Sadaharu

The next gift was a bunny keychain. Hopefully, it belonged to him and he just decided he didn't want it anymore.

Then it was a crystal beaded bracelet in pink and white, with the prettiest charms (stars and, again, a bunny). That one you were sure he bought it, if the packaging was anything to go by. That's when you knew you had to put an end to this. But gently. He's a child and you don't want him to feel rejected and disheartened.

Since then, you've been thinking about what to tell him and how, though the most difficult part is the 'when', because Megumi runs away every time he gives you something, leaving you with the words in your mouth.

-

Ready to go home after another tiring day at work, you rumage through your purse for your car keys and what you find first is a pack of chocolates. You have no doubt it was your not so secret admirer.

Determined, you go to the teachers office, get a hold of the telephone and dial Megumi's father number. It rings three times until he finally answers the call.

"Hello, mr. Fushiguro?"

"Yeah." There's that rough voice you don't get to hear often. The other teachers say one should make a wish whenever he's gracious enough to tend to school matters.

You introduce yourself before anything else.

"Sorry to bother you. There's something I would like to discuss with you about Megumi. It's nothing bad, I promise, but I believe you should be notified. Do you have a moment right now?"

"Actually, no." He sounds as uninterested as he usually looks.

"I see. Maybe another day?"

"Tomorrow when I pick up the brat."

"Oh! Alright, that's perfect, thank you. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

-

Meeting with your students' parents is always unnerving. And it's even worse if they're as big and intimidating as Megumi's dad.

You greet Toji with a polite smile as he enters the empty classroom. Meanwhile, Megumi stays in the hallway listening to Yuji talk about some cartoons he watched yesterday.

"Please, take a seat."

The man can barely fit into one of the children's desk.

"What did he do?" He goes straight to the point.

You clear your throat. "Like I said before, it's nothing bad. Megumi is truly a great kid, very smart-"

"But?"

"But," you repeat slightly less assertive than him, "to put it simply, it seems like he might have a crush on me. It's not an issue! These things happen sometimes and are forgotten sooner or later. What worries me is the gifts he's been giving me. I'm certain he's spending money on them. I was wondering if you were aware of this."

Toji sighs at the same time he runs a huge hand down his face

"He means well." You try appease him, just in case. "This can be fixed without being harsh on him."

"The brat gave you the gifts and told you what?"

"He didn't say anything."

"Of course he didn't." He briefly looks away and lets out a short, dry laugh. "It was me. I got those things for you. He was supposed to tell you that."

You vocalize the longest 'oh' ever to gain some time to process this new information. In all honesty, it's a relief Megumi doesn't like you like that. But now you have a new predicament.

"Are we done here?" Toji threatens to leave.

"Almost!" You do your best to ignore this different type of nervousness you're experiencing. "May I ask why you would send me all that?"

He crosses his arms, avoiding eye contact. "See it as a thank you."

"For what?"

"For that time."

°

Some would agree Toji is hard to miss. Yet he has this ability to blend in with the crowd if he wants to. That's what he does every time there's a school event involving his son: he walks in behind a bunch of other parents, stays at the back during the whole thing, and is probably the first one to leave.

It's sports day at Megumi's school and Toji plans to follow that same routine. He steps into the school grounds and finds a good spot a bit further away from the sea of people.

Identifying his son is quite easy, he just needs to look for a kid with unruly spiky hair. And, if for some reason that doesn't work, he searches for the pretty second grade teacher.

You're incredibly busy organizing the kids, giving instructions, answering questions, securing shoelaces. On a short break, you begin inspecting your surroundings with squinted eyes that widen the moment they meet Toji's. You swiftly turn around and dissappear from his sight, only to come back with Megumi. You crouch down to the child's level and point towards his dad. Toji suddenly feels small under both of your gazes. He very much preferred his son remained unaware of his presence. But that thought changes as soon as Megumi waves a small hand at him. Toji responds with a thumbs up.

That day, Megumi's performance was better than ever. He nailed the bean bag toss, he ran so fast during relay, he pulled the rope with all his might. And, at the end of the event, he went straight to his dad who didn't leave early this time.

°

"Thought the brat wouldn't like to see me there, you know? That he would be embarrassed or something." Toji leans on the tiny backrest as he speaks. "But you did that and proved me wrong."

"I understand, though I can't take the credit." You nod. "Sir, let me tell you there was no reason to think that way. Megumi is very proud of you, I can vouch for that."

Sure, Megumi has never used those exact words, but you've heard him talk about his father with admiration. And maybe you get why. A single parent raising such a lovely kid is, in fact, admirable.

Toji denies it with his head despite his betraying smirk.

"What kids his age care about the most is having their parents' support, and it's important to demonstrate it with actions. I'm so glad you're going through that path and I encourage you to make the most of this time because when Megumi is in his teenage years, he will then be embarrassed about anything and everything." You attempt to finish your speech with a light joke.

"I guess. We'll get there when we get there."

"Yes." You give him another cordial smile. "Well Mr. Fushiguro that'd be all on my part. I sincerely want to thank you for taking the time to come here, and I would also like to thank you for the gifts, they were so thoughtful. Now that I know of your feelings of gratitude, I assure you don't need to send me any more."

"Why?" He frowns. "Does it bother you?"

"No, sir!" You raise both hands in front of you. "But I imagine it's troublesome."

"Nah, besides I'm not doing it out of gratitude only."

"No?"

He squirms uncomfortably. "Can't believe I'm about to say this while sitting on this fu- on this freaking kids chair, but is me who has a crush on you or whatever you called it."

You blink. Your mouth opens and closes again. You have to hurry, you have reply quickly because the longer you stay silent, the more flustered you look.

"I... I don't know what to say." That should do it.

"Just say if you want to grab something to eat with me." Toji frees himself from the seat and walks closer to your desk. "What food you like?"

"Hmm..." The fact that you're even considering accepting his invitation is ridiculous. It's wrong. You shake your head, not only to show your declination, but also to try to physically get rid of the inner voice that's begging you to say yes. "I must refuse."

He throws his head to the side with his eyes closed and a faint smile on his lips. "Can't say I didn't see that coming."

You stand up to properly address the situation. "I'm so sorry-"

"C'mon. Don't apologize" He waves a dismissive hand. "I was shooting my shot, that's it."

You both say your awkward goodbyes after that.

-

Megumi goes to your desk to have his classwork checked. As you write marks on his notebook, you hear his quiet voice.

"You like my dad."

You look up from your current task and realize he is starting at your wrist.

"Pardon?"

"You're wearing the bracelet he gave you."

"Oh, yes." You make an effort to sound as nonchalant as possible. "It is very cute, what do you think?"

"I helped him pick it."

"No wonder it's so nice. Thank you, Fushiguro."

"You like him?"

"Your dad?" You focus back on the notebook to finish grading it. "He's really cool, isn't he?"

You definitely could've used better words, but you don't quite regret them when you see Megumi nodding with those big shiny eyes.

"Excelent job, Fushiguro." You hand back his notebook. "Go back to your seat."

Luckily for you, he's an obedient student.

-

Classes are over for the day and you're out there accompanying children while they wait for their parents to come get them.

For unknown motives, today Toji felt like getting out of his car to pick up Megumi, making your encounter impossible to avoid.

"Hey." He simply greets you from a safe distance.

You internally scold yourself for the way your heart jumps at the sight of him.

"Good afternoon." This time, your smile is more genuine than polite.

