"...you see the atmosphere at school, right?"

"Of course, it's Valentine's Day, after all." Maho said, jotting down notes onto her notebook, perched on her position on the sofa's armrest. While it threw Erika off for a moment as to why she chose to sit there instead of on the sofa, Maho had responded by saying that it was largely from habit. They lived right next to each other, with the only thing separating their apartments a single corridor running in between, so it was no unusual occurrence for both to routinely come to each other's apartments, largely to discuss Panzerfahren-related topics, but to also bater with each other after stressful days at practice or school, and sometimes to enjoy mealtimes together. She had to admit, she had a soft spot for Maho's cooking, and she was pretty sure Maho felt the same about hers. However, there wasn't anything else going on between them—in her opinion, they were no more than kohai and senpai—though at times a little bit too close for comfort, and she had the blob of auburn hair that was Miho to thank for that.

"Well, yeah..." Erika continued, scribbling down some of her notes, "...I think that people are generally getting into the mood a lot more this year, than last."

"...it's just because we've been training for two months now, I suppose." Maho added.

They were both wearing their uniforms—which had the red-and-black plaid of a Panzerfahren team, though with slight differences here and there. They weren't particularly fancy, but they were functional, comfortable, and made for moving around and doing various tasks in a timely fashion. While plenty of friends both Erika and Maho knew had the habit of changing into everyday clothes once they finished school, both Erika and Maho instead stayed in their uniform even during normal hours. The uniform was still quite decently comfortable to wear, and it also saved them both the hassle of having to do a heap of laundry afterwards.

Maho, in particular, always seemed to have a lot going on with her hands. Whether she was doing paperwork, practicing her handwriting, or simply writing down notes onto a piece of paper, she'd often fidget with her hands at the same time. This tendency didn't seem to be something she'd grow out of anytime soon; not to mention, since Erika had already gotten used to seeing that particular aspect of her friend, she found that she could almost predict her actions in terms of the motions involved—and she wasn't entirely surprised when Maho started to write some notes onto a small piece of paper as she spoke.

"I know...but it's still interesting how the atmosphere seems so different this year compared to the usual way things are." She said.

It seemed that Maho agreed with her as well. The way Erika had described it reminded her of the way things normally were in elementary school, and she was certain that it hadn't really changed much from there up until now; even though the people around them were older, and the circumstances were more complex than ever before. Otherwise, the only thing else might be the diffrence in schools—Maho was already a freshman in Kuromorimine High, and Erika was preparing for the final exams and the upcoming graduation ceremony. That being said, she couldn't really tell whether those changes really amounted to anything big, in regards to their feelings towards each other—she was pretty sure they were still friends just like before, and if not then nothing had really changed at all in any regard. And yet, she still had a nagging feeling that the atmosphere was different somehow—like it was different in a good way, rather than in an awkward way.

"...it is strange," Maho said, putting her notebook down onto her lap, "and I'm also starting to get into the mood...but then again, I've always enjoyed the atmosphere of Valentine's Day."

"I think I get why you would like that kind of atmosphere. But still..." Erika began, scratching at her chin as she stared at her friend, "...why is this the first time I'm hearing that you have a fondness for such things?"

Maho shrugged noncommittally. "That's because I haven't been with anyone who shares similar interests for a while. So I suppose that it's a good thing that I can experience some of it here with you, Erika."

"Well, to be honest, I feel the same way as well."

"...so you're saying you want me to be your lover or something? That would take a lot of convincing." Maho chuckled.

Erika's eyes widened in surprise. It was rare for Maho to act this playful—not to mention her being serious about asking Erika for romance in the first place was something new too.

"..."

"..."

"...you'd really think I'm serious?"

Erika felt like facepalming herself as she realized that she'd just fell into Maho's trap like that, pure and simple. Feeling her cheeks heat up suddenly at a brisk pace, she took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to regain composure as best as she could. She was glad that Maho seemed happy enough with the situation for now—it was only natural that the more Maho interacted with Erika, the closer their friendship got. After all, Erika still had feelings for her senpai, and Maho's relationship status had always been something of an open secret between them. And so far, there were no signs of either of them developing any romantic feelings towards each other; at least not yet, anyway.

Seeing the results of her handiwork, Maho's face twitched for a few seconds, before she gave in completely and burst into a bout of hysterical laughter. "Ahaha! Well now... I'm sorry!" Maho said, holding both hands up in defeat.

