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Calendars are stupid. Sakura didn't understand why he needed to have one, but Nirei insisted on getting him one. He was complaining at the beginning, but once he saw the different pictures, he felt his opinion changing – each month had a different kitty and they were all…adorable. Of course, it didn't change the fact that calendars are stupid.
What's the point? He huffed to himself as he marked down yet another day. Despite his opinion, he dutifully marked down the days, but it was because he would forget to flip the pages otherwise. Each new month meant a new picture and that was what got him excited about the calendar. Anything else was useless – dates that didn't mean anything to him.
Naturally, like all things in his life, the purpose of a calendar changed over time. It was filled with small lines of his messy handwriting, noting the birthdays of his classmates first, then more and more birthdays as he met people outside Furin. He even had Granny Sato's birthday somehow…? Well, she told him and he felt the obligation to put it in his calendar and wish her a happy birthday when time came.
Other than birthdays, there were school activities, such as the sports day and the school trip. Activities that up to this year held no meaning to Sakura, but suddenly he was the grade captain so he had to remember. He had Nirei for this, he knew, but he wanted to remember. Kotoha said he needed to do what he can do as a grade captain, after all, and this was one of the few things he could – he wasn't the smartest person around, but even he could certainly cross the days as they passed.
And, lastly, there were holidays. Most of the holidays were tied into one bitter memory or another, and he hardly wanted to celebrate anything. But, for the first time in his life, he rather waited expectantly for the next holiday. Each of them meant he would still go to Furin, but with more free time and actual friends to hang with, he wasn't stuck in his shitty apartment as he thought he would.
So why was he currently thinking that calendars are stupid? Besides the fact he had to write down the dates of his upcoming exams, which he really didn't wait for, he suddenly realized it was February. His calendar told him, with a pink font and a kitschy heart, that February the 14th is Valentine’s Day.
Sakura's heart sank as he read that. He had less then fourteen days to prepare for Valentine's day and it was sending him into panic mode, since Sakura was seeing someone at the moment.
They started semi-dating at the end of December, struggling to put a label on their relationship until New Year's eve, where they accidentally met for hatsumode. Sakura was shivering, despite wearing three layers and a scarf, and Kaji was gawking at him from a distance. There was lot of…yelling, that Sakura knew for certain, but somewhere along the lines, they both agreed to date for real, though Sakura couldn't remember the exact wording, as he was too flustered and alarmed back then. He was surprised he was able to talk with Kaji at all, but here they were, a month into their relationship, and Sakura just found out he was two weeks away from Valentine's Day.
Up until now, Sakura never celebrated Valentine's Day because – of fucking course – why would he? He never dated anyone before, even the thought of romance filled his stomach with butterflies. But he had a fucking boyfriend now and he knew he needed to do something for Valentine's Day. He knew from middle school that usually girls would gift boys chocolate, an event he was eyeing from the sidelines. He was pretending to sleep on his desk, but with one eye half open, he saw the girls giggling as they handed their wrapped gifts around the class, and he was so, so jealous. The tradition in Furin was slightly different, though, and it seemed like anyone would give out gifts. Usually it was giri choco, prepared by the guys who enjoyed baking, but there were also honmei choco…and a handful of confessions each year, apparently…at least, that was what he was told by Nirei.
Besides, he had to give Kaji chocolate because they were dating, right? But he didn't know how to make it…
Like any problem he had, he found himself turning to Kotoha for a solution. She giggled sweetly and told him she'd get someone to help with that. When Sakura asked who, she shrugged and smiled at him, telling him that he would find out soon enough. That pissed him off a bit, because he had ten days until D-day by then, but she wasn't lying – help did arrive just a day later. He was meeting Umemiya that day, handing his reports while he was getting a long lecture about the perfect soil, like he cared, when Tsubaki barged into the rooftop.
“Sakura!” She called out for him enthusiatically. “I heard you need my help?!”
Ah, his face got warm when he realized what she was talking about. “Yeah…” He answered meekly, afraid to meet her gaze.
“Aww, you're too precious! Sorry Ume, but I have to take him now, important business and all.”
