Mission: VALENTINE

by guyNumber23

It's that time of the year. Even Valkyries like Valentine's Day and this year will be a little different, for there are actual boys among them. Especially for two girls in particular, who might just find out what it means to fall in love. Love is in the air at St. Freya Academy! A APHO Valentine's one shot, ft. Carole, Timido, Adam, and Lyle. Belated because deadlines are hard.

Mission: VALENTINE

St. Freya Academy, home and training grounds for the new generations of Valkyries, the brave youth that vows to fight for everything beautiful in the world. It's also where said youths learn about combat tactics and standard curriculum, and with such an odd mix of knowledge, the ambient can be pretty interesting to watch. For example, an uninformed observer would assume this is a girls-only high school. Still, upon witnessing their combat prowess during a fight in the "Memorial Arena" holographic combat simulation, the conclusion would be very far from it. Well, maybe not as far from it, as some things don't change. For example, the cheerful animosity of young girls around a certain date in February.

Ah yes, Valentine's Day. A day to celebrate romance, a holiday in memory of lovers, a date where lovey-dovey couples have an excuse to go on expensive dates, give each other expensive gifts, and possibly stuff their faces with chocolate. Yes, Valentine's Day might not be the greatest holiday of the year, but it had a special place for those lively youths.

One in special, with silver-colored short hair and golden eyes, paced back and forth in the empty classroom, with arms folded and nibbling anxiously at her finger while she murmured something to herself.

"Here you go– no, no, too short… I wanted to give this to you… no, too vague? Umm… H-here, take it! No, too blunt… I thought you would like this since you're a boy and I'm a girl so… mmmmaah! Why is it so difficult?" She moaned in frustration, hitting her head with balled fists.

It shouldn't be that hard, she thought. All those years reading light novels and watching silly romcoms gave her all the knowledge for a situation like this, yet she struggled to find the right words. Figuring out the chocolate part was pretty easy, he wasn't particularly hard to read once you got around that first mysterious aura. She had the idea crossing her mind during a pointless chat with her friends after one of the girls mentioned she was looking forward to Valentine's limited cakes at a nearby bakery. The talk went from all the cute pastries they would be enjoying to the tradition of giving chocolate to someone, and well, St. Freya had one particularity, aside from the teenage girls training for combat. While it looked like a girls-only school, it actually wasn't. They just had a very small number of male applicants.

Enter the mysterious boy who joined them not long ago: Adam.

Certainly, when Principal Theresa approved the papers for his enrollment at the Academy, she expected it would cause some talk to go around, as it was pretty much an exception, hence why the girls were called Valkyries. But once in a while, a male with great combat skills and high enough honkai adaptability appeared. Most of them were heirs from the Kaslana house, with which she had very close ties. Thus, the boy with dark brown colored hair and amber eyes was an anomaly on the school grounds, and as such, it was natural that he would gather a lot of attention from the rest of the students. It was more than one year ago but this would be the first Valentine's with him around, so the short nun was secretly curious to see what would come out of it. Seeing the girls acting like teenage girls despite their military training was one of her goals, after all.

Back to the tanned young lady, her usual chirpy mood was nowhere to be found. Carole Peppers was worried, almost as much as she got whenever Squad Leader Mei assigned a test battery at the training grounds. All that exposure to sunlight would only deepen her tan, which she would rather avoid, thank you very much. She couldn't select the right words to say when she gave Adam the chocolates she carefully picked and bought for him, and above that, she didn't even know why? It was like every time she imagined herself handing him the sweets and saying her line, the words fumbled in her tongue and she lost her focus. Would that translate to reality when she actually delivered it to him?

"No no no, like that would happen," She dismissed the thought with a light chuckle. "Ahem, senpai, since you're the only boy around, I feel like I must give you something sweet for Valentine's."

"..."

"Mmmm… No, I can't deliver that…" She returned to walking back and forth, muttering other possible lines. She has been stuck in that loop for half an hour now, and she didn't even think of the scenario yet. You see, events like this require a good atmosphere to go with, and once she decided on a line to say, she would figure out the right mood to set. It should be pretty easy, she had tons of romance novels in her head and in her collection to use as a base.

If she could pick a line first, of course.

"Mmmmaah! Why is it so difficult? How do they write smooth dialog…? Umm… S-senpai, after everything we went through together, I… no no, this will bring bad memories. Uuh… Hey, senpai! In case you never got chocolates before!~ … Isn't that rude? But coming to think of it, did senpai ever get chocolates on Valentine's…?"

She mused, thinking of the small bits about him that Lyle occasionally spilled out during their mission at St. Fountain. She could very well be his first… The first girl to give him chocolates, that is! And oh wow, now it made things even more complicated. She never considered that, so now she had to make it feel extra special. Things like this were very important for boys and made core memories for them. Or so she has been told. Carole would love to receive chocolates on Valentine's, or in their case, White Day. Especially if it was from someone like senpai–

Uh, let's ignore that thread and return to the topic at hand. She shook her head and returned to her muttering, spinning on her heels and taking in a deep breath. As she slowly released, Carole opened her eyes and brought her hands together in front of her, faking the sweets deliver. Even now, she couldn't look directly at him, or where he would be when she eventually executed her plan. Her golden eyes focused on the floor, sparsely glancing up.

"Umm, senpai… we have been together for a while now so… I was thinking and, you know, since it's Valentine's Day and we're on the same squad, I… you would like… some… c-chocolates, so! P-please accept them!" She blurted out the words much less gracefully than whatever she arranged in her mind. However, the worst was yet to come.

"Carole?" Said a voice, clearly surprised to see the tanned gyaru talking by herself in an empty room after class hours. More worrisome, it was someone Carole knew and looked up to.

"S-s-squad Leader?!" She shouted in surprise as she jumped back, eyes going wide and cheeks acquiring a distinct red tinge. Carole stood still, like a deer caught in headlights, probably as a defense mechanism, which created some worry in her role model.

Mei, the tall lady with long dark purple hair and Valkyrie in charge of Schicksal's Squad 3. Raiden Mei, one of the great heroes who fought honkai before them and saved the world. That Mei stood at the doorway of the room, looking at Carole with a slightly worried but mostly confused face. As the tanned girl made more justice to her surname by the color of her cheeks, Mei couldn't help but smile in endearment at the sight.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak upon you. But… Carole, is everything alright?" She asked, doing her best to hide the laughter in her voice. She just got a few bits at the end but judging by the girl's reaction and a few other things she noticed ever since they returned from St. Fountain, Mei had an idea of what this was all about.

"Y-yes! I mean– Squad Leader! What are you doing in here?"

"I could ask you the same. Classes are over, and this room is not being used. Do you need help with something, Carole?" She had to cover her mouth with a hand because Mei failed to undo the smile forming on her lips.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean, uh… I-I was just… practicing for… a test…?"

"A test?"

"Yeah! A test. Memorization, saying things out loud, and all that." She said, beaming a large grin in an attempt to look less nervous. It wasn't very effective.

"Oh, I see, good to see you're studying more. But… it's strange…"

"Huh, what is, Squad Leader?"

"It's strange. I don't quite remember we had a confession test on the schedule. Well, I'll just confirm with Principal Theresa." She said in a semi-serious tone, and Mei swore Carole went pale as a paper sheet.

"W-wait, wait, Squad Leader Mei! This is a misunderstanding! I'm not confessing to anyone, it's just chocolates and–!" In a desperate attempt to correct this bad exchange of info, Carole's tongue was faster than her brain and she ended up compromising herself a little bit more, so she covered her mouth to prevent herself from sinking her own ship any further.

But it was too late, and Mei's suppressed giggles could be heard by the poor silver-haired girl.

"Alright, calm down, Carole. It's fine, I think I understand."

"Aww, this is so embarrassing…" She said, lowering her head and holding it with both hands.

"There, there, no need to feel so flustered, it's normal. But if you don't mind, and only if you don't, could you tell me exactly why were you rehearsing lines in an empty classroom?"

Feeling less embarrassed, Carole recomposed herself, pondering over whether or not should she share this topic in particular with her superior.

"Can you promise you won't tell anybody, Leader?"

"Pinky promise~," Mei said, lifting her pinky finger.

"Okay, so… Umm, how do I tell this…? Erm, I was kind of practicing to… give senpai chocolates on Valentine's Day…"

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah. But… well, I'm having a little bit of trouble with what to say. I know it sounds silly but… I kind of wanted to make it feel… special, you know?"

"I see…" Once again, a bright smile adorned Mei's face. "Well, Carole, if you're having troubles, do you want me to help?"

Carole's eyes lit up with stars at the proposal.

"You will? Really, really?!"

"Sure thing!~" Mei said, clasping her hands together. "But first, let's talk a bit about it, right?" Yes, she was going to have some fun with this situation.

---

Somewhere else, another person was busy in the kitchen, checking the items on the counter to make sure nothing was missing. Bowls, knives, cutting board, spatulas, whisk, milk cream, and the main ingredient, a great selection of chocolates. Oh, and very cute forms to shape the sweets. Yes, everything seemed in order, so all that was left was to follow the recipe, no big deal. But now that she thought about it, there was one tiny little problem…

"Which one should I use…?" The pink-haired girl asked herself out loud. She picked the best chocolates she could find at the local stores to make sure they would turn out of high quality.

According to the "Maid Secrets" tutorial she was following, that was just as important as the other steps in making delicious food. However, she forgot to ask which type of chocolate was her senpai's favorite. And well, actually asking him that was a problem in itself. While the pinkette delved into those thoughts, another person entered the kitchen without her noticing.

"Timido-chan, are you there? The door was unlocked and you didn't answer so–"

"Wah! L-Lyle-san! What are you doing in here?!"

