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Ever since Yuichiro Hyakuya got enrolled into Seraph Academy, a neutral boarding school housing vampires and humans alike, being late to class became commonplace. It was an act of rebellion, a protest for being thrown back into academia's ennui after his triumphs in Shinjuku and Nagoya. Had he known Kureto Hiragi would drag them into this place, he would've tried a little harder to hit him during his post-war interrogation.
What wasn't commonplace, however, was a member of his family creeping behind one of many trees lining the momentous building. Then behind a column. Then, at last, Shinoa escaped to the left side of the school—the vampire faction.
"Wait a sec…"
"Yuuu! We don't have time to stop!" Yoichi cried, the ever-present victim of Yuichiro's lateness. He refused to let him be punished by himself, and thus, because no one else in the human dorm would, stayed by Yuichiro's side until he woke up.
"We're already…! Oh."
By the time Yuichiro stopped him with his arm fanned out, he'd noticed as well.
"… What's she doing out here this late?"
"That's the wrong way to class, too," Yuichiro noted.
With a mutual nod, they decided that following her was worth the risk of further punishment.
Vampires were as thrilled as humans to be conjoined into the same academy. That is to say, they despised having to share it. The quickest way to upset them was to enter their territory.
If Shinoa ended up in danger, she'd need a makeshift formation.
Grasping their respective cursed gear, the two stuck their necks out toward the left side of the school.
"What is she doing—"
"Human!"
A mysterious bloodsucker with dark shadows beneath his eyes greeted her with the gait of a predator, and Shinoa approached him without a word.
"That's…!" Yoichi began to say, though Yuichiro covered his mouth.
The vampire held out his hand. "Do you have something for me?"
"Yes…"
"He's gonna take her blood!" Yoichi cried against Yuichiro's palm.
"Like hell! Let's go!"
Such was Yuichiro's battle cry, and at once, Yoichi manifested an arrow from Gekkouin. Asuramaru also ready for the fray, they sprinted to her imminent rescue.
"That'll be—Yu-san!?"
"Leave her alone, bloodsucker—!"
"Shinoa! Are you—!?"
Their voices trailed away in unison when the vampire revealed his' weapon.' Rather than a sword powered by blood, what stood before them was a little glass box, the same material as a blood vial. In place of liquid was something congealed and shaped into hearts.
On top wasn't a product of blackmail but a staple of Valentine's Day.
Yoichi blinked. "A card?"
Unconvinced the danger was behind them, and for fear of looking stupid, Yuichiro demanded, "Tell me what's in the box!"
The vampire narrowed his eyes.
"Where do livestock get off talking to me this way?"
"Now, now, ignore my classmate!"
"Shinoa!"
Their damsel in distress took a small notebook and pen out of her pocket. "One valentine and one carton of congealed blood hearts! 1500 yen, please. Your name?"
"René Simm. Please consider me for Hyakuya-kun's approval," he said with a bow, handing off his part of the barter and trade.
"Hyakuya…"
"… kun?"
"Pleasure doing business with you!"
Shinoa turned to her equally flabbergasted rescuers and gave them an innocent smile.
"Well, guess I better be going!"
"Hold it!" Yuichiro lifted her up by the back of her uniform. "What'd he mean by Hyakuya-kun's approval!?'"
"And why were you hanging out with that vampire!?" Yoichi added.
Shinoa gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Oh, it's nothing! Nothing really! Don't worry about it! Surely you're not the only people in the world named Hyakuya—"
"Hey, Shinoa! I got some more valentines for Mikaela…"
Mitsuba paused in the fashion of a child caught in the act. Thrown over her shoulder like a bag of rations were an assortment of vampire variety valentines. Cards, vials of blood, and heart-shaped containers of blood filled it to the brim. So much so she must've been using her demon's curse to hold it.
She shrank into herself at the sight of Yoichi and Yuichiro's frown.
Shinoa clasped her hands.
"Sorry, Micchan! Looks like we've been busted!"
♡
"The Great Hyakuya Race?" Yuichiro read from Shinoa's notebook. Sparkling red and pink hearts decorated the cover.
