Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.
Claimer: This fan fiction and all its errors are mine.
Inspired by and dedicated to one of my best mall-hopping friends, France.

Sometimes, little things like this were enough.

Sixteen-year-old Sumire Shouda nastily cocked an eyebrow at the redhead girl a few paces away from her. The girl was with her boyfriend, an arm intertwined around his, while she held a stem of red rose in one hand. She was smiling as she breathed in the scent of the freshly picked flower, looking very pleased.

Sumire crossed her arms over her chest, leaning on one of the posts of the bus stop as she spoke to her best friend, Wakako Usami. "I don't get it," she muttered, sounding quite frustrated.

Wakako was smiling, her eyes practically twinkling as she admired the bouquet of fresh red roses given to her by her boyfriend. "Oh, but these are lovely." She gave a contented sigh and clutched the bouquet to her chest. She threw a glance at Sumire and she frowned, although the mirth wasn't entirely gone from her eyes. "What's the matter? It's Valentine's Day, Sumire. Lighten up."

It was the fourteenth of February, a beautiful Friday afternoon. Sumire and Wakako were in Central Town, just like almost everyone else. It was Valetine's Day, and most of the students in the Academy were buying something for their most beloved. Wakako figured she would buy something for her boyfriend, too, who had given her a bouquet of flowers earlier that morning. She had asked Sumire to come, and although not all too happy about it, Sumire had said yes.

"I just don't get it," Sumire said, straightening up. "While I understand why you could be so happy with that big bouquet," she explicated, glimpsing at the flowers for the briefest of seconds before focusing her eyes on her friend, "I don't understand why girls could be so thrilled by a mere stem of rose." She rolled her eyes and made sure her gaze landed on the redhead she had been looking at for a while now.

The last five words had been so uttered with distaste that Wakako had to give it her best shot to suppress the grin that was beginning to form on her lips. "Oh."

Sumire was scowling, glancing around the place. Practically every girl in the bus stop had a stem of rose in her hand. There was something horrible about the entire scene, something that wasn't right at all. "They have a stem of rose in their hands – just a stem of rose in their hands! Just one stem – and they're looking absolutely happy." Her confusion and displeasure were evidently imprinted on her face.

Wakako giggled. "Does it bother you?" she asked, quite amused.

"Well it does!" Sumire exclaimed, smirking. It was a good thing that the two of them were none too close to the other students, or else the girls would have surely murdered her then and there for her snotty remarks. "If my boyfriend gave me a stem of rose – just one stem of rose – I would really throw it at him."

Wakako smiled faintly at Sumire, knowing her friend full well. For all her obstinacy and bluntness, Sumire was still a heart-strong romantic deep down. She adored flowers – roses, especially – and loved it when she was given them as a gift. Wakako saw it, had always known it somehow although her friend couldn't admit it even to her. Sumire was tough and fierce to the extreme, unable to bow down to anyone but herself. In fact, when she had declared herself over Natsume Hyuuga and Ruka Nogi, she dissolved the fan club and made sure everyone knew about it. "I'm so over them," she had said, with a matching toss of her hair and smirk.

When her second boyfriend broke up with her three months ago, she hadn't batted an eyelash and received the breakup quite well. She didn't cry; she vowed she would never cry on someone who didn't deserve her tears.

Sumire was that tough. And that stubborn.

"Has Koko given you flowers?" Wakako asked curiously. Koko, Sumire's best friend and boyfriend for the past two months, hadn't seemed to be around today. Of all the days to pick, he chooses this one to make a no-show. It was no wonder Sumire looked and sounded meaner than ever. Wakako glanced up at the clock: It was almost five o'clock in the afternoon. Valentine's day was going to end soon. Where the hell is he? He told me he'd be here.

Sumire's lips stiffened. "He hasn't." Her voice was cold and detached, like she was not bothered by this fact. She threw another glance at the redhead – the one who irritated her to no end because she looked the most happy – and received an annoyed look in return. The redhead raised an eyebrow when she seemed to notice that Sumire didn't even have a mere stem of rose with her.

Sumire clenched her fists, unable to counter the silent affront in that stare. It was embarrassing, but Koko hadn't even given her a single stem of rose for that day. I'm going to murder Koko when I see him… I'm going to murder Koko when I see him… she thought furiously. She hadn't even seen him since this morning. Or yesterday. Or the past three days. He had been really busy and hardly talked to her this week.

