▪︎ four dozens
"Utahime-sensei!" Miwa cheerfully called for the lady after knocking.
"Miwa, come in!"
The pretty smiling student came inside Utahime's office. She gently closed the door behind her and walked towards her teacher.
"Hi, do you need something?" Utahime asked.
"No, I was just wondering if you'd like to join me for lunch?"
What a sweet kid.
Utahime smiled, "Yes, of course. My treat." She knew of Miwa's reason why she wanted to be a sorcerer. It was really admirable. Treating her to lunch is just a very small thing she can do for the nice girl.
"No, I couldn't let you pay. I'm the one who offered."
Utahime almost fangirled right there for how kind Miwa is. Unlike one person she knows. That man could have afford much more that her but would jump at free things.
"Come on, school is really tiring, isn't it?"
They spent quite the few minutes of Utahime offering, and Miwa insisting she couldn't. The blue-haired girl finally gave in.
"The least I could do is let you choose where we'll eat."
"Oh, fine. There's a nice little restaurant near here that sells fried chicken." Utahime started to pick up her things, getting ready to have lunch.
"I love fried chicken."
"That's great," she said. "Where is Mai and the others?"
" I asked them, but they seem to have other plans."
"Is that so?" She stood up and started walking towards the door. "Well, come. Let's get going. I'm hungry."
The younger one quickly followed her. The restaurant was walking distance from the school. It was a pleasant talking to Miwa. Utahime really thought she was one of the nicest and sweetest student she ever met.
They arrived at the restaurant and soon found a seat. After ordering, they were once again fell into casual conversation. Their topics just smoothly follower one another, the atmosphere felt really light and comfortable.
Until Miwa mentioned someone.
"Utahime-sensei, do you know Gojo Satoru?"
If they were eating, she would have choked.
"Uhm, yes. Why do you ask?"
Miwa thought so. She knew her teacher must have known — at least, heard — of the strongest sorcerer. Additionally, she heard that he was in no way lacking in looks too. She never met him in real life, but she would very much like to.
"I have always admired him. He's from the Gojo clan, and he is the rumored strongest!"
"Yes, yes. That he is." Utahime couldn't ignore the sparkle in Miwa's eyes. She wished earlier that it wasn't what she thought it was. That she has a crush on him. But she was wrong.
"Do you know him personally?"
"Yes." Unfortunately.
Luckily, the food arrived. Utahime was feeling tense and awkward, knowing that she agreed to his proposal. And now, they're dating. She still is in shock of how it all happened. But what else can she do? What's done is done. Very very unfortunate indeed.
"This looks amazing, thank you Utahime-sensei."
"You're welcome." How can this girl like that man?
"You said you know him personally. Is he really cool?" she asked.
"If we're talking about what he can do, he is really cool." She couldn't lie, that man's ability is both powerful and pretty.
"I would love to take a picture with him."
"If you continue being a sorcerer, I'm sure you'll meet him soon." Please don't.
Thinking about what Miwa said further, she realized something. Gojo, yesterday, said he will never make her feel unloved. So, does that mean he loves her?
She shuddered at the thought.
But can "not making her feel unloved" translate to "being loved?"
Utahime shook her head. "No, it must just mean that he won't make me feel like I'm not ignored or alone in this whole dating situation, right?"
"Is there something wrong, Utahime-sensei?"
"No, I just remembered something."
"Oh, really?" she asked, looking concerned. "You look quite red."
Days after the whole dating stuff with Gojo, the man didn't appear in front of her. It was the best. But there was a lot of texting. That's okay though, she can turn off her phone or put it on silent.
Weekend came, and a doorbell rang through Utahime's apartment. She has gotten in some online shopping lately. Maybe it's her new ribbons she ordered.
"Who is it?" she asked through the door. The lady from the other side replied with, "A delivery for Iori Utahime?"
"Yay," she whispered. What she saw was far from the small package of fun-colored ribbons she was expecting. It was a huge bouquet of red roses.
"Are you Iori Utahime?"
"Uh, yes. But I don't think this is mine."
"Really?" the lady handed her a paper. "Could you please take a look at the paper?"
She pitied the person in front of her who was struggling with the bouquet. Her hand reached out to take the paper. It was a form for the delivery, and her name really was there. And it all made sense when she saw who sent it.
Gojo Satoru.
"Oh, my. I'm sorry. I'll take this off your hands." She handed back the paper and took the roses. "How..." she also struggled with the bouquet. "How many are these flowers?"
"Four dozens."
"What!?"
"Yes, it is four dozens of very red roses. Is this from your boyfriend, ma'am?" she asked.
"He might not be after this," she grumbled.
"He seems to be quite the romantic," she commented.
"I don't know about that," she replied while glaring at the roses. "Please give me a moment to set the bouquet down."
"Sure, yes, ma'am."
Utahime walked towards her dining table and put it down. She couldn't get over the fact that she now has four dozens of roses, and also, the fact that Gojo is her boyfriend.
She quickly went back to the deliverer. After thanking and signing the form, she went back to her apartment.
Her hands quickly held her phone and dialed his number. "Hi, Utahime~"
"Gojo, what the hell did you do?"
"What? No greeting?" he asked. "You didn't mess your other half? Your counterpart? Your soulmate?"
Sherolled her eyes and paced back and forth, "You sent me four dozens of roses?"
"Oh, it finally arrived!" he cheered.
"Why on Earth would you send me that? The person who delivered it looks very very tired." If she were to have been the one to deliver that, it would have been really really exhausting. And also, maybe, she's annoyed by the reminder that their dating status is real. She doesn't really know, it all feels complicated.
"It's their job to deliver though?"
"That's... Oh, I should have tipped that deliverer. How much did it even cost you?" Calming down, she finally sat down on her sofa.
"Why are you asking me that? Are you going to pay me for the bouquet?"
"No, why would I. I'm asking if it was worth it."
"It was. Don't worry about that."
"I'm not worried. I'm annoyed because you could have easily brought that to me. It would have been more than efficient than sending it through a third party."
Uh-oh.
Utahime realized what it must have sounded like, and she immediately regretted it. All the alarms in her mind went off. And she sat there, anxious of what he has to say.
"Oh?" he was clearly teasing. "It would have been better if I brought it?"
"I never said that."
"You implied it."
"You know what, goodbye."
She ended the call right then and there.
The next day, Gojo stood in front of her door holding a bouquet that she could swore looked like the one she just received.
▪︎ four dozens
of annoyingly pretty flowers