Work Text:
'Thief!'
Yuko nearly tossed the book she was reading out of her hands into the air, but at the last minute, she managed to catch it. Immediately, she pressed the open pages against her chest both because she was startled and wished to hide what was inside.
Her eyes lifted, and as if to add more to her shock, she was met with a pair of cheerful brown eyes belonging to none other than Itadori Yuuji.
Her own brown eyes widened, and the boy gleefully grinned at her, 'Yo.'
Her heart speeded up and she pressed the book harder against her chest as if she hoped it could ground her all the while the boy, her classmate, her first secret crush, took a seat on the ground next to her.
'So, you're the person who keeps on beating me to occult books from the library, huh?' he asked with no malice or annoyance inside his voice. He kept on smiling further showing he had no ill intention or grudge despite his words.
He pointed at the book still pressed open against her chest, 'Can I-?'
Yuko immediately shoved the book into his hands. If he found it weird, Yuuji didn't show it and instead took the book with a quick, 'Thanks,' before running his eyes through it.
It was a blessing really. Because the more attention he gave the book, the more time the poor girl had to calm her startled heart.
No way, no way, Itadori-kun was here. Sitting next to her so casually and close that if she moved just a single inch their covered shoulders would brush.
She took a deep breath and swallowed using the time Yuuji still focused on the book to take an undisturbed or judged look at him. They were relatively alone in the back of the school library. Most students were either studying by the small desk in the front or on lunch. For once Yuko could admire the boy, her crush, without fear that someone might notice and mock her.
He was so handsome up close just as he was from afar in her mind. She never really understood why some girls thought he was rather brutish-looking. She actually admired his undercut pink hair and didn't mind the occasional bruise or cut he earned from fights since she knew he only fought for his honor and to help others. Honestly, for as long as Yuko could remember, she always admired everything about the boy. Mainly…mainly his heart-
Yuuji must have been done looking at the book because he turned back to the girl with a spark in his brown eyes nearly giving her a heart attack from that alone, 'You're into this stuff too, huh?'
'Uh…' she thought about lying to him. Pretending to be a big fan of haunted houses and the creepy stuff so they would seem to have things in common like those teenage magazines she often tortured herself with suggested. However, just as the thought crossed her mind it left a bad taste in its wake, and Yuko knew she wouldn't be able to do that.
'No…not really,' she admitted knowing that she would hate it if she lied to Yuuji the first time they were really talking about something other than homework or classroom choirs.
She looked away hoping to gain some more courage to speak if she wasn't looking at him directly. There was a tight knot in her stomach ever since Yuuji showed up, 'B-but… I hope to learn more and maybe see the appeal?' she asked hesitantly, but it was the truth.
She did try to learn more, maybe because she heard what a big fan Yuuji was into the occult and all that and got curious. It also made her feel a bit closer to him if she took the time to learn of his interest. They were classmates, but not friends, so anything that could help her feel closer was a blessing really.
'That's cool,' he said seemingly happy before he glanced at the book again, 'It's tough to find someone who's into this stuff. Most guys just like the movies.'
Yuko nodded. During her secret observations of Yuuji, she noticed he had trouble finding enthusiasts other than movie buffs, 'I've started watching some too, but I get scared easily when monsters are involved,' she admitted, 'It's really embarrassing.'
Yuuji chuckled, but not necessarily in a way that made her feel bad like he was making fun of her, 'Really? I always find those the funniest. Usually, you can see it's costume and makeup.'
Finally, she allowed herself to smile a bit, 'Yeah, I guess you're right.' If she was braver, prettier, she would maybe suggest they could watch a movie together so he could remind her they were just costumes and makeup, but she wasn't. So, she settled for quietly sitting next to him enjoying the moment, and properly engraving it into her mind so she could later in the comfort of her bedroom, her safest place, imagine how it could have gone differently if she was someone else.
'Say, this book is about haunted and abandoned places, would you be up for visiting one with me?' asked Yuuji suddenly breaking her tragic and romantic train of thought.
Her brain short-circumcised for a moment before she let out the most pathetic, 'Huh?' she would hate herself for that embarrassing noise later though.
D-did Itadori-kun…did he really just ask me out?! She asked feeling panic kick in.
