February 14th. Underneath the cold winter sky, I came to this place, a slight distance away from the dorm.

An invitation from Kiyotaka via mobile to rendezvous here.

I had desperately been hiding my ever quickening heartbeat from Kiyotaka during our conversation.

To give someone chocolate.

If I were to start counting all the way from childhood, it wouldn't be my first time doing so. But whenever I let my guard down, I can feel my face reddening.

"What day is it today? Alright, 5, 4, 3---".

To conceal my embarrassment, I chose to poke fun at him with such a quiz.

"...that was easier than I expected. On the contrary, it's making me feel like I won't get it right".

"Don't beat around the bush, give me a straight answer, ok?".

It's okay. I just need to be the 'cool me'. It's okay.

"Valen---".

"Alright, correct answer".

I got really embarrassed and even as I covered it up with words, I hit Kiyotaka's head with the box.

"Is this for me?".

"I actually prepared this for Yousuke-kun but that's no longer necessary".

I lied.

The truth is, I bought it a while back while fretting over this and that.

I bought it just before the shop closed so I doubt anyone saw me.

"For Hirata, huh?".

"What? You don't like that?".

"No, I was just thinking that meant you've spent quite a while preparing for Valentine's".

There's no way a phony, transparent lie like that would work against Kiyotaka but that phony lie is the only option I have here, isn't it?

If I told Kiyotaka I bought it for him then......that'd just make me look like a maiden in love!

"I-I'm the thoroughly prepared type. Even though I decided I'd break up with him, there's still the possibility that it may become necessary, no? Well, there's no way someone as romantically inexperienced as you would understand that though".

It's precisely because I know he's romantically inexperienced that I was able to make this my escape route.

But still, surely even Kiyotaka would have had expectations?

After all, he knows today's February 14th.

"I thought you picked this date because you expected to get something from me".

That's why I asked him that.

"Sorry, that didn't cross my mind".

Grr......

He has his usual poker face up and my words came bouncing straight back at me.

Even though I threw them hard at him straight up, he still kept his cool.

"By the way, did you get any from some other girl?".

I think I'll probably be able to hear his answer calmly.

"No, nothing at all".

In other words, this means I'm the first girl in this whole school to give Kiyotaka chocolate.

"Serves you right. Zero Love Interest Man~".

"But is it really okay? If you give me chocolate, it'll stop being zero, you know?".

"That in itself would make you pathetic. You'd be the guy who needed me to hand him a lifeline".

I wish today would end without this being known to anyone else.

And on White Day, I'll be able to monopolize Kiyotaka, won't I?

Just kidding, I mean, this would mean I'm nothing more than a maiden in love.......!

Inside my head, I had fallen into a state of panic.