☆

☆ right from the start, he’ll take your relationship very seriously

☆ it’s not some temporary fling to him, he intends to spend the future with you by his side

☆ he’s an all-over friendly guy yet tough when he needs to be, but for you, he’s completely gentle, treating you like the most delicate porcelain in his care

☆ he would argue with anyone who even dares to cause you any harm, and if it got to that point, he’d use his fists, no hesitation

☆ at first, he’s reluctant to open up to you about his past as a gang leader in fear of how you’ll view him

☆ but then he’ll realize that being honest with you is the best course for your relationship and he’s so grateful to you for being acceptant of him and his former ways

☆ he's constantly trying his best to better himself for you

☆ he’ll tone down his more violent tendencies in front of you, cook for you as much as he can, buy small trinkets that remind him of you, and give his all in everything he does so he can show off to you

☆ he’s very affectionate with PDA

☆ he’ll take your hand in his, touch the small of your back, swing an arm over your shoulder or around your waist whenever and wherever he can

☆ every small touch is filled with so much love and devotion as he looks at you like a blind man setting his sight on the world for the first time

☆ he always insists on paying for dates no matter how much you want to split the bill

☆ because he wants to show that he's a reliable boyfriend capable of taking care of you

☆ talking about your plans for the future together, life goals, your dreams, possibly marriage and starting a family, if that’s what you wanted 

You've heard the same story too many times to count. Two people finding each other, guided by the compasses tattooed on their wrists. Both soulmate marks coloured with the same shade of their destined lover's hair. A mysterious force pulling them together when they were on the brink of meeting, connecting them like magnets. 

No matter who told you what, each story was a similar variation of the other, ending in the same results. They never spoke of the arrows on their marks going haywire from one direction to another.

Yours was broken. You were convinced it was. Compasses didn’t spin around hectically, after all. Or maybe you were the one that was broken. You've never once felt that magnetic pull no matter how many times you sought it out.

You glanced down at the imprint on your wrist, mapping out the details of the circular emblem, tracing its outline. It was a dark shade of pink, vibrant and unique. Too bad you’d never see its colour on the hair of your imaginary soulmate.

Three minutes had passed. Unaffectedly, you watched as the arrow shifted gears from east to west in the blink of an eye. No human could have travelled fast enough from one location to another like that. Unless they teleported. You scoffed disbelievingly to yourself, passing by the crowds of people and brigades of stores on the streets of the city.

As if that was possible.

 No matter how many times you tried, all the moments you ran and forced your aching feet to push forward, three minutes was all it took. Three minutes until the arrow changed its course. 

 At a certain point, you no longer followed the map fate laid out for you. You were exhausted, tired of believing in something that might not be real. What was the point when no one would be waiting at the end of the trail?

You weren’t destined to meet anyone. It was cruel, unfair, that you were even born with a false sense of hope attached to your skin when everyone else was guaranteed a fated encounter.

Everyone else ventured through life by themselves until they reached their destination. Everyone else found their soulmate. Nobody else had a broken compass like you. Nobody else would be alone in life like you.

A shoulder rammed into yours, breaking you free from your thoughts. The blurred silhouette of a person brushed past you without even looking back to apologize. You stuck out your arm, reaching to grab onto whomever it was that ran into you to tell them off.

That’s when you felt it. A tug on your outstretched wrist that jolted you down to the core, pulsing through your veins and singing your blood with electricity. You'd forgotten all about the rude stranger within a matter of seconds.

You glimpsed at your pink compass, sucking in a long hiss of breath as the arrow pointed at the entrance of a shop you stood outside of. A bookstore, you noted.

For a long moment, you didn't know what to do. You remained frozen on the sidewalk until the tug on your wrist intensified, coaxing you to go inside.

Taking a hesitant step forward, you shakily opened the door as you followed fate's directions for the first time in a while. It was stupid. So stupid that you were willing to disappoint yourself once more. And yet, you believed in that small sliver of hope that sparked in you.

