A/N: Since I missed the Valentine's Day train, I decided I'd post this for White Day. For those of you who don't know, White Day is a day marked in mostly Asian calendars, a month after Valentine's Day. On this day, men are supposed to return gifts to women who gifted them something for Valentine's Day. However, I decided to take a step back and just make this a small collection of short stories between the characters. Some are inspired by short stories in the manga while others are completely original. Have fun!
-Valentine's Short-
Just a Collection of Short Stories
Short Story #1: Miki and Reiko's Sleepover!
It was the weekend before Valentine's day, and to Miki's surprise, Reiko came to her with the proposal of a sleepover at the Kanazuki house to help with the preparations of 'the rituals for Valentine's Day.' Despite Tamaki's desperate pleas and protests, Miki still felt that she couldn't turn down such a sincere request from her best friend. So after multiple promises to text him about her status, Miki showed up at the Kanazuki mansion on a Sunday evening.
"Reiko-chan... Is this your room?" Miki's eyes wandered around the dimly lit, late Transylvanian style bedroom, unsure of where to look.
"Yes," Reiko affirmed. "This is my bedroom."
Compared to the rest of her house, Reiko's bedroom resembled the bedroom of Dracula's daughter, if he ever had one. Lit candlelights were flickering on top of a fireplace, casting strange shadows into the mirrors and walls. Book littered the shelves that encased her room — creaking at every step someone took, making them feel as if the books could suddenly burst to life and fly off the shelves themselves. Above their heads, the chandelier swung, making rustic scratches at an eerie rhythm, almost as if it were playing a song of its own. Her bed itself was carved into the wall, extending inward like a protective cave above her head and hidden behind a sheer layer of grey curtains. However, what was on her bed was the most questionable of all.
"Why do you have a coffin on your bed?" She asked.
"That is my chamber of slumber," Reiko replied without a change in tone or voice. "What's wrong?" She questioned.
There was a small moment of silence before Miki shook her head. "It's nothing." She blinked a few times, eyeing the coffin for an unnecessarily long time. She had been under the impression that coffins were where dead people slept; at least that was what Crime? Crime Drama and Arden had taught her.
I guess they were wrong.
"Is it comfortable?" The blonde then asked as she lowered her overnight bag onto the carpeted grounds of Reiko's room.
"Very." The raven-haired girl affirmed.
Short Story #2: Kuze's Happy and Unhappy Daily Life!
"Ootori!" The doors to Music Room #3 slammed open as Kuze stomped in. In his arms, he carried what seemed to be a Punch-in-a-box. "Are you the one who left this stupid gag gift on my desk?!" He roared, veins popping out of his forehead.
"Kuze," Kyoya greeted. "What's the matter? That's quite a shiner."
"What happened? Did someone attack you in the dark?" Honey asked in worry, noticing the redness that was ever-so-present on the nose of the captain of the American Football team.
"How classic, a punching jack-in-the-box." Hikaru and Kaoru took the box from Kuze's hand as they began to toy with the boxing glove that bounced up and down on its spring. "I thought the only person who would get tricked by something like this would be milord." They jeered.
"Shut up! It's just like Ootori to set up a trap like this on my birthday!" Kuze growled, still rubbing his nose from the pain and aftershock he received from the prank.
"What?! Kuze-senpai, it's your birthday today?!" Tamaki covered his mouth in surprise. "That's big news; we must plan a celebration!"
"Haha, so I guess it was today. I didn't even realize." Kyoya hummed, not even bothering to with the man a happy birthday.
"What?! You forgot about my birthday?!" Kuze snapped. "I'm your childhood friend!" He shouted.
As their upperclassmen were busy bickering back and forth, the twins took a closer look into the Punch-in-a-box. Inching the bobbing glove out of the way, they spotted something hidden at the base of the box. "Huh? What's this inside?" They raised an eyebrow each, fishing out what seemed to be a photo of a younger Matsuyama and Kuze with the words 'Article 731' printed on.
"I wonder what 'Article 731' means?" Hikaru questioned, taking a closer look at the image.