He made a sulky face, 'Matsumo was supposed to go with me to check out this old factory, but now he claims he has a family thing.'
Before Yuko could even process that Yuuji leaned closer to her face covering the side of his mouth with his palm and whispered, 'Between you and me, I just think he just got scared. He almost peed himself during Samurai Reincarnation. No joke.'
Her eyes blinked and her mind tried to comprehend that Itadori Yuuji was so close to her face that she almost felt his breath against her cheek. Once her mind finally did that, the poor Yuko felt her whole face catch on fire and shyly looked away.
She knew it wouldn't do her any good if she sweated through her uniform again. She always felt so dirty and disgusting when she did, praying no one could smell her. It was why she was almost obsessed with daily showering and hygiene, 'T-that's…weak.'
'Sure is,' he nodded, 'So…what do you think? This Saturday?' asked Yuuji, and Yuko stole a glance at him. Her face still felt far too hot and surely her cheeks were growing visibly red.
Yuuji must have noticed too because he blinked and glanced lower from her eyes, 'Are you feeling well? Your face is-'
'YES!' she said and slapped her cheeks in panic, 'Uh…and yes… I-I'm free on Saturday. I can go with you,' she said shocked that she did, but if Yuuji noticed, he didn't comment on it and instead smiled cheerfully looking genuinely happy she agreed, 'Really? Sweet.'
He looked at the book and handed it back to her, 'Do you want to get lunch together? I haven't eaten yet.'
Her heartbeat skyrocketed, but she forced herself to shake her head. She wanted to. She really really wanted to, but she couldn't imagine showing up with Yuuji somewhere with other people around. She…she wasn't brave enough for that especially not when today was the first day, he spoke to her.
'Uh, thank you…Itadori-kun. I-I already ate,' she said in a low voice and looked away. Yuko always found it…uncomfortable to discuss food. She was always self-conscious about how she looked. Her weight. Even if she was no longer openly bullied by it, she could still see people stare, and hear them whisper behind her back. She knew what they were thinking because more often than not she thought so too.
'Next time then?' asked Yuuji suddenly causing her to look back at him surprised. He was looking down at her with nothing but kindness, but also a bit of hopefulness. It made it impossible for her not to smile and nod, 'O-okay.'
'Cool, can I get your number so we can text on Saturday?' he asked pulling out his phone like it wasn't a big deal. Like she didn't fantasize about him asking for her number so often she must have run every possible scenario and yet to have him ask her for real like this left her completely speechless.
Somehow, she managed to nod and quietly tell him her digits watching as he put them into his phone before pausing, 'Hm, is it okay to save you just as Yuko-chan?'
Yuko-chan?! Her mind screamed when she heard his voice say her name like that. It sounded so…so precious it pulled at her heartstrings far too harshly.
Her mouth let out a surprised gasp before she slapped her hand over it feeling more embarrassed than by anything she had done so far. Yuuji seriously needed to leave because if he stayed and did more things like this Yuko was afraid, she might pass out from how fast her heart was beating.
'It's…it's okay, Itadori-kun,' she assured him and watched as he saved her phone number so nicely. He quickly called her, so she had his number too, and got up, 'Thanks for everything Yuko-chan. Can't wait for Saturday.'
She started to nod rapidly, 'Yes-me too…thank you, I-Itadori-kun.'
Finally, the boy left, and Yuko felt like she could breathe again. For the next fifteen minutes she had left of her break, she kept her hands over her chest trying to calm down her heart and not die of happiness all the while smiling like a fool.
I'm going to meet with Itadori-kun outside of school on Saturday, she thought to herself feeling beyond giddy.
Saturday came far too quickly for Yuko's taste. She was thrilled she would see Yuuji, but she couldn't help but overthink every single minute leading up to their meeting.
She woke up beyond early in the morning just so she could wait for his text, and when it finally arrived, she couldn't help but squeak loud enough for her mom to ask what was wrong from the other room.
In the following days leading up to Saturday, Yuko kept on trying to come up with something to wear. She wanted to look her best. She really did, but she was too shy and self-conscious to ask anyone for help or input. To avoid embarrassment, she even let her mom believe she was going out with some girls from her class and not a boy. A boy she liked.
