The Little Heart

Chiisa na hato (小さなハート) is the 357th chapter of the manga it is also the first and only chapter of the Valentine's Chocolate Arc.

Valentine's Day is near and Akane is out shopping with her friends. After leaving the store Akane meets an old woman and a little girl who asks Akane to deliver a valentine's gift to a young boy who retrieved her doll for her one afternoon, who happens to be Ranma.

At the Shop
It's nearly Valentine's Day and Akane and her friends are out shopping. Akane stands to the side waiting for Yuka and Sayuri to finish buying chocolates. When they're done, they ask why she didn't buy any, and they assume that Akane is planning to give Ranma homemade chocolate. Suddenly Ranma appears next to Akane and urges her to buy the chocolate instead since any chocolate she handmakes is likely to be harmful to him. After throwing him out of the window Akane walks back home when she encounters a little girl and her grandma struggling on the road. She asks if they need any help and is presented with a gift to be delivered to a very special boy. The little girl tells Akane that when she was very sick, the boy returned her lost stuffed rabbit. When Akane accepts, the old lady springs up from the ground and sprints away carrying her granddaughter. She gives Akane everything she needs to find the boy who happens to attend Akane's school.

Valentine Frenzy
Valentine's Day is here and love is in the air. Or at least that's what Kuno assumes as he walks confidently to school, unaware that the rest of the students are put off by his demeanor.

He is abruptly cast aside as Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi show up to give Ranma their chocolate. Akane goes ahead as Ranma is swarmed by the girls and looks for the boy to give the little girl's chocolate. She finds that the boy who saved the little girl's stuffed bunny was Ranma but find it hard to give it to him without making him think that it was by her. Ramna interrupts her by saying that he doesn't want any homemade stuff and Akane hits him with a mallet. Akane takes Ranma to the roof of the school for some privacy. But before she can state her intention they see that just about every couples in Furinkan High came up to the roof for their chocolate moment. Suddenly Akane is unable to hand Ranma his chocolate. Ranma wonders if Akane got him some chocolate and the two stand still blushing. They are interrupted by Hinako who takes this opportunity to steal everyone's chocolate. When she gets to searching Ranma, Akane disappears and is suddenly glomped by Kuno who believes she is about to give him some chocolate. He is subsequently booted away.

Meanwhile, Ranma asks where Akane is, which sends a wave of rumors around the school. She finally shows up to hit him with a mallet when they start talking about whether Ranma wants Akane's chocolates. Akane is once again unable to summon the courage to give Ranma the chocolate because they notice the entire class staring at the couple. So she suddenly kicks him outside the window.

Akane's Plan
Outside, she still hesitates in giving the chocolate while Ranma tells her to hurry up but won't eat her handmade chocolate anyway. Then the little girl and her grandmother shows up to inquire about the chocolate the moment Akane knocked Ranma unconscious with another mallet. Akane asks why don't one of them offer to give the chocolate to Ranma, but after giving their excuses they run off. She tries to explain the situation to Ranma, but finds him still unconscious. She then gets an idea to leave the chocolate next to him, so that when he wakes up he would see the chocolate without having to give it to him herself.

Ranma wakes up and sees the chocolate and assumes that it was from Akane. Meanwhile she insists it's not from her while surrounded by other smiling students behind a bush. When he opens the packaging, however, he finds that the chocolate has a thank you from the girl. The girl and her grandmother suddenly appear and are happy that Ranma accepted their gift. Before he can get a word out they run off healthier than ever. Akane watches him collapse in dismay. They are walking home soon after. As they're walking, Ranma is hit with a small heart-shaped chocolate. Akane says that she intended to give it to him later and wonders if she should have gotten a bigger chocolate, but Ranma gladly accepts.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Akane Tendo
 * Yuka and Sayuri
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Little Miss
 * Little Girl's Grandma
 * Tatewaki Kuno
 * Kodachi Kuno
 * Shampoo (human)
 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Hinako Ninomiya (young)
 * Hiroshi and Daisuke

Trivia

 * In Japan, Valentines Day is when the women give chocolate to men.
 * There is a separate White Day a month later in which men give chocolate to women.