"Huh? Whoa!"
Suddenly, the candy craft began to move. Bell’s head rubbed against the hand of my candy figure, and Rin’s figure similarly clung to mine. Immediately afterward, the candy emitted a dazzling light, forcing me to reflexively close my eyes.
"...Whoa, that’s... amazing..."
When I opened my eyes a moment later, the solid figures were gone. Instead, tiny, shimmering fragments of candy were scattered across the Sachertorte like a field of stars.
I was at a loss for words. It was beyond "impressive"—it was magical.
I didn't know how she had managed it, but the candy fragments had settled into the shapes of constellations. Looking closely, I could see they formed the silhouettes of me, Bell, and Rin. It was as if the 3D candy craft had been transformed into a sparkling illustration directly onto the surface of the cake.
"Heheh, how do you like that? This candy is designed to shatter when it reacts to a special liquid. I even calculated the dispersion range to make sure it turned out perfectly!"
"I... I honestly don't know what to say. I'm speechless."
"Heheh, I thought so! You can go ahead and shower me with even more praise if you want, you know?"
"You really are incredible, Alice. I’m so lucky to have received something this thoughtful."
"Ah... W-When you praise me so directly... it’s... embarrassing."
As I showered her with unreserved admiration, Alice’s cheeks flushed with a shy smile. She carefully sliced the cake, making sure not to ruin the constellation patterns.
Looking at the side of the slice she handed me, I saw that it was made of three layers. There was chocolate cream in the middle and something that looked like chocolate flakes at the bottom. She had been meticulous about every single detail. I felt like my vocabulary was failing me, but I couldn't help it—it was just that good.
With a heart full of anticipation, I took a bite with the fork Alice had provided. The flavor was nothing short of extraordinary. The chocolate was sweet, rich, and possessed a deep complexity, melting away the moment it touched my tongue. The soft texture of the sponge and the crunch of the flakes created a wonderful contrast.
My words couldn't possibly do this justice. It was just that overwhelmingly delicious.
"...Alice. This is truly wonderful. Thank you."
"Ahaha, I’m just glad you like it! Eh? A reward? Oh, you’re so bold!"
I hadn't even said anything yet, but Alice had already started talking about a reward.
"Then how about a hot, passionate kiss filled with love... wait, huh? Nguh?!"
She had almost certainly said it as her usual joke, but I was so swept up in the emotion and happiness of the moment that as soon as the request left her lips, I reached out, pulled her close, and kissed her.
"Nn... chu... nnn?! Puha—wait, just a—nyuu?!"
Since her request had been for a "hot kiss," I took my time. I intended to pour every ounce of my affection for her into it, making it as deep as possible.
The kiss lasted for a minute... no, it might have been closer to ten. When I finally pulled my face away, Alice was staring into the distance with dazed, unfocused eyes.
"...Ah... so sweet... my mouth... it’s so sweet... hau... m-more—ha?! N-No, that's not it! I didn't mean that! Aaaahh! W-Wait, please! I-If you do any more, I’ll—myuu?!"
Since my dear lover was asking for an encore, I figured it was only right for me to respond.
I thought I heard her say "wait" or "I’m at my limit" somewhere along the way, but since I felt I hadn't fully conveyed the depth of my love for her yet, I didn't let it stop me. I continued the kiss until her eyes rolled back and she fainted in my arms.