Come Friday, one of Y/n's favorite things to do was take long walks around the city without any specific destination in mind. He always took a little stroll to sightsee before heading home to unwind after an exhausting week. Even though it was simple, he loved doing it. While he enjoyed spending time with Jack and Mizuki, putting up with the latter's shenanigans could be rather exhausting. So, he needed some alone time and a quick detox from his friends. A little something to recharge his social battery, in a way.
What he didn't love about it, however, was the amount of spirits that he would encounter around the city, especially after the winter season. During his walks, he would typically notice a few dozen or so, but from late March to mid-April, the number of them was concerning. It wasn't that big of a problem for him, though, because as long as he didn't directly interact with them, they wouldn't get close to him.
Come to think of it, it was around this time when... Y/n stopped his train of thought, shivering from the cold and slipping his left hand under his jacket for warmth while his other hand fiddled with his necklace. Though it was useless to dwell on what had already happened, he could still recall everything clearly.
God, it's so funny to think back to it, Y/n chuckled to himself while thinking. He could hear several spirits in the buildings around him, some more disturbing than others. While the sounds they made were usually incoherent, others could form words, however broken they were.
"Maaa....maaa... Heeelp... meeee..."
With a sigh, Y/n sent a glare from the corner of his eye at the spirit that was splattered across the street. It resembled a toddler around four years old in size. Its lone hand clawing the ground, and its lower half was missing. It appeared to have been scraped on the concrete on the side where one of its eyes was sticking out from its socket.
"Speak of the devil," he muttered with a tone of annoyance. A walk to help himself destress? Actually, he probably should've stayed with Jack and Mizuki instead today.
Y/n started walking away from it. The more he stayed, the more annoyed he would only become. Oddly enough, none of these creatures appeared to be able to enter their school. He was not complaining, however. The last thing he wanted was to be disturbed by those filthy creatures there, so he was relieved there were none.
He let his legs drag him to wherever passing by several buildings. None of them piqued his interest, but when he was in front of one particular cafe, he couldn't help but stop and take a look inside through the picture window. It looked familiar, so he checked the name of the establishment.
"Kanai Anzen, huh?" Y/n asked no one in particular, raising his eyebrow. This was the cafe Mizuki kept telling him about, which was 30 minutes away by foot from school. She frequently visited here, and her social media posts were proof of that. And, apparently, the barista was very nice to everyone.
Well, he could certainly see why she loved taking pictures here. The cafe was bathed in soft, natural light that streamed through its large windows, which were adorned with brown zebra blinds. They paired well with the tan-colored walls and wooden support beams that were a darker shade than both.
The decor had a harmonious blend of modern and traditional elements. Minimalist wooden furniture, bamboo screens, and paper lanterns added to its already homely atmosphere.
A focal point of the café was the beautifully crafted wooden bar, where skilled baristas prepare artisanal coffee and tea creations. The counter was adorned with jars of coffee beans and an array of colorful tea leaves, which would entice guests with their visual appeal.
When a customer exited, Y/n couldn't help but have a whiff of the aroma of coffee from within. There was also soft music playing in the background, which enhanced the already pleasant environment inside.
Jazz? Y/n assumed. He was starting to be sold on this cafe. Still, who names a cafe like this?
Y/n took a picture of the cafe and sent it to their group chat. Mizuki immediately saw it, and texted him, "YOU ASS! WHY DIDN'T YOU INVITE ME?! Wait up!"
Y/n didn't bother answering her text message and went inside. As if the smell wasn't good enough from the outside, it was even better when he entered. The scent of freshly roasted beans hit him full blast, and he couldn't help but smile because of it. Everyone inside was quiet, and the music playing helped him relax. The cafe had a heater, too! He could finally remove his jacket.
And a plus? There were no spirits inside here. Usually, those things could get in anywhere they want. The KFC they ate at a few days ago did have a single one dancing on the counter, but it was small enough to ignore.
Although, it was weird that there were talismans on the walls.
Those look... really authentic, Y/n thought while squinting his eyes at them.
When the barista heard the doorbell ring, he stepped out of a room behind the counter and faced Y/n with a big, hearty smile as he approached him and said, "Welcome, welcome! Good afternoon to you."