It was not good. To get a feeling of what it was like exploring abandoned places, she rented a documentary realizing there was no way she could wear a dress or skirt somewhere so dusty and possibly dirty. So, her only option was a pair of pants. This, however, left her in a dilemma. She supposed it would be more practical to wear sweatpants and a hoodie she wouldn't mind getting dirty or ripped while going into the building. But…she still wanted to look her best and loose clothes always only made her look even bigger than she was.
Sighing, the girl scavenged her wardrobe growing desperate by the hour until she stumbled upon a nice never worn pair of blue jeans. She recalled how her mom really insisted she tried them on. They looked nice at her. They weren't skinny, but they fit her legs really nicely and made them even look less big than a school uniform skirt or any loose sweatpants ever did. She was just too self-conscious to wear them because like always Yuko feared others might think she was trying too much or thinking she wasn't…fat.
But today she wouldn't be around her classmates or anyone she knew. Just Yuuji.
Yuuji said he liked the way she ate and wrote and did all these little things making her heartbeat speed up and a certain warm feeling enter her chest every damn time. Even when the others were confused, he would pick her because she wasn't even his type and well…fat, he didn't try to deny it, and he didn't makeup excuses that always made her feel somehow worse like people were pitying her and making being overweight something worse than it really was.
No, Yuuji acknowledged it, he just said it didn't matter. It was simple and such a little comment, but for Yuko who was struggling with her body image most of her life it meant everything. For the first time since her former best friend stopped inviting her to her birthdays because she didn't want someone fat in her pictures, she felt like a human being again, she felt like a girl. A girl that someone might like or consider worthy despite her weight.
Even if Yuuji and her would never be together or even become close friends she would always cherish and cheer for him for giving something so precious to her.
So, maybe if Yuuji didn't care for how she looked and just accepted it, it would be alright for her to wear her jeans for a day.
She still picked a T-shirt and jacket to cover most of her skin. It wasn't summer and evenings could get cold after all, and she wouldn't feel comfortable too exposed in front of the boy.
Finally, she felt somewhat appearance ready to meet Yuuji. Still, she wasn't sure she was ready to meet him emotionally as throughout the whole day she was a bit of a nervous wreck. This made the poor girl arrive fifteen minutes before their agreed time just so she would get out of her house and have something to do.
Yuuji was late and even if damning thoughts of being stood up did try to temp her, a quick text from him told her, he was running late and would show up in the next ten minutes.
True to his words, she saw him running toward her barely avoiding a car coming from the side.
'Uf,' he said. He didn't have a single drop of sweat across his forehead nor did he sound even a little bit out of breath when he grinned at her, 'That was close.'
Half-joking and half-politely he put his palms together as if praying for forgiveness, 'Sorry for the wait, Yuko-chan.'
Once again, the girl felt like squealing, but she managed to bite the overjoyed sounds back, 'N-no problem, Itadori-kun. I wasn't waiting that long,' she lied. It was simply impossible for Yuko to admit she came early because she was so nervous and excited.
He seemed glad she forgave him and stopped looking so apologetic in order to take a proper look at her. The look was fast though. So fast, that Yuko didn't even have time to self-conscious before brown eyes met hers once again.
The boy grinned, 'Did you eat already?'
'Yes!' she said far too quickly and loudly. For a second, she thought Yuuji looked slightly bumped, but just as quickly he returned to his normal self, 'Pity, maybe once we're done then?'
She nodded and offered him a small smile before they made their way toward the old candy factory, 'Uh, did you...read a bit about it online, Itadori-kun?'
'Of course! There wasn't much, but the story goes that about thirty years ago some kids went missing during a field trip from a local elementary school. All except one were found. The other kids claimed they heard something but were too afraid the look, but the boy wasn't. When he turned the corner – poof,' said mimicking a balloon or something popping with his fingers, 'He was gone.'
Yuko frowned a bit, 'That's so sad. His parents must have been crushed.'
Yuuji nodded, 'There wasn't much else about it. Some old newspapers barely mentioned he went missing.'
They talked a bit about the boy mentioning other people who had ever gone missing in their town. It wasn't an unsafe town by any means, but sometimes things happened. Despite the sad topic, Yuko was glad they spoke. The more they did the more she felt like she got to know Yuuji and honestly, the more she liked him. He was a bit goofy at times, slipping into pop culture and movie references or quoting them in English. But she could tell he cared for people. A lot.
