Moving this over to compact all the challenge one-shots. x3

Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope you like it.

The pastel colored packages dominated his sight as he looked up, and he knew one thing for sure: this was silly. It was ridiculous. Crazy. Insane. Not to mention it was slightly inhumane with the way girls seemed to swoon and fuss over it. It was Valentine's Day and Kaito had no idea what he should buy. He knew he needed a gift for her, for the one he liked, but he didn't know what to get. The bright colors and generic phrases of "be mine" and "love ya" all seemed a bit too casual for the feel he was trying to achieve. Not to mention it would cost a dollar or two extra for an added word or so like "Will you be mine?" or "I love you." Come to think of it, it also cost extra for words to be spelled right. Kaito sighed and turned away from the shelf littered with love propaganda.

Curse you Valentine's Day marketing. Curse you and your packaged feelings-made-simple (for a price of course).

He quietly left the store and headed towards the high school, Voca-whateverit'scalled. Now what was he to get her? He was too anxious to wait for White Day to see if she felt the same for him, so it had to be today. It just had to be. If it wasn't, then he got the feeling that neither of them would make a move. And nothing would change. And he would have another night of sitting alone, eating ice cream, watching cheesy soap operas while cr-

That digression aside, his troubles still plagued him. Couldn't anyone offer some advice?

"Hey Kaito!" a cheerful voice shouted. You could just hear the smile in it.

He turned around to see Miriam running after him, her blond, almost silver in the sunlight, hair waving behind her. He grinned as she caught up to him on the side walk and stood there panting for a moment. Now there was someone who could give him advice. "Miriam," he started with sparkling grin from excitement, "What do you want for Valentine's Day?"

Her complexion instantly went from an exhausted pink to blushing red. "Wh- Wh- What do I what?!"

"Want for Valentine's Day. What would you like?" It was a simple question. Really nothing to get worked up about. Seriously, they had been friends ever since she transferred into the area from overseas, so it wasn't like they should be uncomfortable or anything. She was actually one of his few female friends. For some reason most of the girls fantasized him being a masochist and gay and something else that had to do with Len. Or even Gakupo sometimes. He shuddered at the thought of being intimate with either of them. It wasn't that Kaito disliked the two, they were his friends in fact, but rather he had... suspicions about them. Namely that Len was secretly a successful shouta and Gakupo spent more time wooing girls with swordsmanship than he let on (if you get the hint). Ah, but again with the digressions.

"Uhm. Uhm. Oh, wow. This is so sudden!" Miriam's hands were covering her scarlet cheeks and Kaito swore he heard a heart at the end of her sentence. "I just never knew," she sighed. Not that "life sucks" or "I'm bored" sort of sigh either. More of the shoujo manga sort of sigh.

...

What? Can't someone point out when a sigh seems like it's right out of manga...? Alright, fine. Yes, Kaito did read a number of shoujo mangas. Come on! They were for reference! How else was he supposed to know how to handle this whole "Valentine's Day" thing?

"Look, if you don't-"

She cut him off. "No! No! It's fine really! I'm just surprised is all," Miriam trailed off, averting her eyes and twiddling her thumbs. "Uhm, well, if it's you I'd... with... give..." There she went, trailing off into mumbles that no one could understand.

"What'd you say?"

Miriam's face lit up even more. "I said I'dbehappywithanythingyougiveme!" At this point, she was clutching the hem of her skirt with a pro-death grip and her eyes were shut tight. He silently snickered at the thought of her trying to go through her day like that, but quickly pushed it out of his mind for later.

Kaito sighed deeply, running his hand back through his blue locks. He had heard her, deciphered it, and understood, but that didn't mean it helped. "Thanks Miriam," he said with true gratitude. At least she tried, right? "I actually wasn't sure if you'd be able to answer me or not." Kaito chuckled a bit, only adding to the light and harmless feeling of the statement.

The silver-blond looked up suddenly with bright eyes and a shadow of a grin. "Really? You mean it?" She was a bit unsure of herself, her voice wavering ever so slightly.

"Well yeah. I mean, I know I can always turn to you."

"Then, you know I've always liked-"

He interrupted her on accident saying, "It's cause we're friends, ya know?" Kaito could have sworn he heard her say "liked you" but he wasn't sure. That wouldn't make much sense if she did, right? "Sorry, what did you say?" he asked, his grin sparkling.

