Light seeped in from around the curtains of the window. I stirred from my sleep— or I guess it was more of a resting state.

  My eyes slowly peeled open, filling my view with the rays of light beaming out above the curtains and against the ceiling.

  That light was rather faint, but it was enough to dimly light the room.

  “Morning…?” I let out a groan, lifting my upper body up as I pushed my arms against the bed.

  I looked around the bedroom. It was the same as usual.

  ~I guess sleeping doesn’t always bring dreams, after all. Though, I can’t let myself fall fully into a deep sleep. That would be bad.

  After shifting through the memories I had inherited, I managed to find information on how dreams work. Apparently, dreams only occur if you deep sleep.

  I can still rest and not fall into a deep sleep, meaning I can regenerate mana the most reliable way and not rely solely on eating to regain it.

  I let out a sigh.

  It was quite the relief.

  ~Though, why didn’t I manage to figure this out sooner? Did it really take that long to sort through all those memories?

  ~I guess it was a lot…

  Memories are organized and sorted through when you sleep. For mortals, muscles also only repair themselves in their sleep.

  “Yoiya!”

  Mia’s voice called out to me beyond the closed door.

  “Breakfast is ready! Hurry up and get ready for school, lil bro!”

  I hopped off the bed, grabbing the school uniform hanging on the wall and quickly putting it on. Then I opened the door and headed to the table.

  “Good morning, lil bro!” Mia exclaimed as she put down the plates.

  “Good morning…” I replied softly.

  I sat down and gazed at the plate of food before me.

  It appeared to be some kind of omelet filled with sausage, bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes.

  I stuck my fork into it immediately, taking a bite.

  ~Mmnnn…! Delicious!

  “You seem to be enjoying yourself today, lil bro.” Mia said.

  I perked up, tilting my head.

  “Your cooking is always good, Mia.” I responded in a monotone voice, as if she asked a rhetorical question.

  “Awh. How sweet of ya to say, lil bro.” Mia smiled at me as she emphasized the ‘bro’ in her sentence.

  ~Is there a reason she’s calling me ‘lil bro’ more today? There must be, her smiles are brighter than usual. Her cooking even seems to have improved.

  “Anyways, Yoiya. I have really good news!” She leaned over and supported her head with her hands as she rested her elbows on the table around her plate. “The adoption process should be done soon. They said it should be finished by next month! I mean it did take a little longer than most but I guess it makes sense considering you didn’t really have a background…”

  ~Adoption process? Ah, right. She did mention something like that around the time I started school. How could I have forgotten?

  I stared intently at my plate.

  ~Maybe I’ve gained too many memories since then…?

  ~No… My memory capacity exceeds that even elves with their prolonged lifespans. In fact, I could go as far as to say it should be as infinite as the void. I’m the God of—

  “Yoiya?” Mia gently placed her hand on mine, causing me to make eye contact with her. “You seem to be spacing out again.”

  “Ah.” I bowed my head slightly. “Sorry.”

  “No, no. It’s okay.” She smiled at me. “Anyways, let’s get you to school. And also…” Her smile grew larger, if that were even possible. “I’ll have a surprise waiting for you when you get home.”

  “A surprise…?” I asked, tilting my head to the side once again.

  “Oh…? Do you not know what day it is? I suppose you’ll understand when you get to school, then!” Mia beamed, letting out a small giggle before finishing her food.

  ~What day it… is…? Is today special?

  I pulled out my phone and checked the date.

  [February 14th]

  …

  (Raneko’s Viewpoint)

  [February 14th]

  I stared at the date listed on my phone intently.

  It was the day that every young boy in the middle of their adolescence dreamed of, a day where all the girls give chocolate to those they accept, those they like, and special ones to those they love. Yes— It was none other than Valentine’s Day. The history of Valentine’s day is long and complicated, but much like Christmas it started out with some kind of so-called ‘Saint’.

  “I wonder how actual saints and samaritans feel about days like today.” I let out a small sigh as I pushed myself off the hallway wall and began to walk.

  It was still early into the day. First class wasn’t going to start for another fifteen minutes.

  “Yoiya isn’t here yet. I still need to talk to him about what happened… But…”

  Rea’s face came to mind. How she wiped her tears as she walked beside me that night after karaoke.

