Valentine's Day at Gintama High School

Chapter 1: Philanthropists Are Often Self-Centered

Today's the day, he thought.

Valentine's Day. Isn't it such a beautiful holiday?

Standing outside the classroom door with the chocolates and flowers in his hands, he took a deep breath before sliding the door open. He looked around the room until he caught sight of her. His heart filled with joy, and he smiled brightly. He quietly snuck up behind her and brought his arms over her to lay the chocolates and flowers on her desk.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he whispered.

The girl slowly turned around with a strained smile plastered on her face, and a vein popped out on Otae's forehead as she looked up at the smiling Gorilla.

"OTAAEEEEE-CHAN, I made these just for yoouuuu~" Kondo said with a grin running from ear to ear.

Without saying a word, Otae gave Kondo an uppercut. The force from the punch sent Kondo flying up, and his head got stuck in the ceiling. Kondo's cries were muffled in the ceiling panels as he flailed his arms and legs around, trying to get his head unstuck. After watching him struggle for a little bit, Otae threw the chocolates and flowers on the floor before resuming to casually talking with her friends.

"Hey, are you going to eat those chocolates or what?" a voice beside asked her.

She turned to see Sougo standing above the discarded sweets and flowers.

"No, I'm not eating anything that stalker gorilla makes. Why? Do you have someone to give them to?" she asked, smirking.

"Pfff, no, I'm taking them for myself," he responded, picking up the chocolates and popping one into his mouth.

"Mmmmmm, these are actually really good. Too bad you gave them up, and I'm not giving them back," Sougo told her, walking to his seat.

"I couldn't care less!" Otae called back to him.

THUD

The loud noise of Kondo crashing on to the floor after finally pulling his head free of the ceiling interrupted the bustle of conversations in the classroom. The gorilla, who managed to hear everything through the thick material of the ceiling, looked up at Otae with teary eyes.

"B-but I stayed up until 1 AM making those *sob*," Kondo told her before going to sulk in the corner.

Otae looked at Kondo with concern for a split second before shaking her head.

Ha! What do I have to be worried about? That stalker gorilla doesn't deserve any better, she thought.

But she couldn't help but look down at the flowers that still lay abandoned on the floor.

Dammit~, she thought in her head as she found herself picking the flowers back up.

They were pink, red, and white roses tied in a neat bouquet with a pink ribbon. In between the roses was a small card. She took it out and read it silently.

____________________________________________

Dear Otae-chan,

I know that I probably creep you out and that you probably don't even like me, but that doesn't matter because I wanted to give you these roses and chocolates anyway so I could make your day :) We may not be together now, but I'm patient, so I'll wait until I win your heart someday. I doubt that I will ever love anyone as much as I love you ^_^ Happy Valentine's Day, Otae-chan! <3

Love,

Isao

____________________________________________