#minatetsu

“Shut up, Yosetsu, before I shove ya into one of the furnaces,” Tetsutetsu warned, pointing a threatening finger at him. Yosetsu just flipped him the bird, so Tetsutetsu retaliated by using his thumb to smear a thick glob of grease right across his friend’s cheek. Yosetsu whined in protest, shoving Tetsutetsu away while he started scrubbing the broad stripe of gunk from his skin. “That’s what you get, asshole!” 

“Fuck you, man,” Yosetsu sniffed derisively. “And to think I was gonna help you nab this chick…” 

“You’re wingmanning ain’t wanted!” Tetsutetsu said sternly, using the back of his hand to wipe one last strip of black tarry material from his face before turning on his heel to walk to the lockers. Not everyone used them, but they were offered in case the workers didn’t plan on going straight home and wanted to change out of their sweaty, dirty overalls and tee-shirts. As Tetsutetsu shimmied out of his overalls and wrenched his shirt over his head, he heard the door open behind him, and he groaned when he heard the familiar thunks of Yosetsu’s boots. 

“Look, man,” Yosetsu sighed as he opened his locker and began changing out of his own clothes. “You’ve been pining over this girl for what? Four months now? How long do you think it’s gonna be before someone else snatches her up?” he pointed out, gesturing at Tetsutetsu with one of his boots. With a growl, Tetsutetsu slapped it away and tugged his gym shorts up his legs. Yosetsu just shrugged and tossed his boots into his locker, pulling out his tennis shoes. “I’m just saying, you’re gonna be a right fuckin’ mess when this girl shows up to the gym with her boyfriend or whatever.” 

“I don’t know why you’re changing,” Tetsutetsu sniffed as Yosetsu pulled a muscle tank over his head. “You’re not going to the gym with me today if you’re gonna keep bugging the shit outta me.” 

“I do what I fuckin’ want, and that includes tryna get your ass in gear to ask this girl out,” Yosetsu countered, and Tetsutetsu rolled his eyes. He tossed his dirty tee-shirt in Yosetsu’s face, and this time he had the satisfaction of seeing it catch him by surprise. As Yosetsu wrangled the tee off his head, Tetsutetsu tugged his own tank top over his head and then slammed his locket shut. “I’m only doin’ this because I’m your friend, man,” Yosetsu insisted while he stowed Tetsutetsu’s shirt into his own locker and then followed him out. 

“Yeah, well, I’d appreciate it if you let me sort out my own shit, okay?” Tetsutetsu grumped as they walked out the building. Finally, Yosetsu threw his arms up in defeat, shutting up long enough for Tetsutetsu to actually think— and of course, he thought about the pretty pink-haired girl who just so happened to have the same gym schedule as him and whom he’d been mooning over for almost half a year. 

It was simple. Tetsutetsu just didn’t have a chance, no way, no how. 

He’d overheard enough in her chats with her friends to learn that she was attending the local college for chemical engineering. Chemical fucking engineering! That girl was obviously wicked smart, and she wouldn’t even look twice at a guy like Tetsutetsu, who was just working at the local metalworking business drowning in grease and iron. Not to mention she was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, with fluffy cotton candy-pink hair and flawless mocha skin and a smile that illuminated the whole damn gym. Nope, Tetsutetsu was perfectly fine fawning over her from a distance, thank you very much, because that way he wouldn’t get his heart broken. 

Of course, that didn’t stop him from freezing in his tracks the instant he saw her. 

She was running on the treadmill, her arms pumping at her sides and that pretty fucking smile on her face as she chatted amicably to the girl she often brought to the gym with her. Some brunette girl with rosy cheeks, she was an astrophysics major if he recalled right. What the hell was up with all these smart-ass girls in his gym? Good for them, though, he supposed. 

“Oi, if you’re gonna pine, at least get out of my way,” Yosetsu grunted from behind him, making Tetsutetsu flush. Before he could get caught staring, he hurriedly walked over to the weights area so he could bench-press all his feelings away— or at least try to. Yosetsu meandered off somewhere— Tetsutetsu didn’t care, at least he was out of his fucking hair now— so Tetsutetsu piled on the weights and set to pumping iron. He lifted those weights until his muscles ached and burned and his lungs fought for breath, but he still found his eyes drifting to her and his heart clenching when she tipped back her head to laugh at something the rosy-cheeked girl said. 

He nearly dropped the weights onto himself when Yosetsu sidled up to the girls with a look that just screamed mischievousness. 

“Hey, ladies,” Yosetsu grinned as he leaned over the front of the treadmill. The two girls looked at one another in amusement, but it wasn’t like Yosetsu wasn’t good-looking himself, so they smiled cutely as a sign they would entertain him. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but ya see, I got a predicament. Ya see that fella over there?” 