Timido quickly turned around to face the intruder, a white-haired young man with light green eyes dressed in stylish clothes: Lyle Collide, fellow integrant of Schicksal's Squad 3 and her friend.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Timido-chan. I called a few times and knocked on the door, but there was no answer, and you usually are here around this time so… hmm?" He stopped his explanation as his eyes focused on the counter behind the girl.

"Something wrong?" She asked, looking at his puzzled face.

"Oh, nothing. I just didn't know you were into baking. Actually, those chocolates, could it be…" Lyle's puzzled face quickly turned into a sly smile as he connected the dots. "Are you making chocolates for Valentine's?~"

That was enough to make the shy girl blush, and Timido instinctively tried to shield the counter from his eyes, as futile as it was.

"Ah, no, a-actually, this is… umm…" She couldn't come up with an excuse, so the girl just gave up with a sigh, nodding with her head low. That got a light laugh from him.

"Hahahaha, no need to be embarrassed, it's that time of the year, after all. Although, I gotta say, most girls these days just buy some at the shop and wrap it in nice packaging. So I assume this one is quite special for you, right, Timido-chan?"

"Well, umm, y-you could say that…" Timido answered, looking to the sides and poking her fingers together. And then, an idea popped into her mind. "Ah! Lyle-san, I need your help!"

"As much as I would love to lend you a hand, I'm afraid I'm only good at mixing drinks–" His words were cut short when Timido closed the gap between them, very surprising, considering how shy she normally is.

"That's not it. Lyle-san, what type of chocolate does senpai like?" She asked him with a glimmer in her gray eyes.

"... Eh?"

"You two are friends for a long time, right? So you must know what his favorite chocolate is." She explained further.

"Just to be sure, by 'senpai', you mean my dear friend and not Squad Leader Bronya, right?"

Timido nodded.

"Huh…" Lyle looked at the counter again, and then at the eager girl in front of him, and he couldn't help the uneasy smile on his face. "Well, to be honest, I don't know."

"Eh? You don't know?" She sounded quite disappointed.

"No, I don't. We go back some time but… that's not the kind of thing we talk about, you know? Especially Adam, his interests are more on the dorky side."

"But I was wondering if you didn't see what types of chocolate he got on previous Valentines… sorry, it was silly of me to ask you about it…" All the unusual energy left Timido, leaving her back to her quiet, shy self.

"No no, it's not silly at all, it's just… I don't think he ever got one before." Lyle told her, trying to jog his memory. No, if that had ever happened, he would remember, because Lyle would tease his "dear friend" to no end about it.

"Really? Never once?" She asked him for confirmation.

"Yeah, not that I know. Adam can be dense as a brick, but he wouldn't just take such an event as a mundane thing, and he would have told me. Well, I hope so…" Said the white-haired boy, shaking his head. His friends could be hard to deal with in some aspects.

But more importantly, what Lyle had before him was an opportunity. For what?

Teasing purposes, of course!

"But, Timido-chan, back to what I was saying, you sure have a lot of ingredients there." He said, leaning to the side and scanning the contents of the counter again.

"W-well, as you can see, I didn't know exactly what to choose, so I got one of each I could find. Only the best, haha…"

"Hm hm, I can see. And those chocolates don't look cheap either. You must have spent a lot on them."

"It wasn't that much, but even if it was, it's not a problem. Having the best ingredients is very important to make delicious food." She said, scratching the back of her head.

"It sure is. Man, I'm a little bit jealous. To be the receiver of such a nice gift… You must like him a lot, huh?~"

"Why yes, it's only natural that… umm… L-Lyle-san? What was it that you just said?"

"You like Adam, right?" He said again, doing his best to stop his smile from opening into a wide grin.

As expected, Timido shifted into red and panicking mode again.

"T-t-that– I don't– I mean, it's not– I don't like senpai in that way!"

"Pfff– Hahahaha! Sorry, Timido-chan, I had to. Man, your face is bright red like a cute cherry~"

"S-stop messing with me, Lyle-san!" The more she heard him giggle, the more Timido felt her face heat up.

It wasn't as if she hated her senpai. If nothing, she liked him a lot. As a friend, that is! He was kind, smart, coolheaded, proactive, determined, and quite heroic, in a self-sacrificial kinda dangerous way. And he had nice hair. Yeah, his hair was cool. Not that Timido was looking at senpai's hair! Well, she did see it, otherwise, she couldn't tell it was cool, but only for the necessary time one needs to tell that a hair looks cool!

"Okay, I'll stop. But Timido-chan, I hope you understand what this entails." He said, suppressing the last of his giggles for the sake of Timido's minor anxiety.

"Eh? What?"

Lyle pointed at the counter.

"Timido-chan, listen closely: homemade chocolates are no joke, especially on Valentine's Day. For a boy, receiving sweets can be life-changing."

"Really?"

"Really really. When you give out chocolates, you also give your feelings to the person. That is doubly true for homemade chocolates, so I hope you understand what it means."

"What it means… my feelings… ah…" If the part of picking the right chocolate wasn't anxiety-inducing enough, this new revelation only made things ten times worse. Now she was afraid of messing up.

Timido cupped her cheeks as her face began to match her hair color again, and Lyle could almost see some steam coming out of her head and her eyes turning into swirls. It seems he only made things more complicated, so now he felt obligated to help her out.

"Ahem~ You know, I could always ask him about it."

"A-ask him?! Is that allowed?"

"I think so, I'm his friend after all." Lyle always said that with a hint of pride in his voice.

He really valued the friendship he had with Adam, and the same was true for Timido. Even with her shy nature, she eventually opened up to him as they worked together under Squad Leader Bronya's tutelage, and now he could say they were good friends. And what are friends for other than helping each other out when in times of need? Plus, it would be a good chance to finally crack that dense brick he called "Dear Friend", and as previously mentioned, it was an opportunity for teasing.

And if he had to be completely honest, Lyle wasn't opposed to seeing something bud from this little endeavor. They would look good together, he thought.

"Well then, why don't we do it like this? I ask him about his favorite chocolate so you can make it for him. Sounds good?"

"Mmm, sounds good. But… won't he suspect if you ask. I… kinda wanted it to be a surprise…" She didn't think about it earlier, but after that talk about giving your feelings and stuff, she was conscious of it.

"Don't worry, I will be subtle, and if you knew him for as long as I do, you would know he's not the sharpest tool when it comes to these things. ~sigh~ How come he's so popular…?"

Shaking his head, Lyle headed out of the kitchen and Timido's room, but not before she stopped him for a second.

"Wait, Lyle-san, you were looking for me before, weren't you?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, that can be left to another time. I have a more important mission to complete, right?~" Said the stylish boy, sending a wink to the pinkette along with a wave, and out he went, with a smile on his face as usual.

And that left Timido by herself again, along with the new intrusive thoughts about her senpai with cool-looking hair and bright golden eyes.

"No no no, focus!" She said, shaking her head and slapping her cheeks a few times.

"Hmm, maybe I should practice a bit before?" She pondered, looking at the hefty tablets of chocolates she bought.

She had enough to retry a few times if something went wrong, but she wanted to make sure it would turn out perfect, and since Timido would eventually pick one, she might as well give use to the other bars. There was some flour left from another recipe she tried before, so cookies were also possible.

"Well, I better occupy myself with something." She said, looking through her phone to find the Maid Secrets video with the recipe for chocolates. "Yosh, let's begin."

---

"Mhmm, I see. So this is what it is about…" Mei said with her eyes closed, deep in thought. Well, that was the look she tried to achieve. Truth be told, she was having a lot of fun listening to Carole's predicament.

"Right? Of all the girls that the protagonist could choose, he went to the one he first met. Nothing personal against her, but this is far from the best route."

Somehow, the talk has derailed to a particular light novel based on another work, both of which Carole was a great fan of. How did they get here again? Oh, right. Mei asked her what exactly she meant by "special" and, unable to put it into precise words, or perhaps to not speak more than she should, the tanned girl proceeded to list a bunch of novels, light novels, and manga that she read as an example. As expected, Mei did not have that kind of knowledge, so the young lady had to explain the plot and went on a tangent about a particularly controversial conclusion. At least now Mei had a few recommendations.

"So you want to imitate those scenarios, Carole?" Asked the squad leader.

"Well, not necessarily. I know these novels are not like real life, and you can't simply "trigger an event" with someone, but still, I find those moments so beautiful and memorable… I wish to have something like this to myself too."

"That's a nice wish, for sure. I'm just a little skeptical about the part where you want to make it perfect. There are things fundamentally beyond our control, and it can be frustrating at times."

"I know. For example, no matter how much I try, I can't stop stuttering whenever I think of giving those chocolates to senpai. I try and try, but it doesn't go away."

"What doesn't go away?"

"This uneasy feeling… I don't know how to explain it. It's as if… I was afraid of whatever would happen next. I'm being silly, right? I mean, it's just chocolates for Valentine's. I bought something just because I heard the other girls talking about it but when I thought of giving it to him…"

"Well, as I said, that's a natural thing. Sometimes we overthink and make things more complicated than they are, right?"

"You think so?"

"Yes. I do that too once in a while. But, Carole, are you sure this feeling isn't something else?"

"Huh? What else could it be?"

"I have an idea, but let's try seeing when it first arrived."

"Hmm, it was after I bought the chocolate."

"But you said you went to buy it after your friends mentioned it, right? So you didn't think of giving them to Adam before?"

"Well, not really. Valentine's is kinda pointless in an all-girls school. I know it isn't, but for all intents and purposes, we have almost only girls here at St. Freya."

"That is true, but the other students give each other chocolates anyway. Even some of the Valkyries exchange some gifts, and there's a little event at the main branch."

"Those are just for fun, Mei-senpai. If nothing, that's an excuse to eat sweets without guilt, hahaha~"

"If that's the case, what's so different about giving chocolates to Adam?"

