Chapter 1

……

It really does take a while to share almost a whole month’s worth of information.

Well, there’s a lot to say. We’ve gotta make sure we get in sync with each other so we can drill it into our bodies.

But when we were choreographing the new song and stuff, it felt like we got it down pat after just a few times.

That’s ‘cause we’ve got the experience. I know how you dance, and you know how I dance.

Right. As soon as I start thinking you should come in, there you are.

And I can always tell everything you’re going to do. And then just like I thought, there you are too ♪

Don’t act like such a know-it-all… I don’t know if you got all that confidence from your training or what, but do you seriously think you’ve got this all figured out?

Onii-chan’s always one step ahead, after all ♪

Urgh. I’m starting to remember just how pissed I got the last time I heard something like that.

……

Why’d you get all quiet?

Sorry, sorry. I got distracted wondering if we were done sharing everything. Did you have anything else you wanted to say?

Nope, I’m good. This is the first time we’ve taken so long to sync up, isn’t it?

We checked in with each other once a week, but it’s not like we shared all the details. That probably had an effect on the time we needed, right?

When you put it like that, it was good we did get the chance to meet every week, then.

Curbed the impact, I guess. And on top of that…

Usually I’m the one giving you hugs, but this time you were trying to get info out of me, so I got plenty of hugs from you too ♪

I was almost impressed with the part about curbing the impact, but that was dumb of me…

Fufu. When I think back on it, it was super cool getting to see how you were growing every recharge period.

It was like a little “whoa!” moment. If we’d hung around each other like usual, I doubt I would have been so impressed with everything I saw.

I guess we learned a new way to grow up—on our own.

I also liked how much I could feel that we still have room to grow… We’re still on our way. We can still go higher.

…You look pretty cool right now, Yuuta-kun. You said he was a good-for-nothing, but I think your trainer had a good influence on you.

If the fans see you like this, their hearts might burst out of their chests… ♪

It’s Valentine’s Day, after all. It’s our jobs to give everyone a thrill ♪

You better wow them too, Aniki. I’m sure the fans are waiting for it.

You don’t even have to say it ♪ We’re gonna get on that stage and make them love us!

Let’s give them equal amounts of love. It’ll be a special time for us to share our feelings with each other!

…Oh. Speaking of feelings, did you ever give that thing to Anzu-san?

Duh, I handed it over when I saw her earlier. It’s a key item that’s totally crucial for our performance today ♪

I did give it a lot of thought when writing it after she made her request…

But don’t you think it’s a little embarrassing to confess our feelings to each other on stage…?

“Hey everyone, you all fired up~? It’s time for the MC corner! Come chit-chat with us a bit… ♪”

“For those of you who forgot, I’m the one who has to take longer in the bath now that my hair’s grown out—Aoi Yuuta from 2wink…!”

“And I’m the one who… takes the exact same amount of time in the bath as always. Aoi Hinata from 2wink, comin’ at you hot with the hairstyle you all know and love ☆”

“…I know we’re jumping right into things, but did you guys see this awesome stage?! We even got a merry-go-round set up here at the school ♪”

It feels like we’re at an amusement park! Riding on this horsey with you on that one…”

“Spinning round and round, laughing and waving at each other—It’d be just like going on a fun date together, right?”

“C’mon, Hinata-kun. This isn’t the time for us to get all lovey-dovey talking about dates.”

“This is Chocolat Fes, remember? It’s a day to share our feelings with our fans, to give them all our love.”

Right, right. Sorry about that, being surrounded by all this candy puts me in such a sweet mood… ♪”

“But actually, we are supposed to be doing something of a confession, right? We’re reading out the letters we wrote to each other, right right?”

“You got it. That’s what Chocolat Fes is all about—sharing our love and our feelings.”

“So each of us wrote a letter! Both of them have actually been hiding up here on stage this whole time…”

“The one from me to Yuuta-kun is behind this macaron… Gotcha ♪”

“And the one from me to Hinata-kun is right behind this tower… Safe and sound ♪”

(…Huh? I swear I put the seal on the envelope perfectly straight when I gave the letter to Anzu-san.)

(But this seal is kinda slanted…? Is it just my imagination?)

“…Earth to Yuuta-kun~ You’re just staring at your letter… Are you trying to still your beating heart or something?”

“Well then, I’ll go ahead and read mine first! Dear Yuuta-kun—”

……

“If there’s ever something I want to say to you, it’s always this one thing: I love you so much!”

“I want to keep doing bigger and better things with you. I wanna keep having fun and being happy as an idol with you.”

“So let’s stick together, as 2wink, forever ♪”

“P.S. Onii-chan will always, always, always be waiting for you. So hurry on over here.”

“—Love, Hinata.”

“I don’t really get what you meant by that last part, but that was a more normal confession than I thought it’d be…”

“Well, I won’t drag this out, so I’ll ask about it later. Then I guess it’s my turn to read the letter I wrote.”

“Dear Hinata-kun—”

“…?!”