Toji takes a few steps to close the space between you, and you do it as well. You figure he would like to know how Megumi is doing.

As you are about to reach him, a little girl comes to your side and tugs at your sleeve.

"Teacher, he took my book!" She accuses a super guilty-looking boy.

"It's my turn!"

Sighing, you give Toji an apologetic bow and go settle kids disputes.

He will be okay though, now that he's seen you wearing the bracelet he got you. All thanks to the whiny girl dragging you by your shirt.

And it doesn't end there. Megumi is casually buckling his seat belt when he drops the good news.

"The teacher said you're really cool."

Toji doesn't even fight the smug grin on his face. "Did she now?"

"Mhm." he eyes the spot next to you on the concrete. "Can I sit?"

You move your friend's belongings closer to you to leave more space for him, even though there's plenty. He takes this as a yes and sits with you comfortably.

"So, you were staring at Satoru again."

"No, I wasn't." The fruit in front of you suddenly becomes very interesting.

"You were, I saw you."

"Everybody was looking. You guys aren't exactly quiet."

"Fair enough. But you were looking harder."

You threaten to throw a grape at him before putting it in your mouth, which earns you a chuckle from him. "Did you just come here to bother me?"

"Partly," he is focused on his group of friends in the distance, "I was thinking of something. How about I set you up on a date with Satoru?"

You gasp like the idea is scandalous, and end up choking a little in the process. Geto rubs a gentle hand on your back until you recover from the coughing fit. "Please, stop thinking."

"I'm just saying. Satoru is my best friend, you are someone who I've come to appreciate. I figure I could do you both a favor."

Your head says no in a painfully slow motion.

"It occurred to me," he continues, "we could try a double date? Would your friend be interested? If not, it's fine, it'd be just you and Satoru."

You blink. "Wait, you like my friend?"

He shrugs. It's not a 'no'.

That's changes everything. A date with Gojo is unthinkable for a number of reasons, you'd never dare to agree to it. However, if there's something in game for Geto and your friend, you can't just selfishly decline.

"I could ask her."

He hums. "Are you sure? It was just a silly suggestion. I wouldn't like any of you being uncomfortable."

"No! I mean, it's a bit surreal but I guess it'll be fun."

There's the pleasant sound of his laugh. "Don't tell her it's a date. I won't tell Satoru either. It feels more natural that way."

"Got it."

He stands on his feet and brushes the dust off his uniform pants. "I'll text you to plan the details."

"Don't you need my number for that?"

"I already have it." He's leaving by now but turns his head just to give you a smile. "It's on our class group chat."

Your friend is back not much later and sits where Geto was a few moments ago.

"What did I miss?"

-

Geto and you decided to go to a place where you could chat and get something to eat. When you and your friend arrive, the boys are already there. Geto calls your name the second he spots you, acting like he is surprised to see you there.

"What a coincidence." He lies.

"You're here for the milkshakes too?" Gojo excitedly points behind him where his sweet treat is being prepared.

"Yes-"

"We should try a weird flavor this time." Your friend tugs at your arm.

"Hey, why don't you sit with us? The more the merrier." Gojo is the one to propose, to Geto's relief. "You think the others would like to come?"

-

Shoko, Nanami and Haibara join you in no time. You all seem to adjust well as the conversation gets interesting. It goes to show that you're not all that different from each other. Your friend takes a sip of her milkshake and lets out a low 'yuck' right after.

"What?" You poke her cheek.

"It's terrible."

You offer her your own milkshake and she gratefully accepts it to get rid of the foul taste. You venture to drink hers, despite her warning. And it's a mistake. Your face twists on your first and last try.

"Too bad?" Geto's question would've got lost in the background banter if he wasn't sitting right across from you.

You nod.

Just like you did with your friend, he pushes his drink towards you. "Wash it down."

On a different occasion you would hesitate but in this case you prefer to make the most of his kindness. One sip immediately makes it better.

"Thank you." You give his drink back, alleviated because the bitterness on your tongue is gone, and because he no longer has to keep his attentive gaze on you.

Geto brings the infamous milkshake close to his nose. His face doesn't contort like yours did, but his eyes narrow.

"I'm getting you a new one."

"Geto!" You slap your hand on top of his the moment you see he's about to stand up, but remove it right away like it burns.

"It's Suguru." He corrects with the faintest of smirks.

"Sorry... Suguru. I... no, thank you, I can buy it myself but I don't need another one, really."

"What if I want to treat you? It's either that or we share mine." He tilts his head. "I don't mind any."

It seems like he means it. You look to your side where your friend is and then back at him. And it clicks. He should've told that to her but he's most likely pretending to pay more attention to you to get her to notice and make her realize she wants that attention for herself or something like that. It makes a little bit of sense. You can help with that, although sharing drinks would be too intimate and that might complicate things for him. The other option it is.

"Cookies and cream." You wink at him now that you understand his plan.

He winks back. "I'll be right back."

-

You mention your friend at any given chance. When somebody talks about sports you brag she was a cheerleader in middle school. When somebody talks about videogames, you brag she always wins first place in mario kart. When somebody talks about Suguru's hair, you brag she's so good with french braids.

"Aw, really? I love braids but mine is too short." Shoko laments, holding a strand of hair between her fingers.

"No, it's totally doable!" Your friend says. "Want me to try?"

"Sure."

"What about you?" Suguru asks you. "Can you do that too?"

"She's taught me a little, but I'm nowhere near her level."

"Sounds like you need practice. My hair is available for that, you just have to promise to be very careful."

"That's the problem," your friend complains, "her braids are too loose because she's too careful."

"Works for me." Suguru assures.

You feel like you're about to stutter out a reply, luckily, Gojo speaks next.

"You guys can be our stylists! For our rock band."

"You have a rock band?" Your friend is as surprised as you.

"No." Everybody answers slightly out of sync.

"It's in the making." Gojo defends.

"Does that mean you all play instruments and such?" Curiosity is evident in your tone.

"I'm going to be the manager," Shoko shrugs, "so I don't have to worry about that."

"Thought you were going to say vocalist for a moment there." Suguru breaths out like he's relieved, while the others struggle to stifle a laugh.

Unimpressed, Shoko sends a fry in Suguru's direction, but Gojo catches it with his mouth before it reaches its target.

"You guys are so mean." You shake your head. "Shoko has a nice speaking voice, I bet she can sing."

"Thank you!"

"Well, the problem isn't her voice..." Haibara rubs his nape.

"It's the lack of skill." Gojo is tactless as expected.

"She'd be skilled as a manager," Nanami advocates for her, "that's what matters."

"Unfortunately they're right, but my passion makes up for the 'lack of skill'" Shoko quotes in a mocking voice.

"You could be a rapper, then." Suguru suggests after being the one starting this mess.

"And you could be the lyricist!" Your friend points at you.

"Oh?" Suguru raises his eyebrows. "Is that your thing? Are you our generation's poet?"

"No at all, I'm just good with rhymes for some reason."

"Well, I am talented poet," Gojo butts in, "so you'll have to send your lyrics to me and see if they get my approval."

"Of course not. I'm sending them to the manager."

"Write the best lines for me, please." Shoko plays along.

The discussion continues. They're trying to decide who plays what. Gojo claims the guitar, Nanami is debating whether they should include a keyboard, Haibara is indecisive. But nobody is talking about an integral part of their imaginary band, so you have to do it yourself.

"What will Suguru do?"

Gojo puts an arm around his best friend's shoulder, "Suguru and I are the visuals."

