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Valentine's Day. It was the one holiday Kokichi could never see himself enjoying. It was a time when girls give out chocolates to guys, which would vary depending on how they saw each guy in question. But it was kind of hard to enjoy the holiday when he couldn't actually eat the chocolatey gifts, especially with how last year's disaster turned out.
"Mechamaru, instead of chocolate, I got you some of these. I heard the Double-A volts are one of your favorites."
"I'm not built like that."
He could see Miwa calling Mai and Nishimiya liars as the two girls laughed at the angel's misfortune. That felt so long ago, back when he was isolated from others. Things were different. Now he could enjoy the holiday properly and actually eat some of Miwa's chocolates. Luckily things have simmered down for his other classmates, so they could do the usual group exchange.
When Valentine's Day finally came, the seven students gathered in the school's dining area. This had become a yearly tradition among Kyoto students. The girls would distribute chocolates to the guys based on how they saw each of them. Kokichi was unable to properly participate in last year's event due to his puppet prison. But as he sat with the guys in the actual flesh, he started to wonder what chocolate would taste like.
"Here," Mai said as she dropped a pink paper bag onto the table. "Take whichever chocolates have your name."
Luckily Nishimiya wasn't as careless. "One for you, one for you," she said as she handed out small goodie bags to the guys. "One for you, and one for you."
Miwa was up last, as usual. She usually gave out cheap store-bought chocolate bars since she didn't have the money for anything fancy. But to Kokichi's surprise, he didn't receive any chocolate from her. Instead, she gave him an envelope. Confused, he was about to open it, but a slender hand covered his own.
"Open it when you're alone," Miwa instructed.
Kokichi could only nod in response. It had been a while since the two started dating, so he knew it must have been that personal. So setting that envelope aside, he decided to try Mai and Nishimiya's friend chocolates. Mai's was very plain, while Nishimiya bought white chocolate. It was very fitting for the two girls.
But what exactly was Miwa planning with her love chocolate?
Once the Valentine gift-giving was done and the students went their separate ways, Kokichi headed back to his room to see what Miwa gave him. He carefully opened the envelope and took out a cardstock invitation.
Sweethearts Cafe
+1 Guest Ticket
5pm Reservation
Kokichi was at a loss for words. He heard about the Sweethearts Cafe. Once a year, the local coffee shop would serve limited edition beverages and sweets. It was invite-only, so only those who bought the tickets a month in advance would have access to this special menu. It was also a little pricy, which came as a shock for the usually frugal Kasumi Miwa. So if this was going to be her Valentine gift, he had to make it count, which probably meant he had to wear something out of uniform.
When it got closer to 5pm, Kokichi got dressed and slipped into something more casual, consisting of a long-sleeved dark purple shirt, dark blue pants, and comfortable sneakers. He then met up with Miwa at the school entrance, no doubt waiting for him in her own casual attire. He couldn't help but beam with joy as he saw her bright smile, the flowy sleeves of her white top, and how her silver flats peaked out from underneath her royal blue floor-length skirt. She looked so feminine and cute, fitting for someone like her.
"There you are, Kokichi!" Miwa called out. "You ready for our Valentine date?"
Kokichi blushed upon hearing the word 'date'. "...Of course," he replied.
The walk to the cafe was silent, but very pleasant. The reason for the silence was because Kokichi wasn't usually talkative, which Miwa didn't mind. Besides, her happy expression seemed to indicate she was trying very hard not to reveal something big. So naturally, Kokichi decided it would be best to keep his mouth shut and wait for the surprise.
It didn't take long for the two to arrive at the cafe. There were a few red and pink hearts as small decorations, but what Kokichi first noticed was the unusual aroma once he set foot in the establishment. It was very strong and made him wince a little. Luckily Miwa noticed his confusion and she couldn't help but laugh.
"That's right," the blue-haired angel realized. "You never smelled coffee before."
