Here it is, the 120th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released a little early for a special reason. That is because this is the special Valentine's Day chapter that thanks to the whole impromptu four chapter Hot Pot Party arc actually fell into place perfectly and even comes out after the 6th School Briefs book, which a small part of this chapter is based off, came out in English so everything has fallen into place for it and there's no needed to say anymore about it. The only administrative thing to add is that for the first time since it lost the record around chapter 77, this story now holds my personal word count record and will continue to hold it for the foreseeable future as the previous holder is a completed story and only one of my current active stories has the potential to break it one day but that won't come for a very long time I predict. However, that is all the administrative stuff that I have for now and there are no guest reviews to respond to or questions to answer so I will end this note here. Do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all. That is all I have for this pre chapter note so that means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 120th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 120: Valentine's Chocolate
Marinette was working at her desk as the female kwamis did their own things around her room thinking what make Adrien for Valentine's Day. It was coming up in two days' time and she was at a loss for what to make him for it as unlike in the past she was actually dating him now, well she had been last year too but they'd been preparing for U.A. so they'd been too busy, so she was at a loss.
As she pondered her predicament, the kwamis minus Kaalki who was still with Momo were trying to help with suggestions from time to time before returning to whatever they were doing, when the knock came on her door. That instantly got the kwamis to hide and as soon as they were hidden Marinette turned in her chair and looked to the door. She wasn't sure who it was but given that it was late and what was coming up she had a very good idea she knew who it was.
"Come on it." Marinette called out to the door. "Ochaco."
"Huh, I guess it wasn't that hard to guess that it was me without saying anything." Ochaco said with a smile as she quickly opened the door and closed it behind her so that Mina didn't show up and annoy her given that girl's love radar. "Sorry to bother you Marinette but, well…"
"Given what's coming up and what I know you're the most likely one to have come here tonight though I wouldn't have put it past any of the other girls for that matter as I am the one with a boyfriend." Marinette said with a smile as Ochaco made her way to the chaise and Marinette got out her white noise generator for her private chats to ensure that Jiro didn't listen in on them and waited until it was on to address the obvious. "So, you want to do something for Midoriya given what is coming up but are conflicted with the whole locked away feelings and don't know what to do. Am I in the ballpark?"
"Pretty much." Ochaco said with a sigh as she'd been dealing with this conundrum all day and just needed advice on how to proceed hence why she had come to Marinette. "I'm not sure what you know about Valentine's Day in Japan but it's actually a little different to how it is in the west."
Marinette looked confused at that, and it confirmed to Ochaco that she wasn't aware of the slight tweaking that Japan had made to the holiday. Well, that tweak would still require Marinette's help, so Ochaco didn't mind explaining it even if it wasn't the full reason why she came to Marinette for advice.
She's come to her friend for advice because Valentine's Day was coming up and in Japan it was more female centric with them taking the initiative for those they love, as well as platonic friends, a way to thank kindness, and female friends, and, well, even if it was locked away Ochaco couldn't deny that she was a girl in love. As such those locks on her heart were weakened around such a day and so she needed advice on what to do and who better to ask than the only girl who knew that Ochaco was in love with Deku and who also helpfully had a boyfriend of her own so understood romance well.
Ochaco's conundrum was that she really wanted to do something for Deku, something involving the Japanese tradition on Valentine's Day, but she didn't want him to realize it was her as that would jeopardize the reason behind the lock she'd place on her heart. That and if she did try without any cover her secret might be blown hence why she had come to Marinette to see if she could help on this front.
"How is it different?" Marinette asked. "I'll admit I was confused when I saw that it was celebrated here as it is rooted in western Christian tradition, I mean it is the feast day of Saint Valentine after all even if that aspect of it is pretty much nonexistent these days."
"It's different because it's been adapted in a different way here." Ochaco explained. "You see in traditional Japanese culture there aren't many holidays that are designed to express romantic love between the genders, so when one that is specifically tailored to that come over from the west it got embraced in a way."
"Ah." Marinette said. "Yeah, that's not something I knew I'll admit. I've tried to adapt and understand the culture here but there are subtle nuances that I am still learning about."
"Don't worry, it's just how it is here." Ochaco said. "Valentine's Day is all about romantic love so in Japan we adapted it to fit the need for a day like that but rather than it be all about couples, on Valentine's Day here it's focused on the girl's love."
"How so?" Marinette asked now confused. "I know back home it is more common for a girl to get a lot of Valentines compared to a guy but back home it's always been more on the male initiating side as that's how our culture is."
"And that's the thing, unlike in the west where it does seem to be more with the girl receiving the Valentines, here that is not only uncommon unless it is a same sex couple, at least for the romantic stuff, but almost taboo in a way though it does happen between close friends I think." Ochaco said surprising Marinette. "Rather, the purpose of Valentine's Day in Japan is for a girl to express her romantic feelings for the guy she likes."
"Ah I see, I'll let Adrien know that though surely he can do the same for me." Marinette said. "It is more couple centric in the west and we do want to do something together on it."
"It's your culture and you are a couple so no one would mind." Ochaco said. "But there is actually a day he can return the favor in Japan, White Day."
"White Day?" Marinette asked confused.
"White day is on the March 14th, one month after Valentine's Day and is when men give the reciprocal chocolate for what they got on Valentine's Day." Ochaco explained. "White I think comes from how originally it was white chocolate given and I think that that's got something to do with the confection industry, but I can't recall. Basically, though, that is the reciprocal day for men."