"I can see it," your friend comments, still fixed on Shoko's hair, "but honestly everyone on this table is pretty good looking."

Disaster arises once more. Shoko is flattered, Haibara blushes, Gojo says they have the face but not the attitude, Nanami argues their personalities are good enough. Meanwhile, Suguru is staring at you, with his chin resting on his palm.

"So? Any instrument you want to play?" You ask him, ignoring whatever is happening with the others.

"Mhm, the recorder."

You snort.

-

The group is even more chaotic in the arcade. All of you show off your abilities in some games and make a fool of yourselves in others. It's all fun, regardless.

You press every button available in a desperate attempt to beat your friend's character on the screen. Sadly, she's faster and soon your character is knocked down on the ground. She celebrates while you sulk.

From your peripheral you see the person you were thinking about.

"Suguru!" You call as you wave your arm.

When he makes it to where you are, you give him your place.

"I believe my friend needs a worthy opponent and I'm not it. You should play together."

"Or I could help you." He offers. "I can tell you how to play."

"That's cheating!" Your friend whines.

He does some quick arm stretches for intimidation purposes, maybe. "Fine, I'll do it, but watch closely." That was directed at you.

The battle starts. At first you were convinced he was going to let your friend win, but he's not going easy on her. She curses here and there, he snickers and says something back. The game ends with Suguru's victory.

"Were you watching?"

"We're not done yet." Your friend gives him a piercing look. "Let's play another round."

He accepts.

You leave in the middle of the rematch. Now it's up to those two to make it work.

-

Suguru's first mission is to find Haibara and give him the two coins he's been saving for him, behind Nanami's back. The second one is to find you.

He's not surprised to see Haibara in the ufo catchers area. What he didn't expect, though, was seeing you there as well, practically hugging the machine his friend is using as you guide him.

"There."

Haibara listens to you and presses the button. The claw moves, it grabs the item he so much wants, it comes closer, you're feeling optimistic, and... it falls before making it to the prize chute.

He sighs disappointed. "So close."

"I'm sorry, that was my last coin. But at least you're getting better at this."

"Thanks-"

"I have two." Suguru is behind you. You didn't even notice when he got here. "Though Nanami won't be happy about it."

Haibara initially refuses, telling Suguru to spend the coins on something else, but eventually gives in and tries again.

Suguru stands on the other side of the machine. Now you're both guiding the youbger boy. This attempt is better than the last one, still, it's not enough. It goes the same way with the next one. However, there's not time to grieve.

"I knew you'd be here." You and Haibara get startled by Nanami's sudden presence. "Thought you wanted to quit your addiction."

"I'm not addicted! I just want to win once, I can't let it beat me."

Nanami frowns at that, but after some thought, he reaches his pocket and hands Haibara a coin. "It's not healthy to get obsessed over these things, they're up to not good, they steal from you. That's why you're getting just one coin from me. If it doesn't work, know that you tried your best and move on."

Haibara nods more determined than ever. He goes for it one last time. His eyes are focused as he maneuvers the claw, the tension is palpable. You notice Nanami clenching his jaw. He's more invested than he would admit.

"Why are you partying without us-"

Nanami turns around to shush Gojo who just arrived with Shoko and your friend.

Haibara blows out some air and presses the button, this is it. The claw descends at an almost flawless angle. It grips the prize like before, it moves, looks like it cannot hold it for much longer. Everybody waits with bated breath. The toy sways up there in the air and then it falls, right into the prize chute. You all erupt in claps and cheers and congratulate Haibara like this is a life changing event.

-

The whole crew heads to the subway station, ready to go home after spending a fun day with little worries.

"You barely talked to Satoru." At some point, Suguru and you end up walking side by side. Perfect opportunity for him to touch on the subject without the others listening.

"I talked to everybody. They're so cool by the way."

"Yes, but I imagined you'd be over the moon with Satoru around, stick by his side the entire day. Maybe you would bat your eyelashes at him..."

You puff out your cheeks to stop you from grinning. "You did not imagine all that. And I could tell you the same thing."

"It's not me who's always stealing glances his way, or getting flustered whenever he's near."

"I don't..."

"You really do. It's because of him, right?Because you like him. Or am I wrong?"

It's the way he phrases it, the way he emphasizes the last question, that finally makes you realize what's going on. He's known the truth all along. And you're so gullible for believing you could hide it from him of all people.

Suguru is just there watching you with that calm expression of his, patiently waiting for your answer.

"Yes." You admit.

"Yes what?"

"You're wrong."

"And why is that?"

"Because..." you waver, "I don't like him, I like you."

Silence settles between you two, but his eyes never leave you.

"I was hoping so."

A frown appears on your face. "That's not fair. You want to date my friend but also want me to like you?"

"You're pretty observant except when it comes to me. I'm a little wounded." It's a lighthearted comment, you can tell by the small curve of his lips.

"You're impossible to read, you know that, right?" You give him a timid push with your elbow. "Tell me, what am I not seeing?"

His gaze is even softer now, it traces every corner of your face, until he speaks again. "That I like you. And I want to date you."

Your chest tightens at that, you feel goosebumps, your body tenses, you get your hopes up against your will. Your brain is plagued with many questions, or none, or one: what was the meaning of today's 'date'? And apparently he knows what's on your mind, because he gives you an easy explanation.

"I thought it'd be easier for you to accept going out if other people were involved."

"...I see." Since the confession is out there, you might as well keep telling him how you feel. "I would've said yes... you know, if you had ask me out."

"Is that so?" He chuckles. It's a sound between contentment and regret. "I wasn't so sure about that. Guess I was nervous."

"Nervous? I'm sorry but that's hard to believe. You always look so composed and confident."

He stops walking and you do the same as soon as you notice.

"Suguru?"

"Would you lend me your hand?"

You don't leave him hanging. You put your hand on his inviting one. He holds it gently as he takes a step forward to close the distance between you. Then he places your hand over his chest and you can feel it: his racing heart.

Your other hand goes to your chest to compare your heartbeats, in the chance that counts as a reliable way of measuring feelings.

Suguru can't help but smile, being aware of your reasoning. "Are we on the same page?"

"Do you... really like me?"

"Very much." He lowers your hand without letting go. The city noise, the voices of your friends, become quiet in your ears. You're too busy staring at each other.

"Let me take out. What do you say? Just us two." His grip on your hand tightens for a brief moment, like he needed to do it to steady himself.

"Okay."

Suguru throws his head back and his shoulders vibrate with a silent laugh. He's thankful you haven't changed your mind about him but your simple 'okay' after all the tension is too humorous at the moment.

"Sorry, I'm nervous too." You confess not being able to hide your own enjoyment.

"No, no, it's perfect. I wanted to hear that."

"On one condition, though."

"Oh?" He can already sense the unseriousness of your request. "Let's hear it."

"Play the recorder for me."

"Would that make you fall helplessly in love with me?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Looks like I have no option. Be ready to listen to the same two songs on repeat."

"Sorry, sorry. I'm ready now."

"Gojo," you stand up from the couch, "are you not going to tell me anything about this? How is it done? Is it dangerous? Is it possible for a normal person like me?"

"I'd love to answer all your questions but for now, it's better if you just close your eyes, okay?"

"Okay." You do as told. "I'm trusting you."

"Thank you!" There's mischief in his voice. "Don't open them until I say so."

You brace yourself and, shortly after, you sense it. Movement. A shift in the air. Against his instructions, you open your eyes, and discover that you're still in your living room, on the exact same spot. The sole difference is that Gojo is now a few inches away from your face, looking down at you with his blindfold half removed. Your breath hitches. It feels like you stare at each other for a second too long before he takes a step back.