Your compass guided you past aisles and shelves of books, the pull on your wrist growing stronger with every step you took. You picked up your pace, your heart thumping louder with each second that passed. That tiny sliver of hope you felt was swelling as you drew closer to your destination.

You saw it. Dark pink hair shining under the fluorescent lights, belonging to a boy who stood on the farthest corner of the store. Vibrant and unique. He looked up when you stopped a few feet short from him, his green glasses reflecting the pages of the book he held.

"Hi," you announced, holding your hand out for him to shake. You introduced yourself, trying desperately to calm the jittery feeling in your stomach. It had to be him. “Nice to meet you.”

At first glance, he seemed stoic, indifferent to your sudden interruption. But as he took your hand, you felt that magnetic force linking you two together. The mark on his wrist was coloured the same shade as your hair, its arrow pointing right at you.

'I'm Saiki Kusuo.'

You didn't question how you were able to hear him in your head despite the fact he hadn't spoken out loud at all. He looked like a normal person, but there was something different about him that you couldn't quite put into terms.

"Do you know how to teleport?" you blurted out.

The look in his eyes suggested that he already expected what you would ask.

The festive chatter around the bustling shrine seemed like numbing murmurs enclosing in on you. You clapped the palms of your hands against one another, the familiar chime of bells ringing through your mind despite the stillness of its golden metal hanging above your head. On the first day of January, you usually had no trouble asking for your goals and aspirations to come true. But what were you supposed to pray for when you were satisfied with everything you already had?

You closed your eyes shut in concentration. Two years ago, you wished for the second chance you got with Kusuo to work out better than the first, and for both of your mothers to become less meddlesome. Last year, you requested to be given the motivation and willpower to finish your final semester of college, and for Kusuke to be less annoying.

This year, it was enough for you to hope that your future days with your loved ones would be just as fulfilling as the previous ones. You bowed once, your eyelids fluttering open to the sight of the wooden offering box before you.

‘Are you finally done?’ Kusuo’s thoughts echoed into your head. You met his gaze, his stoic expression contrasting the amusement glinting behind his green glasses. ‘It took you long enough. I thought I was gonna have to wait until next year for you to finish up.’

“I should’ve asked for my boyfriend to be nicer to me,” you retorted, crossing your arms with a playful scowl stretched over your lips. The two of you strolled past the line of people waiting to have their prayers heard, heading to the booth selling sacred lots.

‘And I should’ve asked for you to pray faster.’

You let out an exaggerated huff. Kusuo wittily responded to every comment you threw at him as you bickered lightheartedly, even when you both received the strips of fortune in your hands.

“I don’t know why I'm even arguing with you when you’re still gonna make fun of me all the time.”

‘You make fun of me all the time too.’

“No, I don't," you mumbled, already losing interest in your banter as you glossed over the words typed on the paper you held. "Only sometimes."

Future blessing.

“Not bad, but it’s a little underwhelming,” you muttered nonchalantly.

'You don't have the right to complain. Your fortunes are always better than mine,’ Kusuo remarked, glancing down at his own lot. His face showed no inkling of emotion revealing what he read.

“Whatever. It's not like they're guaranteed to come true anyway."

Kusuo rolled his eyes, replying in a dry tone, ‘Yours usually do.’

Did they really?

‘Yes.’

You recalled a memory from last year when your slip of luck told you to expect a new residence. Months later, not long after you both graduated, you and the pink-haired man by your side moved in together to your current apartment.

The year before that, you were promised a lasting relationship. Ever since then, you’ve been with Kusuo, spending your days with each other, overcoming obstacles and reaching milestones together.

"Those were just coincidences," you assured, although you were hardly convinced of your statement yourself. You skimmed through the rest of the page, reading hastily before stopping to stare at a singular word that caught your attention.

Engagement was engraved, foretelling of a marriage proposal that was soon to come.

