At this point, we're into our twenty-second chapter of MLLSD, not counting omakes or half chapters. At this point, there's more chapters than even the main series manga (by contrast, Saki Biyori, the spinoff manga most similar to this, has 23 chapters plus 37 in Big Gangan, while the main series is up to Chapter 143 or so). It's somewhat surprising how long the series has been going on for a spinoff, which is part of the reason why I saved MLLSD for last.
On February 14, Valentine's Day comes to Oarai. Miho gets chocolate from Rabbit Team, and is overwhelmed by how many she's getting. Saori gets a lot of chocolate, too, while lamenting that she can only give out friendship chocolate, while Hana, eating a huge chocolate heart, says it's the same for her every year.
Noriko gets a lot of chocolate from her underclassmen, including the three first-years on her team. Hippo Team derides the holiday as one that favors the sweets industry(apparently, it isn't just the ever-present issue of companies cashing in on the holiday; they were responsible for importing it to Japan), but in spite of that, all got each other friendship chocolate, much to their embarrassment.
Yukari gets Miho a chocolate, and while Yukari is completely flustered, Miho is relatively "cool" about it, knowing what to expect.
At Black Forest, Maho gets no less than four packages, all containing chocolate. Maho's unsure of how to take it, but immediately zeroes in on the chocolate that Miho said her and eats it, pleased that Miho knows what she likes. Erika becomes extremely jealous, and is about to reveal her homemade chocolate, but realizes she doesn't know what Maho's favorite flavor is, and worries how it will be received. Maho does a Headbutt Thermometer on Erika, before ordering her to rest in the infirmary.
As Erika walks off, dejected, some of her fellow commanders gush over Maho's success, while enjoying some of their own chocolate. They're enraged, however, to get the tanks that caused them trouble in the finals, including a re-enactment of the way Oarai blocked the Maus' turret. Koume asks where Erika is - Miho gave Koume and Erika some friendship chocolate (perhaps confirming that Miho had friends at Black Forest)- but Jagdpanther-chan is in no mood to help.
In the nurse's office, the nurse notices that Erika is not feverish, but tells her to rest. Erika thinks back to last year, when she and Miho were at the edge of a crowd around Maho. Erika tries to get Miho to do something, but Miho apologizes, saying that she gives Maho her chocolate at home (a reasonable idea). Frustrated that Miho is seemingly useless, Erika tells her to charge in, an attempt that proves futile. Miho says that her sister's popularity is something, correcting herself to call Maho the commander (I wonder if Miho's actually required to refer to Maho by rank, or if this is something she feels the need to do by herself), and promises to do her best next year, but Erika says she won't be relying on Miho at that point.
Erika, having fallen asleep, wakes up and wonders whether training is over, before Maho calls out to her. Erika sees Maho with her tankery jacket as a Coat Cape, and, insisting that she's fine, asks what she can do for Maho. Maho then reminds Erika that she hasn't gotten chocolate from her, and Erika, awestruck, decides to give it to her.
Miho gets an e-mail from her sister, offering chocolate next month, on White Day, making it the only case of someone returning the gift a month later (the fact that only females are giving chocolates to each other complicates things), and seemingly inciting Yukari's jealousy.
Next Installment: Katyusha and the others from Pravda have fun in the snow.
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