"That wasn't the deal." He whines, seemingly unaffected by your little moment. "You had to wait until I could show you... this!" He holds a small plastic rectangle.

"A credit card?"

"My credit card! We're getting train tickets!" He throws his arms in the air, enthusiasm fitting for the good news. "My treat."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll travel by train to meet your guy instead of teleporting! Isn't that great?"

You put your hand on your chest, insulted. "Have I been scammed? I was promised teleportation."

"Awww you baby," he coos, "you really wanted to try that, huh? Sorry, long distances are complicated, besides I can't even touch you, how would I bring you with me? I could use a circle but the damages... "

"What circle? What damages?"

"And as a matter of fact you were not promised anything."

"... Why mention it, then?"

"So you know the awesome things I can do."

°

Gojo stretches his arm towards you and fakes a sob. You make your lower lip quiver to play along. A whole scene on the train just because you have to sit on separated rows; disadvantages of last minute reservations. It had to be done today, though, on your free day, unless you wanted to wait another week. You'll make it back by evening, which is exhausting but it works for you.

Of course you are aware the entire things is ridiculous. You were so ready to refuse, to call it quits. Gojo going through all this for silly reasons didn't feel right. But that was before you realized he was rather excited about the little trip, saying how long it's been since he last visited there and gushing about this shop with top tier sweets he's been missing. You wonder how he knows there's still someone for you in that place. You wonder many things about him, actually. Especially now that your view is the back of his head, where he is sitting two rows up. What's up with his spiky white hair? It's the blindfold, sure, but why does he wear one? Why does he say he can teleport? And why do you believe everything that comes out of his mouth? If he told you he can talk to rocks, you'd accept it as a fact. You're even traveling with him. You don't think you'd do it if it were with someone else. Or maybe your survival skills are nonexistent.

Too much on your brain. You decide to use this time to check your camera. You brought it with you just in case things don't work out with the anonymous guy and you have the chance to wander around and take some photos. It's not every day you go out of the city. Once you've adjusted the settings on your camera, you point it at the window to test if you can get an interesting picture on a moving train. But something else catches the corner of your eye: Gojo kneeling on his seat, facing you, elbow on top of the backrest and leaning his head on his hand. You direct your camera at him instead. He poses with a peace sign and you click the button. It's hard not to smile when you look at the result. Good thing your camera captures him just fine. When you look up again, you see Gojo fixing his hair with the blindfold completely gone. The way your heart stutters in your chest is embarrassing. He poses again, first a wink, next finger guns, then he pokes his tongue out. And you make sure to save all of them in your memory card.

°

You feel like a stalker peeking through the wooden fence to get a glimpse of yours and Gojo's next victim. He is in what seems to be his art studio, a room with huge windows. Therefore it's not entirely your fault to get to spy on him so easily.

"He looks like he's still single, right?"

As you suspected it, Gojo doesn't even know if the guy is available.

"Heh it's a joke." He dissmises his last question. "But his side profile isn't. Look at that nose, that hair. He's fine, fine, right?"

"Damn, is that your type?" You wheeze. "I never had chance."

"Who's there?" You hear a sliding door open and soon the owner of the house is watching you with sharp eyes. "Do you need something?"

Out of nowhere, a fluffy white cat climbs the fence that separates you from the man, and meows at you.

"Ah, this is your cat?" He visibly eases up. "She spent the whole morning with me. I gave her a very needed bath, hope that's not a problem."

"You did?!" Thanks to this piece of information you venture to reach up and pet the kitty. She melts under your touch, and your heart does too. "That was so kind, right cutie?"

"I want to pet her too." Gojo begs.

"Come here." You make some space for him and he accepts the offer.

"She must be relieved now that you've found her." The stranger seems relieved as well. "Oh wait, I'll bring her collar."

"Huh? No, no, this is not..." It's too late to stop him, he's already jogging back inside. "Not my cat."

"You have to tell him." Gojo states while having the time of his life with the cat.

"He's going to think I'm a weirdo when I let him know I was stalking him and not looking for the cat."

"Yeah."

"Gojo!" You hiss

"Relax. Once I use my magical powers on him, he'll think your creepy behaviour is actually charming."

"Why do you make it sound like this was all my idea?"

"...So, should I pair you two?"

"Well... sure! That's why we're here."

The man returns with the collar. This time, he meets you completely outside, with no fence in the middle. Gojo figures he can bound you two at the same time. He barely extends his arms to either side and it's done.

"You've got a wonderful face."

The 'magical powers' are truly something to have this friend blurting stuff like that.

He lets out a soft laugh at your puzzled state. "That was too direct, wasn't it? I apologize. Let me start again. As I'm sure you noticed, I'm an artist and I've been meaning to go back to painting portraits but I haven't found inspiration, until now."

"Tell him about the cat." Gojo whispers.

You're flattered beyond belief. You? A source of inspiration? No way. You're giggling like crazy now.

"Would you agree to be my model?" He requests with no hesitation.

"Psst! You don't even live here." Gojo reminds you. "You don't have time for that"

"True. I'd seriously loved to but today is complicated." You explain.

"Of course." The man laughs again. It's so soothing. "Today is too soon, I'm not ready either."

"Can it be another day? 'Cause if that's the case..."

"How about this? If you have a few minutes to spare, we can grab a drink, chat a little, discuss the details and see how you feel about it. There's a cafe nearby. Lili is welcomed there."

You confirm Lili is the name of the cat by looking at the collar.

"Okay!"

°

This guy is great. The conversation with him flows effortlessly. You talk about his paintings, your photographs, the museum. You understand each other well, at least in that area. He even gets it when you confess you feel nervous consuming anything from strange places, and reassures you he's been to this cafe before and it's all safe. The only sad things is that Gojo is missing the fun because he preferred to sit on another table.

"Would you mind if a take a picture of you and Lili?" Your date asks. "That way I could start studying your features."

"I..." you correct your posture and fix your clothes, "I guess, but I should warn you I'm not very photogenic."

"I don't believe it."

He takes out his cellphone. You, on your part, gently hold Lili in your arms. The moment he is ready to get the photo, the cat bolts out of your embrace, pushes the guy's phone in the process, and ends up making herself comfortable at Gojo's table. Needless to say, he gladly receives her.

"She's full energy, huh?" The man's cellphone makes a faint noise. "Unlike this thing, I'm running out of battery. I'll have to study your face from memory."

You both agree to call it a day. Besides, you now have to find the actual owner of the cat.

°

"If we don't find your human you're coming with me, how's that sound?" You get a meow from the kitty. Who knows if it's good or bad.

"You should've left her with your boyfriend." Gojo walks behind you down the street with heavy steps.

"No, he's done enough."

"Oh so he is your boyfriend now!"

"Lili!" A woman at the verge of tears runs towards you. The cat fidgets in your arms and you let her go so they can meet in the middle. It's an emotional scene. The woman leaves after profusely thanking you.

With that solved, this is the prefect time for another fake call. You ready your phone.

"Hello? Am I speaking to my favorite cupid?"

He scoffs "I'm the only one you know."

"Why so dry? I know what's wrong, you're jelous I'm getting a portrait and you're not."

"Yeah. I should get one and hang it in your museum, that way you wouldn't forget about me like you did today."

"Gasp! I so didn't!" That got you effectively worked up. "Not one bit! I promi... why are you laughing? I promise!"