Your cheeks bashfully grew warmer as you shoved the slip into your pocket. "We should get going," you announced louder than you cared to correct, causing the people around you to stare at your sudden outburst.

'Sure,' Kusuo agreed, tucking his strip of paper away.

"You're not tying yours up? What, did you get something good this time?" you inquired eagerly with raised eyebrows. Kusuo nodded, his lips curving up in a smile that was evident only to you.

"That's shocking. I thought God hated you."

'Not this time, apparently.' His grin grew wider as he gazed at you. An unknown secret was hidden under the sparkle of his eyes.

"What did you get?"

'I can't tell you.'

You scoffed, tilting your head to one side as you demanded, "And why not?"

'You'll find out soon enough.' Kusuo took your left hand, lacing your fingers together with his. 'Let's go home.'

☆ He cares a lot about your well-being

☆ Whenever he finds you neglecting to take care of yourself, he’ll scold you on how your disregard could negatively affect you in the long run

☆ He’s very observant, so he easily notices all your quirks, interests, personality traits and insecurities without you even telling him

☆ He wants to know everything there is to know about you, but he'll respect your boundaries if you felt uncomfortable opening up to him about anything

☆ He soaks in every bit of information you say about yourself, embedding it into his memory like the ink of a tattoo engraved on skin

☆ He’s super proud of you and will brag about you to anyone at any chance he gets, listing all the things he loves about you

☆ He understands you so well, that he always gives you the best gifts and sets up the perfect dates based on your preferences

☆ Whether you want to have an exciting night out or a relaxing day at home, he’ll provide you with a very comfortable experience

☆ He remembers all the events that are meaningful to you and prepares for them at least a month in advance

☆ He talks to you more than he usually does, even going so far as to share his unhappiest memories because he trusts you more than anyone else

☆ But he finds himself enjoying whatever you have to say a lot better, no matter how stupid or unimportant you think it is

☆ He never interrupts you midsentence, but he’ll cut off anyone who talks over you, just so they can get a taste of their own medicine

☆ He’s so grateful for you, he’ll go through so many lengths and past his limits to help you with whatever you need

☆ He pushes you to be your best self, giving you the confidence and emotional support you need

A joyous harmony of carols vibrated through the quiet night before Christmas. The sky overlooking the streets was tinted with a gradient of dark blues, clear of any shadowing clouds. You leaned against the railing of your balcony, watching the round moon shining white against your dim surroundings.

Wistfulness flooded your mind as you mulled over what your boyfriend could have been doing at that same moment. You understood that you both had to spend time with your respective families, but that didn’t stop you from longing to be with him during such a special holiday. At least you had the chance to meet up with him on Christmas morning.

The moonlight illuminated the outline of a dark silhouette floating in the sky, catching your attention as soon as it reached the corner of your eye. As far as you knew, your boyfriend was the only person who could break the laws of gravity.

“Is that Kusuo?” you voiced your thoughts out loud.

The figure stopped midair as though it had heard you, disappearing and reappearing with the blink of an eye. Kusuo stood before you, donning a rather festive outfit. You had already grown used to his teleportation abilities that his abrupt appearances out of thin air no longer surprised you, but you were curious to know what he was doing out in the middle of the night.

“What were you doing up there?” you wondered, pointing up at the moon where you had seen him vanish from.

‘Running an errand,’ he answered flatly, as though it was very normal for a teenage boy to fly around on Christmas Eve, all while wearing a Santa suit.

“Looking like that?” you retorted, eyeing his red attire.

‘I had to take over the role of Santa.’

He must’ve been talking about the promise his father made to act as the bearded old man for the children in the neighbourhood. Kusuo nodded in affirmation.

‘I just finished all my tasks, so I’m heading home now,’ he explained.

“Do you want to stay here for a bit longer?” you asked timidly. “I think it would be nice to spend time with each other right now. But you don’t have to if you would prefer to go home,” you babbled, twiddling your fingers in nervousness.