Her good mood soured a bit once they actually got to the building though. It wasn't used for about ten years if she remembered correctly, and it certainly looked that way. It wasn't as bad as some other places that were impossible to get inside anymore, but it was still pretty bad.
The poor state and gloomy atmosphere gave Yuko chills and made her seriously wonder if she really was willing to do this much for a boy she liked.
'You good? If you're scared, I won't force you to go inside,' said Yuuji suddenly since he must have noticed her hesitation.
She bit her lip and looked at the building before turning back to the boy, 'It's safe, right?'
His brown eyes sparked with confidence as he smirked at her, 'Don't worry. I promise I would never lead you anywhere dangerous.'
He looked so sure; Yuko couldn't find any reason not to believe him.
Taking a deep breath to gain more courage, she nodded and pulled her hands into fists to show her determination, 'Alright, let's go.'
Yuuji chuckled happily at her sudden attitude and led the way. The building was mostly unused and in a poor state. Bottles and trash told them there was someone there before them, but everything looked so dirty and dusty it must have been months maybe even longer. She wouldn't be surprised if delinquents came here to hang from time to time, but today it seemed she and Yuuji were the only explorers.
The walls were filled with graffiti and drawings. Some funny and some obscene, and not that different from those she could see on the sides of the building targeted by vandals. For a brief moment, her eyes landed on the large white letters of the word murderer, but even that seemed old as newer words were paid over it.
The atmosphere was gruesome inside with old rusty or broken equipment, holes in the walls, and occasional rats or mice running far away from them, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been since broken windows and holes in the walls allowed the evening sun to get in. The roof looked really unstable in some places though, so Yuko made a point to search places where there either wasn't any roof or looked slightly better.
'Oh, this way we can get to the offices,' said Yuuji taking hold of her wrist without asking and leading her toward the dark narrow hallway further away from the main entrance.
Yuko didn't even have time to realize just how dark and scary the hallway was as Yuuji's palm on her wrist was warm and nice and the slight nudge to keep up with him was all she could think about.
Nervously biting her lip, she wondered if he even noticed he took her wrist like that. Maybe he would have done so to anyone. The idea that he treated her like any other good friend was nice, sure, but at the same time only left the poor brown-haired girl disappointed. It was childish to expect more when she wouldn't even ever expect this much, but Yuko still couldn't bring herself to stop craving it.
Some doors in the hallway were still locked, but one was busted open. They searched around the unlocked room. The desk and chairs were still there although broken and dirty. There were also old boxes mostly empty, with some rusty items or long-since expired candy.
'Maybe I could try some,' suggested Yuuji playfully taking some of the moldy substance that no longer even resembled food pretending to want to eat it.
Yuko immediately slapped it out of his hand with an overdramatic yelp, 'NOOOO!'
They laughed a bit and continued to explore and chat. It was nice. Even if she would originally prefer something more conventional like hanging out in an arcade or going for a walk in a park, she couldn't help but admit this was amazing. Better than that since Yuuji made it fun and exciting going from a pretend creepy voice only to falling into a silly joke. Yuko didn't think she was the funny type, but she did notice that every time she said something Yuuji purposely stopped laughing or talking and just listened. It warmed her heart.
They even moved toward the basement exploring the halls and open rooms there using their phones as flashlights since the lack of windows and faulty roofs forbade the sunlight from coming in, 'So did I get you invested in creepy things?'
She nodded and was about to say that she was very happy he asked her to join him, and that she wouldn't mind doing more things with him feeling suddenly brave enough to be a bit honest with what she wanted, when all of the sudden they heard a loud bang coming from somewhere in the basement.
Both stopped moving and listened. It wasn't clear what it was, but the basement didn't have windows or exits for it to be wind. When nothing happened in the next couple of minutes, the pink-haired boy took a step closer to Yuko.
'Maybe it was just some rusty equipment or a moldy box that fell,' he suggested, but she could tell he was purposely keeping his voice low and turning his flashlight toward the ground all the while moving to be as close to her as possible. She knew he wasn't afraid at least not for his own wellbeing, so if nothing else, she felt grateful and glad he was worried for her sake.