"Got it I'll let Adrien know, it will be a good way to celebrate two days of love together." Marinette said understanding now. "And of course, your issue is that you want to make some chocolate for Midoriya because as much as your feelings are locked away you can't deny them and with a day like Valentine's Day it all comes up to the surface no matter how hard to try to keep them buried."
"Pretty much." Ochaco admitted. "Thanks to you I've accepted that I love Deku but it's not time yet to tell him, we must focus on our goals first. However, I can't deny that giving him chocolates is something I really want to do but I want to do so in such a way that he doesn't know it's me if that makes sense."
"Ah the old secret admirer gift slip, I know that well." Marinette said with a smile. "Brings back some old, embarrassing, memories for me."
"You do?" Ochaco asked confused.
"I do, I was that with Adrien for the longest time but never managed to give him anything." Marinette said as she flushed at the memory of how she'd been. "And, well, my actions were admittedly unacceptable with what I did to try and get his attention or tell him how I felt about him. If the genders had been reversed it would have been really unacceptable, not that it's acceptable if it's a woman doing the stalking mind you that's just as bad, if not worse as it doesn't get taken seriously at times, but yes it wasn't my best days. I'm really glad I'm over it now but I can't deny that it wasn't a good look to have Adrien's schedule memorized and written in my room."
"Oh ok." Ochaco said unsure what to say to that.
"Don't worry, we're really good now as you can tell." Marinette said. "Anyway, I know a thing or two about secrecy with a love interest and Quirks will help in preserving it, especially yours. What you need is a distraction."
"Distraction?" Ochaco asked.
"Yup a distraction." Marinette said with a nod. "Basically, we need to do something as a class on Valentine's Day to distract people and get the class, or at least Midoriya, down to the common room for an extended period of time. From there you can slip off to the bathroom and then float to his balcony and slip into his room to leave your chocolates for him. Mother nature's gift to us will be a good excuse."
"True the boys wouldn't question that excuse while the girls will just give sympathy." Ochaco agreed though she'd only rely on that if it came to it. "And I think I know a way we could facilitate this distraction."
"How so?" Marinette asked.
"While Valentine's Day was initially about romantic love it has morphed and grown since then." Ochaco said. "Nowadays there are what we call just-friend chocolates, those are always specified when given, as well as what they call galentines these days which is chocolate between female friends."
"Ah yes we have both of those back in Paris as well." Marinette said recalling how she and the girls used to do that stuff with each other on Valentine's day. "Also explains why Mineta's been such a gentleman lately."
"He wants the romantic stuff, but I know the girls have been muttering about doing some just-friend chocolates for the class and some stuff between us." Ochaco said. "Which would be nice on its own."
"It would be, and I happen to know a thing or two about chocolate as a baker's daughter." Marinette said as she got an idea for how this would work. "Ok let's do it."
"You have an idea?" Ochaco asked.
"When it comes to stuff like this, I have many complicated and convoluted ideas though at least this time it's just us and no flower-based code names that get confusing when the girl called Rose isn't the same as the girl with the codename Rose for the operation." Marinette said completely confusing Ochaco but before the brunette could question it Marinette continued. "So, here's the plan. First…"
Ochaco listened and nodded as Marinette explained it to her. It was a great idea for sure and with Marinette it would work perfectly, avoid the boys annoying them during it, and be a great surprise for the class when it was done. The other girls wouldn't even mind and the only issue was when Ochaco would get her moment to make Deku his romantic chocolates, but she trusted Marinette to ensure that they got that moment. Right now, though, she and Marinette planned what would be a fun girl's day before the Valentine's party for Class 1-A.
"Alright ladies, you've got the run of the place for the afternoon just make sure that you clean up when you're done as this is the personal kitchen for my staff." Fei, in her manager outfit and mode, said to the girls as they filed into the kitchen in the bakery's communal third level for the staff who worked there. "This does belong to the Dupain-Cheng family hence why I have no problem with you using it but do be respectful of the people who actually call it home."
"Of course, we'll make sure that it's spotless when we are done." Marinette said with a bow to Fei in thanks for it as the other girls did the same with the bags they'd brought for this in their hands. "Thank you for allowing us to use this space."
"No problem but now I must go, it is Valentine's Day and I do run an authentic French maid and butler café so today is packed with reservations, it's going to be a great day for our profits." Fei said as she turned to leave. "I'll leave Dupain-Cheng in charge for obvious reasons."
It wasn't just that this was technically Marinette's place that she was in charge, she was after all the leader of the girls, and this involved baking to some extent, so it made complete sense that she take charge. Still, it was nice of Fei to lend them the area for what they needed.
After Marinette's chat with Ochaco she'd gathered the girls the next day at lunch and had proposed the idea of friend chocolates for all of the class as well as some galentines for each other which the others all agreed to at once. To add to it Marinette had proposed that they use her family's bakery in town to hide away from the guys to surprise them and have a girls' day in the process as well as she knew how to make the chocolates thanks to her baking.
She wasn't as good with just straight chocolate but they were going to be making baked items like cake, macaroons, and other such chocolate confections to make it a whole affair so she'd be really useful there. Plus, they didn't bother Sato for help on the chocolate front though all of them were going to make him some just-friend chocolate to thank him for all his cooking.
As such, when Valentine's Day rolled around, thankfully on a day off for all of them, they'd filled out the permission forms to leave campus and then headed into town as soon as they were approved. From there they bought the supplies that they needed and headed to the bakery. Marinette had already gotten permission from Fei to use the private quarter's kitchen and so they'd been led up to this room to begin the prep work for what was to come.
