"On Valentine's day, you give chocolates to the man you love. Don't buy ready-made chocolates! Handmade chocolates are the best way to impress your boy!"

Momo lay on her bed, pressing her face into her matryoshka pillow and screamed after reading the forum posts about Valentine's day traditions.

"I can't do this," she said looking at her tablet again and sighed.

"Yaomomo, you must! We spent the whole day in the kitchen and made chocolates for tomorrow!" She remembered Ashido's words from half an hour ago.

Till this day, Momo didn't know about the significance of giving chocolates to someone on Valentine’s Day. She initially thought the girls and her were only making chocolates for fun. Or rather, she thought they were making it for everyone in class and not for anyone special.

"All of us will be giving chocolates to a boy from our class. It's Valentine's day after all," Hagakure added.

Momo looked at Jirou with surprised eyes. Her friend played nervously with her ear and looked away.

"What? Don't look at me like that. Denki asked me for it. I couldn't say no," Jirou said.

"But isn't this like confessing to someone? I didn't know you're all in love."

Momo placed her fist between her breasts and looked down. She felt like she didn't know anything about the feelings of her friends at all. Asui, sensing Momo’s internal struggle, put her finger on her cheek before saying: "Momo-Chan, it has nothing to do with confessing. The chocolates I made for Satou-kun are as a token of appreciation since he’s always baking for us.”

“It wouldn't be fair if he doesn't get handmade chocolates," Hagakure further explained.

"Oh, I think I understand now... I don't want to spoil this tradition. Well then... I think I will give my chocolates to To-to-todoroki-San..," Momo muttered and felt the atmosphere around them change. The rest of the girls stared at her in shock.

"Wow girl, you're fast and gutsy" Jirou replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Confessing to the hottest guy in UA, of course!"

"What?! Ashido-san, what are you saying? A few seconds ago you all were telling me something different!"

"Yeah, but why specifically Todoroki?" Ashido began to tease her. "We all know you have a thing for him," she continued and smirked.

"That's... that's not true! Please stop saying such embarrassing things. I only admire him, nothing more than that!"

It’s pure admiration... and nothing more!

Momo tossed and turned in her bed while thinking about her conversation with the girls Even the research she’s done on the Internet say that Valentine’s day is for couples or for those who would want to confess their love.

"Confessing... to Todoroki-san?" Momo murmured to herself and swallowed nervously at the same time. She sat down and put her hands to her cheeks. "Why am I feeling so flushed right now?" she moved her right hand over her heart and shook her head from side to side.

Momo Yaoyorozu! Just forget about all these unnecessary thoughts!

Tomorrow is Valentine's day and you will give your chocolates to Todoroki-san as a thank you gift. No more and no less!



Entering the classroom was tougher than usual, Momo realized that while she tried to move through the crowd. The school’s hallway was full of hysterical and screaming girls who were pushing each other while walking into class 1-A. Every single one of them held a cute packaged bag - probably filled with valentines’ day chocolate – just like Momo.

She hugged her bag to her chest and covered it with her arms to protect it.

"Excuse me...I need to enter my classroom!" She shouted, hoping that they will take notice and make way for her. But no one heard her; they were too busy shouting out for Todoroki-san.

Hold on... did she hear his name right now?

All these girls were here for Todoroki-san?

They all wanted to give him chocolates, just like her?! She was in the same situation, like them?! How embarrassing! There was a reason why Ashido was calling him the number one hottest guy at UA all the time. Momo knew that he was popular with girls, but she didn't expect them to be crazy for him to this extent.

Now that she was in the middle of this chaos, she wanted to disappear.

"Momo-chan, watch out!" She heard Asui's voice and felt her long tongue around her waist.

Within seconds she was finally in her classroom.

"Thank you so much. For a moment I have given up hope of trying to enter the classroom," she admitted and looked towards the boy whose gift she held.

He sat on his chair with an annoyed expression, his head propped on his right hand and his desk full of pink and red packages in various shapes.

If there was one thing Momo Yaoyorozu knew, it was that this currently pissed off guy would not appreciate her gift.

"You are really popular Todoroki-san," she said with a forced smile and sat on her seat. She managed to stuff his valentine’s gift into her school bag before he could notice it. She felt sad but she didn't let it bother her. Todoroki-san received so many Valentine’s Day gifts already so hers wouldn’t be special anymore.