“Of course, of course.” Umemiya let out a heart laugh. “Be my guest.”
She dragged him by his wrist until they found a quieter spot, truly a miracle because Furin was always hustling and bustling, regardless of the hour.
“You need to make something for Valentine's Day.” Tsubaki stated as a matter of fact.
“Uh, yeah…”
“That's perfect!” Sakura had to wait for further explanation because he really didn't get her. “I also make chococlate every year for Ume!”
First of all…ew. He didn't need to know that Umemiya was getting chocolate for Valentine's Day since, ugh how hard to admit, he was some sort of a brotherly figure to Sakura, so that was the sort of information you wouldn't want to hear about your brother. It didn't matter if he wasn't really one, he sure insisted he was everyone's big brother after all.
However, he did need Tsubaki's assistance becasue he was scared to mess it up. He got to dabble in cooking before and while it was tasty, it usually turned out weird looking. Yes, he knew Kaji wasn't the type to dwell on misshapen chocolate, but Sakura was and that's what mattered.
“Yeah, can I do that…?” He asked shyly. All he recalled from his middle school days was the complaints of the girls, talking about how hard it was to make chocolate.
“Um, perhaps not choclate, but you can make cookies! Cookies are better anyway, in my opinion.”
“Oh.” Sakura thought about it for a second. “Can it be chocolate chip cookies?” That had chocolate in the name, so it must also count as chocolate!
Tsubaki must've realized what his intentions were as she laughed after she heard his question. “Sure, we can do that. They're actually pretty easy!”
“Alright.” Sakura smiled, finally feeling relieved after worrying for three days. Nine days to D-day, but he felt at ease knowing he had Tsubaki to rely on.
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They made up plans to meet on the weekend before Valentine's Day, which was two days before D-day, fortunately. He was beginning to get anxious at how quickly time passed by, but his spirits were still high. They met at Tsubaki's house, as hers was better equipped for their mission, and the first thing she did was to put a frilly apron on him.
“Hold on, I want to take a picture.”
Sakura groaned but let her do as she wished. He even made an attempt to smile, but everytime he tried to smile for a picture it turned out too awkward. No doubts the smile he was wearing now was crooked and odd, but she'd still praise him and tell him he's adorable.
“You're seriously the cutest!” She squealed, just as he'd anticipated.
“Can't we just start?” He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, trying not to sound too impatient, but it was hard to keep up with the neutral attitude when Tsubaki continued taking pictures. That was so stupid, one should be enough, so why did she claim they needed at least ten? Why?!
“Alright, alright.” Tsubaki grinned and placed her phone on the counter. Next to it were all the items they were going to use, making Sakura scrunch up his face in awe not only because of how well prepared she was, but also due to the amount of ingredients involved.
“This is so much…” He complained half-heartedly.
“Oh, sweetie, this is one of the more simple recipes, really. Now come here and help me with this.”
She guided him towards a big plastic bowl colored bright orange and started handing him the ingredients. This was certainly a different experience since Tsubaki had everything pre-measured and put into smaller bowls, like they do in TV (and only on TV). That one time he baked with Nirei they sure as heck didn't go to these lengths. They also made a complete mess in the kitchen, so he thought he liked Tsubaki's method better – the flour didn't end up on his shirt and on his hair after all. Although, it did make for a funny image, seeing himself with hair almost entirely white, something that looked a bit strange and downright hilarious, and Nirei agreed with that statement. So much so that it took Nirei twenty minutes to calm down from his fit of laughter, in which he found himself crawling on the floor while clenching at his stomach.
They started with four ingredients. Tsubaki's calm voice told him what everything was – the flour and the baking soda, followed by cornstarch and salt.
“Salt? Really?” He asked with a frown. Was this, perhaps, a mistake?
“Really, the recipe calls for it.” Tsubaki smiled as she confirmed. But upon seeing Sakura's bewildered expression and unwillingness to put the salt in, she quickly explained the reason. “It actually enhances the flavors!”
“Huh.” Sakura nodded, taking her word for it, but he was still a bit suspicious.
