Wednesday, 15th of February. 

They come out of hiding. From a boat on the sea. From a hut in the forest. From the basement that they hid in the day prior, hugging a blanket and feeling lonely alone. Baggy eyes and disheveled clothes made them stand out from the rest. Others, still reveling in chocolate, pointed and laughed at them; but their eyes were clear. 

Singles, left alone on Valentine's, gather today to celebrate their Singles Day*. 

Today, they are cruelly reminded that nobody loves them romantically, so they gather and love each other platonically. Not with sweet white chocolate, but with bitter black beans. Coarse. Granular. Hard enough to break a tooth. 

All this to swallow the grins and the pointed fingers. 

Yesterday was their defeat. Today, they hope for a better next time. 

*Only celebrated by those who give a shit, and didn't stay dead the day prior.