The Sweet Mess

"Will you be my Valentine, Babo? Of course, you will. Here, this is for you."

Hifumi swept the rest of the obligation chocolates from his desk and into his bag. Turning to face his girlfriend, he smiled broadly. This is the moment he's been looking forward to. It might have come at the very end of the school day, but the waiting only made it sweeter.

After ripping decorative paper from the gift, his eyes beheld a branded box, and the gleam in them died a bit before he forced himself to smile even wider. Inside, placed in a circle around a golden coin, eight little chocolate balls covered in the same precious metal rested, basking in their own luxury.

"Woah, Hay, I don't know what to say. Thanks."

He delicately picked one up and put it in his mouth. Its rich flavour filled his mouth. Appreciative noises accompanied his tasting of it, but his expression betrayed that something wasn't quite right.

After they left the school and were about to head out, Hailey finally found the courage to ask.

"Okay, Babo. Spill it. What's wrong? Do you not like them, are you afraid of the White Day or what?"

"No, no, they're great! I'm super thankful being able to try chocolates like that! It's just that..."

"It's just what?"

"... What I really wanted to try was your handmade ones..."

She looked him in the eyes, and took a deep breath. A sense of conviction built inside her. She stepped closer to him and grabbed his hand.

"Take me home, Babo."

"What? Right now? I thought we could spend the day toge-"

"Shut up, and just do it."

A sad expression clouded his face, born of the worry that his lack of appreciation for the gift hurt his girl's feelings. However, her stance suggested that it wasn't quite that, so he just nodded, closed his eyes, and after a brief moment, they were standing inside her penthouse.

"Wait here."

She let go of his hand, and went to look for something in the kitchen. Even with him being unable to see, an embarrassed blush spilled on her face over the state of the room.

It was a mess. A nightmare of an insane chocolatier, that spilled out of his mind and turned the place into a warning to those attempting to thread the path of sweets. Ripped recipe pages littered the countertops, glued to them by an immovable layer of dried spilled ingredients. Mountains of misshapen delicacies piled around, threatening to crumble and bury underneath anyone unwise enough to disturb their fickle balance. Trenches of stains, left by a vicious battle between undercooked and burnt treats, served as a grim reminder of the humankind's hubris.

After a bit of consideration, Hailey selected one of the cookies from the less terrible batches. The shape reminded her of something from a horror movie they've watched recently, rather than a tender proof of her feelings, but it seemed edible enough, unlike some pieces of charcoal lying around.

"Open your mouth."

She fed it to him. Her heart drummed in nervous trepidation as she watched his reaction.

The blissful look that radiated from him was contagious.

"I love it, Hay."

"Of course you do, I've made it, after all, but I think I know a way to make it even sweeter."

She wrapped her arms around him, and placed a kiss on his chocolate stained lips.