"So," Mitsuba said, looking bored, "who exactly are we looking for here?" Greeted by silence, Mitsuba gaped at them in shock, incredulity painting his face, almost offended. What's he so offended for anyway? "Don't tell we're just going to blindly hunt around! That's lame! This is lame!" Mitsuba wailed.

Lunch rolled by and the makeshift girl-hunting team started their mission. The boys agreed to stay in the classroom and assign it as their rendezvous point—it was at that moment Kou realized how stupid their mission is; to go as far as to make a rendezvous point, but he won't stop there. He will find the culprit. (Since he has nothing better to do anyway. )

Besides, Mitsuba seems to be enjoying it. Kou has yet to figure out why he cared for him first but he sets it aside for now.

"We're looking for girls with S in their names, apparently," Satou told Mitsuba, drinking on his water bottle before placing it down on the desk he's perched atop of, feet swaying. "Since we don't know a lot from other classes, we'll start with girls we know."

"And girls that seem like they crush on our Kou-kun here," Yokoo chimed in, winking as he wrapped an arm around Kou's shoulder as the latter furiously blushed. "We're helping Kou or else he won't be able to sleep at night and we'll be stuck with a grumpy Kou."

Kou opened his mouth to protest. Satou interrupted him. "Can Kou even get grumpy? I don't think I've ever seen Kou get grumpy," Satou said, looking right at Kou.

Yokoo gaped and cackled. "You're right! That would be gold! Don't you think so Mitsuba—?" Yokoo paused and blinked. "Mitsuba? Are you okay?"

The three turned to the boy who was picking invisible lint from his scarf, pouting and grumping to himself, glaring at the school floor. Glaring at an inanimate object won't do anything, Mitsuba, Kou wanted to say but kept his mouth shut. Kou could see how long Mitsuba's eyelashes are in that angle and for a moment, Kou was mesmerized. He never realized because this was ( as lame as it is ) the first he's spent time with Mitsuba for more than 30 minutes, so he got to see more of Mitsuba . . . and sides of him Kou never knew.

Was it strange to think that Mitsuba is prettier than the girls he's met in school?

Yes, the voice in his head nagged, that's weird. Why were you even thinking of that? Maybe you really are creepy, creep.

Mitsuba wasn't avoiding the more girly aspect he has in both his appearance and personality and Kou found that endearing. He respected that Mitsuba wasn't hiding a true part of himself, though, Kou somehow thought that maybe Mitsuba might be hiding something more.

Kou shook his head and forced himself out of Lala land when Mitsuba felt his stare and met his eyes. Kou thought he felt his heart leap from his throat when pink met blue, but Kou shoved that thought and looked away, afraid that he would do something weird.

Stupid, what was that? You never acted this way before! Are you that desperate to have Mitsuba around you?

Mitsuba cleared his throat. "S-Seriously?" He sneered, forcing a smirk. "A girl likes hella-lame traffic-safety earring boy? Does she have no taste at all? Shame!" Yokoo snorted and pat Kou's head.

"Whatever," Kou grumped, shaking Yokoo's hand off of his head. "Can we get this over with? Any ideas? Suggestions? Anything?" Kou asked them, starting to sound desperate to change the topic.

Satou's mouth twitched at the side ever-so-slightly. "As much as we love to help you, you can't expect us to be experts about this. Your brother usually takes care of your love-related problems but you, for some reason, hid this letter away from him." He threw his head back while his arms rest behind his head. "You still didn't tell us the reason why."

"Letter?" Mitsuba parroted, staring at Satou and Kou back and forth. "Minamoto-kun received a love . . . letter?" Suddenly, his mouth goes wide open as if he suddenly remembered something as a dark blush adorned his cheeks. He started a violent cough fit—Kou didn't know if he was choking on his lunch or thin air. "Can, I, um, see it?" It didn't sound like a question but a demand.

Instinctively, Kou's fingers grazed over the pockets of his pants, brows furrowed as he stared at Mitsuba. Kou doesn't know what Mitsuba wants to do with it and, frankly, he doesn't even want to try. "No . . . ? Why would you want it?"

Mitsuba opened his mouth before he shut it tight again, lips faintly pulled into a grimace. "Nothing. Nevermind."