Huh, this guy looks scary, Y/n thought. He expected the barista to look like one of those aesthetic boys on the internet, but what met his sights was the complete opposite.
He was probably quite old, evident from the wrinkles and creases on his face. His age wasn't what caught his attention, though, but how rough and muscular the man's appearance was. He had a scar that started from his right brow down to the bride of his nose, for god's sake!
Y/n found himself wondering if he was a yakuza. Or maybe he just got into a bad street fight? Yeah, that was probably the reason.
The man fixed the hair tie that held his long, graying hair into a man bun, raising a brow at the teen who seemingly froze up, "Hello?"
Y/n, realizing he had been staring, blinked himself a few times out of his stupor, "Ah, sorry about that. Good afternoon, too. Could I get a table?"
"Of course!" the man said with a hearty laugh. "Right this way!"
For someone who looked like he could snap anyone in half, his jolly energy was contagious. He finally understood why Mizuki kept telling him that the barista was kind. Well, there is a saying not to judge a book by its cover.
Y/n was led to a table for four since he told the barista that he was waiting on a few people. He assumed Jack would be there, too, since Mizuki always dragged either of them with her.
Y/n looked at the menu he held in hand, scanning the contents of it. It was separated into four parts: coffee, non-coffee, tea, and desserts. While he wasn't the biggest coffee lover, he did drink once in a while. At first, he wanted to get the hot chocolate that they had to offer, but he settled on getting a latte macchiato instead.
Approaching the counter, Y/n called for the attention of the barista, who rolled up his white button up's sleeves and whipped out a pen and paper to write down the former's order, "Could I get a macchiato and... a chocolate croissant?"
The younger male couldn't help but notice that the barista had more scars on his muscular forearms and that his hands were littered with calluses. There were also patches of his scruffy beard missing, and there were more scars on those spots.
"Anything else?" the barista, who he now knew was Sadamori from his nametag, looked up from the paper.
"Uh, no, that's all."
"Alrighty, one croissant and latte macchiato coming up for ya, boy!" he gave a thumbs up. Afterwards, he began walking back to the room he came from.
A few minutes passed since Y/n returned to his table. He used the time to watch a video on YouTube, a paranormal investigation one, and couldn't help himself from chuckling.
Idiots, Y/n thought. It was so clearly fake that it was funny.
The sound of footsteps approaching him to the left took his attention, and saw Sadamori with the stuff he ordered. The drink and pastry were placed in front of him, and Sadamori left after saying, "Enjoy."
Thanks for the food, Y/n placed his hands together before biting into the pastry and-
What? Holy shit, this is good, Y/n marveled at the taste as he continued chewing. It was warm and when Y/n bit into it, the taste of the chocolate cream immediately made itself prevalent. Although, the filling itself wasn't too sweet, and the bread complimented it perfectly. It was honestly perfectly balanced.
Y/n quickly grabbed the macchiato, blowing on it to avoid burning his tongue, not wanting to wait any longer. It tasted fantastic, as expected. It seems like he just discovered his favorite spot for coffee.
Well, it makes sense, I guess, he thought to himself. There were many people inside the cafe, he saw as he looked about. After all, a bad cafe wouldn't draw in so many customers.
Surprisingly, he found himself enjoying his order more than he had anticipated. Pushing his phone back into his pocket, he carried on eating in silence while peering out the glass windows.
Thank god he decided to try this place out. If he had continued walking, he might have become more stressed by the spirits outside.
His calm thoughts were interrupted by a loud, sing-song voice exclaiming, "Sadamori-san~ I'm here!"
Y/n's eye twitched with the sudden loudness, and he couldn't help but frown. He found peace but it vanished because of some goddamned moron.
He turned towards the direction of the voice, hoping to give a piece of his mind to whoever that was. However, when he saw the person standing in front of the door, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
T-That's the creep at the Krispy Kreme! Y/n comically coughed in surprise. He still wore the same get-up when he first saw him.
The white-haired man began walking towards the counter, and Y/n noticed a few girls his age in the cafe start gawking at him. Because of his hearing, he could hear a couple of their murmurs.
"Oh my god, is he a model?" One whispered-yelled to her friend.
"Damn, I have to get his number," another girl near him said under her breath.
