They were all the rage this year: little sugary hearts, loaded with artificial coloring and printed with English phrases. "Conversation hearts", they were called. Oishi thought that anyone who would actually try to have a conversation with them was slightly less than sane. There was no way to combine them into anything even close to resembling a rational dialogue.

"GOOD TIME!" announced a heart of an unnatural pink shade. "CALL ME!" its neighbor demanded, while still others read "E MAIL" "LOVER BOY" and "BE MY HERC".

Be my herc? Oishi picked up the heart. It seemed as though the ink had been running low when this heart was printed.

"Oishi!" Someone collided with his back, and he was nearly pushed into his pile of candy. Oishi looked behind him, smiling at his doubles partner. Eiji peered over Oishi's shoulder.

"Ooh, what does it say?" He reached down and plucked the heart out of Oishi's fingers. "Be my...herc?" He laughed. "Hey, Oishi? Can I have this?"

Oishi blinked. "Sure. Why?"

"I'm collecting messed up ones. Want to see?" Eiji stepped out from behind Oishi and plopped down into the chair beside him.

Oishi grinned. "Okay."

Eiji pulled out a small plastic bag and tipped a few hearts onto the table. Oishi flipped them over one by one. Through unfortunate ink splotches or missing patches, they appeared to say things like "ANGER", "MACI?" and "IG NITE".

"This one is my favorite," Eiji said, holding out a green candy.

Oishi looked down at it. "AX ME", it ordered. He burst out laughing.

"Eiji, where did you get these?"

"From the other regulars." Eiji scooped the candies back into their bag. "Kaidoh gave me a whole box. He said he didn't like them. There weren't any funny ones in there, though."

The bell rang.

"Ah!" Eiji cried. "I have to go, I have class!" He hopped up and began to dash off, but then he turned around. He ran back to Oishi, fumbling in his pocket.

"Almost forgot," he grinned, extending his hand, which was fisted around something. Oishi held out his own hand, and Eiji dropped three candies into it, before bouncing away.

"See you at practice!" he called back as he disappeared around a corner.

Oishi looked down at the hearts in his palm. "Please be mine," they said. "I  U." Oishi smiled.

Maybe there were some things you could say with these candies, after all.