In the elite vampire extermination squad classroom, their homeroom teacher, Guren Ichinose, slept soundly in front of his desk after mumbling something about silent study. No other students occupied the room, which often transformed their time into lazy discussions amongst themselves.
"Yep! It's a tremendous competition between all the vampires in school!"
Yoichi leaned over Yuichiro's shoulder. "For what?"
Despite Shinoa's prior avoidance, she appeared pleased to dig into Mitsuba's giant bag for an example.
"To be Mikaela-san's valentine, of course! Instead of fighting a war, now they get to settle it in friendly competition!"
She pulled out a simple blood vial, but attached was a ribbon usually found around a pouch of chocolates.
"Look, here's Kimizuki's!"
"Sensei!" Shiho cried with a raised hand. "Isn't quiet study supposed to be quiet!?"
Yoichi gave him a sympathetic laugh.
"It is now!" Mitsuba attested, fanning herself with a textbook and leaning back in her seat.
Shiho swatted her ponytails out of the way of his book.
"This is how we're keeping the peace."
Shinoa nodded. "Mhm, mhm! The whole vampire wing was about to explode if not for us! You should have heard them in physical education last week."
Frowning, Yuichiro grabbed a valentine for himself. Attached was another small glass box. Instead of blood 'chocolates,' regular, liquid blood filled it to the brim.
"So…" He scanned the letter but internalized nothing. "They wanna date him?"
"That's right—!"
"I don't like any of this! That sorta thing should be Mika's choice!"
"I agree!" said Yoichi, flipping through a seven-page valentine.
"Whatever Mika-san craze is going on, it can't be that bad, can it?"
Shinoa and Mitsuba shared a glance.
"Micchan…"
"Yep."
Beneath Mitsuba's desk was another bag, its contents shrouded in black. When she dumped it out, a plethora of 'merchandise' fell: I ♥ Mikaela t-shirts, candid photographs of him ranging from wallet to poster size, blood thermoses with his name on them, and figurines with an assortment of costumes.
"What the hell!?" Yuichiro cried, picking up a figure in his school outfit. "Where did all this come from!?"
Shinoa stretched out her palm. "Wanna take it home? The artisan spent five days hand-stitching the hair into his head alone!"
"No way!"
"Yes, way! I can show you a video—"
"I mean I don't want it!"
"I kinda like this poster…"
"500 yen."
"Yoichi!"
Yuichiro swatted his fingers away before he could offer the desired payment.
"Now I get it! You just wanna make money off him!"
"No, no!" Shinoa insisted, waving her hands. "This is merely icing on the cake! Icing!"
"And they make people happy!" Mitsuba added, "Do you have any idea how many vampires you pass wearing I ♥ Mika t-shirts under their uniforms? They're 3500 yen!"
"I don't care what they think! Cut it out! Mika doesn't wanna date a bloodsucker!"
Shinoa got as close to Yuichiro as their diagonal desks would allow. "And how do you know?"
"'C-Cause I do!"
To swat the money out of Yoichi's hand brought him back to reality, for he added, out of consideration for Yuichiro's discomfort, "Yeah, isn't there any way to stop this and keep the peace?"
"There's no 'peace' to be kept. Don't fall for it, Yoichi," Shiho said, "They're exacerbating the issue."
"Someone's mad their valentine isn't getting picked—"
"Shut up! There was no valentine!"
Shinoa feigned deep thought and rubbed her chin. "Weeeeelll. I guess there is one way to end our competition."
This time, it was Yuichiro's turn to draw nearer. "Tell me!"
"Ha! You're so cute when you're engaged—"
"Spit it out!"
Shinoa stared at him for a moment, her grin blossoming until she said, "He would already have to be going out with someone."
"Of course!" Yoichi cried at once, hitting his palm with his fist.
"If you want the competition to be void," Shinoa continued, flipping through her notebook to the list of contracts, "Mikaela would have to pick one of these valentines himself! And since neither of you would confess—huh!?"
Mid-sentence, Yoichi and Yuichiro headed out of the classroom.
"Hey!" Mitsuba stood up. "Where're you two going!?"
Yuichiro smiled. "I'm gonna go tell Mika to date me!"
