WINTER

A school festival would be held for three days before the White Day[1]. The teachers, who were usually absent since they didn't want to teach such male students who would never listen to them, were all present and they were supervising the students on the preparations with their best efforts. The Class 3-A, Leyka's class and the only class which was named as Class of Geniuses (since the students there excelled in academics that was why the teacher didn't mind attending to their classes for they could study on their own), was exempted from helping with the preparations but some of the students were helping.

After the fight with his brother, Antonio would avoid Joao whenever. He would always hang out with Francis and Gilbert and would always spend the night in their houses just to avoid his brother. He would like to avoid Leyka, too, in shame of his previous actions, but he just couldn't avoid her. One call from her and he was like a puppy tailing after his master. Like now…

"Antonio!" Leyka called her Spanish friend over as she saw him at the rooftop, thinking again.

Antonio turned to her with a sheepish smile. "Ola…"

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're thinking some things again?" she chuckled.

And he did also. "I—I was just trying to pass the time."

Then she looked down. "Uhm…Can I ask you another favor? I know that you failed to ask your brother if he likes me back then because of your fight but I won't ask such thing again."

"You can ask me any favor, Leyka. And about that earlier one, I really am sorry to fail you."

She smiled as she looked up at him. "It's alright. Well…I—Can you help me to think of a way to…confess to him?" she blushed.

Oh, how that stabbed him a hundred times in the heart. Nevertheless, he smiled. "You're going to confess?"

"Well—I guess that's the only way to know if he likes me back."

Antonio thought for a moment. He pushed his thoughts of jealousy and loneliness aside and started to think of his brother's likes. But he couldn't think of any way that he was sure Joao liked. He sighed. He never really got to know his brother that well. But he had an idea.

"Why don't you give him some handmade chocolates on the White Day?" Antonio suggested, successfully hiding his wavering voice.

Leyka's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea, Toni! Thank you!" And she hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheeks. With that she ran away. "I'll go and search for some recipes. See 'ya later!"

But Antonio was just standing there wide-eyed. He lifted a hand to touch his kissed cheek. Never did he imagine that that would happen! And it had brought a bright smile on his face.

The school festival arrived and many students from other schools came. Leyka even got to know many female students and befriended them. She was also introduced by Francis and Gilbert to their girlfriends: Anneliese, who was like an elder sister to her and very sociable, (Leyka couldn't help wondering on how Anneliese had managed to live with Francis' perversion) and Dea, who seemed to be non-sociable type and was very quiet but when she had gotten to know her, Leyka found her sweet on the inside and she was well caring about the people whom she considered friends (And yes, after a very hard courtship, Gilbert had finally owned her as his own girl). Also, she met a girl named Bella whom she became instant friends with.

Leyka spent the last day of the festival reading through different chocolate recipes and making handmade chocolates. The Bad Touch Trio invited her over to some party Gilbert would hold to celebrate on his 'victory' towards Dea but she politely declined. She was very busy making her chocolates by heart.

And so the White Day came—the day which was said to be the 'Day of the First Snow'. There were no classes that day. So Leyka decided to go to the Carriedo's residence to give her chocolates to Joao. With every step, her heart skipped a beat in nervousness on how he would react. She was afraid to be rejected just like her fear of being alone. By the time she was at the doorstep, her mind was deciding if she should knock or not. But before she could knock, the door opened and stood now in front of her was Joao.

"What are you doing here?" he asked sternly.

Due to her surprise, she stayed silent.

"Ah, you're here for Antonio, right?" Was that sadness that flickered in his eyes? "He's upstairs." And he walked pass her.

Her eyes followed him but her voice refused to be let out. He then abruptly stopped and turned to her. He walked to her.

"Also, I believe this is yours," he placed a white ribbon on her shoulder nonchalantly and turned around swiftly and walked away.

And that's when her voice returned. "W-Wait!" But he was already gone after taking a sharp turn to a corner.

Leyka sighed. 'I failed.' Then she took the ribbon. 'But wait, why did he give me this? Does this mean that he—he likes me?!'

"Hey—Joao!" a distant voice from inside the house was heard and she was sure that it came from Antonio. "Give me back—"

And not long after he showed up and nearly collided into her as he ran outside. But he skidded to a stop when he saw her. "Leyka! What are you doing here?" Then he noticed the white ribbon. "E-eh?! Did Joao give you my ribbon?!" his face was beet red.

Leyka's eyes widened. "This is yours?"

He nodded. "W-well..."

"You can have it back," she held it out to him. 'So, Joao really doesn't like me.'

"No! It's okay! I was really planning to give it to you anyways…" he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh…T-thanks…" she said. Then she blinked. "Wait a sec, what d-does this means?"

Antonio let out a small chuckle. "Here, let me." He took the ribbon and gathered her hair to the side of her head and tied the ribbon. "I was planning to give it to you personally since it needs to be that way so this white ribbon will work, but I guess, I failed." He sighed. "But I'm glad that I was the one to tie it."