  Then Yoiya’s face appeared in my thoughts. The way he looked like he was fighting as he slept, but more than that the way he smiled the next day like nothing happened. It wasn’t totally clear before, but now it’s dreadfully obvious— the pain behind that smile, the mask covering the fear, the way he tries his hardest.

  I scratched the side of my head and pinched my nose as I thought.

  “Huh? Raneko?” A feminine voice spoke up, bringing me to a halt.

  I looked up and saw Ake Mori standing in front of me. The student council’s vice president and the one who’s been watching over Yoiya the closest since he started at this school.

  “You’re here early.” She said. “You look troubled, is something the matter?”

  I stared at her with a blank face.

  ~If anything I should be asking you the same exact thing. I know you were deeply affected by what we saw that night, too.

  I opened my mouth to speak a reply but another voice interrupted me.

  “Heyo! If it isn’t my little Ran? How’s my kitten of a younger brother doing this fine morning?” The boy appeared from behind Ake like magic, flipping his dark brown hair to the side like he was some kind of lady’s man archetype from a manga. His black eyes stared deep into me.

  “Ashura. What do you want?” I muttered, clearly annoyed.

  “Awh. Come on now. Is that any way to talk to your big brother?” Ashura said, but his smirk didn’t fade, neither did his overwhelming charisma that seemed to seep out from his very existence.

  I let out a small groan.

  Ake shuffled a bit, chuckling nervously as she listened to us converse— or bicker. As she did, I noticed a small colorful bag in her hands.

  “What’s that? Chocolate for Yoiya?”

  “Huh!? N-n-noo…I mean… It’s not… just…” Ake’s voice stuttered greatly. It may had been the most nervous I’ve seen her. Her face was beet red as she scrounged around in the bag.

  She pulled out a small square wrapper and held it out to me.

  I plucked it out of her hands, inspecting it. It was thick— about five centimeters around in both length and width, three centimeters in height.

  “Friendship chocolate?”

  She gave me a nod and smiled. “I have more to give the rest of the club as well.”

  “Right. Of course.” I chuckled. “Glad to have you as a friend, Ake.” I gave her a small smile of gratitude.

  “Heyyyy…” Ashura stepped in between us, grabbing Ake by the shoulders and smiling at her as he kneeled slightly to meet her at eye level. “Where’s mine?”

  “Didn’t you say you had a girlfriend?” Ake questioned him, tilting her head slightly. It was genuine, but I sensed a tiny bit of malice in her voice.

  “Guess you have it rough, too. Having to deal with him every day.” I let out another sigh.

  “Tell me about it.” Ake muttered.

  Ding dong. The bell echoed out through the halls.

  Ashura stood up straight immediately, positioning himself beside Ake and with his back turned to me.

  “I suppose you two should get going now. But I do have another piece of advice to give you.”

  Ake and I looked at Ashura intently. We both knew how much invisible, unknown weight Ashura’s advice tended to hold.

  “No matter what bitterness comes your way, make sure to enjoy and remember the good things. That goes for life…” He holds up a piece of chocolate just like the one Ake gave me. He grins brightly. “And chocolate!”

  “Huh!?” Ake looks into her bag immediately and then looks at Ashura with a glare on par with Eliba’s, slightly growling.

  “See you!” He declared and rushed off in a hurry.

  “Geez!” Ake grumbled.

  I let out another sigh, shaking my head as I pinched my nose.

  ~Why do I still let myself expect anything from him…

  I looked up at the luminescent lights above me.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  ~Remember the good things, huh.

  …

  I stood in front of the double doors, reaching my hand out for the handle. The word “Library” was written clearly on the sign above me.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about the situation I found myself in all day, I pinched my nose and shook my head.

  ~I really do need to ask Yoiya what’s going on. But I can’t ever seem to find the right time.

  “Huh?” A soft sound of confusion, faint like a heart at rest. I turned to my right and there he stood.

  A small boy with white hair and golden eyes— Yoiyami Yuruichi. A boy whose mystery has only grown exponentially since his first day of school.

  There were plenty of rumors about him. Due to that, nobody aside from Ake and our club ever seemed to interact with him.

