Disclaimer: I don't own To Aru Majutsu no Index and related works in any way. The only thing I do own is this story.
This takes place after the events of New Testament 3 (generally). Information may be a bit vague or outright wrong, so don't take my word for it.
The first thing that came to the minds of most couples when the day arrived was that it was cold.
There was no snow, but the wind was undoubtedly cold.
Cold wasn't necessarily bad. In fact, it enabled the use of the 'sharing body heat' tactics. Which in this case would be hugging.
And it would totally be justified.
For those that didn't have the fortune of having a better half in this cold climate and in this special day, they were reduced to running towards their destination in hope of basking in the warmth that the heaters provided. Most of these people would wish that by the end of the day, they wouldn't need to rush home the same way they did in the start of the day. Or at least, had found someone to share there lives with.
To one person however, he didn't mind it. Nor did he know what was so special with the day that had just arrived as of yet.
Kamijou Touma, a Level 0 with the ability called Imagine Breaker.
He was an unfortunate boy, evident in his constant phrase that his classmates knows him by.
As he didn't know what was so special about the day he had found himself waking up to, he had no idea of what possible misfortune he'd find himself in today.
It started out normally to say the least.
He had woke up a whole half hour earlier today so that he would arrive early. Tsuchimikado was giving him that look yesterday and he hoped he could foil whatever it was before the day started.
It was at that point that his misfortune struck.
Kamijou did not necessarily live alone.
He lived with a sister from the Church of Necessary Evil, Necessarius. Said sister was of fifteen years of age and is essentially a freeloader.
Her name was Index.
"Touma, where's breakfast?" The girl asked as she rose from the only bed located in the dorm room of Kamijou.
It was at this point that Kamijou came unto a realization.
He had forgotten to buy food yesterday.
While he could normally make any small amount of food that he had last for a few days, if Index was added into the mix, no amount of planning would make the food last that long.
Kamijou could obviously ask her to buy herself some food, but knowing how all previous attempts to do just that ended... he'd rather not take his chances.
It was for that reason he ended up arriving to class with only a minute to spare.
It was a normal occurrence that he couldn't help but utter,
"Such misfortune..."
As he sat down at his seat, he noticed several things.
For one, the sole reason why he attempted to even come early today was suspiciously absent. Even the third member of the Delta Force, Aogami Pierce (real name unknown) was also missing.
The second thing he noticed was that everyone in the class was on edge for some reason and he could feel the tension in the air. It was enough for him to break out in cold sweat despite not knowing what the cause was.
Could it be a test of some sort?
Heavens know that he hadn't been able to learn a single thing last semester with all the things he had found himself in.
Looking around as discreetly as he could, he noticed that the male half of the class was glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill, he'd probably have been long dead before he realized the tension.
Looking at the female half however, he noticed that they were looking at him much like the male half except the nature of their looks weren't the same. They looked... flustered?
Maybe they were sick? The cold climate might be a testament to that.
Before he could ponder on what was the cause of the tension within the class, the door opened revealing that their miniature teacher had now arrived.
The look she directed towards Kamijou was a lot like the female half of the class.
This only served to intensify the glares that the male half of the class was directing at him.
The class proceeded as normal except for the odd glances/glares that were attacking his person. The only person that didn't seem to have anything wrong with her was Fukiyose. He had a feeling that if there was something wrong with her, the imaginary wall preventing the glares to level up to 'complete-all-out annihilation' would have undoubtedly broke.
'What is it with today?'
Kamijou had the habit of ignoring special dates unless he was directly involved. In this case, he was in some way involved yet he had no idea as to what it was.
If he had his memories from over half a year ago, he would have known that this day was special for the females that had the misfortune(from the males point of view)/fortune(from the females point of view) of being saved by him.
It was a special day for them that's for sure. But once White Day comes...
"Haa... Haa..."
Kamijou leveled his breathing as he took a look at the passing group of guys and girls that had been pursuing him for the last hour and a half since school ended.
The group that had been chasing him was a combination of students from various schools. Half of the group were females. They didn't really have any ill intent, but the way they were staring at him like a piece of meat was enough reason for him runaway. The other half, which obviously consisted of males, were rolling killing intent directly at him.
It was a wonder how they all managed to combine their primary objective of 'Get Kamijou Touma' as a source of cooperation. Their final objectives however were completely different.
"Damn... it's like Biribiri chasing me all over again." Kamijou breathed out as he went further in the alley.
There was no way he'd walk in broad daylight without knowing who he could trust.
"Who knew Valentine's Day is something that I was going to dread?"
Throughout the course of the day, he had found out why the males were glaring at him and the females were directing him a look that he couldn't quite identify.
It was Valentine's Day today.
And it seemed he was pretty popular with the girls.
