Friday, 14th of February

Saint Valentine's Day

Location: Shibuya, Tokyo


It was a rather cold day. The breeze was crisp and shivering. People bustled here and there, trying to find a warm place to rest. But the cold didn't stop everyone from spending the most renowned holiday. Valentine's Day was in full-bloom as couples of teenagers to aged folks walked arm in arm to the various stores decorated with red, pink and/or white hearts and flowers. Although couples weren't the only ones in full spirit, families and friends also roamed around the cafes and gift shops, enjoying the Valentine spirit.

"One Risotto al Tastasal and water for Table six!"

"C-coming right up!"

Dall'amore, Italia was no exception; considering it was an Italian restaurant based upon the city of love, Verona, itself. A long line stretched outside the entrance of the elegant establishment and inside was filled with chattering citizens and aromas of different meals, creating a lively atmosphere. The waiters hurried with the respective orders as the chefs readied the eatery with fine plating.

"Mamma, Table six!"

"Hold on, amour... just a little touch here annnnd~ Done!" The elderly woman handed a circular plate to a girl before returning to work. The girl jogged to the counter, placing the plate carefully, "Misa-san!" She called out, "Table six's order is ready with the complimentary wine."

"Gotcha, Izu-chan," Misa, a brunette woman in her mid-twenties, responded while gesturing a waiter to take an order. "It's a good thing you stopped by to help today, by the way."

The blondette sighed before chuckling, "Well, I couldn't leave my parents and you all on such a busy day. Besides, I didn't have club activities today."

"What about a date?" The woman spoke, throwing a smirk over her shoulder, "I thought you and that emo boy were getting rather cozy."

"H-huh?!" Izumi blushed, "Kouji and I? No way." She waved the statement away while trying to focus on pouring drinks.

"Hmm? What about that funny brunette with the goggles?"

"T-Takuya is just an overgrown child! He wouldn't understand love and all that anyways..."

"Those two are the only ones who you seem close with," Misa lifted the wine bottle with her finger as the glass was about to overflow, "the other two are, of course, not your type and the last one is actually a child."

Izumi placed the bottle on the countertop while staring into space. Misa took the tray filled with wine glasses not before nudging the girl, "You are a growing teen! You need to settle down soon."

"You are acting like Mamma now. I'm only 15, for God's sake! I have only gone to like five dates during the last year of middle school and high school starts in what, two months?" The blonde placed her forehead on the counter, "Dammi una pausa, per favore..."

"Come to think about it, you once told me about having a crush on the funny goggle-head... or was it for the emo?" Misa snickered as Izumi sat right up. Before the girl could respond, "Don't deny it! I also know you tried to confess to goggle-y once."

"H-h-how-?!"

"I was at the park that day."

"W-wait, wasn't it the day you got... dumped?"

"You remember that pretty clearly," The woman glared at her, "and no, it was the day before."

"FYI, I remember it because Papa got a call from you and you were crying way too much to make coherent words and second, h-how can you tell I was confessing to him?"

"'I have liked you for a while. Would you consider going out with me?'" Izumi paled, "doesn't count as a confession?" Snicker. "Though, you were stuttering way too much."

"Yeah, yeah. And to make something clear, I was NOT confessing to Takuya. I-um-was, you know... practicing?"

Snort. "Don't tell me this is the scenario where the girl does confession practices with the guy she likes and then confesses properly in the end? Seen the video like a million times, kiddo."

"I know the video, the song is pretty catchy but that isn't what I'm doing," Izumi grabbed a dry cloth, "besides, Takuya doesn't feel that way about me."

Misa eyed her, "Really?"

Nod. "He made it pretty clear when I asked him to help me practice," she handed a set of plates to a chef, "Even used the video reference like you."

"You seemed pretty serious about him, though."

"...it was just an elementary crush." The woman kept staring at her, "and I'm completely over it!"

Misa sighed after a moment, "If you say so."

A moment of silence surrounded the two as the chatter grew. Although the customers seated were limited but their conversation grew louder as time-ticked by. Both females silently resumed their work, when Misa finally broke the ice.

"So~ it's the emo?" Blush. "Izumi, amour, you are so easy to read."

"What if it is?" The blondette narrowed her eyes.

"You gotta confess like, right now." The woman deadpanned.

"I-I possibly cannot!"

