The Case of the Homemade Chocolates

Being challenged by Satoshi, Mayaka made special Valentine chocolate for him. Unfortunately, it was stolen, and it's now up to Houtarou to investigate this case, return the chocolate and find the culprit.

Plot
The events on last year's Valentine's Day at Kaburaya Middle School will go down in history. Mayaka is beyond irate that Satoshi will not accept chocolate from anyone who doesn't make homemade chocolate for him. And according to him, homemade chocolate isn't the result of buying chocolate bars and melting them and reshaping them into a heart. Mayaka shouts and vows how she will then create the chocolate that he desires next year while ripping her own chocolate's wrapping off and tearing into the chocolate with gusto. Then, with tears of rejection and anger Mayaka runs away, shouting how she will make him this chocolate and force it in his face. In the back of the scene, Houtarou is waiting for Mayaka's and Satoshi's little Valentine's Day drama to end with a yawn that would make a sleepy lion jealous.

One year later in the club room of the Classic Lit Club, Mayaka throws her arms up in frustration and falls down on the table face first. She complains that making chocolate from cocoa beans is just too hard. Eru seems to agree with her that it looks hard. Houtarou is with them and he is trying to stay out of the conversation by reading a book. There is a large pile of books about how to create chocolate from cocoa beans and the process needed to make the chocolate white or dark, bitter or sweet. Mayaka has no officially done more research than any other female character in Valentine's Day. However Mayaka is on the verge of frustration, she doesn't quit. She has vowed to make the best homemade chocolate ever and if Satoshi still has something to complain about, then she promises to lock him up somewhere and force him to read these books. And if that's still not good enough, then she will just force her chocolate down his throat. Houtarou gives an unpleasant shudder in the place of Satoshi.

Eru tells Mayaka that she has her back and asks if there is anything that she can do to help. Houtarou, scared, looks at Eru like ‘you crazy!?’ Mayaka thinks for half a second, than asks Eru if she knows a shop that sells ingredients for candy. Let's see, says Eru while she muses. There's a store near the shopping district that sells ingredients for professionals. Eru offers to take Mayaka there if she would like it. Mayaka happily accepts Eru's kindness and gives vent to a shout of joy. Mayaka looks sneakily left and then to the right and then she comes close to Eru's face and whispers to keep this a secret from Satoshi. Houtarou is beginning to wonder if they forgot that he was here. Mayaka and Eru make plans for this Sunday to head over to the shop in question. Mayaka suddenly remembers that Houtarou is here as well and, glaring at him, makes him promise not to tell Satoshi about her scheme.

On the way home from school as Houtarou is walking by an arcade he notices that Satoshi's bike is parked right out front. Satoshi comes out and invites Houtarou to a game. Since Houtarou isn't in a hurry to get home, he accepts the offer and comments that he hasn't been to an arcade since middle school. The same goes for Satoshi. The two head straight for a giant robot fighting game. When the game begins, Houtarou realises that Satoshi isn't playing as he expected him to. Was he always this kind of player, or... But then Houtarou remembers that Satoshi loves to win and would do anything he could to win including running away and letting the time run out. But if he lost then he was a sore loser and would complain and do anything in his power to reclaim victory. The game ends in Houtarou's favour, but oddly what surprises Houtarou is how calm Satoshi is taking his lose. Heck, Satoshi has even complimenting Houtarou for his handling skills. Houtarou asks Satoshi why he charged in the end. Satoshi replies with a smile that robot battles are all about close combat. That's right, thinks Houtarou, Satoshi has changed since middle school.

Eru and Mayaka are out shopping. They are now buying ribbons and already Mayaka is so nerve-racked that she can't choose which one that she wants to buy. Eru is there for morale support, but somehow the conversation turns from Mayaka to Eru. Mayaka asks her if she is in love right now and with whom if so. Eru starts blushing and looking around frantically. Eventually Eru answers Mayaka, but we don't get to hear her answer. On Valentine's Day Houtarou wakes and leaves his room to find a present left there by his older sister with a single bar of chocolate inside with a note. Houtarou closes the present box, steps over it, and kicks it into his room before he goes on with his day. On the walk to school, Houtarou is alone, but not for long. Eru comes riding up on her bicycle and she talks to him.