"Alright, alright. I'm messing with you." It's great to see his warm smile again. "And? Everything went well? Anything you want to share?"

"Glad you asked. This friend and I were playing 20 questions to get to know each other, and I had this revelation: I want to try it with you. Can we?"

"I'll dig your deepest secrets." Gojo rubs his palms together. "Any rules?"

"Mmm... just not lying."

"Deal."

"I start. Sweet or savory?"

"Sweet!" He replies in an instant. "Most of the time."

"I figured." You open your purse to reveal some packed macarons you bought at the cafe. "These are for you. I didn't know what to get you but-"

"You..." he sniffles, "you want to make me cry?"

"Is that your first question?"

"Is that your second?"

"That's your second too!"

"Not fair!"

You cackle at his childish pout. "Just take them!"

He puts his hand inside your purse with utmost care. The slight movement you perceive is another proof that he's very real.

"Thank you!"

"Gojo, it's your turn."

"Okay. What is something you've wanted to do but haven't been able to?"

"Hold hands." You answer maybe too fast.

"With who?!"

"I know!" You change your answer. "I want to have a pet. Lili reminded me how much I like them."

"Aw, I think she really liked you. Whose hand you want to hold, though?"

"No, sir. It's my turn." You considered asking this question further into the game. However, later is too late. "How... did you end up like this? Like 'cupid'? What happened to you?"

"That's more than one question."

You don't respond to that, but stare at him with purpose, willing to accept whatever response he chooses to give you.

He exhales loudly. "If I tell you, you have to promise you won't judge me and/or make fun of me."

"Promise."

Another sigh. "Let's say there are these funny little creatures roaming around who are up to not good. And let's say that I, with these very gorgeous eyes of mine, can see them and I have to kill them, yeah?"

You nod, even if you don't fully get it.

"So imagine: I see one of these creatures, and instead of killing... I. Eat. It." He snorts, like he just told the silliest joke ever. "For the life of me I can't remember what I was thinking when I did it. Why did I do it? But never again, trust me."

"You... you mean you ate uh... a creature and it did this to you. It gave you the power of love or...?"

"You're skipping my turn."

"I'm sorry, I really want to understand."

"I see..." he obliges. "I believe that's basically what happened. My guess is that this friend was created out of unrequited love, impossible love, unspoken love, or something complex like that. And now I must get rid of this extra love in my system by giving it to others. Very poetic."

It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not, what matters is that he must be telling the truth. There's another mystery, though.

"And why can't people see you?"

"Mmm... good question. My theory is that this things is eating me back in revenge. Whew, what a naughty creature I'm carrying." He rubs his belly as if he were pregnant, an effort to sound less serious. It's useless, he notes, when you go still.

"Eating you?"

He doesn't know why you'd look so troubled by that, but it stirs something in his chest. "Oh no! I was exaggerating. What I'm saying is that this friend can take my body but if it feeds off love, good or bad feelings, then it is starving inside me. That means I'm safe." He points at himself proudly.

"Why is it starving? Is there not love inside you? You can't love?"

"What? Of course I can! There are lots of people I care about."

"Why did you say it is starving?"

"... Dunno. It just is."

"Because it's not receiving love? You're not receiving love?"

A brief pause, one you would've missed if you weren't so focused on him. "I've been too complacent answering all your questions while you keep ignoring my turn, lady. That calls for disqualification."

"I'm sorry." You don't want to make him uncomfortable, that's why decide finish the interrogation. "I'm sorry," you repeat, "that I'm the one who can see you. It should be somebody else, someone who can understand and help you-"

"Please don't say that."

"But I'll do anything I can. For real, just ask. I'll do it, even if it's super absurd."

He appreciates it. Sadly, artist dude has to be your priority. To his amazement, it seems like the both of you really hit it off. He should be happy about it. That's what he wanted, wasn't it? For you to find love. Gojo's been selective with the people he chooses to bond. Those who deserve it. Those who give a lot but receive little. And to him, you're one of those. He wants to be sure you'll be well taken care of, perhaps that's the reason why it took him so long to pair you with someone. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, he should be happy.

"Thanks. Just don't complain if you end up in prison." He quips. "Actually! I have my first request. Hold this." He's gripping the pack of macarons from one end and offers you the opposite one, which you keenly take. "Observe them carefully and try to guess which one I'm craving the most."

You intend to put all your effort into this first task. Choosing based on color might be a good idea. Once you you think you have it, you look up at Gojo and, surprise. You're suddenly at your doorstep.

"H-how?" You breath out.

"You can't ask more questions, you were disqualified, remember? But if you must know, we teleported! Told you I was awesome."

"You are." You scan your surroundings in awe, still not quite believing what just happened.

"It's been a long day, I bet."

"Yeah."

True. The small trip and the socializing was tiring. Gojo must be exhausted too, even more after doing his best to solve your doubts. A break from you will do him good. However, don't want to say goodbye.

"Guess I'll go inside." You linger. He doesn't say anything and doesn't move from his place. You take your time to unlock the door and, the moment you open it, Gojo stops you.

"Wait. I want to use one of my questions."

You stare at him with curious eyes. "Sure."

"Do you think this time you might be falling in love?"

You didn't see that coming. But you do have an aswer, an honest one, since no lies are allowed in this game.

"Him?!" You whisper back in disbelief.

"Mhm! He's great. He sure needs to learn to use better words to express himself, but other than that he's good. Understanding, wouldn't you say?"

True. He acts like meeting your hygiene standards is a burden, but he does it anyway. He even goes out of his way to let you know. Plus, he's good looking and an amazing cook. It probably doesn't get better thant this.

"I suggest you go for it." Gojo continues. "I think he kinda likes you."

It doesn't matter if he's lying. The decision has been made. You nod.

"Yes? You said yes? Good! This time, I'm starting with you." He concentrates hard. He must feel it, the release of energy. There it is, maybe. Once more. "You should be thankful for my generosity. I'm doing this for you even though you didn't blink for yes."

Obedient as you are, you look at him and clumsily bat your eyelashes.

"Uh..." He feels it, then. There's 'something'. It's working. "You're ready, princess. I'll go get your beast. I mean, prince."

Gojo goes to the kitchen at the back of the restaurant. Not much later, grumpy chef appears with your orders and behind him is handsome cupid sporting a toothy grin.The cook now in the role of waiter sets the table and lingers. He opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. His eyes meet yours for a mere second, enough to turn his cheeks pink. It's endearing, actually. You find him endearing. Gojo really made it work this time. You must do your part.

"Want a sip of my tea?" You push your mug in his direction. Wonderful. What a line. Gojo would consider it worthy of a facepalm. Wait, where is he?

"No. That's alright." Your new love returns your tea to where it was. "Listen... if you trust my food so much, let me... cook for you."

"Huh?" You're honestly confused. "But you already do that. Often."

"Yes. I meant... I can cook for you. Outside of work."

Your friend whistles and that confirms it. It's a romantic offer. Your chest feels warm suddenly. This is happening. You bashfully look at the side, only to spot Gojo at the entrance, waiting for a chance to bid you goodbye. You smile at him as a way to show him your gratitude. Is this it between you two? So bittersweet. You hope you still can see him around, you hope he's soon free and happy...

He blows you a goofy kiss... Oh. Perhaps he shouldn't have, he realizes too late. You're starting at him, motionless, with big shiny eyes, mouth agape. The calm before the storm. Next thing he knows, you're squealing, hugging yourself, and struggling to stay put in your chair. Obviously, you blow a kiss back.

