Ch. 1: To the Land of Chocolate
Land of Chocolate, Shocoluna, Month of Shadow…-.
(So, this is Creto’s country.)
In the castle town of Shocoluna, a sweet scent was filling the air from every direction.
Two weeks before we were set to reunite…-.
A boy slightly younger than myself awoke from the shining light of the ring.
Creto: “Where… am I? Did you wake me up…?”
OO: “Are you hurt anywhere?”
His hair was the color of velvety soft chocolate as it swayed slightly, and I saw myself reflected in his large almond-shaped eyes.
Creto: “…! Something smells… really sweet.”
OO: “Eh?”
(Is it me…?)
I tilted my head in confusion and the prince opened his eyes wide in shock before frantically trying to speak again.
Creto: “Ah, no, um, that’s… y-y-you’re pretty… no wait, I meant to say you’re quite beautiful… yeah.”
He continued to speak incoherently as if searching for the right words to use on me.
OO: “…?”
Creto: “What am I saying…!?”
He was looking about, unable to focus on one spot.
OO: “I’m OO… what’s your name?”
Creto: “Ah, m-my bad!… I mean, sorry! I’m Creto. Prince of the Latte Family in Shocoluna… I was attacked by the Dream Eaters while I was searching for ingredients for making chocolate.”
OO: “Creto…”
(This deep in the forest…?)
I thought the things he had said were strange, but I responded quickly.
OO: “I’m glad you’re alright.”
I smiled, which caused his face to go red, but he still smiled happily.
Creto: “Come by for a visit next time you’re around. I’ll get you some ultimate chocolate as thanks for waking me up.”
This time, he seemed to be talking more like someone his age but…
Creto: “…ah, no, I mean I’ll give you some of the finest-tasting chocolate.”
He scrunched up his expression and restated his words using more formal language as he made me that promise.
Creto: “Hmm… I’m not very good at being formal.”
He seemed to be talking to himself when he said that…
(It’s been two weeks since that time… I wonder if Creto is doing well?)
I walked towards the palace where Creto and the rest of the Latte Family were supposed to live.
Ch. 2: A Reunion in the Town that Smells of Chocolate
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On the main street going through Shocoluna, there were many shops set up next to each other, and the entire street smelled sweet.
Inside one of the display windows, I saw a bunch of chocolates that looked like jewels…
(Wow, they all look so delicious! As expected of the Land of Chocolate.)
As I was spellbound by the chocolate, I heard a boy’s voice from the other side.
??: “I see… a raspberry garnish on top of a pistachio chocolate… but the texture needs a bit more work… oh, these truffles look fresh too.”
(That voice…)
I looked to my side in surprise and met those almond-shaped eyes I remembered so well.
Creto: “You’re… OO!?”
OO: “I thought it was you Creto!”
Creto: “…w-why are you here?”
OO: “I was on my way to the palace. But everything looked so delicious, so I got sidetracked…”
At that moment I thought of how I must have looked with how enraptured I’d been looking at the chocolate and felt my cheeks burning.
(This is embarrassing… did he see me spacing out over the chocolate?)
I looked down, trying to hide my red cheeks when…
Creto: “Yeah, they really do look good! Er, I should say, all our chocolate is delicious!”
He smiled without a care as his eyes sparkled.
Creto was pointing at the chocolate on the other side of the glass case and…
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OO: “Which one do you recommend?”
I smiled to gloss over my reddened cheeks as I looked him in the eye.
Creto: “I can’t choose one! Anyway, Shocoluna eats a ton of chocolate…-.”
He spoke to that point, then his expression changed to surprise.
Creto: “…we have the highest consumption rate of chocolate in the world.”
OO: “Creto, do you like chocolate too?”
Creto: “Huh, me!? No, I wouldn’t say I like it… I mean, I have an interest in chocolate as the prince of the country. But that’s just normal. Yeah, I totally don’t like sweets… argh, do not! I do not like it!”
OO: “…?”
OO: “You must like chocolate.”
I chuckled unintentionally.
Creto: “…! I never said that! Ah, I mean… I did not say anything… like that.”
Embarrassed, Creto lifted up his scarf to hide his face.
OO: “I’m sorry. It was just that I’d also been standing here daydreaming about delicious chocolates.”
Creto: “…”
As I said that, Creto’s eyes sparkled.
Creto: “Then do you want to look at some of the other shops? They go on all the way to the center of town. Ah… that is, if you would like to.”
OO: “Really!? Yes!”
Creto looked at me in delight.
In this way, I was guided by Creto down the main street that smelled of chocolate.
(…I didn’t get a chance to ask this, but did Creto come to town on his own? Even though he’s a prince…)
Doubt touched at my heart, but perhaps because I was surrounded by amazing chocolate, my heart remained light and at ease.
Ch. 3: Him and the Delicious Chocolate
The town was filled with the sweet scent of chocolate and the bright voices of the people…-.
Creto: “If there’s anything you don’t get, just ask… ah, I mean, you can ask me about it. If I know about it, I’ll explain it to you.”
OO: “Then, what’s that thing there doing that looks like a star?”
Creto: “Ah, in order to make that semicircle shape, various colored chocolates are layered and then coated with a glaze over and over.”
(Does Creto know everything about chocolate? He seemed so enthusiastic earlier too…)
————————
OO: “You must like chocolate.”
Creto: “…! I never said that!”
————————
(But for some reason he seemed to completely oppose that idea.)
At Creto’s guidance, I was able to go around to various shops.