‘I’ll stay here.’

“Are you sure?” you queried. “You probably want to spend time with your parents since it’s Christmas Eve after all.” He should’ve been spending the occasion with his family no matter how badly you wanted to see him. You mentally cursed yourself for even making a selfish request.

‘I’d rather be here with you,’ Kusuo asserted, aloof as ever. His softened gaze was the only indication of his genuine feelings of adoration for you.

Your face grew warm in embarrassment, contrasting the cool winter breeze that brushed your exposed skin. A sudden jolt of confidence overtook you, eager to make the most of your time together.

“So Santa, is there something you wanna give me?” you questioned, batting your eyelashes at him playfully.

The corner’s of Kusuo’s mouth twitched up, amusement glinting in his eyes. ‘Now that you mention it, I think I do have something here for you,’ he remarked. A box enveloped in gift wrap emerged out of nothing, held loosely on his fingertips.

“You shouldn’t have,” you squealed excitedly, reaching out to take it from him.

‘Wait,’ Kusuo dictated, pulling away. ‘Where’s mine?’ He extended a hand, waiting expectantly for you to drop your gift for him on top of it.

“Um,” you muttered, scratching the back of your neck in guilt. “Your gift is, uh, me.” A shameless giggle you didn’t know you were capable of escaped your lips.

'Stop right there.' he held up his palm, giving you a deadpan look. 'I'm going home,’ Kusuo announced, turning his back to you.

"WAIT, I WAS JOKING," you exclaimed, reaching out to tug on his sleeve. Maybe you should have wrapped his gift earlier instead of procrastinating with the reason that you weren’t going to see each other until the next day.

'Maybe you should’ve.' He snickered softly, facing you once more with a sly smirk on his lips. ‘But I was joking too.’

You pouted childishly, clinging onto the fabric of his shirt to ensure he wouldn’t leave you out of the blue.

“That was mean. Even for you,” you grumbled.

‘My bad.’ Kusuo uttered, gazing at you apologetically. The gentle smile on his face appeased you, his arms circling around your waist to bring you closer to him. 

“You don’t have to go home anytime soon?”

‘No,’ his lulling voice whispered into your mind. Kusuo ruffled your hair, resting his hand on the back of your head as you leaned against his chest.

The spectacle decorating your neighbours’ lawn was glaringly flashy. Vivid lights hung off the roof, radiating a kaleidoscope of colours in the dark sky. The snow blanketed the ground, cascading off the roof and arraying beautifully on top of the decor. 

Christmas Eve was a happy occasion anticipated by many all year long. You were supposed to be delighted, but all you could think about as you ambled behind your parents was the fact that you’ve been dreading your next encounter with Kusuo. Even if your growing anxiousness to see him again betrayed your logic.

Mrs. Saiki welcomed you and your family into her home soon after your father rang the doorbell. Mr. Saiki solely waited in the living room, walking up to you and your parents to start a conversation. Greetings of Merry Christmas were thrown all around the room as you went to stand by the embellished pine tree.

You observed the shiny tinsel lining the furniture, the sparkling ornaments on the Christmas tree, the lavish feast on the dining table and the Elf on the Shelf set as a centerpiece. Eagerly, you looked up as a pair of feet padded down the stairs, only to be disappointed at the sight of Kuusuke. However, you were grateful that he went to talk to the parents instead of choosing to bother you.

The bright atmosphere infected everyone, uplifting their moods, all except for yours. None of them were paying attention to you, too busy enjoying the festivities to notice the humourless expression on your face. Oh, how you desperately wished to escape. Your eyes were trained on the front door, shifting them unconsciously to the staircase every now and then. 

All at once, a figure descended from the second floor. The tuft of pink hair on his head shone under the ambient light, violet eyes glinting against green lenses as they met yours. No one else had realized Kusuo’s arrival as he strode past the happy crowd huddled together. You could tell immediately by the sparkle on his tinted orbs that he was thinking the same thing you were. He smiled, extending his arm out to you.