Maho was still chuckling as Erika turned to face her, crossing her arms, and stared her down. For someone who wasn't entirely confident about their own romantic feelings towards someone else, it would be normal for her to try to avoid being cornered on the topic altogether—after all, there was no point in talking about it if they weren't going to take anything from it. But seeing how much Maho seemed to enjoy it, Erika couldn't help but smile.

"...and why did you have to bait me like that? I can feel my face getting redder than before—"

Maho suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh my god, you really do have the worst sense of humor sometimes."

"I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me." Erika grinned.

Maho laughed too. "You really don't know how to take a compliment, huh?"

"Well, what can I say? It comes from a lack of practice. I guess it'll come to me someday." Erika giggled.

She was just glad that they could laugh at each other like this without any sort of tension or awkwardness. If there was one thing that she liked most about being with Maho, it'd be their constant banter. The two of them would never run out of topics to discuss, even if it meant endlessly going back and forth over something trivial—they just didn't want to lose track of what they were talking about. Even in the middle of their banter, the pair always managed to keep a smile on their faces. There was a certain kind of innocence in all this that made Erika's heart beat a little faster—she felt at ease, like nothing could go wrong no matter what they got up to.

However, by far, there was one thing they both agreed on—that the whole prospect of Valentine's Day was some convenient holiday that anyone with a proper economical mind would use to boost their company's sale of chocolate-based products. Not that either of them hated chocolate...it was just that neither of them thought it was very romantic.

"But then again..." Erika said, taking her seat back onto the sofa's armrests, "...I still find myself having more fun during these times, rather than when everyone around me is trying so hard to make me feel better about being alone."

Maho smiled. "That's because you don't really think about romance much, right? But then again, it's good for a person like you to have a hobby other than romance, to keep your head clear."

"You don't really sound like someone who doesn't enjoy romance," Erika quipped back, making Maho tilt her head.

"...well, I do appreciate it once in a while. But then again, sometimes you just have to put in more effort to be able to experience the feeling—and I'm not really one for putting in such effort. It's just nice knowing that other people are enjoying themselves and having a great time. That way, at least the atmosphere is enjoyable in general, even if I don't have anything of my own to enjoy." She said, her voice growing slightly nostalgic as she recalled memories of previous years—memories that only seemed to occur every year, which meant that each of those particular feelings were special enough that she felt she needed to cherish them as much as she could.

The two of them stayed silent for a few moments, simply staring into each other's eyes—the air between them suddenly became tense; but it didn't seem to bother either of them in the slightest. The silence wasn't awkward; it was more like an anticipation for something else.

"...oh," Maho said suddenly.

Erika snapped out of her own thoughts, realizing that she'd been holding her breath. They both smiled at each other, before Erika broke the tension by cracking a small smile of her own.

"I suppose it is still fun to look forward to this day..." Maho agreed.

As the two girls laughed lightly together, they were unaware that the atmosphere had changed completely around them.

Dinnertime came and went just like any other day, and as usual, Maho stayed for dinner. Erika did most of the cooking, while Maho cleaned up afterwards. Normally their roles would be reversed as they took turns every day, but in this case, Maho insisted on cooking for them both, but Erika insisted otherwise, and with good reason. Eventually, after thirty seconds of pointless bickering (that they would go on to have a good laugh about afterwards), Erika settled on a compromise, and they both prepared dinner together.

And so, for one night, Erika decided to take on the role of chef; while Maho also did more or less the same and settled down right beside her on the kitchen counter. It was a rare sight to be beheld—her best friend in an apron in her kitchen, standing close to her enough for her that their shoulders would be only inches away from each other. And the fragrance coming from Maho's hair and clothing wasn't exactly helping things; it took almost all of her willpower to just focus on her task at hand and not wander off to anything dark enough to be rated 18+. That being said, Maho seemed to be able to read her like a book—with a light playful nudge, she caught Erika's attention, making her turn around to sight Maho's eyes staring straight into hers.

"...you're having lewd thoughts, aren't you?"

"Worse." Erika answered without batting an eye, continuing to prepare dinner. "I'm thinking about whether I should try to kiss you..."

Maho burst out laughing, covering her mouth to muffle her sound. "...well, if you really want to make a fool of yourself, then there's nothing stopping you. But do try not to get your tongue stuck in my throat—we wouldn't want anything embarrassing to happen."

She was trying to joke around with Erika, but there was something serious behind her words—something that Erika was sure of as well. And even as she stirred the food inside the pot, her mind was wandering all over the place already—of course, when she was trying her absolute best not to think of something straight from the very pits of eighteendom itself, Maho would quite literally lean in and test her resolve. Her heart was beating through the roof already—she'd lost count of how many times Maho gave her heart attacks in this manner. And today was no exception. Erika took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, and then she turned back towards her best friend. Maho still hadn't moved; she was frozen mid-motion, and that alone told Erika exactly what Maho's intentions were. The momentary silence that came after made Erika realize that there was something wrong—they both stood there, not saying a word, for several seconds before they broke it with light laughter.

