"I just realized it now. Today seems to be Valentine's Day. What's your plan, Nino?"
"Are you realizing it too late? This day is as important as February 14th. How can a girl not have a plan?"
Sitting in the corner of the cafe, Nino casually gazed at the passing street view outside the window.
"That's you, Nino! For lonely people like me, a day like this is just like any other day, and I'll fall asleep without warning..."
Her friend's voice on the phone was full of depression, which made Nino reluctantly raise the corners of her mouth and tap her rabbit-shaped phone case with her fingers.
"Just find a boyfriend as soon as possible. If you don't find one now, it'll be too late. Pure love is something only found in high school."
"Easy for you to say... By the way, is Nino going out to play with her boyfriend today?"
"Um, yes." To maintain her friend's mood, Nino suppressed her pride and happiness and pretended to answer calmly.
"That's great, I envy you so much~"
"What's there to envy? Like I said before, that guy, although he looks smart, knows a lot, and is easygoing, once you get to know him, you realize he's a stupid person who knows nothing and is very good at making me annoyed."
Nino stopped stirring her black tea, propped her chin with her hand, and grunted unhappily.
"Every day he asks me to help make bento, and he says stupid things like, 'Nino's cooking skill is my cooking skill. If Nino's cooking is delicious, it means my cooking is delicious too.' So ridiculous, he's a stupid person who doesn't have any romance at all. He just wants me to take the initiative before he holds my hand..."
"Ah – that's enough, that's enough!" Her friend quickly interrupted her "complaint" with tightly clenched teeth in her voice.
"Every time I hear your tone, it makes me feel itchy all over. If I see your expression now, I feel like I'm going to tickle you until you can't breathe!"
Nino suppressed the smile she couldn't show, covered her mouth with her hand, and said in surprise, "Oops, was it that obvious?"
"It's very obvious! Every day you show off to people how great your boyfriend is. No wonder Ichika and the others couldn't stand it and almost ran away from home because you're so good at it? Show some restraint, Nino!"
Nino waved her hand casually. "That's because of something else. Our relationship as siblings is very good. How could they break up with me because I show off my boyfriend?"
"I want to break up with you right now!"
Nino covered her ears, sore from being scolded, and pouted. "But he's really nice. If you find a boyfriend almost as good as him, you'll understand how I feel."
"You just said you were badmouthing him!" Her friend seemed to be going crazy.
"Did I? I don't remember." Nino sipped her black tea and said innocently, "By the way, you might not be able to find a boyfriend as good as him. Forgive me, I have to compare myself to others."
"Nakano Nino! I've decided to steal your boyfriend!" The other party seemed to slam the table, and anger came through the microphone.
But Nino didn't care at all and just held her tea cup casually. "You can't take him. Even the four of you together can't take him. Hehehehe, how could it be?"
"Wuwuwuwu... You're going too far! Break up! I have to break up with you this time!"
Sobbing followed by bang-dong-dong-dong sounds, which should have been the sound of hitting the head against the wall.
Nino used to worry, but after she met him and became good friends who talked about everything, she got used to his excessive behavior over time, which had yet to have a boyfriend and was branded as "stubborn."
"I say that every time I talk to you about him, Fumino."
"This is different! How dare you stimulate me like this on Valentine's Day? I really can't stand this tone!"
Nino sighed without saying a word. "You're the one who called and brought up the topic. Aren't you self-torturing..."
"I don't care, I don't care—!" Fumino might be rolling on the bed, and her pillows and blankets collided. "Singles have privileges today! Just wait, I'm going to the nearest cinema now. Buy a pair of tickets and odd-numbered seats!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Nino glanced out the window, then drank her black tea as quickly as possible, took a small mirror to check her makeup, and after making sure there was no problem, she stood up with her bag.
"I won't tell you anymore. My boyfriend is here and will bring you some special school lunches tomorrow."
"Who wants Valentine's Day special school lunches! You hurt me twice!"
"That's it, goodbye."
"You weren't such an annoying person when I first met you..." Fumino's voice was filled with sadness.
Nino looked at the man's back on the street not far away, letting happiness fill her smile.
"Fumino, isn't that what's written in books? Love will change someone, whether it's me or him, it will be very different from before."