You forgot about the bright atmosphere around you, the other people laughing gleefully, and your gloomy mood. You even forgot that he was the reason for your conflicted feelings. Stepping forward, you took his outstretched hand.

Darkness enveloped you as you were teleported out of the house. The cold air bit your cheeks, your feet crunching above a smooth layer of snow. You observed your surroundings, spotting a swing set a few feet away. Kusuo seemingly brought you to the neighbourhood playground not far from your house. He pulled his hand back, causing you to instinctively focus on him again. A chill tingled the skin on your fingers where his had left.

‘There’s something I want to give you,’ Kusuo announced. He held his palm up, materializing a box delicately tied with a red bow on top.

Taking it from his grasp, you opened it with a careful tug on the string. You gasped softly as you revealed the snow globe placed inside the box. The one you saw in the mall with the snowman.

‘I knew I had to get it for you as soon as I saw you eyeing it.’

You took the globe by its base, holding it up to admire the artificial snow floating inside. “But I didn’t even get you anything,” you muttered. Your face reflected on the glass, livening up at the smile that adorned Kusuo’s lips.

‘What about the gift you were going to give me last year in your desk drawer?’

“How did you- nevermind,” you sputtered, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “Do you, uh, happen to know what it is by any chance?”

‘Yes. It’s a book I told you I wanted.’

“I was hoping you wouldn’t figure it out,” you sighed, eyebrows knitting together as you frowned. “You’ve probably already read it by now too.”

‘You never threw it away, so no, I haven’t read it yet.’

You were taken aback, eyes widening in surprise at his statement. “Were you waiting for an entire year just for me to give it to you?”

He nodded.

“You shouldn’t have. You’ve probably heard spoilers by now,” you scolded sternly, but the corners of your lips twitched up.

‘I thought it would be worth it.’  The sincerity in his tone melted the last of your hardened exterior. 

You almost lost sight of yesterday’s events. Sucking in a sharp breath, you mustered up the courage to tell him your answer to his question.

‘I know what you’re going to say,’ Kusuo interrupted. ‘And before you do, I want you to hear me out.’

You kept your mouth shut, listening intently to his every word.

‘We’re different now. We’re more grown-up. We know what went wrong, and we’ve learned from it.’ 

You looked down at your present, setting the dome back inside the box and tying the ribbon back in a bow. He was right. You could tell that Kusuo had put in the effort to depend on you more than he used to, and your time apart taught you to be more understanding of his character.

‘This time will be different. If you’re willing to give it a shot.’

You peered up at him once more, thoughts on what you wanted to do and what you shouldn’t crossing your mind over and over again. It was a struggle to find the words to say what you meant.

“I’ll come by tomorrow to bring the book,” you concluded. 

‘Then we could stop by at Cafe Mami right after.’

A grateful smile made its way on your visage as you voiced out, “That would be nice.” You reached out to take his hand, intertwining your fingers together. 

‘Do you want to go back?’

You shook your head, leaning into him. Kusuo’s arms wrapped tenderly around you. A wave of warmth and familiarity that you missed for a whole year of longing washed over.

Your state of consciousness was hurriedly slipping from your body as you slouched tiredly on your neighbour’s couch. A week had already passed since you went to the mall with Kusuo and every day since then, your mother would drag you to accompany her to the house next door. She also made it her mission to get you out of bed at ungodly hours that were too early for your liking.

"You look like you just woke up," Kuusuke remarked. He took a seat beside you, observing your eyes fluttering shut as you stifled a yawn. Probably because you did.

“It’s always a pleasure talking with you, Kuusuke,” you snarked.

"If you like me that much, then why don't you visit more often?” he asked, laughing gaudily at your sarcastic retort, “You don't even come by during college breaks."