Which of course was followed by an equal amount of envy from the males.
*Ring!* *Ring!*
Just as he was about to go through the park that he usually frequented whenever he went home during the summer, his phone rang.
Flipping his cellphone open, he answered his phone.
"Hello?"
"Where are you right now?"
The voice was of a female that he knew all too well.
She's the girl that often challenged him during the early days of his memory loss and one of the few that knows of said memory loss. She was also the strongest electromaster of Academy City, known as the Ace of Tokiwadai and the Railgun. She's also became his unofficial partner during the events that followed after his involvement in World War III.
Misaka Mikoto was on the phone.
"Biribiri? Wh-what is it?" Kamijou asked hesitantly.
He hoped that whatever she wanted it would be over quickly. He didn't really have any good memories whenever he went along with her.
"Get over to the newly opened park. I need your help with something..."
From what he gathered from some of his classmates a few days back, a park was going to open today a few districts away from his current location. Though there were some rumors that the opening would be postponed due to some unknown problems.
The problem in this case however, is that he didn't want to go a long distance while avoiding the group that had been pursuing him since class ended.
"Could it wait some other ti-"
"No! Get your butt here or I'll find your dorm and bring you here myself!"
She was certainly very forceful.
"Got it, Misaka." Kamijou conceded.
Misaka Mikoto was waiting by a bench.
Like most students in Academy City, she was still wearing her winter uniform as she fiddled with her cellphone. Her hands most of the time would caress the Gekota figure connected to her cellphone while her eyes would dart around the crowd discretely.
She was looking for someone.
She was waiting for someone.
She flipped her cellphone open and looked at the time.
It had been thirty minutes since she had called him to meet up with her here, and there had been no word ever since.
Really, was it that hard to get here from his high school?
She gave a sigh and closed her phone.
Knowing him, he had probably found himself in some sort of trouble that would explain why he was late once again. Then again, she didn't really specify when he should be here just that he should be here as soon as possible.
As for the reason as to why she called him here, she decided to take a more proactive approach on earning his love. Or at least, as proactive as she possibly could regarding her personality. She hoped that by doing this, she'd finally be able to give the gift she had bought from that shop in Hawaii to him.
The this that Misaka is referring to is a pack of handmade chocolates. She had spent the entire yesterday afternoon making one. It wasn't that she was a bad cook, it was just that that her earlier attempts didn't match up to her standards.
The mere thought of handing the item to Kamijou made her feel light headed and her face flush red.
"Misaka? Are you alright? Your face seems a bit red."
It was for that reason she didn't realize that Kamijou had finally arrived.
"Uwa? Ah! I – I'm fine!"
"If you say so." Kamijou looked unconvinced but decided not to pursue the matter, "But you know, I'm surprised."
"Hmm?"
"This park had just recently opened, yet it seems like we're the only ones here." Kamijou remarked.
"M-maybe people had other plans..."
Misaka looked away as she said this. Oh, she knew the reason why it was so empty, but there was no way she'd tell Kamijou as to why that was the case. It's already embarrassing enough that she spent so much time making the chocolates, if Kamijou found out to what lenghts she went through to isolate him today of all days; that would either make her the most happiest person in the world... or the most embarrassed middle school girl in the world. She wasn't prepared to that chance, yet.
"So... what do you need, Misaka?"
At this, Misaka bit her lip.
It was now or never.
The park wasn't going to stay empty all day. She only had a minute at most since Kamijou took his time getting here. Speaking of which...
"Why does it seem like you've just ran a marathon?"
Truly enough, Kamijou was sweating all over. His clothing was ruffled and his breathing seemed like it had just leveled down.
"Oh, this? I just had a bit of trouble getting here."
She knew he was leaving things out, like always. If there was one thing she had learned from being his partner, it was that she had to assert herself and take the initiative. Even if she was one of the level 5 espers of Academy City, things like that don't matter to him. It was both endearing and annoying at the same time.
"So what was it that you needed?"
"Oh. About that..."
Misaka clutched tighter to the pack of chocolates that she held behind her back. By the look of Kamijou's face, it was pretty clear that he had no idea as to why she called him here of all places and that he didn't call her out as to why she wasn't reacting any stronger to being alone with him in a park.
Her hands were sweaty, cold sweat was gathering in her forehead despite the cold weather and her heart was beating much faster than it was a while ago.
"The truth is..."
Kamijou tilted his head in confusion as it seemed like he was trying to figure out as to why she was acting like this.
"The truth is..."
Now she sounded like a broken record.
"Misaka...?"
It was the moment of truth. She needed to say it. Or at the very least give it to him.
She couldn't keep hesitating. If this kept up, there was no way that Kamijou would realize as to what he truly meant for her. The more she kept this up, the lower the chances of her receiving the happy end that she so truly desires.