"Alright first things first is we've got to get the stove going." Marinette said as she led the girls into the kitchen. "And then decide how we will do this. Probably best to divide this up into pairs as I supervise and instruct you."
"What do you mean Marinette?" Momo asked as they gathered in the kitchen.
"To maximize efficiency and amount it's best to dived into teams for this." Marinette said. "And when it comes to the baked goods stuff, we can make a wider selection if we're in teams."
"Just let us know what you need us to do." Jiro said. "We trust you Marinette."
"Thank you, Kyoka, this will work I know it." Marinette said as she examined the kitchen, thankfully it had a few stations in it to allow for more than one person to cook on a stove at a time and turned them on. "Ochaco and Tsu, Toru and Mina, and Momo and Kyoka, that will be the pairs for this. Momo we need a few sets of oven mitts, best to use our own there, and some heat resistant boards. I'll heat the water the rest of you get a medium sized bowl but don't put the chocolate in them just yet."
"Aren't we just melting them at the stove?" Mina asked as Marinette got three large metal bowl out of a cupboard, filled them with water part way and put them on the stoves to heat up while the others got the smaller bowls out, trust a bakery to have the right sized items for something like this even in the residential quarters and Momo made what was needed. "What does water have to do with it?"
"No, that could make the chocolate boil which will affect the flavor negatively." Marinette explained as she left the water to heat and set up three workstations on the kitchen table in this part of the room. "Tempering chocolate is a fine art that must be done correctly and at the right temperatures to be just right. That's why we're going with the hot water method as it is easier to keep things optimal that way. Momo, we need spatulas as well to stir the chocolate to ensure that it is consistent when it melts."
"On it." Momo said making what she needed as the other girls went to their stations and got the wholesale chocolate they'd bought, basically just standard milk chocolate you'd get at a store though they'd also gotten some dark chocolate as well to mix things up, and put them by the stations as Marinette made sure the water was hot enough. "Now what."
"Now we start." Marinette said as she put on a pair of oven mitts and picked up the first one and placed it on the pad that Momo had set up for herself and Jiro. "Place the smaller bowl in the water and then add the chocolate slowly to it bit by bit so that it melts slowly and steadily while stirring at a good pace the entire time to make sure that it all melts. Keep an eye on the water temperature and get more from the bowl on the stove I'll sort out as needed."
The other girls nodded at that as Marinette set up the other stations for them and in short order the rich, delicious, scent of chocolate filled the air as they got to the work. As this was happening Marinette set up a smaller bowl set for herself on the third stove that she hadn't turned off, turning off the second when it was time, to ensure that they had a source of hot water to keep the temperatures in the other bowls though she turned down the stove to keep it hot without boiling it. She'd be in charge of this part and kept an eye on it and the chocolate that the girls were working with.
Marinette would of course be making her own chocolates in a bit but those for Adrien only, an actual batch of romantic chocolate for him, so she wanted to do those on her own and had even gotten the necessary molds for it. Well, that and it was going to be the ruse to keep Ochaco here as she'd gotten more than just one set of necessary molds in other styles under the guise of not knowing which would work and needing one assistant for it. In reality it was to help Ochaco out as they had their ulterior plan for this worked out to the last detail.
That would come though, first they had to make sure that the chocolates for the class, both the kinds they'd give the other boys as just-friend chocolate and the stuff for each other were ready before Marinette got to work on her own stuff but that was for later. This was their girl time, and it was a lot of fun for them especially as they got the chocolate to melt and began stirring it into the right consistency for the molds and what not. Of course this did have the unintended consequences of getting chocolate on their hands that they of course had to sample.
It was as delicious as expected and soon they were sampling it more though Momo made sure to make the necessary spoons for it so that they could do it properly with the right amount of etiquette for the situation. That and it was actually better to do so that way as it allowed for a simple taste without going too far.
"I must say this is rather lovely." Momo admitted as they worked having just sampled some of the chocolate she and Jiro had been melting. "Friends giving each other chocolate, I'd never have thought of that. Certainly a western tradition that has its perks."
"It's a little different in the west." Marinette said as she monitored the work to ensure things were going smoothly. "But the concepts are the same and the whole galentines stuff is still there as well. I would always do some special stuff with my girlfriends back home so I love that I can share this with my girlfriends here as well."
"Totally, I'm more stoked for the stuff between us than giving it to the boys." Toru said though there was one boy she wouldn't admit to wanting to give some special chocolates too but she wasn't there yet. "That's where the real fun is."
"I never really got into this back in middle school." Jiro admitted as she stirred the chocolate. "All the other girls were though, and they always put so much effort into their work, but I never understood the big deal. I also didn't have a crush, still don't, so I guess I couldn't understand without that."
"I guess because so many would do it even as just friends that you wanted to make sure that your stuff was the best." Toru said with a shrug that they only knew she was giving because of her clothes. "Especially with the romantic stuff, you'd want to make sure the guy you were giving it to, or gal if you swung that way, knew how much hard work and time went into it. That way he or she would know that you really cared for them."
"True." Ochaco said thinking of what her plans were when Marinette called the break and how much she wanted to make sure that Deku's personal chocolates were the best that he had that day.
"Oh, thinking of someone in particular Uraraka?" Mina asked with a grin as Ochaco had just agreed with Toru before she started to stare off into space.
"What no just thinking on what Toru said." Ochaco said shaking her head and fighting down a blush as she got back to her chocolate. "About the effort and what not. I've never made chocolates before, I never had a reason to in junior high as I was so focused on getting int U.A., but now I get why girls try to make sure they're the best and besides, it's not like the rest of the class won't be getting them from girls around campus who aren't in our class. We are the Hero Course after all."