"If you think he too isn't interested in you than you have another thing coming. He seems less emo when you lot pass time at the back."

"Would you stop calling him emo, please? He isn't like that."

"Sure, he isn't-," Misa got cut short as a waiter called for her, "Anyways, tell me when you woman up. Your shifts almost up!"

Izumi glance at the clock in the back while catching her mother scolding the newly hired chefs. It was almost six o'clock. Her father would be coming soon to survey the restaurant and take her mother to dinner, meaning Izumi had to stay home or spend the rest of the day roaming around.

Come to think of it I haven't given the boys their chocolates... Wonder if they are at the hideout?

She walked to the locker room to get her phone since they weren't allowed while working. She opened the creaking locker door and pulled out her lavender phone. Upon turning on her phone, she noticed she had received a couple of messages from Junpei and one email from Kouji. With fidgety fingers, she tapped on the noirette's notification tab which showed a one-line text.

FROM: saber-wolf14

TO: WindPixie101

DATE: Feb 14 at 5:59 PM

SUBJECT: (No subject)

'Meet me at the hideout when you are free.'

She quickly checked the time to see it was ten past six. She changed from her work uniform, hurried out of the room to kiss her mother goodbye while waving to Misa and the rest of the staff and practically flew out of the back door to her next destination.

The hideout wasn't far from the restaurant, but Izumi took small steps while rehearsing what to say if Kouji were to confess. Even if he didn't, she also practiced how to react when the rejection came through if she was the one to express her feelings. The mail did imply as if he was going to tell her something important or else the boy wouldn't specifically tell her to meet ONLY him. He would have mentioned the others. Something like 'meet us' instead of 'meet me'.

While doing so, she opened up her LINE app to see Junpei's messages. He had wished her a 'happy valentine's day' and how he can't wait to eat the chocolate she would give him. The last three messages made her chuckle as he was supposedly tried to warn her not to come to the hideout and to stay away from Kouji. After years of rejection, the guy still tries to keep the girl from going on to dates, but thanks to his stalkerish acts -even if he denies so- he has saved her from going out with wrong people.

The snow crunched as she started walking down the uneven pathway at the back of the high school where she and the rest would be going to soon. As she approached the almost rundown storage house, she saw the boys lodging outside. Kouichi and Junpei sat on logs of wood near a small wooden fireplace, while Takuya and Tomoki tried making a snowman. Kouji was nowhere to be seen. The oldest boy had a grim expression plastered on her face, but it soon lightened up when he heard the crunching of Izumi's feet.

He stood up and waved, "Izumi-chan!"

The girl waved back while greeting the others, "What's up?"

Kouichi shrugged, "Nothing much. We were free from school activities and bored so decided to hang out here."

"Not feeling the holiday spirit?"

Takuya snorted, "Holiday spirit, eh?" He whipped his brow while observing his masterpiece. "If there is snow, what do you need valentine's for?"

The others checked out his snowman and started laughing. The goggle-head tilted his head in confusion, "What?"

"Haha. Just what is that?" Izumi spoke while trying to stifle her snickers.

Tomoki hopped from behind the snow sculpture, "Takuya-nii, I don't remember Agunimon being a little... fat around the edges?"

"Hey!" Takuya boomed, "Do you know how hard I worked on this? Not everything has to be perfect!"

"Calm down, Takky. It looks better than the rest," Junpei gestured to the piles of snowmen next to the boy.

The said boy scoffed while coming up to warm his hands on the fire, "Meh, 3D work isn't for me anyway."

"Where's Kouji?" Izumi asked glancing around the area, "He didn't come?" A feeling of disappointment fell over her.

"He's inside. Something about outside being too cold for him," The older noirette responded.

"Seriously, he is acting like a Grinch even after Christmas," Takuya snorted, "Is that even possible?"

"Tell me one time he isn't a Grinch," Junpei spoke in a grumpy voice.

Tomoki sat next to Izumi, "The time he's playing basketball or when he spends time with Izumi-san."

The said girl gasped, "T-Tomoki!"

"Tomo has a point, Iz," Kouichi smirked, "which reminds me, why don't you do say hi?"

Junpei sat right up, and within seconds stood in the entranceway like a guard dog. The others sweatdropped at the sight.

Takuya got up to push the older boy away, "Jun, you gotta get over this. Honestly, this is getting damn ridiculous."

