Shiori shrugs.
Shiori "I mean, what should I do? I only made chocolates our first year for Ryuji. The year after that, I made some cookies that just happened to go to Hikigaya. I don't have a reason to make anything this year."
Chizuru pouts angrily.
Chizuru "What do you mean?? You like Hikigaya, don't you?"
Shiori blushes and nervously looks around while shushing her.
Shiori "Don't say that out loud!.."
She whispers while sweating.
Chizuru "Well? What are you gonna do if someone else comes and gives him some chocolates? What if someone else asks him out?"
She asks with a serious look. Shiori shyly looks over to see Hikigaya, Touma and the others laughing and talking, waiting for them. She stares at Hikigaya with a worried look.
Shiori "I do love him… I'm just scared.."
Chizuru smiles.
Chizuru "I know but you have to at least try. Make him chocolates this year but actually give them to him. No excuses this time."
Shiori nods with a determined look.
Chizuru "Perfect! Meet me at my place tomorrow after school. Suiyoubi and Alice are coming."
In the background with the group. Tsuki, Milo and Riley approach them.
Riley "It is soon to be Valentine's Day Sugawara. Will you be leaving this commoner and joining me in matrimony?"
She asks plainly as Sugawara sweats. Haru grabs Sugawara and moves him behind himself and gives Riley an angry look.
Haru "He will not! Not be gone!
He hisses at her before throwing her into the air as she spins and floats for a moment, unphased by being thrown.
Soon Valentine's Day comes…
Shiori wakes up and rubs her eyes. She sighs before looking at the small bag of chocolates in a cute wrapping sitting on her bedside table. She looks conflicted while blushing a bit. She then gets a determined look.
Shiori "I have to give them to him! I will!"
She quickly gets up and gets dressed in her school uniform. She grabs the chocolates and puts them in her bag. She leaves her room and goes downstairs only to be surprised not to see Hikigaya down there waiting for her.
Shiori "Has Hikigaya come down yet?"
She asks her mother who is in the kitchen. Hamasaki looks surprised before answering.
Hamasaki "No, I haven't seen him this morning yet."
Shiori looks confused before knocking on his door.
Shiori "Hikigaya. You in there? We gotta get going or we'll be late."
She says through the door before it slowly opens. She is shocked when she sees a feverish, sickly looking Hikigaya wearing a mask.
Hikigaya "I don't think I'll be making it to school today."
Shiori stares at him for a moment before smirking.
Shiori "So much for being built different, huh?"
Hikigaya "Shut up…"
He turns around to head back to bed as Shiori's smirk softens as she thinks.
Shiori "You gonna be okay? Want me to… stay with you?"
Hikigaya "No, no. You should go to school. Don't let me keep you from your education.. I'll be alright."
He says while laying back in bed. Shiori looks conflicted for a moment before deciding.
Shiori "Okay but please call me if you need anything. Riku's at school, my dad is working with his developers in the office today and I think our mom's have plans so you'll be alone."
Hikigaya gives her a weak thumbs up.
Hikigaya "Right. Got it.."
Shiori smiles a bit before closing his door and leaving. On her way to school, Shiori looks at the bag of chocolates before sighing.
Shiori "Of course that dummy had to get sick on Valentine's Day… So much for giving him chocolates…"
Chizuru "Shiori~!"
She shouts with a smile before hugging her as the others smile. Lucy then gets a confused look.
Lucy "Where's Hikigaya?"
Haru looks stunned.
Haru "No! Don't tell me… You finally killed him!?"
He asks with a shocked look.
Sugawara "I highly doubt that…"
Chizuru "So, did you do it?"
Shiori sweats a bit.
Shiori "No, I couldn't."
Chizuru gets an angry vein on her head at the response.
Chizuru "Why not?! Don't you want your beautiful love story to come to life!?"
She yells while shaking her.
Shiori "Well he's sick. I felt it wasn't a good time to give them to him."
Chizuru stops with a surprised look as Ryuji, Haru and Lucy also look intrigued.
Ryuji "Sick?"
Lucy "I've known that boy for a long time and not once have I seen him get sick."
Shiori "Yeah, well he is. It doesn't seem like anything serious but still."
Sugawara puts his hand on his chin, thinking. He looks around and sees the others are distracted in conversation before looking back at the group.