The brown-haired girl nodded but before she could agree with him, they heard the noise again, this time closer. Almost behind one of the few corners of the basement.
Her heart speeded up and a sense of dread entered her stomach. For the first time, since Yuuji took her mind off it, she felt genuinely scared over what might happen inside the factory. It was silly, true. She wasn't completely against the paranormal, but she did pride herself on being a bit of a skeptic. Even if she was such that scared easily when watching horror films. She knew they were fake and so were many of the haunting videos online. Still, it was hard to stay rational when she was in a place like this.
When the loud sound came again, it came from somewhere in front of them in the dark hallway.
Immediately Yuuji and Yuko turned their flashlights toward the direction, but the spot was completely empty. They waited, and the brown-haired girl wondered if Yuuji held his breath like she did as they watched the spot, they were sure they heard the loud banging noise.
It felt like forever, but when nothing happened, she felt like a weight of pressure was lifted from her chest, and she could breathe again. They still didn't see anything, but it genuinely felt like whatever it was, was over.
She almost chuckled at the idea she got scared so easily even if she wasn't certain by what.
Then, however, they heard something else from a different corner of the basement. Something that was unmistakably another person asking, 'Oi, did you invite someone else? I told you not to.'
Yuko had a second to meet Yuuji's gaze in the dark before they both started to run toward the stairs hoping to stay as quiet as possible. Of course, the athletic boy had no problem getting there in a matter of minutes while she barely reached the last corner.
'Come on, Yuko,' he whispered urgently which was when they heard more voices coming from above them.
Shit!
Without words Yuuji rushed back to her and snatched her hand guiding her to one of the small rooms they assumed was used to store records of the employees. Once there, he made her go first into the slightly damaged wall and covered her body completely with his.
Yuko's heart was beating so fast she was certain the sound echoed throughout the whole building and if not her heart, the heavy pants that she couldn't seem to hold behind her lips were definitely heard loud and clear.
'Yuko-chan…Yuko, it's okay,' said Yuuji and she felt his chin suddenly appear on the top of her head. The moment the pressure registered in her mind, her eyes widened, and she stopped breathing completely.
Throughout their run, there wasn't enough time for her to think about Yuuji touching her again, but now stuffed into the hole in the wall, it was beyond impossible not to notice that she was inside Yuuji's arms, pressed against his chest with his palm very profoundly touching her back to keep her close.
He's holding me…Itadori-kun…Yuuji…he's holding me! Her mind panicked. Pressed against him even with clothes between them she could very clearly feel just how firm his body was against her soft one. Like this, she could hear and feel his breath and her eyes even in the dark were far too adjusted to see the movement of his throat as he breathed a bit harder too.
Her cheeks caught on fire, and she shut her eyes tight. There was possibly a threat of some sort in the building with them which definitely made her skin crawl, but even so, all her mind could think about was that she was held by Yuuji in the dark.
Her heart was still beating too damn fast, and her breathing wasn't getting quieter. Maybe if it was just fear she could calm down knowing she wasn't alone, and Yuuji wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to her since he came back and put her further away from anyone to see or touch. But knowing and feeling him against her like this was just too much.
When they heard a very distinguish sound of metal hitting against something, Yuko let out a small, startled noise before she could stop herself.
No!
She heard him hush her almost harshly definitely not happy with her in that moment.
Terrified, the brown-haired girl saw no other way, but to push herself away from Yuuji and use her hands to cover her mouth. She didn't want to see the look of annoyance or disappointment on his face over her action, so she turned her back to him.
Stupid…if Itadori-kun was on his own he might have already been out. All because you thought you could impress him. What a joke, she thought more annoyed and upset about herself than she ever was before. She couldn't help but feel like she somehow caused all of this. If Yuuji went alone or waited for someone else to accompany him, they would surely be faster in exploring and getting away, and they surely wouldn't make so much noise.
However, in the next moment, they heard another sound of something like a metal bar hitting the wall, and Yuko felt Yuuji press against her back his chest lining with her back as much as possible.
The hands covering her mouth stopped more sounds from coming out which was good. Especially when she felt Yuuji's big and strong hands take hold of her waists.
His hands…his hands…, she thought wondering if she could faint from that alone.
