Mirai and Ryosuke were in trouble for causing a ruckus in the classroom and making the staff worried that it was a fight of some sort. So, for punishment, they had to clean the entire classrooms on their floor for a week. Although they believed it was something they didn’t deserve, they were happy because at least they’d have time to make up for the four days they lost together. As for Natsu, they had asked their friends to pick him up and take him home to wait for them in case they might not make it in time before the daycare closed.

“We can go now,” said Mirai as she held her and Ryosuke’s bags in her hands. “It’s getting dark now.”

Ryosuke, standing at the chalkboard, came over and reached for the bags. “I’ll carry it.”

“I want to. You carry the trash bags.”

He frowned. “I can’t. They’re too heavy for me. You’re man-girl, so you do it.”

“Yadda!” she shrieked as she ran out the door but stopped to wait for him.

Blowing a raspberry, he headed to where the two trash bags were and picked them up. “Ugh, they stink!”

“You look good with your new friends. You smell great too.”

He stuck out his tongue at her, and they headed downstairs to the garbage disposal outside. Their bickering ended when they caught sight of what was behind the silver gates—the baseball field. They paused, looked at each other, and walked again, ignoring what had happened between them four days ago.

“You stay here in case the janitor comes and locks the gate,” he said to her. “I’ll throw these away myself.”

“You sure?” she asked, observing the dark field around her. “H-hurry up, okay?”

He chuckled. “I will.” He turned around and paced to the garbage disposal. Almost halfway there, he turned into a corner and bumped into Yuta, who had exited out of the changing room with a black t-shirt and sweats while sweating like crazy. He greeted him.

“Hey,” Yuta greeted back.

“I won’t apologize for what I did. I really thought you were good enough for her.”

“I know. They told me.”

“They?”

“Ah, Shimazaki-san. She confessed everything to us, and I also think Mirai deserved the prince you want her to be with.”

He blinked. Prince? What prince? With a straight face, he said, “Umm, she’s not a princess.”

Yuta broke into a laugh. “I know that...but Shimazaki-san said you called her one.”

“I did?” Ryosuke asked himself, not recalling anything similar.

Yuta saw the two black trash bags and knew it was because of the punishment since the commotion of what had happened between the denial couple was big news in the school. “Aren’t you supposed to do that together?”

Ryosuke perked up. “Ah, I’ve got to hurry! That girl’s a scaredy-cat. Senpai, talk to you later!”

“Matte.” Yuta stopped him from running. “Please... Please watch over her for me. I leave her in your care.” And just like that, Yuta left while Ryosuke stuttered to ask a question.

*

Ryosuke stepped down from the stairs after his shower and saw Natsu was the only one in the living room, clashing his toys together like always and mumbling to himself. I’ve missed this brat.

“…put it?”

Ryosuke heard Mirai’s voice from the kitchen and was curious about what she was doing in there. And I’ve missed that brat. He chuckled at his own thoughts while heading to where his man-girl was, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Her upper body was inside the opened refrigerator while her lower body stuck out, and her right hand held the refrigerator door. When she heard his voice, she instantly flinched and bumped her head against the top, so she winced and massaged her head.

“You’re stupid.” He came over with a grin, patted her head, and saw how she cutely pouted after he called her that. “What you doing?”

“I’m organizing the fridge.” She saw his wet hair and change of clothes, so she asked, “Took a shower?”

“Yeah.”

“You smell nice.”

He wore a victorious smile, closed the fridge, and extended a hand to lean on the door of the fridge. With a so-called charismatic voice, he said to her, “Oh…is that so?” Scoffing, he added, “Of course, I’ll smell good. It’s the Great Ryosuke-sama, you baka.”

Frowning because of his conceited role, she sighed and walked away, “Hai, hai.”

Putting his brows together, he turned back and declared, “How dare you walk away? You need to be charmed by me!”

She let out a laugh. “Posing like that on a fridge is nowhere near charming.”

He instantly removed his hand and stood straight as he cleared his throat. “I’m here to-to check something in the fridge.” He opened the fridge again.

