Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Not bad.

Although it pays well, this is definitely not his dream job. He also gets a complete set of benefits-- healthcare, leaves per year, and miscellaneous allowances. The big boss even told him that if he performs well, he can get promoted upon regularization.

Toji Fushiguro’s thoughts cloud his brain as he reviews the job offer from his smartphone’s screen, lying on his bed with one muscular right arm folded as his pillow. He’s already wearing his favorite set of loose black sweats, almost ready to hit the sack. But not before reaching the end of the PDF file sent by the HR officer.

Starting tomorrow, he will be working as an Admin Assistant at an independent media agency in Shibuya.

Just then, he suddenly remembers what he came to the city for. This is an escape from his boring life in the suburbs. His clan is rich. Insanely rich and he loves that. After all, their entire neighborhood heavily relies on them for fresh produce and livestock. But being an independent individual who wants to make a name for himself, he knows he needs to live away from them. He knows he needs to earn his own money.

Okay. He is prideful and he revels in that personality trait of his.

So far, everything looks fine. Except…

“Work starts at 9AM? Too fucking early.” He cusses beneath his breath. He takes a quick glance at the digital alarm clock on top of his bedside table and it reads 11:56PM.

Fine. He needs to sleep.

_

Sporting a relaxed spring look that consists of a cream off-shoulder sweater over a salmon slit flowy skirt with tiny flower prints and a pair of burgundy stilettos, you silently walk by the busy street. Along with other adults who traverse their way to their respective offices, you’re also ready to start your day. You get your work phone from your brown leather sling bag, checking some of your emails even before reaching the workplace.

After all, being an Account Executive requires that kind of diligence.

You also put on a bit of makeup today, a.k.a. the clean girl look. A light coverage of foundation, neutral shades of eyeshadow that you blended well (bless yourself for perfecting your wing tip too), a dusting of peach blush, and glossy nude lipstick. You used a sunflower clip to tuck your bangs on the side, your short and slightly shaggy hair flowing gracefully against the wind. This leaves your collarbones exposed, its structure emphasized by a golden necklace with a cross pendant that sits on top of its center.

That much is needed because you have an afternoon client meeting at the cafe across your office.

“Y/n-chaaan!”

As if an automatic response, you let out an exhausted sigh upon hearing that familiar male voice.

In a matter of seconds, a freakishly tall guy-- about six foot three inches according to the office nurse’s profile (according to him too, to be honest)-- makes his way beside you with a wide grin on his face. His snowy white bangs beautifully sit on his forehead, and a pair of striking ocean blue eyes meet yours. His smooth and fair skin shines under the morning sun and against his light blue button down shirt tucked in a pair of crisp black slacks. Every article of clothing this guy wears looks great on him. Even his Louis Vuitton soft trunk briefcase. Filthy rich.

Everything, save for that annoying pair of dark-tinted sunnies he wears in any kind of weather. Why does he even do that? You’ll never know.

“Good morning, sunflower!” He repeats his greeting. That nickname probably comes from today’s hair accessory.

“Good morning, Gojo-senpai.” Your unenergetic response makes him pout like a kid. “Aww~ You sound down! What’s up?” The man named Gojo asks.

“Nothing much. Just a very important meeting with the boss today. So you know, I can’t fuck it up.” You tell your senior, scowling at the concrete pavement.

Satoru Gojo is one of the top-performing employees in the client-servicing department. He may look overly easy-going-- sometimes even called lazy by your team lead-- but his S-tier intelligence and charisma make up for it. And he also doesn’t care when the boss scolds him for being unserious. His numbers do the talking.

Despite boasting an excellent track record, Gojo’s not necessarily the appropriate role model you look up to. You want to be more like your blonde-haired team lead. You respect this guy for the self-esteem, though. Not everyone believes in themselves as much as he does.

“Bah! What are you talking about? You’re gonna be fine!” Gojo slings one of his long arms around your narrow shoulder and slightly shakes your upper body like he’s transferring his God-like energy and talent to you.

You quickly shove him off, making him chuckle boisterously. “Hey! Don’t be like that, meanie! I’m just trying to lighten up your mood!” His voice is perky and refreshing-- like a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice. But you are not in the mood for small talk with the agency’s official loudmouth for breakfast.

Suddenly, he snaps his fingers. You turn to him with a quizzical look. “What?”

“Almost forgot! Suguru called me earlier. You know my bestie’s the official gossip king of our group, right? He said a new guy’s coming in today. He filled up the last vacant spot for Admin Assistant and he will be assigned to Kento’s team. Meaning, your team.” Gojo then nudges your shoulder, his impish grin getting even wider. “Want me to set you up? You know, sprinkle some of my matchmaking on you again.”

“Senpai!” You shoot him a light glare. “Do not do that, please. I’m tired of you and Geto-senpai pairing me up with all the guys at the office.”

Gojo just laughs out loud, lifting his chin up as his pearly whites illuminate under the rays of the sun. “Hahaha! But you see girlie, I don’t even have to do that.” He then cups his mouth with a palm and whispers. “Suguru mentioned that this guy graduated from the same high school as you. So you know what I mean… Maybe you two know each other already.”

The sour expression on your face clearly says that you get the message. And you’re nowhere near entertained. “How does that even make sense? Who cares if he went to Kaneshiro High. I don’t need a boyfriend.” You inform your senior.

“Aww, come on! You know what’ll happen! When he arrives, big man Yaga will introduce him to everyone. He then meets your lovely twinkling eyes, then bam! A longing look from a long-lost lover!” Gojo explains, pressing both arms together in front of his chest as he wiggles his torso like a silly worm.

You snort at him because he’s being a total idiot.

“You’re so stupid. That is not going to happen.”

_

Oh, but it happened.

The new guy just clocked in and he’s looking straight into a pair of astonished eyes. Yours.

He even has his hands inside his pockets, appearing too casual for someone standing beside your strict boss. You feel an annoying drop of cold sweat trickling down the side of your neck. And both your pupils are starting to shake too.

Toji Zenin?! What the hell is he doing here?!

“Good morning. I would like everyone to meet Mr. Toji Fushiguro. He will be our new Admin Assistant. And he will directly report to Team 1’s lead, Kento Nanami.” Masamichi Yaga, the Agency Director, formally introduced the newest addition in the department.

Fu… Fushiguro?

“Pleasure to meet you all.” Toji blankly greets. Not only is your stomach feeling sick from hearing the unfamiliar surname, him using ‘all’ to address the others whilst completely staring at your direction is just downright irritating.

Suddenly, the floor’s response resembles that of a typical sitcom. Most of the female employees are already whispering about him. You hear some of their comments despite clearly detesting the attention Toji’s getting: “Oh my gosh! He’s so hot!”, “That white button down looks so good on him.”, and “Look at his pants, girl. I bet he’s packing.” Eh, the last line is a bit too observant.

Ugh. Gross.

The women around you continue to ogle the new guy. They say he looks like an action star with that sexy scar on the corner of his lips. His bulging muscles, monstrous height, and broad shoulders are enough to make them fall for him. You see the trio of girls practically salivating while talking about his itty bitty waist. You hear that they desperately want to wrap their arms around it.

These girls.

I bet he’s already married and he took his wife’s name. Not that it’s any of my business.

Feeling the second nudge of the day on your arm, you turn to another tall guy wearing his dark hair in a neat bun. “Y/n-chan. Fushiguro-san looks nice, yeah?”

“Geto-senpai, stop.” You respond with a pout. Suguru Geto, Team 3’s lead, is as devious as his white-haired best friend. But he acts more gentlemanly, especially when it comes to women. Therefore, you are less displeased with him. “Don’t spread a word about him graduating from KaneHigh because I don’t want all the attention on me. You know those girls in his department can be annoying.”

With a playful wink, Geto replies, “Gotcha, meanie.”

“Don’t call me meanie!” You stress with gritted teeth, making him silently chuckle with closed eyes.

Feeling a faint breath on your other ear, you keep a squeal from coming out. “Man… You’re really out here actin’ like you saw your ex. Chill.” Gojo corners you. “He is not my ex.” You scrunch your nose at him, slightly pushing the tallest guy in the room because he’s bending down towards you. “Can you two behave? You’re so immature.” You cross your arms in vexation. Alas, both guys simply snicker at your cute reaction.

When you turn back towards the man of the hour, you realize he’s still looking at you.

Look somewhere else, dammit.

That he did not. And he’s even scanning you from head to toe now.

That top looks pretty on you. Makes you look all dainty and innocent. Its cream color brings out the color of your eyes. And to his delight, it’s also cropped. He can see your slender waist tucked perfectly in your skirt. Hmm? What’s that? You chose to wear a slitted skirt on his first day? Damn, he’s lucky. Despite it looking loose and flowy, one of your smooth-looking leg peeking out is already a feast.

You’re the first one to avert your eyes from him, already feeling awkward with the staring competition. Fine, you lose. But-

Why is he staring at you like that?

Unfortunately, you did not see him the second his green eyes leave yours. Only to give each of your grinning seniors beside you a cold-blooded glare.

_

What a breeze. Lunch time is already here.

Morning duties for your team mostly consist of checking emails and reviewing sales status. Meaning, everyone still has enough stored energy for the midday rush.

As for Toji and your team lead, they just finished with the former’s orientation.

“My teammates are probably at the pantry already. Do you want to have lunch with us, Fushiguro-san?” Nanami politely asks the obsidian-haired man.

“Sure.” Toji’s short reply is met with a nod.

Toji follows Nanami to your team’s long table at the working area, arriving at his assigned spot across the one that has a brown leather bag and a closed laptop on top. He sets his own laptop bag which Nanami gave him earlier before eyeing the quirky-looking pen with a purple pompom design, making him break into a small smirk. Some things never change.

Seat's perfect.

After a while, they enter the pantry. Toji looks around to observe. It’s stated in the contract that the company provides free meals every day since the director’s wife works as a personal chef for popular celebrities and politicians. Therefore, she extended her wonderful service to his husband’s workplace. Looking at Nanami, he notices he’s carrying a small gray bag containing his packed bento. Maybe the guy has a strict diet.

There are wooden tables and chairs filling the center, and glass-topped white tables with a mix of chairs and couches on both sides. Warm lights and multiple pots of plants also provide a more homey feel to the area.

You’re sharing a table with Gojo and Geto. They’re sitting on the wooden chairs on the right side with a vacant one in the middle, while you are on the couch with a huge space left for at least two more people.

“You’ve been staring at me for a while now, senpai.” You address Gojo while munching on a bacon-wrapped asparagus.

“I was just thinking! I hope Kento brings Toji-kun to lunch with us. You know, so we could have a special getting-to-know amongst ourselves…” He playfully grins while wiggling his brows up and down. “E-Eh?!” You complain, making Suguru chuckle with one clasped fist in front of his lips. “I mean, I was watching him earlier. He was totally staring at you. He even did you a head to toe.”

Little did you know, the topic of conversation can already hear you from a distance. And that’s all thanks to your Gojo-senpai whose voice sounds like he swallowed a whole megaphone.

Interesting.

“Shut up.” You look away with an annoyed frown.

“Yo! Over here!” Your snowy-haired senior happily waves at the two approaching men.

Shit, shit, shit.

Act normal, Y/n. Act normal-

“Excuse me. I need to go to the restroom.” You abruptly stand up, arms planted on your sides nervously. Geto blinks innocently at you. “Huh? But you just went a few minutes ago.” He comments.

But you didn’t listen. You briskly walk away towards the opposite end of the area to escape the unnecessary small talk.

Fine. You want to know who Toji Zenin- uhh, Fushiguro- is?

I hate him. I hate him so much. He was my senior back in Kaneshiro High. Two years older than me. You might be thinking how the hell he became my biggest rival in school if I was a first-year while he was a third-year.

Well… I loosely use the term ‘rival’. I admit it was kinda self-proclaimed.

He is literally the main source of my frustration. He was always the top student of his batch, excelling in both academics and sports. He was highly-active in multiple extra-curricular activities. He even became a student council member from sophomore year onwards.

All the professors loved him. All the guys looked up to him and wanted to be his friend. And all the girls were fawning over him.

But on top of that, he acted like a real gangster! That’s what sickened me the most!

‘Acted’ wasn’t really it. Because after school, I always saw him going inside different bars. The bouncers did not even check his ID and I had a suspicion that he was a member of some sort of gang. Or maybe even the leader of the gang.

One night when I was doing last-minute shopping at the convenience store, I saw him beat up a bunch of huge guys in the back alley. I remember seeing a smaller guy wearing glasses cringing behind him. The student council secretary.

Obviously, I didn’t want to pry but I stuck around a bit to watch the fight. Just to see if I could get some information about him being a gang member. Maybe I could use that against him at school.

I heard him say that those-- in his words-- ‘brawny bitches’ were no match for him, and that if ever they pick on somebody not their size again he will kill them without hesitation.

Fine. You can say he was acting righteously to rescue his council-mate. But what kind of student says that?! Right there and then, I was convinced that he was in a gang. Or a mafia. I don’t know. I don’t care.

Because he had a lot going on… With some of them I didn’t even know why they were happening. Yet his track record at school didn’t change! He was on top of his game his entire high school life!

I did my very best back then. But I couldn’t beat him.

I couldn’t be him.

I… I also wanted a colorful school life.

I mean, I don’t want to be in a gang or something but at least… I wanted to be good at everything like him.

And you know what’s even worse? He intentionally teases me about it, even after graduation. The first one to comment on my social media posts. “You can do better than that.” “Definitely not your best.” “What’s holding you back, sweetheart?” Ugh.

The first one to like my photos too. As in hitting the heart button within the first minute. “Lookin’ real pretty today.” “Don’t be shy. Wear a bikini next time instead of a one-piece.” “Hitting the beach next week too. Wanna come, doll?” Disgusting.

Now you know why I was irritated when he stared at me the entire time he was being introduced by Mr. Yaga.

And now that he's an Admin Assistant, I can’t get a chance to prove myself since we have different scopes of work. We even have to work together.

I’m so mad! Of all companies, why did he apply here?!

Why did Toji Zenin- dammit, Fushiguro- come back?!

I keep getting his name wrong! Why did he even change it-

Before you could grab onto the knob of the women’s restroom, you feel your right wrist being grabbed tightly by a stronger one. A faint gasp escapes your lips as you’re now pinned against the door, your smaller body trapped by a wall of overwhelming muscles under a tight dress shirt. Your other hand is then caught by another wrist, both getting planted on either side of your face.

None other than Toji Fushiguro followed you.

Blushing, huh? Not that I didn’t expect that.

“Never thought I’d see you again, sweetheart…” His honey-like voice creeps to your cheeks, making them flush like the pickled cherry tomato side dish on your lunch plate. Your lips quiver, searching for whatever words you need for him to back off. “Zenin-senpai.” You fail miserably, calling him by the wrong time for the nth time. But you blame those menacing jade eyes of his. They can be scary, you admit, knowing that you sneaked around the time he was getting all violent against other guys.

“Senpai?” His thin lips turn up into a sly smirk, slowly leaning closer to your panicked face. The current proximity is making you even more uncomfortable. “Thought I told you a couple of times back then not to call me that.”

“I…” You are completely caught off-guard.

Tilting his head a bit, he responds, “Technically, I ain’t your senpai anymore…” He adds. You let out a tiny squeal upon feeling a firmer grip around your wrists. He enjoys the cute reaction, not gonna lie. He loves that he’s bigger than you. And you’re petite and helpless whenever he’s around.

“If I hear that word coming out from your pretty little mouth again, you won’t like what I’ll do.”

Can’t even stop myself from saying that. Her lips look cute.

You have no choice but to look away, biting your lower lip nervously. “Fine… Z-Zenin- u-umm, Fushiguro.” You almost vomit the words out. It’s two times unsettling, omitting the seniority and saying his new surname. You really want this awkward confrontation to be over. But when he doesn’t make any movement at all, you speak again. “Can you please let me go? I really need to use the restroom.”

Yeah, he’s still not moving. The only next action coming from Toji is him stretching his lips upwards into a more devilish grin. “Want some company, doll?” He obnoxiously teases.

“What? No, I do not-”

“Or maybe you want those two lanky ass bastards talkin’ to you earlier? Grandpa hair and side bangs?” His over-the-top malicious comment sears your brain into a crisp. Why is he even dragging your senpais into this?

“What? Those two are my seniors!” You respond with a hoarse tone.

Your strong-willed facade gets shattered when Toji bangs your captured wrists against the door, a loud thud echoing in the narrow hallway. Your cheeks are now painted like a pair of freshly-picked apples, the delicious fruit of sin that the vicious serpent in front of you wants to bite with his thirsty ferocious fangs.

“Yeah? Those seniors like you or what?” And those fangs appeared, alright.

What?! What the hell is he saying now?!

“It’s not like that!” You bravely exclaim, looking him in the eye.

That’s it. He’s going overboard with his baseless assumptions. How dare he disrespect the people who helped you with every task you had to do for the company. Those who taught you every tip and hack to survive the client-servicing world. “I respect both of them. And they’re my friends too. I would be nothing in the agency without them, so don’t go blabbing nonsense about people you don’t know.”

“Lastly, please let me go. Now.”

You muster all the physical strength you have to shove his hands off your wrists. You push his chest the hardest you can before swiftly turning your back from him, finally turning the knob to seek safety inside the restroom.

“Heh.” Toji is still smirking in deep interest.

You’re certainly not stronger than him. He simply decided to release you from his hold.

Very cute.

_

“Hey, look. Fushiguro-kun’s with that Team 1 girl.”

“Did they just come out together?!”

“Shh! They’ll hear us!”

“Oh my… Don’t tell me they…”

For Christ’s sake. This is exactly what I don’t want to happen.

Meanwhile, Toji’s walking behind you with his hands inside his pockets, blowing a random melody using his lips. Same old him. Casual. Doesn’t care what others think of him.

“Will you stop whistling?” You feel like the vein on your forehead is close to popping out.

He did stop. But he knows what he’s doing. He hears the girls talking after all.

“See! He’s even listening to her!”

“What if they’re secretly together? And then he applied here to work with her?”

“Gosh, it’s literally like my favorite drama! I’m so envious!”

Ugh. Everyone’s really pissing me off.

“L/n.”

You hear a deep voice. It’s the boss. So you quickly walk towards his table, the one next to your group of friends. Toji is still standing behind you, lingering like your own shadow. “Yes, sir?” You politetly inquire.

“Great timing. Fushiguro’s also here. I would like you to give him a quick tour around the office after lunch. Nanami informed me that he has a 1PM call so he won’t be able to do it. And as the other member of Team 1, you have the responsibility to cover for your team lead.” Yaga objectively explains. But the string of words immediately curl around your brain, increasing your annoyance meter near its maximum level.

Despite that, you still bow. “This is noted, sir.”

Toji couldn’t help but to snort, making you glare at him from the corner of your eyes. You lift your left leg up to kick his knee. You fail, though, because he is able to evade your immature attack.

Very, very cute.

“And now she’s gonna tour him?!”

“Why can’t it be one of us?! We’re admin assistants too!”

Great. Just great. Now, I have to deal with this every single day if he keeps sticking around me.

_

Copywriting and Art. Video Production. Influencer Marketing. Purchasing. Tech. Out of Home. Performance Marketing. Programmatic.

All that’s left is the Finance Department.

You can do this, Y/n. One last floor before freedom.

You and Toji arrive at the third floor where the entire finance team sits on their respective spot on their own long table. Every member looks busy. Their heads are bowed down in front of their laptop screens, fingers continuously typing and pressing on the trackpad. But that’s just their typical work day-- filled with countless billing invoices to be sent to your department.

Busy, except for one grinning man donning a thin moustache and wearing a dark brown suit.

“Yo! Little Y/n-chan!”

Shiu Kong. The finance department head. This man exudes an unhealthy amount of charm despite leading a team with the most serious faces in the company. It’s understandable. They don’t have the luxury to commit a single mistake because they manage the agency’s revenue. One wrong computation and they’re toast.

Anyway, back to Shiu. He always greets you with a toothy smile. His breath always smells like cigarettes. That, or cheese. But the expensive ones like Manchego. You do not mind, though. You think it’s cute, how he smells like his most favorite things in the world. He’s handsome, nice, and funny. He’s also mature and well-mannered around any kind of crowd. Most of all, he does his job extremely well.

Okay. Maybe you have a teeny weeny bit of crush on him. But he’s too old for you. He may as well be your uncle, so you chose to keep the friendship.

“Hi, Shiu-senpai!” You greet him with your most pleasant tone and two palms waving, to which Toji responds with a suspicious raised brow.

First name?

Who the hell is this Korean asshole?

“Who’s the big guy? Introduce me, why don’t you?” He wiggles his brows knowingly, making you chuckle awkwardly. You then present your new colleague with a palm pointing at his torso. “Uh, yeah. This is Toji Fushiguro, the new Admin Assistant working with our team. It’s his first day today, so the boss wanted me to show him around.” After speaking, you neatly place your arm back in front.

Shiu gives the bulky man an intrigued look with two of his fingers brushing over his strong jawline. “I see, I see. Lookin’ good, lad. Do you work out?” He asks nonchalantly. You swear you feel a drop of sweat fall on your cheek at the older man’s straightforward personality.

“Seven days a week.” Toji confidently shrugs. He’s really not interested in the guy, but nonetheless he wants to brag. Just because you’re acting so shy while talking to him and he doesn’t like that. “Shiu-senpai, you really ask that kind of stuff to a guy you just met?” You sheepishly butt in, giving him a cute pout. Too cute, if you are to ask Toji.

“‘Course, little girl!”

At that, your eyes widen in shock when Shiu grabs you towards his side. His toned arm is wrapped around your shoulders and the side of your upper body pressed against his. Toji notes the faint blush growing on your cheeks. It’s clear that you’ve got some type of crush on this Shiu Kong fellow.

“Us guys gotta know each other’s secrets for a great bod!” He boyishly chuckles.

“Ahaha… Right…” You try to understand the male’s mind. You don’t.

The fuck is she blushing for.

You blurt out a short whimper when Toji suddenly pulls you away from the suit-clad man, forcing you to stand before him with his palms resting on top of your shoulders. “Hey.” You have to lift your head up a bit to look at him. But you only see an emotionless expression.

“We done here, doll?” He asks. He’s still watching Shiu like a hawk.

“Doll?” Shiu questions before bursting out a hearty laugh. “Hahaha! My sweet little Y/n-chan! Didn’t know you’re that close to the new guy!” He then raises both arms, as if he’s under arrest. He’s also still nursing a wide and mischievous grin. “Sorry ‘bout that, man. Wasn’t briefed before meeting ya.”

Don’t touch me!

You angrily stomp on Toji’s right foot, but he successfully dodges again.

Missed me.

You do it again. Same thing happened.

Stop embarrassing me in front of my friend!

Better stop acting all flirty and shit with the old man then.

“Hmph.” You finally turn away while crossing your arms. Was that telepathy just now? You swear you could hear his words by just looking at him.

Jerk.

Cute.

“Uhh… Anyway.” Of course, Shiu notices the knife-cutting tension. Obviously, that’s entertaining for a nosy bystander like him. “Finance department’s basically us dorks. Nothing real interesting here. What you see now is how we are the entire day, except during lunch or smoke break. We take a looot of smoke breaks.”

“Y-Yeah. I guess so…” You said, rubbing your nape.

That was awkward. Real awkward.

But oh well. At least freedom is here.

Chapter Text

Got all the time in the world, so might as well tell you about my goal.

I want to live independently. Live away from my family.

Nope. Not in a dramatic way. Don’t have a sappy ass past or something like those soap opera bullshit. I just wanna live a normal life. Be a normal person who earns for himself.

Second nope. I wasn’t chosen to be the heir to our family business, which I am happy about. But that didn’t mean old man Naobito chose to let me be. I still had to train under his wing. Had to learn to operate all kinds of equipment at the farm and all that crap. Just not as rigorous as that little bitch Naoya. He’s the heir. Don’t really care about that piece of shit.