"You started... cussing or cursing or whatever. Why?" Izumi questioned with a stern look.

"Talk... of the... neighborhood?" Takuya responded carefully. A blank stare was all he met in return. "Oh c'mon, I'm a growing teen and are we going to push this guy outta the way or what?!"

Kouichi and Tomoki got up and helped as Izumi stood a couple of steps away from the fighting and pushing. The three were able to push Junpei away, accidentally stumbling into Takuya's snowman.

Takuya looked around the fallen snow, "Aw, man! He didn't even get to see the daylight."

"Dude, seriously?" A soft voice spoke from inside the hideout, "You really are a child."

Kouji stood with his back leaning on the door frame. He sighed when he saw the boys trying to keep Junpei in one place, but stiffened once his eyes landed on Izumi.

"You... came."

Izumi pinked a little, "Well, I got your email so..."

A pregnant silence fell upon the group with only Junpei murmurs filling the cold air. Takuya grumbled and got up from the man-pile and stood in front of Izumi with his hand out. The girl gave him a questioning look and then remembered, "Why, Takuya? Didn't get enough choco from your fangirls?" Chuckle.

"I did, but most of them were Honmei chocos, which ya know I don't eat. Though the Giri chocos were nice and I'm missing just one," he beamed.

Tomoki walked over to the standing trio with Kouichi in tow, "I got a few too but unlike Takuya-nii, I enjoy choco, Giri and Honmei."

Kouichi bonked him on the head, "Kid, do you even know what those words mean? And since when are you popular?"

"The girls in my class think I'm cute or something, so they give me chocolate." The youngest of the group smiled, "Shinya also got tons."

The goggle-head growled, "That brat... Mom's gonna be really happy."

"She would be since her other son isn't a lady's man like Shin," Kouji joked. The others laughed at their friend's fallen expression. Izumi giddily opened up her messenger bag and took out five plastic bags filled with different shaped chocolates. She handed them all each a bag while wishing each 'Happy Valentine's Day' and receiving 'thank you's along the way. She gave Junpei a bag as she patted him on the back. He smiled softly in return.

She kept the last close to her, deciding whether she should say something other than wishing Kouji. The said teen kept his gaze on the ground but his expression was more confused than calm.

A second later, he stood straight, "Listen, Izumi... that mail I sent you... um-"

The others had moved to the fireplace, so the two had some privacy. Kouji shifted on his feet, "I wanted to talk alone but these guys tagged along and honestly, Takuya was the one who pushed me to email you in the first place."

Izumi looked at Takuya as he munched on the sweet goods. She should have known; he was always saying how she and Kouji should just come out despite knowing how she felt. Takuya was selfish but so was she. Who to blame, huh?

If this doesn't work out, you are so done for...

Izumi inhaled and exhaled a small breathed, "Happy Valentine's Day." She extended the bag with a small smile plastered on her face, "and... Kouji, I-"

He held up his hand, cutting her mid-sentence. Then carefully took the bag from her and placed a neatly folded piece of paper in her palms. Izumi looked at it as she turned her in her hand. Kouji fiddled with the bag, crinkling the plastic more. Taking quick glimpses of the noirette in front of her, she unfolded the paper, revealing two sentences scribbled down. Her eyes slowly went wide as she re-read the line over and over again. Kouji kept a close eye on her reactions and suddenly got worried when her shoulders began to shake. He tried reaching out to her but the girl launched herself onto him. The sudden action caused the boy to slip out a yelp and lose his balance. The fell on the hard wooden floor of the hideout with a thud loud enough to alert the other four. They huddled around the fallen duo in a hurry but the two didn't take notice.

Izumi kept mumbling 'yes' silently as Kouji buried his smile into her shoulder. Those two lines were what she was wishing to hear and she got it. A little awkward but worth it.

'Go out with me?
P.S. I like you...'

One of her loves did come true... although she was selfish. She was not letting this fall apart like the first. Even if she is still hung up on it, she is going to try to make this one work. No matter what. She and Kouji can, no... will make it work!


Heyo! So here it is. My Valentine's One-Shot showing how Izumi and Kouji got together. A little typical and cliche but I find it cute. Spoilers here and there for the upcoming chappies. I'm working on the current one tbh, it has a dark tone to it so it's taking some {a lot of} time. Well, see ya and once again, Happy Valentine's Day!