She bit her lip, anxiety taking over her being. That idiot. She didn't know what was going on now, didn't know where exactly they were heading. When Koko had admitted his feelings for her, she didn't know how to react, didn't know how to proceed from that moment on. She was stunned, caught unprepared by his confession.

It was difficult; the whole thing left her in bewilderment for two straight days. It was pretty funny, too; he somehow couldn't read her mind for those two days. Perhaps because she couldn't think, didn't want to think at all.

Who could have known that her best friend was in love with her?

Maybe a lot of other people, but not her.

I must be the most oblivious person in the world, she had thought, and finally made her decision. Garnering herself, she walked up and talked to him. She said she wasn't sure about her feelings; everything was moving too fast, after all. But she told him that she was willing to give it a try and make it work with him. Because he said that he loved her, that he cared for her, and that he would never ever make her cry.

His words sounded so sincere and truthful, and she remembered how contented she had been to hear those from him. From him, her best friend and now her lover.

She remembered how his words had been enough.

"Sumire!" a young man's voice called out, disturbing her musings. It sounded laidback and friendly, very much like it always was. When she looked up, she saw Koko running to her, smiling widely as he waved. He didn't look sick, which she didn't expect because she had been imagining him to be ill – something she conveniently came up with to excuse him from his frequent absences this past week.

"Where were you?" she practically screamed at him the moment he was near enough for some yelling. "I haven't seen you for almost a week now!" Inwardly, she could feel the relief flooding through her system. She had been thinking of the worst possible reasons why he should be avoiding her for the past week, and suffice to say, she didn't like what she came up with.

He grinned up at her, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, I've been really busy." He glanced at Wakako. "Hi there, Wakako."

Wakako smiled and gave a little wave. "Hey." Her gaze fell on what the young man was holding, and she looked almost horrified. "Uh-oh."

Sumire followed where her friend looked at, and so did Koko. The latter reacted first, and he held up the long-stemmed red rose with a neatly tied ribbon close to its end. "For you, Sumire. Happy Valentine's Day," he said, offering it to her.

Sumire stared at it for the longest time. She blinked several times, as though unable to believe what she was seeing. A mere stem of rose, she thought, just as something inside her snapped. He doesn't show his face for almost a week and he gives me just a mere stem of rose today. She inhaled deeply and noticed the redhead smirking at her, as if saying, "Oh, so that's what he gives you?"

She clenched her teeth and stared at Koko straight in the eyes. "This… is it?" she asked, almost in a furious whisper. She silently congratulated herself for not losing herself in front of him. One rose? It's all the he gives me?

He stared intently at her, his happy smile not waning. "Uh-huh," he replied, nodding his head helpfully. "Happy Valentine's Day, Sumire."

She gritted her teeth. "Happy Valentine's Day, too, Koko," she snapped, snatched the flower from him grudgingly, and walked past him to the waiting bus. "Let's go, Wakako."

۞۞۞

Koko remained where he was, watching Sumire climb up the bus. His smile didn't falter at all, but he did throw Wakako a puzzled look. "What's her problem?" he asked, scratching his head as he shifted his gaze from the bus to the girl.

Wakako was frowning at him. "Don't play stupid. I know that you know Sumire just as much as I do," she said.

"Uh-huh."

"So you know that she loves flowers a lot."

"Uh-huh."

She raised her brows at Koko's calm answers. "So why did you give her a mere stem of rose? She doesn't tell me much about it, but I can feel it. I'm sure you can, too. I'm sure you felt it, too, how she's been looking forward to today." She held up her bouquet. "The least you could have done was give her as much as this," she muttered. "Definitely not one stem."

Koko turned a bit more serious, but he remained smiling. "Sumire always measures everything by quantity," he said. "She has to learn that sometimes, little things like a stem of rose means a lot more than a bouquet of it."

Wakako watched the play of emotions in Koko's face and her brows arched in comprehension. "Oh. You're trying to tell her something," she said, remembering the countless roses Sumire's second boyfriend always gave her. So you want to make your one rose count, huh?

"Something like that," Koko replied. "You know, I'd gladly give her a million of roses." He looked quite confident as he flashed Wakako a smile. "But first, she has to learn that sometimes, little things like this are enough."

۞۞۞

Sumire glanced at the stem of rose resentfully. I can't believe him! I can't believe that he gives me a mere stem on a special day such as Valentine's Day! I just can't believe it! She picked up the flower and felt the need to scream at it. "He's such an idiot. How could he do this to me?" she muttered, feeling the tears slowly form in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away; she was seated on the benches in the Academy grounds, just in front of the dormitory. Someone was bound to see her there, and she didn't want to be seen crying.