Third nope. Don’t want to work under said little bitch-slash-piece of shit in the future.

So I went to Tokyo using some of my savings and… Let’s just say I learned to experience the more typical urban lifestyle. They’re a passive bunch. Here, I’ll give an example. When someone gets bullied, people turn a blind eye. When someone stands out at work, he becomes gossip. When someone gets scolded by the boss, people talk behind his back.

Most people don’t speak up unless one person starts the conversation. They wouldn’t put it past the wrongdoer, since they care more about not being the prey.

Can’t say that’s wrong. Just human nature.

Well, I’m different from those assholes. I see someone getting jumped, I ain’t backin’ down.

Why? Nothing, really. If I can flex any of my skills, I’d do it everyday. Not something I could do back at the Zenin Clan household. My family may be rich, but they’re strict and bland as fuck.

I know, I know. You may be questioning me if the life I’m describing is normal. But what if that’s what I meant by normal? You got a problem with that?

Toji Fushiguro is currently sitting across from you, absent-mindedly staring at the top of your head with his chin on top of the back of his palm. If others can see him, it looks like he’s looking at the huge glass windows behind you, taking in the view of skyscrapers that form a professional yet intimidating picture.

But no. You know what he’s doing. And it’s making you uncomfortable.

Yet another day in the office. Thursday, to be exact. And it’s Toji’s fourth day already.

For most of his work hours, he’s busy with Nanami giving him an overview of his upcoming tasks for next week. Toji’s scope of work is as follows: create or update new and existing client accounts using the company’s online tool so that the database is always complete. He also needs to make sure that the contact details for each company is aligned with who the account executives are in touch with so that when billing comes during the end of the month, he can pass on the details to the finance department for invoicing.

That’s pretty much it, apart from occasional collaborative work with HR. This is also why Toji applied for this position in the first place. It’s a piece of cake for him. And one of Nanami’s assignments for him next week is to cross-check the database file and the tool? Easy. Why did Nanami set the deadline to next week even if it’s just a menial task? He told Toji to observe first how the client-servicing team works on a daily basis so he can get a hang on how to create his own ways of working with Team 1.

Nah. That ain’t the only reason why I’m here.

When he gives you a smirk, you furrow your brows.

This woman’s a part of what I call normalcy.

He’s doing nothing but staring.

Can he leave me alone? I need to finish my presentation for tomorrow.

And what is he even thinking about? It’s not like he’s got too much going on… Or maybe he does. Maybe he’s still in a gang? I don’t know. I don’t even know if that’s true. I just assumed he was for all the times I saw him beating up bigger guys on the street or at bars.

Ugh. I can’t believe it. A ruthless guy like him being the top student back then… And he was even better than most athletes.

How did he do it?

Why can’t I do it?

“Oi.”

Your judgmental thoughts are swiped away by the low voice. You lay your narrowed eyes on his green ones. “What?”

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, looking at me like that?” He teases.

“You’re the one looking at me, Fushiguro.” You bite back.

“Yeah? So what if I am? What’re you gonna do about it, sweetheart?” He continues, that stupid pet name is ringing inside your ears. “Can you stop calling me names? I’m already having a hard time with my deck and I don’t need you pissing me off.”

You keep a close eye on Toji as he stands up from his chair, walks around the edge of the table, and stops behind you. He makes sure to place his left arm beside your shoulder with his palms on your desk, easily trapping that side of your body. You freeze on your spot, your shaky back shooting up. “What now?” You say with your eyes closed and teeth gritted together.

“Which slide?” Toji simply inquires.

“Huh?”

“Tell me which slide.”

Is he seriously going to do this? Not that you’re in the position to complain. The deck is due in an hour because the boss wants to check it beforehand in case there are internal revisions. You also don’t want him to nitpick your punctuality.

But at the same time, you do not want Toji’s help. You can ask Nanami, but you also don’t want him to think that you can’t do your job properly.

This freaking single data point that you can’t seem to find online. All the stats you found were from either last year or several years ago. You need the actual report from this year. But no matter how many times you type the keywords in the search engine bar, nothing’s coming up.

“Umm…” You utter softly while scrolling your finger down to one of the previous slides. It’s currently blank with a comment on the right side saying, ‘Kindly place data on the consumer’s online shopping behavior. - [email protected]’.

Breathing in deeply, you succumb to desperate need. “This one.”

“Just go to Statisto for the report-”

“It’s not there. I already looked it up. The latest data is from last year.” You answer quickly, now fully in control of your composure. But Toji just chuckles. “Doll, that’s because the new report will come out in Q3. It’s only March, so that means the latest data should be last year’s.” Toji’s response is brief but rational. “But I can’t show that. I’m trying to find another website with updated stats so the client appreciates my strategy more.” You quip back once more.

“Listen here.” He then swipes your hand off the trackpad, now in charge of your device. And with both arms around you now. The blush that haunts your cheeks is definitely uninvited.

As you watch him type the same thing you searched for (for several times already BTW), the same results appear on your screen. Statisto is still placed on top of the list, the link font in a purple color hinting that you already clicked on it. “All you have to do is…” He then clicks on the same link. The same data appears. He presses the ‘View full’ button. The same report appears. After downloading it, he opens the document and copies the ‘Online Shopping Behavior” pie chart into your blank slide.

“And then…” With a final touch of replying to Nanami’s comment with, ‘Latest data is taken from last year’s report. No updated one until Q3, but will make sure to explain this to the client. - l/n.y/[email protected]”.

He’s still not moving from his current position. You now feel like a rock.

Not a minute passes by as you see a new comment beside the slide from Nanami, ‘Good to go. Thanks. - [email protected]’.

“See?”

You jolt up a bit from your seat upon feeling Toji’s warm breath against your left ear. You didn’t notice he is already leaning forward with his head close to yours, some of his dark strands hitting your pink-painted cheeks. “Approved… Nice and easy. Don’t wanna see you stressing out like that again.” He dangerously whispers again, causing your lips to purse together tightly.

Toji leaves you after patting your shoulder once. He’s now back on his seat, casually folding both arms behind his head with a confident smirk aimed at you.

“Th-Thanks.” You mumble in your lowest voice possible before avoiding those annoying eyes of his.

However, your embarrassment doesn’t end there. You make the mistake of glancing at one of your senpais. The effervescent Gojo Satoru, who sits at the corner of the other side of the long table next to Geto. And dammit, he was watching the whole time. He gives you a teasing grin, and then he raises both hands to send two finger hearts. Irked, you exhale loudly and roll your eyes.

Damn you, Gojo-senpai.

You successfully sent the email to Yaga. Standing up and ignoring everyone, you go to the restroom. That place is slowly becoming like your only safe place right now.

_

Toji buys an egg sandwich for lunch. Bringing out his phone from inside his pocket, he sees that the battery is low at 12%. Oh well. He has a power bank in his locker. He casually walks out of the pantry without another word.

Unbeknownst to him, the eyes of two gossip-loving guys follow his retreating figure. Gojo and Geto are sitting in front of you and Nanami, with a long-haired female wearing a black turtleneck long-sleeved shirt tucked in black slacks in the middle. She is currently biting her fluffy bao bun, but her attention is caught by elongated necks and silly faces pointed towards the pantry entrance.

“What the hell are you two doing?” The woman raises a judgmental brow.

“Don’t mind them, Ieiri-senpai. Those two idiots are in love with the new guy.” You sigh exasperatedly. “Who? Fushiguro?” The senpai named Ieiri turns towards the same direction, but the subject of the conversation has already disappeared. “Looks like a meathead to me.” She comments frankly, to which you snort at.

“He’s very intelligent, Ieiri-san. Actually, it only took me ten minutes to teach him how the Media Life Cycle worked.” Nanami contributes to the Toji topic with an anecdote about the online tool orientation

“What?! Just ten minutes!? Damn, he must be real good! My head literally got fried after Holy Master Yaga gave me a runthrough on my first day! And even now, I still ask Suguru about some steps I keep forgetting!” Gojo explains, laughing at his last statement with his best friend. “That’s because you’re slacking off sometimes, Satoru. MLC is easy.” Geto gently responds as he bites an egg roll.

“Easy, my ass. You pass on Satoru’s questions to me.” Ieiri retorts, making the man with the bun’s forehead vein pop. He is still smiling though, you notice. But that is just your Geto-senpai’s signature pissed look. “Wow. Thanks, Shoko.” He responds briefly. You cannot help but prevent yourself from laughing at their comedic interactions.

“I personally think he’s a good hire. I’m sure Yu will like him too. When he gets back from his vacation, I’ll introduce him to Fushiguro.” Nanami calms the situation down by talking about his own best friend in the company.

Aww. Speaking of… I miss Haibara. He’s such a breath of fresh air compared to these stupid senpais of mine. Talking about black and white combo over here, not Ieiri-senpai. She’s pretty decent compared to them.

Just then, Gojo raises a hand like a student hungry for his teacher’s attention. He has a laser-focused expression on his face. “Anyway! Back to Mr. Buff Gorilla! Where do you guys think he’s going? He usually eats lunch with us, so I’m feeling a little bit curious…” He tilts his head knowingly at Geto while rubbing his chin with his fingers.

Like two peas in a pod, Geto instantly snaps because he got the message. “You think he’s got a date?” Your thin-eyed senpai asks.

Gojo proceeds to give you the same look he gave Geto. “Isn’t that intriguing, Y/n-chan? I say we follow him!” He declares, pumping the fist of the same hand he raised earlier.

“Tsk! Senpai! Stop fooling around and give the man his privacy.” You blurt out.

_

By the eighth floor hallway are the employee’s lockers: a simple row of three-tiered white-painted storage units with their own locks. Toji bites on the egg sandwich while looking for his key inside the left pocket of his pants. Once found, he bites the rest of his lunch food in between his teeth while opening the locker door with his right hand.

Something falls on the floor.

A letter?

Pink envelope with hearts only means one thing.

“Dear Fushiguro-san,

I saw you smoking last time. But promise I’m not stalking! Can you meet me at the balcony after lunch? I’ll be waiting. ♡”

Knew it.

Alas, the man really can’t get his privacy. The soldiers of Satoru Gojo’s army are hiding behind the wall at the opposite side of the hallway. Well, everyone except Nanami who was called in by the boss to join him at his table. Nanami obliged since he knew you guys were up to no good.

“Here goes nothing…” Gojo murmurs.

“Yo! Big guy!”

Toji turns to the left, only to see Gojo approaching him with his usual bright smile.

This would be the first time he’ll be speaking with the younger employee. After all, his first impression of Satoru Gojo is anything but positive. One of the guys who always lingers around you like a leech. Definitely not going to get friendly with him, he tells himself.

“Grandpa hair.” He says monotonously.

“Grandpa hair?!” Gojo exaggeratedly touches his chest with both palms, acting like he’s hurt. “You wound me, Toji-kun! I’m younger than you!” He adds. Also with a childish pout.

The hell is he thinking, calling me by my name? Is this guy high?

“Oh shit! Whatcha got there?” The enthusiastic sunnies-clad man wraps an arm around Toji’s broad back, snickering like they’re close friends. “Love letter on your first week? That’s close to my record. Got mine on my first day.” Gojo informs him, wiggling his brows up and down.

“Don’t really care about this kind of shit.” Toji responds as he shoves him off his back.

“Nah! You’ve got to at least know who the sender is!” Gojo continues to pester.

Shrugging with an emotionless look on his face, Gojo realizes his answer. “Well damn! A mysterious sender?!” Toji notices the increase in his volume, as if he’s hinting at someone or passing a message to people who may be hiding from a distance. Not to mention, Gojo backs his head up a bit too. “Okay, Mr. Panty Dropper! Maybe you’re about to break my record after all! Chuyu-chan from your team was the one who gave me my love letter!” Now his voice’s back to normal. This weirdo.

“Gojo-senpai’s so obvious…” You complain, facepalming.

“Mysterious sender, huh… I know three people who would do that.” Geto thinks deeply, making you shoot him an incredulous look. This is gossip king at his best.

“Not really interested. But guess I’ll meet them in a bit. Gonna go for a smoke after this.” Toji munches on the last bite of his egg sandwich before crumpling the food-stained tissues together.

Noticed how he used ‘them’ to address the sender? Yeah, he’s not even sure if it’s a guy or a girl. That’s because Toji is pretty much attractive to both sexes as far as he’s concerned.

Gojo chuckles loudly, his hands placed on his hips. “Hahaha! Aren’t you a gentleman?” He then winks and raises a thumbs up, while the dark-haired man just gives him a slight glare. “Good luck with that! And enjoy your smoke break too!”

He did it again. This time, even his lips are slightly pointing behind him. There are definitely other people listening. Maybe it’s side bangs and the eye bag chick who he also seems close with. Maybe you too? He could only hope.

“Alright, that’s our cue.” Geto ceremoniously clears his throat. Shoko shoots him an irritated look because of his immature reaction. “Oh, yeah. Thanks for dragging me into this.” She comments sarcastically.

Of course he’s not interested. People don’t even know that he changed his surname.

Oh my Goood. We’re so sorry, Mrs. Fushiguro! We’re not trying to destroy your marriage! Some of my friends are just idiots!

_

With a flick on the top part of his lighter, Toji starts to smoke. He’s leaning his back against the balcony rails as he blows the first round of gray clouds floating above his head. He closes his eyes and tries to relax by lifting his chin up, faint gusts of wind hitting his chiseled features.

Footsteps. She’s here.

Upon opening his eyes, he sees one of his teammates standing before him. The girl named Chuyu. So she’s the one who sent the letter. As if she wasn’t ogling his dick on his first day. She was the one who told her teammates to look at his pants. Oh well. If she also sent a letter to Gojo then she’s probably one of those desperate women who cling onto the first guy she sees.

She’s playing with her fingers shyly. Not a very fitting image when she’s clad in a maroon dress shirt with at least two buttons opened, a short black bandage skirt, and a pair of black stilettos. She’s even wearing a pair of black pantyhose. So Toji simply acknowledges her with a simple tip of his head, making her instantly blush at his charming reaction.

“Umm… W-Well… First of all, thank you for meeting me.” Chuyu speaks, still fiddling with those fake manicured nails. “Don’t sweat it. I was gonna go smoke too, so I had to be here.”

“A-Ahh, yes! Yes, that’s right! I chose this spot since you always go for a smoke after lunch… Anyway, I-”

“Yo~”

So I was right.

Geto walks like he owns the place-- shoulders wide and head up high with a smirk. Meanwhile, Shoko walks behind him with her resting bitch face. She clearly doesn’t want to be here if it weren’t for her unconditional love for cigarettes. “What’s up, man? Didn’t know you smoke. You should come with Shoko and I next time.” He smoothly begins the conversation.

“Suguru, he’s talking to someone.” Shoko comments, pulling Geto’s shirt sleeve towards her. But that’s a part of the plan as they now stand two feet away from the Toji and Chuyu situation. The perfect distance to look like a coincidence while still being able to eavesdrop.

As the two of them light their sticks, Toji turns back to Chuyu who’s now blushing harder due to the additional audience. “U-Umm… Yeah. So, what I want to say is, you know… Umm, you’re a really great-looking guy, Fushiguro-kun. I mean, e-everybody can see that. And umm, I just want to… I-I… You see, I want to…”

This is taking way too long.

“You’re here to confess. That right?” Toji completes her broken statement.

Chuyu suddenly gasps, embarrassed about the preempting. Widened eyes like a doe. Cheeks flushed with a deep magenta color. She stares at Toji who still hasn’t changed his expression the entire time they’re talking. “Umm, yes! P-Please don’t think I’m being creepy. It’s just that you look so cool… And you’re also smart like what Nanami-san said. And… U-Umm… Yes! I think I like y-”

“Listen here.” He interrupts her again. Chuyu finally notices Toji’s cold and emotionless tone as she looks at him again, eyes still wide with both nervousness and anticipation. “Appreciate it. But I’m not interested.” He starts, the instant rejection piercing Chuyu’s heart. “Not into girls who act all timid and shit after they tell their friends I’m packin’.”

Even if he has his back facing Toji, Geto clumsily drops his stick on the floor upon hearing what the male admin assistant said. On the other hand, Shoko kept herself from laughing by pursing her lips together tightly.

Toji’s effortlessly aloof yet captivating movements still get a hold of Chuyu’s physical attraction towards him. The way he flicks the cigarette butt inside the ashtray beside him. The way his long and strong strides make him look manlier. The way he faces her again, his obsidian locks being blown away by calm air and his devilish smirk cementing a dent on her aching heart.

“Next time you confess to a guy, just grab his dick and rub. Then tell me how it goes.”

“Oh shit.” This time, Geto couldn’t help but to react, now trying to keep his laughter to himself. “Shut up, dumbass.” Shoko reprimands her friend with gritted teeth. She swears she saw Toji eyeing them for a bit before he completely walks away. Chuyu looks down with a devastated look on her face, biting her lower lip to stop the incoming tears in her eyes.

Before he can forget, Geto looks beyond the glass walls separating the smoking area from the rest of the floor. He sees you and Gojo hiding behind the corner opposite to where Toji’s headed, gesturing the tips of his fingers across his throat-- their assigned signal if Toji rejects the girl.

Gojo gives his best friend a thumbs up before chuckling. “See! Told you he’s not interested in anyone but you!”

You quickly cover his mouth with your palm, glaring at him. “You’re being too loud, Gojo-senpai!” But then you realize you also shouted, so you panic immediately.

The two of you looked towards the other side, making sure your bodies are hidden behind the company’s white walls. You see Toji stopping on his tracks, and you quickly elbow your senior’s diaphragm to which he chokes.

Luckily, Toji just continues to walk away.

“Whew… I thought he heard us.” You sigh in defeat.

Oh, I heard you, sweetheart.

_

By the end of the day, you stretch your arms up for a job well done. All items in your to-do list are checked. It’s time to go home.

“Y/n-chan~”

And here we go again with the fruity tone.

Gojo approaches your side of the table just as you’re about to finish packing your bag. “What now, senpai?” You acknowledge him with a raised brow. You do not want any more crazy shenanigans with him today. “Hey! What’s with the attitude, meanie?” He chuckles loudly.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s because you keep on causing trouble around me.” You give him a fierce glare. “Nah! That’s not trouble! And I just wanted to ask you if you wanna walk home with Suguru and I!” Gojo spreads his arms like he wants a hug. You blink at him, saying, “Oh, about that. Actually, Shiu-senpai’s driving me home today.”

Now it’s Gojo’s turn to blink at you. “You really close to that old chainsmoker, eh?” He asks, but definitely with a hint of malice in his grin. “We’re not close. He’s just being nice to me, that’s all.” You shrug. Though your cheeks blush a bit too.

As if on cue, Toji’s back from the restroom. Yes, he heard what you said about going home with the cigarette-breath guy from the Finance Department. And yes, he continues to walk towards your team’s long table. Gets his own bag and dashes towards the other side.

“Oh, Toji-kun! You’re still here! Wanna walk home with u-”

Gojo backs away from you with raised arms as Toji pulls you by the shoulder, trapping your body against his sturdy muscled button down shirt. You let out a high-pitched squeal at the contact, and you struggle to keep your knees in check as the man drags you away from your senior.

“Looks like the car ride is a no! And walking with us is a no too! Take care, you two!” Gojo happily waves, completely satisfied with another day filled with juicy entertainment. Geto and him will surely have a lot to gossip about on their way home.

You try to keep up with Toji’s pace as he leads you inside the elevator. He presses the close button to keep every distraction away from his time alone with you.

“Hey!” You complain when he stops you from pressing the 3 button, holding onto your wrist tightly. Feeling his calloused hand on your bare skin again makes you shudder. His other arm is still snaked around your shoulders, so you aren’t in the best position to move freely. “I need to go to the third floor!” You finally glare at him.

All of a sudden, you feel your phone ringing from inside your bag. And because it’s situated in between you and Toji’s body, he also feels it.

“What are you- Stop!” You fling your arms, trying to retrieve the device from Toji’s hand. But he ignores you and answers the call.

“Hey, little Y/n-chan. I’m at the parking lot already.”

“Yo, geezer. Little lady’s going home with me today.”

“Is this Fushiguro?” Shiu then breaks into a friendly chuckle. “Hahaha! Alright man, no problem! Don’t want to get in the way of you lovebirds. Take care and see you tomorrow!” The older man casually ends the call on a light note, making Toji’s smirk widen with victory.

As the two of you walk in the parking lot, you see Toji spotting his beige sedan at the third slot of the first row. You follow him, still shooting daggers at his back with your eyes.

Shiu-senpai’s so mean. He said he was going to buy me dinner, but then he just left me with this freaking wildebeest.

Upon hearing a single beep on the car, you open the door and slide into the passenger seat. You cross your arms, preferring not to look at Toji as he starts the engine. Can’t even appreciate the peppermint scent inside because you’re too distracted from getting cockblocked from a friendly date.

“He okayed, didn’t he?” The disappointed pout on your lips makes your brawny colleague scoff. “Don’t give me that face. You really like that guy? He might as well be your dad…”

Just then, Toji realizes something.

Didn’t think she had that in her.

“Daddy, huh?”

You feel your heart thumping at the same volume as the car revving when Toji suddenly leans both his face and body closer to yours, going over the center console just to corner you in your seat. You visibly tremble as he gives you a naughty grin. Why do you have to blush every time he’s near? No. It’s because he’s scary. You assure yourself that’s all there is to it.

“Didn’t peg you for a daddy kink type of girl…” He obnoxiously accuses. You gulp nervously when he bites his lower lip seductively, doing you a head to toe just like he did on his first day. It did not help you calm down, seeing him spend more time on your creamy legs that are exposed through your pencil skirt that only reached half of your thighs when sitting down.

“I’m not.“ You then bring your hands on top of them for cover. And when you did that, you unconsciously press your chest together. Toji loves the view from your sleeveless white blouse. It’s thin enough for him to see your black lacy bra underneath. Did you plan your outfit because you were supposedly going home with that Shiu Kong bastard?

“Yeah? Not convinced.” He muses, now reaching his hand over your bare thigh skin. He grips on it tightly, making you wince and blush madly. As you watch his lips getting closer-- his warm breath is already touching your own-- you continue to spiral.

Someone, please help me! I don’t know what to do!

Mrs. Fushiguro! Wherever you are, this isn’t what you think it is! Please save me from your husband!

Hearing a soft click, your eyes blink in confusion.

In reality, Toji just clips your seat belt with one smooth movement before going back to his original position. He couldn’t help but to shake his head in amusement, his boyish smirk still plastered on his lips. “Such a little girl… Still needs daddy to put her seat belt on.” He comments while securing his own belt.

You steal a glance at his scar specifically before looking away. How embarrassing. You now have to suffer a whole car ride in silence. Because no matter how much Toji chats with you, you’re only able to answer with a maximum of three words. To be fair, he only asked you about your day and how you were with your current pitches. He sounded very professional but at the same time, he still had that irritating grin on his face. Ugh.

When there’s finally a short silence starting to brew, you deeply inhale to prepare yourself for one question you’ve been meaning to ask him. “I just wanted to know. Why did you change your name to Fushiguro?”

Luckily, Toji couldn’t beat the red light. He has to stop and wait for sixty seconds before he needs to retain his focus on the road. You might be getting your answer right now.

“Nothing much. Just wanted to throw away the Zenin name.”

Huh? But why?

The Zenin clan is a prominent family in the agriculture industry. Why does he not want to take his family’s name when they’ve got a respectable reputation in the country?

Is this guy that ungrateful and selfish?

“I see.” You meekly reply. But you want to know more. “May I ask why?”

You see Toji tilts his head once. “Eh… Not really a fan of my family mappin’ out my entire future. I mean, we’re rich as hell. But I want to succeed on my own. I want to prove to myself that I can be at the top of my game without anyone’s help.”

Oh.

That’s why… That was very judgmental of me.

Wait.

“So you’re not married?!”