"True you have Todoroki who's bound to get some romantic ones after that interview which got him a lot of attention." Jiro said. "Or Midoriya after he was on TV rescuing Eri. Then there are just the friends one that some might get for helping out or for just being in the Hero Course. It's going to happen."
"Well, any girl trying to give Adrien some romantic ones had better have nerves of steel." Marinette said her tone sweet but the other girls all understood the underlying message there, which also served to help avoid anyone noticing how worried Ochaco had gotten at the idea of Midoriya getting more chocolates that were of the romantic and not just-friends kind. "And a hypothetically massive set of titanium stones, especially if any dare to do so in front of me. I may have gotten over my jealousy issues now that I'm with him, but I will defend my man against any floosy who tries."
"I think your safe there Marinette." Momo said though she did know a little more than most about Marinette's struggles with jealousy in the past, but she was sure that her friend was ok now. "Most of the school did see you share a very passionate kiss with Adrien during the School Festival. You made it very clear then who he belonged to."
"I'll admit that that wasn't my overall plan, I just wanted you two to share something with us as we've shared so much with you but never asked for it in return." Jiro said. "Though the kiss did make sense and really sealed the song at the end."
"That it did and totally worth the extreme training Mr. Aizawa out us through for a good week afterwards." Marinette said with a smile. "And any of those floosies who might think about it now know that he's mine."
"I really don't want to see what would happen if someone tried to get between you two." Toru said with a shudder. "We all know how strong you are Marinette."
"Oh, I've had my share of rivals in the past but I won so that's all that matters." Marinette said as she looked over the melted chocolate that the other girls were working on. "And besides, no one can compare to my chocolate so I'm safe. My old insecurities don't exist anymore."
The others got that. Marinette was the only one of them with a boyfriend so she was actually properly making romantic chocolates for him, when they were done with the group chocolate, but none would deny that Agreste was a fine specimen of a man. Other than Todoroki he was probably the hottest guy in the class, maybe more so as he was fully European which added some exoticism to him, but he was very clearly taken and as much in love with Marinette as she was with him. of course only Momo knew exactly what Marinette had meant at the end and as such decided to slightly change the subject.
"I can understand the hard work thing that Hagakure mentioned though." Momo said. "When I make my tea, it is a careful balance of many things to get the brew just right, so I really like it when you love it though I do get a little disappointed in just a simple 'yum' at some of my blends."
"Your tea is always amazing Yao-Momo." Mina said with a grin. "I never knew it could be so varied before you introduced it to us."
"Yeah, it's great." Jiro said. "The stuff you did for the band was unreal and making the special stuff for Agreste and myself that helped soothe vocal cords was unreal."
"Though I know exactly who you're talking about with the 'yum' feedback." Toru said. "Kirishima, Kaminari, and Todoroki. All are so bland with their responses. Like come on guys Yao-Momo makes great tea, Marinette and Sato bake amazing sweets, how hard it is to say more than just 'yum' at them?"
"I'm fine with it." Marinette said. "Some of the guys just aren't expressive so making stuff that they like is enough for me and that's what they are saying with 'yum'. I can live with that as a successful baked good. Others though, well they're restaurant level critics with the stuff I make so they more than make up for the simple feedback."
"Midoriya." Jiro said. "He's unreal with his analysis of Yao-Momo's tea or the baked goods. A bit long winded but that's Midoriya for you."
"Deku's amazing at that kind of thing though." Ochaco said before quickly adding as she felt Mina's head snap to her, so she needed to try and cover for it. "He's had a lot of experience after all what with how much he analyzes Quirks and heroes so it's just a transfer of skills to assessing how things taste."
"He does have a discerning palate." Marinette agreed. "He noted that Sato used maple syrup in his cake the other day, something I didn't suggest or would do as that stuff is a little too North American for my personal tastes, but it really did enhance the flavor and richen the taste on a deeper level that I hadn't expected. It's also a very sugary substance so I understand why Sato used it."
"Yes, Midoriya didn't really get the whole tea thing at first, but he was eager to learn more, so I helped teach him the subtleties of the tea leaf and now he's almost at my own level of analysis of tea." Momo said with a hint of pride at teaching it as she always got proud being able to share and educate her friends in her own passions just as they shared theirs with her. "It makes the whole thing worthwhile."
"In terms of non-expert critiques Midoriya is the best." Marinette agreed. "Always good to get that perspective as those of us with the expertise don't always understand something the way that a those who we make it for will see it, so I relish the detailed analysis and it helps Sato improve his own skills as well. I can give my own tips, but they are the professional side, the customer side so to speak is just as important."
"No one is at your level with baked goods Marinette." Jiro pointed out which as they were above her family's bakery only added to it. "I remember how you were with that cake when we learned that you really knew your stuff when it came to baking."
"It was so professional." Ochaco said recalling the delicious chiffon cake Sato had made on dorm move in day.
"Well, it is my family's business." Marinette said. "So, understanding it is important. Still, even I can make mistakes as Bakugo shows. He picked up on when I added just a little too much sugar to my last cake batch which was out of balance with the eggs and flowers in it thus throwing the flavor off ever so slightly. Same with that burned cake of Sato's, it was so small that only a truly professional or discerning palate could pick it up."