The three stared at him, confused as to why Mitsuba suddenly started acting strange. Yokoo threw a knowing glance at Satou as the latter nodded. Kou huffed, feeling a bit left out in the silence.

"If you want love advice then don't you think you should reach out to Daikon-senpai?" Mitsuba told them as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe it is. Kou couldn't ignore the fact that Mitsuba sounded hesitant in his words, though, and it seems sullen, almost like he gave up on something and is willing to play along.

Kou thought it is. His eyes widened and there's a small squeal that rumbled from his throat, almost like a high pitched whine in disappointment—disappointment in him not thinking of that earlier. Yokoo and Satou stared at him weirdly for making that weird noise but Kou didn't pay any attention.

Kou beamed at Mitsuba. "You're right! Senpai would be a great help! You're a genius!" Kou praised ( as if he forgot Mitsuba acting weird earlier already ) and inflated Mitsuba's already huge ego. Leave it to Kou to always flatter the narcissists.

Mitsuba turned away from him so Kou couldn't see his face. "Of course I am, stupid!"

Yokoo's eyes widened. "Wow, you're really serious about this, aren't you?" Kou didn't know why Yokoo didn't think he wasn't but now he knows that Kou is determined to get to the bottom of this. Satou and Yokoo just stared at him again because it seems like that's all they can do with how insane Kou has gone.

( He's too far out now, boys! He swore to no one he'll find this girl because he has nothing better to do than wallow in self-pity. After all, Valentine's is the day of bitterness for him. )

(( Even though he's too young to even think about this stuff. ))

Kou nodded and without another word, grabbed the sleeve of Mitsuba's pink sweater and sped away to only God knows where, with Mitsuba flailing behind him, stumbling on his steps as he tried to catch up.

"Hey— wait!" Mitsuba wailed, slipping on a step but Kou grabbed him by the back of his sweater and pulled him back up with ease, never once hesitating in his actions. "Why are you— Minamoto-kun! Are you kidnapping me or something!?" Mitsuba demanded

"Something like that," Kou responded, and even he is surprised to hear himself say that so calmly and playfully.

Instead of acting like a big baby as always, Mitsuba surprisingly gave up resisting and tried to catch up, a scowl on his face despite that.

He doesn't look like it, but he's willing to help . . . in a way, Kou noted, eyeing Mitsuba through the corner of his eyes before looking away immediately once Mitsuba caught on his stare. Kou knew that thought was an insult but he and Mitsuba insult each other every day—what's new?

What's new is that this time, Kou stood silent and basked in the silence he and Mitsuba are in, smiles gracing their lips.

—

As soon as the two caught sight of a familiar radish-legged girl next to a boy with bright, golden eyes, Mitsuba paled and tugged on Kou's shirt.

"You're not planning to make them read the letter, right?" Mitsuba whispered, almost pleading, looking like he had seen a ghost. Kou looked at Mitsuba as if he grew two heads. One Mitsuba and now two Mitsuba's.

"I didn't expect Amane to be here but yes, I'm planning to make them help me," Kou answered him. Mitsuba had stopped walking so Kou just dragged him instead, Mitsuba's feet sliding on the school ground with ease as Kou continued on walking, ignoring the horrified stares they received.

Kou probably looked insane. An insane kidnapper but Mitsuba isn't fighting back anymore. Mitsuba seemed like he gave in to Kou.

As of the moment, though, Mitsuba asked, "why are you so intent on finding the person who wrote that letter anyway?" It's so quiet; maybe Kou isn't supposed to hear it. "You're acting weird and it's catching me— no, us, off guard. Do you finally want a girlfriend or something?"

Kou froze.

Okay, he admitted. He is oddly persistent for sure ( no one can deny that, really ), but if he needed to explain why he's oddly persistent, it's like asking why you eat when you're not hungry and just bored, or helping a stranger out of instinct without even thinking about basic morals.

"Because . . . I can?" Kou replied, sounding unsure himself; he didn't know what to say. "I don't know. I just feel like this letter is, uh, different. Special? The others are blunt and they usually just say what they want from me, but this letter made me feel— uh, feel weird. And I want to know why."

The pink-haired boy just stared at him and Kou began to slow down his pace, suddenly nervous. "I just— I just thought that maybe if I met the person who made it then maybe I can figure out why?" He stammered out, hating how Mitsuba is staring at him with no emotion at all until—

Mitsuba is genuinely surprised. "You like that letter? Seriously?"