"Didn't know you'd like the idea this much. Should've said it before." Chef is very much pleased by your response.

Gojo is soon at your table. He goes to your friend and does his magic. Gasp. He made them a couple.

"Aw, I'm a little bit jealous." She playfully complains.

"Wait, wait, why?" The man scrambles. "You'll be there as well, right? If not, what's the point?"

What's the point? Are you allowed to feel insulted?

"Frankly, I've been super busy." You inform while getting up. "I guess it'll have to be just the two of you."

You grab bowl of classic ramen, put it on a another table at the corner, go to the counter, ask for another pair of chopsticks and settle on your new spot with your back to the world. Gojo follows you the whole time like a puppy.

"Are you mad?"

"Gojo..." you mumble, eyes trained on your food, "can you help me finish this? I want to go home as soon as possible and take a nap."

"Really?"

"Yes. Or would it look weird? Like noodles mysteriously floating."

He shrugs, already taking a seat in front of you. "Not to my knowledge."

"Alright then. Go ahead."

Gojo swiftly digs in and it's not weird at all. At least not to you. This a normal man enjoying a normal meal in a normal way. Cute. You can tell he likes it, too.

"Wow, big chef is not playing." He points out, about to take another mouthful. "It's a shame he will no longer cook for... " he catches himself before he completes that sentence, but he can sense it, your glower; might as well finish what he was saying, "for you... Too soon for jokes, right?"

No answer.

"Eat, it's gonna get cold."

Nothing.

He pouts. "You're no upset for real, are you? It's... you were not into it and he was. I had to pair him with the other girl! You know that-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I know." Your features soften again. "They make more sense together. What you didn't have to do, though, was blow me a kiss."

"Why not?" He's so nonchalant about it. "It's friendly, very common in many countries. And! You loved it."

You smirk at the memory. "I did. But I'm still single and loveless because of that. Next time, you won't react."

"You shouldn't repress your emotions, that's bad." His index finger is up, as if he were telling you something important. "Also, thanks to all that we can now use our plan D!"

"Plan D?! We're there?"

"D for definitely this one will work out."

°°°

You can't help noticing the guy who's been anxiously pacing around near the reception desk for the past 20 minutes. He stops, scrolls through his phone, sighs, and starts pacing again.

"Excuse me," he finally talks to you, "what time do you close?"

"In half an hour." You offer an apologetic smile. It's late to visit a museum.

The man brings both hands to his head. The poor thing is stressed. At that moment, he receives a phone call.

"Hey! Bad news the museum is closing soon but we can still go to -, really? Oh no. We could reschedule. What? No, it's not fun without you. It's fine, see you later."

He hangs up and scrolls a bit more. He then pulls two tickets out of his pocket to study them carefully.

"Excuse me, again," he presents the tickets to you, "would you like to have these? I won't use them and I don't want them to go to waste. They're only valid for today."

Amusement park? It's not exactly your thing. Does Gojo like them? He wouldn't need a ticket, right? What are you even thinking?

"Hmm... how much?" Perhaps you could resell them to your neighbor and her new chef boyfriend.

"No, it's nothing. Just have them."

He's sweet for this but he must feel disappointed.

"Are you absolutely, a hundred percent certain you don't want to use these and you want to give them to me for free?"

"... Well. I did want to go but my brother just canceled."

"You could go by yourself. I'm sure you'll have a great time. Or why don't you try inviting someone else."

"I don't know... Who?" He takes another peek at his phone and lets out a short nervous laugh. "Unless... wouldn't it be strange if I asked you to come with me?"

What does one reply to that? It would indeed be strange since you don't know each other. How unusual. Or is Gojo behind all this? He has to be, that's the perfect explanation.

"I wasn't serious, of course!" The guy scratches his forehead out of embarrassment. "Don't worry about it. I'll leave the tickets here. Thank you." He turns on his heels, eager to leave.

"I'd like that!" Your abrupt response puts his focus back on you. Hopefully this is the right thing to do. "I'm almost done here. If it's not bother waiting a little more, I can go with you."

His face lights up at that.

°

This guy is an odd one in the positive sense of the word. He was quiet at first, but when you found a topic of interest, he became a chatter box. He's slightly awkward, unintentionally funny, and a bit innocent. You can easily get use to him.

The place is crowded, as anticipated. You trust you can manage. The view is pretty, people are having a great time, and you're with good company. Everything is going nicely until he chooses a ride. How high up there it is and how many times it spins, you don't know. More than you can handle, probably. You tell him that it's better to start easy but it's useless. He knows what he came here for; he must have this whole visit planned out, and you're not going to ruin that.

You get in line. The closer you get to the ride, the more frightening it seems. As minutes pass by, you come up with more scenarios of how things could go wrong. It's not that you're afraid of everything, it's just that you need to mentally prepare for situations like this. Some warm up would've been helpful, too.

"Are you scared?" The man asks. "Nothing bad is gonna happen. Hold onto me if you want."

That's kind of him. Too bad it doesn't calm you down. You simply don't like this ride, you wouldn't ride it even on your best day. You'd accept other attractions but not this one. And now you're shaking. Great.

Despite your current state, you don't miss the distinctive mop of white hair at the front of the line with this girl. Later, Gojo comes to stand next to your new friend and does... his cupid work? Did he get them together?

"That girl over there..." the guy observes, "she's alone and looks as scared as you. Should we call her over?"

"Yeah..."

He grabs the girl's attention and she rushes to where you are. After the man proposes she joins you, she gladly agrees.

"I think it's better if it's only the two of you." You suggests. "I want to check other rides."

"You don't mind?"

Not at all. And neither do they.

You lost track of Gojo, he might've left and you should too. You hurry your steps, it's going to be a long way back home.

"Who would've thought you'd get yourself a date behind my back." There is Gojo, matching your pace, as he's done before.

You smile at his teasing, but the joy doesn't fully reach your eyes.

"You okay?"

Nod.

"Wanna call?" He puts his hand on his ear pretending it is a phone. You do the same with your actual cellphone.

"I... why am I like this?" Exhaustion show in your tone. "There are too many things I can't do. I can't shake hands, I can't eat out without bothering whoever is cooking, I can't come to places like this and have a normal date... It must be so difficult being with me."

Gojo considers that comforting is not his strong suit, however, he's good at telling it like it is.

"Everybody is difficult. Sharing your life with others requires constant effort and patience. But someone like you is worth all that and more..." He rubs the back of his head. "I mean you, and lots of people. People in general. Maybe not all people but you get it..."

"I see..."

He wants to be offended by your lack of enthusiasm but there's a chance he messed up the last part. He's going to have to be more straightforward "It's true! Someone shows you the slightest bit of understanding and you give them so much more in return. In fact, it's frustrating."

You look at him after a while. "Wasn't aware you could say such kind words."

"I know what I'm talking about. You've gone through plan a, b, and c for my sake. Don't deny it."

"...You're worth all that and more."

"Oh you!" He crosses his arms defensively. "Are you making fun of me or are you flirting."

"I'm not making fun of you." You state with a genuine smile this time. The one he wanted to get out of you.

There's a short pause before Gojo decides to express his thought.

"We don't have to keep doing this, you know. Looking for your soulmate or whatever. If you're done with that, we can leave it here. It's fine by me."

It's been tiring for you, yet you need to give it another shot. In your condition, Gojo may be the only one who can help with your romantic life. And most importantly, in his present condition, you may be the only one who can help him with whatever issue he's facing.

