PINK: VALENTINE'S DAY
For Valentine's Day 2003
It was a typical birds-chirping and sunlight-shining morning. At Shohoku High School, however, it signified the start of a Very Special Day.
Sakuragi sat dreamily at his desk as he half-dozed and half-watched the squealing and chattering girls of the school move about in tight clusters while holding on to neatly-wrapped boxes and packages of chocolates. By experience, he knew that he had no chance of receiving any. Not that he cared anymore anyway. He grinned wickedly, as Takamiya lumbered his way over to a group of girls and attempted to jest for a Valentine's Day presents. The rest of his army were not any better off. Only Youhei Mito received a couple of gifts on this very significant lovers' anniversary. Nevertheless, he held onto a faint flicker of hope and kept it.
The bell rang to announce the start of lessons. Sakuragi took a lazy glance at his schedule and sat up straight. "Ha! It's Chemistry period again!" Sakuragi's class went from a noisy buzz of activity to a hushed silence of fear. Somewhere at the other corner of the room, a derisive snort sounded, "… 'aho." The redhead pointedly ignored the insult as he avoided the gaze of the cold fox. He grabbed his books and stalked before others to the Chemistry lab, whistling merrily his infamous 'Ore Wa Tensai' tune.
The Chemistry teacher of Sakuragi's class, Year 2 Class 10, waited nervously at the lab. "Calm down. Breathe." He told himself as he took several deep breaths. Still, he could not help but jump a few inches into the air as the lab door was slammed open by the obnoxious redhead. "Good morning, sensei!"
"Uh, good morning, take your seats, class." the teacher mumbled anxiously as the class trudged in unwillingly. "Hey there, partner! So, are you ready for another period of wonderful fun?" Sakuragi slapped the back of his unfortunate lab partner excitedly. The poor guy's glasses fell off his nose and he hastily sought to put them back, lying, "Yes, Sakuragi-kun."
Rukawa eyed Sakuragi's enthusiastic antics with a raised eyebrow. Beside him, his blushing female partner prepared all the apparatus needed for today's experiment. "R – Rukawa-kun! I have something for you!" the girl mustered up her life's courage as she said bravely. Rukawa switched his piercing glare towards her, which made her back away a little. "H - Here! Ha - Happy Valentine's Day!" She pushed a dainty pink box towards Rukawa shakily. Around her, other girls glowered menacingly at her and mentally prayed for Rukawa to reject her chocolates.
Rukawa clasped his long fingers around the offered box, "…". The deliriously happy girl crashed down to the floor, unconscious, as the other females did not bother to hide their furious displays of outrage and jealousy. "Now! Girls! Don't be so excited just because it's Valentine's Day!" the teacher attempted to draw attention back to his lesson. "Sensei! You wouldn't understand! This is something oh-so important to us! You're too old to know what's going on!" a girl cried out defiantly.
The rest of the period was going smoothly, much to the teacher's relief. He mentally willed the clock to tick faster. His eyelid twitched again as Sakuragi's loud voice blasted around the lab. "Voila! Another of the tensai's brilliant creations!" Sakuragi held up a test tube containing some purplish-green solution and waved it around to show it to the rest who smiled weakly in response. His partner ducked a little as the swinging test tube nearly hit his nose. "Er, very good, Sakuragi-kun! But could you please concentrate on the designated experiment?" The teacher forced a feeble smile. Sakuragi ignored the teacher, as he stared at his solution with a triumphant gleam in his bright eyes, "I'm a tensai. I'm a tensai."
A low grunt came from the working bench next to him. "Mocking my intelligence, kitsune?" Sakuragi growled as he threw the glass test tube aside and his partner desperately caught it before it smashed to pieces. "As if you had any to start with." Rukawa challenged as he met Sakuragi's furious gaze coolly. "Break it up now, Rukawa-kun and Sakuragi-kun, or else you'll be sent to t - !" the teacher never got to finish his sentence as he was sent flying towards a shelf of plastic beakers.
"I saw the Great Big Sacks under your desk." Sakuragi said softly, dangerously. "Of?" Rukawa replied evenly. "Chocolates. MOUNTAINS OF CHOCOLATES!" Sakuragi yelled, sounding extremely offended, as he grabbed Rukawa's collar roughly. Rukawa did not flinch as he stared at Sakuragi apathetically. "So, Mr. Oh-So Popular has managed to get himself so many Valentine's Day gifts again." Sakuragi glared angrily. Rukawa shrugged and averted his gaze.
The teacher untangled himself from the Great Big Mess and inched his way towards the blazing pair, hoping to prevent another similar incident, which happened just last month. The incident had cost him a massive pay cut from his monthly salary to pay for the damage incurred. Sure enough, Sakuragi made a grab from his partner for the tube of liquid he had just mixed carelessly and prepared to throw it at the infuriating Rukawa. The teacher literally threw himself forward to catch Sakuragi's arm in mid-air and pleaded tearfully, "Mercy, Sakuragi-kun!"
"Don't hurt Rukawa-kun!" The rabid girls shrieked, even while the lab was abruptly emptied of the other students as the class huddled together outside in the corridor to witness another explosion. "We wouldn't want such a thing to happen on Valentine's Day right?" the teacher tried to coax. At the mention of the special occasion, Sakuragi's face fell a little and much to everyone's surprise, he complied and put down the test tube slowly.
"Don't you have anything to say to me, kitsune?" Sakuragi asked with a tinge of misery in his trembling voice. "No." Rukawa deadpanned, his eyes an intriguing shade of blue. "Fine." Sakuragi turned to leave in bitter disappointment but felt a strong hand clasping around his wrist.
"Do'Aho." Rukawa sighed a little, reaching into his pants' pocket. "I was going to wait till we get home, but since you asked, though not-so-nicely …" Sakuragi's eyes sparkled adorably as Rukawa produced a small wrapped pink box. "Happy Valentine's Day." Outside, girls let out screams of disbelief while guys dislocated their jaws. The teacher looked awkwardly at the strange duo and wisely decided to back off.
"Why so insistent? I thought you weren't ready to go public." Rukawa traced Sakuragi's face with a gentle finger. "I am ready now." Sakuragi's reply was strong and confident as he mirrored Rukawa's serious expression. Rukawa tilted his head to one side before he broke into a small, elated grin and leaned in for a kiss. Sakuragi drew away, much to his surprise, "Wait! What about those Mountains of Chocolates?" Rukawa's face took on an expression of exasperation as he whispered in faint embarrassment, "Hana. You. Know. I. Can't. Resist. Chocolates!" Sakuragi blinked at the self-confessed chocoholic and burst out laughing, "Hell, true."
Rukawa exhaled and moved in again. "Wait!" Sakuragi stated again. "What the fuck?" Rukawa stepped back in frustration. "What's in this?" Sakuragi shook the pink box Rukawa gave him with childish interest, frowning a little at the girlish color of it. "Chocolates?" Rukawa replied, slightly incredulous at his lover's inanity. "How unoriginal." Sakuragi grumbled as he unwrapped the box in glee, and popped a piece of mint chocolate into his mouth. "I'll show you originality when we get home, Hana …" Rukawa whispered seductively as he went closer again. Third time lucky - Sakuragi finally allowed Rukawa to kiss him. As their gaping audience stared in stunned shock, Rukawa and Sakuragi shared a deep kiss, tasting each other and the bittersweet taste of the chocolate right there in the Chemistry lab.