Special? Why should she want hers to be special?

"I'm not a fan of this," he hissed. "All of them... they are getting on my nerves.

And what is with this- Valentine's day thing? I don't support such obvious business marketing events from companies who want to make even more money."

Okay. He really was pissed, Momo noticed. It's been a while since she saw him like that.

"But eventually you will have to get used to this," she answered.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, not fully understanding why he had to get used to this type of toxic fangirl behavior.

"You want to be a hero, right? The number one hero of all time? So if you don't get along with your fangirls now, how will you get along with your fans once you turn Pro?”

"Hmm... you have a point. I guess … I will thank them later."

Wow, that was fast, she thought but at the same time, she was relieved about his softened expression. It made her happy that he could view Valentine ’s Day with a different perspective now. But she must admit that she still felt sad about not being able to give him her gift. She will apologize to her friends later for not giving her chocolates to him.

During the first break, she watched Todoroki-san with all the girls surrounding him. He tried to force out smiles and thanked everyone for their chocolates. She smiled watching him but felt a sharp sting in her heart. To be honest, she really wanted to give him the chocolates and tell him how important of a friend he is to her and thank him for everything he’s done for her. But she didn't dare approach him, not now, not when she would be lumped as just one of his fangirls.

During the second break, she tried to look for a moment where Todoroki was alone and not surrounded by his fangirls. Her friends encouraged her to give him the chocolate even though he already had received so many. But it wasn't as simple as she had hoped. This time she couldn't find him anywhere on the school block.

"Where are you?" She asked while running over the schoolyard and looking in every corner for him.

"I saw Todoroki alone with a girl behind the shed," Momo heard Ashido telling her over the phone. Hearing that, Momo felt a strange feeling wash over herself. Her heart was beating fast; her whole body was covered in goose bumps. She was nervous and felt the need to throw up.

But why?

Momo very slowly and carefully went near the shed, she asked herself over and over if she was doing the right thing. Was this really necessary? And why does she care so much about it. And most importantly; why does the thought of Todoroki-san being alone with a girl hurt so much?

.

.

.

She found them!

Momo hid behind a tree and observed them both. They stood in front of each other, Todoroki-san and a beautiful girl. He was holding a little bag - probably her Valentine's gift - and she was playing nervously with her skirt.

Why were they still standing there? Aren’t they already finished? Momo’s inner thoughts began to sound annoyed.

"I love you!"

Momo heard the voice of the girl beaming with confidence and she looked towards them with an incredulous expression.

Did she just eavesdrop on a confession?

Momo you have no manners! Leave now! – Again Momo’s inner thoughts intervened.

But…. but she couldn't leave, not yet. Not without hearing Todoroki-san's answer.

"Thank you but I'm sorry," was the only thing he said.

Momo looked down at the chocolates she made for him. It doesn't feel right to give him the chocolates now. Not when other people have the confidence to confess while she herself don't even know how to exactly describe her feelings towards him.

All this time she thought she admired him because of his strength and intelligence. He was the hero she looked up to, almost like an idol. Now she wasn’t so sure if that was all that she felt for him.

School was over; everyone had already left for the dorms except for Momo. She sat on the stairs down the hallway and looked at her now ruined gift. The package had folds, wrinkles and even small holes from the way she kept clutching the gift and stuffing it haphazardly into her bag that even the chocolate inside the packaging broke.

She couldn’t understand herself, especially her mind and heart anymore. She didn't even understand why she was still in school.

"Yaoyorozu," Momo heard a familiar voice and turned around.

"Awase-san!"

"May I..."

"Sure, please have a seat."

He sat next to her on the stairs and stretched out his legs.

"Why are you still here?" He asked her curiously.

"I don't really know, and you?"

"Cleaning duty," he said simply and she nodded because she didn't know what else to say. Her gaze was locked on the chocolate which was sitting on top of her lap the whole time.

"A Valentine's gift?" Awase said and pointed with his index finger to her bag. Momo didn't answer. Her blushing face already gave the answer away.

"Did he reject you? What an ungrateful man!"

"No, No Todoroki-san, he..." she stopped and gasped. Did she just tell him? This can't be happening!

"Oh... Todoroki-kun? You like him?"