There was silence on the phone for a moment.
Then the volcano was about to erupt.
"You're still saying—"
Nino smirked evilly.
"This time it's really goodbye." Then before the other party could explode, she hung up the phone and put it in her bag.
After walking out of the coffee shop, seeing him walking towards the agreed meeting point without realizing it, Nino approached him sneakily and gently with her steps.
She quietly reached out her hand towards his back.
But he suddenly stopped, and Nino reflexively stopped moving, pulling her hand back as if she were scared.
"You're the one following me, right? Nino." Shinichi said without turning around.
Nino's eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively covered her mouth.
How was he found? She clearly didn't make any noise, but there was another pedestrian nearby...
Could this be the power of love!
"No, it's because of the strong wind, I could smell your shampoo." Shinichi turned helplessly, seeing her expression of frozen joy on her face, then puffed out her cheeks, and Nino looked like she was about to sulk.
He reached out to her, speaking sincerely.
"Of course, it's because of the power of love that I know the brand of shampoo you use. That lovely scent can't escape my nose even from hundreds of meters away... right, Kanojo-san?"
Nino thought for three seconds with a serious expression, then smiled widely and hugged his arms.
"In that case, I'll forgive you!"
Standing beside him, resting her head gently on his shoulder, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Familiar warmth, familiar taste, happiness~"
Then her free hand reached out straight ahead, excitement on her face, and she said enthusiastically.
"Let's go on a Valentine's Day date!"
Shinichi took the initiative to hold her hand, saying affectionately.
"Nino, don't be too arrogant. We should think about the singles who have no one to accompany them. Happiness isn't a weapon used to stab others."
Passersby who heard this raised their eyebrows, and many lone men walking by glared at them.
"Yes, that makes sense. You deserve to be a true man~" Nino's eyes sparkled with small stars of admiration, her face slightly red, and she nodded, her smile becoming sweeter as she leaned into him, almost shrinking into his embrace.
"I know, you should keep happiness quietly to yourself and not let others see it, okay?"
The expressions of those passing by began to wrinkle, and their tense faces seemed to be holding something back.
"Understood." Shinichi touched her head.
Nino obediently nestled her head against his chest, like a tame kitten.
Both of them seemed unaware of the eerie atmosphere and sharp gazes around them, only kissing and leaving the place, heading to the nearest shopping plaza.
As no one stopped staring at their backs, Shinichi grinned wickedly and whispered in Nino's ear.
"How could my girlfriend be so evil? Beware of retaliation."
"No matter how bad you are, you're not the one teaching me. You're the only one who will get retaliation!" Nino pulled back slightly and punched his chest angrily but couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Um, although it's a bit embarrassing to do this in public, it's quite fun."
"Continue next time?"
"I don't want to, it's too deliberate to show off like this." Nino snorted, "Love is just a padded jacket, before looking pretty, the key is to stay warm!"
"That makes sense." Shinichi nodded, "But it still has to look good, right?"
"Isn't that unreasonable?" Like a confident kitten, Nino raised her chin proudly.
"As expected of you."
Shinichi shook his head with a smile, suddenly bowed and reached out his hand, brushing her slightly messy bangs from his earlier action, poking her cheek, then stopped with satisfaction.
Nino's eyes widened, and her body stiffened slightly. Only after he turned around did she bump her shoulder with a flushed face and speak softly.
"What are you suddenly doing! This is the street, please restrain yourself."
(Why didn't you say this before?)
Shinichi didn't complain but spoke in a casual tone.
"On Valentine's Day, how could I not take the initiative as your boyfriend? I'll be in this mode all day today, so please look forward to it."
"Just do as usual..." Nino didn't feel happy but complained.
A girl with a soft heart to some extent wouldn't be moved by words of love, but would choose the key factors that made them feel uncomfortable from those words of love, seeking comfort and explanation from their lover.
After an incomprehensible thought process, Nino felt sad. She looked at him with teary eyes.
"Shi-kun, after today, will you not like me anymore?"
Shinichi's mouth twitched slightly.
It was just confusing.
After dating her up to this point, Shinichi still couldn't understand the thought process of a girl in love, and this inexplicable feeling was even more common.
