"Another Day, Another School… Still Us."
The school hallways were usually loud, but today felt different.Paper hearts were taped to the walls, crooked and clearly rushed. Some had already fallen to the floor, and no one bothered to pick them up.
The air was thick with the smell of cheap chocolate and teenage hormones. It was still early morning, yet everyone had arrived at school the moment they woke up.
Kai was waiting for Bianca at the top of the stairs. Even the school uniform looked different on him. His tie was loose, sleeves rolled up. His hair was messy in that deliberate "I just got out of bed and still look perfect" way. He leaned against the railing, broadcasting pure confidence.
When Bianca came down the stairs, the hallway went quiet for a second.There was a reason she was called the most beautiful girl in school. Her hair fell over her shoulders in flawless waves. She smiled and walked up to Kai.
"Am I late?" she asked, her voice almost musical.
Kai shrugged, not even checking the time."Only five minutes. About sixty-five minutes faster than your record."
Bianca laughed and slipped her arm through his. Half the school stared at them in admiration, while the other half fixed their eyes on the ceiling to keep from exploding with jealousy.
Hope, meanwhile, was sitting backward in his desk, elbows resting on the back of his chair. His mind was somewhere else. It usually was. He was probably thinking about something absurd, like why clouds looked like cotton candy.
Next to him, Yaat had his head buried in his desk, as if trying to erase himself from existence.
"Everyone's giving gifts to their partners today," Yaat muttered. "And we're just sitting here. Empty. Alone."
Hope turned to him and blinked."What's bad about that? We don't have to buy anyone gifts. We get to keep our money."
Yaat didn't respond. At that exact moment, a breeze slipped through the open window, knocked a pushpin loose from the bulletin board, and sent it falling straight onto the back of Yaat's neck.
Yaat let out a quiet groan.
Hope didn't notice at all.
Lypin sat two rows ahead of Hope. She scribbled something in her notebook, erased it, blew away the eraser dust, then started again. Her shoulders were tense. It was the kind of tension people carried when they were afraid of doing something wrong, even while breathing.
Hope looked at her.A little too long.
It was as if he could feel the tightness in her back.
He raised his hand, pressed his thumb and index finger together, and made the famous finger heart sign. A few days ago, their biology teacher had drawn something similar while explaining heart valves, and Hope had decided to use it instead of saying "hi."
When Lypin turned around and saw Hope making a heart at her with his fingers, her breath caught. Her face turned tomato red, and the pen slipped from her hand.
Hope just grinned and nodded at her like he was saying, "What's up?"
It was painfully obvious he had no idea what the gesture actually meant.
Eventually, the bell rang and lunch break arrived.At lunchtime, the schoolyard always turned into a battlefield.
Gashadokuro Jr. was chasing younger students around, waving a black plastic bag.
"Discount fireworks for the broken-hearted!" he shouted. "Let's blow this school up!"
His delinquent laughter echoed across the yard.
At that moment, two figures appeared at the school entrance:Student Council President Khronos and his right-hand man, Negra.
Negra smacked a ruler against a student's box of chocolates."No food consumption in the hallways! Regulations, Article 14!"
Khronos stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the chaos like a dictator. His eyes locked onto Gashadokuro Jr.
"Indiscipline…" Khronos muttered."This shouldn't be called Valentine's Day. It should be declared Mass Rule Violation Day."
In the middle of all this chaos, Hope walked by holding a half-eaten toast. When he passed Gashadokuro, he casually asked:
"Excuse me, how do fireworks taste?"
Gashadokuro froze in shock.
Hope didn't wait for an answer and kept walking.
In front of the gym stood Deniz. He was an upperclassman. Broad-shouldered, someone who had devoted his entire life to sports. He didn't even glance at the girls who passed by, throwing shy looks his way. On his phone was a video titled "Best Triceps Exercises."
When a couple walked past him holding hands, Deniz clicked his tongue in disgust.
"Instead of holding hands, grab a pull-up bar!" he yelled."What are those arms? Toothpicks?"
Kai walked up beside him, grinning."Even today, Deniz?"
Deniz looked up, fire in his eyes."Especially today, Kai! Love is temporary. Muscle mass is permanent! WE'RE TRAINING TWICE AS HARD TODAY!"
As the sun began to set, the school slowly emptied. Only janitors and a few hopeless romantics remained.
Lypin had gathered all her courage, maybe encouraged by Bianca, and asked Hope to meet her on the rooftop.
When Hope opened the door, the wind swept through his hair.
"You called me?"
Lypin was leaning against the railing, trembling. But when she saw Hope, she straightened up. There was determination in her voice that wasn't usually there.
"I know it's weird that I called you here."
Hope walked to the railing and looked at the setting sun, the sky painted in purples and reds.
"Why would it be weird?" he said."Look, we're watching the sunset together. Isn't it amazing?"
After seeing how relaxed he was, Lypin took a deep breath. Her shoulders dropped.
That was Hope. He didn't judge. He didn't mock. Beneath that foolish, naive image was a clarity no one ever noticed.
"Yes… it really is beautiful," Lypin said, her voice trembling."I get to watch the sunset with you on Valentine's Day… I'm really lucky—"
She froze.