You blurt that conspicuous statement out, your high-pitched tone echoing inside the car. Toji shoots you an expression of disbelief before letting out a light chuckle and pulling on the gear lever. “What the hell are you on?” He looks completely amused, to which you knit your brows together. “I just assumed… You know, ‘cause back then at KaneHigh you were Toji Zenin. And I figured that maybe you took your wife’s name or something.” You feed him with your speculations.

This girl and her nonsense… Can’t believe she was a straight-A student.

“I’m not married, doll. Scratch that, I’m fucking single. Don’t know where you got that gossip, unless grandpa hair and side bangs made up some bullshit to spread in the office.” And there he goes again, dragging your senpais into the conversation. “It’s not them. It’s just me.” You retort back.

Okay, so he’s not…

Why is my heart beating fast?! Hey you! Stop!

The ride goes slightly smoother than before, except for the fact that you’re acting awkwardly around your former schoolmate ever since you found out that he’s free from a romantic relationship. You swear you keep feeling your heart rapidly beating even if there’s nothing exactly scandalous happening.

When you finally reach your place, you silently get out of the car and bow towards Toji. “Thanks. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” Your eyes awkwardly look everywhere but his.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow, cutie.” Toji winks with intense charisma before driving away.

Cutie?! What the?!

And that alone brings you back to when you were walking down memory lane-- to the time when you recalled his comments on your posts and photos. Always the first one in attendance. Always flirty with the pet names and teasing.

Your cheeks are warm. And you do not like that.

What the hell, Toji Fushiguro?

Chapter Text

Today marks the first day of your company outing.

Only a quarter of the year has passed, but your department is already near your quota for the entire year. With the upcoming projects for three more quarters, Yaga is sure that the numbers will easily be reached.

That’s why he gives the client-servicing team a higher miscellaneous budget. Gojo and Geto are doing such a good job, being the top two performers currently. Although you’re not surprised about this. They really excel at their job. You also don’t mind it. Your contribute fairly to the total target.

Aah… It’s nice to be back at the beach.

The sun feels warm, the water looks pristine. There are many birds in the sky, flying to whichever destination they’re planning to reach. You’re sure that they’re also enjoying the gentle breeze as much as you do.

You see those guys there by the grill? Gojo-senpai and Geto-senpai are teasing Fushiguro, saying he’s got good timing to join the company. Now he gets to enjoy a three-day beach trip after just two weeks.

Dorks… But I’m glad they’re having fun.

Look at Fushiguro. He’s so pissed. He can’t even finish the burgers ‘cause senpais are running around with wet hair splattering on the grill.

Hah! Serves you right.

“Are you going for a swim, Y/n-chan?”

You turn your head to the right upon hearing a woman’s sultry voice.

Mei Mei. She is one of the lead art directors you work with when you pitch to big-ticket clients. She has been in the company for as long as your other seniors. Straightforward and confident, she has helped you a lot to improve your presentation skills back when you were still new and struggling.

She also has a mature outlook in life, which is why you look up to her. A matter-of-factly personality coupled with a gorgeous face? Talk about blessed. Oh, and she loves money too. Who doesn’t, right?

As you close the bottle of your sunscreen, you wave your head politely. “No. But I’ll definitely join you guys later for beach volleyball.” You smile warmly at her. Clearly, you enjoy her company. Like Shoko, she’s less stressful to be around with, compared to your childish senpais.

“I see. Well, we can always guide you if you want to.” Mei Mei also smiles.

“I can swim. It’s just… Uh. It’s just that I’m more into playing volleyball when I go to the beach. Hehe…” An excuse, and it is quite obvious. But Mei Mei chooses to believe you. “Alright. Just call us when you need something. Or maybe you can hang out with hot guy Fushiguro over there. Seems like you two are close.” She raises her right brow up before swaying her hips, walking away in her dark purple one-piece.

“Mei-senpai! We’re not!” You blush at the comment.

Beaches aren’t really her thing.

Well, water isn’t.

Guess I’ll have to watch over her.

“Fushiguro-san, here’s the last batch of raw patties. Yu and I will finish the condiments, then we’ll help you set the table.” Nanami, clad in a white linen button down shirt over beige shorts, walks up to Toji and places the tray of meat on top of the side of the grill. Toji simply nods at him as he continues to do his lunch task.

And watching over her means I get to look at that cute yellow bikini.

And cute it really is. A bandeau cut string bikini-- one of the most timeless swimsuit cuts. Every woman must have this kind of swimwear in their arsenal. But no matter how many of them fit their bodies perfectly in their own two-piece, Toji thinks you look the best.

Damn… Just like that. Run over here like a little girl.

The man is staring shamelessly as you approach their area, waving at the two guys behind him with a cheerful smile on your face. The bright sunshine hits your pretty face in the right places, making your natural beauty shine and emphasizing the right areas. He ogles your luscious curves, hugged wonderfully by your tiny yet beach-appropriate clothing. That white baseball cap also looks adorable on you.

Shit. They’re bouncing so much… Is she even aware of it?

He’s mentally salivating. Not because of the fresh burgers he’s whipping up. But clearly because of the view of your plump tits. He doesn’t even need your hand waving to get his attention. He would probably run towards you and just directly slump his face in between those juicy round hills. No wasting time on trivial introductions. Getting right down to business, that’s what Toji Fushiguro is all about.

Fuck. He feels himself getting hard inside his pants. He needs to calm down.

“Nanamin! Do you need some help?” You ask your team lead with such a sweet tone, your hands planted behind your back. Not the slight bowing. Toji could see more of your skin now. And it’s driving him insane.

“L/n-san! Can you help me slice the rest of the tomatoes?” Another batchmate of yours, Yu Haibara, waves back. This guy’s the friendliest among your group. He’s very optimistic and charming, like a younger brother to all. It’s only you who he treats like a younger sister and that’s just because of the height difference. When it comes to the bubbly personality category, he kicks everyone’s ass.

You ecstatically nod before standing beside Yu. He hands you a knife and you start grabbing one juicy tomato, placing it on the chopping board and cutting it into equal size circles. “Hey, I heard you two went to the same high school together. I would love to hear some stories from when L/n-san was younger, Fushiguro-san!” Yu chuckles happily as he looks back at the man by the grill.

With a sigh, you reply. “Haibara-san, that era of my life was not my best. So if we could please not talk about that?”

“Nah. She’s good. Just not better than me.” Toji grins playfully at you, making you scrunch your nose. “Hahaha! Friendly competitions don’t hurt! I believe they increase your improvement rate especially since you’re always motivated to top your last performance. Don’t you think so, Kento?” Yu asks his blonde-haired best friend who is currently unfolding the white table cloth.

“Yes. As long as the competition is healthy.” He responds with a straight tone.

“Nanamin, please let me help you with that!” You offer graciously, hurriedly walking towards your lead. This is your second task after finishing the tomatoes. “Are you having fun, L/n?” Nanami asked.

You hold onto the opposite end of the cloth, stretching it widely. Similar to how wide your smile is. “Yup! It’s been a while since I went to the beach and I missed it.” You answer proudly.

No shit. I know why that’s the case.

That’s why I’m watching.

_

After enjoying a satisfying lunch with your colleagues, you and the girls invite the boys to a one-set volleyball match.

Nanami decides to opt out as the person designated to keep an eye on everyone. Like him, Toji passes from the game too, saying that he just wants to watch first. And he wants to sunbathe because he hasn’t been at the beach for quite some time. Get a nice tan and all. But that’s a blatant excuse. Everyone doesn’t know this except him.

The two teams that will battle it out in a friendly one-set match are the following: You, Utahime, and Haibara on one side of the net; Gojo, Geto, and Mei Mei on the other. Rules are the same. First team to reach twenty-five points wins. Your snow-haired senpai suggests that the losers will be prepping dinner. All of you agree since it’s not that hard of a task.

Lying his back relaxed against the creamy sand, Toji’s relieved that he doesn’t have to participate. After grilling those burgers earlier, he tried to smell himself. Reeked off meat sweat and decided to take a quick shower before meeting up with the team again.

“Let’s see what you got, doll.” He murmurs to himself, smirking at your direction. That game face looks cute on you. At this point, he can’t count how many times he said the words “cute” and “adorable”.

Geto stands at the service line, holding the ball high for an overhead serve. He does it so smoothly that anyone would think he has been playing volleyball at a professional level. “Nice serve!” Gojo praises his best friend, his smile widening at the way the ball curves towards your spot.

“Mine!” You call the first touch, your arms neatly pressed against each other as you receive it gracefully. Your body is angled sideways, facing Toji’s and Nanami’s direction. The ball goes up and Nanami’s eyes follow it. Nodding a bit, your team lead silently acknowledges your skills.

Meanwhile, Toji’s fiery green eyes are somewhere else. When you bend forward to maintain balance after hitting the volleyball, your soft-looking bosom takes over his entire view. Again.

Fuck.

He secretly crosses his legs, the same placement with his arms behind his head, to hide the fact that his thirsty length keeps on growing.

“What’s wrong, Fushiguro?” Nanami asks, but without turning his head towards the admin assistant.

“Ah, nothing. Just got bit by some shit.” The dark-haired man lies, fake-scratching his side.

“It’s yours, Haibara!” Utahime calls out to her younger teammate as she sets flawlessly. With both hands splayed behind him, Yu launches himself towards the ball like an eagle. He jumps as high as he can, spikes hard, and-

“You’re not going anywhere, bowl cut!”

Oof. That double monster block orchestrated by Gojo and Mei Mei roofs his offense, and due to their combined strength the volleyball falls on the sand with a soft thud. It makes Utahime groan while scratching her hair in annoyance. “Graaahhh!! Gojo got the point, dammit!!” She shouts, but her noise is overpowered by your senpai’s obnoxious cackle.

“Hahaha! Better luck next time, scar face! Hahaha!” Gojo shouts back, facing his teammates as they do high fives among themselves. Utahime’s still growling at the tall man, making you chuckle shyly. “It’s okay, senpai! We’ll get the next point!”

“Grrr… Hmph! Let’s show them who’s boss, Y/n-chan!” Your pretty long-haired senpai responds before walking back to her position in between you and Yu.

Those two idiots are pretty good.

Figures. They’re tall as hell for their age.

Then there’s this guy beside me who keeps nodding like a coach.

Now why is that Yu Haibara kid too close? That’s not where he’s supposed to be… And why is she bending down like that in front of him? I know you’re the fucking libero but that’s just too much.

Goddammit… She looks pretty.

Still, that’s too much. Stand up, you little brat.

Unbeknownst to Toji, Nanami is eyeing him from the corner of his eyes. Seeing his uncharacteristic gritted teeth, the blonde man follows his trail of sight. Towards you. Toji must really be interested in you. That’s what Nanami is thinking. Not that it’s any of his business. As long as the big guy doesn’t do anything to harm you, he’ll keep himself out of the issue.

“Yo, the ball!” Geto suddenly turns his head.

“Tsk! Dammit, Utahime! Did you really have to set it that far?!” Gojo bawls out at the girl, his fangs appearing. The said culprit just replies with a tongue sticking out from her mouth. “I did a setter dump, stupid! Don’t you know what that is?!” Utahime screams back at the loudmouth.

“I’ll get it, senpai!”

It’s then that you call from a distance. You’re already running towards the edge of the water.

Wait, is she really…

Yes. You hurriedly chase the bouncing volleyball when it crosses over the salt water. It immediately dances on its surface, slowly getting further from your group and coaxing you to swim into the unknown territory. That brave expression stamped on your face makes Toji’s brows furrow. This can’t be happening. Even though the waves aren’t as strong as they were this morning, that doesn’t alleviate his concern.

“Almost there!” You face your colleagues with a sunny smile on your face, your blushing cheeks shimmering under the bright sunlight. What an optimistic visual.

But just then, a new batch of waves-- surprisingly heavier and bigger this time around-- clash against your small body.

“Mmph!” A squeaky tone releases from your closed mouth as you’re now being taken away by the strong current, with every look from your friends’ faces transitioning into fear and worry. You’re suddenly nowhere to be found.

“Y/n-chan!!!” Gojo shouts at the top of his lungs while quickly taking off his top so he can charge towards the sea.

Geto also has a worried expression. Together with a bunch of sweat dripping from his forehead, he orders, “Satoru! Let’s get-”

Before anyone can move another inch, they witness a vertical-shaped current rapidly forming towards the direction where you are last seen. It’s so strong that no one could visualize who the person causing that is.

“W-Wait a second…” Geto’s eyes widen at the shocking scene: Toji skillfully swims like he’s the best lifeguard, his perfectly- toned biceps crashing against the nasty waves just to save you. His motions contain force and control that rivals an Olympic gold medalist. But that’s just how off-putting this situation is to him.

When they see his face rise from the water, a clear look of determination is plastered together with a set of tightly gritted teeth. “Fushiguro, be careful!” Mei Mei nervously reminds from afar.

“H-Help!” Your voice finally comes through.

This girl…

What are you gonna do without me?

The entire group approaches the obsidian-haired man as he walks off to the shore, carrying your unconscious body bridal-style. He gently places you on the soft sand, immediately pressing his palms against your chest. Your face’s still pale, and your forehead has a small cut, telling him that the sharp hit of the waves must have been the cause.

Fortunately, he knows how to do CPR. He doesn’t remember where he learned it from. Maybe from old man Naobito when they were out once to fish? He doesn’t have the time to reminisce. He’s just relieved that he has this skill up in his sleeves.

“L/n-san!” Yu kneels on the opposite, calling out your name in case you happen to wake up when you hear a familiar voice. As the muscular man continues to do steady pumps, Mei Mei and Utahime crouch on either side with similarly fearful faces. “Y/n-chan, I’m sorry! Please be alright!” The dark-haired woman clasps her hands to cover her lips, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Finally you cough loudly, with excess salt water splashing from your lips. It coats your clothed chest and the back of Toji’s palms. “Oh, thank God she’s alright!” Gojo clutches his chest, his forehead pale and sweaty. Geto calmly assists him by rubbing his shoulder.

“Oi…” You hear a low tone before you.

You slowly open your eyes and from your clouded vision, you could only see the bulky man with his eyes covered by scary jet black bangs. “Fushiguro… Wh-What happened…” Your wandering words are cut short when you cough again, this time successfully looking away to prevent anyone getting spat on.

Everyone, yet again except for Nanami who’s observing from beside the pair of best friends, seems surprised as Toji carries you again. And without a word, already starting to walk away from the agitated crowd.

Once he crosses Nanami’s spot, he stops briefly. “Please take her to the villa. I trust you to look after her.”

With a simple nod, Toji continues to leave.

“T-Tell me what happened…”

“Shut up and close your eyes.”

_

You’re sleeping on the bed with a wound dressing neatly secured on your forehead. It’s been more than an hour since Toji brought you back to the villa. Good thing the others are considerate enough to end the game immediately, and let him off dinner duties since Nanami assigned him to take care of you. Not that he needs his command to move. He wants to be beside you and that’s final.

Your colleague sits beside your bed, his arms crossed and his mind filled with various emotions. Frustration, a tiny hint of worry left… And anger.

While he waits for you to wake up, he shifts the weight of his upper body towards yours and rests his elbows beside your knees. He clasps his fingers together and places his chin on top of them. He can feel his heart from inside his chest-- again, in anger.

“Mmm…” Toji doesn’t lift his head even upon hearing your voice. He’s too busy thinking deeply. You slowly sit upright, raising a hand to touch your forehead. “Fushiguro.. Are we in the villa?”

“Quiet. I’m still thinking why you decided to be stupid and run after the ball.” His cold tone makes you slightly pout, but you can’t blame him. You look away, feeling guilty for what you’ve done. It was truly impulsive of you.

Nevertheless, you want to look brave. Least you want to show Toji Fushiguro is that you’re a freaking damsel. “That’s none of your business.” Yes. You don’t want to show your vulnerable side to Toji. Not again.

“So what now? You gonna swim like that again in front of me?” He now turns to you with a raised brow. He looks like he’s judging you for even speaking back. Lifting your chin as an action of defiance, you reply, “I can do it. It’s not my fault the waves got stronger all of a sudden-”

“Tsch. Idiot.”

“Wh-What are you getting angry for?”

At the moment, I couldn’t control myself.

Toji grabs your left wrist, instantly pulling you towards him. His glare is dark and dangerous, causing you to purse your lips together. You forget how much of an intimidating force your former schoolmate is, and more so now that he’s grown to be a massive guy.

“I keep watching over you because you keep causing trouble around me, you hear that?” His eyes go thinner with the way he’s scrutinizing your entire being-- from your head, to your still exposed chest in that fucking skimpy bikini, to your now trembling legs that are still cold from the sea.

“Do you know how frustrating that is?” His words begin to sting like poison.

Looking at Toji, your breathing becomes heavier. “Wh-What? What are you saying? I didn’t ask you to save me. You have no right to get mad at me for deciding my own actions.”

She’s right.

My anger is out of place.

As soon as he lets your hand go, you bring it close to your chest and rub it gently. His grip was so tight it left a reddish mark on your skin. Toji sits back with his hands inside his short’s pockets. He releases a long exhale, calming himself down a bit. “If you don’t give me a good reason why you did that, you know what I can do…” Then he looks into your eyes again. “Right?”

With a deep exhale, you speak.

“I… I want to recover from the past.”

Ah. There it is.

_

The story of Y/n L/n. She who is deathly afraid of water.

It happened when you were in high school. It was a school trip for every grade level, sponsored by the most prominent board members before the holidays. For an entire week, all Kaneshiro High students enjoyed a lavish cruise that sailed across the entirety of the country. Personal guardians were also invited to join so they can also experience this wonderful outing.

During the second to the last day of the supposed fun vacation, your group of friends-- Toji wasn’t a part of that, obviously-- went to hang out by the pool. Out of everyone, you were the only one without a guardian, so your friends’ parents made sure you didn’t feel alone. They took you to every part of the ship, and even bought you a lot of souvenirs to bring home.

Coincidentally, Toji was at the pool too. Alone and lying on one lounger chair with a glass of cranberry juice on the table beside him.

He was watching you from afar.

You seemed to be ecstatic up until the last days of the trip. You and your friends had tan lines that looked more visible as time passed by. And that didn’t stop Toji from scanning your entire body. Looking all innocent and girly in that frilly light pink bikini. Your arms and hips were equally slender, and your skin looked like baby powder. Perhaps it also felt like it.

“Y/n-chan, let’s race!” One of your classmates happily called.

“Okay!” You responded energetically. Your peachy cheeks were blooming under natural light.

When I saw her swim for the first time, I thought she could easily pass as a member of the girls’ swimming team. Her strokes were clean. Her form was perfect.

At such a young age, I was witnessing a prodigy.

“Watch out!”

Other people who were by the pool also saw. Maybe it was because you were racing against your friends. You suddenly bumped your head onto the tile when you turned. Immediately, your body stopped and floated on top of the water’s surface.

Her friends screamed. One of the parents rushed towards her while the others called for help. Some of the other students’ fathers even jumped into the pool to save her. She was already unconscious as one of them got her out.

“Y/n-chan! Wake up!” Your other friend cried.

“D-Dad, is she gonna be okay?” Asked another with tears coming out from her eyes.

Then she was immediately transferred to the infirmary.

I didn’t want to get involved, so I just watched.

Waited from outside the door from a distance until I overheard from one of her friends’ parents that she’ll be alright.

_

Toji’s looking at his foot which is currently raised at the edge of your bed. “I’ll accept that.” He then turns to you, still presenting an emotionless face. “But only if you let me keep an eye on you from now on.”

Blushing slightly, you pouted. “Wait… What’s that supposed to mean?”

I don’t like this.

What is he trying to do now?

“Oi.” There goes his dark tone again. And it automatically sends shivers down your spine. You watch as Toji brings his broad torso forward, resting his folded arms on top of his knees. Looks like his muscle veins are starting to appear, and that makes you think he’s getting more frustrated. With a sigh, he says, “Just listen to me, will you?”

“No! I most certainly won’t!” You shoot a distrustful glare at him. “What do you mean ‘keep an eye on me’?!”

Absolutely not. You cannot accept this proposal. It’s like saying that he’s going to be by your side at all times. It’s like saying that he’ll be around you, like a shadow knowing everything that you do.

“That’s like saying that you’re going to look like my boyfriend-”

“Boyfriend?”

Toji breaks into a light chuckle, seemingly entertained with your juggling thoughts. It’s a bit skewed towards something he didn’t even think about. Yet he wasn’t against it at all. In fact, he feels the rush of thrill running down his spine. “That wasn’t what I meant. But if you want to, then…”

See? Your eyes say it all, little girl. And that blush on your cheeks isn’t helping you.

Guess you were genuine about what you just said.

Your eyes continuously avoid those cunning emerald orbs. You feel like they’re following you wherever you go. Maybe it’s like that because you’re embarrassed due to your current situation.

I didn’t mean that at all. I just thought…

Never mind.

He’s still a jerk. Just like he was when we were students.

Y/n, think straight. Why are you choking whenever he’s around?

Deciding to turn away from Toji as you lie down on your bed, you subconsciously hug yourself. From his eyes, it really seems like you’re feeling shy. He can’t blame you for that. The fact that someone you deem as your public enemy number one just rescued you from drowning, and is now offering to look after your wellbeing? That’s too much to grasp in such a short amount of time.

Not to mention, you two are also completely alone inside the villa. And that means…

Shit!

Your entire body freezes, realizing that you’re still wearing nothing but your bikini. Right now, not only can Toji view your entire back but your ass is also shamelessly presented to him like a free meal. Your body starts to shake again, nervousness seeping in your still damp skin when you feel a heavy gaze covering every inch of you.

His presence is not just alarming, it’s also very dominant.

Toji notices your toes curling a bit. He’s amused.

What? She’s realizing that I can see almost everything right now?

This girl’s something else.

Your slender hips are completely bare, ready for him to grab onto if he decides to do something nasty. And your butt cheeks… Oh, they look firm and sexy. Good. Scrumptious. Perfectly round and soft like your legs. He’s pretty sure that they feel heavenly, even if he still has his hands inside his pockets. After all, he did carry you twice already.

And some other thing’s also starting to poke through the cloth of his pants, but he’s not ashamed of it.

A muffled whimper escapes your lips when you feel a gust of warm breath blowing on the sensitive spot under your ear. You also feel the bed slightly dipping down due to the added weight. Toji’s arms are now caging you, and he uses them as leverage as he whispers in a deliciously flirty voice, “You’re really showing off like that, sweetheart?”

“Fushiguro-”

“Toji.”

“Huh?” You question him with a frightened tone, one octave higher combined with a gasp.

“About time you call me Toji, babe. Didn’t I just save your precious life?” You could feel his chin resting on the crook of your neck, his nose breathing in your sweet and innocent scent. You fearfully bite your lower lip, containing your anxiety the best you can.

“O-Okay, fine. Toji. Can you please…. Please get off me?”

He is too big in too many places-- from his wide shoulders, jacked arms, his toned six-pack abs happily boasting themselves, his strong thighs, to that… To that thing inside his pants. That is hard. When did it even become like that?

He is way too pleased that you’re beginning to sweat underneath him, a cold drop trickling from your forehead to your profusely blushing cheeks. Adjusting his eyes down, he sees your pink lips still quivering.

The way you look overly-submissive makes him want to eat you alive. The way your breasts are pushed together due to your folded arms trying to prevent him from seeing more. It’s mesmerizing. It’s turning him on. They heave up and down, a clear sign of your fear. And he likes that.

Call him a monster who yearns for dominance. He doesn’t care about what anyone thinks of him.

“Toji, please.” Your last request sounds desperate.

His sly grin widens. “Just one kiss, baby? I’ll let you off after that.”

“What?” You knit your brows incredulously at him. “Th-That’s so random! I don’t want to-”

Just then, the door opened.

Of all moments, why did it have to now?

A pair of ocean-hued and onyx eyes go wide at the scandalous sight.