Her whole body started to warm up and the place where his body was touching her started to burn. Mainly her behind.
She closed her eyes.
Even with Yuuji being so much taller than her, she could feel his middle completely against her butt.
This is so bad…, she thought somehow humiliated by the idea that her crush could feel just how big her butt and waists were. It was beyond embarrassing for Yuko, and she almost wished whoever was outside would just find them so they could move away from this position. But with no space in front of her and Yuuji purposely pressing against her, she couldn't do anything else but endure it.
This is my punishment for being greedy and trying to get close to Itadori-kun. I deserve it, she thought growing hotter and more embarrassed by the minute.
It was just too much for her weak heart to handle. For so many months she had been crushing on this boy and to have him against her like this in such a situation where her adrenaline was rushing through her veins it almost felt like she couldn't stand it.
Hoping to gain some space, Yuko tried to push herself even further against the hole wiggling her body a bit in the process.
'D-don't,' she thought she heard the boy behind her say, but she couldn't be sure because, in the next moment, she felt him grip her waist tighter like he wanted to make her stop sending her thoughts to spiral again.
She started to squirm at the warmth and pressure of his body against her. It was simply too much for her to handle, but she only did so for a moment before Yuuji's hands left her waist.
Before she could enjoy her freedom for too long, his strong arms circles over her entire body snatching her arm and stomach making it clear he was trying to get her to stop moving.
One of her hands went for his trying to peel it off before she would explode.
'Y-yuko-chan,' he breathed against her ear rather hoarsely stopping her every movement with the sound alone, 'I'm begging you…don't…do that.'
The girl still felt panic and tried to shift which was the moment she finally felt it.
Is that…wait…is it really…?! It was light an electric current ran through her mind as something quite thick and solid came from the center of Yuuji's lap and slid between her thighs.
'Oh,' she said pathetically when a hand that was covering her mouth slipped to her chin.
He let out a small sound of absolute humiliation and regret and if they were in the position they were currently in, Yuko was sure, Yuuji would cover his face and turn around so she wouldn't be able to see it.
'I-I'm sorry…shit,' he whispered, but stopped as he must have remembered where they were and that anyone could have been nearby to hear them.
They remained standing still and quiet for a while with Yuko painfully aware of the length between her thighs. It was covered of course, but even so, the loose fabric of his sweatpants and her tight jeans made it rather easy to distinguish.
She was certain even if she considered today and all the events that happened, her face never felt hotter than it did now.
More moments passed and although they didn't hear the voices or metal sounds anymore, neither moved nor said anything.
The rapid heartbeat became a normal occurrence and even if she probably never would get used to this potion, feeling Yuuji's hands on her was nice. It felt good.
The back of her neck felt a bit sweaty, and she prayed to whatever deity was listening that when the pink-haired boy leaned his face close to her ear again, he couldn't smell it.
'I'm sorry,' he whispered again sparking the pressure in her middle by his voice alone, 'please don't hate me…'
Yuko blinked surprised by his words.
Hate him?! HATE HIM?! How could she possibly hate him when he was nothing but good and sweet? How could she possibly hate him when even now, no matter how embarrassed she felt, she also felt a spark of pride knowing at least his body seemed to like her body? Her soft and big body was so much different than his type or the common beauty standard around them. Sometimes, she didn't like her body either, but right now…thanks to Yuuji she liked it a lot.
Taking a deep breath with her heartbeat so fast, she wondered if it wanted to break out of her chest, she purposely moved her hips closing her eyes to the sensation she felt when she felt Yuuji's length move from her thighs high almost directly between her legs, 'Y-yuko.'
Hearing him groan her name like that was enough to last the poor girl for countless nights in the solitude of her bedroom, but then she felt Yuuji spread the fingers on her stomach and squeeze her flesh, 'D-don't do that…it's…just don't.'
She nodded unsure what exactly it meant but too embarrassed to do anything more. For now, she simply settled that if nothing else, her body didn't disgust him. Following a few painfully long and tense moments, she felt Yuuji move away from her while still keeping his hands on her, 'L-let's make a run for it, okay?'
'O-okay, Itadori-kun,' she said without facing him.
He snatched her hand linking his fingers with her and led her out of the record room and then up the stairs fast but quietly not turning around once to see if someone was behind them just in case.
