Astral watched with more interest than usual as Yuma busied himself with getting ready for school, his normal routine punctuated by putting strange pink cards and boxes in his bag.
"Is today special, Yuma?" it floated next to him as he finally bounded down the steps and out the door.
"Yeah! Today is Valentine's! It's the day you're supposed to really show how much you love your friends," Yuma bounced up and down as he ran along the sidewalk.
"Why do you need a day for that?"
"Well, we don't really, but it's fun! Everyone gives each other cards and chocolate and it's basically like a mini-vacation for one day."
Astral surveyed the path to school, "Nothing is different about the street."
"Oh, that's because Valentine's isn't as big a holiday as like, Hollow-een and Ex-mas," Yuma turned to Astral as he waited at the crosswalk, pointing to Heartland Tower. "Plus this city is kind of in the spirit all the time with that thing."
Astral closed its eyes, "What does the tower have to do with anything?"
"The thing on top! It's a giant heart! You'll get it better once we get to school."
Unlike the city streets, Yuma's school had dressed up for the occasion, with streamers shaped like hearts zig-zagging across the ceiling and lots of paper cut-outs taped to the walls.
"Hi, Yuma1" Kotori ran to meet him as he crossed the courtyard.
"Hey, Kotori! Happy valentine's day," Yuma turned with a big wave of his hand.
"Yuma, I," Kotori stuttered uncharacteristically. "I wanted to give you your present now," she pulled out a fancily wrapped box from her schoolbag.
"Oh, that looks awesome! You didn't have to put your own wrapping on it, though," Yuma greedily grabbed it, starting to tear at the beautiful paper.
"Yes I did! I made the chocolate myself!" Kotori pouted as Yuma tore apart her hard work in an instant.
"Made it yourself? Wait, this isn't – " Yuma stopped, staring at the chocolate in his hands with his mouth open. Kotori blushed fiercely and covered his face with her hands.
"Do you want to…be my valentine?"
"Kotori, I…I'm sorry, do you want it back?" Yuma stared at the school building.
"…Oh. No, no, you can keep it," Kotori's voice cracked and she ran past Yuma towards their classroom.
"What was that, Yuma?" Astral watched Kotori until she got to the main building's door and disappeared. She was crying.
"…Kotori basically just asked me if I liked her."
"But you obviously like Kotori. She is your best friend. Why would she ask you with some chocolate ritual?"
"Not that kind of liking! She kind of…asked me if I liked her as more than just a friend. Like a lot more. It's hard to explain!" Yuma slumped onto the steps, still holding Kotori's chocolate in his hands.
"Oh, this is more human love," Astral rested its chin on its fist as it mocked sitting with Yuma.
"Well this sucks."
"Why do you not love Kotori, Yuma?"
"I dunno. I don't really – "
"Umm, hi Yuma," Cathy cut Yuma off in mid-thought, nervously clutching a box of chocolate to her chest.
"Hi Cathy. What's up?" Yuma smiled up at her.
"Umm, I, well, I made this for you," Cathy held out the chocolate, nervously eyeing Yuma.
"Oh. I…Cathy, I don't…" Yuma played with his hands, twirling the opened chocolate in them.
"…You already got chocolate. It's from Kotori, isn't it?"
"Uh, yeah actually, but I said no to her," Yuma looked up to find Cathy gone. "What? Where'd she go?"
"She ran inside when you started talking, I do not believe she heard you," Astral stared at Yuma.
"Going to class is not going to be as much fun as I thought it would," Yuma sighed, hoisting himself up and walking through the doors as well.
"Hello, class!" Professor Ukyo greeted from behind his desk. "I know you're all very excited to exchange your valentines but first we need to get through a small amount of math."
Everyone groaned in unison as they took out their D-pads to take notes.
One very short math lesson later, Professor Ukyo finally said, "Okay, it's valentine time. If you want to give something to anyone in a different class, you can too, I'll be here if you need me."
Yuma turned to Kotori, who haven't spoken to him the whole lesson, "I'm really sorry Kotori – "
"It's fine. It's not like I can make you like me or anything. So who DO you like?"
Yuma was taken aback, "I…don't know?"
"You've gotta like someone, Yuma," Kotori snapped her D-pad closed. "So who is it?"
"I seriously don't like anyone!" Yuma threw up his hands in frustration, frowning.
Tetsuo, Takashi and Tokunosuke, who had snuck in from his class, all stopped their movement toward Yuma upon hearing that and turned a 180 away, blushing brightly. Takashi and Tokunosuke bumped into each other, falling over.