“Oi, oi, oi…”

You quickly turn to your black-haired senior, the first one to speak. “G-Geto-senpai!”

“Ayooo! You’re really about to have sex?! Wild, man! But kudos to you!”

“Gojo-senpai!! It’s not what you think!!”

Literally everyone could hear your scream from outside the villa.

Chapter Text

“Here comes Ms. Tardy Ass!”

It is approximately eight in the evening after the group finished eating supper and freshening up in their respective villas. Everyone is about to enjoy a campfire at the beach front.

While the setup is being prepared by Nanami, Yu, and Mei Mei, Gojo has his eyes on the long-haired woman in a white one-piece, a pair of denim shorts, and a lit stick on her lips. As usual. Geto is walking beside her, carrying a huge red cooler, while she has a small plastic bag with a random convenience store label.

“Shut up. I needed to work overtime since you idiots forgot to file your reports yesterday.” Shoko then immediately turns to Nanami, who just passed a pack of marshmallows to his best friend. “Right, Nanami?” She added with a raised brow.

“Thank you, Ieiri-san. I don’t know what to do without you picking up the slack for these two.” He sighs while Yu chuckles loudly.

Pouting and crossing his arms, Gojo bitterly looks away. On the other hand, Geto laughs more at himself for his shortcomings. “Sorry about that, Shoko. I’ll buy you coffee and lunch when we get back, okay?” He pleads while bringing down the cooler beside Nanami. Shoko okays his offer with a cheeky thumbs up.

You and Toji are the last ones to arrive at the designated spot. You are now wearing a thin navy blue wrap-around cover up over your yellow bikini, hugging yourself due to the cold night wind. Toji is still wearing his shorts with nothing on top. He is just confident like that. And the air does nothing to his strong body for sure.

Once seen by Shoko, she tips her head up before saying, “Yo, big guy. Hands up.”

And Toji knows exactly what it is for. So he raised both to catch a flying cigarette pack from the woman. He gives her a small smirk. “Thanks.”

“I have ten more of those if you want. Just let me know.” Shoko returns his smirk with hers.

As Toji is about to light his stick, he notices you staring at him. He is about to be delighted, only to realize that you are actually looking at the miniature cancer in between his lips. “What?”

“Umm… Can I have one?”

Cute little face, blushing cheeks, fiddling fingers…

Of all the things I know about you, a smoker isn’t one of them. You outdid me this time.

“Sure, babe.”

Not only do your cheeks fluster more-- almost a maroon shade that is pretty much visible even under the evening sky-- your back also stiffens as you hear that pet name. Oh, you did not want your seniors to hear that.

Why is he calling me babe in front of everyone?!

That isn’t a part of our deal!

While you said yes to him watching over you moving forward, you try to believe that his intention is to keep you safe from whatever harm that comes your way. You did make a mistake of assuming that he wants to be a couple (since he is single), but you do not want your friends to take this situation the wrong way. Because you know they will.

Oh, but here comes the black and white senpai duo.

Ugh. Dammit.

“Baaabe?!” Gojo is already swaying his body like a freaking seaweed, with his palms cupping his chin and his long ass fingers continuously tapping his cheeks. “No wonder you two were getting all nice and cozy back at the villa!” You blush even more madly as he reminds you of that awkward encounter.

Geto quickly whispers like the gossip king he is. “Satoru, you think we should get HR to announce this wonderful development for the next company newsletter?”

“Senpai, stop!” You stomp your feet towards the two, stand in the middle, and clip your fingers onto one ear of theirs. To which Gojo whines while Geto chuckles mindlessly like a fool. “Mou! You troublemakers!” You pout.

“Hey! Don’t be shy, meanie! We’re all adults here! What happens in the company outing, stays in the company outing!” Whitey senpai assures with a mischievous grin, wiggling his brows repeatedly at you. You huff through your nose as a response.

Utahime blinks innocently at you, crouching on the sand while watching the fire grow. “Why? What happened at the villa, Y/n-chan?”

“N-Nothing!” You just walk away with a popped cheek vein, passing across Toji and stealing his cigarette pack. “Nothing at all!” You then walk away from the group, deciding to smoke from a short distance. This shame that you’re feeling at the moment is too much. And that gorilla is just standing there without a word? Jerk.

“Fufu~ Looks like someone’s shy…” Mei Mei comments. “I wouldn’t mind if it’s Fushiguro, to be honest.”

And Utahime just turns to her with an incredulous expression on her face. She really voices out her intrusive thoughts every time.

Look at the commotion you’re causing, brat. It wouldn’t be this way if you just went with the flow.

_

Tonight’s campfire activities are the following: grill marshmallows for the smores while playing truth or dare as suggested by none other than the self-proclaimed “God of Out-Of-Office Engagements” himself, Satoru Gojo. After hearing the itinerary, it is obvious to you that he is behind that shenanigan.

At least your Geto-senpai and Ieiri-senpai are more normal, the former bringing the ingredients needed for dessert and the latter bringing the alcohol.

“Um, why do we have to do this again? We’re not high schoolers anymore.” Utahime complains with her palm on top of her chin.

“Shut your mouth and grill your mallows, woman!” Gojo talks back with a loud laugh. The same woman groans.

Nanami clears his throat once to get your attention. “Alright, everyone. I’ll let Satoru lead the game. I have no idea how to play it, and I most certainly have no desire to supervise it too.” His blatant admission makes the group-- sans Toji and Gojo- snicker.

You are currently sitting beside Toji-- because of course he asked you to-- while he is kneeling a bit close to the campfire as he grills two sticks of marshmallows. He insists on doing yours too and he did not hear you out when you started to contradict him. So you just sit on your stool, arms crossed, while looking at his back.

I still don’t get it.

Toji Fushiguro is actually like this? Since when?

The thing I remember most about him from KaneHigh… And I’ve told you guys about this too… Is that he is the type of guy who has a knack of inviting bad people around him. You know, with my gang theory and all. I still haven’t asked him about that, though, so I don’t know the truth.

Fine. He may have said something about protecting that student council member back then, so maybe he’s a good guy. But no.

I refuse to believe it.

Not when I have harbored such deep negative feelings about him. I don’t want that to change anymore. It’s better like this… And not when my heart stammers like a lovesick hopeless romantic when he’s near.

I just… I just cannot let that happen.

Me? Possibly liking the man I hated for a long time? No, thank you.

“Hey, you.”

That nudge on your shoulder takes you out of your thoughts. You turn to your right and see Gojo happily grinning at you. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?” He asked with a genuinely curious tone. Because you did not want your senpai to know, you wave your head and give him a small smile. “Mm, nothing much. I’m just thinking about how nice this vacation is for all of us, senpai.”

“That’s good. Are you okay now? Seriously, you scared me earlier. I thought the sea swallowed you or something.” He adds a casual chuckle, obviously trying to lighten up the question. That’s also one thing you like about Gojo. He sure is funny and can be a bit annoying at times, but he truly cares about you. Whenever he shows his emotions, they’re real. Even if he claims his words to be all rainbow-colored vomit.

“No problem~” The guy suddenly turns to Toji’s direction, scanning him from head to toe. “But it looks like you have a new bodyguard taking care of you starting today, Y/n-chan. I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure Suguru is happy too, knowing that you’re in good hands.”

Your eyes follow his gaze as you instantly blush upon looking at Toji again. You dismiss the unwanted feelings and wave your head once. “Tsch. Don’t give me away that easily, senpai.” You say while pouting and looking down. Gojo just laughs and continues to pat your head gently.

Little did you know, Toji is listening to your conversation. He is watching the fluffy white concoction turn golden brown amidst the fire’s blaze, knitting his brows together in thought.

After the entire group grabs their own smores, the game starts. With Gojo the only one standing to lead, he says, “Okay! Since we do not have the luxury to spin a bottle ‘cause of this giant fire in the middle, we will go clockwise! I’ll be the one asking questions for truth and facilitating all the dares as the almighty game master~” And with one sip from his canned orange juice, he continues.” Starting wiiiith…”

He enthusiastically spins and points at Geto, one of his legs folded as if he’s a fairy godmother. Your black-haired senior now sits on your opposite side (Gojo sat on his spot earlier while he’s busy distributing the drinks with Shoko), swirling his beer bottle. Gojo then sticks his tongue out, making Nanami flash him a slightly-disgusted look. Yu, however, claps like a child, anticipating how fun this night will be.

“Suguru! You’re up first! Truth or dare?”

“Truth.” Geto confidently smiles at the group.

“Uh huh! Brave soldier, I see!” Gojo nods several times, caressing his chin with two fingers. “I got it! Of all the four girls here, who would you court if given a chance?”

This juicy question, however, was not received positively by the whole audience. Utahime groans as always, Mei Mei giggles in a wicked manner, Shoko absent-mindedly continues to smoke and eat her smore, while you frown at Gojo. “Ho ho ho! That’s a good question, Gojo~” Mei Mei’s comment causes you to frown at her as well.

“Hmm…” While Geto seriously thinks about his answer, he drinks. And you wonder.

What type does your Geto-senpai look for in a woman? He’s handsome. He’s cool. He’s a bit of an idiot when he’s with his best friend, but he’s also very intelligent, caring, and gentle. Judging from his personality… Maybe he likes extroverted girls? Sporty girls? Someone who can brighten up his day with her smile and fun stories? Or maybe someone who looks innocent so he can protect her?

Now why is she thinking too? Question isn't for her.

Toji is staring at you blankly while smoking.

“No one.” He finally speaks. “Boo! Boring!” Shoko teases with a thumbs down and Suguru chuckles gently at her. “No one? Really?” Gojo blinks.

“Yup. No one. I can say that, yeah? All of you girls here are my dear friends. People who I already consider as my siblings, if I may be so bold. That’s why I respect your boundaries and would not court any of you. If anyone does though, they will have to go through me first.” Geto’s charming smile suddenly brightens the game’s mood, along with an honest answer. He raises his bottle for a fast toast and everyone follows. Sans Toji again because he doesn’t drink like Gojo.

Gojo shakes his head while giving him a unserious glare. “Ooh, you’re such a damn smooth-talker, Suguru! Fine! I’ll accept that!” The game master declares.

“I don’t agree, but sure.” Mei Mei says with a shrill laugh, making Geto sweat a bit. “Sorry, Mei-san.” He responds.

“Your turn, Y/n-chan! Truth or dare?”

Choose carefully. Choose carefully. Choose carefully-

Oh dammit! This is just a game! Why am I getting flustered?!

You meekly clear your throat. “Truth.”

Without a second passing, you feel Toji’s heavy glance at you. His presence is overwhelming and dominant and- How many times have you mentioned this?

Oh?

But then, another small movement from the person beside you catches his attention. Geto is giving the white-haired idiot a thumbs up combined with him pursing his lips together with an expression that conveys ‘Good job, bestie’, which he is hiding from your line of vision. And Toji has no doubt. It means those two already know you are going to choose ‘truth’ and they have a question prepared specially for you. Their dear Y/n-chan.

Interesting.

“Mmmkay~ I know what to ask~” With that tease from your senpai, you might have an idea who would be the subject. Clearly, it should be the man beside-

“What’s the real score between you and Mr. Shiu Kong from the Finance department?”

It is an understatement to say that you are shocked. Not because the question is not about Toji Fushiguro. But because of that name: Shiu Kong. Just hearing it makes you blush like a stupid girl already. It is not that you have some deep feelings for him that would lead to a more serious relationship between the two of you, but your fat crush is not that easy to shake off.

And boy does Toji know this. Even though he hates the fact that he does. But he chooses to look at you quietly, half-downing his water bottle, and waiting for your answer. You better do it right.

Your eyes scan every single person in the circle. From your lead, Yu, and the girls. You see Geto trying to keep a straight face, and he does exceptionally well that you don’t deduce his plan with Gojo. The latter has his signature grin, and then… Toji.

You glance at him as quickly as possible, not wanting to dwell on those bulging arms of his that are crossed. You do a double take, regretting it immediately because why do you need his permission to talk?

With one breath, you begin. “Right. To tell you the ‘truth’...” You make sure you stress the word. “I like Shiu-senpai.” And that’s when Toji turns to your direction, face stone cold with a glare. You try to ignore his reaction with a nervous gulp. “As a friend!”

Pregnant pause.

“As a friend. I like him. He’s nice to me and he always asks how my day is. He also brings snacks for me whenever he comes home from a vacation…” Your words do not match your warm cheeks though. You gulp before peeking at Toji who looks away as soon as your eyes meet. “But there’s nothing more to it. It’s just a stupid little crush, I guess, but I also don’t plan on acting on it. So there.”

“Hahahaha!” Gojo solidly breaks the silence. “Fair enough, meanie! I wanted to ask a follow-up, so I’ll do that if you choose truth again in the next round!”

As Nanami finishes his second beer, he places the empty vessel on the sand while shaking his head. “What a silly game this is. I can’t believe I’m spending the evening like this.” He mutters. Yu looks at him, that happy-go-lucky smile never wavering. “Don’t worry, this is great! I think this is great for team building, Kento!”

Great. Now he won’t stop looking at me.

“Fushie-wushie, you’re next! Truth or dare?”

Fushie-wushie? What a dumbass.

You want me to play with you, grandpa hair? I’ll take you on this time.

“Dare.”

Such majestic confidence. An intrigued gasp leaves Mei Mei, one of her hands touching her lips. Shoko looks at her with a raised brow as she lights another cigarette. To be fair, Utahime is also curious, but she keeps to herself and continues to drink her beer. “Dare it is! We got a braver soldier than Suguru over here!” Gojo shouts ecstatically.

See? Another thumbs up from side bangs. Gimme all you got.

“I dare you to kiss Y/n-chan!”

“What?!” You unconsciously stand up with clenched fists. Your cheeks have reached their maximum shade of red.

Mei Mei and Utahime now have their arms around each other’s shoulders, cheering like fanatics on the other side of the campfire. “Let’s go, Fushiguro-san!” The dark-haired girl shouted. “Give her a hot smooch on the lips, big guy~” Mei Mei, on the other hand, still sounds flirty.

Again, Shoko looks at them with a bored expression as she drinks her alcoholic beverage. She then turns to Geto with narrowed eyes. “Is this part of your stupid plan?” She asks. “Shhh. Fushie-wushie will hear you.” Geto silently laughs with a closed fist. “Morons.” Shoko waves her head, but she also couldn’t help but to laugh with her friend.

What to do?!

I don’t want him to kiss me!

I want to disappear so badly! Please make me disappear, heaven! Please-

You let out an almost-hiccup sound when you feel one of Toji’s hands on your left shoulder, every single bone in your body instantly transforming into solid ice. The audience is anticipating his next move: Shoko and Geto have their hands intertwined with each other, Utahime and Mei Mei hugging, and Yu cheering in the background. Meanwhile, Nanami opens a new beer bottle.

“T-Toji…” You call with a croaky voice, eyes on him from the side of your eyes.

What he did is unexpected. He simply pulls you to return to your seat, patted your hair twice, and kissed the top of your head. After that, he faces forward and does that crossed-arms stance again.

H-Huh?

“Eh?” Gojo tilts his head in confusion.

An airy chuckle comes from Geto. “Idiot. You didn’t specify where.”

You mentally thank your game master-senpai for forgetting that tiny detail. “Aww come on! You’re no fun! Kiss her again!” Gojo insinuates, stomping his feet like a pissed kid. Mei Mei intrudes, “Maybe in the next round, Fushiguro-kun can pick dare again. Hey, Gojo. Pick me, okay? And on the lips, please~” She then winks at the man beside you.

Toji smirks and raises his empty water bottle, attempting to toast with her. “If I pick dare, why not?” His response makes the light-haired woman giggle.

So he’s just gonna kiss every girl here if he’s asked to, huh?

You may have not noticed it, but Toji saw you rolling your eyes after their teasing exchange.

“Yooo! Move on already! I can’t wait for my turn!” Shoko brashly exclaims, her arm around Geto’s. The grappled guy sweats, as if embarrassed for his friend. Seems like she’s starting to get tipsy.

_

After some time, everyone has successfully packed up the materials used at the campfire.

While you sit on your bed, you can’t help but to remember Toji’s kiss.

It was warm… It was gentle… It was-

No!

But it is. You want to deny it, but it is. And now you’re spiraling, thinking about that one incident even deeper. He could easily kiss you on the lips because of Gojo’s broad phrasing, right? Yet Toji chose not to. You think about what went through his head before he kissed your head. Did he want to kiss your lips instead? Was he just shy to do it in front of the others? But that is not like him.

Come to think of it, he would not. At school, he was always seen making out with a random hot girl. He changes girlfriends every week, and most of them are in the cheerleading squad too: long luscious hair, voluptuous bodies, and those mini skirts he loved staring at. He kept groping his current squeeze’s ass in public, acting like the very delinquent you thought he was.

So why...

A soft knock on your door startles you. “Yes? It’s open.” You answer.

The door does open and you see Toji enter your villa. Business as usual, the hairs on your back go up. “H-Hey. What’s up?” You try your best to sound casual.

You watch him rub his nape, and you slowly furrow your brows. “Is there a problem?”

“About the game.” He starts.

“Oh. Don’t worry about it.” You swiftly cut him off. Although you do not know the reason why. “It’s okay. It’s just a game. You just had to do the dare…” Shrugging, you watch Toji walk towards you with heavy and purposeful footsteps. “So it’s not a big deal…” You begin to feel that familiar loud thump in your chest as he advances, and you involuntarily lean back with your hands grabbing your bedsheet.

“R-Really, it’s nothing…” You continue to tell him, yet he is not stopping.

Once he stands before you, he quickly cups your chin up and stares at your eyes. His look dark with intent. “I’m not talking about that…” He says with a smooth and low tone. You also do not know why you have the time to go over every facial feature of his-- from his chiseled cheekbones, strong jawline, and that (okay, fine) sexy scar on the corner of his lips. And those same lips turn upward into a sly grin.

“I was gonna say about the game… Shall we continue where we left off, sweetheart?”

I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again… Her lips look cute.

“Pardon me?” You are getting scared now.

“The kiss. Should we continue here?” His grin only widens like a devil.

“I… I…” You stumble upon your words, your head clouded in delusion. What does this man really want from you?

And as if on cue, your gasp comes out at the same time as the loud bump on the bed.

“Relax, I’m kidding.” Toji casually mentions as he sits beside you. He then lifts his right arm to ruffle your hair, and you feel the same warmth radiating from him as when Gojo did that same gesture. Your eyes widen as you turn to him with blushing cheeks. You do not say anything, though.

Here I was, expecting something…

Do I… Do I really…

“What? My joke that bad, doll?” His handsome smirk almost takes your breath away.

“No. It’s not that.” You look away awkwardly, hands gripping your bare knees.

“I’m just confused… Why are you doing this, Toji?”

“Is this part of what you call ‘your normalcy’? Is this included in your plan to live independently from your family?” You continue your serious speech, eyes avoiding his. You bite your lower lip, gathering more courage to speak what’s bugging your mind.

“Look. Before you ask, I’m not mad at you. I just can’t figure out what’s going on with you. At first, I understood you. When you said that you want to make a name for yourself, I thought that it was very brave of you. If I had the chance to be in a family with a secure future, I would be happy to help them with the business. Even if it means giving up on what I want to do, as long as my parents are happy, then I would be too…”

Why am I feeling… Vulnerable?

“But then I commend you for trying. To be honest, I didn’t expect someone like you to-”

“Someone like me? Why? What did you expect from me?”

As your brows twitch, you think about the words you just said. Shaking your head, you finally decide to be honest. “I mean, you know how we are back in the day. I’ve always hated you. Not entirely because your grades are higher, you’re on top of gym class, and you’re popular. It was because… I can’t be you.”

Finally, you get the courage to look at him. “I can’t be you, Toji Fushiguro. A person who lives the perfect life. A person who is given everything. And more.”

I’m going down memory lane here.

The things I know about Y/n L/n. Too many to mention.

Where she lived. Who she lived with. How she lived.

I can understand where she’s coming from. It’s the fact that I am the person she looks up to is what baffles me.

Back when we were students, she lived close to Kaneshiro High, so I always saw her going out of her house after she fed her pet cat. Name was Rocky or something similar to that. Anyway, only her mother lived with her. It was a short-lived rumor at school that one of the best students was a child of a broken family. Her mother was severely abused by her father. It wasn’t a surprise to me especially since every time the woman came out, she had bandages wrapped around her arms and dressings on her face.

But their daughter never showed a sign of sadness. Of emptiness. She continued to study hard, get good grades, and impressed her teachers… All that shit.

I’m not gonna lie, I was intrigued. I wondered how someone can still have the motivation to work hard, knowing that after each day she would have to go back to hell.

That was when I started to watch her. From a healthy amount of distance. I didn’t want to be labeled as a stalker.

She worked two jobs. As a server at the nearby cafe where almost every KaneHigh student went to either to hang out or to study. And as a bar waitress at a shady pub near my friend’s place.

If anything, I’d say she’s better than me. Not her life, no. It was awful. But the way she handled her situation? That was outstanding for me.

And there came my ego.

You remember how I always say I’m prideful? Yeah. Exactly that.

Don’t think I can recall the day I started to tease her, but it was a result of my weakness as a person. I wanted to strip myself of any insecurity. I wanted to think I was the best at everything I do. I wanted to prove to myself that I stand alone on top of everyone else.

Nevertheless, she did not give up. Even after I graduated and when I started to train under my uncle, I had heard news about her from some friends. I have asked some batchmates of hers who owed me favors to keep an eye on her. Keep an eye only. Touch her, hurt her, they’re dead.

I was relieved to find out that she did not pursue the swimming club anymore. It was not that I do not want her to overcome her fear. It was because I was not there to save her. God, I must sound like a creep right now, pretending like I was a fucking savior.

After she graduated, I also heard the news that she started to work at an independent media agency. Great. She actually does what she loves now. I even generously paid one of my friends who owned an up-and-coming bar at Shibuya to consult with the company if they are willing to support a small business like his. And they did. Thanks to her brilliant strategy.

Am I rambling? Yeah, I think I am.

All those stories and yet here I am, silent. A coward.

“Don’t think like that.” Alas, Toji says something back.

“Why?” This time, your voice sounds genuinely lonely. Lost.

But then his arm gives you another wave of warmth when he wraps it around your shoulders. He assists you to lean your head on him and to top it all off, he starts to caress your soft hair. “Seriously, I’m not the role model you think I am. So don’t mope on me like that ever again… This time, you can’t stop me from whatever it is I’m gonna do to you. I won’t be that patient anymore.”

It is warm… It is gentle… It is real.

“Okay. I won’t. Sorry.” You mumble.

You can hear him smirking, and it makes your lips turn into a small smile. “That’s my girl.”

“Not your girl. Asshole.”

As Toji learns more about your feelings, you also learn to trust him a bit.

Chapter Text

Today, you’re meeting someone for lunch.

And your ever-so-supportive senpais are waiting for you outside the conference room because you’re now wrapping up your last morning alignment with Nanami and Yaga.

From the other side of the glass windows, they can see you bowing to your lead with a small smile. The old man also looks satisfied with your presentation, making Gojo pump his fist victoriously. “Looks like meanie’s presentation has been approved!” He bursts out from excitement.

“Looks like it. Here she comes, let’s ask her about it.” Geto is being followed by his best friend to the door.

“Y/n-chan! How was it?” The bunhead inquires. He notices you shooting one look at the door as it completely closes before you let out a long sigh of relief. “Aahh… No revisions, thank God.” You dreamily tell your senior.

“Hell yeah! That’s our baby girl!” Gojo hurriedly gives you a back hug, his long arms slumping on your shoulders. “Ahahaha… Thanks, senpai. You did help me with my slides together with Geto-senpai and Toji, so I’m glad that the meeting went well. And I’m sure this campaign will be great too.”

“Speaking of the campaign, you’re really meeting up with him today?”

Geto’s innocent question echoes around the floor, prompting none other than Toji to get his ears plucked and clean enough to eavesdrop.