But it was very cute.
Isn't cuteness enough?
An uncute person is incomprehensible, and Nino, who is cute, is just a spoiled brat.
This is a valid and undeniable argument.
"Do you know what month and day I started dating you?"
His sudden question made Nino slightly surprised, and she answered unconsciously.
"On May 5th a year ago, on the fireworks show day, I got lost with others, so I went shopping with you. Later, when it rained and we went to the nearest park for shelter, you lent me your coat to prevent the rain, and I asked you if you wanted to date, but you agreed with a serious face..."
After that, they went from a couple who were one part ambiguous and nine parts experimental to now a couple in love.
Many things happened in the past, and there was even a crisis that almost broke them up, but they managed to overcome it together until now.
Their relationship has never cooled down. The more tested, the more they had to prove that they liked and appreciated every minute and second spent together.
So, it seemed that she had never heard this man officially say that he liked her.
For some reason, Nino thought of this, and the disappointment that she had almost ignored for so long resurfaced.
But now, Shinichi took out his phone, opened the notepad, found the note dated May 5th, and showed it to her.
"This..."
Seeing the words above, Nino slowly widened her eyes.
[Today I became Nino's boyfriend. I want to like her until she doesn't like me anymore. I want to stay with her until she doesn't want me to stay with her anymore. I want to make her happy until her smile is stiff. I want to be with her all the time and never leave her unless she willingly lets me go.
There's only one Nakano Nino in this world, and only one girl I like the most. I want to remember this feeling, no matter ten or twenty years, even if she forgets, I can't forget it.
The first time you like someone, you're not the same person anymore.
On May 5th, under the pavilion in the park, it was slightly chilly outside, her back felt warm, and our heartbeats were racing]
Unconsciously clutching the phone tightly, Nino stared at it blankly, her eyes showing a slight moisture and trembling.
Shinichi scratched his neck in embarrassment, his ears turning slightly red under her gaze, then he turned around and said.
"Well, maybe that's it... If you want, it's okay for you to stay in this mode from now on. The feelings remain the same; it's just a matter of embarrassment..."
Nino lowered her head silently, closed the notepad software, glanced at the photo on their screen of them eating barbecue in the school forest, and handed the phone back to him.
Shinichi stared at her expressionless face with an odd feeling and began to feel uncomfortable for no reason.
(Why is her reaction different from what I expected? Anger? The book says that when a girl suddenly goes silent, it doesn't mean she's angry, it's just a sign that she wants you to take the initiative to talk... But what should I say now? Is something wrong?)
Shinichi was guessing in his heart, but Nino suddenly looked around. Luckily, there was a bridge nearby.
Their intertwined fingers tightened, and she pulled Shinichi straight to the bridge.
Though Shinichi was puzzled, he still quickened his pace, shielding her from bumping into her and others.
Nino stopped in front of the railing, released her hand, and stared at the river view without blinking, with a tense expression.
Beside her, Shinichi frowned and asked, "Nino, you..."
"I like Asada Shinichi—!"
The words came out from her chest and stomach.
Not only Shinichi, but also the pedestrians around them were surprised and looked at Nino in astonishment.
Shinichi's mind went blank for a moment, then his face turned red with embarrassment, and he tried to stop her in a panic.
"Wait, this is—"
"Don't say anything!"
Nino waved her hand dominantly and stared into the distance. Her eyes blinked rapidly, and a series of tears suddenly flowed. The smile at the corner of her mouth was so happy that it seemed to tell the world of her current tears of joy.
Shinichi fell silent, feeling like his heart had been struck hard and turned into clay.
Nino ignored the gazes around her and seemed not to hear the chaotic conversation. She let her tears fall to the ground, took a deep breath again, and shouted loudly at the distant view.
"Nakano Nino will always love Asada Shinichi, forever—! I like Shinichi the most—!"
The girl's tearful declaration didn't echo, but reverberated in the minds of the passersby around them.
The world seemed to stop. They watched her as she slightly gasped for breath, bowed her head, smoothed her bangs, pinched her collar as if to stop her racing heart.
Then, she grabbed Shinichi's hand standing beside her.
"It's time to run!"
"What?" Before Shinichi could react, he followed her figure and took two steps.