“Matte!” she exclaimed and rushed over. But she was too late.

He saw it.

She hoped his stupidity would save her. That maybe he’d think he was seeing wrong. She stayed still, not wanting to do anything until she confirmed he had seen it.

He reached inside the fridge to take out something—the sheet pan, which had bite-sized brownies, and on each brownie was a letter made of frosting, and lined together, they spelled out, “the best virtual husband.” As he held the sheet pan, he looked at her and asked her in almost a whisper, “You…made these? For me?”

She flushed a pink color. “Well, who else is virtually married to me?”

He grinned.

“They’re low-fat like you wanted.”

He had forgotten that he had asked for it. During their time of separation, he didn’t dare to think that she’d make him anything for valentine’s day. But the fact that she made something for him when she was mad at him, he was filled with appreciation. He eyed the words on the brownies. He truly didn’t deserve her, he believed. If anything, she made him the best. He had a feeling he’d be tearing up any second now, so to avoid crying in front of her, he would have to do the opposite. He’d to stabilize his overwhelming feeling of happiness. “Feed me.”

“Huh?” She almost choked. Did she hear correctly?

“Well, I’m holding it, so get me one.”

“Put it down then.” She was getting hot and red and couldn’t maintain eye contact.

He put the sheet pan on the counter beside them and looked at her. “Okay. Feed me.”

She laughed. “You’re not holding anything.”

He pouted and thought for a few seconds and then wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her close, making her yelp. “Feed me. My hands are holding you.”

She playfully rolled her eyes. So, he had no intention to feed himself. But she didn’t mind. “Oh, my gosh, you big baby.” She grabbed one and held it near his mouth.

“Take a bite first.”

She did so, and as she bit down on the brownie, he quickly went in for a bite, and her eyes fluttered in response when she saw her reflection in his brown orbs. When she realized that they were practically taking a bite of the same brownie at the same time, her hand that held the brownie at her lips pulled away to push him away.

But doing so made the small brownie drop.

He, with his fast reflexes, did the only thing he could think of—he pressed his lips onto her, and it worked! The brownie got smudged in between their chins with his attempt to save it.

But his action not only saved the brownie but also caused something unexpected.

The virtual couple wasn’t sharing a brownie this time.

It was a kiss.

Their eyes stared at each other. She turned embarrassed and was about to pull back, but his arms at her waist pulled her closer. It made their lips touched firmly. Seconds later, she felt his lips distant themselves from hers a bit—but not far enough since she could still feel his breath—and the entire crumbling brownie fell to the ground, but they didn’t care about it anymore.

He moved a hand from her waist to cup her cheek, and his thumb caressed her lips. He had yet to tear his eyes from her. He smiled and whispered for them to hear, “It was perfectly sweet. Thanks, Mi-chan.”

She held the hand at her cheek and returned a smile. In the same tone and manner, she said, “It’s late, but happy Valentine’s, Ryosuke.” She hugged him as she looked up at him, and he looked down at her.

He kissed her forehead.

And they stayed hugging in the kitchen. They had dearly missed each other’s embraces more than they had thought.

*

“Oh, will you finish it up?” said Mirai to Ryosuke, who was sitting at the dining table and awing the mini brownies she had baked for him days ago, as she entered the kitchen to wash her son’s bottles.

He didn’t look at her as he said, “I can’t. You made them for me.”

“Yeah, to eat, not to look.” She was at the sink and had the faucet.

So far, he had eaten seven brownies—the brownies that collectively spelled “virtual.” Now, the brownies had the words, “the best husband,” and he admired it every chance he got.

“Eat it all by today, or I’m throwing them away.”

“What—why?” He finally looked at her from where he sat.

“They’ll go bad.”

He pouted, looked at the brownies, and got up to go to her. “Hey, is there a way we can, like, you know, keep them forever without it going bad?”

She shook her head as she washed the last bottle.

“Really?”

She nodded. “So, eat it all. Besides, you took a picture of it already. That’s good enough.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not. I can’t smell it. Taste it. Or touch it.”

