i'll like you ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Reo Mikage x reader

07 lucky girl syndrome

With a good sniff, the inhalation gifted you great pleasure. The well-cooked food settled down on the table was nothing but a present wrapped with a bow just right for your tummy. The soft clatter of dishes echoes through the dining room as your mom gracefully places steaming plates of food onto the table, the rich aroma of her cooking filling the air. Reo, his eager eyes sparkling like a puppy's, sits obediently by your side, his hands folded neatly in his lap. A warm smile spreads across his face as he watches your mom showcase her culinary talents, her precise movements a testament to years of practice and love.

"Is this what you have every dinner?" Reo turns to you

"If I don't take naps"

A chuckle gracefully leaves his lip which only get glossier. Finally accomplished with tonight's dinner, your mom sits down immediately picking up utensils as if her stomach rumbled with thunders and both you and Reo followed along with her.

"So, what do you do nowadays, Mikage?" your mom asks politely, her hands busy arranging utensils on the table.

Reo's lips twitch upward into a charming smile, but he quickly waves a hand in the air, his tone light and friendly. "Oh, please, no need for formalities. Call me Reo," he insists, leaning forward slightly in his seat. "but I've really been focusing on soccer." There's a brief pause where his smile deepens, and you catch the flicker of genuine pride beneath his usual confidence. Reo's voice spikes with a glitter of excitement, perhaps his passion towards soccer has been his highest of satisfaction or maybe it was his bromance with Nagi. "I couldn't have done it without my great friend Nagi."

Your mom hums in approval, her gaze flicking briefly to you before returning to Reo. "Soccer, huh? That must take a lot of dedication. It's wonderful that you've found such a strong connection with your teammates."

Reo nods eagerly, his excitement undiminished. "It's not just dedication, really. It's... I don't know, it feels like it's my purpose. And with Nagi, well," he chuckles softly, "it's like having someone who always understands what I'm aiming for, no matter how crazy it seems."

"How romantic," you comment dryly, breaking the thoughtful silence as you spear a piece of food with your fork and pop it into your mouth. Your tone carries the faintest edge of sarcasm, but it's softened by the amused smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

Your mom chuckles softly at the interaction, shaking her head as she arranges more food on the table. "It's wonderful to see such passion in young people. You don't see bonds like that every day," she says, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

"Right?" Reo agrees, flashing a grateful smile at your mom before shooting you a playful look, as if daring you to make another comment.

Before you can respond, your mom's voice cuts through the moment, light yet curious. "Where's Yuna nowadays?"

The name alone sends a jolt through you, freezing you in place like ice water running through your veins. Your hand stiffens around your fork, the lump rising in your throat making it impossible to speak. How could you answer that? Lie to your mom? No, you'd never do that—never could.

"She's, um..." you manage, your voice barely above a whisper. "She's busy nowadays." The words leave your mouth dry and flat, as if scraped together from fragments of an incomplete sentence.

The room feels heavier now, as if unseen storm clouds had gathered overhead. The once-warm atmosphere shifts to a quiet tension, your mom's cheerful hum faltering for just a moment. Maybe you should say more, something convincing to ease her concern, but the words won't come. They stick in your throat like stones, immovable.