Crying over a rose. How pathetic.

It was just nine o'clock in the evening, and she thought she would spend a while in there before the ten o'clock curfew. Most of the students were still out, anyway; the girls, especially, had their dates.

Since she got back from Central Town, she hadn't attempted to go up to her room. She would just find the halls deserted and she would just remember how idiotic her boyfriend was and how insensitive he was and how he didn't even bother to ask her on a date…

She sighed, remembering how she had walked away from Koko that afternoon. But it's his fault! How could he give me this thing when he knows how much I love flowers? Of course she knew she was being mean and selfish, but could anyone really blame her? That was all she asked for; how could he not give it to her?

"Sumire?"

She whirled around, surprised to be interrupted. It was Wakako, smiling down at her. "Wakako…" she said, and gave what she hoped could pass off as a smile. "What are you doing here?" Her friend was in her pajamas, but she looked as bright and alert as always.

Wakako shrugged, sitting down beside her friend. "I knew I'd find you here." She threw a glimpse at the rose in Sumire's hand. "Still not over that one stem of rose Koko gave you?"

That was all that needed to be asked. Sumire nodded. "How could he give me just one stem? He knows I love roses! He doesn't show his face for almost one week and he walks up to me today and hands me one rose. Just one rose! It's ridiculous! I thought he loves me!" she said, feeling the need to get her complaints out of her chest. She met Wakako's eyes. "You get what I mean, don't you? You can't blame me for acting the way I did, right?"

Wakako shook her head. "No, silly, of course not. I would have gotten angry, too, if I were you." She paused, shifting her gaze to the stars on the sky. "But when you walked out on him, well Koko told me something."

"What?" Sumire asked unwillingly, the stubborn frown remaining in her face.

Wakako noticed Sumire's expression and grinned. "He told me you always measure things by quantity."

At this, Sumire's frown was replaced with a pout. "Who doesn't?" There was nothing wrong in thinking that one rose wasn't enough for her, was there?

"Koko, I think," Wakako replied, smiling widely. "He told me that he thinks you should appreciate the little things, because sometimes they mean so much more than those flashy ones that everyone pays attention to." She shrugged. "He actually made sense."

Not at all seeing the so-called sense of it, Sumire crossed her arms over her chest. "So you're saying I should have accepted this one rose from him and smiled and be totally happy with it." Just the mere thought of being happy with something like that made her cringe. I'm special - I'm Sumire Shouda. I deserve more than that. I deserve more than one rose.

Wakako chuckled. It was very typical of her friend to be so obstinate. "No, Sumire. What I mean to say is that the quantity – the price, the measure, the number - isn't everything."

At Wakako's words, Sumire made sure she knitted her brows. It seemed so hard to accept. All her life, her standards were based on quantity - the price, the measure, the number. It was how things worked.

Why was Koko trying to defy that?

And why is he making so much sense? she thought, dismayed when she felt the impact of the words on her. She didn't like it; she specifically hated it when she lost an argument. She was quiet in her seat, contemplating. "Still…" she muttered unhappily, unable to counter the logic of Wakako's words. She hugged herself when she felt the cold wind blow against her skin.

Was she wrong? Should she have been more appreciative? Do little things matter that much – and possibly so much more? A part of her was tenaciously insisting that she was right, and Wakako and Koko were wrong. But there was another part vehemently telling her that there was something in her friends' reasoning that seemed awfully right.

It was all very confusing.

"Think about it, Sumire," Wakako said.

"I am."

"And…?" Wakako prompted.

"I'm confused."

Wakako giggled. "If things were as simple as we want them to be, life would be so boring." She flashed a meaningful look at her friend. "You know, I've always liked Koko for you," she said, the teasing evident in her voice.

Sumire's eyes were on the grass, blank and rather detached. "Really?"

"Really." Wakako inhaled deeply, savoring the night breeze. "He's always been the one who knows how to calm you down, the one who knows just what you want, the one who knows you just as much as I do." She leaned back in her chair. "He's always been the one who cares for you even more than I do."

"The poor guy has always been in love with you," Wakako continued, her gaze focusing on the bright moon that shone down on the Academy grounds. She propped up her legs on the bench and hugged them, deep in thought. When Sumire didn't speak, she proceeded.