She hadn't even realized what she was saying. The connection between her brain and her mouth had completely snapped.
"I mean— I didn't mean it like that— well, I did, but not—"
"Yes," Hope said with that innocent smile. He turned to her."I'm really lucky too."
Lypin couldn't take her eyes off him. Her heart felt like it was about to break out of her chest. To change the subject, she pressed her hands against the metal railing.
"I bet Kai and Bianca have never watched the sunset together."
Hope laughed."I'm sure they haven't done a lot of things. Especially Bianca. She never does anything that costs money. The sun sets for free, so maybe that's why she'd like it."
They both burst into laughter. The tension dissolved instantly.
After that sweet exchange, Hope started staring into Lypin's eyes. He stared so intently that she got nervous.
"What? What is it? Is there something on my face?"
She panicked, pulling out a small makeup mirror to check herself.
"No," Hope said quietly."Were your eyes always this beautiful?"
Lypin froze. The mirror nearly slipped from her hand. She was too embarrassed to even look at him, her face burning red.
Hope noticed and shrugged."So… what did you call me here to talk about?"
Lypin pushed her shyness aside.Now or never.
She opened her bag and handed Hope a carefully wrapped box.
"Um… I made this for you. I thought getting a gift from someone today might make you happy."
Hope took the box and shook it."Actually, like five or six other girls gave me gifts too—"
"WHAT?!" Lypin shouted in shock and jealousy, her voice echoing across the rooftop.
"I'm kidding," Hope said, giggling.
Tears formed in his eyes from laughing. Lypin, mortified that she had yelled so loudly, rolled her eyes.
"Idiot…"
Hope opened the box. Inside were heart-shaped chocolates, a bit uneven but clearly handmade, along with small notes.
"Whoa! You can make chocolate?" Hope asked, eyes sparkling.
Lypin lifted her chin proudly, crossing her arms."Hah! I'm a pro at cooking now. I used to be terrible, but I learned."
Then, in her excitement, she accidentally let something slip.A small detail. A harmless sentence.
"My mom helped me a lot with making these chocolates—"
The moment the sentence ended, time stopped.
Lypin's smile froze. She knew Hope was an orphan, knew how sensitive that topic was. She looked like she'd rather jump off the rooftop than have said that.
Hope said nothing. His expression didn't fall. He didn't get angry.
He just… stopped.
He looked down at the chocolate in his hand.
Lypin's chest tightened."I'm sorry," she said immediately, her voice breaking."I said it without thinking. I didn't want to hurt you. I really didn't."
Hope lowered his head. The wind brushed his hair across his face. He stayed silent for a moment.
Then he looked up. There wasn't sadness in his eyes. There was something else.Discovery.
"I'm not upset," he said."I just… remembered a little. Or tried to. Even though I can't really remember."
Lypin panicked even more, tears filling her eyes."I'm really sorry, Hope. I'm stupid, I just—"
Hope stepped toward her. Fast. Sudden.
Lypin fell silent without realizing it.
Hope looked straight into her eyes. The usual goofy expression was gone.
"Lypin," he said. The word came out a little awkward, but sincere."I don't really know what 'family' is."
Lypin froze.
"I think… it's when people love each other unconditionally. Without a reason. Just because they exist. I think I want that."
He stepped closer. There was almost no space between them now.
"Lypin… will you be my one and only family?"
The world stopped for her.
School, exams, Khronos's rules, Gashadokuro's shouting… all of it disappeared.
A single tear rolled down Lypin's cheek. But it wasn't from sadness.
She stayed silent for a moment. All their stupid memories together flashed before her eyes. Hope's misunderstandings. His pure, ridiculous sincerity.
She smiled.Even with wet cheeks, she smiled brightly.
"Actually… I was planning to ask you that," she said, sniffling."As always, you beat me to it, idiot."
Hope smiled.This time, truly happy. From the heart.
At that exact magical moment, a muffled voice and a loud thud came from behind the rooftop door.
Kai had kicked the backs of Yaat and Deniz, who were hiding behind it.
The door flew open. Deniz and Yaat tumbled onto the rooftop in a tangled heap, rolling right up to Hope and Lypin.
Yaat groaned."Why am I always the one on the bottom when we fall?"
Bianca slipped in behind them, phone in hand, probably recording everything. She looked at Hope and Lypin, a satisfied smile on her lips.
"Well done, girl," she said, winking at Lypin."You finally managed to carve that block of wood into a boyfriend."
Kai started playfully wrestling with Deniz on the ground while yelling at Hope.
"They were spying on you two! I tried to stop them, but you know… Deniz has more muscles than brain cells."
"I was just checking if Hope would succeed!" Deniz shouted from the floor.
Everyone was laughing.Gashadokuro was setting off fireworks below. Khronos was probably writing punishments from a window.
It was chaotic, loud, and unforgettable.
Hope squeezed Lypin's hand tightly.
"Your hands are really warm!"
That day, the school was filled with crooked hearts.
But the strangest thing was that Hope had finally given his heart to the right person.
In another universe…Hope and Lypin.
A happy ending.