Nino turned around while running, her face bright red from her neck to her ears, and stuck out her tongue at him with embarrassment and happiness.
"Idiot! Are you still standing there being watched? Find a place to hide!"
"Oh...!" Shinichi suddenly realized and quickly hastened his steps.
After all, the mocking and jealous stares were tens or hundreds of times more than before!
"Hey! Why are you running faster than me!" Nino looked back and was completely stunned.
"Because I'm shyer than you! Don't you think about the consequences if you do this?!" Shinichi yelled without looking back.
"Who cares about the consequences? Just do it if you want! At worst, you can look for a nameless place to live!"
"Do you want me to go to the countryside with you to live in seclusion?"
"Don't you want to?"
She began to feel unhappy again; the girl's mood was truly fluctuating.
Shinichi sighed, suddenly stopped, and lifted Nino using the technique he had practiced thousands of times with dolls at home.
"Wow! Idiot, aren't you attracting more attention now?!"
Nino panicked and slapped his arm, but she shrunk into his embrace cooperatively.
Shinichi showed a smile and took a bold risk.
"Anyway, today is Valentine's Day, so everyone will look at us kindly."
"That's not the point!" Nino couldn't tell whether to laugh or cry.
Shinichi carried her through the streets and alleys, disregarding his embarrassment, putting his heart on her, ignoring the pedestrians who looked at them, and running towards a place with fewer people.
He looked at Nino and asked with a smile.
"Happy?"
Nino raised her head and kissed his cheek with a grin.
"Happy."
Shinichi sighed heavily.
"Your smile isn't stiff, but you seem less happy."
Nino rolled her eyes and pulled her face away sharply.
△
"Hah...hah...hah..."
After running to a deserted park, Shinichi put Nino down and knelt to catch his breath.
Nino wiped the sweat off her face with a pressed expression and took out a small kettle from her bag.
"Thank you for your hard work. Let's rest."
"Yes." Shinichi nodded, sat on the nearest bench, and said gently, "I didn't realize until I hugged you, Nino, that you're actually heavy—"
"If you keep talking, you'll die."
The voice seemed to come from hell. Nino still looked concerned. She looked like a gentle and cute girlfriend, but the hand she wiped sweat with slowly began to tighten on his neck.
Shinichi covered his mouth.
After they rested in the park, they held hands again and went shopping in a distant business district.
After watching a movie, visiting a bookstore, wandering around various jewelry stores, and lingering in front of a claw machine, they decided to use what they bought after spending 2,000 yen.
There are things that are very boring to do alone, and the most amazing thing about love is that it can turn boring things for one person into interesting things for two people, so the singles who do nothing all day and feel that daily life is boring.
Before, Nino found visiting the bookstore boring, and Shinichi felt there was no need to spend more than five minutes in the jewelry store. But now, they forgot about time because of each other. The high and enthusiastic mood never subsided.
"Wow... That was fun... Hey, Shi-kun, why do you like me?"
After watching a romance movie, Nino asked with a sad tone while wiping her tears.
Shinichi answered without hesitation.
"Because you're beautiful."
Concise and firm. When girls hear this answer, they usually say flirtatiously, "Is that the only reason?" and then happily don't argue anymore.
But Nino stopped crying and looked at him suspiciously.
"There are four people as beautiful as me..."
Shinichi: "😐"
(Oh God, I almost forgot that she's one of the quintuplets...)
As they both went to a restaurant to eat, Shinichi read the book he bought at the bookstore because it was too good to read. Shortly after, Nino set down her utensils with an unhappy expression.
"Eat with me or eat with the book, choose one!"
Shinichi snapped out of his addiction, coughed awkwardly, and closed his book.
"There's a golden house in the book, but nothing is more beautiful than Nino. Of course, I choose you."
Nino wanted to hum dignifiedly to her lover, but couldn't contain her smile.
"You're clever."
Letting your boyfriend choose you anytime is a sweet victory for all women.
Later that evening, they went to a handmade snack shop. Nino met a chef there, and she asked for advice on her cooking skills. Shinichi said he wanted to try baking, so he took a course there.
Finally, with a teacher's expression that seemed to be freed from hell, he finally produced a plate of something that looked like biscuits.
