/N: You know what? I really, really hate Valentine's Day. It's the worst holiday ever created, I mean, it's all about people who are together, but what about all those people who are alone and don't want to be alone? This holiday just makes it worse.
Or maybe I just hate it because some kid I actually kinda liked kissed me during History in 7th grade and I ended up falling out of my chair because I was extremely suprised. and embarassed! Oh well. Anyway, this took a lot of brainpower, believe me.
Also, the idea for this fic was sparked by Lyra Kamiya's fic 'Last Piece' because of something Takato thinks about in chapter two. I wrote this before she started a contest for a Valentine's Day fic, BTW. I asked her if I could a while ago. But I use Japanese names, not English. And I use Lee's real name, Jiangliang, not Jenrya which is the way it was Japanized so Japanese people could prnounce it. It's kinda hard to explain.
And I spell Februrari with an 'i' instead of a 'y.' I'm Swedish (originally) so that's just the way I spell it, even in English.
The Fourteenth of Februrari
By Speedo-chan
Februrari fourteenth. An infamous day for all. I let out a sigh and spun the combination lock on my locker. When I was younger, it was always a good day. A day where there were parties at school and little, pleasant cards given out to everyone, and sometimes candy was given with these cards too. But now that I've reached Junior High? It's a complete nightmare!
"Hey Takato. Well, this awful day is here again." I looked up to see Kenta cracking a smile as he opened up his locker. He really does think it's funny that I hate this holiday. He's lucky, his weird aunt always comes over on this day to bake all sorts of stuff and then practically shove it down everyones throats. My parents run a bakery, so they just make stuff and sell it and I don't get any.
"Yeah, great day, haha, very funny Kenta..." I mumble, taking my math book out of the locker and then slamming it shut once more. He shrugs and unlocks his locker, opening it quickly. Something small and red falls out, whacking him on the head before bouncing to the ground. I stare at it for a moment and he picks it up.
"What the heck is this?" He wonders, turning it around and looking at it from all sides. "Gee, I don't know, maybe it's an orange." I say sarcastically. "It's obviously one of those cardboard boxes shaped like a heart that'll have chocolates in it. Adults love those things. Well, mostly the chocolate..." He grimaces before opening it. "Yup. Chocolates. At least they look like peanut butter ones. I really love those things."
He grabs some books out of his locker before shoving the box back in, but not before some of our classmates notice. "Ohh, Kenta has a secret admirer! How cute!" Ruroni says, laughing. Kenta rolls his eyes and before anyone else can comment, the bell rings for class and we all dash off to make it in time.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^
Throughout the day people keep teasing Kenta, and at first he managed to ignore most of it, but by third period he starting turning just a little bit red whenever anyone mentioned it. Oddly enough, Hirokazu hadn't mentioned a thing about it. He never once teased Kenta, and he was the one whom I thought would be most likely to bug his poor friend about it all day.
"Man, I really hate this holiday..." Kenta grumbled as Hirokazu, he and I all walked to lunch. I was personally hoping to see Juri... she usually ate with us, along with Jiangliang. Ruki still goes to a private school because her mother wants her to. Ruki hates the uniform she has to wear, especially since the rest of us STILL don't have to wear a uniform. Come High School we will, though.
After getting my lunch (which consists of heart shaped chicken blobs and a broken heart-shaped pink cookie and a carton of strawberry milk) I sit down at the table. Everyone except for Juri is there already. Hirokazu is sitting next to Kenta and just poking at his food and not really eating anything. Can't say I blame him, since I'm not really looking forward to eating what they're calling chicken.
Juri comes running up and sits down. She has a bagged lunch, which I wish I had, and flashes a smile, "Konnichi wa! Isn't this day great?" Jiangliang rolls his eyes, "Yeah, it gives the lunchroom an excuse to feed us all the stuff that has turned funny colors because of being too old." I can feel heat rising in my cheeks and realize I must be blushing. I have liked Juri for a long time now, but I just couldn't tell her. I like having her as a friend and I don't want her to hate me.
Kenta smirks at me and I frown. He can tell. Hirokazu probably knows too, but he just continues to poke at the cookie with a straw and stays quiet. That's just a little weird, usually he'd be driving us all crazy with his weird food antics by now. Maybe he's not feeling well...?