"I don't use the school dorms anymore since I rent an apartment now. There’s no need for me to come back here unless there’s a special occasion," you pointed out. Although you were thinking about visiting a lot less if it meant you wouldn’t have to see the blond-haired man as much.

"But still, you should return home more frequently otherwise, Kusuo will get sad again.”

"What does he have to do with any of this?" you wondered. The sluggishness abruptly left your system as you sat up straight, not bothering to hide the curiosity in your tone. Kuusuke grinned slyly as you visibly perked up at the mention of his brother. You shouldn’t have been so excited to talk about him.

"The last time I visited was around summertime. I could guess pretty easily that he was disappointed you weren't coming back for the break."

You couldn’t even bring yourself to pay attention to the rest of Kuusuke’s mindless chatter. The corners of your lips twitched up the slightest bit. You shouldn’t have been happy that he wanted to see you.

A flash of pink hair reached the corner of your eye. Kusuo approached you two, focusing his gaze on his older brother as he thought out, ‘You need to stop harassing people.’ 

“Kusuo, you need to be more open with your feelings or else people won’t know what you want,” Kuusuke advised.

He only glared at his older brother in response. The red tint on the tips of his ears was barely noticeable that you almost missed it.

“Kuusuke, can you help us out?” Mrs. Saiki called out, gesturing to your mom and herself. “We’re going out to buy some groceries for the food we’re cooking tomorrow.”

Your mother commanded you to help set up the rest of the decorations while they were gone after the blond man agreed. The two women left hurriedly, rushing Kuusuke out with them and leaving you alone with your ex.

Kusuo was already lifting and hooking up the decorations on the walls and over the furniture when you glanced at him. You stood up from the couch, ready to help out where needed, even if he could finish faster by himself.

‘You don’t have to help if you know I can do this alone.’ 

You shook your head in refusal, stating, “I’d feel bad if you did everything.”

If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought that it was fondness gleaming in his eyes. Neither one of you said anything else, choosing to work in a comfortable silence you learned to grow used to again since the end of your relationship. It took at least an hour to finish the setup, leaving you tired from the constant moving.

There were still a lot of things that had to be done for the party, you noted, sitting back on the couch with Kusuo beside you. You haven’t even wrapped up the presents you meant to give away.

Your eyes widened in realization as you remembered the gift you meant to throw out, stored in your desk drawer. You tapped a finger to your chin as you deliberated on what to do with it. It seemed like a waste to just discard it. Besides, Kusuo probably already knew what you were thinking about, so you might as well hand it over to him.

Kusuo turned his head around expectantly as he waited for you to voice out your thoughts, but you panicked, deciding to ask him a different question instead, "What were you gonna get me last year?" You were curious to know what he would have given you if you didn’t break up.

A few seconds passed before he responded, 'I bought two tickets for a trip to Okinawa. One for you and one for me.'

You tilted your head to one side, wondering if you heard him right. To say you were shocked would have been an understatement. You couldn’t recall him ever making a gesture as grand as that.

"Why?"

'I thought it would make you happy because we didn't get to spend much time together last year.'

You felt a lump growing in your throat, touched that he cared about your happiness. Kusuo was much more considerate towards you during the last few days that passed, less indifferent than he used to be and more open. He changed a lot- no, he’s always been very caring in his own way. You just failed to see it until now.

Your complexion hardened as you regained your composure. “What’s taking them so long?” you wondered, changing the subject before you could let your emotions get to you.

‘They’re doing it on purpose.’ Kusuo thought.

“Doing what on purpose?”

‘Leaving us alone.’

You figured it was strange that you almost always ended up alone with Kusuo, but your mother would constantly deny your suspicions whenever you asked her. “And why would they do that?” At the back of your mind, you had a vague guess of what their intentions were.

‘They want us to get back together.’

You snorted, throwing your head back against the head of the couch. How typical of your meddling mother. What good was that gonna do?

