Work Text:
Riko stared at the small but prettily-wrapped box in her locker. It was bound in glittering silver paper, a red ribbon tying together the whole look. (Pun unintended. Izuki would be proud, she thought wryly.)
“Who could this be from?” she wondered aloud, tugging at the free end of the ribbon. The knot came loose easily, and Riko unwrapped the box with gentle hands. She lifted off the lid carefully, finding inside a small square of dark brown, velvety smooth chocolate wrapped in plastic.
“Is that chocolate?” came an incredulous male voice from over her shoulder. Riko didn’t have to turn to know that it was Hyuuga, whose face was probably scrunched up in confusion as he peered into the box.
“I think so,” she snapped, a little peeved by his surprise. “It’s not improbable that someone would give me chocolate, you know?!”
Hyuuga shuffled his feet and mumbled, “Not like that. It’s just… if they knew you they’d know you don’t like chocolate.”
“I don’t like most chocolate,” Riko corrected. “This is 70% cocoa. Just the kind I love.”
She held the box to her nose, breathing deeply in the aroma of the chocolate. It filled her nostrils, making her mouth water. Riko looked around to make sure no teachers were watching before picking up the square, removing the plastic and cramming it into her mouth in a most unladylike way.
“You’re not supposed to eat on the premises,” Hyuuga chastised.
Riko rolled her eyes and spat through the chocolate, “Shut up.” Hyuuga was endearing, but he could be such a stick in the mud at times.
She savored the taste of the bittersweet treat on her tongue, licking her lips and then her fingers, on which the vestiges of chocolate still remained. Her mind, still half in bliss, did not stop to wonder who had sent her this little gift - especially on Valentine’s Day.
At least, until she saw the note inside the box.
Frowning, Riko picked up the small piece of paper and started reading out loud for Hyuuga’s benefit - he looked about to complain that he had a crick in his neck from looking over her shoulder.
“Dear Aida-san,” said the note. It was written in chicken-scratch, barely decipherable, but Riko had practice from reading Izuki’s maths notes.
“I admire your intense tenacity and your willpower to do anything. As a female high-schooler and the coach of what is undoubtedly the best basketball team in the prefecture, you’ve broken every single barrier in existence. You’ve never cared about your appearance, but your inner beauty shines through in your simplicity. You are one of the strongest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting - and the only one I’d ever want the pleasure of falling in love with. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Your Secret Admirer.
P.S: Meet me outside the main school gate today after basketball practice. ( ˘ ³˘)♥”
Riko could feel the colour rising to her cheeks when she finished reading the letter. The mere idea that someone thought so highly of her… it was flattering, not to mention the sweetest thing she had ever received in her entire life.
She decided in that moment that she would go and meet this secret admirer of hers. The thought that this might be a stalker or a kidnapper flashed briefly in her mind, but she dismissed it easily. She wasn’t a black belt in karate and judo for nothing. Besides, it was the best way to get over her unrequited crush… she sighed quietly as pink hair and a bright smile floated before her eyes, and dispelled the image as quickly as it had come.
“A secret admirer, huh,” Hyuuga said, making Riko start. She had completely forgotten he was there, and turned to see he was wearing a nostalgic smile. “I remember giving a letter like that to Izuki. Of course, I didn’t have the courage to actually ask him to meet me, but he figured it out from my handwriting.”
“Come on,” Riko said, giving a smile of her own at Hyuuga’s recollection. “We’ll be late to class.”
And so it was that the two best friends walked together to class, one lost in fond reminiscence and the other finally ready to let go and move forward.
For the first time since she had fallen irrevocably in love with someone she could never have, Riko felt free. She felt like she had a second chance.
She had been antsy all through practice. Her fingers had been trembling and she’d been bouncing on the balls of her feet, just waiting for it to be over. She hadn’t even enjoyed torturing her boys like normal, too deep in her anticipation of meeting her ‘secret admirer’. Just in case, she had a 12-inch knife strapped to her thigh, and her body was tight and tense, but she was hoping against hope that this would turn out to be a real person and not a pervert or a sick joke. She cast a suspicious glance at the Seirin team for a minute before laughing at herself - her team wasn’t malicious like that. They loved her too much.
“Have a date?” asked Koganei while they were wrapping up practice. “You seem anxious to get out, Coach,”
Hyuuga opened his mouth, but Riko shot him a death glare. She answered Koga with a short, “I have an appointment,” and flounced out of the gym, not wanting to delay any further. She hurried along the paths to the main gate, hastening her steps as she stepped out of the grounds, and laying a hand on her thigh for preparedness.
“Aida-san,” said a soft, familiar voice - the voice that had haunted her dreams for so long. Its owner stepped out of the shadows and into the light, revealing long pink hair, pink eyes and a shy smile that seemed so out of place on her face. “I see you got my note.”
Riko’s thoughts stuttered to a halt. “What?!" she spluttered. “Momoi?!"
“You seem surprised,” said Momoi, smiling a little more. She met Riko’s gaze - there was nothing but seriousness in her bright pink eyes. “But I promise you, this isn’t a joke. And I’m not a pervert who wants to do anything to you either.” Her face turned red, and she tilted her head, laughing, “Well… maybe further down the line. You’re just that cute.”
“Wait, wait, wait, stop.” Riko held up her hands, knife forgotten. “You… Momoi, you sent me the chocolate and the note?”
Momoi’s face fell. “I… yes.” she admitted, staring at her shoes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you even like girls. You must think me sick-”
All the feelings that Riko had been trying to bury since the morning came rushing back up, flooding her brain.
She likes me. She likes me.
She wrote that note. She thinks all those things about me…
Her mouth moved almost on its own, cutting Momoi’s words off.
“You idiot! I’ve been liking you for almost a year now! I thought you wouldn’t like me back, so I took this as a sign that I can start moving on from you. But if it is you…”
She stepped forward and took Momoi’s beautiful face in her hands. Momoi’s lips moved soundlessly, trying to communicate something.
“Aida-san…” she finally managed.
“Call me Riko,” Riko said savagely, yanking Momoi down and kissing her hard. It took a second, but the taller girl responded, hands snaking into Riko’s hair as they pressed against each other. It was long and sweet and passionate - the perfect first kiss.
When they finally broke for air, Momoi had the silliest grin on her face. It suited her, Riko thought hazily, her own dumb smile stretching from ear to ear.
“We’re dating now,” she declared happily, noting with pleasure the cherry-red blush on Momoi’s face. "Satsuki.”
The use of her first name made Momoi go from cherry to tomato. She fiddled in her pocket, not meeting Riko’s gaze as she drew out a small box and handed it to her girlfriend.
Riko took the box with a smile and opened it. Inside was another square of the same chocolate she had gotten that morning.
“How did you know I like this type?” she asked, a little amazed.
Momoi grinned. “I don’t just use my abilities for basketball, Riko!”
Riko reached up and kissed her girlfriend - ! - on the cheek softly, then unwrapped the chocolate and put it in her mouth.
It had never tasted better, she thought, pulling Momoi down into a kiss as the taste of airplane lip balm merged with 70% dark chocolate.