Azusa's Paralysis and Shiho's Unwavering Decision

Lately, Azusa had been troubled.

Her mind was preoccupied with Ryoma, and her emotions were getting tangled up to the point of confusion.

Once upon a time, Azusa had adored him.

She thought of him as the ideal older brother, found him attractive as a man, and believed that there was no greater happiness than being by Ryoma's side.

However, now, when she thought about it — she couldn't nod her head without hesitation.

(What is it that Azusa truly wants?)

She had no idea what the correct course of action was.

She was lost in a sea of thoughts, unsure of what choices to make, what actions to take, and what feelings to embrace — overthinking to the point of losing clarity.

It was at this juncture that Shiho appeared.

Azusa was aware that her thoughts were turning increasingly negative. She couldn't refuse Shiho's invitation outright, and reluctantly agreed, thinking it might be a change of pace.

Curiously, when Shiho was by her side, the things troubling Azusa seemed trivial.

Somehow, being with her made Azusa feel like her problems were not as significant.

"Azu-nyan, do you know how to make chocolate? You see... you have to melt the chocolate!"

Watching Shiho enthusiastically explain something so commonly known, Azusa tilted her head in confusion.

(Why is she boasting about such normal things?)

Even Azusa, who didn't cook much, knew about it.

While making chocolate from scratch would involve starting with cocoa beans, it was a bit challenging for an amateur. For Valentine's, simply melting store-bought chocolate and adding cream, milk, sugar, and cocoa powder, and then shaping it, should be sufficient.

(What should Azusa make?)

Alternatively, making it into something like Gateau Chocolat, raw chocolate, truffles, or cake might enhance its visual appeal. However, Azusa quickly gave up on the idea as she felt those required cooking skills.

"What should I do..."

In the kitchen, Azusa found herself unable to move forward.

Despite Shiho already wearing an apron and starting to make chocolate, Azusa couldn't take a single step.

"What are you going to make, Shimotsuki-san?"

"Onee-chan will make mini chocolates. I'll melt store-bought ones and turn them into bite-sized pieces."

"If you do that, won't it just be small store-bought chocolates, Shimotsuki-san?"

"It's fine. I'll use a challenging technique of mixing melted chocolate with high cocoa content, giving it a slightly bitter taste. It's a high-level skill. Mixing it with the store-bought chocolate is a deviation. Also, because I'm your Onee-chan. I'm not Shimotsuki-san."

"... I think you're Shimotsuki-san. But you're making something simpler than I thought. I thought you'd challenge something complicated and fail."

“For Azu-nyan, before I'm Shimotsuki-san, I'm also your Onee-chan I can't make complicated things. Mom rejects everything difficult, leaving me with only this. Look, she's still watching over there, right? Mom is strict when it comes to cooking, so I have no choice but to obey."

Indeed, Shiho's mother had been watching them from the living room the whole time.

When their eyes met, she quietly smiled and waved at Azusa.

A bit shy, Azusa returned the gesture with a nod and shifted her gaze back to Shiho.

After all, Azusa felt more at ease when looking at Shiho.

When Azusa is with her, she might be more natural than when she's next to Kotaro.

She can even forget that she is her “Onee-chan” and just be Azusa Nakayama…

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