"Well, obviously… umm, clearly, he… ah… I mean, it's for, you know, him."

"And what does that mean?"

"It's for him so… it's different. A little…"

"Because he is a boy?" Finally, Mei got to the part she wanted.

"Kinda. I bought some for Flashy Boy too but… it's different."

Mei sighed. Seeing that promising Valkyrie struggling with such a common problem was not only endearing but very relatable. When you're born into a rich and powerful family, most people think you don't go through certain situations, like dealing with loneliness, feeling powerless, and other "common" stuff. The same could be said about Valkyries. They were mighty fighters, saved people, and helped to rebuild and protect the world, but even they could get caught in some common problems such as an innocent crush yet to be noticed. That overlap was only possible because of Theresa's philosophy of seeing them as persons first instead of soldiers. So it was Mei's role as the Squad Leader to gently nudge that tanned girl in the right direction.

That was her own interpretation, and it may or may not have to do with a feeling of amusement in watching it unfold.

"Carole, I'm afraid you're not being sincere." She said, faking a serious tone.

"I'm being, though. I can't tell why it makes me feel weird when it is senpai."

"What I meant is that you're not being honest with yourself. No matter how you look at it, it should be pretty obvious."

"Eh? What?"

"Think about it, do you feel "weird" around Adam? Does that feeling appear when you two are training together, or on missions?"

"No, and that's why it's so confusing." Said the tanned girl, groaning in annoyance.

It was time for Mei to make her play. If she placed the right cards, she might be able to see something very endearing and heartwarming.

"Hmm, how about this? Do you think he's a good person?"

"Senpai? Yeah, he's a pretty nice person. Why?"

"I'll say in a bit. What do you think makes him a nice person?" Mei leaned in closer, her chin resting in one hand. She had to fight back a smile.

Meanwhile, Carole seemed a bit confused with the question. It was pretty self-evident.

"Senpai is kind, a good listener, and very helpful. He can be a little aloof sometimes but he's honest and very brave."

"Well, he's pretty brave indeed, a little too much, frankly. ~sigh~ Reminds me of someone… But is that all? What did you think of him when he first arrived at St. Freya?"

"Oh, you know, I was pretty surprised. Everyone was, and the girls didn't stop gossiping about the mysterious new boy."

"Mysterious?"

"Yeah, like, ummm… Senpai has this mysterious vibe to him, not like he was hiding something on purpose, but he looked so intriguing that everyone wanted to know more about the one boy who made it to St. Freya."

"It is true that he's kind of a rare find. So, can I say Adam-kun made you feel interested in him?"

"Sure, and when I found out we were on the same squad, the girls almost didn't believe me. Although… the first days training with senpai were kinda weird."

"Weird like that feeling you have now?"

"No, weird because he didn't speak much, and because he was so serious about the training. And because he has some funny tastes. Senpai is kind of a dork, you know?" Carole said the last bit lower, covering her mouth as if telling a secret.

"Hahaha, I can imagine." Mei giggled, picturing an image of the young man and Carole standing next to each other awkwardly at the training grounds before she arrived.

"But if I have to be honest, I kinda like that about him. Senpai seems distant and cool at first, but he cares a lot about you, you know? Back at St. Fountain, when I saw him going all out I… I was so worried that I wouldn't see him again, that dummy. Risking himself like that is super cool or something! Humph!" She pouted, remembering the close calls of their mission.

"He jokes around and sometimes gets on my nerves, but I know that's just him trying to keep me in a good mood. I complain a lot about training and getting more tanned, so he pokes fun at me and motivates me to train. He listens to whatever I want to talk about, even if it is a rant about something he's not interested in. He never puts me down and I feel like I can open up to him about my tan and my muscles, and he always says something nice to me about it. Senpai is… really nice to me."

"That's good to hear, you two became very close friends as well as partners. As your Squad Leader, I'm very proud of your teamwork and synergy." Mei said, complementing the silver-haired girl, and then she added a little extra to push things further. "I'll assume the other girls also think like that about him?"

"Huh? Yeah, pretty much. Despite being a dork, senpai is pretty popular, but just between us, I think it's only because he's the only boy." Carole said, kind of removing the compliment she just made.

"Ne, if that's the case, don't you think other girls would want to give him chocolates?"

"I guess so, but I didn't hear any of them mention it."

"Maybe they want to make it a surprise, just like you."

"Oh… Wait, you really think so?!"

"Why not? If you see all that in him and think he's a nice person, other girls could think the same, right?"

"Wait, no. I want to give him his first chocolates!" Desperation began to appear in her voice.

"And why is that?"

"The first chocolate will be very special, right? I want it to be special for him."

"So he can remember it fondly, right?"

"Yeah."

"Because you like him."

"Yeah."

"And you want to share this special moment so he remembers you."

"Yeah! … no, wait!"

Well, she slipped again. The red returned to Carole's cheeks as she covered her mouth, looking at the floor and fully processing what she just admitted to.

"Umm, Squad Leader… is that, uh, a problem?" She looked at her superior with cautious eyes, trying to see if she was in trouble or not.

"Hmm, to be honest, some spaces are not proper to have certain kinds of relationships," She began, and Carole began to deflate in anticipation. "but I guess it wouldn't harm if the two of you got just a little bit closer to one another, so long as it doesn't hurt your performances."

A gasp of happiness came from the tanned gyaru, who almost jumped from her seat.

"Really?!"

"Let's not rush things, you still have to deliver that chocolate, and if you want to make it special, I think I can lend you a hand."

"You will? Thank you thank you thank you thank you so much, Squad Leader!~" She began to giggle and was all giddy like a child on the line for an attraction at an amusement park.

"No need to thank me, but I still want you to keep in mind that there's no "perfect" scenario, and something could still go unplanned. The secret is to treasure those moments for what they are, and not what they could have been."

"Alright, I'll remember that, Squad Leader."

"Oh, and one more thing. Rehearsing your lines is very cute, but I think it would be better if you were more honest about it."

"More honest?" Carole tilted her head with a puzzled face. Wasn't she already admitting a lot of things here?

"Try this, tell me what you find attractive in him."

"Umm, there's his hair and his eyes, and the way senpai speaks, and that mysterious vibe about him, because he never speaks about things he did. If it wasn't for Flashy Boy, I wouldn't know anything at all! Oh, and that trenchcoat. At first, I thought it looked silly but he somehow makes it work. And his golden eyes… Ne, don't you think they match with mine– Squad Leader… what's with that face?"

"Oh, please don't mind me, do keep gushing about your senpai~" By now Mei couldn't contain her endearment with Carole's crush.

"S-Squad Leader! This is so embarrassing!" Carole whined, covering her face.

"But you will have to tell him at some time, right?"

"It's still embarrassing! But," Carole uncovered her face, taking in a deep breath. "You're right, I'll have to be honest at some time, and what better time than on Valentine's Day? I should have figured that out sooner."

"Honestly, I'm kinda impressed you didn't realize before. Then again, it's probably because you saw him as a friend up until recently. It's nice to see that development~"

"Eh? You already knew?"

"I had a hunch. I have to keep an eye on you two at all times, so I ended up seeing the signs here and there. And just between the two of us," Mei leaned in forward, mimicking Carole earlier. "I think you two would make a very cute couple~"

"You think so? Aw, now I'm excited about it." Her giddiness was very apparent.

"Well," Mei got up from her seat. "that's enough gossip and chitchat for today, I still have work to do. I'll try to lend you a hand in getting that special occasion with Adam-kun. Don't feel forced to do it, but in my humble opinion, you should be honest about your feelings, with him and yourself. Okay?"

"Yes! I will try."

"That's good to hear. Well, see you later, and good luck~"

The senior Valkyrie left the room, and while she made her way to the Principal's office, Mei thought of how lucky she was to witness such a development and be able to guide these youths in more than one way. It might be kinda silly and infantile, but that meant they had time to be silly and infantile. That meant they were doing their job and making the world a better place. One with space for sweet young romance.

---

CLANK

His sword clashed with the blades, locking them in place before they could slice through him. The cybernetics of the creature surely put on a lot of pressure, but he could handle it. One tilt of his blade and he undid the bind, winding up and breaking the enemy's defense. One swift horizontal slash, followed by another one with equal energy, and a third one where he put more strength into. The extra ended being detrimental, for he lost his balance a little, tipping to the side as the momentum carried the sword further behind him. His form was far from perfect, but he was making progress.

At least that was what Squad Leader Mei told him.

"Congratulations. You upped your simulation score by 64 points."

And now Squad Leader Bronya too.

The gray-haired woman approached him as the holographic scene faded away into a digital cascade. The enemy, already defeated, vanished along with it.

"Although you could improve more if you asked for Mei's tutoring on combat. Her style is closer to yours than mine." She said, gesturing to the large sword he carried, Labor of Olympus.

"I would, but Squad Leader Mei is busy at the moment. Sorry if I'm being a nuisance." He apologized, but Bronya stopped him before he could bow his head.

"It's alright, I have a little bit of time to spare, and I don't mind overseeing your training. I only have one question. Adam-san, why did you choose to train on your own?"

The "star" of St. Freya, one of the very few men to have a considerably high honkai adaptability, the mysterious boy with a promising future. With brown hair, golden eyes, and a faint pink square lining under his chin and neck, on the right side. He goes by Adam.

"I just want to improve faster. Training with Carole is great, but I don't want to lack in individual terms. Since I don't have the best adaptability, I–"

"Okay, I get it, you don't want to be a weight. But there are more ways than just working yourself to the limit, you know. Also, relax. Mei constantly analyses your stats and you're doing great. Resting properly is also part of the training." She said, reassuring him while also giving a small lecture.