Oh, no. Oh, God. Yosetsu was pointing at him. Tetsutetsu couldn’t stop the blush from creeping up from his neck as he just stared like a deer caught in the headlights. He just couldn’t process what was happening. Oh, fuck, now the girls were giggling. His life was over. He should get on a bus to somewhere, change his name and appearance, and start over. Yeah, that sounded good. 

“Yeah?” the pink-haired girl asked, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger while she stuck the tip of her tongue out between her lips, and it was the perfect combination of sweet and sexy that Tetsutetsu almost fainted right there. 

“Well, ya see, he’s got a major crush on you,” Yosetsu said with a point at her, “and quite frankly, I’m tired of his pining, so I’d appreciate it if you agreed to a date with him.” 

Tetsutetsu’s panic turned to rage almost immediately. 

“Yosetsu, you fucker!” he shouted across the gym, though it was mostly drowned out by the weights thunking to the ground. He didn’t even care that other people were looking at him now; he pointed angrily at the brunet, who was just smirking like the devious asshole he was. “Go die!”

“No thanks.” 

“I hate you!” Tetsutetsu sniffed, turning his back and crossing his arms so he could sulk. How could Yosetsu do that to him? Talk about embarrassing! He couldn’t even focus on how to get back at him, he was so hopping mad— and he also didn’t notice the girl sneaking up on him, so he jumped nearly a foot in the air when she politely tapped him on the shoulder. “Holy—!” he yelped, spinning around in midair, and the girl just giggled at his antics. 

“Hey there, handsome. Heard you got a crush on me?” she asked with a flutter of her pink eyelashes. Tetsutetsu’s brain screeched to a halt. He just gawked at her with a gaping mouth and a dumb look. Thankfully, she thought that was endearing, or at least he hoped so based on that sweet little giggle she gave him. “What? Am I that intimidating? I promise, I won't bite… Unless you’re into that.” 

She squealed with amusement as his face immediately turned the shade of her curly pink hair. 

“I’m just messin’ with ya!” she laughed and punched him in the shoulder. “So, handsome, you got a name?” 

“Tetsutetsu,” he mumbled bashfully. “And you?” 

“Mina Ashido, at your service!” she beamed, posing with a peace sign over her eye. It would’ve made his heart thump if it wasn’t already playing his ribs like a set of bongo drums. After straightening back up, she looked him up and down and a smirk spread across her lips. “I see you’ve been hard at work,” she said, and Tetsutetsu didn’t know whether to flex or to hide his sweaty muscles. “Whadaya say we hit the smoothie shop next door for a post-workout snack?” 

Tetsutetsu really didn’t want to give Yosetsu the satisfaction, but fuck, he did not want to refuse!

So of course, he found himself escorting Mina to the adjoining smoothie shop while Yosetsu stayed with the rosy-cheeked girl, grinning like the fucking smug asshole he was. Tetsutetsu was definitely going to get him back later, but right now, he was going to suck down this kale smoothie and try not to spontaneously combust while talking to the stunning girl sitting across from him. 

“So you and that guy are friends?” she inquired, then took a dainty sip of her wildberry smoothie. 

“Yeah, we work together. Friend, pain in my ass, whatever you wanna call him,” he shrugged while nursing his embarrassment with the straw, and Mina laughed. It was still kind of mortifying, but at least she was good-natured about the whole thing. “What about you?” he asked, even though he kind of already knew, but he definitely didn’t want to sound like a stalker.

“I study chemical engineering at U.A. University!” she smiled. “I’m still a freshman so I’m not quite sure what I want to do yet, but I’m pretty sure I wanna work in some kind of acid technology.” 

“Acids?” Tetsutetsu echoed, and Mina got a downright diabolical grin on her face. 

“That’s right! They’re so cool! They can just dissolve stuff into mush!” she squealed, punching the air in her excitement. Tetsutetsu chuckled, endeared by her excitement even if it was something he didn’t know jack shit about. 

“Sounds like you wanna be an evil scientist.” 

“It’s a lucrative career,” she teased, raising her eyebrows at him while she sipped at her smoothie. Tetsutetsu couldn’t help but laugh in agreement; in addition to being beautiful, this girl had an absolutely electric personality, and he was finding that his anxieties were dissolving by the minute. Well, he guessed he could call her personality acidic in that sense. Although, that would kind of sound like an insult out loud. 

“So, what do you do? You said you had a job?” Mina prompted, and then raised her eyebrows when Tetsutetsu shamefully dropped his head. That’s all it took to get the anxiety swirling around in his belly again. He played with the condensation from his drink that had dripped down onto the table, painting senseless patterns into the water until he’d spread it too thin to continue. 

“I, uh… I’m a metalworker,” he finally admitted. He pressed his lips into a thin line and clenched his muscles tight, waiting for the ridicule and judgement. Instead, he found Mina’s eyes lighting up in delight. 