"If that's what it seems then yeah, I guess I do," Kou agreed, wanting to drop the subject.

Kou thought that maybe Mitsuba—the sadist that he is—liked seeing Kou suffer which is why he kept on pestering Kou with questions ( Kou tried to hint he didn't want to talk about it but, of course, knowing Mitsuba, he would want the opposite to piss people off because he's annoying like that ) but then Kou caught a glimpse of Mitsuba staring at him in pure—true and real—wonder and Kou almost shoved that thought away immediately. Mitsuba looked genuinely curious and it made Kou feel a bit . . . iffy.

He didn't know what Mitsuba's intentions were, what is going through his mind, but Kou could only hope that it's interest because seeing Mitsuba get all eager about him honestly feels nice.

"Ah, Kou-kun, Mitsuba-kun!" Yashiro's voice called out, snapping both of them away from their strange trance. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked with a sweet smile.

Ah, Nene, always the gentle one. Kou wondered if Yashiro ever went through such confusing, sexuality-questioning, crazy, and creepy ( with amorous intent ) thoughts like Kou is struggling with right now. But then Kou saw Amane's arm slung lazily, almost protectively, around Yashiro's shoulder and Kou realized that maybe Yashiro had nothing to worry about at all.

Kou is sort of disappointed he has no one to talk to about this.

"Senpai!" Kou exclaimed, showing off his canine teeth with a wide grin. "I just need a little help, that's all. And I thought you're the perfect person to talk to about it."

Yashiro brightened as pink flushed her cheeks. She clasped her hands together, obviously flattered by Kou's statement. Amane stared at Kou blankly almost like he's thinking—what the hell are you planning now, do you know what you've just done?

Kou stared at him back. I wanted to fuel her ego for personal reasons, mind your own business, please. She's the only one I can reach out to right now, Kou thought to himself, squinting so hard at Amane he looked like he was about to poop.

As if Amane heard Kou's thoughts, he nodded and turned away, now staring at Mitsuba. Kou is mystified.

Yashiro squealed, high-pitched and excited, exactly the reaction Kou hoped for. She gawked at Kou with sparkling eyes before looking back and forth between Kou and Mitsuba for some reason. Yashiro turned to Amane for affirmation and all the boy could give him was a half-hearted shrug.

"I-Is it what I think it is?" She screeched, bouncing up and down in happiness, clapping her hands repeatedly like a seal. "I knew it! It's about romance! I knew I would be the romance-expert senpai!" Amane tapped on her shoulder. Suddenly reminded of the crowd near them, Yashiro sheepishly laughed and cowered.

Kou forced a laugh because he didn't know how to react. Beside him, Mitsuba shifted, taking advantage of Kou's loose grip and slowly sliding onto Kou's hand.

"I received a love letter," Kou announced, wishing he sounded more proud upon saying that but it came out as a nervous stutter instead. "And I hoped Senpai can help me figure out who this person is, or at least tell me what to do." Kou rummaged through his pocket with his free hand ( one that Mitsuba wasn't holding ) and gave Yashiro the slightly crumpled paper.

Yashiro stared at it in puzzlement, as if she's surprised Kou even received such a thing even though it isn't the first. Not you, too, senpai, Kou sadly thought, now wondering if all of his friends saw him as a boy who will forever be a celibate, single boy. A hum left her lips shortly after she read the letter. "Ah, a love letter, huh? Must be hard to manage these for both you and Mitsuba-kun, right?"

"Why Mitsuba?"

"Why me?"

Yashiro blinked. "Because . . . you two are . . . dating, right?" It sounded like she asked them even though Kou and Mitsuba are the ones that are supposed to be asking questions.

Mitsuba's hand slipped away from Kou's in an instant.

"WHAT!?"

"E-EXCUSE ME?"

Yashiro wanted to speak again but Amane interrupted her. "Drop it, Nene. I don't think they know," he softly told her as Yashiro just nodded, dumbfounded. Looking like he's almost bipolar, Amane turned to them and his expression twisted into an amused sneer, his grin dark but his eyes were shining with mischief.

"Seriously, how dense are you two? Everyone in the world knows except for you guys—just how crazy is that?"