Tsuzuru Minagi/A Big Pile of Thank-You's

Misunderstanding Candies

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Tsuzuru	(Got the milk and tofu… Alright, I think I bought all that we really need for today.)
	(All that’s left is to pay at the register—— Huh? Hang on.)
	These candies they’re selling, I’m pretty sure they’re the same ones I had back in high school…
Tsuzuru	…..
Kazunari	Heeeey, Tsuzurooon!!
Tsuzuru	Eh, Miyoshi-san?
Kazunari	Talk about coincidence! You heading home too? Let’s walk back together then!
Tsuzuru	Oh, sure.
Kazunari	Yippee! Btw, were you like, in charge of groceries for today?
Tsuzuru	Yeah, I am. You look like you just finished your own shopping too.
Kazunari	That I did! I went to check out these new products over at the candy shop. I’ve bought tons of them so let’s have some together later!
Tsuzuru	Well, if you’re willing to give me some then I don’t mind…
	Actually, it feels like you’d often give me a lot of candies even way back then.
Kazunari	Did I really?
Tsuzuru	Yeah. There was also that time back in high school when you’d left me a mountain of candies on my desk.
Kazunari	Oh yeah yeah, I remember! That was my show of thanks for the bandage you gave me to help me with my foot blister!
Tsuzuru	In fact, I happened to have found that same brand of candies you gave me at the sweets aisle over at the supermarket earlier.
	I can’t deny, seeing those got me feeling a little nostalgic.
Kazunari	Woah, really!? Ah, don’t tell me— you must’ve bought those candies too?
Tsuzuru	Well, no, I didn’t.
Kazunari	What do you mean you didn’t!? Just when I’m super craving for them?! After you’ve made me nostalgic by bringing them up too!?
Tsuzuru	You already bought a bunch of other candies, though. Aren’t these enough for you?
Kazunari	This is this and that is that!!
Tsuzuru	Okay, well… To be honest, I was second-guessing it myself. But the packs had a lot in them, so even if I did buy them, I figured I wouldn’t have been able to finish eating them all.
Kazunari	Oh, you got a point~! Those candy packs are so tasty but they come in huge volumes, don’t they? But hey, ‘least that makes the cost even more worth it!
	Speaking of, did you actually finish the candies I gave you back then? I’m pretty sure I gave you about one pack’s worth that time…
Tsuzuru	Ahh, about that——
	— — — — FLASHBACK — — — —
Tsuzuru	I’m home——
Kaoru	Welcome home, Onii-chan.
Meguru	Yo, welcome back.
Tsuzuru	Huh? Aniki? So you came back here instead?
Meguru	Yep. We’ve got consecutive holidays ahead, so I matched my schedule to be back home in the meantime. I’m pretty sure I notified you guys ahead of time.
Tsuzuru	Oh, now that you mention it… Actually, it’s a good thing you’re here too then.
Meguru	Oh? Why’s that? Did I come back with good timing?
Tsuzuru	Here, I’ve got these with me——
Noboru	Waah, your bag is filled with candies!
Suberu	How come you have this much, Tsuzuru-niichan?
Tsuzuru	I got them from a senpai from school today.
	But this amount is definitely way too much for me to finish on my own, so I want you guys to have some too.
Suberu	Hooray!!
Kaoru	Thanks so much, Onii-chan!
Tsuzuru	Don’t mention it. If there’s a flavor you like, then you can take as much as you want.
Noboru	Really? Which one should I get then…
Suberu	All of them seem tasty though!
Meguru	… Hey, Tsuzuru. Are you really sure we can have these candies too?
Tsuzuru	Of course. I received this much, so I’d feel bad for my senpai if any of these go to waste.
Meguru	No, but like. If they’re really just any regular senpai, then what reason would they have to give you this much candy, you know?
Tsuzuru	Eh?
Meguru	What I mean is... For that senpai of yours, Tsuzuru must be….
Tsuzuru	(Why do I feel like he’s gotten the wrong idea here. Damn Aniki…….)

Tsuzuru	It’s not what you think it is. This senpai of mine was troubled one time, so I just gave a little helping hand.
	That’s why I was given these candies, as thanks for that time, apparently.
Meguru	I see, so that’s the reason. Then the amount of candies must be their way to show the amount of gratitude they have, is that right?
	But, that’s a little unfortunate though… Here I was thinking that spring has come for our Tsuzuru here.
Tsuzuru	Just what do you even mean by that…
Noboru	—Ah!!
Tsuzuru	Hm?
Noboru	S-Sorry, the candy sorta slipped from hand and fell——
Tsuzuru	It’s fine. If we wash it immediately it should still be edible. Here, I’ll get it for you.
	—Wah!
	*NOTEBOOK FALLS*
Suberu	Oh! Tsuzuru-niichan, I think something fell out of your pocket!
Tsuzuru	Ah, my bad. I forgot I had my student notebook in my chest pocket.
Meguru	Hm? This is a really colorful bandage you’ve got here. It’s not the kind of design I’d see you being into though.
Tsuzuru	(Ah. That’s the bandage I got from Miyoshi-san that I slipped in between the notebook pages. Must’ve dropped along with the notebook just now.)
	I didn’t buy this bandage myself. I got it from the same senpai who gave me all these candy.
Meguru	And why is that?
Tsuzuru	Why you ask…. It’s probably a gesture of thanks, I think.
Meguru	I get the candies, if that’s the case, but a bandage? To say thanks? Not to mention they chose one with this cute of a design too.
Tsuzuru	No I mean like, this senpai is just into designs like that… Like the kind that’s artsy and with doodles. Brightly-colored too.
Meguru	…Hmmm.
Tsuzuru	What’s up with that doubtful look on your face? Please don’t start assuming anything weird..
Kaoru	Here, onii-chan. Your notebook and bandage.
Tsuzuru	Ah, thanks for picking it up for me.
Meguru	Hang on. There’s something written at the back of that bandage. Is that maybe a contact number?
Tsuzuru	You sure have good eyes… Well, it is exactly that, yeah.
Meguru	Then it’s for sure now! That senpai of yours must think of you as——
Tsuzuru	I’m saying it’s not like that.
Noboru	Eh, Tsuzuru-niichan got a girlfriend?
Suberu	That’s awesome!
Kaoru	Congratulations, onii-chan.
Tsuzuru	I DID NOT! AT ALL!
	(Agh, dammit all!! These misunderstandings are just gonna keep piling one after another, aren’t they…..)
	— — — — FLASHBACK END — — — —
Tsuzuru	…….
	(After that, it was a whole lot of work trying to clear up everything to everyone…)
	(Even my classmates from back then misunderstood things when they saw the design of that band-aid. I guess the whole thing was just unavoidable…)
Kazunari	What’s the matter, Tsuzuroon? You went quiet all of a sudden…
Tsuzuru	No, it’s nothing… So the candies I got from you right? I had my brothers help me out, so we managed to eat every single piece.
	Although, it also made me remember a lot of incidents that happened along with it…
Kazunari	Eh, incidents!? What do you mean by that, now I’m super curious!
Tsuzuru	I’ll never say a word. Ever.
Kazunari	Whaaaaat!! Stingy Tsuzuroon!
	—Oh, I know! If you tell me about it, then I’ll let you have the new candies I bought! Just the ones you like though! What do you say?
Tsuzuru	I’ll pass on that. We should really get going home, alright?
	*FOOTSTEPS WALKING AWAY*
Kazunari	Ah, Tsuzurooooon!! Wait uuuuup! Just spill the teaaaa~~!!!

Dita