"Either way, there is no question as to the identity of the person behind this..." Kaoru sweatdropped. However, before he could name the perpetrator, the doors once again opened to reveal Miki who was just arriving in the club room.
"Oh, Kuze-senpai, there you are!" She greeted. Extending her hands, she offered a beautifully wrapped gift to him with a bright beam. "Happy Birthday! This is for you." She chimed.
"You're giving me a gift...?" Surprised by the act of compassion Miki had demonstrated, Kuze muttered. "I knew we never saw eye to eye, but..." He reached forward to accept the gift.
"No." Miki's voice trailed off. With the sound of a loud pop, the gift box suddenly to burst open on its own as a cake attached to spring bounced out and smashed Kuze straight in the face. "Matsuyama-senpai just asked me to give this to you," Miki concluded, still wearing that airheaded smile.
"Kanan!" As his limbs began to twitch in a mixture of rage and embarrassment, Kuze lunged forward only to be held back by Mori. "Where are you?! Come out!" He demanded, struggling against the silent giant's iron grasps.
"Please calm down, Kuze-senpai!" Attempted to ease the situation, Tamaki quickly shielded Miki behind his back to avoid her being on the receiving end of Kuze's frustration. "There must be a reason for this! Try to be calm!" He advised.
Whipping his head to the blond, Kuze glared with fuming eyes. "A reason?!" He repeated. "How could there be a reason? What reason could there be for smashing a cake in your fiance's face on his birthday!?" He yelled.
"I don't know why, but Matsuyama-senpai called it 'shock treatment.'" Tapping her chin, Miki's gaze flickered up to the ceiling.
"What...?"
"She said for Kuze-senpai's birthday this year; there's something that she wants." She explained, lifting an all-knowing finger. "And she would like for you to remember what it is. She said it's not an item, but a word. A promise they made to each other when they were very small. Kuze-senpai, do you really not remember?" Tilted her head to the side, Miki frowned. "It's not very nice to break a promise, you know."
"I see," Catching onto what Matsuyama was planning, Kyoya's eyes softened. "Matsuyama is surprisingly romantic and feminine..." He commented, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Kyo-chan?" Honey raised an eyebrow.
"Do you know what it is, Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked.
With a proud smirk, Kyoya stared down at Haruhi. "You're the daughter of a lawyer, aren't you Haruhi? It's article 731 in civil law." He hinted.
"What?!" Eyes rounding, Haruhi scrambled to pull out a law handbook from her back and began flipping through it. "Um... 731..." She mumbled, ghosting her fingers over the ant-sized words that littered the page. "Article 731 is about the legal age of marriage, I believe..."
Kuze froze as a fond memory surfaced in the sea of his mind.
Listen, Kanan. Based on what I understand, men have to be 18 and women have to be 16 to get married. So I'll make a promise to you...
"...when I become 18 years old..." Kuze muttered, hearing one of the backroom doors click open. His gaze shot over, spotting his fiancée standing there with a gentle smile. "I'll formally propose marriage to you." He recited.
"Did you remember, Takeshi?" Matsuyama teased.
"Uh... It's not like I forgot about it!" Reaching up to wipe away the whipped cream around his face, Kuze justified. "I just didn't see the point after all this time. But it was my fault..." The members of the host club gathered around the sweet couple, watching in awe as Kuze recomposed himself. "Kanan, let me ask you formally." He reached forward, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "Will you marry-"
"Just kidding!" Before Kuze could completely get the question out, however, Matsuyama pulled a water gun out of nowhere and splashed its contents directly onto his face. "We were formally promised to each other with the consent of our parents, so our age doesn't matter anymore at this point. You forgot that too, silly?" She giggled mischievously, watching as Kuze's body began to twitch in anger.
"Kanan! Why you little...!" He lunged towards her once again, only to be dragged back by Mori as Tamaki hurried to calm him down.
"Kuze-senpai, calm down!" The blond shouted. "I apologize its last minute, but please accept my autograph!" He offered.
"I don't want it! Let go of me, Morinozuka!" Kuze snarled.