Who’s him?

First, this annoying duo of menaces. Then, there’s that dirty old man-looking Shiu Kong lurking on the third floor. Yu Haibara’s not a threat to him since he’s friendly with every person at the office. So who is this new challenger?

“Yup. It’s been a while since I last saw him.” You shyly smile while arranging the things inside your pink leather bag.

“Booooo! How come Suguru and I aren;t invited?!” Gojo complains from his own desk. Geto chuckles, patting his best friend’s shoulder. “I swear to God, that man doesn’t want to see us, Satoru. Not after everything that happened.”

“What?! Just because we gave him a hard time back then?! That’s not fair!”

While sunglasses senpai continues to throw a tantrum, you just sigh and carefully fix your clothes. Of course, the sales girlie in you reminds you that you have to look as decent as possible, no matter who you’re seeing.

Looking very neat and dainty in your light green button-down blouse tucked in a light peach flowy skirt with three buttons to secure your waist. That pair of dark green ballet makes you look like a fairy, dancing around lush trees inside the forest. And just like Toji’s first day, you’re also wearing makeup. A light shimmer on your cheeks on top of your blush…

What’s that called again, a highlighter? Isn’t that the one you use to mark your papers whenever you want to remember the important stuff? Toji doesn’t want to dwell in the terminologies, but he does think about who you’re having lunch with.

Before you leave your desk, you hear your phone buzz. You get it from your bag with an expectant expression. Must have thought it was from your lunch date, huh?

Fuck Face: I’m having lunch with you.

Your eyes narrow at the message before looking at the suspect.

And since you want to be petty, you also respond via SMS.

Doll Face: I’m having lunch with someone, thank you very much.

Fuck Face: Told you I’d keep an eye, yeah? I’m going with you.

You could hear yourself internally groaning at the thought of Toji Fushguro always lingering around like a shadow. Almost stalker-ish, if only you didn’t permit him to look after you. You now slowly regret your decision.

Doll Face: Fine. Behave, please.

After what everything happened.

Gave him a hard time back then.

So these idiots know who it is and maybe they don’t approve of him.

And behave? The hell is she blabbin’ about?

_

You inform Toji that you’ll be waiting for your other lunch buddy in front of the restaurant you picked, which is a slightly-upscale Japanese joint. Still on brand due to your obsession with good-quality sashimi, but a bit too pricey for your liking. Toji also knows this and he asks about it. You tell him that this meet-up is special.

And he is easily pissed.

“Special? What, you’re meeting an ex I don’t know about?” He scoffs childishly, his hands inside his slacks’ pockets and his feet kicking off the concrete.

“Ex?” You want to clear the air, but it wasn’t successful because of a sudden call out.

“Y/n!”

Face crack of the century.

Because who the fuck is this funky ass emo?

Green bomber jacket. Mm. Piercings. I guess. Dark gray grungy shirt. Shitty jerks in rock bands wear those. Tattered denim jeans and boots… Choices. And that mangy-looking pigtailed hair? Long and sticky-looking bangs? He needs a haircut pronto. And this piece of shit’s undereye bags could get their own birth certificate. What the fuck is that on his nose? A tattoo?

“Choso-senpai!” You suddenly run towards the stranger (according to Toji), making the latter alarmed with his slightly-widened eyes. The fire glaring in his pupils’ furnace only grows hotter as he sees you jump, wrap your flimsy arms around the tall man, all while he catches you by your waist and spins you around with the gentlest smile.

At least you called him senpai, that gives him leeway before offing this son of a bitch.

“I missed you so much!” You continue ogling (as per Toji) this guy named Choso (even his name sounds weird) as both of your feet touch the ground. Choso is still hugging you, his palms firmly planted on the small of your back. “I missed you too, cupcake. How are you?”

Cupcake?

What, is she five?

A kiss on the forehead? Hell, made my brow raise. And you? You’re seriously giggling? I need to beat the crap outta this dipshit.Let me guess. A rock band.

“Let me guess. A rock band.” Toji is indeed thinking out loud.

“A rock band?” You furrow your brows at him. Now, it’s your time to be confused.

“No, stupid! He’s a photographer now! He’s a frequent supplier for CatNoir, the modeling agency!” You stifle a chuckle, now turning your glance to the said photographer. “Sorry, he’s just awkward around strangers. That’s all.” You coo cutely at your senior.

Choso smiles at you again before extending a hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Fushiguro-san.”

Toji takes his hand and shakes it once before releasing it. “Can’t say the same, but whatever.”

This makes Choso innocently blink at him, dumbfounded at the attitude. You decide to alleviate the cheeky situation. “Ahahaha… Sorry, don’t mind him. He wants to join us for lunch, by the way. Is that okay?”

Your question isn’t that difficult for Choso, so he answers instantly. “Of course, cupcake. Whatever you want to do, I’ll go with it.”

Wow. Whatever you want, huh.

Since arrangements are now settled, you stand between the two men. “You still call me cupcake, senpai. Just like how you did back at the agency.” You point out while giggling like a little girl. “A habit. I hope you don’t mind ‘cause you know…” Choso nudges your arm softly, his eyes gazing at the other tall man.

If a bystander sees Toji right now, he looks like he’s walking beside you with his arms crossed. If someone chooses to look closer, two emerald-hued eyes are actually glaring daggers at the man with the nose tattoo.

You realize what Choso’s saying. “Ah, it’s fine.”

But then your pleasant face quickly changes into an intimidating frown once you turn to Toji.

One elbow blow.

I said behave.

Not you flirting with another man again, doll.

Another elbow blow.

I’m not! He’s a friend!

That hug and kiss don’t look like he’s your friend.

He is! What are you- okay, stop! Just shut up, I’ll pay for your sushi!

With that, Toji’s triumphant smirk ends the debate.

This weird telepathy thing again. Annoying.

_

Your table is festooned with an assortment of sashimi and sushi. Since your favorite is salmon, Choso insisted on getting two plates of it along with one plate of spicy salmon rolls. As for Toji, he ordered a plate of beef teppanyaki and grilled… organs. Such a mysterious palette, you think. Maybe you can taste some of it later if he allows you to.

Munching on a piece of salmon, you ask Choso, “How come you don’t want to see Gojo-senpai and Geto-senpai? They miss you too.”

“It’s you who I want to see, that’s why.” He sincerely answers, making you blush slightly.

“Ehehehe… I see.” You shyly scratch the tips of your short hair. “Maybe next time, you can visit the office. That way we can see each other and you can also see Nanamin and the others.”

“Oh, that’s right. How’s Nanami doing as a team lead? I’m sure he’s doing well. He’s very good at his job.” Choso is slowly nodding at his own statement because he knows it’s true. You also nod while picking up another salmon sashimi. “Yes, he is! When I told him I am going to have lunch with you, he said it’s a shame he didn’t get a gift for you. You know, as congratulations on your latest project.”

Choso waves his hand with a small smile. “No need for that. Tell him thanks, though.”

All the while, Toji is eating silently. He does feel out of place, knowing that you and Choso have a lot of stuff to catch up on. Meanwhile, he doesn’t even know this guy, so he’s not obligated to talk. He keeps on thinking about the free food, and maybe he would feel less annoyed at the man you’re speaking with.

However, you notice him being quiet and indifferent. Whenever he grabs a bite, he looks away bitterly too. You then give him a weak smile before facing Choso again. “Toji here is really good at his job too, senpai. Can you believe it? He mastered MLC within a day!”

Gassin’ me up, aren’t ya?

Choso knits his brows in curiosity. “That’s commendable, Fushiguro-san. Even Gojo fucks up MLC and he’s on top of sales.”

With one nudge on his shoulder, you pout a bit. “Oi.” To which the Admin Assistant responds with a raised brow. He already knows you’re trying to include him in the conversation, which he’s thankful for, but he’d rather eat alone with you than with your… Whoever he is to you.

That’s why his next statement causes you to blush harder. “You go ‘round kissing your friends at the office back then?”

Choso’s multiple blinks clearly means he’s astonished with the sudden accusation. Although there’s no sign of hostility from his end.

You flash Toji a look that says ‘Idiot! What are you saying?!’, but he ignores you completely.

A gentle chuckle escapes Choso’s lips, calming you down in an instant. Seems like he’s not offended or anything. Good.

However, you are going to punch Toji on the head later. “I apologize. It’s not like that at all. You see, I have three younger brothers who I raised for all my life. Our parents were not around from when I was just seven years old, so I had to be their father figure for as long as I remember…” He then turns his lips into a genuine smile. “Please don’t misunderstand my actions. Y/n’ss just like a little sister to me since she’s the same age as Eso, the one who followed me.”

See… That’s because you always jump to conclusions. Ugh. Why is this guy so difficult?

“Mm. Noted.” Is Toji’s simple reply before chewing on a piece of grilled chicken liver. “You got a girl?”

What now?!

And with a graceful nod, Choso answers, “Yes, I do. She’s actually a model at the agency I work with.”

“Oh yeah! Choso-senpai, is Yuki-onesan doing well?” You strive hard to change the conversation into a light-hearted one (from a condescending interrogation). At that, you notice Choso blushing and covering his mouth with a closed fist. You realize he’s still very shy when it comes to talking about his girlfriend. “She’s great… Umm, we’re actually living together now with my brothers.” He adds.

“Eh?!” You almost bang the tabletop with your palms. “And you didn’t tell me? That’s so great to hear, senpai!” Toji backs his head from yours, with a slight look of disgust. Not because he’s surprised at your reaction, more like-

Why does he have to tell you, idiot?

Choso lightly chuckles at your cute little tantrum. “Sorry. It was sudden, while we were working for the cover. She said it’ll be easier to go to and from locations if she lives with me. And that’s a part of our plan eventually, just happened earlier. My brothers also like her, especially Yuji, so it’s all good at home.”

To be honest, Choso and Yuki’s relationship is one of your favorites. They’re so sweet and lovely together. Their personalities complement each other so well that all you need are subtitles when you watch them interact; just like a high-rating Japanese drama. Physical appearance-wise, they’re the perfect match. Yuki is hot, gorgeous, and confident. Choso is handsome yet lowkey and a bit timid.

Yeah… They are so cute. What was the hashtag again? That’s right: #CoupleGoals.

When Toji crosses his arms, you prepare yourself for another wild question. “You got a girl and you’re still kissing her? Must have been a heartbreaker when you were at the agency.”

“Toji! That’s disrespectful!” You lean closer to his ear and whisper, your lips pursed in a mix of anger and embarrassment. But the man just shoots a cold glare from the corner of his eyes. “What? I’m just talking.”

It’s inevitable. He’s acting like a brat right now. And you know you couldn’t do anything when he asked to come with. You mentally wish that your Choso-senpai would take his words with a grain of salt. It’s shameful how Toji quickly judges other people due to their actions.

Alas, Choso’s not fazed. He still has his brotherly smile plastered on his face. As he places his chopsticks on top of his plate and sips his tea, you steal a glance at him, hoping he could catch the apologetic expression in your eyes.

“Actually, I wasn’t.” He begins explaining. “You can ask Y/n over here. I’m the least popular guy when it comes to girls at the office. I just sat at the corner of our team’s table, drowned in deadlines. Most of them came from Gojo and Geto. Those two had insufferable revisions.” He pauses, bringing his cup down. He then snaps his fingers, pointing forward. “Speaking of which, they’re the popular ones. Comes with the sales personality, I guess. Good speakers, nice clothes. Stuff like that.”

“But if you’re uncomfortable, Fushiguro-san, I insist on stopping the things I did with Y/n back then. I’ll still treat her like my own sister, just not do the actions that will make people misunderstand. I do apologize again.” Choso bows briefly before looking at you with the most gentle face. It almost brings you to tears.

“Senpai…” You utter softly as you break into an equally-gentle smile. Choso’s a natural in terms of filial love. You really like how he treats you. “I’m really sorry.”

“No worries. I’m glad Fushiguro-san speaks his mind. You’re in good hands, cup- I mean, Y/n.” When he is about to make a mistake, he brushes it off easily.

Choso-senpai is so kind…

It really feels like he’s family. And I will be thankful for him forever.

“W-Wait…” You suddenly take in his words. “Wait, senpai! It’s not what you think, he’s not my boyfriend!” With that, Choso chuckles with that signature calm tone. Toji does not react. Just sipping his tea silently.

See, you are so quick to judge! And now senpai’s getting the wrong idea!

I can’t believe you spouted nonsense just because you’re-

Wait… Is he…

Staring for a while at the quiet black-haired man who hasn’t spoken after Choso’s monologue, you believe you are lost in translation.

Or are you?

_

After finishing your last task, you arrange your bag and go to the restroom to freshen up.

You’re not new to makeup. You just don’t consider yourself a beauty guru; you only have to learn about basic techniques since you’re under the client servicing department. Therefore, when you meet with potential partners, you’re representing the entire agency. In those one to two hour-long appointments, the company’s in your hands.

That’s not what’s happening right now. You’re touching up because your ride home with Shiu-senpai is finally going to happen today.

Good thing Toji informed you earlier that he has to meet up with his cousin and uncle tonight. Apparently, they arrived at the city this morning and messaged him for a dinner invite. They probably want to check up on him or something. Although Toji looked a bit irritated while he was telling you the gist. Not that you care.

You’re just happy that he won’t be watching you like a hawk for some time.

Shiu-senpai: At the parking lot already. Will wait for you.

Little Y/n-chan: Okay! Will be there in five.

Shiu-senpai: Take your time. ;)

You can’t help but to blush at the emoji. This guy’s effortlessly charming.

When the elevator doors slide open, you immediately come out and search for Shiu’s car-- a sleek black sedan at the corner of the floor. You see him waving at you from inside, making you all fuzzy and giddy inside.

It has been a while since he last drove you home. And it was because of that bastard Toji Fushiguro.

“Thanks for inviting me again, senpai.” You timidly say, your fingers playing with your skirt.

“Haha! What’s with the ‘thank you’, Y/n-chan? I always drive you home when I’m free.” He casually reminds you of his little habit. “Say, you wanna grab a bite and a drink before I get you home?”

That’s one of the reasons why Shiu sometimes doesn’t give you a lift. He loves drinking. And he does it usually with his friends. Most of them work in banks and the like. The financial world is not your forte, so you don’t understand every term that leaves his lips. All you’re knowledgeable about is mathematics with the help of ready-made formulas.

Blushing harder, you nod. “Okay. I don’t have anything to do tonight.”

Your cheeks feel oh so hot when Shiu does this thing you love-- his car in reverse mode, one of his arms at the back of your seat’s headrest, and his slightly-tilted body with his broad chest facing your direction. That brown suit really suits him. He has a mature vibe that gets you unreasonably shy. And his facial hair makes him more attractive too.

“Great. Let’s go to the bar near your house then. That way, I can take you home if you get drunk on me.” He teases, winking in a playful manner. You clench your fists, balling up a part of your skirt as you do your best to stay calm. Pouting, you respond, “I’m not going to get drunk, senpai. I won’t give you a hard time, I promise.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… Promises are hard to keep, yeah? Just enjoy yourself. I’ll handle the rest.”

And on top of that, he’s so flirty. If you’re a dumb girl who clings on to whatever special treatment you receive from random men, you would assume that Shiu likes you.

But you also remember him hinting a while ago that he doesn’t have an interest in relationships. So you don’t get your hopes up, yet you still enjoy his company. There’s no harm in that.

_

The bar is quaint and less crowded than you expect. A couple of office workers here and there, helping themselves with fried food and beer at several wooden tables. A male bartender whipping up cocktails underneath warm yellow hanging lights, bottles of liquor and wine displayed elegantly behind him. Some patrons watch his incredible showmanship, clapping everytime he finishes his concoctions. And one couple on a date at the corner table by the staircase to the second floor.

As if destiny’s on your side tonight, the table beside them is unoccupied. Maybe you could fantasize about having a 'date' with Shiu too.

The gentleman pulls out your chair for you and you express your gratitude with a bow. He sits across you as a server approaches. “One bottle of your best beer and one order of takoyaki.” Shiu’s request is now being written on a small notepad. He gazes at you and nods, signaling you to order. “Umm, I’ll take the same drink and then I’d like a plate of calamari, please.” You meekly ask.

When the server has repeated your orders, he bows and leaves you two to yourselves.

“So… How’s work today?” Shiu starts the conversation.

“Fine. Couple of emails and costing revisions. Nothing too complicated.” You give him a small smile.

“Good, good…” He nods a couple of times before leaning a bit closer towards you with his folded arms on top of the table and his fingers interlocked with one another. His smirk tells you that the next inquiry is about to get juicy. “Hey, I haven’t had the time to ask. What’s goin’ on with you and the Fushiguro guy?” He emphasizes this with a long finger waving sideways, as if attempting to connect you with the man who’s not in the vicinity.

Shiu quickly notices the faint blush on your cheeks. How entertaining this talk will be. But you huff in annoyance, which amps up his curiosity more. “Why does everyone think we got something going on? He’s just a friend, Shiu-senpai. We look like we’re close, but that’s because we went to the same school back then. That’s all.”

“I see…” His words do not match his knowing look though. He decides to press the matter. “But he kinda acts very… Boyfriend-y, don’t you think?”

That’s because we have a deal.

Well, more like a silent reconciliation?

I don’t know… Recently, it feels like I’m less angry at him. I still hate him because he always acts like a jerk. He’s nosy, he does what he wants, he’s mean to my senpais… but I really don’t know anymore.

It’s… complicated.

“You’re thinking.” Shiu suddenly points out, making you revert back to reality.

“O-Oh. Uh, he’s not my boyfriend. He just keeps an eye on me.”

Fine. You’ll indulge your senpai with a story.

“Something happened during our outing, you see… I almost drowned at the beach and he saved me. He’s the only person in our group who knows I had a traumatic experience with water.” You admit with a soft voice. Shiu blinks at you before resting his chin on top of his palm, brows furrowed together in interest. “Traumatic experience? Do tell me if you're comfortable.”

You wave your head. “No biggie. I accidentally hit my head at the pool during one of our school’s sponsored trips. It’s a vacation wherein our parents are invited, but I didn’t have anyone with me since… You know this. My parents are separated and my mother's not doing too well.”

You pause as the server comes back with your food and drinks. Shiu thanks him with a simple nod, while you flash a small smile. While your suit-clad senior drinks, you continue. “So I was alone back then. Apparently, he was also there when it happened and he remembered… When he rescued me at the beach, he offered to look after me.”

When Shiu offers you your bottle, you grab it gently from him. He also squeezes the lemon for your calamari. Such a gentleman.

“That’s very nice of him then.” His last response sounds like the end of the topic, but it isn’t.

“You look like you want to ask something else.” You prompt him, seeing that his inquisitive eyes are still evident. “Feel like there’s an even deeper connection between you two that you’re not tellin’ me… I’m not trying to pry, Y/n-chan. If you don’t want to answer, then I’ll leave it at that-”

“Senpai?”

All of a sudden, your voice becomes determined. In a way that you’re completely secure about asking him things that you think he’s more knowledgeable about-- granted that despite Shiu not believing in relationships, he does know how to go about them. Or at least a lot better than you.

So you do not digress.

“How do you know you like someone?”

Such an innocent thought. Shiu closely views your eyes. They look curious. Like a kindergarten student asking her teacher why the sky’s high above everyone else. Like a lost kid looking for her parents at the mall. It’s interesting to see this side of you. At the office, you’re focused, goal-oriented, and firm. You always know what you are doing. Now, inside a place where you’re not bound by professional regulations, he’s seeing a softer girl. A woman who wants to make sure she’s set to venture the rest of the world.

As your senior gulps down the rest of his beer, you wait. He sets the bottle down and grabs a piece of takoyaki and calamari via his chopsticks. You look at the two thin wood rods lifted in front of you. They’re approximately four to five inches away from each other.

“See these two? They look so different, yeah?” Shiu describes. You nod in agreement.

“They’re like people. Let’s view them as individuals. Takoyaki is good for those who want a filling snack. Calamari is good for those who love fried food and squid. Now, not everyone thinks takoyaki and calamari go together in a meal…” He then places both pieces on his plate, now closer together. “The same goes for two individuals who think they don’t mesh well. But there can be a lot of things that bind them together.” You watch him grab onto the sides of the plate as he lifts it up and brings it in front of you. “Physical or sexual attraction, emotional attachment, or simply love…”

Lastly, Shiu slides your beer bottle behind the plate, exactly in the middle of the takoyaki and calamari couple. “This beer’s that feeling… You see how earlier, I categorized these two as a snack and an appetizer for people with specific preferences? Now, they become one. Bar chows. Served on our table, shared by us, together with a nice cold drink.”

It makes sense. It makes a lot of sense. Sure, your Shiu-senpai did go a roundabout way of explaining it, but you appreciate the analogy.

Leaning even closer, Shiu gently pokes your chest-- the area close to your beating heart-- with his signature smirk. He turns his finger a bit and clings onto the cover of your chest pocket, lifting it a bit mischievously. This innocent-looking gestures still flusters you. “Whatever feeling you have inside… Go with its flow and see where it takes you. There is no time limit for figuring out how you feel about someone.”

There’s one thing he didn’t answer, by the way.

“So you mean to say I don’t like him just yet?” You tilt your head while fixing up your blouse after Shiu takes his hand away.

Shrugging, he closes his eyes and relishes the serious yet interesting topic. “Who knows? Maybe the fact that you asked me means you do.”

Unbeknownst to you, a pair of jade eyes observe from a distance.

He looks provoked.

What the fuck is he doing to her?

Chapter Text

From Toji’s vantage point, he could only see the chain smoking old man’s trying to lift your top with a finger. That vicious grin of his makes Toji’s blood rush to his head. He’s so hot in anger. Your eyes are lingering everywhere but your companion’s. Your face’s in the same shade as a ripe tomato too. Toji wants to erupt like a fucking volcano.

Is he seriously going to undress you in public? And you’re allowing him to?

That maniac-

“Ahem.”

The light-haired old man with a distinct moustache clears his throat, knowing that his nephew’s attention is not a hundred percent on him and his son.

“Tsch.” Toji rolls his eyes in annoyance, now facing the man dressed in a light gray haori over a dark blue yukata with a black hakama. “What are we talkin’ about again?” He asks, rubbing his forehead lazily.

“The future of the company.” Naobito repeats. His cousin, the one sitting beside him, wearing his pretentious white long-sleeved shirt that buttons at the top of the collar underneath his dark blue kimono. He swears that light-colored hakama is not pleasing to the eye. The young man huffs with his arms crossed. “I’m doing fine. Don’t listen to the geezer, Toji-kun.”

“Listen, bitch.” Toji points a mean finger at the guy. “Do what your father says. I don’t want to run the company and that’s final.” His menacing aura causes his cousin’s back to stiffen.

“Toji. Watch your language. We’re in public.” The old man clears his throat before speaking again. “Just like your decision, mine is final too. I will give Naoya his last three probationary months to prove his worth. If not, you will be returning to our estate and taking over his place. Understood?”

At that, Toji just rolls his eyes and looks outside the window.

He needs to get out of this table and go to you already.

From your side of things, you pout childishly as you look away awkwardly. Shiu’s finger is still fiddling with your pocket’s flap. “That’s why I asked you, Shiu-senpai. Since…” You steal a glance at the slow circles he’s creating with that long digit. He looks like he’s having a fun little time, teasing you with his feather-like touch, his eyes all half-lidded and insanely attractive. “Since you’re more experienced in those kinds of things.”

You hear a long sigh from your senior, and he takes his hand off you to rest his cheek on top of the back of his palm.

“You really want my opinion? Okay. You like him.”

Simple as that. Shiu answers your question.

“Even if I hated him ever since we were students?” You backpedal a bit, opening up about your past. You need more convincing. You’re not going to take this thing lightly.

“Now we’re talking!” Shiu slams his other fist on the table ecstatically before raising it to call for a server. “I’ll get more drinks, so you need to tell me everything. How’s that sound?”