"I can fix him!" That was more so a scream than a whisper.
Seriously, they found that weird motherfucker attractive?!
The man stood in front of the counter and, when Sadamori came out of the room, he immediately frowned. "Oh god, not you... Anyone but you."
"Hehehe, did ya miss me?" the weirdo dramatically asked, "Who am I kidding? Of course, you'd miss your favorite student, Koko-san."
"I told you to stop calling me that stupid nickname, Gojo," the burly man replied. He didn't bother hiding the annoyance in his tone, "Now, tell me what you want or get out."
"Yeesh, talk about grumpy," the man he now knew as Gojo responded, pushing his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose, "Alright, old man, I'm just here to ask something."
"I am NOT old, Satoru!"
"Ha! Keep denying it," the male wore a cocky grin on his face.
"Tsk, always a pain," Sadamori crossed his arms and gritted his teeth, "You gonna ask that question or what?"
"Actually, I changed my mind!" Gojo cackled, using a hand to smack his own head, and his tongue slipped out from his mouth's corner, "Looks like I suddenly forgot! Maybe a..." he took a moment to look at the menu, tilting his head slightly, " nice cup of hot chocolate and a slice of cheesecake will help me remember."
"You rat's ass..." a vein bulged from Sadamori's forehead as he glared at Gojo.
Within a few seconds, the Gojo dude was able to turn such a welcoming fellow into a hot-headed one. Y/n couldn't blame the barista, though. That man-child was so unbearable to be around, and Y/n had barely been in the same room as him for a few minutes!
While Y/n was staring, Gojo's head slowly turned and stared at him! He even grinned at the teenager after doing so. Y/n couldn't help but flinch when Gojo did that, and the latter's grin turned into a smile when he saw it.
Y/n turned away from Gojo, trying to act like they didn't just maintain direct eye contact for ten seconds. Suddenly, the snow outside seemed really interesting. Oh, look! There was a bird perched on a fence.
Gojo cocked his head to look at Sadamori, who had an eyebrow raised at him. Sadamori had his eyes squinted at him while Gojo asked, "I assume you noticed it too, right?" using his head to gesture at the male sitting beside the window. Y/n didn't notice since he wasn't looking, but he was still eavesdropping on their conversation.
"I did," Sadamori answered briskly, knowing what he was asking about.
"Welp, anyways," Gojo yawned loudly, and he didn't bother covering his mouth, which irked Sadamori, "I wanna ask something about-"
Sadamori cut him off, raising a hand in front of Gojo, "Not out here, Gojo. Let's talk somewhere private," he encouraged the whitehead to go inside the room behind the counter.
"Okie dokie!" Gojo quickly did so, and once they both went in, the door was shut.
Damn it, Y/n bit harshly into the croissant, snarling. Their conversation sounded like it was just about to get good! Why did they need to leave him at a cliffhanger like that?
About ten minutes had passed, and Y/n was just relaxing back while he waited for Mizuki, who continued begging him not to leave the cafe. She wanted a free drink, that goblin. All because he had a few yen to spare from the arm wrestling match he won against Watanabe.
Y/n sighed, looking at the continuous messages of Mizuki in his dms. What did he even expect? That girl was the embodiment of an opportunity taker.
Y/n heard the door behind the counter open, and the obnoxious voice of the rich-looking creep was the first thing he heard.
"Thanks a lot, Koko-san!" Gojo exclaimed, his overcoat now slung over his shoulder due to the warm cafe interior. "Y'know, you could return to the school any time you want," he said, peering over his shoulder. "We could use the extra help."
"I'm old, Satoru," Sadamori pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm not as good as I used to be. I'd only be a burden; I'm already in my 50s."
"Heh, what a load of bullshit," Gojo spun on his foot to look directly at the older man, "You and I both know you're still strong. I mean, if that old fart Gakuganji is still doin' it, what's stopping ya?"
"Let me retire in peace," Sadamori sighed for the umpteenth time, putting his hands on the counter. "Now, do you still want that order of yours?"
"Hmmmmmm..." Gojo dragged out his pondering, "Nope!"
Sadamori snarled, gripping the wooden counter, "TSK! You damn brat! Still the same as back then."
