"New entry."
"I think I kind of mastered the feeling of happiness, but to be fully able to feel like a living being, as they say that everything that lives can feel I need to discover about the other feelings."
"Even the negative ones, like hate, fear, anxiety and…"
Jealousy
"It's Valentine's Day", Haruka smiled with a look of wonder, seeing the stores covered with red, pink and other pretty decorations.
"Valentine's Day is a day where you give presents, most popular being chocolates, for loved ones", said Ai after searching for a while.
"Yes", nodded Haruka, "It's a crowded day, with everyone shopping for presents"
"You seem calm", stated Ai slight puzzled.
"Huh?"
"You don't seem in panic or in a hurry", he said, "Is that because you don't have a 'special someone' to give chocolates for?"
"No…", replied Haruka forcing a smile and trying to ignore the pain in her chest when he said that she didn't have a 'special someone' now, "I just bought everything beforehand, that's why I'm not worried."
"…I see"
"…"
"…"
"When do you plan to give the chocolates to everyone?"
"Well… There will be a party so I will hand the chocolates to Ittoki-kun, Ichinose-san, Hirijikawa-san, Jinguji-san, Syo-kun, Shinomiya-san and Cecil-san", she counted, "Ah! And the rest of sempais too!"
'She didn't mention my name', thought Ai, 'is that because it's obvious or…'
-00-
"Hello everyone!", greeted Haruka,"I bought chocolate for you!"
"Thanks Haru-chan!"
"My, receiving a gift from Little Lamb? I'm honored"
"…Thanks Nanami-san"
"It's a fairly simple chocolate, but I am not the kind to refuse sweets"
"Ah~ How lucky! I received Nanami's chocolate!"
"Haha, I'm glad that everyone liked it", said Nanami with a big smile.
"… What about my chocolate?", asked Ai, which made her blink.
"Oh! Here, that's your chocolate Mikaze-kun", she said giving him one of the simply chocolate.
Ai stared the small, yet pretty wrapped chocolate, noticing that it was the same as the one that she gave everyone.
… He didn't notice when the next words escaped his lips.
"My chocolate is the same as everyone else"
"Hey Ai-Ai you should say 'Thank You'", sweatdropped Reiji with a awkward laugh.
"Huh? It's not that I'm not thankful it's just… I read that in Valentine's Day you're supposed to give a different chocolate for the one that you liked the most", he replied with a confused face.
"…"
Everyone was speechless after that; Haruka looked a bit uncomfortable, looking to the side.
"Huh… That's…"
Because they are starting from scratch, just as friends, she thought that it would be better if she gave a "chocolate friend", but she never considered that the cyan haired male considered her more than that.
"Huh… Ai, do you like Nanami-chan?", asked Reiji.
"Yes, I do like her", he answered with a puzzled expression which made everyone sweatdrop and Haruka blush.
"Huh… No, I'm not saying like this, what I meant is…"
"Reiji", interrupted Camus, "It's better if stop or you will embarrass the lady more than she's embarrassed"
"Oh… Right", he nodded looking at her with sympathy, "It's better if he figures it by himself right?"
-00-
'…Valentine's Day you're supposed to give a different chocolate for the one that you liked the most'
Haruka stared at the expensive chocolate in her hands.
As soon as she started to search for chocolates to give to everyone she saw this one and immediately thought about Ai, so she didn't even think twice when she bought it.
… She kind of forced herself to buy the same chocolate for him after she noticed her mistake, and for some reason she didn't have the heart to give it back.
-KNOCK KNOCK-
"Huh? Enter", she said after hiding the chocolate.
"… Hi", greeted Ai.
"Ah… Hi"
"…"
"…"
"I want to apologize"
"Huh?"
"You looked very uncomfortable and I did fault with my courtesy", he said.
"Oh that's… Don't worry, it's ok."
"But still", he continued, frowning a bit, "I don't know what made me say that"
"…"
"I guess in my mind…", he hesitated trying to think of words to express himself, "I felt… I think… Angry? I kind of thought that even if we aren't as close as my old self as with you we shared a stronger bond than everyone?"
"Ai you…", she said, not noticing that she called him by his first name, "Are you… Jealous?"
"Jealous?", he repeated a bit dumbfounded, closing his eyes for a moment while he searched for it's definition from an online dictionary.
"1.
jealous resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself.
2.
mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims.
3.
vigilance in maintaining or guarding something.
4.
a jealous feeling, disposition, state, or mood."