"I..." Her face turning bright red, and getting even hotter by the minute.
"I?" Kamijou repeated as he looked worriedly at her.
"I l-lo..."
How hard could it be to say a single word? At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if steam started to spout out of her ears.
"I l-lo-"
Sadly the confession was not meant to be.
Just as she was going to utter the last few syllables that would complete her confession, a startled cry and a group of footsteps drowned her words.
"There he is!"
Kamijou immediately began dashing the opposite direction while a crowd of angry males and somewhat flustered females chased after him.
Misaka was left on her own, alone in the park.
Six PM.
That was the time now.
Kamijou had been chased from district to district without a moment of reprieve, yet after several hours of chasing, he had finally been able to avoid them.
As to his current location, he was back to the same park that he had met Biribiri for the first time since he had lost his memories.
He was tired, but his legs were still pushing him to head to that area near the vending machine. He didn't know why he was heading there, but he figured he could get a drink there... provided that the vending machine was fixed.
Knowing his luck, he wasn't all to positive about that.
"Brrr... It's cold."
The sun was out and the cold wind dominated the area once more. Even with his winter clothing, it was still rather cold.
Since the sun was out, the only source of light in the park was the lamp post that was scattered about. It was a bit scary being out here alone, but Kamijou wasn't really daunted by that fact.
"Hmm... Is that?"
Under a lamp post that shone on the vending machine he was heading too, was Misaka Mikoto.
He would have expected to chide her since she usually got herself a freebie by kicking said vending machine, but that thought quickly died as it came.
She looked lonely.
Kamijou internally winced. He was too busy with his own troubles that he didn't realize that he had effectively left Misaka behind just when she was about to say something to him.
Even if it wasn't his fault that she was down like this, he still felt guilty in leaving her behind.
"Y-yo!"
He hoped that his nervousness about the situation didn't spill into his voice.
The sudden sound from the otherwise quiet park made Misaka jump and look at him while her hands immediately went to her back. Her earlier depressed look being overtaken by a surprised look. She was hiding something with her hands, it was also the case back in the park. Maybe she wanted to show him something?
"Wh-what are you doing here?"
It was pretty odd since he should have actually headed home to completely lose his pursuers. But somehow, he had ended up here.
"Don't know." He answered after thinking about it, "What about you? What are you doing here?"
She bit her lip at that.
Kamijou sighed.
"Anyway, let me apologize. For leaving you like that in the park. It was rude of me."
"N-no, it's my fault for not considering your situation!" Misaka immediately replied.
"Alright, let's make it like this. It's no one's fault then."
Misaka nodded at that.
"So, what did you want to tell me?"
Misaka blushed, making Kamijou instantly worry for her state of health. But he refrained from saying anything as it might interrupt her since it seemed like a lot of effort to admit whatever she's trying to say to him. And if he was truly being honest to himself, she looked kinda like a fragile yet cute doll in her current state (since she was not firing lightning bolts at him in the current time).
"Listen intently okay? I'll only say it once." She said after a moment's pause.
Kamijou merely nodded, his face showing the seriousness of when he confronted various life or death situations in the past.
Whether it was because of his current expression or whatever she was planning to do or say, she took a huge gulp of air.
Before he could realize or even guess what she was planning to do, Misaka's hands went from her back towards his chest. Upon closer examination, there was an item held in her hands.
It was a red heart shaped box.
"Happy Valentine's Day!"
Out of all the things he would have expected from Misaka, this was not one of them. The thought had presented itself within his head, but with her actions and her tendency to lash out at him made him kill that thought before it even got the surface of his consciousness.
"I know that I don't really treat you well and constantly attack you, but at least know that I... that I lo-lo... that I like you! So even if my actions say otherwise please know that I don't usually mean them!"
Kamijou was shocked to say the least, but... Misaka actually liked him? Sure he knew that the attacks she does wasn't meant to kill him (after all, she usually justified that he could block it so why hold back?) and despite her tough exterior that she was soft at heart, but actually liking him?
"I know you wouldn't be able to give an answer, right now with what you've been through and what you're still going through but at least know my true feelings."
Kamijou merely nodded, not confident with his voice to actually answer it.
Throughout all this, Misaka's head was bowed as her hands was still at the box she shoved to his chest. But by the time she retracted her hands from it, both of his hands was clutching the box as if it was a fragile object. Once Misaka's head raised to meet his own eyes, she showed him a bright and warm smile that touched him from the very bottom of his heart.
Which inadvertently made his face redden slightly.
Once the two parted there separate ways, there was an odd sense of relief from the both of them.
The two may have been like many others at the start of the day, and maybe they might still be like those unfortunate people to not have a better half by the end of it. But at the very least they weren't rushing home like they did by the start of the day.