"I kind of noticed the first time I saw you two together, arguing. We were ten years old." She chuckled. "I've always told him to tell you about his feelings, but he won't listen. He's just always there with you, for you. But he just won't say anything. He's pretty stubborn, just like you. He just always smiles whenever you declare your love for Natsume, or for Ruka, or for any of your two previous boyfriends."

Sumire narrowed her eyes, just as something inside her snapped. "Why couldn't he have just said it?" she asked, her tone suddenly irritated. Well, it was irritating. Wakako's statements were suddenly annoying. It was Koko's pick, wasn't it? To just suffer silently? To shut up about what he felt for her? "He could have just told me. He didn't have to keep it from me," she said, her voice raising a pitch as she spoke through clenched teeth.

Wakako stared at Sumire. "Because being with you is enough." Sumire's eyes widened at the words, and Wakako knew that she hit home. She watched her friend blink twice in succession, as though trying to collect herself.

Enough… Sumire thought, the bewilderment evident in her eyes.

When was the last time that enough was enough for her?

Maybe nothing has ever been enough for me, she thought, her grip on the stem of rose firmer this time as she realized the blaring fact. She gulped, the unease building up in her chest. Was she that unappreciative?

"Until one day, he saw you secretly crying. Until one day, he realized that seeing you cry was more than enough for him to bear," Wakako went on, gazing intently at the green-eyed girl beside her. "Enough was enough. He had to tell you just what he felt. He was hoping he'll be able to save you from another heartbreak."

Silence ruled over them for a long moment. The seconds ticked by, dragging memories as it passed the two girls.

Finally, Sumire found her voice. "I-It's annoying…" she sputtered, and instinctively stood up from her seat. "It's annoying… how Koko can be so smart when he wants to…" She held the rose in one trembling hand. "Do you know where I can find him?" she asked, meeting Wakako's eyes with a seemingly newfound understanding.

Wakako raised her brows, taking a good look at her friend's face. This time, she laughed elatedly and stood up, throwing both arms around Sumire in a hug. "You silly little girl!" She let go of Sumire, grinning. "You'll talk to him tomorrow. You wouldn't want to face him looking like a nightmare, do you?"

"Hmp," Sumire huffed, not at all offended by the comment. "So what if little things are enough? I still can't forgive him for not even asking me to a date." She twitched her brows. "That stupid idiot. I'll go back to my room now."

"So what? You're still in love with that stupid idiot, you silly little girl," Wakako pointed and laughed again when Sumire began to walk off towards the direction of the dormitory.

"Shut up, Wakako!" Sumire yelled without turning.

Wakako giggled where she was. "You're welcome, Sumire. You've very much welcome," she whispered, watching her friend determinedly stomp off. She sat back on the bench, unable to wipe the smile off her face. It felt good to be able to talk to Sumire about matters like that.

Yes, little things like this were enough.

۞۞۞

Sumire treated the empty hallway with quiet, brisk steps. Stupid Koko. So what if little things are enough? That's still not enough to make me forgive him for his week-long absence and the one rose he gave me. Hmp. She stopped in front of her door, feeling her pockets for her keys. The stem of yellow rose in her doorstep made her pause.

She leaned down and picked up the flower, bemused. "What's this doing here…?" It was then that she noticed the faint light coming out of the space below her door. Someone's in my room! Warning bells alarmed in her head. Hesitantly, she turned the knob and saw that the light was coming from the bright candles on a table.

What was happening?

She made a swift grab for the light switch, but a hand quickly wrapped around her waist while another clamped over her mouth. She tried to wiggle free, but the stranger in her room was too strong for her. Let go of me! she wanted to scream in apprehension, just as the door to her room closed shut.

"Calm down, Sumire," came the hoarse whisper from the dark. The stranger had his lips pressed against her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine. "It's just me." Slowly, he removed his hand over her lips, but his arms remained around her waist.

She gasped for breath, stopping her squirming when she recognized his voice. "K-Koko…?" she whispered, blinking as she tried to make out his face in the dark. "W-What are you doing here?" She felt his grip around her loosened, and she used the chance to whirl around and face him.

"I just wanted to greet you a happy Valentine's Day," he said, the light from the candle illuminating his stupid grin.

She knitted her brows, watching him gaze at her cheerfully. Confusion crossed her face and lingered there, until finally it was replaced with the irritation that she had been feeling for him since this afternoon. "You idiot!" she exclaimed, clutching on his shirt with trembling hands. "You stupid, stupid idiot!"