"Have we run out of options? Because I'm willing to try once more."

"There is one... if it weren't for this small, insignificant problem, this would've been the number one option. But fear not!" His sudden loud voice startles you. "Since I'm so benevolent, I've have chosen to provide my assistance for as long as needed."

You weren't expecting it to happen this soon. You thought he'd gather some data first, your likes and dislikes, etcetera. Though he did say he's been doing his research on you. He probably has all the necessary details.

You check the time on your watch. There's some stuff you have to do at home... and none of that is as fun as being introduced to the future love of your life.

You nod again.

"Yay!" Gojo moves in front of you to lead the way, walking backwards the whole time in order to keep facing you. He tells you all he knows about the candidate: was in a serious relationship long ago, very soft on the inside despite his rough appearance, dog lover, has a stable job and will likely spoil you rotten (Gojo thinks). "And right now he's at the gym, so we're heading there."

"Boo.. "

"Heh you just have to pretend you're interested in a membership or something like that. I know for a fact you prefer working out at hom-"

"Excuse me?!"

Gojo brings his index finger to his lips, seemingly to remind you you shouldn't talk to him in public, but you can tell he does it to dissimulate a self-satisfied smile. The implication of him having seen you working out at home has you glaring at him with your cheeks burning, and of course he finds it very comical.

"Anyway, you're gonna thank me later when you see that bro is seriously buff." Gojo flexes for demonstration, strong forearms becoming evident under his sleeves.

"Wow." You whisper. The embarrassment from before is suddenly forgotten. You fan yourself now that your cheeks are burning for an entirely different reason. Too bad you can't make any comments yet.

°

One foot inside the gym and you're already regretting it. It's packed at this time of the day, and more people arrive by the second. But you must try.

The receptionist greets you with kindness, you do the same and then proceed to awkwardly ask for information.

"There he is." Gojo announces.

That's a huge man, even his gym bag looks like a kid's lunchbox on him. You can no longer hear a word from the receptionist.

"What should I do?" You murmur.

"Pardon?" The woman answers instead. You shake your head.

"Nothing. Leave it to me." Gojo assures.

As soon as he says that, you feel a looming presence settling next to you.

"Hey." He addresses the woman at the front desk. His voice is so deep. "You're new?"

That was directed at you. You have no option but to look up at the man. What a face. Gojo knows how to do his job.

"Not... yet. I'm still weighing my options."

"I could help you around if you decide to stay here."

A group of men abruptly step into the reception, each one of them high-fiving your love interest before exiting the place. Once they're gone, he gives you his full attention and his name. He expects to hear yours as he extends his hand for a handshake. Unfortunately, your mouth remains closed, your arms stiff at your sides, and your eyes fixed on his empty hand. You dread handshakes. They're not easy, you never know where people's hands have been. And now that you recently saw him grabbing a bunch of dudes' hands, it's ten times worse.

"You don't have to do it." Gojo calls, quickly picking up on the situation. "Just tell him your name, it'll be fine."

"... Uh-"

The man tsks. "Alright then." As he's about to lower his arm, the receptionist comes to the rescue and gives him his deserved handshake, grinning brightly. "I appreciate it, sweet one." He thanks the woman.

Although it's not his intention to make you feel guilty, you do anyway. Guilty and uncomfortable. You turn toward Gojo, concerned he might be upset with you for ruining this, however, he's busy staring at the pair, his expression unreadable.

"Well?" The receptionist queries, still cheerful. "Would you like to sign up? You'll get lots of benefits."

"Sure thing." The man chimes in. "We'll even teach you some manners over here. We can't have a pretty lady like you being rude."

Gojo, like a misbehaved cat, knocks over a half-emptied bottle of water that was sitting on the desk, spilling the rest of content on the floor. "Now that is rude."

"Gojo-"

"I'm changing my mind about this guy. Why don't we leave?"

He doesn't need to tell you twice. You apologize to the other two people and get out of there. You're finally free to use your hand wipes with nobody to tell you it's impolite.

Where Gojo is going, you don't know, yet you follow. You don't want to part ways when he's looking this disappointed. You get an idea.

"Gojo, are you mad? Wanna hear a joke?"

"Only if you don't mind others thinking you're a weird-" he notices you holding your phone to your ear, "oh."

"Please, talk to me. You're too quiet and it's making me nervous."

He takes a moment to organize his brain. "It's... I don't understand what happened. I could've sworn he was a good one. Sure, he's rough around the edges, blunt and whatnot but why would he speak to you like that? To YOU of all people. One looks at you and softens up on the spot. And I promise you he's a clean guy overall, I made sure to get that right." The faster he talks the faster he walks. "How come he felt like high-fiving the whole gym today and then ask you for a handshake like it was nothing? Have some common sense, dude."

"Gojo."

"And on top of that, he dares to suggests you have no manners. That you're 'rude'" He mocks the man's voice on the last word.

"I was rude."

"And- what?!" The rambling ceases. "No, you weren't."

"Yes, I was. If I wasn't going to shake his hand, I should've at least said something. Maybe he would've... uh... soften up."

"Mhm. And say something like what? Take that nasty hand away from me? Shove it up your-"

You snort. "Very classy, mister. I'm ending this fake call."

"No! Wait! My point is that you weren't disrespectful. You got anxious. That was it, right? It would've been nice if he had considered that."

Simple as they are, those words mean a lot to you. "...Thank you." You clear your throat. "Misunderstanding aside, I didn't dislike your pick. He has potential."

"You're kidding."

"No. I'm being positive and I believe he was just trying to be funny."

Gojo contemplates your supposition. To his knowledge, the man is not a bad person, so you might actually be onto something.

"In that case, he needs better jokes because he wasn't funny, he was an idiot. It worried me you would think of me as an irresponsible cupid." He tuts. "How frustrating."

You laugh at that. "Is that why you pushed the bottle of water off the desk?"

"And I'd do it again!... or was it too childish?"

"I'm kind of fascinated by everything you do, so my answer is no. Though," you try to recall that moment, "how did you do it? Did you just touch the bottle? Can you do that?"

"Correct." He beams. "I can interact with every single thing in this world, except people. Pretty cool, huh?"

More like lonesome, considering he doesn't give the impression of enjoying being on his own for too long.

"Is it cool interacting with me? You're allowed to lie and say yes."

"Hmmmmm..." he strokes his chin while the humming continues forever.

"Aw, please, I can't be that lame."

His face breaks into a smile. "Pretty pretty cool. But! Let's not get sidetracked. How do we feel about gym bro? Do we forget about him or do we want to give him another chance? I'll reserve my comments."

Tough decision. If you choose this guy, Gojo will be done with his job sooner. If it doesn't work, however, you'll be dragging things out. It's probably safer to choose someone with whom you click immediately.

"Honestly," you begin, "he seemed quite happy holdings his friends' hands and I wouldn't like to interfere with that. I will let gym bro go.

He claps and wipes a non-existent tear. "Very thoughtful, very wise-"

"Besides, his massive biceps were impressive but yours are much much better."

The confession leaves him astonished, speechless for half a second. "You mean these bad boys?" He strikes a pose like he did earlier, showing off his well defined muscles. Your excited squeak only encourages him to keep doing it.

You're a giggling mess by now. "Why were you hiding them from me? You're so silly."