"I get what you mean." Momo said with a nod. "Bakugo doesn't often come to my tea parties for the class but when he does, he speaks him mind about what I make and can even tell the difference between different flushes of tea. It can be harsh but it was good to hear that I'd messed up the other day and let the tea steep for a moment too long causing it to be slightly bitter which he picked up on. It was good feedback to improve but it was coming from Bakugo and he's not the nicest when he critiques something."
"Just his way I suppose, at least he still enjoys it." Marinette said. "In his own way."
"He really tries with your stuff though." Jiro pointed out. "As if he's trying to find something wrong with them."
"Probably is." Marinette said. "I'm the one person in the class he's not truly been able to best and who has the ability to best him, it's why he considers me his equal, so he's got to try against me in everything. We'll settle it when we can of course."
"That's a battle I want to see." Toru said. "And your one against the girls of Class 1-B."
"In time, we have a lot going on, but training is training." Marinette said. "And I'll take it from anyone. First is Kendo and the girls of Class 1-B, that we're going to do soon I think so I can't wait for it."
"That is how it should be and Bakugo may be overly critical and harsh but at least he gives solid feedback." Momo said. "Could be worse as he makes sure I can improve."
"Er guys, this is good and all, but shouldn't we be focused on the chocolate?" Tsu said as some of them had been a little distracted. "Marinette did say that temperature was important with them."
"You are correct Tsu." Marinette said with a nod. "Back to work ladies."
"Yes ma'am." Mina said with a grin as they got back to work.
They devolved into general chatter about a variety of things ranging from how Mineta's attitude had been over the last week with Valentine's Day approaching to their current training regimes and work studies as they worked to make sure the chocolate was ready before they moved onto the creation of the items. For this Marinette had a plan as well and they made a collection of chocolate-based confections like cakes, truffles, fondant, and of course Marinette's signature macaroons which she insisted on doing alone and last but would use the chocolate they'd worked with for them.
"Right, that should be it for now." Marinette said as they finished the baking and making sure that the chocolates were in the right molds and what not. "We need to chill them both to preserve them and get them to the right temperature for decorations so take a break ladies. I've got to work on the macaroons and make some stuff for Adrien though I could use some assistance with the clean up so any volunteers?"
"I'll help." Ochaco said a shade too quickly which really got Mina's attention as her love senses perked up around her favorite class ship.
"Thanks, Ochaco." Marinette said. "That would be great, the rest of you can take a break for a few hours before coming back for the fine work needed to finish off the pastries."
"A splendid idea Marinette." Momo said with a nod as she began to usher the other girls out. "We'll go make some tea for you two and make sure that things are good back on campus as who knows what some of our class have gotten up to while we were away."
"Yes, who knows what that pervert has been up too, ribbit." Tsu said as she helped and made sure that Mina left. "It's Valentine's Day and if he doesn't get what he wants who knows what kind of breakdown he'll have."
"I can stay and help as well." Mina volunteered. "You are making romantic chocolates for Agreste, Marinette, so I could really get my heartstrings stummed by this."
"Yeah I don't mind." Toru added, she may not be the captain of the ship or as big a fan of love by proxy as Mina was, but she was very much the first mate on the Midoriya x Uraraka ship that at this point the whole class knew was in harbor, but the two morons hadn't raised anchor yet. "We can be of use for this."
"Now, now you too Marinette has some special work for Adrien to do." Momo said as she helped push the two other girls out. "She's trusting Ochaco with helping her so let it be. I'm sure next time she needs help she'll ask you two."
"Yeah, besides it's Valentine's Day Mina." Tsu added. "Think of all the love on campus right now and that will be fresh as this is just Marinette making chocolates not actually giving them."
"Oh right that, yes let's go see it." Mina said realizing that she would get to see more direct romance right now and hurrying out though she wasn't going to give up on this just yet and she and Toru would confront Marinette over it when they had a moment. "Let's see who in the class has gotten chocolates."
The other girls just sighed or nodded at that as they left though as Momo and Tsu were aware of Ochaco's feelings for Midoriya, she'd told them back after the Hassaikai raid when they'd had a private girls' night for the raid girls in Momo's room after it, so they knew exactly what was being planned even if they hadn't been looped in on it. Ochaco needed privacy so they'd give it to her and return to campus for a few hours.
"Alright good." Marinette said once they were alone and she pulled out the molds and other things, including more chocolate for the romantic stuff that they had planned for their respective loves. "Now, what do you have in mind?"
"Well, er, I was thinking just simple chocolates but, you know, in heart designs." Ochaco said as she blushed. "And while I'd like to do something All Might related this is a romantic gesture so just stick with the hearts and anything you might recommend for now. I'm not sure about etchings though."
"We've got more than enough chocolate so we can work around that." Marinette said as she created an item to etch chocolate that appeared after a flash of pink sparkles. "So, let's start with…"
Ochaco listened and added her own opinions as they planned the chocolates for their respective loves. Then it was onto the prep work and making the chocolate, which they set too quickly as they had to get it done before the others returned. Hopefully they had a good break as Marinette and Ochaco set to work.
The quintet of girls certainly had an interesting break as they ended up on their own little adventure when a girl from one of the other courses wearing glasses, who they'd dubbed Glasses Girl as they didn't get her name, approached them and asked them to give the, as she put it, Prince Charming of Class 1-A, her chocolate that she'd made for him. It was for helping her out and came off as more than just-friend chocolate, so the girls' interests were peaked, and they instantly went about trying to find who it was.