Sugawara "Perhaps the recent encounter with the serum destroyed his immune system, making him vulnerable to sickness of any kind."
The others look at him surprised but in agreement.
Shiori "That makes sense. He said thanks to his body powers he usually doesn't get sick ever but I doubt he's ever experienced anything like that before."
Haru "Should we be worried?"
Sugawara "He has natural regeneration so I doubt it. He'll probably be all better by tomorrow."
The others agree when Haru leans in.
Haru "And if he's not, I call his console."
Shiori "Shut it."
She says with her eyes closed while stepping past him as the group heads to class. The day goes on as Samuel lectures the class about a new topic when a staff member brings in a note and hands it to Samuel. She nods as the others look up in surprise.
Samuel "Shiori. Principal Ai wants to see you."
Class "Oooh."
They chant playfully as she rolls her eyes.
Daiki "Someone's in trouble~."
Hisana "Maybe she has a Valentine's gift for you."
She says softly with her head on her desk. Shiori leaves the class and goes to Principal Ai's office.
Principal Ai "Good to see you Shiori."
She pokes her head into the office.
Shiori "Am I in trouble?"
Principal Ai "Not yet."
Shiori sweats as she sits down.
Principal Ai "I see Hikigaya is not with you. Is there a reason for that?"
Shiori 'How does she know already?..' "He's sick today so he didn't come to school."
Principal Ai is surprised.
Principal Ai "Oh that's no good. Is he alright?"
Shiori "I think so. I'm sure he will be."
Principal Ai thinks for a moment before smirking a bit.
Principal Ai "Why don't you go check on him?"
Shiori is surprised.
Shiori "What?"
Principal Ai "If he's really sick, I'm sure he's going to need some support. Besides, you're supposed to stick together, remember?"
She gives Shiori a look as Shiori blushes a bit and nods. At home, Hikigaya sweats and pants in his bed.
Hikigaya 'This is what being sick feels like?.. This sucks…'
He looks at the clock softly.
Hikigaya 'It's already one in the afternoon… I should probably eat something but my body aches so much… and I feel like I need to throw up…'
Hikigaya "Being sick alone sucks…"
He says weakly while covering his eyes with his arms. Tears begin to fall from his cheeks.
Hikigaya "Now I'm crying… My emotions feel like they're going crazy… this totally sucks…"
He lays with his arms over his eyes before rolling over.
Hikigaya 'Whatever… I'm just gonna try and sleep some more…'
He thinks softly when he hears his door open. He opens his eyes a bit.
Hikigaya 'What the-'
Shiori "Hikigaya?.."
She whispers into the room. His eyes widen a bit but he doesn't turn over to face her.
Hikigaya 'Shiori?..'
She sighs as she comes into his room and puts her bag down. He closes his eyes, pretending to be asleep. She approaches him and taps his shoulder. He doesn't react so she gently pulls his shoulder, laying him on his back. He lays there still pretending to be asleep as Shiori exhales softly.
Shiori "Look at you.. You haven't done a thing to take care of yourself, have you?"
She asks softly. She rolls up her sleeves and lifts a damp towel to his head. She gently dabs the sweat from his head and face before slowly making her way down his neck. She hovers over his collar bone for a moment with a debating look. She blushes before unbuttoning the top two buttons on his pajama shirt. Hikigaya blushes as she gently does this but his blush is hidden under his fevered red face. She continues to dab his sweat from his upper chest before pulling back and putting the towel down. She stares at his messy hair and his red face as she blushes. She leans over him a bit, getting closer to his face. She gently brushes some hair from his face as she softly holds her hand against his face. She blushes and smiles as she stares at him.
Shiori "You're so cute Hikigaya…"
She whispers as she slowly lowers her face towards his. He sweats more than he already is while not moving until Shiori stops just above his face. She gets a struggling face as she pulls away swiftly.
Shiori "Still, your breath stinks…"
Hikigaya grits his teeth, a bit irritated at the comment but continues to play the part. Shiori smiles again, softly.
Shiori "But I don't blame you. You are just a sick boy after all. I'll be right back, I'm gonna go make you some soup."
She leaves the room and after a moment, Hikigaya sits up quickly with a shocked look on his face.
Hikigaya "What was that?? Was she gonna… actually kiss me?.."
He thinks while sweating.