There was a popular hot chocolate shop, and one that boasted about their sweet cakes…
I looked around the shops for a while and then the clock tower at the center chimed out that it was three o’clock.
Creto: “You wanna take a break somewhere? We’ve been walking a lot so… I mean, you must be tired right miss?”
OO: “You don’t have to use formalities with me. I don’t mind if you just speak casually if that’s what you’re comfortable with.”
Creto: “No, I gotta make sure I do this right… ah, correctly.”
OO: “Come on, it’s fine. Don’t push yourself.”
Saying as much, Creto let out a great sigh as if the tension had left his body.
Creto: “I’m so uncool… I can’t even use formal speech. But thanks. I’m really bad at speaking politely like that.”
(The atmosphere has become more comfortable… so this is the real Creto.)
I let out a spontaneous giggle.
Creto: “OO?”
OO: “It’s nothing.”
Creto: “I really am… uncool.”
(Ah… I wonder if I upset him.)
I tried changing the topic…
OO: “Hey, can you show me which shop you’d recommend?”
In a flash, Creto’s expression brightened though he’d just been sinking further down.
Creto: “…my recommendation? I know! I’ll show you the best shop!”
(What should I do…)
I looked around the main street and pointed to a chic-looking shop.
OO: “I want to try going over there!”
Creto shyly lifted his face slightly out from the scarf he was hiding behind.
Creto: “You have a good eye for picking that one. I really like that shop too.”
Escorted by Creto, we came to the town’s best traditional chocolate shop.
Seated, we drank the milk chocolate and coffee that Creto recommended.
Creto: “Things that aren’t sweet have become pretty popular recently, but this shop’s ingredients are both good quality and simple, so it’s the best. You want to try?”
Following his suggestion, I put the square-shaped piece of chocolate in my mouth.
OO: “It really is… delicious!”
I couldn’t hold back my impression of it as the silky-smooth chocolate melted on my tongue.
Creto: “Right!? I love the milk chocolate here!”
Creto also popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth and smiled in delight.
OO: “It’s sweet…”
The sweetness flooded my mouth, and I could taste the cacao as I spoke.
Creto: “Is it… a little too sweet?”
OO: “It’s not that. It’s sweet, but not overpowering, so it’s really good.”
I answered Creto as he looked at me with concern, then he happily ate his own piece of chocolate.
He really did look happy as he held that piece of chocolate in his mouth…
OO: “Creto, you really do love chocolate, don’t you?”
I spoke without thinking, surprising myself.
(I said he liked chocolate, even when he doesn’t…)
Then, Creto looked a little troubled before shyly scratching at his head.
Creto: “…yeah. I really do. It’s just a little embarrassing when a man likes sweet things. But sweetness can make people smile… so I think first-rate chocolatiers are amazing.”
(Creto…)
OO: “Yeah, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about for thinking delicious things are delicious.”
Creto: “R-really…?”
He avoided meeting my eyes, looking instead to the shop’s showcase as his cheeks turned a light shade of red.
I nodded, and he smiled naturally as if relieved.
(What a cute smile.)
Creto’s smile was brilliant, and I felt a sweetness that had nothing to do with chocolate in my heart…-.
…
……
As we went to leave the shop after a while, I spotted a poster near the register.
OO: “…an advertisement calling for participants in a chocolate competition?”
The poster said the competition would open in a few days, and that it was the oldest and most historical competition held in the country.
Ch. 4: An Invitation to a Chocolate Competition
I spotted the poster for the chocolate competition in the shop…
Creto: “What’s up?”
OO: “Creto… this.”
Creto noticed my gaze, and I pointed to the poster for the competition.
Then…
Creto: “Ah… the chocolate competition.”
OO: “You know about it?”
Creto: “Yeah… these poster things are for the competition that holds the most authority in this country.”
(…? I wonder what this feeling is.)
When seeing the poster, Creto’s expression seemed to sink.
I was worried…
OO: “Are you not interested in the competition?”
Creto: “It’s not that…”
His expression still looked dejected…
OO: “What’s wrong?”
I asked the question, but Creto stayed silent and just looked at the poster.
Creto: “…”
Creto kept glancing between me and the poster.
OO: “…?”
I tilted my head, thinking his reaction strange.
Creto: “Actually…”
Creto’s voice was small as he started to talk.
Creto: “Actually, I had wanted you to taste the chocolate that I made but…”
OO: “Eh…-.”
Creto turned his gaze away in embarrassment.
Creto: “Since you woke me up… I wanted to thank you. But while making it… I was worried what you would think about getting hand-made chocolate from a guy. In the end, I thought it would be better to buy you the best chocolate in town, so I snuck out of the castle…”
OO: “So that’s why you were in town.”
Creto: “Yeah. But then I ended up running into you before I could buy the chocolate. I am so completely uncool…”
His shoulders sagged in disappointment, and I smiled at him.
OO: “I don’t think you’re uncool. Thank you Creto. And I think it’s amazing that you make your own chocolate! I would expect nothing less from the Prince of Shocoluna!”
His almond eyes opened wide.
OO: “I want to try your chocolate, Creto.”
I told him my honest feelings.
Creto: “OO…”
OO: “What’s wrong? Did I say something weird…?”
Creto: “No, not at all! I just didn’t think you’d speak so highly of something that wasn’t perfect… I’m kinda happy… alright…”
The bashful smile on his face gradually disappeared…
Creto: “I should have kept going right up until the end to make sure they didn’t come out in weird shapes.”
He turned his gaze towards the poster and his lips tightened in frustration.