Because there hearts are now connected and warming their bodies through their invisible connection.
Omake 1: Packages
It was February 15th 7AM.
Kamijou Touma had just finished making breakfast for Index and himself when he noticed that someone was ringing the door bell.
Taking a bit of his breakfast before heading towards the door, he wondered who it could be at this early hour.
"Package for Kamijou Touma."
It was a deliverer it seemed.
Touma opened the door and found himself looking at a group of men wearing identical uniforms. The one at the very front of the formation had a clipboard and a pen.
"Please sign here to signify that you've received the item."
Nodding dumbly as he gulped his breakfast down, he signed the clipboard.
In hindsight, he should have remembered the events that had happened yesterday.
"Alright boys, you know what to do."
Before he could even take a guess as to what the package possibly be, the group of men that had gathered outside his door went out of his sight for a moment, before they started marching into his room with boxes after boxes.
"Wh-what's all this?" Kamijou asked completely bewildered.
"That," The man with the clipboard said, "Is boxes of chocolates from various people that would take too long to actually say who it all came from."
"Lucky bastard."
The men soon filed out and left Kamijou staring blankly at the boxes of chocolates that filled over half of the living room, while Index looked ready to dive in to the boxes of chocolates.
"Su-Su..."
Based on what he had found out about Valentine's Day yesterday, it was the females that usually sent the male that they fancy a chocolate. In other words, no exertion in the male's part in regards to buying there special someone a gift. But that of course led him to the other day connected to Valentine's Day:
White Day.
"Such Misfortune!"
His scream of misfortune could be heard miles away.
Omake 2: Awry
It was February 15th 3PM.
Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Aogami Pierce (real name unknown) were currently tied up in and nondescript apartment near the School Gardens.
They had planned to enjoy watching Kamijou's misfortune (or fortune, depending on how you look at it) by giving him some false information, which should hopefully get him to school in time.
On their way to school however, they were cornered by a group of identical looking females wearing Tokiwadai Uniform. If they were to hazard a guess as to who they looked identical to, it would definitely be that girl called the Ace of Tokiwadai, one of the few girls interested in Kamijou Touma.
The girls challenged them to a game of poker despite the fact that school was going to start in 45 minutes. They would have ignored it, if it weren't for the fact that they devised a kind of prize that they were really looking forward to.
In hindsight, they weren't thinking too well when they accepted it.
Blinded by their hopes in getting the prize of winning the poker game, they totally agreed and even followed them to the apartment that they currently located in.
The game started normally enough, but then something was wrong.
While, Aogami and Tsuchimikado were good at reading one's thought by mere eye contact, the girls themselves seem to work in more perfect collaboration than the two could only dream of doing (and this was all done silently).
By the end of the game, they had lost. Badly.
The penalty for losing was that they weren't to leave this apartment. And for safety purposes, they were stripped to their boxers and tied to a post.
It was only for a day, but it was already February 15th.
"Tsuchimikado."
"What is it?"
"I really need to go to the restroom."
"Yeah... me too."
They hoped someone would find them and release them from their prison.
Omake 3: Flush
February 13th and it was closing to curfew.
Misaka Mikoto held four cards in her hand as she nervously decided what to do.
Why, oh why did she decide to get into a poker game with her 'sisters'?
Oh right, it was because of the prize.
They were currently playing in an apartment near the Tokiwadai Dorm so even if it was five minutes till curfew, she could feasibly make it. But that depended on what she did now.
Without careful consideration, she knew she would lose and forever lose the chance that the prize presented.
The game wasn't fair to begin with.
The 'sisters' had the ability to relay thought much like a cellphone. They could do it since all of them had a similar brain structure and ability. It was because of this, that they could work collaboratively and efficiently.
In hindsight, she should have expected this.
Taking a big gulp, her hands slowly inched towards the deck.
There's only one card she needed and if it doesn't show up, the card that she had traded away would have been wasted. In essence, it was all over.
Once her hand made contact with the deck, she nearly let the content of the card she had drew fall by the wayside destroying any chance of winning.
It was a very nerve wracking experience.
Closing her eyes as she placed it within her hand, she opened it a moments later to see her verdict.
She blinked.
She blinked again and rubbed her eyes.
A smirk grew before it went to a full blown grin as her hands were no longer shaking.
The sisters seeing this, paled at what this could possibly mean.
"Royal Flush."
Maybe Valentine's Day won't be so bad after all.
Author's Notes:
There goes my first attempt at a Valentine's Day one-shot. Started this last week but took another week to finish with all the crap happening in college.
If there's anything wrong information wise or grammatically (I don't have a beta), feel free to tell me. Just to let you guys know, I'm not really good at Romance so I hope whatever is in here is enough.