"Well, now that we're done here, why don't you go do something fun? Make sure to rest, though." She said, secretly telling that to herself. As a developer, Bronya was no stranger to all-nighters and she had to policy herself about proper sleep hours.

Adam nodded and went on his way to exit the simulator, and just outside he met with a familiar face.

"Shinyuu, lucky me to find you here. Though I shouldn't be surprised you're getting more training in your free time."

"Lyle. How's it going?" Adam greeted his (best) friend in the usual way: an arm bump, a signal of friendship and brotherhood.

"You know, the same as usual. Giving my best to be the sharpest shooter that ever was, while being as elegant as possible." Adam gave out a slight chuckle. That was the kind of thing Lyle always came up with. "But what about you? Don't you ever get tired of training? One of these days you might end up collapsing on the floor if you don't take care."

"I'm fine, this is barely more than the normal training."

"Heh, as expected of my dear friend, you really give it your all. But I might have overheard some of what Squad Leader Bronya told you and I gotta say, she's absolutely right as usual. You shouldn't focus on training only, so what about we go out and do something fun?" He said, wrapping an arm around Adam's shoulder and dragging the brown-haired boy along.

"Do we have to go now?" Adam asked with a plain face.

"Shinyuu… there are better ways to turn down a friend's invite…"

"I didn't mean that, I just have to return Olympus to the armory first. And take a shower." He said with a plain expression, pointing at the sword on his back.

Lyle paused for a second looking at the sword and then at his friend.

"Pffff– Hahahaha~ As expected from you. Then, how about we play some games? This time I'll kick your butt in Smash Ultra."

"Sounds fun. Let's go." Adam knew Lyle couldn't land a solid combo on a little kid in Smash Ultra, but it was fun nonetheless. Plus, it was balanced out by Lyle's flawless KDA in FPS games.

A few minutes later and the two of them were at Adam's dorm, sitting on the couch in front of the TV and dueling in games. Schicksal had a very limited budget, but they could give some amenities to their Valkyries and Knights in training. The console Adam bought with his savings, though.

"Aw man, how come you're so good at this?" Said the white-haired boy, after the fourth consecutive loss.

"You have seen nothing until you see Squad Leader Bronya playing," Adam replied, with an oddly somber tone.

"Heh, there's that. I guess the girls wouldn't want to play this, right? It's always just us two."

"I don't know."

"Hmm, are you sure?"

"No, I never asked."

Lyle looked at him with a deadpan expression.

"... Maybe you should try asking then?"

"Probably. Ready for round five?"

"~sigh~ What am I gonna do with you…? Well, whatever. Let's go, this time I will break your streak of luck!"

"It's not luck, just skill."

"Yeah yeah, you're good at fighting games, I get it."

"..."

"... Ne, do you know what day it is today?"

"February 13th."

"..."

"..."

"... Yeah. And do you know what date is just around the corner?"

"No."

"... Seriously? Valentine's Day."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"..."

"... Aren't you excited?"

"I guess so?"

"You guess?"

"Another win." He turned to Lyle with a small smile and a peace sign.

Lyle pinched the bridge of his nose. It would be one of those talks.

"Another round! Shouldn't you be more hyped about it?"

"Why? It's just a holiday, and we won't be skipping training."

"As if that was a positive for you. You do realize you're in a very privileged position, right?"

"How come?"

"You're practically the only boy at an academy that at the end of the day is girls-only. Don't you see the implications?"

"... I'm going to be isolated?"

"No. Well, in a sense, yes, but that's not the point!" Lyle said, looking at him again, and when he looked at the screen again, he lost another match. "What? How?"

"Don't blink." Adam had that same smile on his face, a not-so-common sight in public. "Anyway, I don't see what should I make of this. I'm the only guy, what does it have to do with Valentine's."

"Shinyuu, sometimes I worry about your social awareness…" He muttered. "Chocolates, my dear friend! Loads and loads, more than you can possibly eat. Without having some health issues, that is. Just imagine, every girl in St. Freya handing you cute chocolates, isn't that a dream?~"

"Sounds troublesome." Adam's short comment broke whatever sparkly aura Lyle had right now. He looked at the brown-haired boy with a skeptical look that dared him to make sense of that statement. "It's a lot of chocolate, what would I do with all that?"

"Well, that is true. But it's the thought that counts! That's literally the point of giving chocolates on Valentine's."

"Don't people just… give it as an obligation? Doesn't seem very thoughtful."

"Huh, and here I thought you were completely insensible." The young sniper was legit surprised.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adam raised an eyebrow.

"It means, my dear friend, that you have the social skills of a potato, but lucky you, I am here to counterbalance that and help you out. Ah, another defeat."

"Maybe you should pick another character. And how would you help me with this? Actually, why do I need help?"

"So you don't break some poor girl's heart with those tactless responses. Girls are very delicate about these things."

"Oh…"

Adam seemed to freeze for a second, during which Lyle managed to land a few hits, but the sound of getting damaged got him to focus again and counterattack. It was fierce and relentless.

"So, what exactly should I do?" Asked the brown-haired young man.

"Hmm, interested?"

"It would be pretty bad if I hurt someone's feelings just because I'm not good with these things. I have to try at least and be more, uh, how did you call it again?"

"Gentlemanly, graceful, suave, my dear friend~ You have all the potential in there, all you need is a little help to breach that thick skull of yours and bring forth the charming gallant hero I know you can be."

"Now you're just messing with me."

"Maybe~ But I'm serious about being careful with your words. At least try to show some emotions that aren't confusion and apathy when you get some chocos, okay? I know you can smile, just think that you beat me in this game and it should do the trick- oh, come on!"

"Noted. You sure take Valentine's seriously."

"It's not a matter of taking it seriously, it's about considering people's feelings. I know you care, but sometimes you gotta be more transparent about it. That stoic face has its charms, but it can't do everything."

"... I guess you're right."

"I know, right?~"

"... I'm not very good with these things."

"Eh, you'll get the hang of it with time. But say, back at the prep academy, you never ever got any chocolate for Valentine's, have you?"

"No. I never got any, to be honest."

"Seriously?"

"Why? Should I expect to get any?" Adam turned to his friend with a monotonous face.

"Hmm, most guys would expect to at least get some obligation chocolates… but you're not the type to let this get you down. ~sigh~ Well, worry not, my friend, this situation will be changed soon enough~"

"What? Are you going to give me pity chocolates?"

"Only if you ask nicely, hahahaha! But in case you didn't notice, you're the star of St. Freya at the moment, I'm sure you'll get at least one this year. Oh, a perfect win…"

"I doubt it. Everyone at St. Freya looks weird at me." said the brown-haired boy, nonchalantly.

"What makes you think that way?"

"I just noticed. Ever since I arrived here, the other students glance once in a while, and they whisper something to each other. And then they laugh. It might be some kind of joke about me."

"You know, I'm always impressed by how perceptive and clueless you can be at the same time…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Doesn't matter! Just relax and try to be a little more receptive to people's feelings, alright? Again?! That's it, we're switching games!"

A tiny smirk appeared on Adam's face as he watched his friend's antics.

---

It was close to midnight already and Timido found herself backed into a corner. Sure enough, she managed to make all the sweets she could, and thanks to Lyle's tip, she knew precisely what kind of chocolate was most likely to please her senpai. The problem was the shape of said chocolate. You see, Timido has never participated in Valentine's tradition, a point she now knew they had in common, so when she heard other girls commenting about it, the idea came to her mind.

She wanted to make something nice for her friends, so Timido prepared a box of bonbons for Squad Leaders Bronya and Mei and a bunch of cookies for Carole and Lyle. The issue here was the large heart-shaped chocolate piece sitting in front of her. Four, to be more accurate, but she would only give one to her senpai, and therein laid the problem.

Timido used heart shapes for almost everything she baked. It's Valentine's so she thought it would be pretty "in brand". But now she was kind of conscious about it, because of what Lyle said before. If she was to deliver this solid piece of sweet, heart-shaped goodness in such a pretty box, what type of feelings would she be conveying to her senpai? Moreover, what would he think of that?

She could melt the piece again and reform it, but it looked so professional and well done, she wasn't sure she could replicate that. Plus it was already late.

"I could just say this is friendship chocolate. You can love your friends, right?" She asked the wind.

That much was true, but it didn't exactly reflect how she really felt about it. Damn it, Lyle, why did he have to make her aware of these feelings? As she said before, it wasn't as if she had something against her senpai, but it never clicked that it could be something else, something… deeper.

Perhaps she decided some time ago that it wasn't the case because they "just met" on a mission. Adam did leave a good first impression on her, but she didn't think much about it, up until after they faced Lucheni. From then on, she started to see the young man in a new light, in a similar way to how she looked up to her Squad Leaders. As time passed, she got closer to her team, opening up bit by bit, and before she knew it, they were all good friends. She never once thought about him in that way, but now Timido wasn't sure if these feelings were there all along. It could be the case, or because Lyle said something. Or it could be the special date.

And what about senpai…?

That same line of questioning was making laps around another girl as she lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Carole couldn't help but few anxious about the next day, to the point it robbed her of sleep. What would come out of her Valentine's gift and confession? Would he accept her feelings? Would he reciprocate? She should have asked Mei if it was obvious he also liked her. Then again, he wasn't the easiest person to read, which made her concerned. What if he didn't like her in the same way?

She knew a few girls who ended up rejecting confessions and at least one who got rejected once, but she guessed you had to live it yourself to be sure of how would you react. Honestly, Carole hoped he would say yes, to complete the "special moment" idea, although getting a "no" would also be pretty memorable. She did not have to worry about him being mean over it, but the end result still bothered her. She tossed around in bed, now hugging her pillow with her face buried into it.