One of the girls from my class saunters over to us with a smirk plastered onto her face, "Oh, hello everyone. Lovely day it is, ne?" She gives us all a purely evil looking smile. "Oh, I heard that someone saw the person who put the chocolates in your locker putting them in, Kenta. You really would be suprised... it just so happens that it is your friend Hirokazu. You know, it actually makes sense. You two are always hanging around together." She lets out a short laugh and walks off.
I turn to look at Hirokazu who has a really weird look on his face and has somehow ended up piercing the side of the milk carton and now the contents are flooding the table. Kenta looks very uncomfortable now and doesn't move even though the milk is slowly soaking his lunch. Hirokazu stands up suddenley, knocking his chair over, "Well, yeah, it was me! So what? It was supposed to be a joke because all of you have been complaining so much about this stupid day and I wanted to shut you all up!" He stomps out of the cafeteria, not even putting his chair upright once more.
I see Juri giving him a strange look that suspiciously looks like a smile out of the corner of my eye but I dismiss it straight away. Kenta looks a bit disappointed, and I can't blame him. That was a bit mean of Hirokazu. "Well, Hirokazu has proved it again. He can be a real jerk sometimes." Jiangliang says, getting up to throw his empty lunch tray alone. The rest of us remain silent, thinking about it, the strawberry milk seeping across the table like blood, as if an attestment to what is going on right now.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Kenta has been a lot quiter since the whole incident at lunch. Hirokazu has returned to his state of silence and has had a really dazed, spaced out look on him the whole time. And has also gained three detentions from not listening to the teacher.
"I can't believe Hirokazu would do something like that. I mean, isn't he my friend? I hate to admit it, but it WAS kinda nice to get something for Valentine's Day... Having a secret admirer was kinda ok with me.." Kenta sighs. We're supposed to be working on homework since it's study hall, but no one really is. Mostly people are running around giving out valentines and flirting. It really is starting to get pretty annoying. I look up at Kenta. He really does seem sad about the whole incident.
I look around the library, trying to see where Hirokazu is. He's all alone at a table in the far corner, just staring down at an English book that we have for our textbook in English. He's chewing on his lip and has that same glazed-over look on his face he has all day. He closes the book suddenley, and gets up, and walks over. I nudge Kenta with my toe and he looks up and sees Hirokazu who is now standing at one end of the table.
"Kenta... look, I'd like to apologize. It wasn't a joke and you weren't the person who was supposed to get it... It was actually meant for someone else, but I guess I was so stressed out I put it in your locker by accident. I said it was a joke at lunch because I was embarassed. I'm sorry." He shifts around a little, waiting for one of us to say something. Kenta nods, "Well, I forgive you, but I wish you had told me that at lunch. Do you want to sit with us?" Hirokazu shakes his head rapidly, "Err, no thanks, I mean, I have to do that huge essay for English, and I'm having a lot of trouble with it, and, you know, if I sat with you guys, I'd get bogged down in talking with the rest of you, and, I'd just never get it done." He rushes through his explanation quickly and salutes us akwardly before rushing back to his table.
Kenta and I look at eachother for a moment, "He really is acting strange and very un-Hirokazu-like..." I whisper. Kenta looks over at him once more, and sees he's back to staring blankly at that dumb textbook, before turning back to face me, "Yeah... I guess the holiday really is getting to him..."
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The day has finally ended. Or, at least the school day has. Hirokazu hasn't said a word to us since Study Hall. He hasn't said anything to anyone, actually, except for when the teachers asked him direct questions.
Kenta is leaning against his locker waiting for me and Hirokazu to finish up getting our stuff out of locker. Hirokazu is taking a really long time to get everything out. Usually he just tosses all his stuff into his bag and peels outta here. Not today. He's taking as long as he can, it seems.
Kenta sighs, "Well, it's over. Over until next year, Who knows where we'll be then?" It makes me feel a bit sad. Maybe by then I'll have worked up the nerve to tell Juri that I like her as more than a friend. I zip my bag closed, "Hirokazu, hurry up. I thought you had detentions to attend, and I don't want to wait for you to complete a double detention for being late for the real one."