Houtarou asks Eru how the chocolate making went with Mayaka. Eru reports that Mayaka finished it, but it was a struggle right up to the end. They tried all sorts of chocolates before deciding on the final one. Houtarou grins and comments how they probably finished the rejects in a flash. Eru takes special notice of this comment and mentions how rude that was. So, is it true Eru? Are you and Mayaka a little piggy when it comes to chocolate? But still, even Houtarou's comment doesn't force Eru's happiness to waver. The end result, she says, is a masterpiece. This must be what it means to pour your whole heart into something, says Eru in a quieter voice while looking down with dreamy eyes. So, what's Mayaka going to do with the chocolate, asks Houtarou. Unfortunately Mayaka has to go to the Manga Society today, so she is going to leave her chocolate in the club room for Satoshi to pick up. Houtarou thinks about how Satoshi would prefer it that way.

Suddenly Eru comes to a complete standstill. As if she forgot, Eru mentions how today is Valentine's Day. Houtarou is shocked and gulps and holds his breath for whatever happens to happen. In Eru's family they don't give presents to people whom they are really close to so that's why, even for Valentine's Day... Wait a second, thinks Houtarou. Does that mean... Suddenly two passersby are in conversation about how the weather forecast said that it is going to snow later today. Just this simple sentence breaks Eru and Houtarou free from the chains of their love. If they don't start walking to school then they are going to be late. After this moment there is an incredibly awkward tension between these two; they refuse to even look in the direction of the other.

After school, Mayaka is alone in the club room. She gently places her chocolate down on the table and sighs away her nerves. She then leaves the room to head to the Manga Society. Houtarou is standing alone in the hallway after school looking out the nearest window with an expression of pure disgust. It is snowing hard outside, so hard in fact that you can't even see more than two or three inches in front of you. Satoshi breaks Houtarou how this hatred spell and asks him if he is going to the club room. Houtarou says no, that it is cold in there, and he is waiting until he can go to the library. Well, Satoshi says that he's going to the club room. Satoshi has a little bag at his side, it is very colourful. It looks like the same bag that Eru and Houtarou used last episode to get out of the shed. Houtarou tells Satoshi that Mayaka is in the Manga society today so she won't be there. Word travels fast, replies Satoshi. Well, says Satoshi, he'll head there now. The two friends part here; Houtarou walks a step or two but then he stops and turns around and wishes Satoshi good luck.

Eru arrives first in the club room. Upon her arrival Eru notices Mayaka's chocolate on the table. She then walks up to it and sits down and starts giggling. She is acting like a creeper; it is honestly a little disturbing, but cute. She is sitting there waiting for Satoshi to show up. But she has waited for thirty minutes without him showing up and so she has decided to head to the library and ask Houtarou about Satoshi's whereabouts. Eru tells Houtarou that Satoshi hasn't come by the club room yet so she was wondering if something had happened. Houtarou looks at his watch and tells Eru that it has been thirty minutes since he last saw Satoshi and mentions how Satoshi promised to head to the club room. In that case, says Eru, she'll head right back there to wait for him to arrive.