"Coffee...?" Kokichi echoed as he registered this information. He knew Utahime frequently drank that stuff, but he never knew what it smelled like. But now that he did, he silently wondered why his own teacher was obsessed with it, especially after every Exchange Event he took part in.
Pungent odor aside, the two were escorted to their seat once the tickets were approved. And of course, they received the couples special menu. Miwa didn't have much trouble with her order, but Kokichi was still looking through the beverages and sweets. He wasn't particularly picky with food. He was okay with anything that wasn't raw. But with all the various options, he wasn't sure what would taste good. Should he try some standard coffee or something a little sweeter?
Then without warning, the server arrived. "What would the happy couple like to drink?" she asked.
"One signature house blend with added sugar," Miwa decided. She briefly glanced at Kokichi as he still looked puzzled with the menu. "...And one macha boba tea."
"Sure thing," the server replied as she jotted down the order. "Your drinks will be ready in a few minutes." As she left, Kokichi was feeling a little perplexed with the sudden order.
"You didn't have to order on my behalf," Kokichi pointed out.
"I know," Miwa replied. "But I didn't want you to get something that didn't taste well with chocolate."
That word made things even more curious. "What chocolate?" Kokichi asked.
Miwa responded by taking out a red heart-shaped box. "This chocolate," she revealed. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Kokichi's gaze was fixated on the box as he slowly reached over to take it. This was it. Actual love chocolates from his angelic girlfriend. He continued to stare at the box as he felt the satin paper. And this yellow ribbon tied to the front... He gingerly touched it to register its texture. And then it hit him.
This box was made by hand.
And if the box was handmade, what did that say about the contents within?
Kokichi opened the box and sure enough, his curiosity was resolved. Inside were giant light brown gumdrop-shaped chocolates, all in little brown paper cups that covered the box's interior. His nose twitched slightly as he smelled the rich fragrant coming from these chocolates, an aroma so different from Mai's plain chocolate and even the sweetness from Nishimiya's white chocolate. He wanted to try these chocolates right away, but he had to restrain himself. Miwa said she ordered something that tasted well with chocolate. Was he supposed to eat these with the drink in question?
It didn't take long for the server to return with the two drinks. While Miwa began to sip on her coffee, Kokichi looked at the macha boba tea. This was the first time he drank something like this, so he was a little unsure about how it would taste. He carefully took a sip. To his surprise, it tasted unusually bitter, even with the added flavor of tapioca pearls. Was this what macha usually tastes like?
With the macha boba tea sipped, the next step was to try it with Miwa's chocolates. So Kokichi picked up one of the chocolates and popped it into his mouth. He slowly chewed on it, realizing how sweet it tasted. There was even something gooey inside that he didn't recognize. It might have been too much for him, but it seemed the bitterness of macha lessened the sweetness. No wonder she wanted him to have a drink that tasted well with these chocolates.
"So what do you think?" Miwa asked.
Kokichi swallowed the chewed-up chocolate in his mouth. "What was that gooey texture I felt?" he wondered.
"I added a little drizzle of honey in the center of each chocolate," Miwa revealed. "Usually some people would use caramel, but I know how sensitive you are to certain textures and I didn't want you to worry about the stickiness in your mouth."
Kokichi was a little surprised with this reveal. Curious, he carefully ate another chocolate once more. This time he kept in mind that the gooey texture was actually honey. He never realized how sweet it tasted, prompting him to wash it down with a sip of macha boba. It must have took Miwa a long time to make these chocolates. They were so sweet and full of love, just like her. He could only smile as his vision blurred with tears. His senses were that overwhelmed once more, feeling the aftertaste of the love she poured into that chocolate. Ultimately a few words did come out.
"It's perfect."
Miwa's eyes widened in awe upon hearing those two words, much like any corny romance story. But Kokichi didn't care about how big of a cliche this atmosphere was. He loved these chocolates just as much as he loved her. It was a truly successful Valentine's gift. There was just only one thing left to think about.
How was he going to top this with White Day next month?