Once they were safely out, Yuko put both of her hands against her chest and tried and failed to calm down. Not sure where to even start given all that had happened.
She only allowed herself to look at Yuuji for a second, but he made a point to stay partly turned away from her and a hand covered the upper side of his face. By all accounts it seemed, he was just as embarrassed as she felt.
Moments passed and slowly the two started to move back to the place they met up and away from the factory. From a distance, it seemed less scary and gloomy, but even so, Yuko had a heavy heart because of it wondering if she wouldn't do better if she never stepped foot inside after all.
Finally, when they reached the place they met, Yuko's shoulders felt heavy with guilt, shame, and disappointment, 'Uh, Itadori-kun-'
'I'm sorry about before,' he said cutting her off for the first time since they were back outside. His cheeks were a bit pink, but his face looked very serious, 'I…I shouldn't have done that. That was so uncool. I don't want you to think anything…shitty about me.'
She could feel disappointment entering her heart for some reason, but she quickly put it aside. Just because his body found hers attractive it didn't mean he wanted it to. These things happened. She wasn't naïve or stupid enough not to know that. She offered him a weak smile hoping to ease his guilt. After all, he was a good person, 'That's alright. I…I know these sort of things happens. It wasn't just your fault-'
'But they shouldn't and not…not like that. I didn't…,' he closed his eyes and sighed looking rather disappointed, 'I had a plan. Damn it.'
The brown-haired girl blinked puzzled, 'Plan?'
Yuuji started to scratch his head messing his hair and looked away, 'A while ago some guys asked me if there was any girl I thought was the best in our class. I never really thought about something like that before, but when I did, I could only come up with you.'
His brown eyes moved to meet hers, and she was certain her face caught on fire again, 'I like your handwriting. It's pleasant to read when I need to check your notes, and eating fish is really hard…but you somehow do it so elegantly. I don't know…it's weird, but I like watching you eat,' he admitted and looked like even he knew it was a very odd thing to say. Still, Yuko would never hold it against him as every word he said made her feel very light and happy.
'Anyway, afterwards…well, I started to think about you,' he admitted, his cheeks visibly more scarlet now, 'a lot.'
Her eyes widened a bit at that.
He sighed, 'Uh, you're really smart, but you don't rub it into anyone's face and always give everyone your homework even if you get in trouble with the teachers later. You're quiet and shy, but when you feel comfortable you do talk, and it's the best because your thoughts are so interesting I often wonder about them later throughout the day, still.'
Yuko was surprised he would think that because she was certain they didn't speak a lot directly until he asked her to come with him that day. But then again, she didn't really notice him watching her eat so maybe just as she watched Yuuji without anyone noticing her, he noticed her too.
She looked away with a small smile, 'I think you're interesting too. And funny, Itadori-kun.'
'There!' he said rather loudly and pointed at her face, 'You smile so softly and look so cute when you do…it's unfair really, Yuko-chan. Especially…especially when I know you only smile like that for me.'
Her heart stopped for a second, and she opened and closed her mouth trying to come up with something to say before she once again closed it and looked away.
She brushed her cheek, 'Y-you know?'
'Yeah,' he admitted also sounding a bit hesitant, 'Uh, I noticed you watching me. You're subtle, but I could tell. I thought you just wanted to tell me something, but then I figured girls in movies usually do stuff like that when they like a guy…so…yeah.'
She slowly lifted her gaze and met his again trying to come up with a reason he would do so other than the obvious one because her insecurities still found it all so hard to believe he could really like her back, 'So…you came up with a plan?'
'Sort of…I figured I would ask you to hang out a bit. I thought we could eat, and I could tell you how I feel about you,' he said lowering his voice at the end, 'But you didn't want to eat so we went to the factory right away. It was fun, but then it all got weird and awkward. I swear I didn't…I wouldn't do something so disrespectful to you. You deserve the best, Yuko.'
Her smile grew when she heard that, 'You deserve the best too, Ita…Yuuji-kun.'
She could see his eyes widen and something like excitement took over his features. It was almost too hard to watch him when he looked this pretty.
'Ah-and you didn't…I didn't feel disrespected. Uh, I felt… proud,' she confessed with a low voice and covered her eyes, 'Please, forget I said that. That was so uncool.'
