Nejire's fingers drummed against the table, her usual restless energy bubbling over as she grinned at me from across the booth. The afternoon sunlight streaming through the café window caught the blue in her hair, making it shimmer like the ocean.
"Sooo," she drawled, leaning forward until her chin nearly touched her coffee cup. "You still haven't told me how you really beat up that Nomu thing."
I smirked, swirling my black coffee. "And I still won't."
She pouted, flopping back dramatically. "Ugh, you're impossible! What's the point of dating you if you won't even give me cool hero stories?"
Dating.
The word sent a weird little jolt through my chest.
"Who said this was a date?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.
Nejire's eyes narrowed, and she kicked my shin under the table—lightly. "You literally agreed to a date. In writing. I have screenshots."
"Damn. Exposed."
She giggled, stealing a sip of my coffee before making a face. "How do you drink this bitter garbage?"
"Same way I tolerate you," I shot back. "With patience."
She stuck her tongue out, but her cheeks were pink.
Cute.
After coffee, we ended up wandering through the nearby park. The late afternoon sun painted everything gold, and the air smelled like fresh-cut grass and something sweet—probably the cherry blossoms starting to bloom.
Nejire bounced ahead of me, spinning on her heels to walk backward. "Okay, new rule! We have to ask each other questions. Like, real ones."
"Why?"
"Because!" She huffed. "I wanna know things about you! Like, what's your favorite food? Favorite color? Do you actually sleep, or do you just train all night like some kinda weird vigilante?"
I snorted. "Mochi. Blue. And yes, I sleep."
"Boring answers!" She whined. "C'mon, give me something juicy."
I rolled my eyes but humored her. "Fine. I trained Izuku when we were kids. Taught him how to throw a punch before he even got his Quirk."
Nejire's eyes lit up. "Wait, seriously? That's so cool! No wonder he's such a beast now!"
"Yeah, well. Don't tell him I said that. His ego's big enough already."
She laughed, bright and loud, and something in my chest twisted.
Damn. When did her laugh start doing that to me?
We walked in comfortable silence for a bit, Nejire swinging her arms, me with my hands in my pockets. Then, because I'm brave (or stupid), I reached over and laced my fingers through hers.
Nejire froze.
For a split second, her face went bright red—then she recovered, coughing into her free hand. "W-Wow, Kenjiro, so bold today!"
I smirked. "You're blushing."
"Am not!"
"You are."
"Liar!" She tried to pull her hand away, but I held on.
"Too late. Now you're stuck with me."
She groaned, but her fingers tightened around mine. "Ugh, fine. But only 'cause your hands are warm."
Liar.
Dinner was at a small ramen place near the park. Nejire ordered something spicy enough to make me sweat, while I stuck with miso.
"So," she said between slurps, "what's your deal?"
"My deal?"
"Yeah! Like, why'd you wanna be a hero?"
I shrugged. "Didn't really have a choice. My Quirk's built for it."
She tilted her head. "That's a lame answer."
"Yeah, well, not all of us have tragic backstories or whatever."
Nejire's expression softened. "But you do care. Like, a lot. I've seen you with the kids at the orphanage. You're basically their big brother."
I scowled, shoving a bite of ramen in my mouth so I didn't have to answer.
She grinned, victorious. "Aww, you do have a soft side!"
"Shut up."
"Make me."
I flicked a piece of narutomaki at her. She caught it in her mouth, smug.
Damn her.
By the time we finished eating, Nejire dragged me into the arcade like a woman on a mission, her grip tight around my wrist as she zeroed in on the nearest racing game.
"You're so going down," she declared, already shoving coins into the slot.
I leaned against the machine, smirking. "You do realize I have reflexes faster than this thing can process, right?"
She stuck her tongue out. "No Quirks. Pure skill."
"Skill, huh?" I slid into the seat beside her, fingers curling around the wheel. "Prepare to lose, Hado."
The game started, and within seconds, we were neck and neck—Nejire swerving recklessly around corners, me taking the tighter lines. She elbowed me halfway through, nearly sending me into a digital lamppost.
"Cheater," I accused.
"Innovator," she corrected, grinning.
In the end, she won by half a second.
"HA!" She shot up from her seat, pumping her fists. "Undefeated champion!"
I rolled my eyes but couldn't fight the grin tugging at my lips. "Rematch. Air hockey."
Two hours and a small fortune in tokens later, we'd traded wins across every game in the place—racing, shooting, even dance (which I definitely didn't let her win, shut up).
Nejire was currently trying (and failing) to win a stuffed bear from the claw machine, her tongue poking out in concentration.
"This thing is rigged," she grumbled after her fifth failed attempt.
I nudged her aside. "Move over, amateur."
Three tries later, I snagged the damn thing—a lopsided brown bear with a stupid grin.
Nejire's eyes lit up. "You got it!"
"Obviously." I held it out to her. "Here. A trophy for second place."
She snatched it, hugging it to her chest before gasping dramatically. "Wait. Does this mean you like me, Kenjiro?"
I flicked her forehead. "Don't push it."
She laughed, bright and loud, and something warm settled in my chest.
Damn.
We ended up on a park bench as the sky bled orange and pink, the arcade prizes forgotten between us. Nejire swung her legs, her shoulder pressed against mine.
"Today was fun," she said softly.
I hummed in agreement, watching the sun dip lower. "Not bad for a first date."
"First?" She perked up. "So there will be more?"
I side-eyed her. "You're really pushing your luck today."
She grinned, unrepentant. "And yet, you're still here."
…Fair point.
The silence stretched, comfortable. For once, Nejire wasn't filling it with chatter—just existing beside me, her presence as steady as the sunset.
When did that start feeling so natural?
When it was time to leave, we lingered at the station, neither of us moving to go.
"So," Nejire drawled, rocking on her heels. "Do I get a proper goodbye?"
I raised a brow. "What, the bear wasn't enough?"
"Nope!"
I sighed, but my chest was tight as I reached out, tucking a stray blue lock behind her ear before pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Nejire froze.
For a second, I thought I'd broken her—then she lunged, pressing a quick, firm kiss to my lips before darting back, her face crimson.
"P-Payback!" she stammered, already backing away. "See you Monday!"
And just like that, she was gone, leaving me standing there like an idiot, my lips still tingling.
…What just happened?
Mrs. Tanaka and Aiko were waiting when I got back, the former sipping tea, the latter bouncing like a hyperactive puppy.
"So?" Aiko demanded. "How was the date?"
I flopped onto the couch, throwing an arm over my eyes. "None of your business."
"He's blushing," Aiko stage-whispered to Mrs. Tanaka.
"I am not."
"You so are!"
Mrs. Tanaka hid a smile behind her cup. "I take it things went well?"
I groaned.
Yeah. They did.