‘That’s all you have to say about it?’

“What else should I say?” You raised an eyebrow, looking at Kusuo with your arms crossed over your chest.

He leaned over your slumped form, his shoulder barely brushing against yours. ‘If I asked you right now, would you consider giving me another chance?’ You stared at him wide-eyed. ‘Do you want to get back together?’ 

Silence enveloped you, save for the heavy beating of your heart. You found yourself getting lost in his eyes as he leaned in closer to you, gazing at you like a man finding solace after a lifetime of pain. He already knew what you were going to say. You took a shaky breath, your answer tumbling out of your lips unthinkingly, “Y-”

The lock on the front door clicked resoundingly around the room, alarming you of your mother and neighbours’ return. You pulled away from Kusuo as the sound of shuffling feet echoed.

“We’re back. Are you guys done?” your mother beamed, walking into the living room with Kuusuke and Mrs. Saiki trailing behind her.

“Uh, I’m actually feeling pretty tired, so I’m gonna head back.” Standing from your seat, you politely excused yourself out of the house before anyone can protest. You couldn’t bring yourself to look back as you shut the door, ignoring the erratic thumping in your chest.

The marathon of Christmas movies proved to be rather effective in distracting you from the events that happened in the afternoon. You hardly even thought about Kusuo as you laid down on your couch, limbs sprawled all over.

The creak of the front door opening caused you to sit up from your position. Your mother barged in the house, plopping down to take a seat beside you.

 A quick glance at the clock indicated it was already early in the evening. “Took you long enough,” you muttered.

“Well, things might have gone faster if you stayed to help out,” she retorted, causing you to roll your eyes at her playfully. “Did something happen to you and Kusuo while we were gone?”

Suddenly, all you could think about was the look of longing in Kusuo’s violet eyes overflowing into your orbs. You avoided your mother’s question, choosing to confront her instead, “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“What do you mean?” she queried.

“You’re trying to set us up.” Her face fell into an expression of guilt. “And it’s not gonna work,” you continued. She flinched back at the iciness in your tone.

“Why not? Don’t you want to get back together?”

Months ago, you would have agreed in a heartbeat. Even a few hours ago, one year later, you were hopeful that you would be able to rekindle your relationship. You wanted to tell him yes so badly that the word burned on your tongue, itching for you to give in to what your heart wanted.

But you couldn’t just ignore all the times you hid your hurt feelings by his seeming indifference when you were together or belittle the times you spent crying over him after your break up. 

Your lip quivered, mouth going dry as you struggled to give an explanation, “I don’t want the same thing to happen again.”

☆ He usually leaves the planning to you

☆ Honestly, he’ll just go along with whatever you’re happy with

☆ Unless you want to go somewhere that’s inconvenient for him, like a movie theatre

☆ Then he’ll do what he can to get you to change your mind, like showing you an ad for a new attraction or a poster for a nearby restaurant

☆ But if you asked him, he’d prefer something simple and casual

☆ Most of your dates happen out of the blue without much thought due to his preferences

☆ Like going out to cafes, reading at the library, visiting arcades or shopping at the mall

☆ He would be his usual stoic self in public and just follow you wherever you go

☆ And he’ll let you initiate little bits of PDA with him like hand-holding or giving him a small peck on the cheek

☆ His all-time favourite date idea would be staying at home with you because there are so many things you could do together without being bothered by anyone else

☆ Like watching a movie, playing his horrible video games and just enjoying the peace and quiet

☆ It’s also a good excuse for him to be a little bit more intimate with you cause he’s not one to show a lot of affection in public

☆ If there was some occasion like your anniversary or birthday, he’d want to put in a bit more effort into a date

☆ He’d plan for something special but still very lowkey, like a trip to the aquarium, a picnic in the park, or a home-cooked meal he made for you two with a romantic setup

☆ He knows how aloof he can be, even to you, so this is just a small gesture to show how much he cares for you