She heard him chuckle and then felt his hands on hers pulling them away from her face, 'Alright.'
He lowered her hands but kept them in his for safekeeping while grinning at her, 'I really like you a lot, Yuko-chan.'
If she suddenly woke up and found out this was all a dream, she would be very disappointed, but until that did happen, she still smiled feeling her face catching fire again.
Slowly, she nodded, 'I-I like you too, Yuuji-kun…a lot.'
She felt even better when she saw how happy he looked reminding her of a cheerful dog. She didn't dare to doubt or wonder what would happen next. She felt it was too important that she remained in the blissful moment for a bit longer.
Yuuji let go of one of her hands and started to lead her to the opposite direction of her place, 'Is it okay if we eat now? I'm starving.'
'O-okay,' she said and let herself be dragged a bit before she couldn't help but ask with a smile across her face, 'Say…did you only ask me to eat with you so much because you like watching me eat?'
The noise from the streets covered over his reply, but Yuko noticed just how red the tips of his ears got anyway.
They stopped at a simple ramen place and discussed what happened in the factory all while joking and easing the tension caused by the experience. It still felt surreal that all of that happened less than an hour ago. It felt even more bizarre that they were eating now on what could only be described as their first date.
'Uh, you're not planning to only take me to abandon creepy places, right?' she asked once they were done and Yuuji decided to walk her home all the while holding onto her hand. It was so lovely even if every time they passed someone, she couldn't help but sneak a look to see if anyone gave them a weird stare. So far it seemed no one not even the boy seemed bothered by them holding hands like this which improved her self-esteem a lot.
'N-not that I would mind,' she added quickly hoping she didn't actually offend him, but Yuuji laughed, 'Don't worry, I still want to explore some with you. You're a really good company, but we can go to less gloomy places too. Tomorrow after school?'
She nodded with a smile. All the way to her home, she still had a hard time believing it was real, but it wasn't like she could really convince herself it wasn't when Yuuji's hand was warm and a bit sweaty.
To avoid her nosy mom, she decided to part with him a bit away from her home, 'You can meet her some other time if that's alright?'
'I don't mind,' he assured her but didn't let her go just yet, 'I'm really glad you went with me today, Yuko.'
'Me too,' she smiled and looked at the ground for a moment. She read and watched tons of media to know what sometimes happened at the end of a first date. She just didn't think she would ever actually experience it too. Still, she…she felt brave enough to try.
Yuuji was taller than her. Too tall, so she had to force her hand to let go of his so she could take hold of his arm and the fabric of his hoodie for support. Slowly, all too aware of how his face changed when he caught onto what she was planning she lifted herself to her toes.
She breathed surprisingly smoothly, building up the courage, and then slowly tilted her head, leaning forward.
Since he knew what she was planning he leaned his head down to meet her halfway. She felt his hot breath against her mouth for a fraction of a second, halting her just inches away. One of his hands reached out touching her cheek giving her all sorts of new sensations as no one ever touched her cheek like that and so softly.
She swallowed a bit and waited as Yuuji leaned in, closing the gap between them.
The warmth was enough to assure Yuko it wasn't all a dream. Even in those, she could never recreate such a lovely feeling of having his lips against her own.
It was a simple peck on the lips. No saliva exchanged; just a simple, innocent peck that ended far quickly.
They pulled away, faces flushed and eyes glossy, looking at each other.
Yuko returned to her heels, but it seemed Yuuji didn't have enough as he followed her further down, 'Can I do that again? It felt…nice.'
She nodded, enthusiastically.
Another peck, followed by another. Then, when she tilted her head for a deeper kiss, their mouths opened, allowing their tongues to finally meet. Turned out breathing was extremely difficult while kissing, so they had to part a lot.
When they did so for the last time, Yuko pulled away feeling a mixture of embarrassment and happiness that mixed inside her stomach and caused a lovely but odd sensation.
She bit her lip still feeling hints of Yuuji's mouth there.
She heard him chuckle and was glad to find him looking just as pleased as she felt, 'I'll text you when I get home.'
Her embarrassment didn't allow her to do more than nod, but the happiness inside her heart forced her to smile at him one more time before rushing home to count the minutes before she would hear from him.
Koniec