'I don't have resentment against anyone in particular nor I have suspect anything', he thought more confused.
"… None of the definitions of Jealousy matches with what I am feeling right now", he said after a long pause, "I don't suspect you of doing anything or feel resentment against anyone"
"Do you resent me?", asked Haruka
"No, why would I?"
"Do you resent the fact that I didn't give anything special?", she asked again.
He blinked a few times before closing his eyes, trying to remember when he felt the strange feeling, remembering how disappointed he felt when he saw that he received nothing in special.
"… Maybe"
"Why do you think our bond is so special?", she asked with a tender smile.
"Because… Even thought I can barely understand my feelings right now I'm sure… By everything that you taught me, that you're what I like the most", he answered, his eyes widening.
Maybe he was a step closer to discovering the feeling of being in love?
"I see…", was her soft response.
She looked briefly to the side, where she put the chocolate that she hided, something that Ai noticed, so he went to check and got surprised when he found it.
"What's this? Chocolate?"
"T-That's!", stuttered Haruka.
"… Who was the one supposed to receive this chocolate?"
"…No one"
"Huh? You bought an expensive and clearly special chocolate and you don't intend to give it to anyone in a Valentine's Day?", he asked confused.
"W-Well, I bought for someone without thinking about it, but when I realized my mistake I couldn't have the heart to give it back", she said fidgeting a bit.
"… Who is it?", he asked frowning a bit, suddenly feeling slight pissed again.
The thought that someone was more special to her than him made he feel uneasy for some reason, and he didn't like the feeling at all.
"Er… You", she whispered, avoiding his gaze and fidgeting more.
"Me?", he blinked in surprise.
"… I know that we were supposed to act like just friends right now but… I don't know, when I saw it I felt the urge to buy it for you", she explained, her cheeks red like a tomato.
He looked at the expensive chocolate, and a sudden thought came to his mind.
"… What kind of chocolate you would give to my old self?"
"Huh?"
"Before I lost my feelings… What kind of chocolate would you give to me?"
"Oh that's… I don't know", she answered shaking her head, "The first Valentine's Day that I spent with you wasn't anything in special as we weren't in love with each other at the time so…"
"… If I were in love with you like before, this would be the chocolate that you would give to me?"
"H-Huh", she stuttered again when he approached her, their faces centimeters apart, "I-I think so"
"I see… So that's the reason you didn't gave me this chocolate", he said with an annoyed expression, "This chocolate is meant for my old self."
'Is he… Jealous again?', blinked Haruka.
"… Are you jealous of your past self?"
He flushed looking startled, looking down while trying to process what she said.
Was he pissed that she still loved his old self?
'Yes', was the immediate answer that came to his mind.
"Er… Mikaze-kun", she tried to call him, as his face was too close for the comfort zone.
"Ai"
"Huh?"
"Call me by my first name", he said looking her in the eyes.
"Mi… Ai-kun", she whispered softly.
"This isn't a test anymore", he said resting his forehead in her neck, "Stop looking at me like that"
"Eh?"
"I'm no longer the one from your past", he whispered close to her ear, which made her shiver, "… I'm jealous"
"… Of what?", she asked confused, gulping a bit when he felt his breath tickle her skin.
"Everytime you talk so fondly about my past self it makes me upset", he says, "It makes me want to force yourself to look at the present me"
"Ai… Are you, by any chance… In love with me?"
"I don't know", he said sincerely, closing his eyes, "I don't know if it's love, with this incomplete heart of mine, but I know that I care, I truly care about you."
"…I"
She hesitated, not knowing what to say.
Ai noticed her hesitation, sighing he let go of her and took the expensive chocolate with him.
"… I still can't fully comprehend what's happening", he said looking at her with a gentler expression, "… But after I complete my heart… I will truly love you, I know that"
"Ai…", she whispered.
"Hey… I know I'm not the same as my old self but… Can I have this chocolate?", he asked looking at the pretty wrapped gift.
"Yes", she nodded still stunned by his words.
"… I'm glad", he smiled, "It's a promise, next Valentine we will spend it together as a couple."
-0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00-
Wow! Only me could make giving chocolate being so dramatic*snorts*
Now review time!
Cure Noble0- Yep, I'm not good with handling fanservice, I like more cute dork moments hehe XD
Brandnewmelody- HAHAH right?LOLOLOL, Love Ai too, wouldn't go out with him as I prefer him with Haruka XD
TaecZy- AHHAHA, Thanks! And sorry for taking so long again, I hope this chapter is worth the wait! X_x