I can't believe that I have been watching Shino, Aria, and Suzu so closely all day. What in the hell is wrong with me? I know there's a reason involved, but — stalker vibes aside — listening to Shino and Aria more than usual has got to be bad for my mental well-being. But I've never given a Valentine's gift before, so I've been studying the other three for reference purposes. The other girls in Ousai aren't much help, since most of them are just giving chocolates to each other in a friendly manner. Sure, there's exceptions with the handful of actual couples in school, but these more romantically inclined exchanges have usually ended with one pulling the other into a storage room, or even a locker. And yeah. Not quite ready for that yet.

Now, just to be completely clear: I'm trying to give these chocolates to Takatoshi in a purely, sincerely, totally platonic sense. Yes.

Anyways, I've already seen how Suzu played her card. It was pretty smooth. Just walked right by Takatoshi in the hall this morning. Acted like she only noticed him right then and there. She calmly gave him a little box, and then walked away with a dismissive, "Don't mention it." So, I guess I can't go for that approach.

I'm watching Aria now, and she's doing it in such a typical, Aria-like way. Pure confidence. All smiles, and no hesitation. A dirty joke after she watches him take a bite, sure, though it ultimately does little to shatter the mutual good cheer. Maybe I could give that a try. Minus the dirty joke, of course.

Mutsumi and Nene do something smart. Strength in numbers. They give Takatoshi their Valentines together. Not a hint of awkwardness to be found. Huh. Maybe having a wingman would make this easier. Shino's the first to come to mind, but I decide against it once I find her. The president is just standing there, staring at Takatoshi from a second-story window while every inch of her body quakes uncontrollably. I'll pass. We're both on our own.

Maybe I really should've just given him these chocolates this morning at the house. The only thing that had really stopped me was the fact that Uomi beat me to it. She'd already been cooking breakfast in the kitchen, which wasn't unusual, when me, Kotomi, and Takatoshi came downstairs. Long story, short, she fed Takatoshi her chocolates at the table. While sitting on his lap. Well, until Takatoshi pushed her off, that is. But she fed him the rest of it while settling for sitting in the chair next to him, all as I watched. All as Kotomi was distracted by a grand slam breakfast. I swear, the crafty witch looked right at me and smiled as my cheeks swelled angrily with pancakes and bacon.

Finally, I get the idea to just slip my box of chocolates in his locker with my name on it, and then call it a day. It's unlocked, luckily, but before I can place it between some binders, I'm stopped by the clearing of a throat to my right. Hesitantly, I pan my head past the open locker door to see who it is.

"Going through someone else's locker is against the rules." Oh, God. It's her.

"Miss Yokoshima," I say. "Wait just a second. I can explain everything." There's more panic in my voice than I'd care to admit.

Ousai's resident English teacher is just staring at me. Glowering, more like it, with hands at her hips. I've come to understand this as her attempt at some pose of authority, but the look on her face is more dominance-oriented than anything. I hate that I know what dominance implies, and I hate the Grail for feeling the need to include this knowledge during acclimation. Why, though? That's got to mean this era must be bursting at the seams with lewdness and vulgarity. I'm hoping to God, however, that it's more of a curve scenario; where a few bad apples are just spoiling the whole bunch. Hell, Takatoshi and Suzu are here.

And Kaede, and the teachers — minus one. Plus Chiri from Judo Club, and that Mori girl from Eiryou . . .

Shit. That's a terrible ratio, now that I think about it. Especially when considering the blatant salacity I've overheard from basically half the girls in Ousai when they're snickering amongst themselves in the halls.

I must have been lost in thought longer than I realized, because now Miss Yokoshima's face is an inch away from mine. "So where's this explanation of yours?" she demands.

A heavy groan dribbles from my lips. There's no choice now. "I'm trying to put these chocolates in Takatoshi's locker," I mutter. "I can't give it to him in person, okay?"

"Oh, it's just for Valentine's Day!" She bursts into laughter while patting me really hard on the shoulder. "And here I thought you were trying to find some of Tsuda's socks and undies to play with."

What.

"You can't be serious."

"But I'm definitely delirious! Now, out of my way!" Before I know it, she's got her whole head and both hands in Takatoshi's locker. All the while, she's grumbling about possibly not having this opportunity ever again, and cursing the lack of clothes to sniff. Dude.

There's another sound of the clearing of a throat to our right. We look past the locker door to see Takatoshi frowning at us both. "Please leave my things alone," he says.

I look over at Yokoshima. She's got an expression on her face that's hard to describe. Maybe if I were to look in a mirror right now, I'd have a better chance at describing it, because it feels like the exact same expression is on my own face. Yokoshima is the first of us to speak, but it comes out as more like high-pitched, incoherent babbling at lightspeed. Eventually, she just decides to pin the blame on me, and runs off into the distance.

Now I'm staring dumbstruck at Takatoshi, who's just looking tired and incredulous. Some of his school supplies are at my feet, so I put them back into his locker before anything else. It's only when Takatoshi steps up beside me to more properly put his stuff back into place that I realize how much I'm shaking. "Well," he starts. "I'm going to assume that whatever that was all about, it was all Miss Yokoshima's doing."

I try to gulp, but my throat is dry as a bone. "Yes, and no," I manage to say. Now he's looking right at me, and I freeze. Suddenly, I jump a few steps back, bow my head down, and hold up the chocolates to him at arm's length. "Happy Valentine's Day, Takatoshi. This is all I wanted to do. I swear."

I don't hear anything from him for an excruciating eternity. In the end, I'm able to look him in the eye when I hear his trademark chuckle. "Thanks, Pendragon." That's all he says. Cool. I'm bad with sentiments, anyway.

His face is abruptly overtaken by confusion at the same time that I hear a pitiable wail start behind me. Spinning around, I'm met by Shino. She's utterly devastated, and barely able to hold up her box of Valentine's Day chocolates.

"So I'm really the last one this year?" she sobs.

"Oh Shino," I say. Despite this turn of events, she accepts my hug and proceeds to bawl her eyes out.