They'd start with Aoyama as he came off as the most Prince Charming like, well he and Agreste and they had to ask the latter as well, but neither had helped such a girl. That was good with the latter as none of them wanted to deal with Marinette's annoyance though Agreste did get a fair bit of just-friend chocolate, the cards and notes were very clear, for his performance at the School Festival that many of the girls in the other courses had loved. For that matter so did Jiro and Marinette though the former accepted them for the latter as Marinette wasn't with them.
That was just a distraction on their quest though and they quickly resumed it as they realized that they needed to check all the boys in their class to see who had gotten Glasses Girl's attention. Mineta, thankfully, was crossed off quickly as he kept acting way to polite and respectful seeking his romantic chocolate, as was Kaminari who was with him at the time, so they continued. They also had to flee as Mineta went into a rage when he saw the romantic chocolate was for someone in their class, so they hurried away.
After that they tracked down the rest of the class but unfortunately none of them had helped a glasses wearing girl that they could remember. Ojiro was getting a lot of just-friend chocolates for helping people out, the girls were very clear on that which annoyed him, but Toru was very secretly pleased deep down on that front, though others in the class got it as well it seemed.
They even got a chance to talk to some of the Class 1-B boys who were annoyed that the girls in their class weren't even doing the whole just-friends thing, we'll all but Kuroiro who had really wanted some from Komori as he had a crush on her, and were jealous of Class 1-A's girls doing this for the guys in their own class. That was just a minor distraction on the way though as they continued to hunt for the prince charming that Glasses Girl thought was in their class.
Unfortunately, it seemed like they'd not find him as even Todoroki, their top suspect who was carrying a big box of chocolate that he was really confused with because, to quote him, 'random girls just kept giving him chocolate today and he didn't know why' hadn't helped a girl like that out. That had been when the girls were with Ida, Midoriya, and Agreste so he'd given them some store-bought chocolate as a token of their friendship which sparked them all heading to a store to sort some simple stuff out and right before Mineta appeared again having escaped Momo's net.
He was a right state by this point but that was also the moment that Glasses Girl reappeared and revealed that they were actually for Mineta because he'd helped her with her glasses which was also why he'd not realized that he was the one. That was a shock to everyone, especially Mineta, who took it the wrong way and presumed that the girl wanted to be with him. That caused him to go on such a sexually explicit rant that even the hardest of hardcore adult sights would be impressed by it while everyone was deeply disturbed by his words.
That got his chocolates taken away and a massive slap from Glasses Girl which he more that deserved and led to his own increased confusion at the situation. The girls just left him however as this little side mission had distracted them long enough to return to the bakery for the decorating and then the surprise chocolate party that night.
Naturally during this entire time Marinette and Ochaco knew none of this as they worked together on their own romantic chocolates with Marinette helping make sure that Ochaco's were perfect as they came up with the fine details of the plan for Ochaco to get them to Midoriya that night. It was a fun time for the girls and for a few hours Ochaco allowed her feelings to come out of the box she'd locked them in as she worked with Marinette and discussed her love for Deku while she did the same about Adrien.
Thankfully, they finished all this before the girls got back and Marinette hid Ochaco's work with her own as the others returned to tell their tale of what they'd been up to. Mina and Toru were naturally curious about all this but they had their own plan for getting Marinette to talk which they'd implement soon enough. For now they had to add the final touches to their chocolate and then surprise the guys. They were all looking forward to that.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Mina yelled as the girls returned to the common room several hours after leaving to make the chocolates carrying a chocolate cake as the other girls followed in behind her with their own stuff to surprise the guys, all but Mineta who was sulking in his room after what had happened earlier and Bakugo who was already in bed were present in the common room, with their just-friend chocolates. "We made chocolate!"
That instantly got all the boy's attention as they turned and watched the girls walk in and set up their chocolate on one of the tables. They all knew that this was just friend chocolate, but they didn't mind as they gathered around it because they were all friends and comrades here.
"Woah the cakes look great." Sato said as Ida went and got plates and cutlery so that they could all enjoy them together. "Where did you make them though?"
"My bakery." Marinette said simply. "It does belong to my family so I can use it if need be. We just needed permission to go off campus to use it."
"During the day?" Sato asked as the guys began to help themselves and thank the girls profusely with promises to make it up to them on White Day in a month's time which the girls were more than looking forward to. "How?"
"Well actually it was the kitchen in the apartment area above it where the staff lives as part of their employment but same thing basically only less industrial." Marinette said with a shrug. "The manager let me work there with the girls so that we could surprise you all with this."
"Yes, this is a great surprise." Ida said with a bow. "Thank you."
"Oh man this is really good." Izuku said as he sampled the chocolate cake. "Really well balanced with not too much chocolate in it."
"Hmm yes this is as good as I could make it." Sato said having some himself. "So, I presume that Dupain-Cheng didn't make this one."
"I merely instructed where I could." Marinette said with a smile. "I had my own chocolate to make so the girls made the bulk of what we're enjoying tonight."
With that Marinette pulled her backpack off her shoulder and reached into it as she turned to Adrien. He'd given her something at the start of the day as was tradition in western cultures for Valentine's Day, but Marinette had said that she'd give him what she had for him that night. Now he understood why as she held out a pink heart shaped box that contained a mix of macaroons and chocolates with engravings of their love on them to her boyfriend as the class watched which did cause Marinette to blush a little at the attention, but she ignored it as she gave Adrien her chocolates.
"Ma amour, pour toi en ce jour spécial." Marinette said as she switched to their native French, which Momo and Aoyama would translate later though only Momo understood the deeper meaning of it. "Nous avons traversé tellement de choses ensemble et je ne serais pas ici sans toi ni notre amour ensemble. Je t'aime de tout mon coeur."
