The air of February 14th carries a gentle sweetness — one that's hard to ignore.
The hallways smell faintly of cocoa and vanilla, mixed with nervous laughter and the rustling of ribbons. Every corner of Saitama High feels alive with excitement.
It's Valentine's Day.
And for Jousuke Daikuhara, that means one thing — trying not to get caught in the middle of it all.
He sits quietly at his desk in Class 1-F, pencil tapping against the edge of his notebook as the morning announcements fade. Around him, students exchange small boxes and shy greetings.
Sakamoto waves a heart-shaped cookie at him.
"Yo, Daikuhara, you got anyone brave enough to give you chocolates yet?"
Jousuke sighs, smiling faintly. "Not that I know of."
"Oh, come on, man. You're too calm for Valentine's."
"Maybe I just don't expect anything," Jousuke says.
Sakamoto laughs, leaning back. "Well, if no one does, I'll give you mine."
"I'll pass, thanks."
The class laughs lightly — the usual, harmless banter. But somewhere in that laughter, two quiet hearts beat a little faster.
As the lunch bell rings, Leah stands up slowly, clutching a small box tied with pale blue ribbon.
She glances at Rika across the room, who gives her an encouraging nod.
"You'll be fine... he's just... Jousuke." Leah said to herself.
Leah smiles faintly. "He's Jousuke."
She walks over, stopping by his desk.
"J-Jousuke." she says quietly, her accent peeking through.
He turns to her, gentle as always. "Hey, Leah. What's up?"
"I... made something. Well, not really made, more like tried not to burn it."
He chuckles, tilting his head. "Is that so?"
She holds out the box with both hands. Her fingers tremble slightly.
"It's... chocolate. I wanted to thank you. For always being kind to me."
Jousuke takes it with care. "Thanks, Leah. I'll treasure it."
Her cheeks flush, and she nods quickly. "O-okay! That's all!"
She spins around to leave, almost bumping into another desk. The class laughs quietly, but Jousuke just smiles, watching her go.
There's something pure in that moment — innocent, light, and fleeting.
Leah presses her back against the door once she's outside, clutching her chest.
Her heart won't stop racing.
A few minutes later, when things calm down, Rika walks toward Jousuke's desk, holding a neatly wrapped paper bag.
"Yo, Daikuhara-kun." she greets casually. "I figured I'd give you this before the room turns into a chocolate war zone."
He laughs softly. "I didn't think you were the type."
"I'm not. But... I wanted to, you know?" She shrugs, trying to play it off. "Don't get the wrong idea, though. It's friend chocolate."
"Right. Friend chocolate." he echoes, smiling.
Rika crosses her arms, leaning against his desk. "Why do you sound like you don't believe me?"
"Because you made it sound suspicious."
Her lips twitch, and she sighs in defeat. "Fine. Maybe it's a little more than that."
Jousuke meets her eyes — calm, gentle, understanding. "Thank you, Sakurai-san. I'll eat it later."
Her confident smirk wavers for just a second before she nods. "You better."
When she returns to her seat, Leah gives her a curious look. Rika only grins, hiding her unease behind humor.
Neither girl notices how similar their smiles are — both trying to be brave.
After the bell rang for break time, Jousuke stretches, sliding his books into his bag.
That's when a voice calls from the door.
"Jousuke!"
He looks up. Kaede stands there, still in her student council armband, holding something behind her back.
Every head in the room turns.
Sakamoto whistles. "There it is. The daily summons."
Kaede glares at him briefly before focusing back on Jousuke. "Can I... borrow you for a while?"
Jousuke nods, amused. "Sure."
As he passes Leah and Rika, both girls exchange silent glances — a mix of curiosity and unease.
Kaede leads him up the stairs, her steps nervous but determined. She keeps glancing back, as if making sure he's following.
When they reach the rooftop, the cold winter air greets them. The sun is beginning to dip behind the buildings, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink.
Kaede sets her bag down and exhales softly.
"Sorry for dragging you here." she says.
"It's fine. You always find interesting ways to call me out," he teases lightly.
She laughs softly. "You make it sound like a habit."
"Isn't it?"
Her cheeks tint pink. "Maybe."
She pulls something from her bag — a small, heart-shaped box, carefully wrapped in white paper with a red ribbon.
"This is for you." she says quietly.
Jousuke looks at it, then at her. "Kaede..."
"It's handmade." she adds quickly. "I almost ruined it. I was stirring too fast and it got grainy, but I fixed it. Probably."
He chuckles. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble."
"I wanted to." she says firmly.
Their eyes meet — and for a moment, the world quiets.
Kaede grips the box tighter. "You see, that night at the café, under the fireworks... I didn't regret saying what I felt. Not even for a second."
He listens silently, the soft wind brushing through their hair.
"But since then, I kept wondering." she continues, her voice trembling slightly. "Was I being selfish? Was it wrong to say it, knowing others might get hurt?"
Jousuke shakes his head. "You weren't wrong, Kaede."
Her eyes widen a little.
"I think being honest is the hardest thing to do sometimes." he adds. "You were just brave enough to do it first."
Her breath catches. "You always say things that make my heart do strange things."
He laughs quietly. "Sorry. I guess that's just how I talk."
Kaede smiles faintly. "You're impossible sometimes."
Then, softly — "But I like that about you."
The wind grows colder, but neither of them moves.
Kaede looks down, brushing her hair from her face. "I saw Leah and Rika earlier... they both gave you something, didn't they?"
Jousuke nods. "Yeah."
"Did it make you happy?"
He thinks for a moment. "It did. Because they both care. That's what makes it complicated."
Kaede nods, her voice small. "It's not easy, huh?"
"No. But it's real." he says.
For a long while, neither speaks. Only the hum of the city below fills the silence.
Then Kaede steps closer, holding out the box once again. Her hands tremble slightly.
"Still, I wanted to give you this." she whispers. "Because I didn't want to let the day end without trying again."
He accepts it gently, his fingers brushing hers.
The touch lingers — warm, electric, too short.
"Thank you, Kaede." he says softly. "I'll take care of it."
"You better." she replies, smiling shyly.
The sky fades into deep crimson. Lights flicker on across the city.
Kaede leans on the railing, watching the sun disappear. "You know… for the longest time, I thought I just admired you. Because you were kind. Because you never treated me like I was untouchable."
Jousuke listens quietly, the golden light catching in his eyes.
"But then," she continues, "I realized it wasn't admiration. It was... wanting to be part of your every day. Wanting to make you smile the way you make me."
She turns toward him, her cheeks faintly red, her eyes unwavering.
"So that's what my chocolate means. It's not just sweet — it's everything I can't say all at once."
Jousuke breathes in slowly, his voice gentle. "Kaede..."
Before he can say more, the door opens slightly — a rush of wind breaks their stillness.
Someone's voice echoes faintly from below, calling his name.
Kaede glances toward the door, then back at him.
"Don't answer yet." she says, her voice trembling. "Just stay like this for a while."
He nods quietly.
And for that moment — that quiet, golden pause — neither of them moves.
The sound of their hearts drowns out everything else.
The day fades into twilight.
And somewhere in that silence, Kaede realizes something she's never said aloud.
That maybe, just maybe... she's already fallen too deeply to turn back.