RV 2

Japan likes to celebrate Valentine’s Day by women taking the first step and giving a gift of chocolate to the men in their life (whether they see them in a romantic or platonic light), and for the guys to reciprocate a month later on March 14, or White Day, as it’s known here. Over the last couple of years, though, some florists have been putting up signs dropping hints that in the west, it’s customary for men to take the initiative in giving presents on Valentine’s Day.

The idea still doesn’t seem to have really caught on, though, and when I stopped by the flower shop to pick up some roses for my wife this year, I didn’t see a crowd of other men doing the same. But it looks like guys may be slowly warming up to the idea of doing something sweet in February, as this year a number of high school girls got a pleasant, and present, surprise by receiving chocolate from their male classmates in something they’re calling “Reverse Valentine’s Day.”

Valentine’s Day fell on a Saturday this year, which was great for established couples since it meant they got to spend the whole day together. On the other hand, for students whose chocolates were meant to say “Thanks for being a friend” more than “Please be my girlfriend,” this meant they couldn’t casually pass the packages of sweets off after class on the special day itself.

Still, there’s no law that says they couldn’t make another day special, and during the week teen girls at various high schools walked into their classrooms to find scenes like this waiting for them.

https://twitter.com/861_aya/status/566016030938386432

“Oh WOW!” gushed Twitter user Aya Matsuoka. “Thank you so much! This brought tears to my eyes,” she said when describing her reaction to the chalkboard message and pile of sweets the class’ guys had prepared for their female classmates.

She wasn’t the only one who got emotional, either.

▲ “Operation Reverse Valentine was a complete success! When the girls came into the classroom, they were all smiling and some of them even cried. Thank you for all you do, girls of Class 6. Thank you for always helping us guys out.”

In the classrooms where Reverse Valentine’s Day was celebrated, the chalkboard messages were generally signed as being from the guys as a whole. Unlike at schools in the U.S., it’s customary for Japanese high schoolers to have the same classmates for every subject for all three years they spend at high school. That means that even if romantic feelings weren’t involved, there were some lengthy friendships serving as the foundation for this tower of candy.

▼ “To the angels of class 2-3…”

https://twitter.com/kyoko_627/status/566035918922862592

As a matter of fact, with Reverse Valentine’s Day being still in its infancy, for some classes this was their first and last chance before everyone finishes high school and goes their separate ways. That was the case for this third-year student who was so moved she said she doesn’t want to graduate and say good-bye to everyone.

▼ The border of hearts was obviously added after the photo was taken, but it seems like a pretty good simulation of how she felt at the time.

https://twitter.com/R___th24/status/564679031417610240

Like it or not, the Japanese school year is ending in just a few months, which led this group of guys to write, “Let’s have a blast with the time we have left together!” along with the more standard “Happy Valentine’s.”

https://twitter.com/bbb__8/status/566087867965771776

▼ While Pocky and pink chalk seem to be essential parts of a Reverse Valentine’s celebration, we’re especially fond of this one, since it also features a cameo by Baymax.

▼ Meanwhile, Anpanman made an appearance in this classroom.

https://twitter.com/koouuudaaai/status/566033664492843008

Just in case the smiling faces and generous use of emoji weren’t a give-away, this Reverse Valentine’s recipient put her feelings into words with “The guys of Class 1 are the best!”

Likewise, some guys took the opportunity to wax poetic.

▼ “We don’t have money. Got no power. Status? No way. But…we do have love.”

RV 1

https://twitter.com/mk__831/status/566021700626575360

Others added artistic flairs with wild abandon.

https://twitter.com/emiritaakun1226/status/566020820019863553

In the end, though, it’s the thought that counts, and even guys who don’t have a silver tongue or an eye for art got the message across loud and clear, like in this classroom where the chalkboard simply says: “To the girls of Class 3: Happy Valentine’s Day.”

▼ Which elicited the response of “I can’t stop crying…thank you.”

https://twitter.com/63asuka/status/565142252150747136

All of this begs one question, though: Do these guys have to give a gift to the girls again on White Day? Eh, they’ve got a month to figure that out, and considering the tremendous amount of class shown here, somehow I doubt they’ll mind having to shell out for another box of candy on March 14.

Source: Spotlight
Top image: Twitter (1, 2, 3, 4) (edited by RocketNews24)
Insert image: Twitter