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Staring at the overwhelming spread of chocolate boxes and bags scattered across his dorm room, Yukio felt his scalp go numb. It looked like his snack options for the next half month would be nothing but chocolate.
Worse yet, he couldn't even melt it all down and turn it into some other dessert like a chocolate cake—that would feel like disregarding the girls' heartfelt intentions.
"I guess this is what you call a happy kind of trouble," he murmured, slipping into a bit of self-indulgent pride. Compared to the poor guys stuck in their rooms without even a single Valentine's chocolate, his situation felt like something out of a Versailles fantasy.
Knock knock.
The knock on the door pulled him back from his drifting thoughts. It hit him—Hoshinomiya's chocolate hadn't been the final one.
But this visitor had guts.
Sakura had only dared come by around midnight, but this one was arriving shortly after dinner. She clearly wasn't worried about what other students might think. Judging by that alone, Yukio already had a good guess—it was probably Sakayanagi.
Sure enough, when he opened the door, there she was.
Today, Sakayanagi had clearly gone all-out with her appearance. The most noticeable change was her usual black beret—swapped for a snow-white one adorned with a fluffy pom-pom in the shape of a snowflake. Underneath, she wore a high-neck black knitted sweater for warmth, layered with a khaki double-breasted dress. Thick thermal black tights covered her legs, and over it all was a white fleece coat with snowflake patterns.
Right now, she looked like a delicate winter sprite, born from snowfall itself. Her silvery-white hair shimmered beneath the glow of the evening lights, reflecting like starlight.
Carrying a neatly boxed gift, she stood at his door with a sweet smile. "Happy Valentine's Day, Yukio-kun."
Without even thinking, Yukio accepted it. He was already planning to reply to Ichinose; one more name on the list wouldn't change anything. Like they said in his hometown: When you're already drowning in debt, what's one more creditor?
He stepped aside and led Sakayanagi inside. "Didn't expect you to just show up like this. Make yourself comfortable—I'll get you a hot cocoa."
Sakayanagi closed the door gently behind her, swapped her shoes for indoor slippers, and followed him into the living room. As Yukio prepared their drinks, she smiled and let her eyes wander over the mountain of chocolate. "You're really popular, huh, Yukio-kun~ So… which one is Ichinose's?"
"You saw it?" Yukio asked casually as he returned with her cup. The question was vague on purpose.
After all, Ichinose had given him her chocolate in the elevator, just the two of them. If Sakayanagi had gone so far as to dig through elevator surveillance footage, that'd be… unsettling.
So he hedged his bets. Maybe Sakayanagi had just caught a glimpse of Ichinose buying the packaging. Or maybe she'd overheard something in passing.
"Nope."
Sakayanagi wrapped both hands around her cup for warmth. "But her face was practically glowing when she came into the student council this afternoon. Totally flushed, couldn't focus on anything. Anyone could tell."
"Oh, except maybe our budget-slasher extraordinaire, Horikita. She might've missed it."
Sakayanagi's voice took on a teasing tone, and Yukio wondered what Horikita would say if she heard this. Probably something cold and bored like, "How childish."
Yukio glanced at the smiling Sakayanagi. Should he reply now?
He hadn't answered Ichinose because he wanted to give her time—he knew she seemed strong on the outside, but he had witnessed firsthand how fragile she had once been, burdened by the past. A buffer of one month was his way of being gentle.
But Sakayanagi… didn't really seem like she needed that kind of cushion.
"No need to overthink it, Yukio-kun."
She set her cup down, and like some heart-reading sorceress, walked around the table and stood beside him. With a small lift of her hand, she tapped her index finger lightly over his chest, right above his heart.
With that simple gesture, Sakayanagi made it clear—she had read right into Yukio's heart.
"Yukio-kun being popular isn't a secret," she said softly. "Pretty much the whole school knows. So when I still brought you chocolate, what's there for you to overthink?"
"You're really not bothered by it?" Yukio asked, not brushing her hand away. That light tap over his heart—just that little action—was enough for him to feel how fragile she was. Like porcelain. If he applied even a little strength, Sakayanagi might shatter.
Congenital heart disease… Only through long-term careful care—not quick fixes—could she really get better.
"Not at all," Sakayanagi replied as she slowly pulled her finger back. Even if she lacked physical strength, she couldn't just keep poking someone's chest forever—that'd be rude. "With how close we are… what, should I always worry you'll sneak behind my back?"
Yukio didn't have a good comeback for that. It dawned on him that Sakayanagi and Kiryuin might be similar in some ways—both were raised in circles where upper-class people all lived double lives. They had long become used to that kind of freedom.
"But," she added with a smile, "since I'm already here, I might as well fight for a little more."
With that, she placed her own chocolate box onto the table. The meaning was clear—before you try anyone else's chocolate, at least taste mine first.
"Uh…" Yukio considered explaining that he had already eaten Karuizawa and Kushida's chocolates late last night or early this morning—but decided against it.
Sakayanagi went ahead and unwrapped the gift herself. She had used star-shaped molds, clearly understanding Yukio's taste. Every piece was a five-pointed star—Yukio couldn't help but be impressed.
He picked one up and gave it a try. Slightly sweet, and tailored to his preference.
But Sakayanagi wasn't just there to watch—her sharp gaze locked on him, and though she wore a ladylike smile, she asked with mock innocence, "Yukio-kun, are you just going to enjoy them all by yourself?"
Yukio grabbed another piece, intending to feed her, but Sakayanagi didn't accept it. She didn't even look at the star-shaped chocolate—she kept her eyes on his face. The meaning was so clear it nearly sparkled in the air.
Once again, Yukio got a firsthand reminder of Sakayanagi's boldness. Since she was being so forward, how could he back down? He leaned in without hesitation and began sharing the piece of chocolate directly with her.
Moments later, Sakayanagi pulled away, face flushed red, hand covering her mouth. That blushing expression carried an entirely different kind of allure in Yukio's eyes.
He couldn't help but tease her. "What happened? Weren't you being bold just now? Feeling shy all of a sudden?"
"Nope," she replied, cheeks still tinted, but her tone just as cheerful as ever. "I'm just worried the chocolate might've stained my teeth. That would be so unladylike."
After a quick check, she confirmed there were no smudges and lowered her hand. She was about to speak again when her phone suddenly rang.
Because she had previously moved around the table to sit beside Yukio, both of them could clearly see the caller ID—Father.
"Sakayanagi Chairman?" Yukio blinked.
Sakayanagi gave a mysterious smile. "Maybe he found out I came to see you tonight and is calling to remind me to return to my dorm soon, rather than staying too long at your place."
"I'm that untrustworthy in the chairman's eyes?" Yukio joked.
Perhaps because of their now-closer relationship, Sakayanagi didn't try to hide the call. She answered on speaker.
But from the other end, instead of a routine reminder, the refined voice of Chairman Sakayanagi brought a startling revelation.
"Arisu… I've been temporarily suspended from duty."
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