When all the dry ingredients were in the bowl, Tsubaki told him to whisk the products, showing him the right way to move his hand. Because he should never use his full power. He knew that from experience – from his baking ventures with Nirei – how much of a bad idea it was.
In another bowl – already making him roll his eyes because that was too many bowls! – they were supposed to put the remaining ingredients. He had to leave the whisk in favor of the butter bowl, which he was horrified to find that he was supposed to melt. The most anxiety-inducing activity he'd ever experienced, and he fought against ten people one time. They did it in the microwave and he watched the bowl spinning in it, having to stand on the tips of his toes to be able to see the inside of the bowl. The butter was mixed with sugar – two types even, what the heck! – then Tsubaki added an egg and an egg yolk and told Sakura to whisk away once again. After that, there was this small bottle with dark liquid that he didn't recognize.
“Soy sauce?” He asked Tsubaki as she poured the contents of the bottle into a spoon. She didn't answer, instead giving him the bottle. Once he held it near his face, he was hit by a familiar scent. “Oh…vanilla!”
“Yep, vanilla extract. Now more whisking!”
“Augh, again? How much more whisking are we gotta do?”
“Just a little bit more.” She promised him. “We'll add the dry ingredients soon – “ She pointed at the larger bowl. “Then we mix the dough.”
“And the chocolate chips?” Sakura eyed the last bowl, arguably the most important one in his mind.
“The last thing to be added, of course!”
In the last step, he was told to carefully fold the mixture. He did his best, watching Tsubaki's face for confirmation regarding his technique. Apparently, this was super important, Tsubaki even explained to him why, but he forgot it immediately after being told the reason. He was more interested in taking the raw dough and giving it a taste.
“No eating raw dough!” Tsubaki read him like an open book. “That's enough, give me the bowl.”
He did as she said. “Now what?”
“Now…” She walked to the refrigerator, opening it and placing the bowl inside. She also took out a pitcher with cold barley tea. “Now we wait for a few hours.”
“Few hours?!” He wasn't told about that! “What the hell are we gonna do?!”
“I got the perfect idea.” The wink she gave him made him feel fearful.
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The barley tea was tasty, which almost made up for what happened next. He was forced inside Tsubaki's walk-in closet to try on different outfits. He had an inkling she waited for this exact opportunity, for him to visit her house, for the sole reason of wanting to play dress up with him.
“Where did you get all those clothes, anyway?” He was genuinely curious, trying to straighten the shirt he was wearing. Sure, it was a nice shirt and he didn't mind the look, but the pile of clothes was alarmingly big for it to be a coincidence.
“Some are actually my old clothes, mostly from middle school.”
“Huh.” Sakura stared at her with disbelief. He should've known, with how tall Tsubaki was, it made sense that she was also tall during middle school. But he still felt slightly offended that he fit into her middle school clothes.
“You should take them.” She rose from her seat.
He knew this would happen the moment she saw him in that green shirt, she couldn't stop singing praises about how good he looked in that shirt… “You don't need to – “
Obviously, she didn't listen. “Here, let me grab a bag and put them in for you. Simple is nice, but you ought to have more clothes, for all kinds of occasions!”
“Right, uh…what about the cookies?”
“oh, the cookies! I almost forgot! Let's go and get them done.”
The rest of the process was quick. They shaped the cookies into balls and put them in the oven. For all the hard work Sakura put into the whisking, it sure didn't need a whole lot of time in the oven. Barely fifteen minutes and they were ready, he huffed at this, but he was distracted soon thereafter when Tsubaki took them out of the oven. The aroma of fresh cookies…
“They look so good.” He drooled when he saw the cookies. They all looked perfect, exactly what he had in mind when he thought about chocolate chip cookies, it was almost a miracle he was able to make them.
Tsubaki even had the foresight to buy small paper bags in advance so they could wrap the cookies nicely. Sakura chose the light blue one and picked a white ribbon to match with it, and after getting the cookies inside it and tying the ribbon, he looked at his work with satisfaction.