Shinichi tried it himself and frowned in dissatisfaction: "Almost... Did I forget to add sugar?"
"Let me try." Nino approached, opened her mouth, and Shinichi put the biscuit into her mouth.
After chewing, she contemplated for a long time with a serious expression on her face, and Shinichi couldn't help but ask again.
"Is it sweet?"
Nino looked at him, squinted her eyes, and smiled.
"Sweet."
Of course, what she was fed was sweet.
Reading this sentence from her eyes, Shinichi's expression hardened, and he squatted down soundlessly.
Nino smirked and stretched out her head: "You're embarrassed~"
Playing until late at night, they stood under the neon lights, gazing at the tall buildings under the night sky.
Shinichi explained calmly.
"Besides, Valentine's Day is a day when most people are hot, besides Christmas. If you don't make a reservation in advance, you won't find a room."
"You really made a reservation in advance?!"
Nino looked at him with a horrified expression, and the blush on her beautiful face was still evident.
"Are you embarrassed?" After Shinichi finished teasing, he shrugged, "Well, I was just kidding. But someone in the club association is the son of the chairman of this hotel. I told him about the uninhabited date spot for free during the school forest. He still owes me a favor, so..."
He took out his phone and said seriously: "Just call, and there will be a big bed for you to sleep on anytime."
"You jerk! Go to hell!"
Nino raised her fist and hit his chest wildly. Her heart was beating so fast that Shinichi could feel the panic and embarrassment.
Shinichi grabbed her wrist, leaned in, and whispered in her ear.
"If you're not ready yet, I'll wait. I've been waiting for more than a year, and I'm not in a hurry."
"I..." Nino dared not look at him. Without struggling, her whole body went limp as if she had no bones.
"Sooner or later, you'll get me. Prepare yourself... Huh, I'm not afraid. You're still a virgin, so don't pretend to be a veteran."
Shinichi sighed lightly.
"Yeah, I'm still a virgin...But the study material I've read must be more than the TV series you've watched."
"Pervert!" Nino bit his chest and found that not only did his chest muscles calm her down, but they were also slightly hard.
As expected from a man who could run hundreds of meters while hugging her...
With this thought in mind, she found herself being picked up by Shinichi and walking towards the hotel, starting to panic again.
"Wait a minute! Can't you just walk in like that?!"
"Huh? I thought you liked a more romantic approach."
"There's no need for romance here! Besides, having dinner by candlelight and confessing sins on a starlit bridge is nothing. It's no longer romantic!"
"I'll do it when I propose, be patient for now."
"Um...you..." Her face had been hot all this time, and Nino was shocked to see him greet the counter, "You didn't even call! You clearly came prepared! That's premeditated!"
"Don't worry. How could renting a room with your girlfriend be a crime?" Shinichi's face became very thick at this point, and he took her to the most luxurious Presidential Suite without hesitation.
There's a rumor that the period from 9 PM to 3 AM on Christmas Eve is the six hours when most people have sex throughout the year.
Shinichi glanced at the time now and nodded.
Christmas Eve and Valentine's Day are almost the same.
He looked lovingly at Nino, who was tightly wrapped in a blanket after being laid on the bed, with only her red head visible.
"Nino, I love you, whether it's tonight or sixty years from tonight."
"It's not sincere to say words of love like that now! Besides, what else does a seventy-year-old man want to do!"
Nino shouted in embarrassment and anger, but her breath quickened as she climbed onto the bed and slowly approached, the moisture in her eyes deepening.
"Wait, wait a minute, I'll take a shower first, then I'll do my makeup..."
"Control your voice, turn on the dim lights... By the way, do you want the bed to spin? There are many modes to choose from."
"No! You're too familiar with this room! I suspect you're cheating, so don't do anything to me!"
Shinichi smiled.
"You have to learn before falling in love. Because of you, I learned this."
"Don't say things like that while undressing, it's very annoying... ugh——!"
With tears of embarrassment swallowed between her lips and teeth.
Tonight, there might be six more hours of noise...
△
Five years later.
"Nino, marry me."
"Um!"
And this vow would last their lifetime.
Besides the ring on her ring finger, there were tears of happiness.