  The boy was alone. The very definition of an outcast.

  But seeing him now was strange…

  “You’re here later than usual, Yoiya. You’re often here with Rea before the rest of us.”

  The boy scratched the back of his head, just as any normal boy would. But he was anything but normal.

  “Ah… Well… I ran into this guy on the way here. He seemed to like to talk and it felt rude to just ignore him so…” Yoiya gave a weak, nervous smile and softly laughed. He placed his finger to his cheek and tilted his head. “I think he said his name was… Ashura…? Ah, yes. He said he was your older brother.”

  I slanted my eyes.

  ~Ashura? What is my brother doing talking to Yoiya? Now of all times, no less?

  I quickly relaxed my face and smiled at the boy. Though, it pained me to put on a smile in the same way my brother would. “I see. What did he have to say?”

  “Well…” Yoiya closed his eyes for a moment. “He bumped into— Er… Actually no, maybe its more like I bumped into him…? I was going a little too fast, I guess…”

  I stared at Yoiya, blinking only once.

  ~Too fast?

  My eyes slanted once more.

  “Anyways…” Yoiya continued. “I apologized and he was like ‘Oh, you must be the boy Mia took in. Yoiyami Yuruichi, right? Should I call you Yuru or Yoiya?’ and I was like ‘Either is fine, I guess.’”

  ~Doesn’t this seem a little too detailed…?

  “Then he said asked me if I was enjoying school, saying he was the student council president when I asked why it concerned him… I told him it was going fine but…” Yoiya placed his hand on his chin. “Then he said something strange— or I guess it was rather interesting, actually.”

  ~He’s rambling… Did Yoiya always talk this much?

  Yoiya continued to tell his story. “He told me today was Valentine’s Day. Saying all the girls give boys chocolates or sweets? I was curious about that. He also said that I should be expecting some, too? I didn’t really get it though…”

  “...Right. That is today, isn’t it?” I muttered back. It was the best response I could think of giving. Him going into that much detail caught me completely off guard. “Let’s just go inside, shall we?”

  Yoiya’s eyes went wide for a moment and he quickly bowed his head. “Ah! Right… I’m sorry.”

  I looked at him intently.

  ~Did he realize he went into full detail? Perhaps it was an accident…

  I pinched my nose and shook my head.

  ~That’s somehow even more concerning…

  “Raneko? Is… something the matter…?” Yoiya looked up at me, tilting his head innocently. “Did… I say something to upset you…?”

  The way he paused reminded me of how Rea speaks when she’s nervous.

  His expressions appeared to mimic that of the rest of the club as well, but the fact it seemed like a perfect natural imitation seemed to add to his inhuman presence.

  “N-no. It’s fine. Let’s hurry inside.”

  I grabbed the handle and slid the door open.

  “Huehuehue! You two are finally here! How rare for you to be late, Yoiya!” Mashiro shouted.

  “M-my apologies.” Yoiya bowed three times in a precise rhythmic beat.

  “H-hello, Yoiya…” Rea raised her hand at us in greeting slowly and hesitantly. “Raneko, too…”

  “Anyways! Did you two get any chocolates!? I bet Yuru-kun got tons!” Mashiro approached us quickly, immediately leaning closely towards Yoiya.

  Yoiya backed up.

  In the background, Eliba averted her gaze and Rea bowed her head, hiding her face behind her book as she usually would.

  “W-w-was I supposed to…?” Yoiya stuttered, raising his arms in surrender as he backed up towards the hall.

  I let out a sigh, sticking my arm between her and Yoiya.

  “Don’t make assumptions about him, Mashiro.”

  “Kuro, my dear familiar. I know you didn’t get any chocolate but that doesn’t mean Yuru-kun didn’t—”

  “Ah uhm…” Yoiya spoke up suddenly. “I didn’t get any…” His expression dropped, like he was upset about something. His eyes wavered.

  I could only guess he was thinking about how his classmates avoid him. But—

  ~He didn’t get any? Have Ake not given hers to him yet?

  However, it was surprising that Mashiro wasn’t aware of the rumors that spread when he first started at school.

  Mashiro smiled.

  ~Or maybe she is aware? Is she trying to boost his confidence?