I hear a mumbled sorry and he puts another book into his bag before closing it and standing up. Kenta starts to walk down the hall, but Hirokazu grabs his arm, "Um, Kenta, wait... I need to say something to you..." Kenta stops walking and slowly turns around to face him. I haven't moved at all and am still in front of my locker.
"Kenta... I really need to tell you something. Remember how I said those choclates got into your locker because I was stressed out and they were meant for someone else? Well, I lied. Again. I also lied when I said it was just a joke... Look, I really don't want you to hate me, I mean, you're my best friend and we've known eachother since we were just 4 year olds. And we've been in the same class ever since first grade. We've gone through almost everything together. School, the Digital World experience, the death of your pet bird Susu, the death of my younger brother..." Hirokazu looks like he's going to cry at the mentioning of his younger brother. He had a younger brother very briefly when he was eleven, but then the baby died of a rare lung condition. It really was awful for him.
He also looks very uncomfortable. I've never seen him this way, so nervous and fidgety. I once saw him cry when he was telling us that his younger brother wasn't going to be ok, but never like this. I started to feel really uncomfortable and out of place myself.
"I know you better than anyone else, and you know me better than anyone else does. Kenta, what I'm trying to say is, and I apologize, but I really like you a lot. More than just as a friend..." The words hang in the air and Kenta looks really suprised. "Hirokazu, I... I'm not sure what to say. This really is something I never suspected..." He's starting to turn a nice shade of crimson, and I suddenley feel someone tapping on my shoulder. I turn around abruptly to see Juri standing there. She has a finger over her lips, motioning for me to stay quiet.
She grabs my hand and drags me around the corner, "I think we should leave them alone, ok?" I blink, suprised that she knew to come to get me. Usually she waits for us out by the front door. "Juri, how come you knew...?" She smiles, "I could tell at lunch. It was pretty obvious, especially when he started blushing. It's just a little amazing how un-observative all of you boys are."
I shrug. I'm still pretty much suprised. This wasn't what I expected. But it would make sense that a girl would notice, they just seem to notice junk like this more than I do, at least. "Well, I guess we'll just start for the park then. They should probably be given that time to collect themselves." She nods and we start down the hall, but then it dawns on me...
"Juri! I left my bag next to my locker...!"
Or maybe I just hate it because some kid I actually kinda liked kissed me during History in 7th grade and I ended up falling out of my chair because I was extremely suprised. and embarassed! Oh well. Anyway, this took a lot of brainpower, believe me.
Also, the idea for this fic was sparked by Lyra Kamiya's fic 'Last Piece' because of something Takato thinks about in chapter two. I wrote this before she started a contest for a Valentine's Day fic, BTW. I asked her if I could a while ago. But I use Japanese names, not English. And I use Lee's real name, Jiangliang, not Jenrya which is the way it was Japanized so Japanese people could prnounce it. It's kinda hard to explain.
And I spell Februrari with an 'i' instead of a 'y.' I'm Swedish (originally) so that's just the way I spell it, even in English.
The Fourteenth of Februrari
By Speedo-chan
Februrari fourteenth. An infamous day for all. I let out a sigh and spun the combination lock on my locker. When I was younger, it was always a good day. A day where there were parties at school and little, pleasant cards given out to everyone, and sometimes candy was given with these cards too. But now that I've reached Junior High? It's a complete nightmare!
"Hey Takato. Well, this awful day is here again." I looked up to see Kenta cracking a smile as he opened up his locker. He really does think it's funny that I hate this holiday. He's lucky, his weird aunt always comes over on this day to bake all sorts of stuff and then practically shove it down everyones throats. My parents run a bakery, so they just make stuff and sell it and I don't get any.
"Yeah, great day, haha, very funny Kenta..." I mumble, taking my math book out of the locker and then slamming it shut once more. He shrugs and unlocks his locker, opening it quickly. Something small and red falls out, whacking him on the head before bouncing to the ground. I stare at it for a moment and he picks it up.
"What the heck is this?" He wonders, turning it around and looking at it from all sides. "Gee, I don't know, maybe it's an orange." I say sarcastically. "It's obviously one of those cardboard boxes shaped like a heart that'll have chocolates in it. Adults love those things. Well, mostly the chocolate..." He grimaces before opening it. "Yup. Chocolates. At least they look like peanut butter ones. I really love those things."
