"Last Winter, I gave you my heart but the very next day, you gave it away."

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THE snowflakes fell and tapped the windowpane, a thin layer of flakes hiking up on its glass as the cold air whirled outside. Frost was starting to cover up the whole city as it snowed that cold night.

Almost all the rooms in each house had their heaters on, lights illuminating the dark, snowy streets of the city. But there was one room that frosty night, whose lights and heater were turned off. And just like the streets of the city, it was dark and cold.

Mayaka Ibara held on her pillow as she cried, the tears continuously flowing from her eyes. Her whole body felt numb, yet she could hear her own heart, breaking, ripping into a thousand pieces as she held on, as if her life depended on it.

She was crying -- not over an anime episode, not over a book, not over anything she would normally cry for. She was crying; because of Satoshi.

It was Valentines' Day. Today, she was supposed to finally get a decent answer from Satoshi, any kind of closure that can finally make her seal the deal between her feelings for him, her friend.

She even baked a homemade chocolate for him, with the help of her close friend; Chitanda Eru. She put all her heart into it, just so she can please Satoshi, and maybe, just maybe, she can finally have Satoshi -- for her alone.

But what breaks Mayaka's heart is the fact that Satoshi "stole" the chocolate, and even hid it from the three of them. Of course, she and Oreki Houtarou, another one of her friends, knew it from the start -- although Eru was oblivious of all of it. If it hadn't been for Mayaka, Eru wouldn't have no clue by now.

"Why would Fuku-chan do such a selfish thing?" Mayaka remembered Eru asking, her face disappointed when she finally learned that it was Satoshi all along. "Is it because he's scared to give you his answer?"

More tears fell as Mayaka thought of it. "Maybe Eru was right. Maybe he didn't want to tell me a decent answer -- because it's a no." She told herself, clutching her pillow even tighter.

It was as if her pillow was her lifeline. If she wouldn't hold on to it, she might just lose it.

Mayaka had enough. She knew she was only hurting her self more by hoping of a chance she's not even sure she has. And as she cried quietly that night, all she could think of was all her lost chances being gone, and the fact that; Satoshi Fukube does not love her back.

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Oreki Houtarou sighed as he shook his head, eating the bitter chocolate bar that Eru had made for him this Valentines. He was completely bothered, not with the bitter chocolate, but with his friends, Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara.

"Is that so? I understand..." He remembered Mayaka saying with this sad, bitter smile that even Oreki felt the silent breaking of his friend's heart as she learned that the chocolate she gave for Satoshi was stolen. "It's... okay... You don't have to worry about me."

And then Oreki remembered his confrontation with Satoshi when he realized the chocolate was with him all along. "I want to be with Mayaka, no question about it. But I don't want to be obsessed with her... I need... a little more time."

"I don't really understand you Satoshi." Oreki sighed yet again as he looked outside his window, wondering if both of them were okay. "But I hope you learn that being in love with Mayaka doesn't make you obsessed with her. Love and obsession are two completely different things."

He then glanced at the chocolate bar in his hands. Oreki didn't know why, but as he said those words, he suddenly thought of Eru as his heart started beating loud and fast.

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Satoshi Fukube looked up at the sky, snow slowly falling down on him. He was cold, no doubt about it, but he couldn't just go home when the words that left his mouth awhile ago when he talked with Oreki made him think.

The chocolate that Mayaka intended for him was sitting in his lap, a chunk of it in his mouth as he chewed the delectable gift.

"You've outdone yourself again this time, Mayaka." He murmured as he tasted every inch of the chocolate.

And he didn't quite know why, but tears were beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. The chocolate was delicious, and somehow, Satoshi could feel all the love and especially the effort that Mayaka had put into.

And that certain love overwhelmed him deeply in a way he couldn't quite imagine.

He was starting to feel guilty and his conscience was choking his throat. His tears unknowingly fell, as if he suddenly felt all the pain Mayaka was feeling. And maybe he was.

Years. Mayaka was in love with him for years, ever since their elementary days. "How could she... wait that long...?" He breathed, cold air puffing out from his mouth.

He then pulled out his phone from his pocket and stared at Mayaka's number for a minute, having seconds thoughts. Glancing at the chocolate, he took a deep breath and dialed her number.

Maybe, he didn't need anymore time. Maybe, every moment was the right time. Maybe... it was time... Maybe.

With shaking fingers, he raised his phone and placed it next to his ear. He heard the unsteady and stifled breaths of Mayaka from the other line, as if she was crying.

"I-I have... an answer." Satoshi told her with trembling lips and a shaky voice.

"You don't have to, you know." Mayaka said, faking a laughter. It stung Satoshi, because her laugh sounded so different, so bitter. "I know it's a no. I know you don't feel the same way. I know I'm only hoping for something that will nev--"

"Well, you're wrong." Satoshi told her, not even letting her dare say what she was going to say next.

"Sorry if it took this long but... Mayaka Ibara, I'm in love with you."

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Note: This is a Satoshi Fukube × Mayaka Ibara [Fukara is their ship name, squeee~] one-shot fanfic. They're from my all-time favorite anime called Hyouka ❤ And I hope you played that video in the media while reading :D

I just really, really, really, hate the fact that they didn't show what Satoshi was going to tell to Mayaka through his cellphone in the ending of episode 21. My heart broke in that episode, mind you. Satoshi was really selfish of Mayaka's feelings there T^T So yeah, that's the main reason I made this one-shot, huehue.

P.S: Ki ninarimasuuu~