Volume 3 Chapter 65 The Return Gift
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Mio-san supervised the whole thing as I slowly worked through the mountain of sweets I’d traded for on Valentine’s Day. To keep from hitting a total calorie wall, I ate them bit by bit every day. Suu-chan helped me pick the order so I wouldn’t get bored. By the time I finally finished the stash, a whole month had passed since Valentine’s Day.)
And that brings us to White Day¹.
(I wonder if everyone else is actually giving return gifts. I’m sure there are plenty of guys out there tearing their hair out, wondering what to get… or maybe not. Even if you want to give something back but can’t… well, there’s always next year, buddy.)
(Honestly, I don’t have a single good memory of White Day from my past life. There was the sheer, soul-crushing effort of returning gifts for the “pity chocolate” handed out at the office. To be fair, it was such a hassle that I’d have preferred to get nothing at all. But then you’d see the female employees making the rounds, smiling while they hit every desk, and you can’t exactly be the one guy who says no. If you refuse, you look like you’re overthinking it, and that’s a whole different kind of social suicide.)
(I didn’t want to be that pathetic guy who got all hyped up over bottom-tier obligation chocolate, but since nobody ever took the lead to organize a group return gift, I always ended up having to figure it out on my own. And then, once you actually gave the gift back, you’d hear the female employees whispering behind your back about how they liked the other guy’s gift better, or how you had no taste, or how your gift was basically worth pennies. The poor Manager… actually, that’s way too depressing. My lips are sealed.)
(At that point, it’s not even “thanks for being kind.” It’s just “doing your chores.” A world like that is just wrong. I’ll fix it! I’ll make it what it’s supposed to be! …I think I had a thought like that once, right after my wish for world peace—or maybe a few slots down on the priority list.)
(In this life, I’m so filled with a love that’s Jun-level pure that those bitter memories have almost vanished. But man, this year was something else. Because of the sheer volume I received, I’d have been in serious trouble if not for the Hinomori Kindergarten tradition of returning gifts on the spot. It really would’ve been a nightmare for Mother and Mio-san. They would’ve spent the whole day driving me around just to deliver returns.)
(Still, last month was a marathon. As soon as I finished one batch of gifts, another message would come in, and I’d be back to the drawing board. I had to keep a ledger of who gave what and how much it cost. Halfway through, I just started setting my own conditions for the exchange.)
(As a thank-you to Mother and Mio-san for having the patience of saints, I went to the mall last weekend with Mitsuhisa-san and Suu-chan. For their White Day gift, I gave them some high-end raw caramels. And, of course, a return gift for Suu-chan, since she gave me those handprint cookies. I went with a tin of candy that Mio-san had recommended.)
(She seemed to fall in love with that pink tin immediately. It had botanical patterns on the lid and sides, and she hasn’t let it out of her sight since. She dumped the actual candy out almost instantly; now it’s her official hair-tie box.)
Suu-chan hummed a little tune, clearly in a great mood with her new favorite treasure. As I idly watched her, she must have felt my stare. She turned around, and our eyes met.
”…Maa-kun, thank you… muff-u,” she giggled happily.
”You’re very welcome,” Makoto replied.
(I wonder how many times she’s thanked me now? I didn’t think she’d love it this much. Thank you, Mio-san. Seeing how happy Suu-chan is with her White Day gift makes me way more joyful than receiving the Valentine’s chocolate ever did.)
It was a perfectly peaceful White Day. I was just relaxing, watching Suu-chan play—opening and closing the lid, admiring it, and neatly lining up her hair ties—when the doorbell suddenly rang. Mio-san, who had been tapping away on a laptop near the sleeping twins, got up and headed for the door. I assumed it was just a package, but I was proven wrong a second later.
”—Makoto-ppo!”
A kid’s energetic voice boomed from the entryway. I could vividly picture the scene: the kid trying to scream at the top of his lungs while his mother hurriedly covered his mouth so he wouldn’t annoy the neighbors. There’s only one guy I know who’d be in that spot… well, maybe a few, but judging by the voice, it’s definitely him. And he was definitely calling for me.
”Maa-kun, come here for a second,” Mio-san called out.
She had been handling the guest but now she was beckoning me over from the living room. (Why the Totsuka house, though? I don’t remember making plans to play today. Maybe he just ran out of patience because I haven’t been over to his place lately?)
With that thought in mind, I headed to the door with Suu-chan clinging to my waist like a little shadow.
”Makoto! We meet again!” Jun shouted.
”Yeah, hey. What’s up?” said Makoto.
”I’m here!” Jun announced.
”…I can see that,” Makoto replied.
Standing at the door was, as expected, the youngest of the Imai family.
”Ah! Mom, that thing! Hurry!” Jun barked.
”Just hold on a second,” Sanae-san said.