"Me too!" said Yoichi.
"Excuse me!? Since when did you have romantic feelings for Mikaela!?"
"Hmm… since forever, I guess," Yuichiro said, crossing his arms.
Yoichi's answer was more confident. "Since Nagoya!"
"B-But you can't take away our merchandise—er—end the event so soon! What if—"
"Veeeetoed!"
With the authority of a politician, Shinoa stood up from her desk and raised her right hand.
Yuichiro matched her energy and propped his fists on his hips. "Says who!?"
"As head of the Great Hyakuya Race, your offering will only cancel the tournament if you follow the rules."
The news deflated Yoichi. "Seriously…?"
"Never-mind her! She can't stop us!"
As though she expected this pushback, Shinoa flipped through her notebook again. "Mhm, and you won't stop the impending Mikaela war that'll ensue if you rip him from all those bloodsucker's hopes and dreams unfairly. Not to mention my sales will go up tenfold by the frenzy you'll cause."
Yuichiro and Yoichi's exuberance was cut in half.
"Fine… what do I have to do," The former asked flatly.
"I'm so glad you asked! Micchan?"
"Right!"
Mitsuba opened her desk and fished out the directions to the Great Hyakuya Race, a piece of paper with a pretty well-drawn bust of Mikaela in the corner.
"Entering the competition is 1500 yen. Each."
To Shinoa's delight, the two dug into their pockets and slapped the money before her.
"Well, well! Thank you~ You are to deliver us a blood-based 'chocolate' and a written valentine. Whoever gets to Mikaela will be drawn randomly. But since we like you, all we will require is that you complete the task instead."
"Oh…" Yoichi said, "That's kind."
Yuichiro plopped into his seat and laid out a blank sheet of paper. "Kind my ass! Come on, this'll be easy, Yoichi!"
"Yeah! Let's do our best!"
♡
Drawing blood was the straightforward part.
Yuichiro knew he was Mikaela's only respite from thirst, and he'd already packed vials from when he fed him during lunch.
The gift portion of their valentine was complete in seconds.
Their struggle came from—
"Psssst, Yoichi." Yuichiro hissed, poking his friend's shoulder blade with a pencil. "Can you look at this?"
Yoichi slipped the paper discreetly onto his desk. "Hmm… I don't know if that kanji's right."
"Seriously!? What good are these textbooks—!? "
"Hyakuya! Saotome!"
Sayuri's sweet yet firm voice broke through their conversation. From the last time Yuichiro had looked, the blackboard went from being utterly blank to full of advanced Japanese.
"Please stop disturbing my class!"
Yoichi apologized for both of them.
"Yes, ma'am…"
Yuichiro got his paper back, and he sucked his teeth at his fifth note since jumping onto the project.
This one, too, was moments from going into the scrap heap.
'This sucks! If I could just tell him I liked him instead of this stupid letter…!'
He dared take a glance at Shinoa from the adjacent desk, who grinned and wrote in her journal:
Aw, need help?
Yuichiro poked out his tongue and continued working. He darted his eyes toward Yoichi, who looked like he struggled a bit himself, which soothed him little.
"Now, who can translate this one?" Sayuri asked in the background.
She must have scouted how focused Yoichi was on something entirely different, for she called:
"Saotome? Saotome…? Saotome!"
"Um!" Yoichi lifted his book. "My answer was—I wrote—beautiful red eyes not like the other vampires. I mean!"
Yoichi turned red immediately and sunk back into his seat.
"I-I mean… something akin to—"
"Saotome… I expect better from the elite cursed gear class."
"Sorry, sensei…"
"Idiots," Shiho said under his breath.
♡
"Ha! Read it and weep, Shinoa! We're done!"
With a grin as bright as the sun, Yuichiro held up a crinkled letter, full of eraser smudges but a finished project. Yoichi pumped his fist right beside him.
"We decided to write one big one! It was much easier that way!"
"Nice teamwork," Shinoa nodded, "Let me take a look."
As she read over the fruit of their labor, Yuichiro gave Yoichi a firm slap on the back. "Excellent work, Yoichi!"
"You too!"
