Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, segment one

With their school trip a glorious memory, or at least a glorious memory for Noriko, even though she vehemently disagreed, January turned into February. Almost halfway into the month most of the first years showed signs of stress – the second years just experienced it.

Yukio felt certain in his belief that went for the seniors as well, but theirs were more a matter of university entrance exams. Within a week they’d stop coming to school until graduation.

As for himself he belonged to the happy minority who enjoyed the month without a second thought. Some days offered a promise of the coming spring, and he enjoyed sunshine without a cloud to darken it. For the stressed ones the clouds were a deep brown, and usually very sweet. Valentines day loomed over those who had yet to settle into a relationship but were still interested in doing so, or at least interested in the attention clinging to the event.

For his own part he’d get a little something from Kyoko and probably a few samples from friends as well. A month later he’d return the favour and that was it.

While he honestly enjoyed chocolate what Yukio anticipated the most was the evening shared with her. With no school the fifteenth staying out a little later should pose no problem.

Best of all, there was no risk of repeating last year’s Valentine’s disaster when Urufu and Kuri broke up pretty much in the worst way possible. Ryu and Kuri spent their free time cuddling and in general making half of the school population jealous of them each. As for Urufu and Noriko there was less visible cuddling, and if Yukio knew his best friend right, less cuddling overall. That was entirely Urufu’s fault.

Public cosiness or not, Noriko’s Kyoto stunt dragged her relationship with Urufu into the open, or at least indirectly so. The week after they returned she received her share of confessions. They might not have been all that heartfelt, but with Valentine’s days so close more than a few guys saw her as a cute trophy if nothing else.

Which means you can just all go and die.

Urufu might be his best friend, but Noriko was still a close one. She fought hard for her reward, and there was absolutely nothing trophy about her. Yukio’s being blind as a bat when it came to matters romantic lay in his past. A year and a half with Kyoko cured him, and now he understood the glint in Noriko’s eyes as they searched for Urufu.

“Cute, isn’t she?”

Yukio glanced at the head leaning on his shoulder. “You’re cuter.”

“You’re biased,” Kyoko said.

“You bet I am!”

Kyoko snuggled closer to his head. “I guess you’re supposed to be,” she agreed. “Still, she’s cute.”

Across the table, facing the Haven entrance, Noriko glared at them both. “You know I can hear you.”

“Yeah, definitely cute,” Yukio said and pretended Noriko didn’t stare at him from just a cup of coffee away.

She had, he lazily noted, filled out a little where girls should. Well, at least should according to his tastes.

“What you looking at?” Kyoko asked.

Yukio drunk the last of his coffee. “Just observing how there’s more for Urufu to hug.”

Noriko blushed and Yukio felt Kyoko’s head shaking with laughter on his shoulder.

Noriko suddenly stood up from her chair. “Yukio! That’s, that’s sexual…”

“Could do with some more hips though,” Kyoko suggested.

“Kyoko!”

Yukio burrowed his face in Kyoko’s hair and joined her in her mirth. She smelled faintly of shampoo.

“Yes?” she said.

“You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“Naeh,” Yukio said, “I’m supposed to be on Urufu’s side. Not that he deserves it.”

Glaring at him from across the table Noriko shifted her eyes to Kyoko and then back again. Then she rolled her eyes in pretend disbelief, but a thin smile betrayed her, and Yukio felt a smile of his own spread on his face. It’s good this way. You’re good for each other.

“You girls spending the thirteenth together?”

Kyoko nodded on his shoulder. A few strands of hair tickled his nose and with a little regret Yukio lifted his head to hide a sneeze.

“It’s supposed to be a secret,” Noriko said. She waved for James who arrived with coffee and tea. A little later, as soon as the others showed up, they’d order something to eat as well.

“Not that keeping it a secret helped,” Kyoko suggested.

An awkward silence settled over the table. “I never learned exactly what happened,” Yukio said.

Noriko and Kyoko exchanged glances before they silently agreed that Noriko was the one to word whatever they had decided upon. Yukio stared at that little show of friendship with fascination.

“Last year will stay a secret. A small one and it grew way out of proportions.” She exchanged another look with Kyoko. “We could do the same mistake this year, and it wouldn’t mean anything.”

Yukio borrowed a habit of Urufu’s and shrugged. If the girls wanted to keep the lid on what had happened they could do so. Still. “Tell Hitomi and Jeniferu, will you?”

“How did you know?”

Yukio grinned. “Pretty obvious when Urufu asked me to buy four tickets for an action flick Thursday evening.” The looks Yukio got in return told him his answer wasn’t enough. “Look, that means no girlfriends, so you must’ve booked Jeniferu as well, and Hitomi tags along wherever you go as a group these days.”

“You drew that conclusion from buying four movie tickets?” Noriko said.

Yukio stared at her. Urufu said she was the smartest person he knew, so how could she possibly not understand? “It’s just associated data, or whatever Urufu calls it. You heard him explain it as well.” He received another glare. “Four tickets, and I get to pick the movie. You and Kyoko only agree on films when Urufu or Kuri suggests them, so it couldn’t be a double date.”

“Continue!”

“It’s for the thirteenth, so Urufu wanted us guys off the map or we’d disturb you. The only thing you’d want to do together in secret one day before Valentines is pretty obvious. OK?”

“So that’s how your mind works,” Noriko said. “Now I see what he’s paying for.”

“Huh?” How did the girls making chocolate gifts turn into work?