"What if he doesn't like something in me? I could… I could change if that is possible…"

Carole was pretty self-conscious about a few things in her appearance, for example, her tan. All the girls who she found the prettiest had beautiful, flawless fair skin, such as her Squad Leader. What if he preferred girls like that? Not that she would blame him for having a preference, but it would still sting a bit. Or maybe he liked girls that acted more cutesy. Fighting with giant power fists didn't exactly match that, she supposed. But realistically speaking, would he care about those aspects at all?

She didn't know for sure. She hoped not, given how he never gave her a hard time about it. In fact, senpai was pretty supportive whenever she complained about those things. But it could be different in the case of someone you like in that way. And it was that uncertainty that kept her awake.

The only way to be certain was to commit to it and go all the way, and deal with the consequences, whatever they were.

Without knowing, both girls shared the same thought.

"What will you think of this, senpai…?"

---

And so came the great day. It might be just another date, and some will say it isn't more important than any other day, but here's the beauty of it: you can make it meaningful if you want. And at St. Freya Academy, the consensus was that Valentine's Day was a great day.

The young valkyries all showed up with bright smiles, chatting about the plans they had for today. Many would go out in groups en enjoy the limited sweets many shops would put up for sale, and a few lucky ones were eager to surprise their significant others. And among the students, a few of them stood out.

The tanned girl chatted with her friends about their plans and other silly things, and Carole did her best to avoid the topic of whether or not would she give chocolates this year. It already kept her awake last night and she didn't need an extra dose of anxiety.

Elsewhere, a pinkette quietly made her way through the lush gardens, holding a small container tightly against her chest. It had the sweets she prepared, as well as the source of her nervousness. She ended up deciding to just roll with it and hope for the best, whatever "the best" was.

And oblivious to all that movement, sitting at his desk and looking outside the window, was the brown-haired young man himself. If you could peek into his mind, you would probably find some static and white noise, but to an outsider, it looked as if he was deep in thought, watching something in the distance. Well, to his fellow valkyries in training, at least.

Theoretical lessons were over and it was time for physical training but between those, there was a slight break, a perfect opportunity to socialize a bit, and socialize they did. As the lecturer left, the class filled with chatter, and the girls began to exchange gifts among themselves, all in name of friendship. But unlike other years, there was something different in the class, and that something was still staring into the void.

Conversely, someone else was staring at him every now and then. Carole had an eye on him, waiting for the chance to take him elsewhere so she could set her plan into motion. Well, saying it like that made things sound more complicated than they were. She would drag him to the rooftop, give him the chocolate and speak her heart out. The rooftop was a classic, and she wouldn't have to worry about any prying eyes.

"Oh, right. Speaking of chocolates, I'm going to give mine to Adam-san. Did you get some for him too, Carole?" One of her friends said, catching the attention of a distracted Carole.

"Eh? Chocolate?"

"Yeah, I got some for him too," Another of her friends said, showing a small blue box with a cute, frilly ribbon on the top. "wanna give them together?~"

The other girls quickly adhered to the idea, and enthusiastically so. As for the young gyaru, the words of her squad leader came back to her mind. Of course, other girls would give him sweets on Valentine's Day, why wouldn't they? Even if it was just in the innocent form of obligation chocolates, it was bound to happen. She really told herself it wasn't the case, up until now, and that meant she had to act before everyone else if she really wanted to be the first.

"Ne, Carole, did you get something for him or not?" Another girl asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah! I mean, yeah, sure, I… ah–"

She turned around to look at him again and then she saw another group of girls getting up with cute little boxes and bundles in hand, with the intent of talking to her senpai. Carole panicked for a second, but then a voice called from outside, getting everyone's attention.

"Adam, could you come with me, please?"

None other than the tall, purple-haired lady herself, Mei. She easily caught everyone's attention, including Adam and Carole. The former quietly nodded and got up from his seat while the latter felt a wave of relief wash over her. Then, she and her Squad Leader exchanged a look. So she was indeed lending a hand to the young valkyrie. Right after they left, Carole picked up her gift and quickly got up, much to the surprise of her friends.

"I gotta go real quick, just… wait a bit in here, alright? Okay, bye!"

And off she went, with her heart beating faster despite it only walking.

"It shouldn't be hard at all, right? I'm a Valkyrie, I fought weird alien machines, this should be a piece of cake, right?"

She reassured herself as she followed her squad leader and senpai, slowly approaching them. And right before she could call out to him, another familiar face popped in out of nowhere, pushing the young man away to who knows where.

"Good morning, Squad Leader! Sorry to budge in like this but I have to borrow my friend for a while real quick! See you later~"

"Are you kidding me, Flashy Boy?!" Carole shouted in her mind, quite shocked by the sudden development. She stopped next to her leader, who looked surprised as well. Noticing the white-haired girl by her side, Mei held a sympathetic smile.

"That was unexpected."

"This can't be happening…" She sounded pretty disheartened.

"And what are you waiting for?"

"Huh?"

"Go after them." Mei ushered the girl, gently pushing her forward.

"R-right!"

"Give it your best~," Mei said with a smile adorning her face as she watched the girl go.

Meanwhile, a little ahead of Carole, Lyle pushed his dear friend by the shoulders as fast as the "no running in the hallways" rule allowed, with little protest from said friend. They caught the attention of the other students as they passed by, as you would expect.

"Couldn't you at least warn me you needed me somewhere?" Asked the brown-haired boy, in his usual level tone.

"We don't need warnings where we're going!~ Just trust me and relax, and remember what I told you yesterday."

"Actually I have been thinking about that and–"

"You can tell me later, now you have more important things to do and– here we are! Remember, charming and gallant. Good luck~" Lyle gave him a final push into the gardens, then whispered the last part before running off in the opposite direction.

Adam didn't have the opportunity to try and make sense of all this, although it was a Lyle thing to act on a spur and rope him along. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. Regardless, a faint gasp caught his attention. When he turned around, his golden eyes met with Timido's blue ones.

"Ah-" She seemed frozen in place, staring back at him.

Before the silence could make this even more awkward, Adam decided to initiate the talking.

"Good morning, Timido-chan."

"G-good morning, S-senpai…"

They kept holding visual contact, but she started to fidget with whatever was behind her back.

"~sigh~ Did Lyle get you into doing something weird?" Adam asked her gently, trying not to be too blunt.

"Oh, no no, actually…" She trailed off, turning her gaze elsewhere. But then she shook her head and focused on him again, with a seemingly determined look. "The truth is… S-senpai, I…"

"Senpai!–"

A familiar voice called, but when he looked, there was no one there.

"Something wrong?" Timido asked him, with an apprehensive face.

"No, I just thought… whatever. You were saying?"

Outside his sight, Lyle held Carole behind a tree. Well, at least he tried. The girl was much stronger than she looked, and physical strength wasn't his best point, to begin with. Good thing he decided to stay close by in case anything happened, otherwise Carole's terrible timing would make things way harder for Timido.

"Oi, what's the deal, Flashy Boy? Lemme go!"

"Just hold on a minute, Carole-chan, something amazing is about to happen~"

"What? Where? What are you even talking about…"

She slowly pushed him away, but Lyle still held firmly to her wrists. At least she could look at senpai and… oh no.

"No… this gotta be a joke…"

Carole had a peak at what Lyle must have been referring to. Adam and Timido, in front of each other, under the shade of a large tree, and it didn't take a genius to see what the pinkette was doing. She felt her heart sink a bit. It was too late now, wasn't it? Maybe not.

"Lyle, Carole? What are you two doing in here?" Sounded yet another familiar voice, but more so to the white-haired boy.

"Squad Lider Bronya? Ahaha, what a coincidence to see you here…" He instinctively went on a more formal stance, letting go of the tanned girl, who immediately jumped from behind the tree. "Ah–"

Both Adam and Timido noticed the commotion, and just like that, Carole passed by with a hurried pace, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him along. Timido wanted to protest, but the words didn't come out, or rather, they came too quietly.

"Don't… go…" She raised a hand, vainly trying to reach him.

"Timido-chan!" Called her partner from behind the tree. She looked around, just to find her squad leader right next to him.

"Eh? Squad Leader Bronya?"

"Timido-chan, go after them." He insisted.

"But–"

"It will be fine, just go. Don't miss your chance!"

Well, it wasn't the best encouragement, but it seemed effective. The pinkette turned around and went after them, leaving Lyle and Bronya behind. Speaking of which.

"Explain." She didn't need to elaborate further. Bronya crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting for a very interesting story, as the white-haired boy liked to say.

"Ahaha, where do I start…" He said, scratching the back of his head. "Good luck, Timido-chan!~"

Back to the focus of action, Carole pulled Adam with little to no resistance. This was the second time in a role that he got dragged around today. And since his movement autonomy was being temporarily revoked, the least he expected was to know where they were heading to.

"Carole, where are going?" He calmly asked.

"Y-you see in just a minute, senpai." She told him, not really telling what he wanted to know. What's with people not saying their destination?

Before he could ask again, Adam felt another hand wrap around his wrist. He felt a tug and stopped, tugging Carole back too.

"Senpai, I'm going to tell you, just come with me…"

Well, now things got more complicated.

"Umm, Carole-chan, I have to, erm, talk to senpai for a moment. I-in private."

The two girls exchanged a glance, their intentions becoming very clear to each other. And between them, more confused than ever, stood Adam. Should Timido also drag him around to an undisclosed location, he would politely refuse to move his feet.

"H-hi, Timido-chan, good to see you~"

"Hi… it's good to see you too, Carole-chan."

The atmosphere was getting tenser and tenser, enough for our dense friend to notice something was off.

"Umm… did something happen between you two?" He asked, looking at the two girls by his sides.

"That is–" "Actually–"

The two of them were cut by the notification alarm of their moon rings. The practical class was about to start and they should head to the training grounds. Both girls let out a tired sigh, while Adam had a feeling of being "saved by the bell". But whatever was going on between those two felt pretty serious, so he would be looking into that later.

