March 14th—White Day.
On Valentine's Day a month ago, Haizaki received a Valentine's gift from Utaha.
Homemade chocolate.
In Japan, on February 14th, women give chocolate to men:
Giri chocolate, given out of courtesy.
And honmei chocolate, given as a confession of love.
"This is honmei chocolate!"
Even now, a month later, Haizaki still often recalled the scene of Utaha, filled with shyness and anticipation, handing him that honmei chocolate.
His intimacy with Utaha could be said to be no different from that of a normal couple, except for the very last step. Yet even so, when he thought of the girl's shy expression as she gave him the chocolate, his heart still fluttered.
Today, one month later, following the tradition of White Day in Japan, Haizaki needed to return the gift to Utaha.
[T/N: White Day in Japan is a day for men to give gifts in return for the chocolates and presents they received from women on Valentine's Day.]
And the choice was naturally…
Cookies.
It was four in the morning. According to the girl's routine, Utaha would probably wake up around seven. Haizaki had at most three hours to make the cookies.
Cooking was one thing, baking cookies another.
Haizaki had almost no experience making cookies. Even if he followed every step in the dessert book exactly, the final product could still be far from delicious.
All he could do, within the limited time, was make multiple batches and bake the cookies repeatedly until he found the version that best suited Utaha's taste.
Milk,
Eggs,
Butter,
Flour,
And several other supporting ingredients.
Thirty minutes later, the first batch of dough was completed. After using the mold and refrigerating it for three minutes to set the shape, Haizaki placed it into the oven.
With a "ding," the baking finished.
"Crunch…"
Taking out one cookie, Haizaki gently blew on it and took a bite.
"The milk flavor is too strong, it's a bit bland, and it's not crisp enough…"
It was edible, but the texture wasn't very good.
If it didn't even suit his own taste, how could it possibly suit Utaha's?
Sincerity was sincerity, but if it didn't reach a level he himself found acceptable, how could it be considered heartfelt?
In other words, this was a failed batch.
Haizaki began the second round.
With the experience from the first attempt, the second batch went much faster.
"This time there's no strong milk flavor. The sweetness is a bit heavy, but the texture is okay…"
At least it was an improvement.
Based on the data he had just recorded, he needed to adjust the amounts of milk and sugar.
The third attempt began.
...
...
After seven rounds of baking, Haizaki finally obtained a batch he was fairly satisfied with.
"There are still forty-five minutes left? I even finished early…"
By the later stages, Haizaki had completely lost track of time, focusing solely on making delicious cookies.
He walked to the living room to prepare the packaging box and ribbon.
In less than five minutes, the gift was finished.
Looking at the result of more than two hours of hard work, Haizaki let out a long breath.
Then, carrying the gift lightly back to his room, he placed the cookies on the desk.
Waking up early and working for over two hours wasn't much of a burden for his current physical condition, but once his intense focus ended, fatigue still washed over him.
"I'll take a short nap first."
After yawning, Haizaki didn't lie down on the bed, instead choosing to rest his head on the desk.
Just a short nap—half an hour would be perfect.
...
Over the past few months, Utaha had developed a fairly regular waking schedule.
Although she occasionally stayed up late, she rarely woke up later than seven-thirty.
After all, Haizaki usually prepared breakfast at seven-thirty.
She woke up as usual.
After washing up, as she stepped out, she felt something was off.
It seemed there was no one on the first floor.
And there was a faint milky aroma,
The scent of baked milk…
Cookies?
She clearly remembered today's date—White Day. It should be the day Haizaki returned her Valentine's gift.
So he remembered after all!
She had been a little worried that, due to cultural differences, Haizaki might overlook the tradition of White Day. After all, Japan's Valentine's Day and White Day customs differed somewhat from those in Western countries, and the Eastern Union was even more different.
But…
She had overthought it.
How could Haizaki possibly forget?
However, when Utaha reached the first floor, she found no sign of Haizaki.
Only the kitchen showed signs of recent use.
"In his room?"
At this time, normally, Haizaki would already have breakfast ready.
Recently, she had been in charge of lunch, while Haizaki handled dinner.
Curious, she went back upstairs and stopped in front of Haizaki's room.
"Knock, knock, knock…"
Three light knocks sounded,
But there was no response from inside. Utaha opened the door.
Haizaki was facing away from her, lying on the desk with his eyes closed, quietly resting.
She carefully stepped closer. What she saw was Haizaki's sleeping face, his expression peaceful. Utaha's lips curved upward into a delighted smile.
This was the first time she had seen Haizaki like this.
Another rare moment, worth remembering for a lifetime.
"Click…"
Her phone had already been on silent, and the flash was turned off.
The camera captured Haizaki's sleeping face.
Utaha was satisfied with the photo.
Haizaki was still resting, and she didn't disturb him. She quietly pulled over a chair, propped her chin on her hands, and gazed at him silently.
He really did seem exhausted. She didn't know what time he had woken up to make the cookies.
And then—
Utaha noticed the beautifully wrapped small gift on the desk.
Inside should be the cookies Haizaki had made himself.
How nice.
Just like Valentine's Day a month ago, when she personally made chocolate for Haizaki—now, one month later, Haizaki had personally made cookies for her.
One minute,
Five minutes,
Utaha's eyes shifted, and her smile brightened.
Haizaki woke up.
After his eyelashes fluttered slightly, his eyes opened, carrying a hint of confusion.
Perhaps because she was there.
"Good morning, Haizaki-kun."
"Utaha, good morning!"
He remembered.
"I'll go prepare—no, wait…"
He had almost gone downstairs to prepare breakfast out of habit.
"Happy White Day. This is for you."
"Can I open it?"
"Of course…"
She opened the gift box. Inside was a small bag of delicately made heart-shaped cookies.
Noticing the heart shape, Utaha's smile grew even brighter.
"Here's your reward."
She kissed Haizaki on his right cheek.
Then she took a bite of a cookie.
The taste turned out to fit her preferences surprisingly well.
"I really like it… it's delicious."
...