Kaneshiro High. Two years apart but still considered him as your long-time rival. Everyone at school liked him. Toji's golden track record mixed with sleazy and dubious side activities. The 'gang' you are still not so sure about. The beating up incident.

You. Wanting to be better than him. And him, poking fun at your misery for not being able to reach his level. His uninvited comments and likes on your posts on InstaPhoto. Shiu laughs heartily at those specifically. He does agree with Toji when he says you're 'real pretty'.

How you wanted a colorful school life to forget your lonely reality at home.

You tell Shiu everything about you and Toji Fushiguro. And he listens intently over five bottles of beer. Up until now, he hasn’t shown a hint of drunkenness. Compared to you who already feels light-headed.

As he graciously asks if he can speak of his opinion for the second time, you oblige.

He believes that you’re projecting an excessive amount of hate that stems from the past. Which is acceptable. Your feelings are valid. You also want to keep your emotions in check-- but in a way that you’re doing it too much so you wouldn’t change how you view the guy. "It's not wrong to protect yourself from something that's confusing you. But that's also keeping you from the happiness you deserve, Y/n-chan."

He continues to explain your interactions with Toji that he has witnessed. Come to think of it, he only has two: when you introduced the big guy on his first day and when Toji answered your phone when Shiu called to say he was already at the parking lot waiting for you. "I can tell he’s also interested. His reasons, however, aren’t clear to me. But I think it won't hurt to try it out. The man looks good. He dresses well. He looks like a good time. Not that I know him well, but he did say he's going to take care of you. So I'll hold him to that."

It’s then that you realize that some of Shiu's words aren’t being absorbed by your brain anymore. Okay, you had too much to drink now.

"S-Senpai? Sorry, can I go to the restroom for a bit?" You touch your temple with three fingers, soothing your head. Shiu worriedly furrows his brows. "Are you alright? I can accompany you if you want."

But you just smile at him. "I'm fine. Please excuse me."

A wave of vibration disturbs Shiu. He looks at the direction where it comes from and sees that you left your phone on the table. The screen’s still on and without holding onto it, he captures the notification with the name 'Fuck Face'. Snorting, he decides to grab your phone and read the short text.

Fuck Face: I'm going there. Don't move.

Shiu looks around the place and as if on cue, his eyes catch the tall looming figure wearing a black hoodie heading towards the restroom corridor. He shakes his head, chuckling at the chain of events.

Toji doesn’t care if his uncle calls him disrespectful for suddenly walking out. He needs to see you. He needs to get you away from that perverted geezer. But his phone ringing stops him abruptly.

“I said don’t move.” Toji reprimands as soon as he clicks on the call.

“Yo, big guy!”

The hell? What’s he doing with her phone?

“Why do you have her phone?” His voice sounds like a warning. “Listen! Before you send me to hell, let me clear things up. I'm not planning anything with your girl, Fushiguro. We're just out for drinks like the normal working adults we are. She said you were busy, so I offered to hang out." Upon hearing this, Toji's face becomes a bit calmer.

"She had a bit too much 'cause we talked about... Some serious stuff and all. But enough about that. Since you're already here, come meet me at our table. I'll leave her things with you so you can take her home. It’s not far from here, I’ll tell you the address. Just going to make up some excuse in the morning so she doesn’t get pissed at me." Shiu's lips turn upward into a soft smile. He understands the situation completely.

And with that, Shiu takes advantage of Toji’s silence to end his speech. "Treat her the best way you can, yeah? She's someone special to a lot of people in the agency, including myself."

"Don't have to remind me."

One last chuckle from the department head before the call ends.

_

Wh-Where am I?

Last thing I remembered was Shiu-senpai talking and then I had to go to the restroom because I wasn't feeling well anymore.

Shit, I must have been drunk. Where's senpai?

Dark plain walls. A huge window to the left. Nothing but moonlight passing through the room. Dim blue lights illuminating from the corners of the room. A lava lamp on top of the long table in front of the bed.

This... This isn't my unit.

You stifle a gasp, bringing your hand to cover your mouth. You’re facing the ceiling. There's a bare arm wrapped around your waist. It's... big and muscular. And the man smells like pine and wood.

Who's beside me? Senpai?

Looking down on your chest, you realize that both your blouse and bra are missing, with only a loose white tank top that could only look like it’s owned by the person lying beside you covering your body.

D-Did... Did something happen between us?!

As you quickly turn to your left, you see the most horrifying image. That one person who you don’t want to see right now, let alone be in bed with. Alone.

Despite how peaceful his face looks when he's asleep, you feel goosebumps occupying your nape shoulders, and arms.

This is a horror show.

Toji?! H-How?!

This time, you stop a high-pitched fearful whimper from coming out. So you double your lip coverage with another hand. All your fingers are trembling, a broken series of breaths forming a distressed atmosphere in the bedroom. That alone wakes the man beside you.

"Quit shaking, I can't sleep." Toji mumbles with the lowest, most delicious voice. That alone paints your cheeks pink.

"Wh-What am I doing here?" You ask, completely terrified. The hands formerly placed on your lips now hug your shoulders together. When he doesn’t respond, just closing his eyes again, you continue to complain. "Why am I here? How did you know I was at the bar? Where is Shiu-senpai-"

Another frightful whimper echoes inside the room as you tightly shut your eyes. You have no idea what is happening, only feeling Toji's swift and unknown movements moving closer to your body.

Upon slowly opening your eyes, they widen at the sight of Toji towering on top of you. His arms are planted on both sides of your head. His naked torso looks five times bigger compared to yours, with thick muscles and toned abs, with a perfectly-cut v-line and a pair of light gray sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his hips. You feel your cheeks heating up like the rest of your body, unconsciously taking in every inch of the beast above you.

Looking up again, your eyes meet his ominous green orbs. They look angry. Frustrated. Hungry.

"We’re gonna talk in the morning, or are you finally giving me what I want?" Toji's gritted teeth only shows the gravity of his question.

"What do you mean 'giving me what I want'?"

Then there's a sigh. "You really don't remember anything, huh?"

As you shake your head, Toji breaks into a smirk. "You, sweetheart, got drunk as hell..." You watch him slowly lean forward, his lips now grazing the surface of your left ear. His breath’s warm, and it's sending shivers down your spine. He brings his right hand over your neck, wraps his fingers around it but not too tight that he could choke you. His thumb caresses your delicate skin, and his touch is hot on yours.

He hears another breathy exhale. Fuck, your voice sounds so good. You look so good. All submissive and shaky under him. He feels his pants tighten at the thought of how much more noisy you could be when you two do the deed.

Oh, that wakes his cock up. He feels hard and it's poking on the cottony cloth covering it.

"I happened to be at the same bar with my uncle and cousin after our dinner. Saw you with the old man from the Finance Department. You two were looking friendly... Too friendly..." Toji proceeds to reenact Shiu's finger tease, bringing his hand down to your braless chest and poking the same area. "Touching you like this... Did you like that, doll?" His whisper sounds like a threat.

Your lips could only quiver. How do you answer this question? It's not that you didn't like it. But you aren't opposed to your senpai's teasing at all. "I... I did not. I just thought it's normal for him to do that." Your response should be neutral enough.

"Yeah?" You can feel Toji's smirk widening because he rests his face on the crook of your neck, his lips touching your soft and supple skin. “Think it’s normal for guys to do that sorta thing?” He leaves a couple of short kisses, making your entire body stiffen. It doesn’t help that he’s making slow circles with the finger pressed on your heaving chest. "How about this? Do you like it when a guy like me does this? Do you think it’s normal for me to do this?”

“Or do you prefer your Shiu-senpai all over your body?" He adds, giving your neck a quick bite.

You can hear your own labored breaths as a response to his provocative actions. "Toji..." You’re gripping his sheets nervously, your brain utterly confused at what you're feeling. Not only that, you could feel something bricked up touching the area directly above your panties. Is this really about to happen?

Gulping, you gather your remaining rationality. "When you said... When you said talk in the morning... Can we do it now?"

Fuck.

Toji closes his eyes for a moment. That surely didn’t last long. He regrets giving you a hint from your earlier conversation, but for now he decides to respect your boundaries. You're lucky that he's even thinking this way.

So after he grunts irritably, he releases you from his captive position and rests his back against the headboard. He then does a single swipe through his dark locks. "You left your phone with him. Apparently, he saw my message and myself going to the restroom to get you. He then called me and asked me to take you to your house since you've had too much to drink. But then, I decided to take you to my place. Probably because I'll have a hard time looking for your stuff everywhere."

"And the clothes?" You cover yourself with the duvet, avoiding his eyes.

"You're drunk. Not dead, woman. I gave you my clothes, you showered, and changed on your own. Locked the bathroom door for you and all." He sheds light to your confusion. You smile a bit, knowing that he even has the decency to do so.

"So... Why did senpai leave me?" Toji can see you knitting your brows together, trying to paint a picture of Shiu's reasons.

At that, Toji chooses to go back to his sleeping position. He is facing the opposite direction when he says, "You ask him. Don't got all the answers to your questions."

It's weird.

You're staring at his bare back. With a gentle expression on your face. It seems like you’re slowly forgetting your worries about this random-not-so-random situation. All you think about right now is that you're safe. Here inside Toji's room.

Thanks, I guess.

_

The next day comes.

Gojo and the rest of the crew are already at the office, slumped on their respective desks to check early morning emails.

“Please make sure the revisions are submitted by your team today, Utahime-san. Highly appreciate it.” Nanami tells the long-haired woman. She gives him a proud salute. “On it!” She says before walking down the area of your team’s long table.

Shoko just came back from a brief smoke session with Geto, the latter blinking at your empty seat. "Where's Y/n-chan? She's usually here before nine." His curious voice reaches the ears of his best friend and your Team Lead.

"She's running a bit late." Nanami informs the dark-haired lead. At that, Gojo snickers like a kid with his palm covering his lips animatedly "Guess she had some crazy good time with Mr. Shiu Kong. Hihi~"

"Satoru, that's not nice. We all know she’s not that type of girl." Geto says as he sits. An exasperated sigh is heard from Shoko's end. "Let her be. Even Nanami's okay with it." She reiterates as she opens her laptop.

"But then again..." That sudden juicy tone coming from Geto makes the white-haired gossip apprentice quickly turn his head towards him. "Kong-san's the type to… You know." He wiggles his brows knowingly at Gojo.

The sunnies-clad man gasps dramatically. "Oh myyy~ You think they did it?" He’s still looking at his friend while typing tons of sentences in his current email. He can be hard working, and he can also indulge in office scandals at the same time.

Yu's head then appears from the gap in between Gojo and Shoko's desks. "I'm sure whatever happened, Y/n-chan had a lot of fun!" His optimistic presence did light up the mood for a bit, but not after Geto interjects. "I'm not so sure about that. Heard Shiu Kong's a ladies man. He spends a lot of time at bars, picking up women and taking them home. And catch this. He doesn't believe in relationships."

"Wait, wait, wait! Stop! I didn't know that! So you mean to say he's just up for sex?!"

“What are you talking about?”

As soon as Gojo sees you, he rushes towards your spot and holds onto your shoulders. He’s lightly tapping your arms and waist, as if he's checking for aerosols and liquids, flammable items, radioactive materials, or whatever the hell is not allowed inside the airport.

"White button-down shirt, check! Navy slacks, check! A silver chain necklace and itty bitty pearl earrings, check! Black stilettos-- nice brand of choice, by the way-- check!." You stare at him like he's an insane person, and he casually lets go of you before sending two airguns your way. "Looking pretty good today, Y/n-chan!"

As if his checklist is done, he almost forgets to notice that there's a massive man in an all-black outfit behind you, carrying his own laptop bag. "Toji-kun?! Hold up, you two came together?!"

"Gojo-senpai, you're so noisy. It's still so early..." You complain, rubbing your ear lazily with a pinky. Then you let out a long yawn, your free hand not failing to cover your mouth.

Your senpai gasps, his arms positioned on his hips like a strict parent. "And why are you sleepy?!"

“Idiots.” Shoko mumbles from her seat.

“Satoru, calm down.” Geto brisk walks forward and pulls his friend away from you, while you now walk towards your desk. Toji does the same without a word. With a lighthearted chuckle, he reasons out, “It's my fault, Y/n-chan. I just asked where you were since you're always here before work starts."

"O-Oh." You freeze on your spot, instantly blushing. You peek at Toji quickly before breaking into a nervous laughter. "Ahahaha... I woke up later than usual, senpai. Nothing to worry about."

“Why are you sweating?” Gojo continues to playfully pursue the matter, narrowing his eyes at you with a sly grin.

Yu suddenly raises his hand to catch your attention. "We were talking about if you had fun with Kong-san! But since you arrived at the office with Fushiguro-san, I was wondering if he tagged along last night!" His innocent voice mixed with those statements makes Shoko palm her face in second-hand embarrassment.

"I did. Joined them for a bit since I was in the area. Then I took her home because she got drunk. Slept the whole night like a glove." Toji casually explains from his desk while tinkering with his laptop.

"Y-Yeah… That's that. Nothing happened." You sound guilty for no reason.

However, the gossip duo has better things to talk about. "Suguru. Suguru. Hey." Gojo whispers, elbowing the receiver's arm. "I know. Crazy good time must have been with Fushiguro-san.” Man bun replies with a light smirk.

Snowhead does a wiggly dance on his office chair with his arms hugging his shoulders, the squeaking sound of the equipment cuing Shoko to punch the back of its cushion. “Ooh~ Feels like one of my biggest dreams finally came true! It’s like a daughter’s graduation!”

His whispers are now increasing in volume. “Or! Or! Or a daughter getting her first boyfriend! Or announcing her engagement!”

Geto’s sweat drops from his forehead. “Uh, you might be feeling a lot, Satoru. It’s just sex-”

“Shut up!!!”

Two of your fists bang against your desk as you stand up and look at black and white senpais. They both turn their heads to you ever so slowly, guilt creeping on their faces with wide smiles that ask for immediate forgiveness. You let out a loud groan, closing your eyes and regulating your breathing.

“They’re not wrong though. Calm down, it’s just sex.” Toji introduces himself into the argument with a wild proclamation and an impish grin.

“You shut up!!!”

“What’s all this noise about?”

Suddenly, all is still. Big man Yaga comes out of his office with a straight-laced look on his face. His emotionless demeanor strikes like lightning to fearful civilians. HIs broad and intimidating figure before the doors of his personal office-- the very definition of hell according to the great Satoru Gojo.

And since when did he wear sunglasses? Or did everyone just not notice it?

Nanami stands up and bows. “Apologies, sir. We will be resuming work shortly.”

“That, and Y/n-chan and Fushiguro-san just got together! Hooray!” Yu cheers beside Nanami with both arms flailing in mid-air.

“S-Sir! It’s not-”

“Is that so?” Your voice drowns below Yaga’s. To which you have no choice but to look at him with your arms tightly pressed on your sides like a diligent soldier. “Congratulations.” The boss nods and returns to his room.

You are flabbergasted, your eyes as huge as flying saucers as the door to Yaga’s room slowly closes.

“Sir, it’s not true!!!”

_

Everyone is gathered inside the conference room for a big meeting.

Your latest pitch for a masquerade ball in partnership with a popular alcoholic beverage brand-- the one you have presented to Nanami and Yaga from a while ago-- has finally been signed by the client.

This will happen in two weeks because it’s a rush project, and you’re quite the thinker for increasing the costs due to the immense planning you need to do with the team. So far, you have contacted Choso to be the official event photographer, together with his girlfriend Yuki as the host. Gojo’s team and Geto’s team have tagged along in this project due to manpower scarcity with a go signal from Yaga that they shall receive monetary incentive.

“Alright, everyone.” You stand before the Sales Department, Mei Mei, and Utahime. “Our preparations for the event are almost finished, given that the client approved of all the collaterals and now it’s just a matter of execution. Gojo-senpai has confirmed at least fifteen content creators for event attendance and live event posting. Geto-senpai and Shoko-senpai are getting sign-offs from our minor sponsors regarding their booths and branded segments. Yu has finished filing the cash advance slips for our production team’s meal budget.”

Facing the snow-haired woman sitting at the last chair, you smile. “Mei-senpai and Utahime-senpai, how are the creative materials?” You politely ask. “All good. I’ve sent the files to Purchasing for printing. They should be ready in a week.” She pleasantly answers with a beautiful smirk. Utahime gives you a giddy thumbs up.

With a deep breath, you clap once. “Okay! Nanamin, that leaves me waiting for the products from client to be delivered here, supervising the pre-event teaser video and posts, and coordinating with logistics for the setup to be transferred to the venue.”

Nanamin nods. “You forgot about filing reimbursement for the backdrop you bought a week ago because of client delay.” He then points out with a blank face.

“Oh, yeah. That one too. Sorry.” You sheepishly rub your nape. “No worries. Great work, L/n. I appreciate the foresight.” Nanami responds positively.

Meanwhile, Toji’s sitting on his desk alone at the long table. He’s done with his tasks for today and is feeling bored. He glances at the conference room from the corner of his eyes, seeing you nodding and smiling at your Team Lead as he explains something.

His eyes go to the shiny poster on Shoko’s desk. It’s a mock-up for the event’s official photowall.

A masquerade ball, huh.

Wonder what she’s gonna wear.

Must be a long gown or something, I dunno. Not too revealing.

A single beep from his phone makes him look back at his desk. There’s a new notification from Kento Nanami.

Blondie: Fushiguro-san, kindly join us at the event. Consider it as an extended orientation to the agency. Thank you.

Perfect.

Toji Fushiguro: Will do. Thank you.

_

When you get back to your desk, you hear your phone ring. Quickly excusing yourself from the group, you rush to the restroom. Finally, some peace. This really is your sanctuary.

“Hello? Shiu-senpai?” You greet with a modulated voice.

“Little Y/n-chan! I got your message!” A loud yet comforting tone is heard from the other line. You chuckle lightly at his enthusiasm. Could it be because of your question?

“Yeah… Wait, I’m feeling embarrassed because did you really have to call to reject me?” You’re seriously trying to play it cool, but your fingers are tapping the marble counter. But then you hear Shiu returning your chuckle and you feel so much better already. “Hahaha! Well, it’s not plain rejection. More of a friendly advice… Or I could say big brother advice.”

Are you getting it right now?

“I was gonna suggest… Instead of asking me to be your plus one for the event, why don’t you ask the big guy?”

That’s it.

That’s your answer.

You told yourself that this will be the last time you ask Shiu for a friendly favor-- that is a date at the masquerade ball. If he takes up the offer, then you’ll take it as a sign that you shouldn’t be confused if you like him or the other guy. But if he says no, then you will have to stop dumping your feelings on him. Although you’re not yet ready to admit who the true receiver is.

“That hurts, senpai.” You playfully pout, to which the moustached man chuckles again.

“Aww baby, you deserve someone better. You have to stop projecting your emotions onto the wrong guy.” He hears you sigh in defeat from the other line.

And Shiu could only smile weakly, knowing that his next words might sting. “Look, I’m gonna be honest because that’s what you deserve. I would be fucking devastated if I ever hurt you, but I can’t promise you that I won’t. I don’t do girlfriends and I’ll never change my mind about that. But no matter what happens, your big brother Shiu will be here for you whenever you need me.”

His genuine words are enough to wet your eyes. You need to bite your lower lip to stop them from falling. “I’m kidding. I get it, don’t worry. I’m just… I’m just scared to ask him. So I kinda went with you as an easy way out. No offense.” You admit.

Now his laughter’s louder. Not sure if you’re offended or amused. “None taken. And you’ll be fine! I’ll beat Fushiguro’s ass if he rejects you!”

You couldn’t help it. You now wipe the tears trickling down your right eye. “Thanks, Shiu-senpai. You’re the best.”

Onto the last step of planning.

Ask Toji Fushiguro to the ball.

Chapter Text

Forget it. That was quick.

The next step? Not happening. You find out that Nanami actually invited Toji to the event as part of his job, which leaves you dateless. But that’s no big deal. You can just swing open the door to your hotel room, stride into the ballroom alone, and flaunt your outfit for the night.

It’s like something out of a dream.

A deep green chiffon off-shoulder gown paired with a black corset. The sleeves are puffy and flowy at the upper arm and wrist, making your delicate fair arms appear even more graceful. The skirt is wide, letting you move freely as you sway to the music with any partner who asks. You finish the look with silver drop earrings and a thin silver choker, featuring a small jade stone in the center. It rests perfectly on your collarbones, as always.

Your makeup is simple but elegant. A light layer of foundation, smokey eyeshadow with a green eyeliner wing, nude blush and lips, and your signature highlighter. The finishing touch is the mask that matches the color of your gown, accented with a silver glitter outline and a white feather on the left side.

The event is being held at one of the most sought-after five-star hotels in Chiyoda City-- your first choice from the pitch deck, by the way. You’re thrilled your clients picked this venue, especially since you’ve been dreaming of staying at least one night here. Can you believe it? A single night costs around 90,000 Yen.

You grab your silver clutch from the foyer table, open the door, and step out of the room. You meet up with Shoko by the elevator.

She looks breathtaking in her simple black spaghetti-strap dress, a faux fur coverup draping elegantly over her slender arms. She chose a plain black mask with a golden feather on the right side, and finished the look with a spiky golden ear cuff and a sleek black clutch. Edgy yet sophisticated. You can’t help but be in awe of her effortless beauty.

“You look gorgeous, Y/n-chan.” Shoko says with a warm smile.

“Thanks, senpai. You look stunning…” You pout as you both step into the elevator. The doors close with a soft ding, and you continue chatting. “Honestly, I’m surprised Gojo-senpai and Geto-senpai aren’t after you. If I were them, I definitely would be.” You chuckle, nudging her arm gently.

“If they ever tried, I’d drop them in a heartbeat. Those two barely share a brain cell, and I can’t imagine anyone willingly getting involved with them,” she scoffs, flipping her smooth hair behind her shoulder. “Anyway, looks like I’m not the only one flying solo tonight?” She smirks at you.

Waving your head, your smile widens. “You’re not. Shiu-senpai’s not going.”

“You really asked that crusty playboy?” You’re not a fan of Shoko’s judgmental face.

“Hey, he’s not crusty!” You immediately break into a laugh with wide eyes. “He’s… mature.”

“Oh, I’ll tell you who’s mature. Fushiguro. He’s coming, right? Nanami will kill him if he doesn’t.” Shoko states nothing but facts. You nod, starting to unconsciously lift your heels and rock your body back and forth.

“He is.”

“Then you know what to do, sweet cheeks.”

“Ehehe… I’m not sure what you mean.”

Do I?

You believe in me too much, Ieiri-senpai.

_

“Yo, ladies! Lookin’ fire tonight!”

Naturally, the great Satoru Gojo is the first to greet you at the entrance, striding in like a self-proclaimed VIP, accompanied by his partner in crime, Suguru Geto.

To be fair, they clean up pretty well. Gojo looks striking in a soft white long-sleeved dress shirt with delicate ruffles down the center, tucked into a pair of sleek black trousers. His dark purple mask pops against the chic neutral outfit. Senpai certainly knows how to keep it fancy. Geto, on the other hand, is all sharp lines in a crisp black suit and tie, with his own mask completing the look. Simple, handsome, yet his charisma still shines through. For a moment, you almost think he and Shoko would make a good pair, but then you remember her thoughts on the matter.

“Gojo, you’re shouting.” Shoko mutters with a disgusted look.

Your eyes are constantly moving, taking in every detail of the venue. Everything checks out. This is perfect. All the guests have drinks in hand, the servers are polite and efficient, and the service flows smoothly. The backdrop is stunning-- credit to your impeccable taste, obviously. The music sets the perfect mood.

You spot Choso by the photo wall, snapping pictures of guests as they arrive. Off to the side, Nanami and Haibara are chatting with a few of the sponsors, drinks in hand.

"Come with me to the House of Ruinare! We've got a few minutes before the new product unveiling, so let's wander around and see what the guests are up to inside." In the distance, you can even hear a content creator recording a video.

