#ayuchi

isugou headcanons can be found here!

- chigusa has always been open about her sexuality (though people usually assume she’s straight because she’s so femme), and her parents are supportive. she likes going to pride events whenever she can. ayumu is less public about hers, but she’s still pretty comfortable with herself

- they’re both lesbian - chigusa is distinguished and ayumu is functional

- chigusa’s gotten a few confessions from the boys in her year, though she’s turned all of this down. this has gained her the reputation of being picky, but in reality she is just very gay

- they first meet when chigusa comes to visit the other third years at swim practice. i feel like ayumu was aware of chigusa before now, because she’s a very social and popular third year, but it’s just a “she’s really pretty and intimidating” sort of crush. plus, she assumes gou and isuzu are dating

- chigusa doesn’t realize that she has a crush on ayumu at first. she thinks she just finds ayumu Very Interesting, mostly because ayumu is one of the only people she’s met who she can’t get to open up (which she takes as a challenge), and she just happens to be cute. but then chigusa starts sitting in on swim practice more often, and oh god is this a crush it probably is huh

- this entire time, chigusa has been trying to befriend ayumu. ayumu’s a little resistant, mostly because she’s not used to getting so much attention (especially from someone so popular), but occasionally the conversation will find a topic ayumu is passionate about, and she gets surprisingly talkative. these moments are rare but they always get chigusa’s heart beating fast

- nagisa picks up on the weird energy between these two quicker than gou does, and definitely quicker than rei

- once chigusa recognizes that she really, definitely has actual feelings for ayumu (which is pretty rare for her - usually her crushes are sporadic and very surface level), she starts openly flirting with ayumu, though it’s more on the playful side. she even asks her out a couple times, though ayumu always firmly declines - while chigusa is pretty and all, ayumu can’t help but feel like it’s just a joke, and she doesn’t want to be taken advantage of

- in the weeks leading up to the calligraphy exhibition, chigusa’s been too busy to make it to watch their practice, and ayumu is a little confused to feel disappointment. i think up until now she’s been convincing herself that chigusa’s presence is annoying, because she generally prefers quiet (but obviously this isn’t actually the case)

- the weekend of the exhibition, ayumu surprises both herself and chigusa by going. isuzu and gou are there too, but it’s still a pretty big deal. chigusa tries to spend time with ayumu to show her around, but she keeps getting pulled away by various friends. ayumu ends up leaving early, though she isn’t upset with chigusa - she’s more annoyed at herself for thinking she could compete with the crowds of chigusa’s other friends

- another week passes, and it’s scarily easy to go without contact now that swim practice isn’t there to bring them together. she misses chigusa’s presence, which is kind of a jolting realization

- gou stops by ayumu’s classroom before school one morning to drop off a letter. It’s from chigusa, asking her to meet at the hanamura’s flower shop that evening. ayumu is reluctant but decides to go anyway

- when she arrives, the shop is closed, but the side gate is unlocked, and ayumu walks through a lush garden before coming across a small patio decorated with lights and flowers. waiting there is chigusa, and ayumu is filled with doubt - was the letter meant for someone else? is she crashing a nice date? - before chigusa takes her hand and pulls her up onto the patio

- they sit on a bench and chigusa apologizes for what happened. laughing, she promises she won’t ask ayumu out, but she wants to make sure their friendship is okay. ayumu assures her that they’re alright, and confesses that chigusa’s intense sociability and groups of friends has always been intimidating for her

- they end up talking for hours. ayumu learns that the other third years helped set everything up (chigusa and rei debated over flowers and their meanings for almost half an hour until nagisa finally stood up and declared that he would throw himself into the ocean unless they picked something that instant). she also learns that chigusa loves salty foods, has cried over j-dramas, and somehow manages to burn water when she’s allowed in the kitchen

- at the end of the night, ayumu realizes that she really does enjoy spending time with chigusa, and it seems like chigusa genuinely cares for her too. she finally agrees to go on a date, and chigusa is over the moon

- inherited from her parents, chigusa has a deep interest in botany, so when she writes letters to ayumu (which is often - “you could just talk to me, i’m right here,” ayumu points out, even as she carefully tucks the letter away for safekeeping) the pages are always filled with sketches of flowers

- chigusa is an absolute disaster when it comes to cooking. ayumu only allows her to stay because she pouts so much if she gets kicked out

- ayumu makes a couple of unexplained cameos on chigusa’s social media (where she actually has a decent following) and rumors start spreading around school that they’re dating

- since chigusa works part time at her parents’ shop, ayumu always comes to visit and do homework at the counter. though she doesn’t technically work there, she ends up learning so much that she’s able to help customers find things (and the store’s regulars start recognizing her too)