"Lunch is right about to end, just in time for when Mika comes and sees me!"
Having returned their valentine in an official 'Hyakuya Race' envelope, unsealed, Shinoa rested her palm on her cheek.
"Welp, seems good to go! Congratulations, boys, go confess your feelings."
With Yoichi holding the letter like a sacred trophy, the two victors hurried out of the room. Just as Yuichiro predicted, there Mikaela was, having crossed through vampire territory into the human halls.
"Hey! Mika!"
"Good afternoon, Yu-chan," He said softly.
Right as Yuichiro was about to give him his valentine, the oddest pang in his chest stopped him in his tracks.
He shook it off at once, however.
"Y-Yoichi and I have something for you!"
Mikaela's eyes flickered to Yoichi, and his smile lessened by a fraction. "Oh? What is it?"
"It's… a letter!"
"Psssst, Yu-kun!" Yoichi tried whispering from behind.
"We wrote it ourselves!"
"Really? What is it for?"
"Yuuuuuu-kun!"
"Um… You'll see! Want it?"
Mikaela opened his hand. "Sure…"
"'Kay… I really hope you like it!"
At last, Yuichiro got a hard tap on his shoulder. "Yu-kun!"
"Hold on a second."
Mikaela tilted his head, watching the two desperately scurry off.
"All right…"
Yuichiro followed Yoichi to the side of the lockers where he so desperately escaped.
"What!? We were about to win the competition!"
"This isn't our letter!" Yoichi whispered, mortified.
"… Whaddya mean?"
Yoichi thrust it upon him in shame. "Read it…"
Yuichiro obeyed, and as his eyes ran along the page, his face grew hotter and hotter.
Mortification brought all his blood to his cheeks.
"Wha… I… How dare she!?"
Without checking to see if his companion flew behind him, he sprinted back to the elite cursed gear classroom.
"Yu-kun! Wait up!"
The girl he was looking for never left her seat. She waved at them smugly, legs crossed and playing with an empty lunch box.
"Hello, boys! How did the delivery go—"
"What the hell is this it's completely sexual!" Yuichiro shouted in one breath, slamming the valentine onto her desk.
"I know! Isn't it great? Now he can really tell how you feel!"
"Give us our letter back!"
"Micchan threw it in a paper shredder so—"
"You're kidding!"
Just then, the bell rang for the end of lunch.
"Would you look at that!" Shinoa said, though she slipped their unharmed valentine from beneath her desk. "Your time window has ended! Guess you'll have to wait until next year!"
"Like hell!" Yuichiro swiped it back.
"Screw it, we're just gonna have to deliver it during class! If we run into any vampires, we'll just wack 'em!"
Mitsuba nearly stumbled out of her seat. "You can't be serious!"
"Watch us! Let's go, Yoichi!"
"W-Wait! There's no cursed gear in school—!" Yoichi cried, who had only now caught up to him in the hall.
The two headed to Yuichiro's locker, in which his old gun and cursed blade resided.
"We'll be in and out!" He promised, "Trust me!"
A hesitant nod, and Yoichi manifested Gekkouin. "For… For Mika-san!"
"For Mika!"
Their energy persisted throughout their journey until the moment they crossed the mid-wing of the school.
Windows were mercilessly bolted away to create a realm of shadows, a perfect teaching ground for those who detested the light.
"It's so dark in here…" Yoichi mumbled to himself, bringing Gekkouin closer to his frame.
"'Course it is! Bloodsuckers hate the sun."
"… Gekkouin?"
At this call, his weapon glowed.
"Hold it right there!"
Another bloodsucker, with keen eyes of crimson and violet hair, slithered from one of the classrooms.
Yuichiro clicked his teeth.
Their hearing was perfect, no matter how much they lowered their voices, softened their steps.
"What are you livestock doing in vampire territory!?"
"We're here to deliver a valentine!" Yuichiro confessed a little too willingly for Yoichi's liking.
But follow along he must.
"Get out of our way!"
"'Valentine' huh?" The vampire crossed his arms.
"Maybe I should see it. Make sure you're not lying."
He was next to them in seconds and fingered the vial sticking out of Yoichi's pocket.