Nothing's going to go wrong. This event will be a success. You repeat the thought in your mind, hoping it’s true.

“Here you go, Shoko pie!” Gojo enthusiastically shouts as he gives a glass of champagne to his friend. “I told you to keep it down, idiot.” Her second complaint comes with a set of gritted teeth.

Suddenly, you feel Geto gently bumping his hip against yours. He leans over and smiles warmly. “Good evening, pretty. Have you seen your man yet?” He asks with a teasing tone. “Man, my ass.” After rolling your eyes, you also cross your arms in irritation. “I’m just checking on things, senpai.”

“Ooh~ What a diligent little girl.” He rubs your hair and you smack his hand away quickly, fixing the top of your mane because you put a bit of gel on it.

"He’s on the balcony. Thank me later." Geto winks at you before heading toward Shoko and taking her free hand. "Just thought you might want to know! I’m going for a dance!" He shouts, cupping his hand to his mouth.

"I’m still drinking!" Shoko grumbles, her third complaint as she's pulled away.

"Hey, guys! Don’t leave me alone!" Gojo calls out, chasing after them and running to the center of the room, making sure to sway his hips like he's at a rave, not a formal ball.

This is fine. The single category, right?

But you find yourself gazing at the balcony door to your left. Curious.

Whatever.

_

You peek through the small gap to make sure he's there.

He looks… good. Standing with his elbows casually resting on the ledge.

It’s just a simple black button-down tucked into a pair of black pants…

Well, it’s more than that. Not when the shirt stretches across his broad chest and arms, a couple-- maybe three-- buttons undone, giving everyone a clear view of his bare pecs. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, highlighting the veins running down his forearms. Fine, they do look attractive. And his pants fit snugly around his thick thighs, almost too perfectly. You’re starting to wonder if he even got the right size.

He swirls his wine glass before taking a sip, and your gaze immediately fixates on the mysterious scar on his lips. Why does it suddenly seem so alluring? Maybe it's the mask. You can’t help but blame that dark maroon and velvet combo-- so sophisticated.

"Thought you didn’t like alcohol."

Toji has been expecting that voice to break through his boredom. He knows someone from the group would eventually mention his whereabouts-- probably side bangs. Definitely the gossip magnet.

He shrugs, not because he has nothing to say. Toji has plenty on his mind, but he stays silent, knowing just how explicit his thoughts could be.

Your chest looks plump and he wants his hands on them stat; fondle and squeeze those pretty tits and make you moan helplessly. Your waist is snatched in that whatever-black-fitted-thing is called and he wants to grab on your sides to leave everlasting marks. Your lips look soft and innocent, but he could taint them easily with the hottest, hungriest kiss. With tongue. Your eyes flutter like stars underneath your mask. He needs to remove that pesky material and stare at your angelic face all night.

If only he could toss the disgusting beverage off the balcony to hold your hand and leave this place, return to his hotel room, and take everything off you. He’s dying to see what you’re wearing beneath that gown. Something lacy? Something soft? Maybe something bold like red panties?

If only he could defy Nanami for one night. Just so he could get the sweet taste of you.

As you stand beside him and view the evening sky, you speak again. “Event’s starting in ten minutes.”

“Just here for attendance check.” He casually smirks, eyes on the burgundy-colored liquid.

"Nanamin won’t be thrilled to hear that." You say with a playful threat, inhaling the fresh scent of the breeze.

"I’ll take a look around for a bit, then come back here. Not really my scene." He replies, setting his wine glass down on the cold concrete.

"You’re not going to dance?" You tease.

"Do I look like I do, woman? I didn’t even go to our school dance. Total waste of time." He snaps back with an immature scoff.

That school dance. Yeah.

So many girls asked you to be their date. Those makeup-eating cheerleaders cried when you rejected every single one of them. Oh, and one bespectacled girl also invited you. I forgot her name, but she was pretty popular with the boys because of her chest size. Those losers.

As for me? I went alone.

Not surprised, huh. I don’t need a date. In fact, I was in charge of monitoring the photo booth that night so I was busy enough not to feel envious of others.

I must sound bland. Well, I said it already. I wanted an interesting student life, yet life was not on my side.

You force yourself to snap out of the memories, taking a deep breath before leaning back slightly, gripping the ledge. "You know what I think? It's time we actually experience something like this. I pitched this hotel because I’ve always wanted to stay here. I can’t afford it yet, though, so..."

"You did a great job with the place. Might as well call you the owner." Toji jokes, and surprisingly, it makes you laugh.

It’s nice, this conversation. Casual, easy. It’s not every day you get to talk to Toji Fushiguro like this. Since you saw him again, it’s been nothing but a whirlwind-- your senpai’s gossip, the drama with the mean girls in your department, and the whole Shiu Kong mess. And don’t even get started on the beach fiasco and Toji teasing your Choso-senpai with his blunt attitude.

Tonight, you feel like the mask is working its magic. It’s supposed to hide insecurities and secrets, as they say. But for you, it’s not about that. It’s more about not feeling awkward expressing your emotions around him. You don’t have to look directly at his face. Though, that scar...

“You look very pretty, doll.”

When Toji turns towards you with a devilish smirk after his comment, you swear you almost melt on the spot. So much for the mask’s protection. You have to blink a few times to steady yourself, even though it was just a simple compliment. He watches with a knowing gaze as your cheeks flush, clearly pleased with the effect he’s having on you.

Goodbye mask, makeup, and the dark sky. All of them fail to save you.

"Uh, thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself." You mumble, turning your gaze away and pressing your nude lips together.

A soft gasp escapes your lips as you feel his hand wrap around yours. You quickly turn to look at him, still wearing that amused smirk, clearly enjoying the sight of your stunned expression. “What? You said it starts in ten. Let’s go.” He teases.

“Toji?” As he pulls you back toward the doors, your eyes stay locked on his back. Your heart pounds in your chest, making it hard to breathe.

He’s really heading back inside… And is he planning to stay?

I know he’s not doing this for me.

You probably think I’m overreacting. But I’m not. I swear. It’s just...

Ugh. Why does he keep making me feel like this?

_

All eyes in the ballroom are fixed on the center stage, where a light cream curtain serves as the backdrop. A vintage unidirectional microphone rests on its stand, and a tall blonde woman faces her elegant audience.

She looks stunning in a shimmering pale gold halter dress, the plunging neckline highlighting her voluptuous curves, while the slit climbs high enough to reveal her entire left leg. Her strappy heels only emphasize her model-like height and figure. Even with her glittering gold mask, she stands out like a Greek goddess.

"Good evening, everyone!" She starts her introduction with a powerful voice and a radiant smile.

"Whoa... Is that Yuki Tsukumo from CatNoir?"

"Oh my gosh! She’s so gorgeous!"

"I heard her boyfriend’s here tonight. Wonder who he is?"

From where you're standing, you glance toward Choso. He's positioned beside his setup at the photo wall, a soft expression on his face as he watches Yuki on stage. His eyes may seem weary and distant, yet there's a warmth and tenderness in the way he looks at the woman he clearly adores.

"Welcome to the House of Ruinare! Tonight, we’re here to witness the launch of a new product from the beloved champagne brand. But before we proceed, let’s take a moment to thank our sponsors: HHK, Oramoto, and Mizuko Bank." The crowd offers a brief round of applause.

"I’d now like to officially kick off the program by inviting the president of Ruinare Group, Mr. Shigeru Sonoda, to the stage!"

While the president delivers the opening remarks, you sneak a glance at Toji, who’s deep in conversation with your Team Lead. They both look serious. Toji looks especially serious. Nanami must be showing him the ropes when it comes to handling events.

But then Toji catches your eye. Panicking, you quickly turn your face away, looking in the opposite direction. Gojo, standing next to you, is taken aback by your sudden movement.

“What do you think, Fushiguro-san?” Nanami asks, his question broad enough to leave Toji momentarily clueless. “About what?” Despite being a former top student, sometimes Toji can be a bit slow on the uptake.

“Your family runs a successful business in your area, so I’m sure you’re well-versed in basic things like marketing. I’d like to know your thoughts on our overall strategy.” Nanami clarifies, expanding on his question.

Ah, so that’s what he’s asking. “What’s the client’s objective?” He asks back. “Awareness. Target the younger audience, specifically luxe older Gen Zs and young Millennials.”

Toji watches the man with the receding hairline speaking in front of the guests, his brows furrowed in thought. “Ruinare is already an established brand-- top one or two in its category. Most of the sales come from the older generation, those who are loyal to the brand and have their personal preferences. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity to tap into the younger market. Especially now, with the rise of the Nouveau Riche. Both the wealthy by birth and those who’ve gained financial stability in their twenties are becoming increasingly relevant in the high-end alcoholic beverage market.”

“I think the masquerade ball is a great way to reinforce the brand’s image. Plus, it aligns perfectly with the product reveal, considering mystery and intrigue are central themes of this concept.” Just then, the audience applauds as the president finishes his speech. Toji can’t help but feel like their applause is also directed at him for his insightful response.

Nanami holds his applause for a moment before turning to Toji. “Well said. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.”

_

Everything’s going as planned.

The Production Team is all set-- tech, stage managers, and props crew, all in place.

All necessary equipment has been checked during ingress, and every safety precaution has been taken into account.

The main part of the program is about to begin. My pitch was to reveal an oversized replica of the new product, created by one of Choso-senpai’s artist friends. It’s an exact copy-- sophisticated yet modern, with glittery liquid inside.

Yes, the new Ruinare product is a sparkling champagne called Razzle. And by sparkling, I mean it has edible glitter.

To my surprise, the client approved my idea for a traditional Victorian dance number, with props men spraying the contents of several bottles above the performers, creating a psychedelic dome of liquor. All while the guests enjoy their drinks on the side.

This will make potential buyers associate champagne with celebration—both consuming and spraying. The shimmering effect of the product is perfect for this creative presentation.

I just hope we didn’t overlook anything.

"Everything will be fine, L/n." You feel a hand rest on your shoulder, and look up to see Nanami, his expression calm. You give him a nod, silently agreeing.

"And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! It’s time to reveal Ruinare’s new product. Ladies and gentlemen, Ruinare is proud to present: Razzle!"

As Yuki moves to the side of the stage, the reveal begins.

Hmm?

The reveal was supposed to come from the left. Why aren’t the props men ready yet?

What’s that noise?

A deafening feedback screech echoes through the venue. Some guests cover their ears, while others start murmuring and turning their heads, trying to figure out what’s going wrong.

Shit. What now?!

Stepping back slightly to tilt your head and get a better view of the stage’s right side, you spot the problem. One of the props men is on the ground, clutching his ankle tightly after an extra speaker fell on him by accident.

“What’s going on?”

“Where’s the reveal? My video’s still recording.”

“There must be an issue with the set.”

While you’re concerned about the injured man, frustration bubbles up inside you. You can’t let this slip-- there’s no time to waste. You need to act fast to salvage this moment.

No. This can’t be.

This can’t be happeni-

“Huh?”

He moves with incredible speed. One moment, he’s by your Team Lead; the next, he’s standing behind a props man, holding up the middle part of the replica bottle and helping the others lift it to the center of the stage for everyone to see. And he’s not even breaking a sweat, despite wearing a much less comfortable outfit compared to the other members of the production team.

"Whoa, he's STRONG strong." You hear Shoko-senpai remark from nearby.

Gojo, casually sipping plum juice from a small glass, stares at the guy’s muscles as he helps hold the masterpiece. "Damn! Couldn’t be me!" His comment causes his best friend to chuckle.

"Here it is! Once again, everyone, Ruinare is proud to present: Razzle!"

As soon as you hear Yuki repeat her line before the product reveal, you freeze, realizing the show is still unfolding. When the crowd erupts into applause for the slightly delayed but impressive reveal, you let out a noticeable sigh of relief.

"Magnificent!" one sponsor representative exclaims loudly, praising the execution and soothing the guests after the minor hiccup.

The audience responds with a resounding round of applause, expressing their appreciation.

He saved my ass again…

And not only during that part, mind you.

At one point during the program, the smoke machine on the right side of the stage suddenly stops working. While it’s not a critical issue for the overall production, it’s still an eyesore for you, given your attention to detail in the set design. But once again, Toji steps in, quickly fixing the problem without drawing attention to himself or distracting the audience.

Yu responds positively, mentioning that what he heard from Nanami was true-- Toji’s experience working on a farm with advanced technology has made him skilled at operating all kinds of equipment.

During the special Victorian dance number, one of the male dancers trips on his partner’s gown. Positioned in the center, he’s clearly visible to the audience. What does Toji do? He seamlessly steps in as the unannounced alternate, continuing the dance with the partner with grace. The woman blushes deeply, feeling his strong hands-- one on her waist and one holding her hand. Toji even lifts her, as if she were a virgin offering to the gods, adding a stunning flourish to the choreography while smoothly covering the mishap.

“Toji can dance?! What the hell?!” Is Gojo’s reaction to this.

Alas, the end part of the dance is here.

What could possibly go wrong?

Yet another male dancer messes up. He steps into the middle of the dance floor, ready to pop one final bottle of Razzle as part of the “Champagne symbolizes celebration” theme. But when the props men by the sidelines manage to pop their own bottles, his own bottle refuses to cooperate.

Of course, Toji is quick to step in. With no preparation, he swoops in, snatches the bottle, shakes it in time with the music, and finally sprays it upward, creating the intended dome effect above the dancers.

This move earns another enthusiastic round of applause from the event attendees.

Geto, watching in amazement, claps slowly. “Wow, he can pull off just about anything, and the audience are loving it.” He remarks, clearly impressed by your colleague’s skills.

Like hell, he does.

That’s Toji Fushiguro. The perfect student. The perfect guy, according to everyone at KaneHigh.

"I guess so." You reply, trying not to let your mood get any worse. Despite all the setbacks, if it weren’t for Toji, the masquerade ball would’ve been a complete disaster.

And that's on you for not staying on top of everything. You know you were prepared, but it wasn’t enough. You couldn't keep it together until the end.

Just then, you feel a gentle tap on your shoulder.

"Hey there, Y/n-chan."

Thank goodness it's not Nanamin. It's Choso-senpai.

"Hi, senpai." Your voice comes out a little strained, and he picks up on it right away.

The photographer gives a soft, reassuring smile, hoping to ease your mood. "Fushiguro-san’s working overtime, huh?" And it works. You let out a light chuckle and shake your head. "Yeah… He’s really doing it all." Your tone shifts, laced with sarcasm, as you mentally compare yourself to how effortlessly he’s handling the chaos.

Then, you feel a gentle pat on your shoulder, followed by a comforting rub. "Maybe he’s doing everything he can to help because this is your event."

You furrow your brows at your senior, unsure of what to make of his words.

Tsch. It’s not like that.

It’s like what Geto-senpai said. He can do anything he wants to and people just eat it up.

It’s always been like that.

"I don’t think so, senpai." You brush off Choso's words with a scoff, letting out a small chuckle.

Yes, it stings your ego.

Just when you thought you’d moved past the KaneHigh drama, you realize you haven’t. One simple situation is enough to bring all your insecurities rushing back… your shortcomings… your… everything.

Everything I do to forget those is a waste of-

"Sure it is." Choso adds, and this time, you can’t help but feel your eyes soften. The tension in your shoulders eases, the anger and disappointment starting to fade. You're on the verge of tearing up from the weight of your intrusive thoughts, but you’re doing your best to stay composed. You’re not going to cry in front of a crowd of strangers, are you?

“He’s going above and beyond for this event, even though he doesn’t have to. Just think about that.” His tone is matter-of-fact, something you don’t often hear from him. Choso usually chooses his words carefully, never wanting to offend, and tends to keep his personal opinions to himself.

Before you can respond, he stops you with a raised hand. "Before you say he's just trying to earn points with Nanami, remember that what he did tonight won’t change his role as an Admin Assistant. That’s not part of his job."

His words make you bite your lower lip in denial, but deep down, you understand exactly what your senpai means. And that’s what hits hardest-- making you feel even more disappointed in yourself.

Why am I being so hard on myself?

I did my best. I gave it everything I had to make sure the event would succeed.

Some things just go wrong sometimes, and maybe there’s something I could have done differently...

No, my pride tells me I should’ve fixed it. I’m alone, so I should be the one to find every solution.

But that’s not true.

I have a team that’s got my back.

I have colleagues who are there to help when I need it.

I don’t have to carry everything on my own. They’re with me.

Ugh... I’m such a mess, aren’t I?

With a long, deep exhale, you pull yourself together. Turning to Choso, you offer him a determined smile. "Thanks, senpai."

Choso gives a simple nod, understanding that you've received his message.

_

That’s why, after the event, you search for him.

But he’s nowhere to be found-- not on the balcony, not anywhere inside the ballroom where people are starting to leave, and not even in the waiting room assigned to your team.

Everyone else has already retreated to their rooms, either freshening up or probably already asleep. As for you, you’re staying a bit longer with Nanami since this is your project. You need to make sure all the materials are packed properly and ensure everything is returned to its original place, restoring the room to its previous look.

I don’t really like this but…

Summoning just the right amount of courage, you decide to head to his hotel room.

And sure enough, you find him outside, sitting on the floor, his shoes and mask discarded. He looks... a bit disheveled, though not entirely. His clothes are still intact, except for his long-sleeved shirt, which is unbuttoned more than usual. His eyes are closed. Toji must be exhausted, even though he has the kind of presence that suggests he could carry the weight of the world without breaking a sweat.

"You sure did a lot." Your tone carries a hint of sarcasm as you sit down beside him, stretching your legs out on the carpet.

At the sound of your voice, he slowly opens his eyes and glances at you. "Did your boss say anything?"

"No."

"But all I need is to look into his eyes to know what he's thinking. I've been working with Nanamin since I first joined the agency, and I can read his eyes after talking to him earlier." You pause, offering Toji a small smile. "He's impressed."

You then start to fiddle with your fingers, a wave of embarrassment washing over you as you prepare to speak again.

Should you say it?

Dammit.

Just go with the flow, as Shiu-senpai said.

“I… I was too.”

Should I?

"You’re still the same. You were the perfect student, and now you’re becoming the perfect employee. As for me..." You stop, your throat tightening and your eyes beginning to well up. "I’m so far from it."

I’m not perfect.

I’m the one who’s far from it, not her.

I don’t understand why you keep insisting that I’m better than you. Getting the best grades in school doesn’t make me better than anyone. Being liked by all the girls doesn’t make me more attractive than anyone else. Throughout my student life, I’ve never seen myself as the best or perfect-- none of that.

Not when I have to carry another burden outside of all that.

If anything…

“Didn’t want your event to be ruined, that’s all.”

It makes you chuckle. Hearing him say the same words you heard from Choso-senpai earlier. That man just understands emotions on a different level, you think. He’s so empathetic that he can read even someone like Toji, the mysterious enigma in your life.

You give his upper arm a gentle bump with your elbow. “It’s not my event, idiot.”

Toji then rests his head against the wall. “I know it isn’t. But listen…”

I will say this.

I should.

"I want you to stop comparing yourself to me. You’re doing great. You’re good at your job, all your colleagues like you, and you have friends who always have your back. Maybe there are a few too many guys hovering around you like leeches, even though they claim to be like your older brothers..." His last comment makes you pout, but you let out a short laugh. "All I’m saying is that you focus too much on what you don’t have. Why not take the time to appreciate who you are now and what you have? When you do, you’ll see how far you've come from your old KaneHigh self."

All he hears as a response from you is a sigh of defeat.

Which makes Toji lock his eyes with yours.

“People don’t want perfect. They want real.”

Real.

Tears begin to fall from your eyes, slowly tracing down your face, which still holds its beauty and radiance. You turn your head, trying to hide them from the man beside you, but it’s no use. He knows his words are hitting the mark, which is why you're so affected.

He means well, of course. Not that he wanted you to cry, but those tears better be a sign that you're ready to move forward from all of this.

After all, he’s here to look after you.

"You’re not saying that just so I won’t hate you anymore, are you?" You ask softly, wiping your cheeks with the middle part of your fingers.

Toji smirks, settling back into his previous position with his head resting against the cold hotel corridor wall, looking slightly upward. "You can hate me as much as you want, sweetheart... But next time, and I mean it this time, I won’t let you get away with it."

“Thank you.”

Toji looks at you again.

“Thank you. For all your help.”

“Yeah. You owe me, babe.”

You avoid his eyes. Again.

“Actually, you ruined the mood. Not the event.”

You then let out a short giggle.

It really feels nice, having a normal conversation like this.

And it happened twice tonight.

You didn’t know that you could do such a thing with Toji Fushiguro.

Chapter Text

Friday. 9 AM.

So close yet so far from the weekend.

This is also the day when Toji takes a personal leave. An unpaid one at that. Not that he’s going to mull over the salary deduction.

Unfortunately for you, your colleagues are bothering you about it.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Gojo-senpai? I don’t know where he is.” Your elbows are resting on top of your deck while you rub your temple. It’s still early in the morning and you just drank your iced coffee. It’s not yet kicking all the way in, so you’re still irritable.

“Eh? Why do I feel like you’re lying?” Your white-haired senpai insists, his hands resting on his hips with judgment. At that, you slump your face on your folded arms and groan in utter defeat. You desperately want to ignore him already, and you’re mentally begging for Geto-senpai to come get his annoying best friend already. “I’m not lying. Don’t bug me, I have a meeting in five minutes.”

Having said that, you do wonder why he didn’t come to the office today. Nanami’s press release earlier was that Toji’s on a personal trip.

But is it really a vacation? Is it at his family’s house? He did meet them a while back, so maybe that had something to do with this.

While you thought about the possibilities, Gojo and Geto start to gossip about your former schoolmate having a side chick. You quickly dismiss the baseless accusation and remind them that he’s not your boyfriend.

Why am I wasting my time thinking about this? I have to log in to the call now.

_

The studio is customized-- just the way the owner likes it.

A spacious room with light wooden tiles. Cool and moody blue and purple lighting. Dark and thick soundproof walls. Huge speakers. A mixing board, laptop, a pair of headphones on a stand, a microphone, and a notebook with a tattered black and red cover on top of a long table. A Fender Stratocaster leaning against the right corner beside it.

Amidst the musician’s sacred sanctuary sits Toji on the black leather couch beside the door. He’s wearing a loose pair of sweats over black slip-ons, his arms crossed, and his brows furrowed at the pink-haired man sitting on the chair. There’s a distinct techno beat about to finish playing as the bass slowly fades out.

“That’s it? You called me from Shibuya just to listen to your crap?”

The man sporting a black hoodie and denim pants turns to Toji with one of his arms hanging on the chair’s headrest. He grins playfully at him. “Come on, man! Didn’t I say this before? I want you to be the first one to hear my masterpiece.”

Let me tell you something about this freak over here.

Name’s Ryomen Sukuna. A former druggie, now an independent musician. That’s what he wants me to call him, but I prefer sleazy DJ. Child of the owner of one of the bars I frequented when I was still a student.

Nah. Didn’t drink. Just went there to see this asshole.

Alright, alright. He’s an old friend from KaneHigh… But he dropped out during sophomore year. Said he didn’t have to study to chase his dreams. What an idiot.

Although to be fair, he’s making a lot of money from his gigs. Well, that's what he says. Dunno how true ‘cause I choose not to watch him even after endless invitations. Just not my thing, you know.

And he’s a fucking playboy.

Not judging though. I had a phase too.

Toji scratches the back of his head in annoyance. “Alright already. It’s good. All you need is to change that fade-out at the end to one last drop. The fade takes away the impact of the last hook.”

“Sweet.” As he swings the chair to face his laptop, he presses a button that renders the final edit. “What else?” The man in sweats looks like he is about to fall asleep. He’s certainly in the right attire for it, now sitting with his legs spread and his hands inside his pockets.

Ryomen shoots his friend a dirty smirk. “How come you’re itchin’ to go home? Got another girl waiting for you?”