His smile didn't falter. "I know. I came here to apologize – "

"Well what made you think I'll ever forgive you?" she snapped, eyes wild in resentment. "After all you've not done today? After all - " Before she could speak another word, his lips were already pressed against hers, shutting her up good. She blinked, surprised. Before she could realize what she was doing, she was already responding to his kiss, closing her eyes as her arms snaked around his neck.

It was Koko who broke off first. "Let's not get carried away," he whispered, pulling back just the slightest bit. He was sure he'd be a hypocrite if he would deny that he didn't like being close to Sumire like this.

Sumire's cheeks flared deep red, embarrassed. "Damn you," she hissed, her arms still around his neck. "I seriously want to strangle you right now."

Koko's smile widened. "Of course you do," he said without the slightest trace of impatience. "Look to your left, Sumire."

Against her wishes, Sumire turned to the direction he indicated. As she pulled back and took a look around, a soft gasp escaped her lips.

The room was lit up by tiny bulbs of orange all over the wall, which was interesting enough to begin with. But what attracted her the most were the flowers. The room was filled with at least two baskets of every color of roses. There were red roses, yellow roses, white, deep burgundy, dark pink, light pink, orange, peach, coral, lavender roses…

"I know how much you love flowers, Sumire. I can't possibly forget that. Especially roses. I know how much you've always adored them, and how much you've always wanted baskets and baskets of them," Koko said, smiling at her. "So here you go. Happy Valentine's Day, Sumire."

She met his eyes, unable to express what she felt in words. With a soft whimper, she pressed herself closer to him and buried her face in his neck. "You stupid idiot…" she moaned.

He chuckled, locking her in his embrace protectively. "I'm sorry I've been gone for a week; I was preparing for this night. I kind of had to work extra for these flowers. And I even had to sneak in to get the spare key from the cabinet downstairs." He smiled, and kissed her on the forehead.

"You didn't have to do that…" she whispered, her voice slightly muffled.

"I wanted to," he said, and pulled her away so he could look at her in the eyes. "The rose I gave you this afternoon was just a sort of reminder, that – "

"Sometimes, the smallest things are enough," she said, cutting him in midsentence. "Wakako told me. She told me… how you've always been there for me… how it's always been enough for you that you're with me…" She could feel the corners of her eyes burn with emotions. "I've always been so unappreciative, haven't I? I've been… so blind…" she murmured, the tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. "I fail… to see what matters the most…"

Koko wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Don't cry, Sumire," he said, pulling him closer to her. "I'm glad you understand now. The little things – " he began, tracing the curls of her hair, " - the little, almost inconsequential things that everyone misses – are those that have more meaning than anything else in the world."

She nodded slowly. Little things… are enough. She buried her head in his chest. I have to tell you something, she thought, allowing him access to her mind. Although I think you already know it, anyway…

"I've always known," he said, firming his embrace around her. "Even before you knew," he added, grinning as she glanced up to meet his gaze. "I'd gladly hear you say it, though," he continued with the most casual shrug he could manage.

Sumire frowned, vaguely amused as she sensed his enthusiasm. "You're really an idiot, Koko," she said, smirking at his stupid grin. "Yet for all your idiocy, I'm in love with you," she finally admitted, her eyes fired with the truthfulness of her confession. Funny, but the words seemed strangely familiar to her ears.

With that, she tiptoed and claimed his lips. Her heart was pounding, quickly so, and she could feel the color of her cheeks brighten in the darkness. She couldn't think, didn't want to think.

Sumire closed her eyes, savoring ever single second of the night. Thanks for everything, she thought, realizing what a fool she was for not seeing just how right he was.

Sometimes, little things like this were enough.

…enough…

This is my first attempt at KokoSumire. Yay me.

I added Wakako Usami because she's almost always ditched in other fan fictions. I don't really understand why.

This fic is actually based on what my friend France was saying this 14th, while we were on our way to Rockwell Power Plant for an awesome all-girls date. She was noting how perfectly happy the girls we passed by were despite being given only one stem of rose for that day, and said something which roughly translates as, "Just one stem of rose and those girls are already happy? That won't work for me. My boyfriend should give me a gazillion of roses."

To France: You already know this, but I must tell you that your *ahem* words of wisdom never cease to amuse and inspire me. XD

Happy Hearts' Month to everyone! I hope you enjoyed the fic. Review, please! :D

Hilaire
02.26.09