  “Huehuehue! Fret not, my dear comrades! For I, the great and magnificent Mashiro, will conjure up some chocolate for all of you on this fine day celebrating companionship!” She raised her hand up as if holding a wand and waved it around.

  Mashiro turned and rushed over to her bag, shuffling through it for a moment before pulling out four large boxes in red wrappers. “Tada! Behold! The ultimate—”

  I grabbed two from her hand, handing one to Yoiya. “Thanks. Appreciate it.”

  “Hey! I wasn’t done showing it off!” Mashiro’s face puffed up, her cheeks colored pink with theatrical rage.

  “Uhm… Thanks…?” Yoiya stared at the box with confusion.

  Eliba plucked another from her hand. “Thanks.” One word, that was it. She stuffed it into her bag like it was no big deal.

  “Ehhh!?” Mashiro’s pouting became more genuine as she threw a small tantrum.

  Mashiro stomped her foot, still clutching the last box like it was a priceless artifact.

  “Y-you guys are the worst audience ever! At least pretend to be amazed!”

  Rea peeked over the top of her book, her voice barely above a whisper. “I… I thought it was amazing…”

  Mashiro froze mid?tantrum.

  Her head slowly turned toward Rea.

  “R-Rea… you actually watched…?”

  Rea nodded once, shyly. “It was… very Mashiro-like.”

  Mashiro’s entire face lit up like someone flipped a switch.

  “SEE! Rea gets it! Rea always gets it! She appreciates my art!” She exclaimed. She turned to her and happily handed her the last box. “Please enjoy!”

  I rubbed my temple. “It was chocolate, not a magic trick.”

  Mashiro gasped dramatically. “Kuro! How dare you insult the spirit of Valentine’s! This is a sacred ritual of love and friendship!”

  “Pretty sure it’s just sugar,” I muttered.

  Yoiya blinked between us, clutching the box like it might explode. “Uhm… should I… open it…?”

  Mashiro spun toward him, pointing with theatrical intensity. “YES! Open it! Witness the glory of my—”

  “It’s store-bought,” Eliba said flatly from her seat.

  Mashiro deflated like a balloon. “E-Eliba! You traitor!”

  I exhaled through my nose.

  Same chaos as always.

  Same Mashiro.

  Same club.

  But when I glanced at Yoiya, he was staring at the box with a strange, almost fragile expression—like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to be happy about it.

  And for a moment, the noise around us felt softer.

  I placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. “How about we take a seat first? We don’t have anything planned today so you can just relax.”

  Rea looked up from her book, glancing in my direction. Her eyes stayed focused on me, as if she wanted to say something.

  “Ah, right.” I gave her a small nod. “I’ll prepare the tea. We can enjoy it with the sweets.”

  “Woohoo! Tea party!” Mashiro shouted out. “Can’t wait to see what you two get me next month on White—”

  I grabbed Mashiro and covered her mouth. “Mashiro. How about you help me with the tea today? You said you found a new blend you wanted to try out, right?”

  Yoiya stared at us with confusion. “White?”

  “Huh–?” Mashiro let out muffled noises, struggling against me for a moment. She looked up at me and saw my expression, then fell silent for a moment.

  I relaxed my grip and she punched her fist into the air immediately. “Right! I have more surprises for you all! Who says only the boys can enjoy Valentine’s anyways! Chocolate tea for everyone!!!”

  Yoiya blinked once. Then twice.

  A blank expression remained clear on his face as he took his usual seat beside Rea.

  I began to prepare the tea with Mashiro, who was finally quiet for a moment as she focused on her craft.

  I glanced over towards Rea and Yoiya, wondering how they were doing.

  Rea tugged on Yoiya’s sleeve, whispering to him. Even though we were in the same room and there wasn’t much distance between us, I couldn’t hear what she was saying. It was not surprising, however, as Rea’s voice has always been rather soft.

  What was surprising was that I couldn’t hear Yoiya’s voice either. His voice was naturally soft, too, but I didn’t expect not to be able to hear him at all.

  Rea reached over to her side, leaning over as she stuffed her hand into her bag. She pulled out a small clear plastic wrapper. Attached to it, a small keychain depicting a sword stuck into ice cream. Inside the plastic, a single large muffin— chocolate with white chocolate chunks, light within darkness.