"Merci, bugaboo." Adrien said with a smile as he took the chocolates and stuck with French as well as it made the most sense and this was their love so their native language, the language of love, was the most appropriate one for this. "Je t'aime aussi, sans toi je ne sais pas comment je me serais adapté à nos vies ici sand toi. Tu tiens mon coeur, tu l'as toujours fait, dans cette vie et dans la suivante."
Marinette just smiled at that as Adrien took her hand and pulled her close while the class watched, and Momo and Aoyama both wept at the words though for Aoyama it was the beauty of the love coupled with his own guilt he'd finally managed to get over while for Momo it was what she knew about them. They of course ignored all this as Marinette got up on her toes to kiss Adrien in a quick but passionate embrace though she had enough sense not to deepen it in front of the class.
"Endroit habituel?" Adrien asked as she pulled away.
"Oui." Marinette said as she interlocked her fingers with his and they walked away.
"Wait hold on." Ida said as they left the common area. "Where are you…"
"Don't even try it." Mina said as she put herself in front of Ida with her arms crossed over her chest and was soon joined by Toru, Jiro, and even Momo this time around, as well as Aoyama for that matter, to stop Ida from going after them. "It's Valentine's Day and they are an actual couple so let them have this moment. Marinette was kind enough to help us make this chocolate and bake all of these sweets for you lot on the one day where she can truly express her love for Agreste and in their culture this day is a lot more than it is in ours so don't ruin it for them. I'll melt you if you try."
"Oui." Aoyama said with a nod. "Let zem enjoy zeir amor tonight."
"But the rules…" Ida began.
"Will be followed, they're not stupid so have some trust in them." Momo said. "Leave them be ok, they deserve this. One day the rest of us will understand that feeling so we should respect theirs right now."
"Fine." Ida said as he relented. "Just this once though."
"Yes, just this once." Momo said though no one believed that this was the first time and as she knew that Adrien had suggested going to their usual spot, she was sure that this was something they did regularly. "Now let's get back to the party."
Ida nodded as he turned back and everyone else just resumed the celebration while Mineta, who'd appeared during it at the scent of chocolate even if he didn't get what he wanted that day, well he did but his perverted mind ruined it, wept blood at what he'd seen because Agreste waws on lucky bastard in his book. The others respected it and let the couple have their moment as they enjoyed the party and friendship the chocolate represented though none of them noticed that said distraction had been perfect for Ochaco.
That was because the moment that Marinette had presented her chocolates and macaroons to Agreste, Ochaco had acted. They'd been over this before and Marinette had assured her that she'd create the needed distraction, which she did with her display of love, so that Ochaco could slip out to the girl's bathroom on that floor. If stopped Ochaco would use her period, which she wasn't one at the moment, as an excuse as it would deter any of the guys while garnering sympathy and understanding from the girls, but the distraction had ensured that she didn't need to use that excuse.
As such, once Ochaco got there, she quickly went into a stall and locked it. Then she made herself float to get out of said stall before moving through the air to the windows and opened one of them. They weren't that large, but they were wide enough for her to just about squeeze through as they had to be large enough for the steam from the communal bath to get out though with her ample bust it was a bit tight, which meant that Momo had no hope, and get out into the area behind the dorm.
From there she released her Quirk and quickly moved around to the boys side. She recalled that Deku's room had been between Mineta's and Aoyama's with the former's being the corner room at the back and on the second floor, so she quickly moved to that position and made herself float again. She had to be quick about it, so she leapt before using it so that she had the momentum to reach Deku's balcony and pull herself over before releasing her Quirk again.
Thankfully, she'd gotten it right as she saw the All Might curtains that he'd installed and breathed a sigh of relief that they were open as she went to the handle and gently pulled it open, thankfully he'd not locked his balcony either. She'd not seen the pervert earlier so he might be in his room, a sight she never wanted to see, so she had to be swift just in case though she didn't know that Mineta was now in the common room.
Regardless, she only opened the balcony door far enough to get in without an issue and to try and not let too much cold air into the room before she slipped into his room. It was in classic Deku fashion neat, organized, and a shrine to All Might. It was so him and made her heart swell and pound at it as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small, pink, heart shaped, box that Marinette had gotten using the cover of her own shopping for Agreste to conceal it and placed it in the center of Deku's pillow so that he'd not miss it when he went to bed after the party.
She then reached into her other pocket and pulled out a folded note. Marinette had suggested she write it as a trial run for a confession to him one day, as well as to not freak Deku out when he saw the chocolates, but to not sign her name which she did. Marinette had also advised Ochaco not to write anything that would give away her identity which meant not calling him Deku in it, so she'd done that, and Marinette had approved of the note.
"I'm sorry but this is the best I can for now." Ochaco whispered as she made sure the note was folded and then planted a small kiss on it before putting it on the box. "I can't let my feelings get in the way of your goal or mine so please accept this much. I love you Deku, and one day, when the time is right, I'll tell you how I feel."
With that Ochaco made sure that everything was set before she slipped out again in such a way as to not disturb things. She then closed the balcony door and vaulted off it, making herself float at the last moment to stop her fall and then releasing it to land safely on the ground. From there it was a simple manner of retracing her steps to get back to the dorm via the bathroom to avoid suspicion.