"Whatcha got there?"
"Hey—!"
Yoichi averted his chilly, elongated finger with a rightward step.
"Smells like blood." He gave a dramatic whiff. "Tell ya what, I'll leave you alone if you—"
"Piss off! That's Mika's blood!"
"Mika's…" The vampire parroted.
His eyes widened.
"Don't tell me…"
"Yep! We're in the competition too!"
Yoichi couldn't slap a hand over Yuichiro's mouth fast enough.
"Yu-kun! Why'd you give us away!?"
"Is that so?"
Their adversary snapped his fingers, and from all corners of the hall, vampires burst from the classrooms wearing decorative Mikaela buttons, stickers, holding merchandise, and donning I ♥ Mikaela keychains on their swords.
The first vampire slipped an ID card out of his pocket: 'Lacus Welt - President' on a Mikaela Fanclub card.
"Like hell we're letting humans like you join our fight!"
"Give me a break!" Yuichiro cried, "Mika doesn't like any of you!"
"Like you'd know," Lacus dismissed. He punched open a double-locker for his halberd.
"Get ready, Asuramaru!"
Yuichiro heard 'This is ludicrous' in his heart as he slipped his blade from his scabbard.
"Mikaela Coalition! Attack!"
The club members created a stampede, raising their weapons in the air like pitchforks and dedicating their battle to Mikaela's honor.
"Gekkouin! Protect us!"
Yoichi fired an arrow into the air, letting several rain down upon the walls and floor. A warning shot. Some fans evaded the attack, others' uniforms ripped. The hall rattled as lockers and split, bent, and broke in half.
"Yoichi!" Yuichiro called through the dust.
"Livestock should stay out of vampire business!"
A vampire in a Mikaela t-shirt swung his sword right near Yuichiro's neck, who dodged it with a "whoops!" and sliced it next to his head.
They'd never hear the end of it if anyone got killed during class.
"Hm? what's this?"
The vampire who introduced himself as René slipped the blood vial out of Yoichi's pocket. Tossing the letter aside, he opened the cork, got rid of their makeshift bow, and drank it all in one swallow.
"You taste good, human."
"Bastard!" Yuichiro's blade collided against Lacus's halberd before he could attack, the strong of their blades trembling.
"Yoichi, grab the letter!"
"Right!"
Just then, however, René captured it beneath his foot before it finished its floaty descent.
"Move!" Yoichi demanded, shooting arrows at his feet. His opponent escaped in time, and to his dismay, an arrow went straight through his letter.
"No!"
"Yoichi!?"
Yuichiro charged toward him to parry an upcoming axe, turning his back on the sword inches from his neck.
"Yu-kun!"
"Sword. Drink my blood."
A sudden blade thrust into his surprise attackers' chest, blood splattering onto the floor and onto Yuichiro's uniform.
A blade he knew intimately.
"Mika!?"
There was no smile to match his own. Even Mikaela's fan club stepped back, shouting at each other to be still as to not hurt their object of affection. With a single glare, they slinked back to the classrooms, leaving their human targets in the darkness of the hall.
"Phew! I owe you one, buddy—"
"What the hell were you doing!?"
♡
"Okay, okay, I get it already! Sheesh!"
"Sorry, Guren…"
Ears filled to the brim with the lieutenant colonel's scolding, Yuichiro and Yoichi left the teacher's lounge at last with shoe-marks on their foreheads.
Their sole consolation had graciously waited for their return, leaning against the lockers and greeting them with a defeated sigh.
"Honestly, Yu-chan! Who told you to run into vampire territory?" Mikaela darted his eyes at Yoichi. "I thought your human friends had more sense than that."
Yoichi rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ahaha…"
"It's not his fault!" Yuichiro assured, "Or mine really! Shinoa had this dumb competition! A-And we had to make a valentine! And then Shinoa ruined it! So we had to come here! And then you have—"
Mikaela finished for him.
"A fan-club. And they attacked you."
"You know about them!?" Yoichi asked.
Mikaela shook his head. "I told them they could do what they wanted as long as they left me alone. Every one of them had confessed to me before, but…"
He fell silent and frowned, his cheeks slightly rosy.