---

Physical training went well as expected. After everything that they went through together, Squads 2 and 3 worked together naturally. They just couldn't let go of said synergy. But now that it was over, it was time to have a possibly awkward talk involving the two girls who were pulling Adam around like a pet. He wasn't thrilled about it either, but the case seemed serious enough to require his full attention. If he did something wrong, he would apologize, and if it was something else, well, he would do his best to help. Now, where were these two…?

Elsewhere on the campus, the awkward talk has already begun. Carole stood with her arms folded, fiddling with her hair while Timido stood across shifting on her feet, with hands behind her back.

There wasn't a smooth way to address this, was it?

"So… Timido-chan, did you mean to, umm… you know. The date and all…" Knowing how shy the pinkette was, Carole didn't want to come out too strong, but she would be lying if she said that didn't make her a little bit… frustrated? Did she make a whole preparation for this moment special just for someone else to steal it?

"H-hai… Then I guess Carole-chan too… wanted to, you know, do that thing."

"Mmm…" She nodded.

They stared at each other for another long, quite tense moment before Carole decided to speak her part already.

"Look, Timido-chan, I… ~sigh~ I'll be honest with you, I want to give senpai his first ever Valentine's chocolates. I think it will be pretty important to him and… for me too."

"Ah, t-that's very nice of you. I decided to make something for senpai too. I guess we had the same idea, ah haha…" Timido tried to lighten up the mood, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, with Carole tensing up a bit. She supposed it was the "same idea" part.

"Well, there's that and… something else. As I said, I wanted to make it a special occasion for him and… I was going to tell him that… that I…" It was still a little difficult to say it out loud in front of others, which made Carole wonder if she would even manage to say it to him.

Unexpectedly, the usually shy girl had a little more conviction in her.

"Carole-chan, I… I like senpai! Not in just a friendly way. I think…" It could just be an idea planted by Lyle and amplified by the current date, but Timido wasn't opposed at all to it. Thing is, such bold moves would surprise anyone that knew her a little, Timido herself included.

On the other side, Carole seemed surprised at first, not with the sentiment but with the quickness to which she admitted it. And surprise quickly shifted into a mix of confusion and distraught.

"You too– No, that is… oh no… no no, you can't like senpai!" She raised her voice a little, not to intimidate or anything, but because Carole felt a hint of fear creeping up. Was she too late?

"E-eh? W-w-why not?"

"Because… because I like him! I… I like senpai, you can't like him too."

Now it was Timido's turn to let frustration take a bit over her. She recoiled at first, but for some reason, being contested about her feelings pushed her forward.

"That's not a good excuse. If you like him, why can't I?"

"Because–!"

Well, wasn't that rich? After complaining so many times when it happened in light novels and manga, there she was, pulling that card to leverage her point.

"Because I saw him first! Even if it is not by much, senpai and I have spent more time together, s-so you can't like him!" She said, showing an accusing finger.

"W-well, what if you met him first? That doesn't make you his owner or anything." If she knew these kinds of sentiments could make her more direct like that, she would have tried them sooner. Then again, it wasn't a pleasing sensation, the feelings she was going through right now.

"But I–"

"Besides, it doesn't matter if senpai doesn't… like you, or me," She whispered the last part. "Have you considered his feelings?" Now she had Carole against the proverbial wall.

"I, uh…" She didn't know for sure. She hoped so, but she couldn't tell for sure. "Still, I'm going to be the first to give him his Valentine's gift, and that's final."

"S-so you can go ahead and confess? That's what you trying to do earlier, weren't you?"

"And what if I was, huh?"

"Well…" To be honest, Timido kind of tried the same thing, although it was Lyle's idea. "T-that's cheating!"

"Cheating? How?"

"You're trying to get ahead of me."

"O-obviously, I met him first." She said, turning to the side with a pout.

"That's not a good excuse! If you confess to him first then… ~sniff~"

"Eh?"

Carole looked at Timido again. Was she… crying? The pinkette looked away, but it was easy to see her watery eyes.

"If you go and… confess to him first, senpai will go out with you, won't he?"

"I mean, didn't you just say–"

"I know, but," She brushed a tear away. "Carole-chan is so close to senpai. You two work together for longer, and you're good friends. Plus, you're cheerful, energetic, funny, and stylish… why wouldn't he go out with you?" Timido faced Carole again. She wasn't straight-up crying, but she was almost there.

The sight struck Carole like a spear to the heart.

"Ah, forget it. I should have known I wasn't the only one to look at senpai in that way. Honestly, I didn't even realize I felt like that until now. I just… didn't want to miss this chance… ~sob~"

All the angry and harsh emotions evaporated. Seeing her friend tearing up like this, Carole couldn't be mad at her.

"No no, Timido-chan, you got it all wrong." She said, closing the gap between them and gently lending her hands on Timido's shoulders.

"You're such a cute-looking girl, and you're strong, talented, and dedicated, and you look so beautiful when you're skating around. Of course senpai would choose you. He would be pretty dumb if he didn't. That's why…" Her crest fell a bit as she spoke the next part. Carole felt like tearing up a bit too. "That's why I wanted to be the first. If I wasn't, then I stood no chance, right?"

"That's not true at all, Carole-chan! You're an amazing person, anyone would be lucky to date you, especially senpai." Said the pinkette, returning the gesture and the encouraging words.

"I'm serious about it. I'm not super girly, I fight with giant power fists. I'm not tall and slender, my skin is tanned, and if I exercise too much, I'm afraid I'll get all muscly. No way he would date a girl like me…"

"But… isn't senpai your friend?"

"Well, yeah… but that's just as friends! You, on the other hand. ~sigh~ I wish I had pretty fair skin like yours, a nice figure, and cute-looking dresses to go with. And maybe being tall like Squad Leader Mei…" Now the tears were pooling in her eyes too.

"Carole-chan…" Timido was all too familiar with the feeling of insecurity, so she understood it well and sympathized with her friend. "Carole-chan, that's not true at all. These things make you pretty in your own way. They make you stand out and look even more lively. I have a hard time speaking up, and sometimes I get afraid of doing things because they could go wrong, so I end up not even trying. I wish I could be more like you, and Squad Leaders Bronya and Mei… And like Adam-senpai too."

The two of them seemed to calm down a bit and looked each other in the eye again. They kind of understood each other's feelings towards him, and there wasn't much they could say to negate that. To claim either was more valid than the other would be silly, and pretty insensitive. Also, considering who he was and how kind he could be, it was bound to happen that more than one girl would have feelings for him. Then, the two girls took in a deep breath.

They were on good terms, as much as two girls who like the same boy could be. It wouldn't be the end of their friendship, but they still had to address the elephant in the room.

"So, umm, about the chocolates, and that whole confession thing…" Carole began, scratching the back of her head. She remembered what Mei said about special moments, and how they often didn't come out the way we planned. She didn't think Timido would also confess to him, but it would be a special moment for her. And in the end, even if Carole wasn't the first girl to give him chocolates, or the first girl to confess to him, it would be special and meaningful for her.

But before she could speak more, Timido cut her to it.

"Hai. You will go first, right?" Well, that was, once again, kinda unexpected.

"Eh? Don't you want to confess to him?"

"Well, I do, but… Carole-chan has made a point, you do know him for a little longer, and you even planned ahead to make it a special occasion. I couldn't possibly ruin that for you, and what's more, I'm even sure these are my real feelings. I guess I didn't want to regret not saying it to him and kind of… jumped at the opportunity, ehe…" The pinkette offered a smile and an encouraging thumbs up.

"Timido-chan… You're such a wonderful person~" Said the tanned girl, wrapping her friend in a tight hug.

"N-no no, that's the least I can do." Timido awkwardly received the hug, returning it after a moment. Carole let go, finally giving her some room to breathe.

"But you know, isn't it great that we both ended up deciding to confess on the same day?"

"Eh? You think so?"

"Well, if it was someone else, I think I would get really mad and… let's not think too much about it." Carole rubbed her arm, facing another side to hide the faint blush she felt creeping on her cheeks.

"A-ah, yeah, I suppose I would feel a little angry too."

"Hehe, you got me a little scared there~"

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to!"

"It's all good, what matters is that we solved this~ … We're good, right?" Carole offered a hand.

"Mmm, we're good." Timido grabbed and they shook hands.

It was a bit awkward, but what are you gonna do?

"You know, Carole-chan, I also think that… it's a great thing we both like him. If it was someone else, she probably wouldn't get along with him very well."

"Mmm, yeah. Senpai can be kind of a dork sometimes."

"Yeah, he's quite aloof too, right? She would be heartbroken before meeting him, haha~"

"I know, right?~ Hahaha~"

They shared a light laugh at the expense of their beloved senpai. They liked him and they were friends, so it was all good. Back at the training grounds, Adam sneezed.

"Then, Timido-chan,"

"Hmm?"

Carole beamed a bright smile.

"Even if you're not sure, be honest with your feelings. Don't miss your chance, alright?~"

"Yes! You too, Carole-chan."

"Yosh, I'm going ahead. Bye-bye ~"

"Bye-bye ~"

And off went the young valkyrie, with renowned confidence and a much lighter heart. Now all that was left was to meet with Adam and confess, along with giving the chocolates. Looking back, it was all too simple but she had to complicate it, and then this little impasse with Timido happened. It wasn't all bad news, though. This would definitely be a memory she would keep for like, as well as the next one, be it a good or bad result.

"Senpai!~" She shouted at him, catching up as he made his way back to St. Freya's classroom building.

"Carole, I was looking for you–"

"Good! We really need to talk. Please come with me for a moment." She said, dragging him by the wrist again. He already knew the drill by this point.

"Does it have anything to do with Timido?" He tried to ask carefully.