When the snow has stopped coming down, Houtarou gets ready to leave and he is about to leave, but Eru comes running into the library in a state of panic. Satoshi is on her heels looking angry. The sleet stopped and he was just about to go home, says Houtarou before Eru can even open her mouth to tell him what's wrong. Sorry, but can it wait until tomorrow, asks Houtarou. Eru jumps in his way and holds out her arms to block him from leaving. She pleads with him to just hear her out. It's all her fault, she left the club room door open, she has done something really horrible to Mayaka. These are Eru's words, incoherent as they are when she says them. Houtarou looks over her shoulder right at Satoshi and asks him to tell him what happened. Satoshi evasively tries to answer, but Eru speaks up and says that Mayaka's chocolates have been stolen. Houtarou looks outside, how simple he could just walk away from this problem, but he can't and sighs, saying that he'll help, much to both Eru's and Satoshi's surprise. He explains to the audience that he doesn't want to have to face Mayaka when she learns that her chocolate has been stolen. He's not a fan of the horror genre. They head back to the club room with Houtarou in the lead. They are quiet until they come to the west stairs leading to the fourth floor. The stairs are roped off because they have just been waxed. Satoshi suggests that they take the east stairs. On the east stairs someone putting up a poster stops them to ask if his poster looks straight. It looks lopsided and with one end, the lower side, being larger than the top end.

When they arrive in the club room, Eru wastes no time in telling Houtarou everything that she knows about the case. Mayaka's chocolate, Houtarou realises, is big, about the size of a real person's heart. It was here before she left to look for Satoshi, explains Eru. When did you come back, asks Houtarou. Just before five; it is not 5:20 by the club room clock. Eru feels completely depressed about those fifteen minutes when she left the room unlocked with no one in there. Satoshi tries to get Eru to stop blaming herself and says that it's his fault for arriving so late. Houtarou asks if they told Mayaka yet. They haven't, Eru admits that it seems a bit cruel to her, but she would like to find it before letting her know. It's not in the room, says Eru. She and Satoshi looked everywhere in the club room and around the school for it. Surprised, Houtarou asks about Satoshi's involvement. Satoshi says that he ran into Eru on the stairs and entered the room together.

Houtarou's next question is when did the Crafts guys get there. What, asks Satoshi, clearly perplexed. The guy with the glasses, replies Houtarou. Eru says that guy from the Crafts Club was putting the poster up when she went to go look for Satoshi. Great, says Houtarou, if he were there the whole time, then he knows exactly who came and left. Wait, says Satoshi. He then asks Houtarou if he is the culprit. Impossible, says Houtarou, what culprit would just stand around after the crime putting up a poster? To that Satoshi has no answer but to concede that Houtarou is right. They immediately ask him and he remembers everyone who walked by. In total there were three people. Immediately Eru starts harassing this poor guy about their characteristics and their personalities. Houtarou taps her on the shoulder and points to himself while saying one. Satoshi does the same and says two. They then point to Eru and she continues the trend and says three.

They arrive at the Astronomy Club room and knock on its door. Sawakiguchi answers the door and thinks this is a surprise to see the Classic Lit Club here. Eru outright orders her to give back the stolen chocolate; immediately Satoshi and Houtarou pull her back and restrain her. Houtarou explains why they are here and how they are looking for witnesses. Chocolate, thinks Sawakiguchi; she then breaks out into laughter at the thought of a love thief. Houtarou looks behind him where Eru is really depressed. Houtarou sidesteps so that Sawakiguchi doesn't see Eru's disposition and asks her if she saw anybody between 4:45 and 5:00. Hmm, thinks Sawakiguchi; they were here partying pretty hard, but she thinks that Nakayama, Yoshiwara, and Oda left the room, but she doesn't know when exactly. So three out of five possible suspects, thinks Houtarou as he gets a good look inside of the room.

Did anyone go home, asks Houtarou. No. Is Oda that girl, asks Houtarou. That's Nakayama, replies Sawakiguchi with some anger in her voice. She apologises, but also says that no one here took their chocolate. Sawakiguchi then kicks pushes open the door to its full extent and yells into the club room, asking if anyone's seen any chocolate. The guys beg her not to be so mean as to kick them when they are down and how they haven't seen any today at all. They wish they could though. Nakayama mocks them and laughs while looking at the guy on her right who laughs along with her. Well, there you have it, says Sawakiguchi. Houtarou thanks Sawakiguchi for her cooperation and apologises for being rude with a curt bow. Sawakiguchi accepts the apology and shuts the door. Outside the Astronomy Club room, Eru comments how Sawakiguchi was angry. Well, of course, says Houtarou. But they have to find Mayaka's chocolate, persists Eru.