You and the man visit to the coffee shop down the street, with Gojo following closely. As the guy opens the door for you, a woman comes out of the place in a hurry. Gojo knows she's going to bump into you and, even though he can't do much with his intangible body, he still gets in the middle. Terrible decision. First, the collision wasn't avoided at all and the coffee got spilled everywhere. Second, there goes the rest of the tingling sensation he didn't feel before. That only means one thing: co-worker has been successfully matched with coffee woman and you're third-wheeling.

"Are you okay?" The man asks the stranger.

"Ugh, yeah. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, it was an accident. Let's go inside, I'll buy you a new coffee."

As the scene unfolds, you begin walking away, teary eyes evident to Gojo. He screwed up badly. Your co-worker calls you but you ignore it. You walk fast, sprint almost, and Gojo is right behind you.

"I am so so so sorry!" He needs to say it even if you can't hear him. "I'll fix it!"

You arrive at your workplace and head straight to the small infirmary at the back, desperately turning on the faucet. You relax a bit when your hand is under the flow of cool water. During the eventful bump, your hand received some of the spilled hot coffee.

Gojo can barely stand the guilt as he examines your skin from afar.

"It's not too bad, is it?"

He freezes. You must be talking to yourself, but for a second there it sounded like it was directed at him.

"Bad or not, that shouldn't have happened to you." He sighs. "I messed up, huh?"

"Don't blame yourself. You didn't know it was going to turn out like this, did you?"

Gojo freezes again. Who the hell are you talking to? You suck in your cheeks while your eyes slowly set on him. It's then when you lose it and burst out laughing at his dumbfounded expression. You can't see his eyes under the blindfold but his mouth is hanging open and that's enough to figure out the rest. It's only brief, because the next second he adopts a smug stance.

"Nah. She can't see me."

"I can."

"Get it together, Gojo-"

"Gojo?" You repeat pleasantly surprised. "Aw, now I can put a name to that cute face of yours."

There's no doubt that you're talking about him. No, that you are talking to him. It never occurred to him something like this could happen. What he needs to do now is remain calm and ask the most important question.

"Cute? Don't you mean handsome?" He lifts his blindfold just enough to reveal one beautiful blue eye.

You squeal, covering your huge grin with both hands as you nod. The running water is momentarily forgotten. "Yes, I meant handsome."

It was an important question to him. In all honesty, Gojo doesn't know what to do, he was not prepared.

"You can really see me, then... How?"

You shrug. "If you don't have the answer, neither do I."

"Are you not, like... scared?"

"I don't know." You step away from the sink and take the liberty to rummage through the first aid kit. "I don't think so. It's been months since I first noticed you. I've had some time to come to terms with it. And I've seen what you do so..." you read the instructions on the ointment you found and apply a thin layer.

"Does it hurt?" There's a bit of concern in his voice.

"This?" You show him your hand. His own twitches, like he wants to reach and hold it to take a proper look, although he is aware he can't. "Not so much. It is nothing serious, still I thought I was going to cry back there."

"Yeah..." he pauses. "Wait, you weren't sad because that guy left you for that other woman?"

"Excuse me! He can't leave me if I'm not with him to begin with. And no, I'm not sad. I don't like him like that."

"But I..." he brings his palm in front of him. "You... and... I made you a match."

"It didn't work, handsome cupid."

"Why?" He frowns. It's not a question for you but you answer anyway.

"Maybe because I like you instead?"

Gojo takes a deep breath. "It could be. I'm just too good looking. This must be the reason why I should stay invisible." He pinches the bridge of his nose for dramatic effect. "Seriously though, what am I doing wrong?"

"I doubt it's you. I'm sort of resistant to the idea of falling in love. Don't know if that's relevant."

Gojo has encountered people with similar feelings as yours and he's still been able to find them a partner, so he's not entirely sure that's the cause. He needs to get to the bottom of this.

"And why is that?" He clasps his hands behind his back and leans forwards as he offers you a smile. "Love is such a wonderful thing and you deseve it."

"Sounds like an advertisement."

"What?" He stands straight. "No, it doesn't-"

"How about you? Are you in love?" Your eyes are shining with curiosity. "Do you have someone over there? Wherever you're from?"

"I literally live here. I'm more normal than you think. Well, not really. But I'm not actually cupid. I'm just a victim of the circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

"It's a long story." He gives you a dismissive hand wave. "So? Why don't you give love a chance?"

"With you?"

"No-"

"Then no."

Gojo clicks his tongue and takes the serious demeanor of a love therapist. "Listen, we don't have to do this if you don't want to, but I think it would be good if you had someone by your side who looks out for you and loves you, and brings you happiness."

You shake your head.

"Please!" He drops to his knees and pouts for good measure. The professional love therapist attitud didn't last. "You don't understand! I've worked so hard, I've done my research, I've dedicated a lot of time to observing you. Was it all in vain?"

"Yes." Your lack of hesitation earns you an offended gasp from him. "I'm sorry, I just don't feel ready."

"Oh... " Gojo stops his begging and goes back to a standing position. "Well, that's fair..."

There's a short pause before Gojo speaks again.

"To be honest, I'm not exactly comfortable leaving you on your own, but you can take good care of yourself, yes?"

You nod.

"Great. Also, I apologize if I seemed too insistent for a moment there. I've been so focused on using this ability to make sure people don't feel lonely at the same time I get closer to freeing myself from my own loneliness the more I do this, that I didn't take your sentiments into account."

"Hm?" Your eyesbrows raise. "Your own loneliness?"

He did he let that slip but can't you blame him? It's been so long since he last talked to someone. It's only natural he opens up a little. There's nothing embarrassing about sharing things one's been keeping locked away. He should not be ashamed.

His sudden loud laugh fills your ears. "Got you!" He slaps his thigh like he just pulled the best prank ever. "No, I said that to make my apology more convincing. A bit manipulative, eh?"

"Ah." You join him with a half-hearted laugh. "Yeah, you got me."

He meant what he said before, that's clear to you. For the past few months, you've been almost certain he was having fun doing his thing: studying people, assisting them in finding love, getting rewarding results. You've even imagined him returning home to his kind and all of them gathering to talk about their day. Of course, you didn't think that way at the beginning, the whole situation was rather terrifying back then . You didn't know who he was or what he was, what he wanted, why others weren't aware of his presence, why you were. All you knew was that he followed people around and that was scary. Until one rainy morning you caught him in action, when you were on your way to work. His hand went to someone's back, then he walked away and did the same to another person. In a hearbeat, those two stranger were engaged in conversation, exchanging phone numbers, and sharing an umbrella. It was adorable, but not as adorable as the satisfied smile on the matchmaker's lips. After that, you've occasionally had the opportunity to witness some his deeds. Today, however, you've learned that he doesn't live on another realm and that he's lonely. 'I get closer to freeing myself from my own loneliness the more I do this.' What does that mean? The more couples he makes the better for him? If you let him get you a partner... would that be of help?

Someone calling for you outside the infirmary snaps you out of your thoughts. "Why's the ticket office empty?"

True. The clock on the wall marks that your lunch break is over.

"Coming!" You answer while moving towards the door but, before you exit, you take another glance a the figure behind you. "Gojo?"

"Yes?" His lips quirk up and his head tilts to the side. He likes the sound of his name in your voice.

"I'll accept your services. Find me... uh... my significant other."

"For real?

"For real. I'll be requesting someone like you, please."

Gojo hums. "I'm afraid there's nobody else with this lethal face, but I'll do what I can for you."

"I know that. I meant someone who worries about my poor fragile heart and well-being as much as you do." You wink. He scoffs. There's no way to defend himself when you're already walking away.