"No– I mean, kinda, but that's beside the point. Alright,"

She took in a deep breath to steady herself. Carole had Adam standing in front of her, they were all alone, and while this wasn't the rooftop classic, the scenery wasn't trash either. The sun was beginning to go down so there was this very faint yellow in the sky. There was a fountain nearby, and the academy's architecture was pretty romantic if you stopped to look at it. Thank you, Principal Theresa.

The silver-haired girl took another deep breath, then looked at him, face to face. He had his usual plain expression, but she could tell he was giving her all his attention. As expected from her senpai.

She felt her heart thumping in her chest as it if would explode, and there was this funny feeling at the pit of her stomach. Were these the famous butterflies she heard of so many times? Boy, being in love was such an intense rush of emotions, she was starting to like it a lot.

"Senpai, ever since we met… no. Senpai, we've been through a lot together, be it training, the mission, the fights, and… I like how we got closer to each other in the meantime. You're kind to me, even though you poke fun at me sometimes. You cheer me up when I'm bummed, you push me to be a better valkyrie, and when I'm too self-conscious about my skin or my body… you make me feel like the prettiest girl in the world!~ You make me feel like I can take on anything, so long as I have you by my side because I know you'll be there to back me up, no matter what. So I wanted to give you this to let you know how special you are to me. Here, Happy Valentine's Day!~"

She offered the chocolate, carefully wrapped in a yellow shiny wrapping with a white ribbon on it, and a kiss mark adhesive to complete.

Adam received the gift in a seemingly neutral manner. He held it with both hands and stared at it for a rather long moment, which made Carole witty a bit. But judging by his face, he was in deep thought. Could it be…?

"Carole, this…" He began, raising his eyes to look at her, while hers were full of expectancy. "I've never got something like this before. And you're… someone special to me too. I'm glad we're partners and friends. Thank you." He said in his rather monotone but very sincere way.

She could tell he meant every word he said, and that he made an actual effort in thinking what to say. He was kind and considerate despite the cold, plain exterior, and that was one of the things she liked about him. No, one of the things she loved about him.

"Ah, one more thing, senpai."

"Hmm?"

She filled up her chest and flashed her best smile.

"I like you!~ Let's go out as boyfriend and girlfriend, alright?~"

Oh, if she knew he would make that face, she would have someone to take a picture of it. How did he manage to look so distant in shock? It was as if his brain went offline. Gosh, her senpai was such a dork. Regardless, her happiness couldn't be contained. It was like a weight has been lifted from her chest.

"Mmmmmm… YATTA!~" She shouted, throwing her hands in the air, but quickly covered her mouth, still with a huge smile adorning her face. Now wasn't the time to cheer.

"Well, remember to tell me the answer, okay?~"

And just like that, she was gone, rushing to the main building.

"Wait, Carole! You–"

"Later, senpai!~"

Poor Adam was left alone and confused, holding the sweet gift in one hand and his free arm stretched, reaching for the giddy girl in vain. Well, now he had to process this. When Lyle said Valentine's chocolates were a serious thing, he wasn't kidding. but, how should Adam react to this? He wanted to receive her feelings properly, and he thought the part about the chocolate was alright, but this? Nobody has ever confessed to him, and the idea didn't even cross his mind. He heard of someone confessing one or two times back at prep school, but he never gave that any importance. As far as he was concerned, that would never happen to someone like him.

Certainly, it would be the only time. Lighting doesn't strike twice.

"Senpai!~"

He was so absorbed in his thoughts the calling made him jump a bit.

"Timido-chan?"

"Do you have a moment?" She asked politely, holding something behind her back. Timido looked particularly happy today. Not that it was a bad thing, but he was more used to her shy demeanor. According to Lyle, his default was a plain, cold look, so he couldn't say much.

"Sure, I was looking for you too, so if we could talk–"

"Great!~ Ahem, just give me a second."

Similarly, to the tanned girl, Timido took in a deep breath, slowly releasing it and looking Adam in the eyes. Once again he went into full attention mode.

"Adam-senpai… we met under some dire circunstances. During the mission in St. Fountain, I tried to be as useful as possible and made sure to follow all the training I had, but even then there were many moments when I was scared. In those moments, I could rely on everyone else. Squad Leaders Bronya and Mei, Lyle-san, Carole-chan… and you. Even though you said we're on the same level, I can't help but feel like you're my senpai, because I actually learned a lot from you. How you're always trying to better yourself, how selfless and brave you are in the face of danger, how you break your limits and push forward, although I think you push it a little too hard sometimes~ But the important thing is, I look up to you, and you helped me to come out of my shell a little more. You're very kind to me, and very patient regardless of my shyness. You may not know, but you're always encouraging me to keep going on, and I'm glad I have you as a friend. So please, a-accept this gift. Ha– Happy valentine's Day!~"

Timido brought her two hands forward and presented him with a red, heart-shaped box with a pink and blue ribbon on it.

Once again, Adam took his sweet time looking at the gift, which caused a bit of anxiety in Timido, who awaited eagerly for his response.

"Timido-chan, this is really pretty and kind of you, and I really appreciate it. I'm glad I could help you, even though I think I didn't do much. I hope we can keep working together, and being good friends. Thank you." Once again, a bit crude but from the bottom of his heart. Adam felt a tiny smile form when he saw Timido's face light up like a Christmas tree.

"Let's keep doing our best, Adam-senpai!~" She said with newfound enthusiasm.

"Hmm." He nodded.

"Also… I really like you, senpai!~ P-please go out with me!"

And for a second time, Adam's mind froze. Again? And on the same day? Was this part of the Valentine's Day experience and he wasn't informed? Or maybe these two were playing a prank on him… In that case, should he consider their feelings still, or just the chocolate part? Ah, right. Timido is right there in front of him, waiting for a response. What should he say? Carole just confessed to him and didn't clarify or give him time to answer. Well, technically she did, but now Timido confessed too and he didn't even think of the first confession.

"Umm… Thanks?"

That was… quite underwhelming for the pinkette.

"Eh?" She was more confused than anything. Was that a no?

"I don't know what to say, I–"

"Wah, no way! Senpai, how could you mess up such a cute moment?"

Out of a nearby bush came Carole, whom he thought had headed back to the main building.

"Carole? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see Timido-chan confessing to you, and it was going so well! ~sigh~ Senpai, please have a little more tact with a girl's feelings…"

"But you just–"

"By the way, I mean to hear your answer soon, alright?"

"Eh? But I–"

"Let's go, Timido-chan?"

"Hai!~ Did you really think it looked cute?"

"It was one of the cutest confessions I have seen, and I saw a bunch of light novels."

"Oh, do you like light novels?"

"Mhmm! I can show some of my collection if you want."

"Totally!~ Ne, I have some chocolates for Squad Leader Bronya and Squad Leader Mei, wanna give them together?"

"Yes, let's go…"

Now the two of them left him alone, with two gifts and no clue of how to act or what to make of this situation. Did Carole know that Timido was going to confess? Didn't that bother her? Or Timido? Seriously, what should he do now? As he contemplated his options, his best friend arrived, hopefully with advice on that matter.

"Yo, shinyuu, did you get your surprise already?" Lyle gave him a light tap on the back, admiring the box in his hand, but then he noticed the other cute-looking package. "Oya, another gift, so that means…"

Lyle had a wide grin and a smug look on his face as he immediately started to tease his clearly popular friend.

"Hmm, two very special gifts for Valentine's Day, aren't you a charmer?~"

"Lyle, what should I do about them?"

The white-haired boy didn't know if his friend meant the chocolates or the girls, but he was betting on the latter. Just kidding.

"As I said before, you have to return their feelings properly, but in that case, you also have to convey your own. So, how do you feel having two cute girls confessing to you?~"

Adam took a minute of introspection to think of an answer.

"Confused. And… kinda fuzzy inside. It's weird."

"Hahahahaha, as expected of my dear friend. You never disappoint~ Well, no reason to hang in here, let's go back."

"... Yes."

---

The two senior Valkyries walked down the hallways, waving back to a few of the students as they passed by, going to their dorms or somewhere else. In their hands, a few sweets they got from Timido.

"Eeeh, so all that happened?" Bronya mused after Mei told her the bit about Carole's crush on Adam. She got Lyle to spill the beans on his side, so the situation got a lot more interesting.

Sure, Mei promised to keep it a secret, but after Bronya commented on what Lyle was up to, she thought it would be relevant to the story. After all, now their squads had a very peculiar dynamic going on. Whether or not this would affect their teamwork was yet to be seen, but judging by their interactions right now, that didn't seem to be the case. They stood outside one of the classrooms, discreetly observing the group of youths. Adam sat on his desk, staring intently at the two gifts in front of him while Lyle made him company.

"I didn't think you would be that much of a romantic type, Mei." Said the silver-haired lady, munching another bonbon.

"You can say it is an acquired taste. Someone I knew would love to see this development, even more, when it involves two pretty girls like them. But it's nice, isn't it? Having some romance in your life?" Mei replied, reliving some fond memories as she enjoyed a bonbon of her own. Timido made a great job with these.

"Heh, you're sounding like Himeko-sensei."

"Fufufu, I'm still young at heart!~ It's good to watch them go through some innocent young romance, even if it is a bit silly."

"Huh…"

"How do I put it? If there's time for them to be like this, then it means things are not that bad in the world. Back then, we had some carefree moments like this, right, Bronya-chan?"

"We didn't know of the wars happening behind the curtains. It was a false sense of peace that got thrown away after a single event. This too could be just the lull before another storm."

"That is true, but at the same time, it's one more reason to let them have these moments. That way, they'll have something to hold on to when the dark times come. This will help them to fight for a brighter tomorrow, don't you think?"

Bronya let her words sink in for a moment. In their fight for a better future, the past and the present were the building blocks, the road leading forward. Moments like this were, too, a beautiful thing in the world, and they should strive to protect it.