"...Mein Gott. Don't you ever have any self control?!" Erika laughed, her voice slightly unsteady as she took a sip of water from a cup that she'd left on the counter. "Why are you being so reckless?!"

"Well... I guess that's what makes us best friends. Right?" Maho chuckled.

It felt good to be able to laugh like that with Maho. To know that the person who was always teasing her, never stopped caring about her, or always kept her in check was there for her to help out whenever she needed them. Even though it meant Erika often found herself in compromising positions, Maho was more than happy to oblige when she needed a helping hand—or something else.

And if things were a little different today—well, Maho had always been one for taking the initiative.

Erika let out a short sigh at the sight of Maho's smiling face, but there was something in her smile that wasn't quite right. The reason behind it was clear as day—Maho seemed genuinely happy that she was here to cook for them, and was doing all the hard work while Erika got to play the part of the sous chef.

The pair spent a few moments in silence together, simply listening to each other's breathing as they enjoyed their meal. It was probably one of those rare times where both of them just had nothing better to do than enjoy simple food, in a relaxed mood. They could have chosen to stay silent like they usually did, but this time they just wanted to take advantage of the quietness of the apartment as it was, and talk as they enjoyed their meal. As such, their conversation didn't last long, nor did it hold any particular significance—at least not in Erika's opinion. The only thing that mattered was the way that it felt; that they could relax around each other without feeling nervous, that their bodies could be in the same place at once, and that they were happy to just be in each other's presence. That was why she didn't really care what they talked about, even if it was about inconsequential things.

But as much as Erika loved the feeling of having her best friend right by her side, it wasn't just about the two of them being friends—they could have been talking with anyone else, whether it be family, relatives, or complete strangers on the street—it would still feel the same. What mattered most was that they were comfortable together.

"...hey," Maho suddenly asked.

"Hm?" Erika responded in kind, turning her gaze to meet her senpai. Maho responded by setting two cups onto the coffee table, both of which had a white heart-shaped swirl imparted on them like a devoted artist would do to a cup of espresso, the white foam forming the shape floating on a brownish liquid that felt warm to the tough, light steam rising from both cups.

"...is this coffee?" she asked, as Maho settled down in her own position on the sofa.

"Not quite. This is Chocolat Chaud, or hot chocolate, for those who don't speak French."

"Well, danke," Erika said, taking a sip. It had a strong yet sweet taste, but that was to be expected considering the ingredients. And then, the scent that she could smell coming from Maho...was something like it as well.

"Mm? Do you like it?" Maho asked, tilting her head curiously.

Erika smiled as she swallowed her mouthful, before responding. "Mhm, I love it. Thanks for making it..."

"Oh, it's nothing special, really. It's just hot milk and dark chocolate mixed together; it tastes exactly the same if you do it at home." Maho stated.

"Well, danke schön, but why hot chocolate? Normally, you would be using tea or coffee, right?"

"No... normally we just drink coffee. But for Valentine's Day, you know how there's always some kind of special drink that goes with it, right? So today I got some dark chocolate and hot milk from the convenience store, so we could try something different," she said.

"Ah," Erika said, taking another sip. "that makes sense. Thanks for the drink, by the way, it's really good."

"...but anybody could make one within fifteen minutes at home?"

"Yeah, but anything that goes through your hands becomes more delicious by a factor of ten," Erika said.

"Huh, I'll have to keep that in mind. You're not wrong there. Anyway, I think this is probably the first time I've ever seen you smile so much while drinking this. Did it hit the spot?"

"Oh, yeah! Absolutely."

After sipping the thick dark liqiud for a few minutes, however, Erika quickly realized that Maho was either stressed or nervous, or perhaps both, about something she didn't know. It might have been due to her own actions; even though they were talking about inconsequential things, and the pair hadn't even touched on anything of a personal nature yet, she still felt like Maho couldn't let her guard down. And so, as usual, she had no choice but to push ahead without any further notice.

"Hey Maho...?"

"Hm? Yes?" Maho answered in response.

"...you okay? You seem tense."

"...well..."