Toji just lets out an exasperated sigh. He then runs his fingers through his unkept bangs, vaguely remembering that he forgot to comb his hair this morning because Ryomen spam texted him to come at exactly 8 AM, or else he will call the cops on him.

As if he’s friendly with the authorities. Bastard.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about… Can’t believe I’m stuck with a lunatic when I’m supposed to be at the office working right now.”

Yes. There is one thing on his mind right now and that’s you. He was hesitant to send the leave application to Nanami last night, but he had no choice. Ryomen might be an asshole, but if he says he’ll make the police run after you-- he will.

“Hold it right there, my man. Work? Office?” Ryomen rotates on his chair again, facing the glaring Toji. “Your girl an officemate of yours?”

Right. Forgot to tell you.

Ryomen Sukuna is one nosy bitch.

So it’s a major revelation to him when he spills about you. Not being his girlfriend, but your current situation-- that is the “looking after” guardian sort of “thing”.

“Wait! The Y/n L/n?”

“The hell? You know her?” Oh, Toji is about to bust this man’s head.

Adding to his annoyance, Ryomen bursts into a wicked chuckle. “‘Course, man! She’s a lowkey babe! Smart, sporty, very polite to teachers, sweet to her classmates, cute face, nice rack-”

“One more word and I’ll kill you.” The man with a scarred lip points a finger at the strawberry head, his glare turning into sharp daggers. Ryomen doesn’t sweat though. He knows he can get away with it. He raises his hands, looking like he just got arrested. How the tables have turned, the imaginary police are onto him now. “Backin’ up. Just saying what I think.”

But then he uses his feet to drag his wheeled chair towards the couch. Toji gives him a disgusted look. “So… Had sex with her yet?”

I swear to god if you don’t shut up…

_

He does, eventually.

But he also persuades Toji to meet up with you for dinner.

Fuck Face: Dinner at 7 PM. I’m bringing a friend.

Wow. What a way to invite someone.

Doll Face: Thanks for giving me a choice.

Fuck Face: You know him. Ryomen Sukuna, the dropout.

Sukuna?

No way…

“Oi! Why’d you call me dropout in the text?” Ryomen has an arm lazily wrapped around Toji’s shoulder, peeking at his phone with an exaggerated frown. Toji continues to type though, not minding the man beside him. “Wasn’t lying.” At that, the DJ makes a face with his tongue out, together with a thumbs down using his free hand.

Doll Face: Fine.

Fuck Face: Great. Missed you today, doll. ;)

“Missed you today, doooollll~ You sound like a fucking sugar daddy!” Ryomen finally gets his arm off Toji as he does an oddly specific movement with his fingers, the one where he looks like he’s grabbing on imaginary breasts. As a response, Toji simply rolls his eyes.

Asshole.

Meanwhile, you inhale deeply and continue to gather your thoughts.

Wait. Sukuna…

As in Ryomen Sukuna.

Let me tell you something about that freak face friend of Toji’s.

He tried to court me back in high school. I mean, he's good-looking. He's not so good with his studies, but he passes the tests. I also don't know how he managed to hide all of his tattoos under his uniform.

Not that I've seen his body, he just told me where they were.

And yeah. I rejected him because-- case in point-- he's a friend of Toji's.

I seriously didn’t want anything to do with that guy back then. And that includes his circle. They all look intimidating and arrogant, walking around the campus like they own it with girls hanging on their arms.

But…

Does Toji even know what happened back then?

I wonder if Sukuna told him.

You suddenly hear wheels from behind you. A swift blow in your ear makes you stifle a yelp as you cover the body part with your palm. "Whatcha doin', meanie?" Gojo grins widely, his arms resting on top of the back of his chair. He loves sitting in reverse. Makes him feel cool.

"If you're going to ask me about Toji again, fine. He asked me out to dinner." You admit with a monotonous voice that clearly spells out your disappointment.

Your senpai’s theatrical gasp-- he always does that with his palms touching his cheeks-- catches the attention of the agency’s gossip king. Another set of wheels are coming at you, and it’s starting to mess with your hearing. “Really? Our Toji-kun got game!”

“What? What’s happening?” Geto interjects, but you quickly dismiss his curiosity. “Don’t get your hopes up, senpais. A friend’s coming with him.”

“You got a name?” The light-haired man asks, adjusting his dark sunnies like he’s in some detective show. You don’t know why he’s asking, but you tell him to get him out of your hair. Hopefully. “Uh, Ryomen Sukuna.”

He nods right away. “Noted. Suguru, look him up.” Spoken with a now serious tone, Gojo quickly leans his head towards his best friend, the latter not wasting any second to grab his phone from his pocket. You even see his side bangs getting blown by the light gust of wind produced by his fast movements.

Scoffing, you object. “Wait, what? Don’t stalk him!”

“Found him.” Geto proudly announces his small win while slowly scrolling through Ryomen’s Instaphoto. “Damn, he’s a hottie!” Gojo has to push down his sunglasses to look more closely at the man’s posts. His feed mainly consists of him DJ-ing at clubs, having shots with men and women, his exquisite studio equipment, and occasional gym shots. Oh, and in a couple of those he’s topless and sweaty all over.

“Yooo! He looks like a good time!” Gojo comments on Toji’s friend again. You only sigh.

“What’s wrong, Y/n-chan?” Geto seems to notice some of your uncertainty. You look at him with a slight frown. “That guy who ‘looks like a good time’...” You don’t forget to use air bunnies to quote your most boisterous senior. “Tried to get with me back at KaneHigh.”

Gojo-- again, dramatically-- gasps out loud with a hand clutching his non-existent pearls. “For real?!”

“Hohoho… Looks like our big guy has competition.” Gossip king with a man bun strikes again with an interested face, still browsing the subject’s profile. “I bet this Sukuna guy asked to join the dinner to see you.” And that causes you to tilt your head, your face turning into a sour one. Geto then blinks into epiphany. “Does Fushiguro-san even know about what you just said?”

“Oh shit! Drama!” Now with his hands covering his mouth, Gojo’s eyes turn to you.

You shake your head. Face still sour. “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

I don’t know and I care, actually. Because I’m 100% sure Toji doesn’t know about it.

That’s the only reason why Sukuna can join.

You then hear a snap from Geto after he keeps his device. “You know what? This is the perfect moment. When you arrive at the restaurant and you see them side by side, that’s when it’ll hit you.” Watching him do all those unnecessary hand gestures makes his suggestion worse. “Who do I like more? Is it the one that got away, Toji Fushiguro? Or is it the one I got away from just because he’s Fushiguro’s friend, Ryomen Sukuna?”

Now, why does your Geto-senpai know the reason why you dumped that pink-haired crazyhead? You’re not doubting his gossip-gathering skills anymore. He’s just that good.

“Oh! I have another one! After she decides who to be with, the chosen man gets a kiss!” Gojo adds an unnecessary step, his smoochy lips luscious yet irritating, to which you sigh again.

“I’m not doing all of that, senpai.”

_

Tonight’s dinner is at Ikunari Steak. Not too upscale, not too casual. This place is known for the "sudden steak" concept that makes its customers come back for more. The interior is steady. Dark and wooden walls that give off a relaxed vibe. A lineup of tables with couches to ensure a comfortable dining experience. Hanging lamps of warm lights that exude an ambience perfect for dates and friendly dinners alike.

One thing’s for sure. Your companions for tonight both love their meat.

You enter the restaurant after bowing to the female staff who points towards Toji's and Ryomen's reserved table. You know you have to calm yourself down once you see both of them since the former texted you a while ago that they arrived a bit earlier than the designated time.

"Yooo, she looks good." Ryomen quickly whispers to his friend, instantly earning a judgmental side eye from Toji.

While you do look good in your white button-down shirt underneath a black and white sleeveless vest, short black skirt, and platform Mary Janes, Toji’s a bit irked about the amount of attention you'll be getting from the Casanova beside him. Not that he'll let Ryomen get his way.

"Uh, hi. Did you wait for long?" You ask, obviously addressing your colleague rather than the musician.

"Don't sweat it. Sit down. I already ordered what you sent me." The broad-shouldered man assures you. As you take your seat before them, you purse your lips and look everywhere but their direction.

Adoring the interior design? Nope. You’re feeling awkward and you don’t know how to start a conversation that includes the three of you. At least there’s tea. You can drink that first as a distraction.

But Ryomen feels like this is yesterday-- high school buddies who have gathered together for a nice little catch-up. Plus, he's friendly and talkative. He gets along with other people quickly. With this, he initiates. "L/n! Long time no see. How are ya?"

His overwhelming charisma startles you a bit, and him leaning forward with his folded arms on top of the table makes you rest your back against the cushion. His cheeky smirk doesn't help to alleviate your nervousness. "I-I'm good. Thanks for asking." Is your simple reply.

"How's work? Godzilla right here told me he works at the same place." Ryomen continues. He nudges Toji's arm as his sharp teeth appear in a mischievous grin. "Does this guy still annoy you like he did back in high school? Just tell me if he does, I'll beat his ass." Ryomen then winks. Still a flirt.

Waving your head, you lightly chuckle. “I mean, as long as it’s not getting in the way of actual work…”

For the entire time Ryomen fishes for information, Toji remains quiet. Almost like… No, he’s clearly observing you. And he’s got you read like an open book.

Do I think this is a good idea? No.

Not only did this punk force me, he’s also acting like a complete retard, getting all flirty and obnoxious about his music career.

I can clearly see her reactions. She’s not having fun at all.

“Don’t know if I said this already, but you’re looking pretty hot tonight~”

“Ah!”

Shit. Hearing that compliment shakes you, making you accidentally bump your tea cup. And there it goes, the warm liquid spills all over your palm and your top. You immediately hiss at the contact, and as if on cue, Toji's eyes widen. His back is off the couch as he says, "You good?"

I know she's not. Didn’t know why I even asked.

“Look at my man being soft…” Ryomen jeers at Toji, emphasizing the last word of the sentence to tease his friend. The former, however, still has his eyes on you like a hawk. “When we were in KaneHigh, you weren’t like that to the ladies! You went straight to bed and rocked their world! Hahaha!” The pink-haired man continues his walk down memory lane.

You now have one of your own eyes closed, rubbing on your reddish skin and looking at the huge stain on your clothes. “Oi. I’m asking you. Are you-”

"Y-Yeah!” Your voice’s a bit too high-pitched to be telling the truth. “I'm fine! P-Please excuse me, I have to use the restroom."

Out of there. Not wasting a single second.

Dammit! You’re such a clutz, Y/n!

Sukuna’s not even doing anything and you’re acting like this!

Calm down. Calm down. Calm down.

Just forget about what happened in the past. Look, he’s just being friendly and accommodating. There’s no need to feel nervous. Think of it like meeting your old friends. You haven’t seen them for a long time, so you have a lot of stories to tell… Yeah. Yeah, you should do that, Y/n.

You can do this.

I can do this.

After that encouraging inner monologue, you head out from the restroom while rubbing your hands off the excess water from washing. You have your vest folded and resting on top of your arm, and the slightly drier tea stain on your button-down is now less distracting. But you didn’t have a choice but to open two of the topmost buttons as that area’s still damp.

You suddenly feel a strong aura nearby. Your eyes widen at a familiar figure standing in front of you.

No. You’ve decided already. You’ll go through this dinner without worrying about anything.

“Toji, what are you doing here? I’m fine. Let’s go back alre-”

With one swift motion, he pulls you against his chest by holding onto your right wrist. When your own chest bumps onto his sturdy abdominal muscles, he watches your cheeks flush in bright pink. You can feel a wave of heat radiating from his body-- like it’s some kind of barrier. What’s he planning now? And he actually left Sukuna at the table?

His eyes go straight to the smooth-looking skin revealed beneath your collar.

Heh… You’re really going out there with an undone shirt? Quite brave. For that and for wearing a black bra. He can clearly see the curve of your bosoms, and he’s salivating at the thought of his hands fondling them. Oh, he would take his time to squeeze and touch every corner of your breasts. That cute little black ribbon in the middle of your cleavage may seem innocent, but the plump size of your pair says otherwise.

However, you successfully keep your composure as you furrow your brows. He’s not getting his way this time. Not like his first day at work. “I said let’s go back. And get your hands off me.”

Toji notices your eyes. They look determined and that’s surprising. Honestly, he could’ve stared at your boobs for a longer time if he had a choice. He couldn’t help but to slyly grin, his eyes narrowing in great interest. “Can tell you’re pretty off back there, sweetheart…” His voice sounds dangerously smooth.

You step back once using your left foot. With a short gulp, you defend yourself. “I’m not.”

“Yeah? Then what’s with the surprised faces and the tea cup?”

Okay. He really isn’t getting it.

Not that you expect him to. He doesn’t even know the reason behind your awkwardness, but you do acknowledge that he’s at least sensitive enough to notice your odd behavior. If you could put some points there for him, then fine. You’ll give it to him. Just this once.

If he does know, then it would only make you more confused as to why this even happened in the first place. Judging by how he’s easily offended with you hanging around other guys, he certainly won’t let this meet-up materialize.

You breathe deeply through your mouth. Toji’s eyes are still on you with the same expression.

“Sukuna. He… He courted me back at KaneHigh and I rejected him.”

Ah, there it is.

“And you said yes to the dinner nonetheless?” A raised brow from him makes you do the same, but in frustration. “Because! You didn’t even ask me if I wanted to go. It wasn’t a question, Toji. It was you informing me that I have to go.” As you say this, you notice your voice getting louder so you desperately maintain your calm exterior.

When Toji chuckles in the most casual way possible, you feel the gears in your head spinning. You feel the steam forming inside every brain cell of yours, threatening to push out of your ears.

“Will you let go of me? Why are we having this conversation and why did you follow me all the way he-”

A nervous gasp comes out from your lips as the man pulls you much closer to him, his dominant upper body now bent to accommodate your height, and his free hand touching your meek cheek with such slow movements from his long fingers. He can see your lower lip quivering and that only makes him feel more in control.

“Toji…” Your eyes go wide again upon feeling his hands lower, creeping down the side of your neck and your shoulder.

“I know everything, doll. About him getting with you when we were students…” Now, his hand reaches your slender waist. His vice grip causes the twitching of your innocent face, but you also can’t look away due to his strong stare. You don’t want to lose.

“About you not wanting him just because he’s involved with me…”

There he goes with his hand touching the part right above your ass. Plus, he’s kneading your skin a little bit too tight, as if he’s enjoying that you’re squirming like a helpless sheep before him.

Oh, you’re starting to sweat now. One cold drop falls from your forehead to your cheek. Then, it trickles down your neck. All the way to the valley of your breasts. Your green-eyed colleague seems to be having fun, watching the liquid explore your body-- and him wishing it was his tongue instead. Your chest is heaving up and down and your labored breathing? Music to his ears.

“If you think I’ll give that douchebag a chance again… Think you might be wrong about me, babe.”

What? What is he…

If he knows, then…

“Then why are we here?”

You hold an exhale as Toji warmly breathes in your ear. You can hear his grin widening once again, and that’s the sound of a devil right there. He’s just too much. You have to get a grip with how this guy’s always making a fool out of you.

“The bastard needs us.”

When Toji said Sukuna needs us, I didn’t think it would be related to work. Thought it was something about that mysterious gang I think they’re secretly in.

Turns out, he set this meeting for his friend to brief me about his upcoming third EP. He said he’s going to launch it soon on digital platforms. He’s got a decent following already, but he needs a big gimmick to slice through the cluttered space.

The music industry’s indeed a tough place, so he wants our agency to do his PR.

Toji mentioned that Sukuna’s going to use his own money too. Got it from a shady business or whatever. I knew these guys had a gang… Was it really not my imagination?

Okay, that’s not the point.

This is a good way to move on from the past.

Yeah. That’s a good way of thinking.

“You good now?” After explaining the situation, Toji asks.

“I really am. Stop asking me questions I already answered.” You stay on guard as you’re still in the same captive position. Dammit, can he let go already?

You think I’m gonna let go of you that easily?

You’re really wrong about me then.

His smirk becomes a menacing one, his chiseled features scoping every inch of you. You instantly feel your heart thumping loudly against your weak chest. He then pulls your lower body so your hips would press on his, making your cheeks heat up and turn red. That soft whimper of yours does things to him. And not the good kind.

“If you’re sure you’re alright, then give me a kiss as proof.”

“What?” You’re seriously dumbfounded.

“No… No! What the hell are you thinking?” You add, your head shaking. You’re absolutely denying him his irrational request.

But then he shoots you an intense glare. Like a gun pointed at your forehead. That demonic aura’s back and you don’t like where this is going. Cold-blooded emerald orbs are staring through your very soul. “Give me a kiss or I grope your ass… You choose.”

See what I mean by flexing my skills in this boring ass world? And I’d do it everyday?

Now you know.

“We’re not going back to the table unless you tell me what to do, doll. I mean it.” His voice just goes lower and lower, making you gulp in fear. “Or would you like your high school suitor touching you instead?” That’s certainly a threat and you know it. You’re absolutely not escaping this.

“I…” You blink multiple times, trying to still think of a solution.

I hate you.

Alas, you sigh in defeat as you look away bitterly. “Second.”

Dammit.

The look on your dark-haired predator’s face can be painted in a jiffy-- full of satisfaction and excitement for what he’s about to do. In a flash, he executes a tight hug with you slamming against his wall-like torso. You keep any more noise from coming out as you seal your lips tightly. Your arms fail to hold your balance, your fingers now clinging on Toji’s broad shoulders for support-- all while avoiding his vision to the best you can.

Damn. Your ass looks perfect in this angle. With him more than a foot higher than your petite self, his view from above is how the small of your back’s jutted backwards. That delicious angle your spine is creating is sending intense signals to his brain… And groin. Your round and-- he’s about to confirm it-- soft butt presenting itself to him like a hot meal? He loves it. Hotter than steak on a cast iron plate.

I hate you.

Upon feeling his hand lower itself to your skirt, you quickly close your eyes. You’re positive that Toji can hear your heart yelling from its rapid beats knocking against his pecs. Your exhales sound croaky and broken as he slowly lifts your skirt. He’s taking his precious fucking time doing so. He sees to it that he lets his fingers run on the hem of your panties.

Lace… Must be in the same color and pattern as your bra.

At that, he wastes no time and grabs your right ass cheek with a choke-like grip. As if he wants to tear away your warm skin. He squeezes and plays with it like molding clay. You swear you hear him breathing lowly, a warm wave of air hitting your earlobes like sin. “Fuck…” His scrumptious bed voice sends you to the depths of hell.

You bite your lower lip. Involuntary response.

And then he goes to your other cheek, smacking it first before doing the same treatment on the previous one.

Finally, you break. “M-Mm.” You still get to bite your mouth close so as not to egg him on.

“Feels good, yeah?” Toji teases again. This time, with a kitten lick on the area below your ear.

“Please stop.” You beg after releasing a short inhale.

She feels so good…

But I can do this again next time. Sure of it.

“Fair.” He proclaims his final word, and with a casual shrug he releases you. Without any further comments, he simply turns his back on you and quietly walks away. Normal. Unbothered. Like he didn’t perform such a malicious thing in the narrow corridor.

With a wave from his hand, he says, “See you at the table, sweetheart.”

I hate you, Toji Fushiguro.

_

Once you arrive home from that excruciating “reunion”, you lazily kick off your shoes and let them bounce against the wooden rack beside your full-length mirror.

Safe and sound. And away from that jerk.

You could really use a proper shower after everything that happened.

Next Monday, we have scheduled a formal briefing with Ryomen Sukuna. I already informed Nanamin about this new project via call as soon as I left the restaurant. He said he’s free in the morning, so I also informed Sukuna about it.

Yeah. He gave his number, but it’s all good.

He’s pretty much just a silly guy when it all comes down to it. No intention to-- in his words-- fool around with me. Saw that jerk Toji glaring at him when he said that. As if I care.

Sukuna told me everything about his plans and how he thinks our agency’s the best one to represent him. Apparently, Toji presented him with the company’s credentials during his leave. And he was quite impressed, especially about the Ruinare event.

Oh. And he loves publicity stunts. So he wants to top that campaign. He claims that he would’ve done the same for his previous EPs, but he just didn’t have the time to knack his brains out for a strategy.

And I told him we will. We’ve got a lot of talented people in the agency to make his third EP launch the talk of the town.

With that mental promise, you leave your bathroom in a plain white shirt and black jogging shorts. You’re holding a smaller towel to dry your hair while humming a sweet melody. “Aahh… Nothing but a nice shower to end the day…”

However, this is not the end of your day.

Your phone suddenly rings on top of your dresser. “Hmm?” You tilt your head curiously at the device when you approach it.

The hell is he calling for now?

Deciding to pick it up, your brow knit together due to the silence.

What, is he pranking you now?

“Oi. I don’t have the time to play with you…”

Faint breathing.

What the…

_

This is what had happened.

Toji admits to himself that he feels a bit exhausted after spending an entire day with Ryomen. That’s why he hits the shower immediately after returning home, splashing cold water on his hot and bothered self.

He needs to calm down. To fucking calm down after finally getting to touch you.

After all these years, he got a little taste. And now, he wants more. He won’t stop pushing until he’s all over your tiny and gorgeous naked body, feeling up every single part with his big and needy hands… Licking every inch of exposed skin with his thick and skillful tongue… And stretching your pussy wide with his monster cock. A myriad of dirty thoughts cloud his brain…

It sure will for the whole evening.

Just for good measure and at least the tiniest ounce of decency, he decides to send you a goodnight text.

After all, the “good man” wants to know if you’re safe. Not a bad move, right?

What should he send? Hope you enjoyed dinner? Message me when you’re home? See you tomorrow?

Who is he kidding? He’s typing literally nothing and he’s helplessly staring at your profile picture displayed on top of your nickname in his contact page.

“Doll face”. You are indeed one-- a small face, bright and curious eyes, long and thick lashes, round and pink cheeks, short dark hair (just the way he likes it on girls), curved and supple lips, and a humble jawline.

Toji is doomed. He instantly remembers himself groping your ass earlier at Ikunari. It’s the perfect size for his giant palms. He captured the entirety of one cheek, its creamy flesh spreading its warmth on his calloused fingers.

Clearing his throat desperately, he feels his pants suddenly tightening. He’s getting hard-- and fast. How easy for a man like him to weaken at the sight… And at the feel of you.

Toji’s eyes become half-lidded as he uses your photo to create a fake scenario in his messed up head.

He grabs onto his aching crotch, an immense grip meeting his length. “Fuck…” He whispers like a damned prayer, still staring at your face from the screen. He bites his lower lip as a clearer picture forms in his mind-- you completely naked and on all fours, your shapely back arched towards his manly hips, your lips pouting while waiting for his impending attack, and him kneeling before you with his massive dick out as he rubs its wet and angry red tip along your soaking entrance.

Toji even hears you pleading.

“Please put it in me…”

His imagination’s running wild.

With a lip bite and a low groan, he begins to please himself, rubbing the pre-cum forming on his mad tip. “Mmm… Haahh…” He licks his slightly dry lips now, his heavy breathing reverberating inside his unlit bedroom.

The thought of having sex with you sends him into overdrive. The hand covering his brick-hard cock quickens its pace. And due to the intensity, he drops his phone on the bed. But then it continues to bounce off the sheets and onto the floor. Before it hits the carpet, the screen accidentally touches the edges of his laptop bag.

Little did he know, the area that the bag fabric touches was the ‘call’ button.

Thus, we’re back to where we are now.

From the other line, you continue to unintentionally listen to the rustling of cloth and your officemate’s endless moans and groans. The darkest shade of blush paints your hot cheeks, and you also cover your mouth in distress. It’s like you’re listening to an unreleased track that should never have seen the light of day.

“Fuck… Y/n…”

What?

Is he really…

You’re certain that this is the first time you heard your name come out from Toji Fushiguro’s lips.

And what better luck that you hear it when he’s proudly relieving himself while thinking of you.

Now, all you can do is gasp and drop your own phone.