He grabs some books out of his locker before shoving the box back in, but not before some of our classmates notice. "Ohh, Kenta has a secret admirer! How cute!" Ruroni says, laughing. Kenta rolls his eyes and before anyone else can comment, the bell rings for class and we all dash off to make it in time.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^
Throughout the day people keep teasing Kenta, and at first he managed to ignore most of it, but by third period he starting turning just a little bit red whenever anyone mentioned it. Oddly enough, Hirokazu hadn't mentioned a thing about it. He never once teased Kenta, and he was the one whom I thought would be most likely to bug his poor friend about it all day.
"Man, I really hate this holiday..." Kenta grumbled as Hirokazu, he and I all walked to lunch. I was personally hoping to see Juri... she usually ate with us, along with Jiangliang. Ruki still goes to a private school because her mother wants her to. Ruki hates the uniform she has to wear, especially since the rest of us STILL don't have to wear a uniform. Come High School we will, though.
After getting my lunch (which consists of heart shaped chicken blobs and a broken heart-shaped pink cookie and a carton of strawberry milk) I sit down at the table. Everyone except for Juri is there already. Hirokazu is sitting next to Kenta and just poking at his food and not really eating anything. Can't say I blame him, since I'm not really looking forward to eating what they're calling chicken.
Juri comes running up and sits down. She has a bagged lunch, which I wish I had, and flashes a smile, "Konnichi wa! Isn't this day great?" Jiangliang rolls his eyes, "Yeah, it gives the lunchroom an excuse to feed us all the stuff that has turned funny colors because of being too old." I can feel heat rising in my cheeks and realize I must be blushing. I have liked Juri for a long time now, but I just couldn't tell her. I like having her as a friend and I don't want her to hate me.
Kenta smirks at me and I frown. He can tell. Hirokazu probably knows too, but he just continues to poke at the cookie with a straw and stays quiet. That's just a little weird, usually he'd be driving us all crazy with his weird food antics by now. Maybe he's not feeling well...?
One of the girls from my class saunters over to us with a smirk plastered onto her face, "Oh, hello everyone. Lovely day it is, ne?" She gives us all a purely evil looking smile. "Oh, I heard that someone saw the person who put the chocolates in your locker putting them in, Kenta. You really would be suprised... it just so happens that it is your friend Hirokazu. You know, it actually makes sense. You two are always hanging around together." She lets out a short laugh and walks off.
I turn to look at Hirokazu who has a really weird look on his face and has somehow ended up piercing the side of the milk carton and now the contents are flooding the table. Kenta looks very uncomfortable now and doesn't move even though the milk is slowly soaking his lunch. Hirokazu stands up suddenley, knocking his chair over, "Well, yeah, it was me! So what? It was supposed to be a joke because all of you have been complaining so much about this stupid day and I wanted to shut you all up!" He stomps out of the cafeteria, not even putting his chair upright once more.
I see Juri giving him a strange look that suspiciously looks like a smile out of the corner of my eye but I dismiss it straight away. Kenta looks a bit disappointed, and I can't blame him. That was a bit mean of Hirokazu. "Well, Hirokazu has proved it again. He can be a real jerk sometimes." Jiangliang says, getting up to throw his empty lunch tray alone. The rest of us remain silent, thinking about it, the strawberry milk seeping across the table like blood, as if an attestment to what is going on right now.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Kenta has been a lot quiter since the whole incident at lunch. Hirokazu has returned to his state of silence and has had a really dazed, spaced out look on him the whole time. And has also gained three detentions from not listening to the teacher.
"I can't believe Hirokazu would do something like that. I mean, isn't he my friend? I hate to admit it, but it WAS kinda nice to get something for Valentine's Day... Having a secret admirer was kinda ok with me.." Kenta sighs. We're supposed to be working on homework since it's study hall, but no one really is. Mostly people are running around giving out valentines and flirting. It really is starting to get pretty annoying. I look up at Kenta. He really does seem sad about the whole incident.
I look around the library, trying to see where Hirokazu is. He's all alone at a table in the far corner, just staring down at an English book that we have for our textbook in English. He's chewing on his lip and has that same glazed-over look on his face he has all day. He closes the book suddenley, and gets up, and walks over. I nudge Kenta with my toe and he looks up and sees Hirokazu who is now standing at one end of the table.