They return to the club room; Houtarou comments how he would like to wrap up this case soon. Once there, Houtarou asks if there is any other way to get to the fourth floor. Only the other staircase that is currently being waxed, replies Satoshi. Houtarou then asks if they checked the girl's bathroom. The words are barely out of his mouth when he hears the door slam open and Eru running out saying that she'll go check them. Houtarou never believed that they were there in the first place. But then why, asks Satoshi. Houtarou half-yells at Satoshi that he has more or less figured it out, so please be quiet for now. Satoshi understands and falls completely silent. Eru returns moment's later looking crestfallen and reporting that the chocolates weren't there. Well then, says Houtarou, there is only one possibility left.

At this point Mayaka walks into the club room and is surprised to see that everyone is still here at school. Mayaka gets straight to the point and asks Satoshi how her chocolate was. Satoshi is still under Houtarou's order to be quiet and doesn't answer. Houtarou sees this as his chance to tell Mayaka, in a calm manner, about the stolen chocolate, but Eru just blurts everything out and how it's all her fault. When Mayaka hears this her voice trembles. Houtarou breathes in sharply as he notices something about Mayaka's demeanour. He realised that she has also figured out the mystery. Eru starts blaming herself, but Mayaka puts a stop to that immediately and tells her that it's not her fault. But it does sting a little, says Mayaka. Well, she doesn't want Eru to worry anymore, so she'll be going home now. Satoshi is stone-faced as he watches Mayaka's charade in silence. Mayaka then leaves the room in silence.

When Mayaka leaves, Eru stands still for a moment and then she starts to chase after Mayaka. But Houtarou who sensed that this might happen rushed to block her way. She asks him kindly to get out of the way, but he refuses. Eru may need to resort to drastic measures, but she will find Mayaka's chocolate. If she doesn't, then she feels like she can't face Mayaka tomorrow. Houtarou repeats to her what everyone has been telling her; it's not her fault, but Eru is so drawn inwardly right now that she doesn't believe even Houtarou. This was supposed to be Mayaka's happy day, replies Eru while half-yelling at Houtarou. Eru walks passed Houtarou. He grabs her and pulls her back; it is then revealed that she was crying just now. Houtarou admits that he can't say how she feels right now because he doesn't feel things as strongly as she does, but he tells her to leave this to him. He has something in mind, but he can't do it with her around.

Eru asks Houtarou if he knows who did it and he says yes. It was Nakayama from the Astronomy Club. Satoshi starts forward, completely surprised and looks at Houtarou. Houtarou explains that the guys were ruled out because they couldn't hide the chocolate due to its large size, but the only girl could hide beneath her skirt without being noticed. Houtarou promises to find Mayaka's chocolate and hand them over to Satoshi before the day ends. He advises Eru to leave this matter to him so that she can go home. Eru then leaves, sadly, and says that she'll trust Houtarou to keep his word. Houtarou and Satoshi wait in the club room in awkward silence until nighttime when it starts to snow again.

When they are walking home they come upon a bridge. Halfway across the bridge Houtarou asks Satoshi to give his bag over. Satoshi hands it to Houtarou. Houtarou sighs and gives the bag one hard shake. The sound of plastic is clearly heard from within the bag. He then hands the bag back over to him saying that he has fulfilled his promise to Eru to give Mayaka's chocolate to Satoshi. Satoshi takes the bag back in shame while Houtarou accuses him of being the one who stole Mayaka's chocolate. Houtarou admits that when he first heard that Mayaka's chocolate was stolen that the only one who would have done it is Satoshi, but he was only certain when the Crafts Club guy talked to them when Satoshi commented about that one side about the poster is too low now. Why would he say that if he wasn't there earlier and said to lower one side?