The only downside was that they were so excited from the different types of paper bags that they forgot to taste the cookies. Sakura would've loved to eat one. Or two. Maybe three – cause that's a pretty number, right? Ah, it might've been for the best that he didn't try them.
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Two days later, he went to school with bags under his eyes. He was too restless the night before, unable to follow asleep altogether, and now he was yawning on his way. The sight of the school building appearing when he crossed the street made his heart beat faster. He also walked faster, trying to get to school as soon as possible. He didn't bother to stop at his classroom, instead opting to go straight to 2-1 to hand his gift.
He opened the sliding door with such a force that it flew right to the side, but he didn't pay any attention to it. Kaji was standing near Enomoto's desk, leaning over while showing him something on his phone. Though, he soon turned around to see Sakura, after a student tapped on his shoulder and directed his attention to his guest.
Uh, Sakura…didn't think that far ahead. Should he give his gift right in front of the whole classroom? The answer was…heck no!
“C-come with me.” He told Kaji and took a step backwards, outside the classroom, turning his whole body before anyone could see his face becoming red. He waited in this spot until Kaji walked to him.
“Here.” He pointed at the end of the hallway, which was far less crowded.
They stood awkwardly for a few minutes before they both started talking at the same time.
“Ah, actually, this is good timing, cause I…” Kaji said.
“I got this for you…” Sakura held out his gift. He noticed now that Kaji was also holding a paper bag, though his was the usual brown ones that you get at the bakeries.
They stopped to let the other speak, resulting in another moment of silence, but this time Kaji was the one to talk first.
“You got me…a Valentine's gift?” Kaji was astonished, not fully grasping the situation.
“Yes, chocolate chip cookies.” Sakura mumbled. “I baked them myself…”
“Wha – “ Kaji took a moment to regain his composure. “Um, this is not chocolate, but I got you a curry bread…”
“Curry bread?!” Sakura’s ears immediately perked up at those two words. He knew he recognized that amazing aroma from somewhere! He quickly snatched the paper bag from Kaji's hand, only remembering to give Kaji his own gift after the other snorted at his actions.
Sakura didn't wait for Kaji to open his bake and see the cookies he was so proud of. Who the fuck cared about those damn cookies when he had curry bread! That was even better than chocolate and he wanted to eat it right now! So that's what he did, ripping open the bag and stuffing the bread into his mouth. “So tasty!” He could've melted at the taste of his favorite bread.
“Slow down, you doofus.” Kaji laughed, his eyes filled with affection. He moved his hands to open the blue paper bag, and Sakura swallowed, watching as he took one cookie and put it in his mouth.
“This is…” Kaji made a weird expression for a brief moment, one that Sakura would've not caught if he didn't watch his face so intently. His expression turned into a soft smile, however, and Sakura could sigh in relief. “Really good. Thanks, Sakura.”
“Sure…uh, thank you for the…curry bread…” He felt like skipping down the hallway. Before, Sakura was so worried about Kaji's reaction, but it was all for nothing. Valentine's Day was successful and he was so happy.
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Omake:
Tsubaki ran through the hallways, looking for Sakura and swearing under her breath. He wasn't in his homeroom and he wasn't outside, so where the hell was he?!
Just earlier, she gave her cookies to Umemiya, only to realize, much to her horror, that they made a mistake while baking. She accidently put salt instead of granulated sugar, too busy typing on her phone to notice it when she prepared the ingredients, but of course that made the cookies taste disgusting! Not that Umemiya would say that, but she could tell something was wrong when he tried to eat the rest of the cookie, so she tried one. And spat it right after it crumbled in her mouth.
But, if her cookies were a failure, the same was true for Sakura's cookies! That was so bad!
She came to a stop when she saw Sakura's distinctive hair in the distance, but he was already with Kaji, who was already holding a cookie! She hesitated, wondering whether it was fine to interrupt them, but before she could reach a decision, Kaji was eating the cookie!
And he was…smiling? Oh?
Well, well, well, color me surprised. She didn't think he had it in him, but if he could be that much of a gentleman, perhaps he was a good match for Sakura after all.