As the chaos brought by the eccentric couple ensued, Miki approached Matsuyama with a puzzled expression. "Matsuyama-senpai, I have a question." She said. "Why did you put so much effort into reminding him of that promise if you were just going to prank him in the end?" Cocking her head to the side, she asked in a quiet voice.
Matsuyama's gaze flickered over to Kuze, watching as he bared his teeth towards Tamaki, wiggling his body as he tried to escape from Mori's grasps. "To tell the truth, I still want to hear those words." Her eyes crinkled lovingly. "But I didn't want to share that special moment, in front of everyone, that is all."
Short Story #3: Reiko's Big Date!
"I see, so you wanted to make chocolate for Honey-senpai." Miki sounded as she secured the knot on the back of her apron. The two girls were gathered together in the Kanazuki house's kitchen late at night, about to start their baking session.
"Indeed," Reiko nodded as she tied her silky raven hair up into a ponytail. "I wanted to create something my target likes, so once he eats it, this curse will make him accept my invitation to a date." She explained.
"A date, huh?" Setting out the ingredients, Miki repeated thoughtfully. "Where did you want to go?"
"To a delightful mass shrouded in utter darkness where we can gaze upon fantastical visions of wonder," Reiko explained as she pulled out a pair of tickets seemingly out of nowhere. "It's a title that encompasses both Haninozuka-senpai and my interests." She concluded.
Miki blinked slightly, taking a long stare at the tickets in her hand labelled 'Chucky and the Chocolate Factory', she sweatdropped. "Did you mean a movie, Reiko-chan?"
"I've heard it being called that as well," She affirmed.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just ask Honey-senpai out though? He did mention it wasn't good to rely on curses." Propping an arm up on the kitchen counter, Miki reminded.
"That is not possible," Immediately shooting that idea down, Reiko denied. "It has to be by a curse."
Studying her friend for a moment, Miki's eyes flickered upwards. "Well, why don't you try writing a letter?" She then suggested. "You could put the tickets and one of those talismans you gave me."
Hearing the blonde's idea, Reiko's head lowered slightly as the aura around her became gloomy. "It seems writing a letter is also impossible..." She muttered.
"Why is that?" Miki tilted her head.
Brows furrowing slightly, Reiko's hands grasped each other sightly. "I believe this may be Haninozuka-senpai's counter-curse on me." She theorized.
"Huh?"
"Now that I think about it, this endeavour has been odd from the start." Resting a few fingers against her chin, the raven-haired girl said reluctantly. "We've gotten to talking casually as of late. And yet when I decided to invite him to the movie, my legs suddenly felt weak. Though I wanted to speak, my mouth wouldn't open. My heart pounded so much; it made it difficult to breathe." Brows drawing closer together, she sighed. "The second I laid eyes on Haninozuka-senpai, I would begin to tremble. And when I attempted to write a letter, my fingers became so numb; I couldn't form words. It could be that Haninozuka wishes not to go to a movie with me and has unconsciously cast a counter-curse on me..." She murmured, seeming dejected as the air around her sour.
"I don't think that's the case, Reiko-chan..." After processing her words, Miki stated bluntly after blinking a few times. "Heart-pounding nervousness, trembling hands..." She diagnosed, averting her eyes to the side. "I read somewhere that those symptoms, they're signs of love, Reiko-chan." She informed. " I think you're in love with Honey-senpai."
"Me...?" Reiko's onyx-like eyes widened slightly at the notion. "T-Then... What should I do? I am uncertain of what I method's I should take under these new developments..." She stammered; her heart began to panic at the sudden revelation.
"Calm down a little, Reiko-chan." Miki leaned forward to comfort her friend. "For starters, why not try asking him on that date?" She suggested, lifting an all-knowing finger.
"H-How..." Brows furrowing slightly, Reiko asked. "I can't even form words when I'm near him..."
"Why do you think we are making chocolates right now?" Pointing at the supplies on the counter, Miki winked. "I don't really know what to do either, but I'll be here to support you along the way," She told her. "Let's get to making these chocolates and hope that your curse is successful," She lined up a few bags of cocoa beans, pushing it towards the girl with raven hair. "So you can gather the courage to ask Honey-senpai out."
