Lysander's Observatory

itoshi rin

rin doesn’t really “do” valentine’s day, but he still planned something. low-key. private. a quiet place with a view where no one could bother you. 

unfortunately, the weather chooses violence. heavy snow, roads closing, visibility awful. his phone keeps buzzing with alerts and every one makes his jaw tighten. 

he tries to push through it anyway, stubborn as hell, until you point out that you literally can’t feel your fingers anymore. he exhales sharply, annoyed – not at you, but at the world. 

you end up stuck in a tiny train station café because service is delayed indefinitely. it smells like burnt coffee and the heater makes a weird rattling noise. 

you start making up fake backstories for the other stranded people. rin pretends not to listen for five minutes before quietly adding his own dry, devastatingly funny commentary that catches you completely off guard. 

“okay, see that guy by the window? definitely a novelist who hasn’t slept in three days because he’s in love with his editor.” “wrong. he’s avoiding his landlord.” “how about those two over there? they met on a train in another life and found each other again.” “… they argue about grocery brands every sunday.” “why is that… kind of cute?” “because they’re still here.” 

at some point you’re both laughing, shoulders shaking, and rin realizes he hasn’t checked the weather once in over an hour. 

when the snow finally stops, he walks you home in silence, but it’s soft this time. later he admits, very stiffly, that he liked that night. not despite the mess. because you were warm, and laughing, and right there. 

itoshi sae

sae’s valentine’s plan is effortless luxury. reservations at a place that doesn’t even have a website. you show up dressed perfectly. 

they lose the reservation. like, genuinely no record of it. the host is apologetic, but firm. sae stares at them like he’s considering suing time itself. 

then his car refuses to start. just dead. sae leans against it, arms crossed, staring up at the sky like this is all deeply inconvenient, but not surprising. 

you suggest walking. he raises an eyebrow. you drag him anyway. 

halfway through, the wind is brutal, your hair’s a mess, and you’re laughing at how wildly un-romantic this looks. sae eventually gives in and lets you pull him into a random corner shop. 

you buy instant ramen, cheap wine, and mismatched mugs. end up back home, sitting on the floor because the table’s cluttered, eating noodles straight from the pot. 

“you look like you’re judging me.” “i am.” “and?” “i’ve had worse dinners. with worse company.” “wow. glowing review from sae itoshi himself.” “… i meant that in a good way.” 

sae watches you laugh with your mouth full and realizes this is the most relaxed he’s felt in months. no expectations. no image. just you. 

later, whenever someone mentions “perfect dates,” he thinks of cold hands, bad noodles, and the way you looked at him like this was more than enough. 

nagi seishiro

nagi forgets it’s valentine’s day. completely. not in a malicious way, just… nagi. 

he remembers halfway through the afternoon, panics internally for exactly three seconds, and suggests going out anyway. you agree because you already know this will be funny. 

the plan falls apart immediately. everywhere is booked, crowded, loud. nagi looks exhausted by society. 

then your phone dies. his phone dies. you’re wandering aimlessly, mildly lost, mildly hungry. 

instead of stressing, nagi just shrugs and sits down on a bench, patting the space next to him. you end up people-watching, rating couples’ vibes, making up ridiculous games. 

“them?” “two out of ten. they’re hungry.” “lol okay, what about them?” “seven. one of them loves harder.” “which one?” “the one walking slower.” “… wait that’s actually kind of sweet.” “yeah. you walk slow for me.” 

you grab vending machine snacks and share earbuds, listening to random playlists while the city buzzes around you. 

nagi leans his head on your shoulder and mumbles that this is way better than trying. you laugh because of course he’d say that. 

later he tells reo, very casually, that this was his favorite valentine’s ever. because it didn’t feel like work, and you were laughing the whole time. 

mikage reo

reo goes all out. like, genuinely ridiculous. gifts, reservations, activities – he’s vibrating with excitement. 

then everything starts canceling one by one. venue closed for maintenance. activity overbooked. traffic backed up everywhere. 

reo’s trying so hard not to be upset, apologizing every five minutes, clearly taking it personally. 

you finally stop him by grabbing his face and telling him you’re having fun anyway. that’s when the tension snaps. 

“i swear, if i’d just booked earlier– this isn’t what i wanted for you–” “reo. i’m having fun.” “… you are?” “yeah. because i’m with you. not because of the plans.” “god… i’m so stupid.” “nope. just in love.” “very. i don’t think i need perfect plans anymore.” 

you end up at home, building an aggressively lopsided pillow fort because “we might as well commit to the disaster.” 

you order takeout that arrives wrong. you eat it anyway. you play dumb games, laugh until your stomach hurts, and reo keeps staring at you like he’s memorizing the moment. 

he admits later that he thought the day was ruined. now it’s one of his favorites because it proved that even when everything falls apart, you’re still happy with him. 

after that, whenever plans go wrong, reo just smiles and says, “remember valentine’s day?” and you both laugh before it even gets bad.

bachira meguru

bachira’s idea of a valentine’s date is spontaneous joy. no reservations, just vibes. unfortunately, the universe decides to match that energy a little too hard. 

you’re supposed to go to a cute outdoor art market he’s been hyping up for weeks. the moment you arrive? torrential rain. booths shutting down. artists scrambling. dreams dissolving in real time. 

bachira blinks, looks at the sky, then at you – grins like this is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to him. 

instead of sulking, he drags you through puddles, splashing on purpose, laughing so hard he almost trips. you end up soaked, shoes ruined, but absolutely losing it. 