"No! Please stop this. Don't tell anyone!"

He smirked and put his hands behind his head.

"Only if you would tell me why do you look so depressed."

Depressed huh? Did she look depressed? Wow. How frustrating!

"I don't exactly know my true feelings for him. The only thing I know is, that he is an important person to me. This Valentine's gift isn't a confession, it's more like a - thank you-," she explained while playing with the gift in her hands.

"So why don't you just give it to him?"

"He’s got enough gifts today. Mine isn't special anymore and," she paused and said quietly “I saw someone confessing to him. I don't know why, but I felt kinda sad after seeing that."

Unexpectedly, she felt Awase’s hand on top of her head. She turned to look at him and saw his smiling face.

"Don't be silly Yaoyorozu. The Todoroki-kun I know cares a lot about you. I'm sure your chocolate would be the only one which would make him happy."

She couldn't explain why but Awase's words made her ridiculously happy. She smiled and hugged him spontaneously. She noticed how he hesitated at first and then he stroked over her back in a comforting manner.

"Thank you," she murmured and then felt him slowly pushing her away.

"Oh, hello Todoroki-kun!" – Awase’s voice sounded tense.

Momo's heart stopped for a moment. She turned her head and saw Todoroki-san a few stairs above them. When and why?

He looked pissed, just like this morning. And... oh no! He saw them hugging?

How embarrassing!

"Well, I'll be going now," Awase stood up, waved to Todoroki-san and winked at Momo.

"Good luck!" And off he went.

Don't go - Momo thought and felt nervous. The aura between her and Todoroki-san was definitely uncomfortable right now. She heard him come down the stairs.

"I didn't know you both were so close," he started the conversation.

"We aren't. We only knew each other since he saved me," she answered and stood up. At the same time, the chocolate on her lap fell.

"You're not close? But you were hugging each other in public?"

"He was just helping me!"

"He saved and helped you. What a good guy," he hissed and bent down to pick up her, no his to be exact, chocolate.

Somehow Momo had the feeling that Todoroki-san was talking differently than usual.

Could he be... jealous?

No! Why should he?

"I think he forgot his chocolate," he added while looking - in fact - at his chocolate.

"No, you’ve got the whole thing wrong," Momo tried to correct the misunderstanding.

"I didn't make it for Awase-san. And why are you still at school?"

"Hmm," Todoroki-san mumbled "I was looking for you."

"For me?"

He nodded.

"You were looking down during the last period and I wanted to talk to you. But this Awase guy was surely better company.

Well, I'm going now. Here, give the chocolates to the right guy."

What! No! This whole thing... this whole conversation was going wrong. What on earth is happening right now?

Momo Yaoyorozu, don't be cowardly. He is leaving. Don't let him go without clearing up the misunderstanding. It’s now or never!

.

.

.

"It was for you," she cried out so that Todoroki-san turned around "the chocolate! I made it for you, you….idiot!"

There, she finally said it.

She noticed his surprised expression and flustered face. His mouth opened as if to say something but he just ended up swallowing his words.

Momo ran to him pressed the chocolates against his chest.

"The whole day I tried giving you my Valentine's chocolate but you were never alone. And you told me in class that you didn’t like this business marketing event at all. And I was too shy... I was feeling down because ….. of you!"

Why? Just what is with her today? Why did she speak without hesitation?

Momo knew one thing: She will regret everything she said after her adrenaline goes back to normal.

"Oh," was the only thing Todoroki could manage. Just a simple "Oh!"

She looked at him and saw a small smile forming on his face. A smile that made her legs weak and her heart skip a beat.

"Thank you," he said after his - Oh - and looked into her eyes. "I did receive a lot of chocolates today but yours is the only one that made me truly happy."

"Don't say such embarrassing things," Momo tried to use her hair to cover her blushing face.

"I want to give all these chocolates I received today to our classmates except yours.

Because yours is the only one I will accept."

She nodded but to be honest, she didn't know what he meant by saying - hers is the only one he will accept. But somehow it made her happy and she didn't want this feeling to disappear.

"Shall we head back to the dorms?" he said.

"Okay!"

"I didn't know you could speak such vulgar language."

"What?!"

"You called me an idiot."

"I-I didn't mean to..., I was just…"

"Hey, stop laughing!"

End