Houtarou's theory is that Satoshi waited in the men's bathroom for Eru's to walk by. He then sneaked into the club room, took Mayaka's chocolate in hand and was going to put it into his bag, but realise it was too big. He then looked around the room for a bigger bag, but finding none Satoshi broke the chocolate against the table so that it would fit in his. Houtarou then asks Satoshi if he even hesitated when he broke her chocolate. Satoshi does not answer. Now they're even, says Houtarou. Satoshi looks at him in question. This was his thanks for back when he needed help distracting Eru by inventing the Silk Spider Society. That felt like a year ago. Satoshi remembers that time, but back then no one got hurt, except for Houtarou. Houtarou quickly approaches Satoshi and says that he hopes that Satoshi has a good explanation for doing this. If this is some kind of joke then, he grabs Satoshi by the muffler around his neck and pulls him in, and says that he'll have to hit him for both Eru and Mayaka. He'll have to hit Satoshi hard.

Satoshi wouldn't like that very much. He doesn't want to tell Houtarou, but in this situation he'll have to unless he wants to get hit. Satoshi asks Houtarou, after sighing, if he thinks that Satoshi is the obsessive type. Yeah, in fact, he'd call Satoshi a hobbyist. That's not quite right, replies Satoshi. A hobbyist is someone that devotes all of their time on a single subject to be better than everyone else. And you're different, asks Houtarou. Yeah, says Satoshi; he'll never be the best at anything. Or rather, you could say that he's stopped trying. He believes that Houtarou has realised that back in the arcade. A year ago, Satoshi was obsessed with winning. But over time that desire to win just become boring. How he won become boring and the simple fact of winning became boring. And so he's stopped trying and ever since then, his life has been fun everyday.

"But there was one problem: Mayaka. She’s really a great girl.", says Satoshi honestly with a wistful look. There's no one else like her, and for her to love Satoshi is like a dream come true. Then—, Houtarou wants to ask. However, says Satoshi, can he really allow himself to get obsessed with her? Satoshi says that he wants to be with Mayaka, there's no question about it. But he also doesn't want to obsess over her. He knows that he's just being selfish and disregarding how she feels completely. It's not like he wants to make light of her feelings. But Satoshi feels that if he leaves his comfort bubble, then he would regress to the way that he used to be. And that scares him. That's why you didn't accept it, asks Houtarou in reference to the chocolate. That's right, replies Satoshi. And so today, he still hasn't found his answer. He couldn't think of another way to refuse her chocolate that he feels he couldn't accept.

"But you hurt Eru in the process", says Houtarou. Now his voice is kept level, but there is a serious hint of anger in it, flamed with passion. Satoshi sighs and says that he guesses his plans don't go as smoothly as Houtarou's. Both Satoshi and Mayaka never stopped to consider Eru. Earlier that day when Mayaka is walking along the same bridge, Eru has caught up with her. Mayaka immediately bows to Eru and apologises because she knows who stole her chocolate all along and starts to tell her about how last her she told Satoshi that she would wait a year to hear his answer. Today was the day that he was supposed to give his answer. Then your chocolate, asks Eru. Satoshi probably has it, replies Mayaka. Eru looks to genuinely relieved to hear that Satoshi has had it all along. Mayaka apologises for hiding this information from her. Don't worry about it, replies Eru, and she goes on to say how it is her fault for being so fussed with it in the first place. So when Houtarou said that someone from the Astronomy Club took it, asks Eru. He was probably covering for Satoshi, replies Mayaka.

But how could Satoshi be so mean as to pretend that they were stolen asks Eru. Mayaka completely agrees with Eru. It frankly pisses her off that he would do that to her. But what pisses her off even more is that she still loves him. Alright, shouts Mayaka and she suggests that she and Eru stuff themselves full of cake. Eru smiles and agrees with this suggestion. Well, that's the whole story, says Satoshi. What will he do now/ Houtarou sighs and says that it's not like he can tell any of this to Eru. No way, replies Satoshi, he'd rather get punched. So, have you found your answer yet, asks Houtarou. Satoshi thinks for a moment and then looks down while saying that he thinks he'll have an answer soon. Houtarou understand and walks by Satoshi, but not without giving him a light tap on the back of the head. Houtarou then tells Satoshi that he's good at what he does, but maybe he should work on how he does it. Afterwards, Houtarou and Satoshi decide to head home.