Maho said nothing after that, but instead buried her face into a pillow that had been lying on the sofa. At Erika's coaxing, however, she didn't say a word, but looked up from behind the mass of stuffed fabric, her wet eyes complimenting a face crimson enough to match a strawberry. After a few minutes, she seemed to have recovered enough to talk, but as Erika gently coaxed her again, Maho just shut her eyes and shook her head vigorously from side to side, her eyes making arrow shapes (or as close to one as Erika could imagine) before she finally opened them back up, and turned away.

"...guess I'll leave for the night, Erika..."

By the time Erika's mind had managed to finish calculating the sudden change in events and formulate a response, Maho had already stood up, her chair clattering noisily behind her as she headed towards the door, with Erika's voice ringing in her ears:

"...oh? Are you leaving?"

"...yeah," Maho responded curtly, her voice sounding like a snowstorm or something similar. Erika heard the sound of the door being unlocked, opened, and closed, before being locked again—Erika had given her the spare keys to the place since they came to each other's flats so often. There wasn't anything she could do to stop her; the best she could do was to let Maho go if it really bothered her that much. And if that was what Maho truly wanted, then there was nothing she could do.

However, Maho avoiding her all too suddenly sent her mind reeling, part confused, part questioning what she did wrong. However, once she got up to the door, her train of thoughts went derail once again—a small, red-colored paper bag was suspended on the doorknob, standing out in all it's crimson glory against the brown door and frame.

Erika took the paper bag off the knob, taking a peek inside as she opened it. Inside the bag was a box of chocolates. And it wasn't just any box of chocolate—it was one that she had never seen before. Most of the box was made carefully out of cardboard and wrapping paper, a printed pattern cut out and glued together into a near-perfect model of a Tiger II. A ribbon was tied around the model's turret, and suspended from it was a short note, the letters 'Für Erika' written across in legible yet neat handwriting flowing across the slip of paper in pencil. When she took the papercraft tank back inside and set it on a table, she undid the ribbon, and the tank split in half, revealing a small square-shaped box about eight inches across and four inches deep. It was a gift box made out of cardboard and wrapping paper. But it didn't really matter how it was made; this was an incredibly beautiful and unique gift. The fact that she had never seen anything like it, let alone received one, made her eyes grow wide with awe and wonder—the same reaction she would give when she was gifted with something precious from a friend or family member.

When she undid the wrapper around the box and opened it, a set of small ball-shaped sweets met her eyes, a set of small orange-colored spheres half-coated in chocolate. A sprinkling of sugar on top made them even more delicious, if such a thing were possible.

There was another note to come with the chocolates, pasted across the lid of the box with paper tape.

For the best cook I know... Happy Valentine's Day! 3 Maho (Haha, sorry.)

"Ahahaha..." Erika chuckled nervously as she picked up the small box and read the note. It wasn't the most creative way for her senpai to say "I like you" without coming off as overly forward, but there was no doubting the sincerity in it. As soon as she closed the lid of the box, though, Erika's smile turned into a grin.

Her hands shook slightly at her side, and she held onto the box as she walked over to her sofa and settled herself down—she was still a bit surprised, but her smile quickly spread across her face. In that moment, the only thing left to do was enjoy them. She didn't even care about what they were made of—the chocolates were far more delicious than anything she had ever tasted before. She could taste a hint of something familiar to the ones she had eaten while traveling with her family, but that was it. She couldn't remember which country or place she got them from, or how she acquired them, but it didn't even matter. The chocolate was far better than any chocolate she had eaten anywhere else.

The sweet and sour flavors mixed in with each other to create a perfect combination, one she wouldn't have expected out of chocolate. It was so good that her mouth began watering just thinking about it. And so, with an ear-to-ear smile, Erika opened her mouth wide and took a big bite—one which brought a slight shudder from her body, as she bit down on it and the thick liquid hit the back of her throat. And then, her eyes closed, and a warm sensation spread throughout her entire body as the sweet chocolate entered her body. Her eyes popped open in surprise, as she had never experienced this sensation before—her eyes narrowed in satisfication, and she let out a sigh as her cheeks turned bright red, the sight of her cheeks growing warmer and rosier.

"...Mm," Erika sighed contentedly into the quiet room as she finished her first piece of chocolate. "Oh my god... these are amazing..."

And so, she took another, and another. Maho's gift was incredible; it wasn't just the taste, either—Erika couldn't believe how incredibly good this chocolate was for someone who wasn't a chef to make, and that fact alone made it so much more valuable.

However, as she took a glance outside the window, something else registered in her mind.

"...nur noch einen Monat?"

A/N:

Something I made on request from a friend.

PS: I also sit on sofas that way...it's from habit...

Written and posted at 15:40PM local time, at Saigon, Vietnam, on 14th February 2023, Eastern Time.