“wait– look how big this one is!” “meguru– my shoes–” “it’s okay! they’re brave shoes!” “we’re literally drenched.” “yeah! isn’t it awesome?” 

you take shelter under a bridge where street musicians are hiding from the rain. bachira starts clapping along, dancing like no one’s watching (because no one sane is out there). 

by the time you’re heading home, you’re cold, damp, and smiling so hard your cheeks hurt. bachira tells you this was perfect because it felt alive. 

later, every time it rains, he asks if you want to “recreate the best valentine’s ever.” 

shidou ryusei

shidou plans something loud, flashy, and borderline unhinged. tickets to an event that’s supposed to be insane. 

turns out it’s canceled due to a power outage. the crowd’s pissed. shidou is thrilled. 

he laughs like the universe personally challenged him, slings an arm around you, and says this just means you’re free now. 

you end up wandering the city at night, neon lights flickering, rain misting the air, shidou talking nonstop about random nonsense that somehow turns hilarious. 

“i’m telling you, it wasn’t an accident. picture this: some guy in a control room, right?” “… what guy.” “THE guy. like ‘hmm yes… valentine’s day… too peaceful. cut the power.’ BZZT! KSHHH! BOOM!” “LMAO, why did it explode?” “because i showed up. i kick down the door. BAM! alarms go WEE-OO WEE-OO! lights flicker, and the guy’s like ‘oh no’ and i’m like ‘yeahhh.’” 

you share street food under a busted awning, sauce everywhere, shidou refusing napkins just to make you laugh harder. 

at some point he looks at you, actually looks at you, his girl that’s laughing uncontrollably, and something soft slips through his wild grin. 

later he admits that valentine’s day sucking made it better. less rules. more you. more fun. 

karasu tabito

karasu swears he’s got a simple, smart plan. practical. foolproof. 

the problem? every single train line you need is delayed due to “technical difficulties.” 

you’re stuck hopping between stations, nowhere near where you’re supposed to be. karasu’s annoyed, but also weirdly amused by how cursed the situation is. 

you start ranking the worst station snacks you’ve seen so far. karasu joins in, turning it into a full-blown analysis like it’s a competition. 

“okay, tabi. worst one. no hesitation.” “that sandwich that looks moist, but somehow isn’t.” “wrong. it’s the candy labeled ‘extreme sour’ that’s literally just sugar.” “fake sour is a crime. immediate disqualification.” “no fr.” “and this mascot’s smiling too hard. red flag.” 

you sit on your bags, sharing snacks, roasting the situation and each other. the sarcasm turns playful, the teasing warmer. 

karasu realizes he hasn’t checked the time in a while. doesn’t really care anymore. 

he later calls it a “good waste of time,” which for him is basically a love confession. 

kaiser michael

kaiser expects valentine’s day to be cinematic. of course he does. 

instead, the restaurant screws up everything. wrong table. wrong order. too loud. absolutely beneath him. 

he’s visibly irritated… until you start laughing at how ridiculous it all is. like, genuinely laughing, unbothered. 

something short-circuits in his brain. he’s used to perfection (or anger), not joy in chaos. 

he abandons the place entirely, dragging you out into the cold night with dramatic flair. you end up walking for hours, talking about nothing important. 

“okay. serious question, mihya. do you know where we’re going?” “yes.” “… and?” “… no.” “wow. thank you for your honesty.” “don’t get used to it.” “so this was the plan?” “it’s quieter. no one staring.” “you don’t like being stared at?” “by idiots.” “am i–” “you don’t count.” 

you stop at a random overlook, city lights below, and kaiser quietly admits this wasn’t what he wanted, but it might be better. 

later he claims the night was “acceptable.” the way he never shuts up about it proves otherwise. 

ness alexis

ness is so nervous about valentine’s day he triple-checks everything. which makes it ten times worse when things go wrong. 

the gift he ordered doesn’t arrive. the café closes early. his carefully planned schedule collapses. 

he looks genuinely devastated until you start teasing him gently, making jokes about cursed romance timelines. 

you end up at home instead, sitting on the floor, unwrapping a half-finished gift he tried to hide. 

you make a game out of it – guessing what it was supposed to be, dramatically reacting to every reveal. ness laughs so hard he nearly cries. 

“okay. final answer. is it a spellbook?” “why would it be a spellbook?” “… oh my gosh. it’s a scrapbook.” “it’s unfinished. please don’t judge it–” “oh no. these photos are terrible.” “what– really?” “terribly cute.” “...” “this one’s my favorite. you didn’t even line it up.” “… i wanted it to be perfect.” “it is. you’re in it.” 

he relaxes for the first time all day, leaning against you, warmth settling in. 

later he admits he was scared of disappointing you. you tell him you’ve never laughed harder. he holds onto that forever.