“Oh? Do you work at that company down the street? I’ve seen the stuff they display outside, it’s super cool!” she exclaimed. Tetsutetsu looked at her in surprise, which she didn’t notice because she was still babbling enthusiastically. “One time I saw this really cool sculpture out there— I think it was an octopus? Oh, I wanted it so bad, but it was kinda expensive and I honestly don’t know where I would put it but—” 

Tetsutetsu tuned out her blathering as she brought it up, mostly because his blood was roaring in his ears. 

“You… You liked that one?” 

Mina stopped talking mid-sentence, then grinned widely. 

“Yeah! It was really cool.” 

“I, um… I designed it,” he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. The company allowed them to use scrap metal to work on personal projects, and they would sell their work for a percentage of the profits. Embarrassingly, Tetsutetsu had been inspired by some cheesy monster movie about a giant squid, so he’d designed a sculpture of a giant octopus attacking a submarine. Last he’d heard, it’d been purchased as a decorative piece for an aquarium. 

“Wow! That’s amazing!” she gushed, and Tetsutetsu couldn’t help but smile at the praise. His anxiety began to simmer down again thanks to Mina’s apparent appreciation for his talent. He talked to her about his other projects as well as the various jobs he’d taken on throughout his time at the company, and she seemed very interested. They talked for two hours without even realizing, their smoothies long since empty and sat to the side. 

“Ah, would you look at the time?” Mina exclaimed when she finally checked her phone. “I can’t believe we’ve been talking this long. I’m surprised the smoothie shop owner hasn’t kicked us out,” she said with a glance at the counter, but the glassy-eyed cashier seemed to care less that they’d been sitting there for over two hours. Still, they probably shouldn’t push their luck any further. 

“Well, you know what they say,” he laughed as he stood up. His leg muscles ached in protest, so he took a moment to stretch a little while Mina stood up and threw their styrofoam cups away. He joined her at the front door, and then gave her a shy smile, “Would you mind if I walked you home? I, uh… I’ve really enjoyed talking with you, and I…” 

“Don’t want it to end yet?” Mina guessed with a roguish grin, enjoying the color that appeared on his cheeks based on the way it widened. Oh, she would be the death of him, and he’d be grateful for it. 

All he could manage was a sheepish nod because her wiles had his throat closing up, and it didn’t help when she looped her arm in his and practically dragged him out of the shop. They walked side-by-side on the sidewalk, illuminated by the streetlamps and the headlights of the cars passing by. Crickets sang within the melody of humming engines and indistinct conversation. It was a nice night, especially to walk beside such a beautiful girl. 

“So, I gotta ask,” she said suddenly. “Why didn’t you ask me out yourself?” 

Tetsutetsu looked away with a grimace. Damn Yosetsu for putting him in this position, even if he’d enjoyed the date. 

“I, uh… I didn’t think I had a chance.” 

“Why not?” 

“I mean, come on, Mina. You’re a super-smart and super-pretty girl, goin’ to college to get a damn good career, and I’m probably gonna be workin’ at the metal workshop for the rest of my life,” he said in exasperation. Mina just gave him a blank stare. 

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” she said, like it was so obvious. “Everybody has different paths in life. I would be a real jerk if I made fun of somebody who didn’t go to college but was still making a good life for themselves,” she shrugged, looking back to the sidewalk, and Tetsutetsu felt his heart swell with relief and a fair bit of pride. “Besides, I’m really kinda dumb.” 

“No way.” 

“Yes way! One time, Ochako— my best friend that was with me today— one time she dared me to snort a whole Pixie Stick. So my dumb ass sprinkled it up my arm like a line of coke and I snorted that shit right up!” she cried while gesturing wildly with her hands, and Tetsutetsu couldn’t help but laugh raucously. “It gets worse! I sneezed and pink powder went everywhere! Oh my gosh, it burned so bad, and the worst part is that I didn’t have the sense to ask for money! I did it for free!” 

“That is kinda dumb.”

“Exactly! So, point is, you shouldn’t be intimidated by me at all~” she hummed, turning to give him a cute, cheesy smile that made her eyes scrunch up, and Tetsutetsu just shook his head in defeat. How was he supposed to compete with an argument like that?

“Point taken,” he chuckled. Her arm was still looped in his, so as a cold wind blew, he pulled her a little closer and shifted so his arm was draped around her shoulders instead. Mina hummed delightedly and rested her shoulder against his, and as her cotton candy hair tickled his jawline, the scent of sweat mixed with strawberry shampoo wafted up into his nose. “So… Since I’m not supposed to be intimidated by you, I guess I should ask you out on a real date?” he posed. He might as well push his luck since it had gone well so far. 

She gave him a cheeky look, poking her tongue into the side of her mouth while she grinned. 

“I guess you should, and I guess I should agree, since I’m kinda into you.” 

Tetsutetsu laughed at that, and they kept on moseying down the sidewalk at a snail’s pace, neither of them really ready for the night to end yet. When he got to work tomorrow, he supposed he should thank Yosetsu… after shoving him in the furnace first.