  Yoiya accepted it nervously and smiled— the most genuine I’ve seen from him since our karaoke outing.

  Rea smiled back. I could say the same about hers for neither of them have smiled like that since then.

  ~Perhaps now I can ask? But Eliba and Mashiro are here… It’d be especially difficult to question with Mashiro around. She might scare Yoiya away. And Eliba can be… harsh.

  I shook my head.

  ~No. I need to trust my friends. I should ask.

  I walked over to Yoiya and Rea, giving them their tea and began to open my mouth to speak.

  They both looked up at me, Yoiya munching on the muffin meanwhile.

  Knock knock.

  A knock on the door. Who could it be?

  “I got it!” Mashiro raised her hand and skipped over to the door happily. With a swift movement, she opened the library door.

  There stood a girl with light brown hair dressed in a green apron that almost matched her hazel eyes— Ake Mori, vice president of the student council. Dark brown stains streaked against her left cheek and across the apron. In one hand, she held a small white box, the kind you’d carry cake in. In the other— the small white bag I saw her with earlier.

  Ake smiled nervously and let out a small chuckle. “Sorry to bother you guys but I brought gifts.”

  She immediately glanced over to Yoiya, who was still munching on the muffin Rea gave him. The box Mashiro gave him untouched.

  ~I guess that goes to show who he feels the most comfortable around… Not that I blame him. Mashiro is often a bit… much.

  Ake returned her gaze forward and smiled yet again, this time brighter. She held up the small white bag. “Friendship chocolates. One for each of you.”

  “Yahoo! Chocolates from Ake!” Mashiro leaped at the bag, yoinking it from her hand in a hurry. She scrounged through the bag, pulling out a small wrapper. “Wow, three centimenters thick! I can’t believe you care that much, Ake!” She said excitedly.

  Ake let out another nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her head. “You’re welcome. But uhm… what’s ‘centimenters’?”

  “Probably just another one of her made-up words.” I muttered.

  “It’s sentimental centimeters! Centimenters, for short! It’s a measurement of love and affection!” Mashiro pointed at me dramatically before quickly unwrapping the chocolate and plopping it into her mouth. “Delicious!”

  “You look like you were in the home rec room.” Eliba stated, staring at Ake as she was handed her small piece of chocolate from the bag.

  “Oho? Huehuehue. Then is that what I think it is?” Mashiro pointed at the white box in her hand with a grin.

  Ake’s face lit up immediately and her eyes began to dart around the room, avoiding contact as if at all costs. Though it was hard to tell, I saw they fell on Yoiya and Rea multiple times.

  “Uhm… Uh… Well…!” She stuttered frantically.

  She let out a heavy sigh, taking in and pushing out a single deep breath. She walked over to Yoiya and placed down the box gently in front of him.

  “For you.” She said with a smile.

  Yoiya looked up at her in confusion, pointing at himself as if looking for confirmation.

  She gave him a nod and he tilted his head at the box and then glanced over at Ake again.

  He then looked to Rea who simply gave him a gentle, assuring smile.

  Yoiya slowly opened the box. As the sides opened cleanly, the interior revealed a small white cake with what appeared to be chocolate-covered strawberries.

  “Whoa! Yoiya gets a whole cake!?” Mashiro stared intensely at Ake, leaning into her face closely. Her cheeks were puffed and her eyes suggested subtle angle, but it was clearly fake. The facade quickly cleared as a massive grin drew clean across her face and she began to do her usual laugh. “Huehuehuehuehue… I see how it is…”

  Yoiya stared at the cake as if he was in a daze. He looked at Rea and Ake like he wanted to say something. A single tear fell across his cheek, but no words came when he opened it.

  Rea and Ake smiled at him.

  Ake quickly wiped his tears away with a handkerchief but Yoiya didn’t appear to know why he started crying.

  “I’m glad…” Rea spoke as she gave him a hug, her voice barely audible.

  I stared at the three of them. I couldn’t help but smile as well.

  ~I can’t bring it up now… It would be a shame to ruin such a moment. Got to remember the good things. Right, Ashura?