Transition and restart, book seven: High School Days

Chapter four, 2018, white Valentine, part one

With their school trip a glorious memory, or at least a glorious memory for Noriko, even though she vehemently disagreed, January turned into February. Almost halfway into the month most of the first years showed signs of stress – the second years just experienced it.

Yukio felt certain in his belief that went for the seniors as well, but theirs were more a matter of university entrance exams. Within a week they'd stop coming to school until graduation.

As for himself he belonged to the happy minority who enjoyed the month without a second thought. Some days offered a promise of the coming spring, and he enjoyed sunshine without a cloud to darken it. For the stressed ones the clouds were a deep brown, and usually very sweet. Valentine's day loomed over those who had yet to settle into a relationship but were still interested in doing so, or at least interested in the attention clinging to the event.

For his own part he'd get a little something from Kyoko and probably a few samples from friends as well. A month later he'd return the favour and that was it.

While he honestly enjoyed chocolate what Yukio anticipated the most was the evening shared with her. With no school the fifteenth staying out a little later should pose no problem.

Best of all, there was no risk of repeating last year's Valentine's disaster when Urufu and Kuri broke up pretty much in the worst way possible. Ryu and Kuri spent their free time cuddling and in general making half of the school population jealous of them each. As for Urufu and Noriko there was less visible cuddling, and if Yukio knew his best friend right, less cuddling overall. That was entirely Urufu's fault.

Public cosiness or not, Noriko's Kyoto stunt dragged her relationship with Urufu into the open, or at least indirectly so. The week after they returned she received her share of confessions. They might not have been all that heartfelt, but with Valentine's days so close more than a few guys saw her as a cute trophy if nothing else.

Which means you can just all go and die.

Urufu might be his best friend, but Noriko was still a close one. She fought hard for her reward, and there was absolutely nothing trophy about her. Yukio's being blind as a bat when it came to matters romantic lay in his past. A year and a half with Kyoko cured him, and now he understood the glint in Noriko's eyes as they searched for Urufu.

"Cute, isn't she?"

Yukio glanced at the head leaning on his shoulder. "You're cuter."

"You're biased," Kyoko said.

"You bet I am!"

Kyoko snuggled closer to his head. "I guess you're supposed to be," she agreed. "Still, she's cute."

Across the table, facing the Haven entrance, Noriko glared at them both. "You know I can hear you."

"Yeah, definitely cute," Yukio said and pretended Noriko didn't stare at him from just a cup of coffee away.

She had, he lazily noted, filled out a little where girls should. Well, at least should according to his tastes.

"What you looking at?" Kyoko asked.

Yukio drunk the last of his coffee. "Just observing how there's more for Urufu to hug."

Noriko blushed and Yukio felt Kyoko's head shaking with laughter on his shoulder.

Noriko suddenly stood up from her chair. "Yukio! That's, that's sexual..."

"Could do with some more hips though," Kyoko suggested.

"Kyoko!"

Yukio burrowed his face in Kyoko's hair and joined her in her mirth. She smelled faintly of shampoo.