"I said I- uh, I've always liked new topics! Yeah, new things to talk about!" Her own grin was strained, but he supposed that was from the given stress of over-marketed holiday.

Kaito chuckled light behind his hand. "Yeah, I suppose that is fun," he said, believing her completely. "Anyway, we ought to go. Wouldn't want to be late, neh?" And off Kaito went towards the high school for class, Miriam following just a few steps behind him. Now he had no time in the morning to get a gift and he still didn't know what to get.

______

And now he was cornered. Kaito felt a nervous sweat starting to build as he stared at the clock. Only ten more minutes until break. He still had nothing to give her, and now she was in the same room as him! It was horrible! He felt like the next twenty minutes of his life would be the most painful. Of course, he was only being a drama queen. Kaito looked away from the clock. He couldn't take the itching tick-tock rhythm of it anymore. His eyes landed on her.

Now he was sure this was some form of self abuse, but he couldn't tear his blue orbs away. There she was, Meiko, just three seats apart from him. The eraser of her pencil was placed awkwardly between her teeth, her eye lids were dropping, and her light hair was falling out of its usual neatness. All of that just because of an Algebra lecture. In all honesty, it was the most amusing sight he had seen all day.

As he watched her start to doze, Kaito slowly pulled back into his own thoughts of her. The of them had always, alwaysbeen friends, so just when had his feelings developed from friendship to romantic interest? Perhaps he was under Meiko's spell as soon as she said "hello" back in elementary. That certainly provided enough time for his views to change. Was that it though? Was that really the cause of these warm feelings to spend time with her? He didn't know. It was Valentine's Day and he didn't know when he started to like the girl he wanted to confess to. But wasn't love just funny that way? He had always imagined love to be more fluffy. Like, more fuzzy feelings with butterflies than this. This was just a glowing desire share some time together, but it was still love. It was Valentine's Day, and he was love.

It had to be today. Just had to. He couldn't ignore it anymore. He had to confess today, gift or no gift.

The bell rang and a number of students filed out for lunch. Meiko was with them. Kaito sighed, knowing that she probably went outside to eat lunch with some of the other girls. He knew he should chase after her, romantically sweep her off her feet, but didn't. In truth, it was just a little pathetic. He lifted his head to see Gakupo giving small wrapped gift boxes out and girls swooning. What a player. Kaito took out his wrapped rice ball and bit it, thinking to himself about how and when he'd confess.

"Is that one for Kaito?!" a girl squealed at Kamui, gestering to the last tiny, wrapped package in his hand.

The blue haired teen choked. Gakupo smirked in his direction and Kaito sneered in return, silently telling him not to give them ideas.

He didn't listen. "No, not this time. But I do have expectations for White Day." Then he gave one of his looks that implied so much, but meant virtually nothing. Kaito put his riceball down, no longer feeling up to eating. He sure knew how to ruin something good.

With a sigh, Kaito got to his feet and sauntered over to the open window, hoping to at least be able to enjoy the nice breeze. And enjoy it he did. The blue hair boy smiled lightly as the wafting air of the second floor window ran across his face and through his hair. It was so peaceful and qui-

"Did you get anything yet?" the feminine voice of a certain blond floated up to his ears. Kaito looked down to see Miriam, Miku, and Meiko all sitting together with their lunches out. Meiko and Miku had bought theirs, as usual, and Miriam had a cute homemade bento out. Suddenly his appetite was back.

"Yeah," Meiko answered with a dreamy sigh. "He knew exactly what to get me too. I'm so happy!"

.... What? She already had someone? But he- And there was- Then the-

Kaito hung on the windowsill in defeat, the wind playing with end of his scarf a bit.

"I wish I could get a present," Miriam said, that same manga tone in her voice. "It would be perfect if one would just, fall from the sky!" She laughed lightly and threw her hands up in the air for emphasis.

Someone bumped Kaito accidentally, quickly muttering a "sorry" to him. The blue teen actually almost fell out of the window, but caught himself. And just as he was about to turn around find out who nearly sent him out the window, he realized something: his scarf was gone. It just vanished...? No, no it didn't! It flew out window! He quickly looked down for scarf, fearing that he really lost it. And perhaps he did just then.

"Kaito!" the silver-blond girl shouted up to him, his blue scarf having found its way around her shoulder on its own. Her lips were turned up into a shimmering expression, one that awed even himself. She really did have an enchanting smile. "Thank you!"

It was then that a little butterfly in his heart whispered, "I like you too."