The hallway felt different.

  It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t chaotic.

  It was tense.

  Valentine’s Day tension.

  Kenji stood by the lockers holding a small, neatly wrapped box. His face had the expression of someone about to confess to a crime he hadn’t technically committed yet.

  Shun stood beside him, sipping a canned coffee.

  “Why are your hands shaking?” Shun asked.

  “They’re not shaking,” Kenji replied.

  They were absolutely shaking.

  Ayame pretended not to look, but she was looking.

  Naomi appeared at the end of the hallway, scrolling through her phone like nothing in the world could possibly surprise her.

  Kenji inhaled.

  “This is it.”

  He walked forward.

  “Naomi.”

  She looked up calmly. “Yes?”

  He thrust the box into her hands.

  “This is not a big deal. I didn’t spend three hours watching tutorials on how to temper chocolate properly. That would be ridiculous.”

  Naomi blinked.

  “…You made these.”

  “No.”

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  “…You absolutely did.”

  She opened the lid slightly.

  Inside were neatly shaped chocolates — tiny game controllers and music notes.

  Her lips curved upward.

  “You shaped them like controllers?”

  “Brand consistency,” Kenji said stiffly.

  Naomi closed the box gently.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Kenji’s brain shut down for approximately six seconds.

  Behind them—

  Ayame slowly turned to Shun.

  “Your turn.”

  Shun looked like he had just been selected for public execution.

  Shun stood in front of Ayame holding an envelope.

  She looked at it suspiciously.

  “…What is that?”

  “A study schedule,” he replied.

  She blinked. “For Valentine’s Day.”

  “It’s colour-coded.”

  Ayame stared at him.

  “For us,” he added quickly. “Midterms are coming up.”

  She tried to hold back a laugh.

  “You made me a structured academic plan for Valentine’s Day.”

  “You like structure,” he said quietly.

  She opened the envelope.

  “…You included snack breaks.”

  “Yes.”

  “And a stargazing break.”

  “…Yes.”

  Ayame’s cheeks warmed.

  “I accept.”

  Shun visibly short-circuited.

  Kazuki and Hana walked side by side.

  No drama. No tension.

  Just… them.

  Hana carried a small paper bag behind her back.

  Kazuki pretended not to notice.

  “You know,” she said casually, “some people do big romantic gestures today.”

  “Sounds exhausting,” he replied.

  “It is.”

  They walked a few more steps before she suddenly shoved the bag into his chest.

  “Here.”

  He caught it, surprised.

  Inside was a handmade card — messy, colourful, covered in doodles of music notes and tiny cartoon pigs.

  He opened it.

  “For the idiot who makes my days brighter.”

  He looked up at her.

  She was already looking away.

  “You didn’t have to—”

  “I know,” she said quickly. “I wanted to.”

  Kazuki reached into his bag and handed her a folded sheet of paper.

  She opened it slowly.

  A short lyric was written neatly in his handwriting.

  If I lose the crowd,

  If I lose the stage,

  If I lose my way—

  Just stay.

  Hana stared at it.

  “…You wrote this?”

  “Yeah.”

  “For me?”

  “Yeah.”

  She blinked rapidly.

  Then punched him in the arm.

  “You’re not allowed to be that smooth.”

  He laughed.

  She stepped closer.

  “Happy Valentine’s, dummy.”

  “Happy Valentine’s,” he replied.

  And for once—

  No teasing.

  Just warmth.

  [Static flicker.]

  Kenji appears in frame.

  “So. Update.”

  Shun nods. “Confessions were successful.”

  Ayame beams. “Structurally sound.”

  Naomi adjusts her glasses. “Acceptable romantic effort.”

  Hana smirks. “Thriving.”

  Kazuki looks confused but content. “Processing.”

  Kenji points at the camera.

  “I’d say that’s a win.”

  [Static. Fade out.]

  The sky is the limit :)