"As expected from Mei-nee-sama, you have a very mature worldview."

"Mature? I'm not so sure. To be honest, a part of me just wanted to watch these young boys and girls have a somewhat normal experience in life. Perhaps that's me letting my childish side take over."

The two senior Valkyries exchanged pleasant smiles. Despite all the hardships, they still had good memories, and now a better future was ahead of them. Back to the youths in question, Carole and Timido just joined the boys. They seemed even more energetic than usual.

"By the way, Mei-nee-sama, who do you think would make a better couple with Adam? Carole, or Timido?"

"Isn't that a childish question, Bronya-chan?~"

The silver-haired girl raised her hands and shrugged.

"If we can't be childish sometimes, where is the joy in life?"

"Hahah, indeed~ Well, I may be a little biased, but Carole and Adam have a lot of chemistry, and they have been on a team for a good amount of time."

"Hmm, true, but I wouldn't dismiss Timido just yet. She's a girl full of talents, and she has a charm of her own."

"Then, why don't we wait and see how this story will unfold?~"

"Like watching a light novel? Heh, I wonder what route will he take…"

Speaking of which, the brown-haired boy felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. And to make things even more confusing, the girls were acting as if nothing had happened. If nothing, they were even more friendly and close to him. Close as in physically close. They were on the desk before and after his, while Lyle took the one right next. It was kind of a box. And eventually, the topic came back to the special date.

"But I'm a bit surprised. Two gifts for your first Valentine's, aren't you a lucky guy, shinyuu?~" Lyle leaned in, nudging Adam with an elbow.

"That's right~ Aren't you glad you got them from us, senpai?~" Carole jumped in, staring at him as she rested her chin in her hands.

"Uh… yes, I'm very grateful." He said, trying to keep his composure under Carole's eager gaze.

"Oh, right! Senpai, you didn't eat them yet. C-could you try a bite and tell me if you like the taste?" Timido asked him, also putting pressure on him with her expectant eyes.

"Umm, I'll make sure to tell you."

"That won't do, shinyuu, you eat Valentine's chocolates on Valentine's Day."

Sometimes Adam wished Lyle wasn't so, well, Lyle.

"Eh? That's not fair. I can't compete with homemade chocolate, Timido-chan." She whined in a joking way.

"N-no no, it probably doesn't taste like professional chocolate. It's basically my first try, but still… senpai?"

With the two of them looking at him with those big, shiny eyes, He couldn't refuse, but then how should he reply? The poor, lost young man sought his friend for advice, but there was only an annoying smirk to be found. So Adam decided to just go ahead. A straightforward approach, if you will. He carefully undid the wrappings, then took a bite from the chocolate bar Carole gave to him, and another from Timido's big chocolate heart. Between each bite, he took some time to appreciate the taste and the texture, as well as to think of the right words to describe them.

"Well, Carole, yours is pretty sweet, and it melts in the mouth. It's pretty good." The tanned girl puffed her chest proudly.

"Timido-chan, yours has a smooth texture, and a hint of bitterness that contrasts with the sweetness. Coffee, I think? It's a pleasant surprise, pretty good too." Timido looked away, playing with her hair and with a clear blush on her cheeks.

Well, he would say his answers were appropriate.

"And which one is your favorite, my dear friend?~"

Of course, Lyle wouldn't let that opportunity slip.

"Yeah, which one do you like more, senpai? Timido's or mine?"

"I-it's okay if you don't like mine, but I could make you more… O-only if you want to, that is!"

Honestly, fighting against the Sky People in St. Fountain was way easier than dealing with those pairs of big eyes staring into his soul.

"That's a difficult question…"

Seeing his friend's troubled expression, Lyle couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"Hahahaha~ Man, it must hurt to be this popular, right?"

"Oh, right. Lyle-san, here. I made some cookies for you." Said the pinkette, handing him a bundle with sorted sweets inside.

"Ah, I've got one for you too, Flashy Boy. Here you go~" Carole also handed him a chocolate bar. It didn't have the same ribbon and decorations as the one given to his friend, but he wasn't going to be mad about it.

"Ah, to be gifted with sweets by two lovely girls on this most romantic day. I'm truly blessed~" He made an exaggerated gesture, which made the girls roll their eyes.

"Don't make such a big deal out of it, Flashy Boy, friendship chocolates are almost an obligation."

"Well, chocolates are chocolates, I'm not complaining~"

The group shared a light laugh, but then they had a few more people joining them, Carole's other friends, along with some girls from other classes and valkyrie squads. They all had something in hand, cute little boxes which could only contain one thing: sweets.

"Finally, there you are. We were looking for you all day, Adam-san." One of Carole's friends said, then looked at the tanned girl. "Carole, you can't hog your senpai all for yourself. Bad girl~"

"W-w-who's hogging who?!"

"Heh, I guess Carole wasn't the only one having senpai's exclusive attention, right, Timido-chan?" Another of them pointed at Timido, who tried to hide her face, as you would expect.

"Hai hai, let's stop with that already," The third girl interjected, taking a step forward and standing in front of Adam, who straightened his back in response. "Senpai~"

"Yes?"

"Here," She gave him a little colorful box. "Happy Valentine's Day~"

He slowly reached to pick it up, then she quickly spun around and tossed another to Lyle.

"Here, I've got one for you too." And just as quickly her attention was back on the brown-haired boy.

The other girls followed suit and after everyone was done, Adam had his desk covered in all kinds of chocolates, cookies, and other sweet gifts. He examined the pile with attention while the group of girls surrounding him waited patiently for his response. They were most curious about how the mysterious and distant Knight of Schicksal would react.

After a rather long moment of silence, Adam got up, faced his small audience, and cleared his throat.

"Umm, it's been an honor to learn and train with all of you. You're my precious classmates, and I'm glad we can be friends. Thank you." And he closed it with a polite bow.

There was another brief moment of silence, as the girls looked at him in awe.

Then they broke into light laughter.

"Pffft– Hahahaha!~ Wow, I didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't expecting that, hahaha~"

Needless to say, he was pretty confused.

"Did I… Did I say something wrong?" He asked his friends, but they just shook their heads.

As for the other girls, they gradually calmed themselves to at least a giggle. The "leader" of the newly formed group rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, it's all good, but you don't have to be so formal, it's just obligatory friendship chocolates." She said, with a wide grin crossing her lips.

"... I see." So there was a difference in how to properly accept their feelings. Lyle could have told him before.

"But," She took a step back, then cupped her cheeks, talking in a squealy pitch. "If Adam-san talks so seriously about it, I might start to get ideas, kyaaa!~"

As the other girls squealed and giggled, Adam experienced his third mind freeze today. Jokes aside, they didn't mean any harm, waving goodbye to the four of them as they left the classroom. So now it was just the shy pinkette, the tanned gyaru, the stylish sniper, and a very dumbfounded heroic youth.

"Hahaha, isn't that great? You're much more popular than I thought, shinyuu~" Lyle gave him a pat on the back.

"Yeah, isn't it great? You're soooo popular, senpai." Carole had her arms folded and her face told him her words did not match her mood.

"I didn't know you were so popular with other girls, senpai…" And now even Timido was giving him some sort of accusatory look.

What was he supposed to do? Refuse them? Wasn't he supposed to accept a girl's feelings on this date?

"Well, look at that pile of sweetness, it's like a dragon's sugary hoard. What are you gonna do with all that?" Lyle asked him.

"... Eat them."

"Ho, all of them?"

"It would be a waste not to. And insensible with their feelings, right?"

"I knew you had it in you, my dear friend~," Said the white-haired boy, sending a wink and finger guns. "Now, all you have to do is return them on White Day."

"White Day?"

"Didn't I tell you about it? After receiving Valentine's gift, you're supposed to return with another gift on White Day. It is your duty now, for each of the girls who gave you something."

Adam looked at the pile on his desk, and the calculations in his mind were not very promising.

"Valentine's Day is scary…"

The young sniper couldn't help but laugh at the slightly defeated face of his friend.

"Seriously, if you were any denser, you would be a black hole… Well, I'm going off now, but call me if you need any help with those." He said, waving as he left the room.

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Hmm, Flashy Boy is right, though. You're too dense, senpai!~ And kind of a dork too."

"Eh?"

"Mhmm, senpai can be a dork sometimes," Timido added, siding with Carole. "But, if I have to be honest…"

The two girls got up, standing next to him. Then, they leaned in forward and placed a quick peck on each of his cheeks.

"That's what we like in you~" They said in unison, giggling as they saw his cheeks getting red as a cherry. Whatever stoic expression he had was completely gone.

There must be something wrong with him because once again he found himself paralyzed as the girls left him behind. Were they okay with both liking him? How did they want him to give an answer when they didn't make things clear? How was he supposed to choose? It was hard to think straight when he felt all fuzzy inside and his heart threatened to burst out of his chest.

As he left the classroom with his arms full of gifts, he met with two of his superiors.

"Squad Leaders?"

"Hey there, Adam-san." Bronya waved a hand.

"Looks like you had a great day, Adam-kun~" Mei said, trying to contain her laughter.

"Umm, Squad Leader Mei?"

"Yes?"

"I think I need help…"

The two Valkyries exchanged a glance. Well, this romance story was far from over.

"I'm listening~"

The End

Hallo, it's me, ya boy! This here one-shot is for a Valentine's Day prompt/event, belatedly posted because I was trying to make more than one thing at once. Typical, I know. In case you're curious about the other fics in the competition, or if you want to have a peek at whatever I'm writing at the moment, you can join this here discord server (gg / nbvVH6aUTc). Aight, done with the shilling.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this fic, I hope you liked it. And who knows? More in the future, mayhaps? See you at the next one, bye~