Heartbroken Chocolatier (失恋ショコラティエ)

Wow! Chocolate bon-bons from L'atelier de Bonheur.

To be honest, I’ve never had one of these before.

You can’t find Bonheur chocolates in Japan.

My friend who went to Paris for vacation brought these back. These are for you.

How is it?

It’s very smooth.

It’s not too sweet, it has just the right amount of bitterness.

With its rich chocolate aroma and wonderful texture,

the overall impression it gives is amazing.

Yeah. - It’s a tender taste, right?

It gently unravels your heart.

To be able to eat Bonheur chocolates

in Treluyer’s shop is such a luxury.

But this means we’ve brought in food from outside, right?

Ah, I’m sorry.

But I,

love Bonheur’s chocolates the most in the whole world.

Geez, I’m totally jealous of French people who can eat this every day.

Mmmm!

I want to make chocolates like this one day.

If it’s the chocolates that Saeko-san loves the most,

then all the more.

The confectionery school’s graduation exam is today, right?

Yeah. Well, since my family has a cake shop...

I think I’ll be fine. Rather, I can finally show my performance.

Performance? Eh? What? - Ah, nothing.

Ah, hey. Can we meet on the 14th? Valentine’s day.

I’m a bit busy on the 14th...

Ah, I’m sorry. Well, that’s right.

A guy shouldn’t be asking you out on that day, right? Sorry.

Then, the 13th? - That’s fine.

Ah, thank goodness. Then, the 13th. - Yeah.

Then, on the 13th.

Yeah. - Yeah.

I’ll text you later, okay? Bye bye. - Yeah, bye...

I feel like I’ve been casually rejected...

Oh, that’s right. The place was bad.

But rather, Saeko-san, lately

carries a faint smell of cigarette smoke...

Well, it’s fine anyway.

I began dating Saeko-san one week before last Christmas.

And, our first kiss was on Christmas Eve.

That was the only time we kissed,

after that things have been in a unclear state of deadlock.

We met on the spring of my 15th year,

Ah! - Ow, that hurt.

I’m sorry, are you okay?

Ah, cute. - Are you okay?

The me that just started high school, fell in love with Saeko-san, who was one year my senior,

at first sight.

The girl who went out with the good looking guys of every year one after the other.

Hearing such a rumor, I got all excited thinking that next would be

me from the first year, but,

Saeko-san,

didn't even consider me as a partner.

I don't know if our first year was a bad crop, but,

before I realized, Saeko-san had began going out with good looking guys from other schools.

She was someone I couldn't reach.

That hairstyle is super awesome. - Really?

That's why, in order to get closer to Saeko-san,

I began trying to butter up her boyfriends.

Can you go buy yakisoba bread and melon bread?

With pleasure. I'm Koyurugi Souta from year 1, class 1.

In the end, I would be made into a gofer,

I would join the crafts club as the only guy, even though I have no interest in it, just because Saeko-san is there.

I'm done.

Wow, amazing! - Thank you.

I'm Koyurugi Souta from year 2 class 2.

Anyway, I kept hanging around Saeko-san.

Then one day... Congratulations on your graduation.

It's beautiful. Thank you, Kojima-kun.

I even managed to get a kiss.

Next is, at last, Valentine's day.

Lately we're not selling well.

Dad, I'm going to be using the kitchen. - That's the working place of a pro!

If you're doing things for your hobby, go do it in the kitchen at home.

Since we don't have any customers, it should be fine, right?

Ah, Souta-kun. Are you making chocolate again?

Should I help? - Thanks, Kaoruko-san.

But I'm making this for my girlfriend,

I have to do it on my own. - Well, I guess.

An adult man making chocolate for a woman.

After asking to go to a confectionary school, then making things that won't even be for sale,

it's hard to bear as a parent.

Then we should put them up for sale. - Eh?

Souta-kun's chocolates. The prototypes from the other day were high quality, with a delicate impression.

I think it's on a higher level than the chocolatiers around here.

Really? Thanks.

That's thanks to my DNA.

DNA?

DNA, he says.

Alright.

