i couldn't help but fall for you || Takuto Maruki x Reader

at the park

A few weeks following your first encounter, there's something you noticed about Maruki's mannerisms, apart from his usual quirks: he's incredibly doubtful of himself and his abilities. You don't talk much—that is to say, you don't talk for long—but you occasionally pick up on those subtleties. He explained to you that he buys snacks every so often as an incentive for the students to come into counseling (the apple juice is for him, though). You'd  understand if it were a first-time sort of thing, but he's habitually buying loads of snacks, like he doesn't believe in his own abilities to help them through whatever the hell they're going through, and as if the kids are only coming in for food. You usually want to tell him that you're sure they appreciate him, but some part of you is reluctant. Maybe if he realized that fact, you reasoned, he would stop coming in as often. You didn't  know if you'd be willing to give that up. But, from the few interactions you've had with him thus far, he truly is a kind, welcoming man. It was something you felt from him when you first approached him, and, frankly, you're  a bit jealous those students get to speak with him more frequently.

The Kamoshida case was certainly an interesting one, and it was no surprise at all that Shujin sought to improve its public image. You only hoped that, at least, they weren't  using Maruki to save face; he deserved far more than to be tokenized by that school. More intriguingly, however, was the Phantom-Aficionado website you kept hearing about at work. It was only known among Shujin students for the most part, given their connection to the Phantom Thieves themselves. Anyone could apparently  leave a request for "a change of heart." It piqued your curiosity, to say the least, so you decided to check it out after classes, only briefly on the train for now. The first thing displayed was an anonymous poll:

Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves?

A good question indeed. Did you? Kamoshida didn't seem like the kind of guy to suddenly confess his crimes given the severity of it all. There's also the possibility of blackmail, but what else could he have done that he didn't want to have leaked? You didn't  know their methods but you're not naive enough to believe an undoubtedly evil man could abruptly feel guilty of his actions. Make no mistake about it, the Phantom Thieves did something to better society: you tap the button for 'yes.'  The percentage slightly increased.

Upon further inspection, you found the forums where a few requests had already been posted; you did momentarily question the legality since, well, it's vigilantism in action, but there wasn't too much attention on it yet so it couldn't have been that bad. Tired, your eyes glazed over the titles of some of the threads: Please stop by ex-boyfriend, he's stalking me, and This guy bullies people into giving him money were the ones at the top. The posters left the target's full real name, too...that's a bit unsettling, even if that's what the forum rules say to do. What happens in the case of false accusations—do the Phantom Thieves know who's telling the truth and who isn't? Your mind wandered back to Maruki: what did he think of all this?

Your stop was called, so you gathered your things and left the train.

It's disheartening to you how little time you spend at home. This place is more-so a place to sleep than anything, or a place to make dinner and go. Your lunches are usually either Leblanc curry or a sandwich from work, since you get a deep discount on all the merchandise there. One's tastier, but the other's lighter on your already light wallet...you tend to give into the tastier option more often than not, though. Still, it's your place, and the bed is comfortable. You can't  say you don't miss your parent's house either, but they're too far away from school; your commute is long enough as it is living in Yongen.

A brisk shower, your  face washed, your teeth  brushed: another routine. You're  grateful for Maruki because of this. Your life, like many others in Japan, is rooted in the same schedule every day. Maruki, though, doesn't come in every day—rather, he comes in when he needs to reload on food. You don't know when that is. Sometimes there's only a one-day gap, other times it could be three days until you see him again. It shakes things up in such a small way, but it's a significant change in the grand scheme of things. You think it's weird to think of him like this, but Maruki would probably laugh and tell you he understands, that your feelings are totally normal...you honestly do like him. In what way though, you conjecture? If he were to ask you out, which would most likely never happen, you probably wouldn't hesitate to say yes. That's the answer yourself, at least.