Once he got home, Houtarou gives Eru a call telling her that he found Mayaka's chocolate and gave them to Satoshi. Eru, knowing that he is only half lying, replies with a smile. That's good to hear, she says warmly. Well, um... yeah, don't worry about, says Houtarou. Eru then thanks Houtarou for everything that he has done today. Satoshi is standing outside of his house with his cell phone in hand. He looks at the screen. Mayaka's name is light up with options such as to call her or text her. Satoshi hits the one that says call and waits for Mayaka to pick up. Eventually she does. Satoshi tells Mayaka that there's something that he needs to tell her. We don't get to hear what he has to say, or what his answer is to her feelings, but Satoshi is very soft-spoken right now and careful with his words. The episode ends with Houtarou in his room unwrapping the chocolate that his sister gave to him. He bites into it and instantly gets a sour face. It is bitter chocolate.

The Missing Mayaka-Choco Case
This year's Valentine's Day, Mayaka made a homemade chocolate for Satoshi and she put the chocolate at the table in the clubroom while she is taking care of things at the Manga Research Society and Eru keeping an eye on it once she went to the clubroom. But, when Eru left the clubroom to look for Satoshi, the chocolate was stolen. The chocolate went missing between 4:45 and 5:00 which makes it a 15 minutes gap that gives the culprit a chance to steal it. According to someone from the crafts club who was putting up a poster on the wall bulletin board, Houtarou, Satoshi and Eru are the only ones who passed through the east stairs. This brings the conclusion that the culprit must've been in the fourth floor and the only clubs at the fourth floor with the members still present at school are the Classic Lit. Club and the Astronomy Club. And so, they visited the astronomy club's clubroom, but, Eru immediately demanded them to return Mayaka's chocolate before Houtarou and Satoshi restrained her. According to Sawakiguchi, three of her club members, Nakayama, Yoshiwara, and Oda left the room between 4:45 and 5:00 although she's not sure when exactly. Houtarou asked again if there's anyone leave the room preparing to go home, but Sawakiguchi became angry with Houtarou's question and claimed none of her club members stole the chocolate. Back at their clubroom, Houtarou asked if there are other ways to get to the fourth floor besides the staircases. Satoshi claimed that there's only the west stairs that is currently waxed, but there's no traces of anyone used it. And there's no traces of the chocolate being in the girls' bathroom.

Solution: The one who took the chocolate was Satoshi. Houtarou had a feeling Satoshi is the one who did it from the start, but, he became sure of it when Satoshi helped someone from the crafts club adjusting a poster in the bulletin board earlier saying that the poster is too low on one side "now" despite admitting he hadn't gone to the clubroom earlier when the chocolate went missing. Satoshi was hiding in the boys' bathroom on the third floor waiting until Eru leave the clubroom. After that, he goes to the club room and took the chocolate. But, the chocolate was too big to be put inside his bag and there are no bags in the clubroom big enough for the chocolate to fit inside. And so, he broke the chocolate against the table in order for the chocolate to fit inside his bag. The reason behind Satoshi's action is because Satoshi was supposed to give Mayaka an answer for her feelings from last year's Valentine's Day, but, he still doesn't know how to answer her since he is afraid that if he accepted Mayaka's feelings, he might revert to his old obsessive self and obsess over her. That's why he took the chocolate to avoid accepting her chocolate and giving her an answer. On the other hand, Mayaka also knew the culprit was Satoshi and that Houtarou lied to Eru about the culprit was a member of the astronomy club to cover for him which made Eru feel relieved.