She laughed and put the last bottle for washing on the drying rack, wiped her hands on his shirt, and then pinched his cheek. “Natsu Jr., I can always bake them for you whenever you want.”

“And you’ll write the same thing?”

She nodded but then pursed her lips. “I think from now on, you deserve the title of being the biggest baby.”

He frowned at her.

She pinched his nose. “Fine. The same words then.”

He hugged her and then pulled away. “Can I ask one thing?”

“You can’t sleep with it.”

They laughed.

“I know that,” he said. “If you made this for me, does that mean you also made one for senpai?”

She paused.

“Ha, you made one of those heart-shaped lunch boxes and spelled your name…” He stopped teasing her because she looked sad. “Mi-chan…?” I thought we’re fine about what happened already.

“…ke up.”

He couldn’t hear her mumbling, so he asked, “What did you say?”

Right away, she popped her head up and brightly said, “We broke up.”

“Broke…up…?” He almost couldn’t breathe for a moment. He had mixed emotions regarding the new status of his friend. He was happy that she was single again because he wasn’t sure he could see Yuta in the same gentlemanly light as he used to. At the same time, he felt that their breakup was because he had intervened in their date that night. With a dried throat, he asked, “When?”

“The same day...we made up.”

“Gomen ne.”

She inhaled. “No biggie. It’s nothing to be sorry about. It made me realized a lot of things. Like, I never liked him that way. I only respect and admire him, and liking someone and respecting someone are two different things.” She bashfully bit her lower lip, which he caught and was slightly amused by it. “I think I had confused those feelings with liking him romantically.”

“Then, why did you go out with him?” He frowned. “Didn’t you get mad at me when I went out with that girl with no romantic feelings?”

She glared at him. “Ours is different. At first, Senpai said that we would have a trial-date, but…when we were at Sugita-san’s place, he just blurted out that we’re dating and since he told you guys that, I couldn’t reject his offer to officially date him.”

“Hmph, so he did have an ulterior motive.”

She understood what he was referring to and wanted to defend Yuta’s reputation since it wasn’t like that at all. “It wasn’t him who had the idea. It was Fujigaya-senpai who told him about V-day.”

“V-day? What’s that?”

She blankly and casually answered, “ day.”

Feeling embarrassed for her and himself, he shrieked, “HUH?”

“Actually, Fujigaya-senpai said that if the girl hasn’t done it yet, then Valentine’s Day becomes Day, but if the girl has already done it, it’s just ordinary Valentine’s Day. See how and valentine start with a V?”

He covered , dragged her farther into the kitchen, and hissed, “Baka, why are you saying the filthy word? What happens if Natsu hears it and asks us about it?”

She slapped his hand away. “Being a ’s nothing to be ashamed of.” She looked at him for a moment and laughed. “Well, to you it might be since everyone thinks you’re not a cherry boy since the day you were born.”

Slightly angry at how nonchalant she was about with the word, ‘,’ he pinched both of her cheeks and stretched it. “I won’t tolerate you saying such filthy words! And for Natsu’s sake, I don’t want him to grow up and become like those wolves out there!”

She shoved him away from her and cupped her cheeks. “Mou, ’s not a filthy word. Besides, what makes you think he’ll be like that?”

He scratched the back of his head and timidly looked away.

“Ryosuke…?”

“He lives with me, so I don’t want him…to think that…it’s okay to be like that.”

“Like what?”

“The book says that at an early age, parents are the role models and teachers for their child, and home is the place where they pick things up that could set up their future and personality.”

She blinked, confused. How was a book involved? “Book…? What book?”

He gasped when he realized he had almost given away a very big secret “N-nothing.”

She sighed, slightly understanding what he was saying. “You’re afraid that if he hears these words, he’ll grow up and become like those wolves out there?”

“…No.” He paused for a dramatic silence. “Me—um, player me. You said you learned a lot of things that day. Well, that night, I learned the biggest thing in my life that I should’ve realized a long time ago.”

“What?” she asked, gently.

“That I’m supposed to treat my girl like a princess, holy and special.” He shyly smiled at her. “I want him to never walk the steps where he thinks he coul