Thankfully the whole aftermath of Marinette and Adrien's departure was still going on, so Ochaco was able to slip back without anyone noticing and play off any questions as to why she'd missed it as really needing the bathroom while feigning her upset at missing the cute moment the class's couple had had. She'd know of Marinette's plan all along and that they were going to be on the roof between the sides for a cute, private, Valentine's night together and thus left them to it as the friendship party kicked off.
The rest of the night was simple and fun for Ochaco and the girls as they explained the chocolates they made, shared why they liked the guys in their class, as friends of course, and overall had a good time that further deepened their bonds of friendship and comradery. They even made sure to leave a little early to have a private girls galentine moment on their side of the common room where they gave each other the other chocolates that they'd made for it and chatted about the day, the adventure most had, and what they were looking forward to as the rest of the semester rolled on.
Overall, it was a good and fun day and while Ochaco would want it to be more in the future when she didn't have to lock away her feelings, she was content with it for now. Still, as she retired for the night, noting that Marinette had never reappeared for the girls' galentine but that was fine as she did have a boyfriend and had done so much for them today, so they'd give her their chocolates later and thank her for all that she'd done for them.
Throughout all this and even when they retired for the night Ochaco couldn't help but wonder what Deku thought of her chocolates when he saw them. The last thing that passed through her mind as she fell asleep, was a certain plain, freckled, green haired face filling her head, and a hope that Deku returned her love.
Izuku sighed as he opened the door to his room and closed it, his teeth clean after all the chocolate and pastries he'd enjoyed and more than ready for bed. It had been an interesting Valentine's Day, not a holiday he'd naturally enjoyed back in junior high but now that he actually had friends it was nice to enjoy it with them and the girls did put a lot of effort into making great chocolate for everyone so it had been a good time. He knew that he'd never get chocolate from a girl who actually liked him but that was ok with him, Izuku did have to focus on being a hero, so romance wasn't something he often thought about.
At least it wasn't something until he turned on the lights and noticed with a start that there was a small, pink, heart shaped box that was similar to the one that Dupain-Cheng had given Agreste only smaller on his pillow with a folded note on it. That had been something he'd not been expecting in the slightest and as nothing seemed disturbed, he had no idea how it had gotten there let alone who had done left it. Admittedly he'd not noticed who'd come and gone during the party, it was just a good time all around, so he couldn't even begin to fathom who it might be.
Still, he was very curious as to what was clearly, even to him, a romantic Valentine's Day chocolate was doing on his pillow. It was the last thing he'd expected, and he hoped to god that it wasn't Himiko Toga who seemed to be obsessed with him as there were a lot other issues with that, but he was still curious so he went over to the chocolate and looked at the note to see if it could give him a clue as to which of the 6 girls in his class it might be, if it was one of them that is. Well, there were 7 girls in the class but as Dupain-Cheng had a boyfriend she was automatically disqualified.
Izuku wouldn't admit it but there was one girl in particular who he wanted it to be from and she was the easiest to deduce so he nervously opened the note. However, the note didn't exactly help him at all.
I'm sorry that can't tell you who I am and because I know how dedicated you are I can't let my feelings for you get in the way of either of our goals at the moment but it is Valentine's Day so I couldn't resist making you some chocolates. This will have to serve as my confession for the moment until the time comes to properly tell you how I feel so here goes.
Izuku Midoriya, I love you; I love you with my whole heart and I hope that when the time is right to tell you in person that you share my feelings. Until then please enjoy these chocolates that I made for you and poured the love I for you that I've locked away into them.
That was it, there was nothing more to the note so Izuku was really confused by it all as he sat down on his bed and pulled the box into his lap and opened it. Inside were chocolates made in heart shapes with smaller hearts etched into them, so he picked one up and ate it. It was good, really good, better than the ones that he'd had downstairs though maybe it was because these had been made just for him that added to the taste.
Still, it meant a lot and that someone in his class loved him even if it really shocked him at the same time. He wasn't sure who it was and as the note said he really shouldn't let this get in the way of his goal to become a hero like All Might, his admirer was prioritizing her goal as well which he respected, so he wasn't going to dwell on it.
Regardless, just for tonight as it was Valentine's Day, he did allow his mind to think on who it could be as he ate the chocolates. In his heart, he knew exactly who he hoped it was and he smiled as he thought on a certain rosy cheeked brunette hoping that it was she who was in love with him.
Well there it is, a special Valentine's Day chapter though I'll leave it up to y'all's imagination what Adrien and Marinette's private moment was about. Other than that, Ochaco got a chance to give into her feelings on a day like this and give Izuku some chocolate and a note, hopefully in time she can properly confess to him. This was actually one of the big changes from the base source material for this chapter as I felt that Ochaco could have done this rather than the chapter just having the occasional reference to her crush (and relief that Izuku wasn't Glasses Girl's Prince Charming) but I still used that chapter for the base. The parts of this chapter drawn from the 2nd chapter of the 6th School Briefs book are the chocolate baking part but with Marinette as the instructor not Sato, and the overview I did for the whole hunt for Prince Charming. Other than that this was just a nice special chapter for this day as it all worked out. There will be one more chapter at least based off the 6th School Briefs book but that will come in time, for now we end here and there was a tease with what is up next in this chapter, which will come out on the normal day next week, as well. That is all I have for this chapter, so I'll leave it off here. As always, if you like it or have any questions please let me know in reviews or PMs, I will try to answer them as best I could and post any questions asked between uploads at the start of the next chapter and do follow and favorite this, so you are alerted to future uploads. Do keep the reviews coming as I like hearing from y'all as you enjoy my work, it motivates me to keep producing the best work I can for y'all to enjoy. Until next time.
Stringdog