"So this means…?" she was secretly hoping that what she was thinking was wrong.

"Yes, it's a confession, Leyka," and she was wrong, "I know you like my brother but I just can't hide it anymore. But don't worry; I won't stand between you and him. But remember, I'm always here for you, Leyka. I will never leave you even if he will."

Leyka blushed at this. She never expected that Antonio had feelings for her!

Antonio then noticed the box of handmade chocolate in her hands. He smiled sadly but knowingly. "Go. You should go now and give that to him. I'm sure you can find him at the old park. He likes hanging around there."

She looked at him with thankful eyes. "Thank you, Antonio." She smiled faintly and gave him a hug before leaving.

She did find Joao at the old park. He was sitting on a bench. It was nearly sunset when she found the park so she immediately walked up to him.

"Joao," she softly called.

He looked up to her and followed her movements as she stood in front of him. "What do you want? I already said that my brother's in the house, didn't I?" he grunted. Then his eyes drifted to the white ribbon.

"I—I just want to give you something," she stammered as her heartbeats raced in her chest like the galloping of the horses.

"Make it quick and leave immediately. I want to be alone."

"Here…" she held out the handmade chocolates to him. "I made these for you."

He looked at her then looked at the box. "Those are for me?"

"Y-yes…" her face was now covered with crimson.

He turned his head away. "I—I can't accept it."

"E-eh?!" Her eyes widened. "W-why?!"

He just stubbornly shrugged. "I don't want it."

"Joao…" tears were threatening to be freed from her eyes. "Please, accept it."

"I said I don't want it."

"Joao please! If you can't accept my feelings then just accept these!" tears now flowed through her face.

Joao looked at her in surprise. "Y-your feelings?"

She closed her eyes tightly. 'Here it goes…' "I like you! I like you very much! If you don't like me back, it's alright! Just please accept these! I poured all of my feelings in making these and I want you to have them! So, please!"

Joao just sat there, dumbfounded. He just couldn't believe it! She just confessed! A part of him told him to accept the chocolates and confessed as well but a BIG part of him told him to stay where he was and never admit to anyone, let alone to her, what he truly felt. He already said once, right? He would never stop so low to like the same girl that her brother like. Because whatever or whoever his brother liked was classified as a low class of thing or person to him since for him, his brother was a low grade maggot.

With his pride which had won again, he stood up and walked a few steps from her. "I said I don't want it," he hisses, "So just leave me alone and better yet, get lost and bear in your mind that I will never stoop so low to like someone like you." It had took him all of his pride and self control to 'coolly' walk away from her in a speed that could be counted as running.

Leyka just stood there as she watched his retreating figure. Her tears were silently flowing and her hands had let go of her chocolates the moment he stood up. 'Why? I know that he really doesn't like me but by the way he said that…it seems that I am a horrible person…Maybe I really am nothing but an annoying little girl in his eyes…Maybe…I am disgusting…Maybe…'

Then she ran away. She needed someone right now to hold on to and there was only one person for that: Antonio. She stopped by a nearby phone booth and called him.

"Ola!"

"T-toni…" she sobbed.

"L-Leyka? Hey, are you alright? Are you crying?"

She just cried more.

"Where are you right now?"

"I-I'm at the n-nearest phone booth to the o-old park…"

"I'm going right there so wait for me, okay?"

And he hung up.

Antonio arrived and as soon as Leyka saw him, she ran to him and buried herself in his waiting arms. He took her to her home and let her cry out her heart until she couldn't cry anymore. She told him what happened and he only listened for he knew not what to say. He was angry at his brother. He was happy, too. But he was pained at the sight of her tears. He didn't know what to feel. But all he knew was that she needed him so he ended up staying at her house, he cooked her dinner, he tried to joke around to make her laugh, he sang songs to her to make her feel better, and he even sang her to sleep since she refused to do so and he managed to make her sleep after singing five songs. And before sleeping down in her living room's couch, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

What a cold winter. Joao regretted his earlier actions that he went back to the park's bench, hoping to find Leyka and throw off his pride to apologize and confess to her. But she was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that was left was her box of chocolates, covered with the newly fallen snow. He picked it up and brushed it clean. He placed a soft kissed on the top of it and put it in his coat pocket. He looked up to the sky and let the snow touch his face. He thought of her and thought of how to make it up to her. He was now, more than ever, determined to confess to her. He was determined to ignore his pride and tell her everything that he felt. If only he would be given one chance to do so. But if that chance arrives, would his pride be gone or would it still stand in his way?

"If only you knew, Leyka…" he sighed through the winter wind. "I love you."

[1]- I got the idea from D. . The White Day is a day in the first week of winter when the snow is supposed to fall first. At this very day, every boy will give a white ribbon to the girl he likes. He should be the one to give it to her and to tie it on her hair and it is said that if on that day the snow will fall, the love between the two will last forever.