Reiko's glass-like eyes widened at the encouragement she received before giving one small nod.
"Good girl," Miki cheered as she turned her attention down to the cocoa beans. "So, what kind of chocolates were you thinking of making?" She hummed, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the countertop.
"Just regular chocolate should be fine," Reiko explained, pulling out a scale and a mixing bowl. "Though I'd also like to make one for the president, as thanks for always taking care of us."
"Ah! That's a good idea," Miki agreed. "I wanted to make some for everyone in the Host Club as well. Shall we make those together?" She offered with a sweet smile.
After falling silent for a few moments, Reiko then nodded slowly. "But I would like to create a specially made batch for Haninozuka-senpai," She requested. "One with lots of sugar."
"Specially made...?" Miki blinked.
Short Shory #4: Strange Tastes!
"Oh my, Kyoya-san!" Cupping the side of her face, Fuyumi let out a small gasp in awe as she came face to face with the oversized pile of chocolates that stood in his room. "Have you managed to count them all up yet?" She asked, turning to her little brother who was sitting at his desk as usual.
"Tachibana did. A total of 62 boxes." Kyoya replied, not lifting his gaze from his schoolwork.
"As popular as ever, aren't you?" Chuckling softly, Fuyumi picked up some of the boxes as she examined the different name brands of chocolates he's received. "Well, what would you like to do with them? It'd be a waste to just let them sit there," She hummed.
"You can have them if you'd like," Heaving a short sigh, Kyoya glanced over his shoulder with a shred of irritation. "Why are you visiting us anyway, Fuyumi-neesan? I hope it's not because you got in a fight with your husband."
"Oh dear, don't say that. Of course not." Fuyumi giggled. "I was simply in the area searching for some Valentine's sweets for him, so I swung by to share some with you. Though judging by your collection, you don't need any." She sweatdropped, casting the mountain of chocolate one last glance.
Mentally question how such a carefree person could be in their family, Kyoya turned around on his chair. "If you'd like chocolate, why not just import them from France?" He suggested.
"Hey, the word for that is prejudice." Fuyumi retorted. "On a whole, culture is born from the populace and evolves with it. Besides, I believe that searching for a gift with my own hands and feet will be far more rewarding-" Her voice trailed off as she blinked a few times, spotting an open square-shaped box sitting on her brother's desk. "Kyoya-san, I thought you didn't enjoy eating sweet?" She quickly paced over, eager to see what flavour of chocolate could he be eating.
"Hm?" Kyoya peered down at the half-eaten package of chocolates that sat on his desk. "I merely found these more suitable to my palate, that's all." He said.
Leaning down to take a closer look, Fuyumi took a long stare at the neat package and beautifully decorated chocolates. "My!" She gasped, eyes twinkling brightly as if she'd discovered something interesting. "These are homemade, aren't they?" She fawned. "May I try a piece?"
"Be my guest," Kyoya shrugged, returning his attention to his homework.
Letting out a small cheer, Fuyumi reached forward as she gingerly picked out a piece and plopping it into her mouth. However, it didn't take long before her sweet and blissful smile turned sour at the strange taste that lingered in her mouth. "Whoa!" She covered her mouth. "What is this?" She gasped. "Black pepper? And the chocolate surrounding it is so bitter."
"I believe so," Not looking phased at all by the coarse and intense taste, Kyoya reached forth to grab another piece.
"I see, so that is why you said this is more suitable to your palate." Smiling wryly, Fuyumi elegantly wiped away the residue on her fingers with a napkin when she spotted something pressed under the square shaped box. Reaching out, she gingerly slid what seemed to be a notecard. She blinked, reading the handwriting on the page.
Happy Valentines, Kyoya-kun.
Thank you for everything in the past year.
~Miki
Shifting her gaze to her brother, who was entirely focused on his school work as he chewed on the corse black pepper chocolate. Fuyumi smiled to herself.
What strange tastes. She thought.