"Kenta... look, I'd like to apologize. It wasn't a joke and you weren't the person who was supposed to get it... It was actually meant for someone else, but I guess I was so stressed out I put it in your locker by accident. I said it was a joke at lunch because I was embarassed. I'm sorry." He shifts around a little, waiting for one of us to say something. Kenta nods, "Well, I forgive you, but I wish you had told me that at lunch. Do you want to sit with us?" Hirokazu shakes his head rapidly, "Err, no thanks, I mean, I have to do that huge essay for English, and I'm having a lot of trouble with it, and, you know, if I sat with you guys, I'd get bogged down in talking with the rest of you, and, I'd just never get it done." He rushes through his explanation quickly and salutes us akwardly before rushing back to his table.
Kenta and I look at eachother for a moment, "He really is acting strange and very un-Hirokazu-like..." I whisper. Kenta looks over at him once more, and sees he's back to staring blankly at that dumb textbook, before turning back to face me, "Yeah... I guess the holiday really is getting to him..."
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The day has finally ended. Or, at least the school day has. Hirokazu hasn't said a word to us since Study Hall. He hasn't said anything to anyone, actually, except for when the teachers asked him direct questions.
Kenta is leaning against his locker waiting for me and Hirokazu to finish up getting our stuff out of locker. Hirokazu is taking a really long time to get everything out. Usually he just tosses all his stuff into his bag and peels outta here. Not today. He's taking as long as he can, it seems.
Kenta sighs, "Well, it's over. Over until next year, Who knows where we'll be then?" It makes me feel a bit sad. Maybe by then I'll have worked up the nerve to tell Juri that I like her as more than a friend. I zip my bag closed, "Hirokazu, hurry up. I thought you had detentions to attend, and I don't want to wait for you to complete a double detention for being late for the real one."
I hear a mumbled sorry and he puts another book into his bag before closing it and standing up. Kenta starts to walk down the hall, but Hirokazu grabs his arm, "Um, Kenta, wait... I need to say something to you..." Kenta stops walking and slowly turns around to face him. I haven't moved at all and am still in front of my locker.
"Kenta... I really need to tell you something. Remember how I said those choclates got into your locker because I was stressed out and they were meant for someone else? Well, I lied. Again. I also lied when I said it was just a joke... Look, I really don't want you to hate me, I mean, you're my best friend and we've known eachother since we were just 4 year olds. And we've been in the same class ever since first grade. We've gone through almost everything together. School, the Digital World experience, the death of your pet bird Susu, the death of my younger brother..." Hirokazu looks like he's going to cry at the mentioning of his younger brother. He had a younger brother very briefly when he was eleven, but then the baby died of a rare lung condition. It really was awful for him.
He also looks very uncomfortable. I've never seen him this way, so nervous and fidgety. I once saw him cry when he was telling us that his younger brother wasn't going to be ok, but never like this. I started to feel really uncomfortable and out of place myself.
"I know you better than anyone else, and you know me better than anyone else does. Kenta, what I'm trying to say is, and I apologize, but I really like you a lot. More than just as a friend..." The words hang in the air and Kenta looks really suprised. "Hirokazu, I... I'm not sure what to say. This really is something I never suspected..." He's starting to turn a nice shade of crimson, and I suddenley feel someone tapping on my shoulder. I turn around abruptly to see Juri standing there. She has a finger over her lips, motioning for me to stay quiet.
She grabs my hand and drags me around the corner, "I think we should leave them alone, ok?" I blink, suprised that she knew to come to get me. Usually she waits for us out by the front door. "Juri, how come you knew...?" She smiles, "I could tell at lunch. It was pretty obvious, especially when he started blushing. It's just a little amazing how un-observative all of you boys are."
I shrug. I'm still pretty much suprised. This wasn't what I expected. But it would make sense that a girl would notice, they just seem to notice junk like this more than I do, at least. "Well, I guess we'll just start for the park then. They should probably be given that time to collect themselves." She nods and we start down the hall, but then it dawns on me...
"Juri! I left my bag next to my locker...!"