"Oh, sorry!" Takashi picked up Tokunosuke's chocolate, handing it to him.
"No problem, it happens to everyone! Or not," Tokunosuke accepted the offered box.
"Hey…you're Tokunosuke right? Do you want to hang out later today?"
"Ehh? That sounds like fun!" Tokunosuke smiled at Takashi.
"Great! I'll see you after school?"
"Sure thing!" Tokunosuke took Takashi's hand and shook it.
Meanwhile, Kotori had been diligently asking the name of everyone Yuma knew to see if she got a reaction, "Robin?"
"ROBIN? You mean the fictional character or Fuya?" Yuma raised an eyebrow, his head slowly being buried in his arms.
"Either one really," Kotori smiled at him.
"Neither," Yuma covered his eyes, intent on ignoring Kotori's incessant questioning.
"Hmmm, what about…" Kotori took a longer pause than usual, because Shark had just walked into the classroom.
Yuma obliviously replied from his nest, "Whoever you say it's gonna be no."
"Really? You waiting for that special someone, Yuma?" Shark's voice came from right behind Yuma's chair.
"Shark!" Yuma spun around, eyes going wide. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to pick up my valentine, of course," Shark smirked and leaned down into Yuma's face. "Have some chocolate, Yuma."
Yuma's fact lit up, turning beet red. "This is all really sudden I dunno I'm just gonna go now okay bye!" he shouted as he twirled out of Shark's grasp and ran outside.
"Are you alright, Yuma? You look like you did when you had a 'flu'," Astral asked as Yuma ran down the hallway and out the front doors.
"I just really wasn't expecting Shark and then oh gosh Shark and oh SHIT he probably thought I said no why did Shark show up Astral? Why?" Yuma fell to his knees, clutching the sides of his head.
The wind picked up as Kaito flew in on Orbital 7, landing in front of Yuma. "Shark? He talks a good game, but he's nothing but another loser," he glared at Yuma.
"Kaito? What are you doing at my school?"
Kaito frowned, pulling a bar of chocolate out of his coat. "To give you this, of course."
Yuma got to his feet and grabbed the bar, "Please tell me you didn't make it," he sighed in exasperation.
"Of course I made it," Kaito continued to stare off to the side.
Yuma recoiled, hissing in a breath. "Could everyone just stop trying to give me love chocolate for one second?"
"I can assure you I will not attempt to give you this 'love chocolate'," Astral attempted to cheer Yuma up.
"Of course you're not, you're not giving anyone chocolate because you can't touch things!"
Simultaneously, Astral said, "There's no need to be rude and point out the obvious," while Kaito's head whipped around to stare at Yuma, "Of course I can touch – oh he's here isn't he."
"Could you two please not talk at the same time?" Yuma fell to the ground again, pulling his knees up and resting on his hands.
Shark pushed open the doors of the school, marching out, "Yuma, we need – " he cut himself off when he noticed Kaito, "What are you doing here?"
"It's Valentine's Day. I'm here to give some chocolate to Yuma, obviously," Kaito shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh no you aren't! What do you even think you're doing, trying to be his friend after stealing his necklace," Shark pointed an accusatory finger at Kaito.
"Uh, Shark, you kind of broke it, remember…" Yuma tried to say something, anything to stop the obvious incoming fight.
"Hmph, you think you can control who Yuma is friends with? You couldn't even stop him from hanging out with you," Kaito put his hands on his hips, a smug look on his face.
"You shut your mouth! I figured my life out, that's why it's okay now."
"Oh my gosh, what are you two even fighting about?" Yuma screamed from his place on the ground, rolling from side to side.
Shark raised an eyebrow, "We're fighting over who gets to be your valentine."
"It's not so much a 'fight' as Shark needing to realize he's in over his head."
"Do I not get a say in this?" Yuma sat up, crossing his arms.
"Fine, Yuma, who do you want to be your valentine?" Kaito asked just as Kotori, Cathy, and the rest of his class peaked around the open doors of the school.
"Uhhh," Yuma's eyes darted from Kaito, to Shark, to Kaito, to…Kotori? To – Astral! Back to Kaito and Shark and Kaito and Shark and Astral and Shark and Kaito…
"Astral!" Yuma shouted, jumping to his feet. "Astral is my valentine and you can all just leave me alone about this!" he huffed as he stomped away from school.
"Yuma, what does me being your valentine entail? I neglected to give you chocolate too, which seems like a prerequisite…"
"You being my valentine means I don't have to deal with anything. And being a valentine doesn't mean anything either okay!"
By the doorway, Shark stood stock-still with a look of horror on his face. "Who the hell is Astral?"