”Huuuury!”
”Yes, yes…”
Jun was hopping up and down, waiting for Sanae-san to pull something out of her bag. I couldn’t help but wonder where he got all that energy after a full day of kindergarten. I was already feeling burnt out just from being around them. (Well, having Suu-chan attached to my back is a different story. Honestly, I practically need her there for my soul to recover.)
”Makoto! For you!” Jun said, thrusting a wrapped bag toward me that he’d just taken from Sanae-san.
”Valentine’s return gift!”
”…Huh?”
”Oh… right. Thanks,” said Makoto.
(Come to think of it, I did give out some sweets back on the day of the School Arts Festival. I was basically a robot on an assembly line that day, so I’d completely forgotten. He’s a dutiful little guy… though I suspect Sanae-san was the one who actually remembered.)
And so, for the first time in my very long life, I actually received a gift on White Day. By the way, the contents were a certain world-famous lollipop on a stick.
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Summary:
A month has passed since Valentine’s Day, and Makoto navigates the social complexities of White Day return gifts. He reflects on his traumatic corporate past-life experiences with ‘obligation chocolate’ before settling into a peaceful moment with Suu-chan. The chapter concludes with a surprise visit from Jun, who presents Makoto with a return gift, marking a sentimental first for the protagonist.
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Trivia:
- The mention of ‘Mio-san working on a laptop near the sleeping twins’ suggests a busy domestic life that contrasts with Makoto’s peaceful observation.
- The ‘Hinomori Kindergarten tradition’ of instant return gifts serves as a world-building element that prevents the plot from getting bogged down in logistical travel.
- Makoto’s ‘robot-like’ state during the School Arts Festival implies a high degree of social fatigue from maintaining his ‘perfect child’ facade
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Character Insight:
The bond between Makoto and Suu-chan is highlighted through their quiet, non-verbal understanding. Makoto’s internal transition from cynical office worker to a caring guardian figure is evident when he notes that seeing Suu-chan’s happiness is more rewarding than receiving gifts himself.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The chapter explores ‘Giri-choco’ (obligation chocolate) culture and its carryover into White Day. It also touches upon the social pressures within modern Japanese office environments, contrasted with the more direct and pure interactions of kindergarteners.
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TL Notes:
The term ‘Muff-u’ (むふ) is a unique SFX for a satisfied/smug giggle. The ‘Spanish lollipop’ is a clear reference to Chupa Chups, localized to maintain the protagonist’s specific worldly knowledge.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mio – Mio-P, 28, pregnant Totsuka resident, round belly, baby‑faced charm, elegant gray outfits accentuating her G‑cup curves (164 cm, 57 kg). Former relay/badminton star turned teacher, cook, photographer; bakes strawberry shortcake & chirashi‑zushi, babysits Ma‑kun, nudges his marriage to Suu‑chan. Playful neighbor, family friend, “Love Guru,” stages birthday sketches, narrates childhood memories, mothers Suu‑chan, Fuu‑chan, Kyo‑chan, avoids crowds, quietly guides destinies with warmth.
• Jun – Rose, the Imai family’s youngest daughter and a Rose Class kindergartner, sports short‑sleeve tops and shorts year‑round, has a huge appetite, is ultra‑competitive, idolizes her mother, and is warned about germs by her older brother while Makoto reins her in. Energetic, physically strong, heroic, often forced to be ‘it’ in tag, now can count to ten, close friend of Makoto, and also a classmate who mocks his dancing.
• Mitsuhisa – Mitsuhisa, 33, 184 cm, 71 kg, reserved and scowling yet toned, works from home on modified childcare leave. Husband of Mio, father of Suu‑chan, Fuu‑chan, Kyo‑chan; protective and doting toward the younger twins. He quietly films family life, is distant with photographer Akari, shares dark banter with former teammate Makoto, unsettled by his influence, and shows quiet pride holding the twins at Suu‑chan’s birthday.
• Makoto – Four‑year‑old Maa‑kun (93 cm, 13 kg) wears a neat white shirt, light‑blue non‑woven vest, trousers and cap with a backpack in Rose Class. He is a reincarnated 30‑year‑old salaryman calling himself “Toilet Master”, male despite his father’s view, and is known as Boss by peers. Polite, short‑haired, he protects Suu‑chan, mediates fights, reads Kanji, speaks English, aids his mother and neighbors, and keeps distance from everyone except his “future bride” Suzuki.
• Totsuka – The neighbor family consisting of a husband (Mitsuhisa), wife (Mio), and daughter (Suu-chan). They are hardcore gamers who provide hand-me-down consoles to the protagonist’s household.
• Sanae – Middle‑aged woman, mother of Jun and three older sons (in middle and high school), and friend of Makoto’s mother.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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