"… That's it!"
His bashful irritation a muse, Yuichiro set to work on his newfound hope at once.
"Yoichi! Get me…" He felt for a scrap sheet of paper in his pockets, and when he couldn't find one— "Mika-san! Do you have a pen and paper!?" Yoichi asked, immediately on the same page.
To speak served them better than writing.
"Huh…? Sure."
Having retrieved them from his bag, he handed the stationary to them, but they ended up back in his hands.
"Can you write something down for us!?"
Mikaela raised his brow, and when he didn't receive any further elaboration, readied his pen.
"Okay. Go ahead."
"Dear Mika."
Another pause. "What is this?"
"Like I said! You'll see!"
Yuichiro cleared his throat and began in earnest.
"Dear Mika. I am super happy to have found you again."
"And I'm super glad I met you!" Yoichi contributed.
"You're amazingly nice, and you're always looking out for me—"
"You're so protective of Yu-kun. It's very charming—"
"You're more important to me than my own life—"
"You're beautiful and strong and cool—"
"I love you. Will you go out with me with marriage in mind?"
"I like you! Can we be even closer?"
The two finished their speeches, high on their respective adrenaline and aglow with pride.
However.
"… Mika-san?"
Face and neck flushed, Mikaela lost the ability to speak.
"Mika?" Yuichiro waved a hand in front of his face. "Mika?"
Silence reigned, one still enough to hear nothing but the pen drop from Mikaela's hand.
♡
Shinoa stood on a handmade, cardboard box podium on Seraph Academy's roof. In her hand was a wrapped up magazine acting as a megaphone. A horde of vampires crowded around, eyeing the bag of valentines with bated breath. Promises of gaining Mikaela's heart, ideas for first dates, and heated arguments regarding one's worthiness abounded.
They all fell quiet at the sound of, "Happy day after Valentine's Day, everyone! The time has come to announce the winner of the Great Hyakuya Race! Remember, this is all the luck of the draw, so try not to feel too bad, okay—?"
Mitsuba leapt onto the roof with Tenjiryu. "Shinoa!"
"Micchan! I'm in the middle of something!" she said, a worthless whisper considering the ears of her patrons. "Can it wait—"
"Absolutely not! Look!"
After prolonged hesitation, Shinoa joined Mitsuba to peer over the roof. Much to her inconvenience, concentrating her curse into her eyes revealed Mikaela walking to class. But he wasn't alone. While Yoichi held his left hand with an adorable swing, Yuichiro linked his arm around Mikaela's upper arm. The object of their attention's face was so crimson he appeared to burn to the touch.
"I can walk myself to class…!" Mikaela insisted under his breath.
Yuichiro snuggled into his shoulder. "That's not the point!"
"Far from it!" Yoichi agreed, giving his hand a renewed, affectionate little squeeze.
"What's the hold-up, human?" Lacus called from over the other side of the roof.
"Uh…"
The image below only worsened for Shinoa and Mitsuba's pockets when the vampires checked over the ledge.
Two pairs of lips rested on their respective side of Mikaela's face and exhausted the last of his composure.
He broke out of their embrace and raced for the school entrance.
"Cut it out! I'm going now!"
Yuichiro and Yoichi snickered at a job well done, as if their life's mission were to make him feel as loved (and embarrassed) as possible. The moment they noticed the girls' presence, Yuichiro waved the letter Mikaela half-wrote like a flag denoting their victory.
She snorted.
"Explain yourself, human!" demanded René. His paper heart fell victim to a readied fist.
"We were promised a decision!"
Shinoa shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mika Fanclub, but rules are rules! Looks like he's already found himself a boyfriend."
"Two even…" muttered Mitsuba, her own cheeks rosy from such an unapologetic display of affection.
"We could still pull a letter out of the bag, but the chance of a date seems pretty slim—"
An arc of light, and swords hovered inches from the girls' necks.
"We will not rest until you refund us every letter!"
Shinoa pinched the tip of the blade, pushing it away inch by inch. "How about—"
"Every. Last. One."
"…"
Defeated, the two ruined business owners sighed, "Get in line…"