But, well, there really aren't many guys who make chocolates for their girlfriends.

She must be really pretty? Who does she look like?

She doesn't really look like anyone.

Hmm... What kind of person is she? - Hmmm.

Like a fairy? - Fairy?

Ah, no, well. Calling her a fairy is a bit of an exaggeration, but, like she's out of reach?

After meeting her, I thought nothing else would do for me.

Many things happened before reaching this point.

Hmm..

But, you know. Confessing one week before Christmas, and instantly "Ok".

That girl broke up with her boyfriend right before that, right?

Well, yes.

Since she became alone just before the event,

it feels like she just went along with it for the time being.

Are you fine with that?

If you put it like that, I have my selfish calculations too.

I told her then because I knew about her situation.

I see.

I know about it all. But it's okay.

Anyway, because Saeko-san is my girlfriend now.

You've become really good at tempering.

You don't even need a thermometer. - I can just tell by how the texture feels.

Its heaviness changes according to its temperature, right? Alright, right now its 28 degrees.

Ever since I was a kid, I vaguely thought I would probably continue with the family cake shop,

it wasn't something I took seriously.

I found how I wanted to shape my life after meeting Saeko-san.

Saeko-san loves chocolate more than anything else.

That's why I

will make chocolate that can make Saeko-san happy.

Saeko-san. I know everything that Saeko-san likes.

High cocoa chocolate.

Strawberries.

Caramel ganache.

Orange peel.

Rum soaked raisins.

Light green pistachios.

Bright red kirsch soaked cherries.

Ah.

Does this silence mean that she's touched?

No, it was a miss?

Souta-kun. - Yes.

I'm sorry. I can't accept this. - Eh?

Because this is totally serious chocolate.

Eh?

Ah. Did you think I'm a really serious guy?

A guy making chocolate is really weird, right?

But, you know, my family is a cake shop,

so making this sort of thing is no big deal.

So, see, there's no deep meaning to this or anything.

There's someone I'm going out with.

Huh? - After Christmas,

I got back together with my ex-boyfriend.

Since he likes to travel around, I'd been neglected,

I thought it would be fine when Souta-kun confessed.

Souta-kun is a good person, and kind too,

and we get along well, and it's fun to spend time together.

That's why...

I was being two-timed, huh.

Two-timed? - Eh?

Why does that sound like a question?

Well, it's a regular two-timing, right?

You were continuing with your boyfriend, and also going out with me.

Going out...

Eh??!! Umm, Saeko-san.

Saeko-san and I were going out, right?

I asked you to go out with me and you said okay.

Eh? Ah... Yeah. - These two months.

It's just been two months, but. Well, look, we even kissed, right?

Ah, but, we didn't have sex.

Oh, I see. If you don't have sex, it's not called going out.

So it's not two-timing either.

...What?! Is that how it is?? Is that how society works?

Saeko-san is correct, and I'm wrong?

I don't know what's what anymore.

Wait. Let me collect my thoughts.

Ah, I don't really want to do it, but.

The one who brought back the Bonheur chocolates,

was this boyfriend.

The guy you're spending tomorrow's Valentine's Day with is him.

That guy smokes, right?

What, so you had noticed.

If that was the case, you should have said something earlier.

This girl.

This girl is...

It's okay! It's fine to go on like this!

What?

Two-timing is fine. If that boyfriend takes off for some place again,

I'll help Saeko-san pass the time. It's fine like that.

What's wrong with it? - What?

I'm totally fine with it.

Or rather, I don't mind it much.

If I can be with Saeko-san, and one day, be loved properly, then I'm fine with that.

It's fine even if that's far out in the future.

So, okay?

I'm sorry.

Saeko-san, wait.

If you feel even a little sorry for me,

at least accept this.

But... - It's fine if you throw it out somewhere nearby.

It's pretty harsh to personally throw out something you made for someone.

So, if Saeko-san could do it,

I would be a little saved.

Akamiso is excited to present... Shitsuren Chocolatier

Until when are you going to be like this?

We're not rich enough to take care of a shut-in!

Since you graduated already, start helping out with the store already!

Yeah.

Souta-kun.