Gojo began cackling loudly, but he said something that Y/n couldn't catch because of the sudden ringing of his phone. The chorus of "You Belong with Me" began blaring out, making Gojo turn his head towards him again.
"Nice tastes, kid!" Mr. Sunglasses cocked his head towards him and voiced his opinion, before turning back to Sadamori, "Anyways, I'll see ya soon, old man."
The older male huffed, watching as Gojo left his cafe while waving his hand lazily. He couldn't stop himself from muttering, "That damn idiot..." he turned his head to look at Y/n, who now had earphones on while answering his phone call. "He's going to drag that kid into his mess."
He retreated back from where he came from to finish whatever he needed to do.
_ _ _
That was a weird day, Y/n thought as he stopped right in front of their doorstep. First, he runs into that damn spirit on the street. Then, just when he thought he could finally relax at that cafe, the nutjob from the Krispy Kreme showed up and ruined his afternoon.
Mizuki did show up with Jack, as he expected. What he didn't expect, though, was for her to be dragging Ai along for some reason. When he asked the brunette why she was there, she briefly answered, "Kawaguchi said I looked lonely."
Although, it was strange how quiet Ai was the whole time inside the cafe. He knew she was usually reserved, but not to that extent. Mizuki sat beside Ai and kept nudging her with her elbow the whole time, wiggling her eyebrows at their class president. It looked like she was her target for the day to tease.
Y/n did briefly tell them that he met the weirdo again from the Krispy Kreme, and Mizuki almost pulled her hair out, wallowing about how she missed the opportunity to see him again.
With a final twist, Y/n opened the door at last and entered, taking off his shoes and placing them on a rack inside the genkan. After taking off his jacket and setting it on a coat hook, he said, "I'm home."
After a few seconds, he heard footsteps coming from the room directly ahead. His grandmother's caned figure then appeared, saying, "Welcome back, dear."
"Hi, Nana," Y/n smiled warmly, feeling himself relax.
"What are you doing standing there?" she approached Y/n at a snail's pace, a hand on his back as she ushered him in, "Come inside already."
Y/n made sure to support her as they walked towards the living room. Nana appreciated it, of course, since her old and brittle bones could barely keep her on her feet as is.
"Never thought I'd see you get home early this week," she stifled a laugh, still holding onto her grandson. "It felt like you were trying to avoid me."
"You know I could never do that. I just got busy the entire week, that's all," Y/n told her while he helped her sit down on the couch.
"I know," she made Y/n duck down to her level and caressed his face lovingly before ruffling his hair, "You're my sweet baby boy after all. It feels like you're my kid more than your mother's."
"Grandma, I- could you please stop?" he held her hand to stop her from ruining his hair. "You don't have to treat me like this."
"No. Let me do this while I'm still alive," her dark comment caught Y/n off guard, making him freeze up, "I'm already old, Y/n. Could you just let me while I still can?"
"Grandma... you say some really awful stuff, y'know?" he looked at her with a frown.
"It's not awful if it's true," she said with a laugh as she turned to face the TV. "Want to watch a movie?" In response to her question, Y/n sadly nodded.
With a sigh, he leaned back into the sofa while sitting on the floor. Their TV remote was on top of the table to his side of the couch, so his grandma ordered him to pass it to her so they could start watching.
_ _ _
In the midst of the third movie of the night, Y/n, who now sat beside his grandmother, couldn't help but steal a few glances at the elderly woman who was still eating dinner. What she said really struck him, and he couldn't focus on the movies the entire time.
His grandma was old, that was obvious. But he hated thinking about how she'd one day disappear, that she'd leave him alone in the future.
Who would he talk about the spirits he saw then? Who would act as the shoulder he leaned on whenever he was stressing out because of those things? Who would wake him up in the morning whenever he slept in? Who would cook, live, laugh, and have fun with him?
My parents won't, a thought he couldn't help but think about invaded his mind. Since they were overseas, they wouldn't be able to do that.
"You're spacing out," his grandmother snapped him out of his stupor by tugging his shirt's sleeve, "Focus. This was one of your grandfather's favorite movie scenes," she pointed to the screen as he heard the actor scream angrily.
"English, motherfucker! Do you speak it?" it was in English. Pulp... something, he believed was the title.
Y/n's grandmother smiled, "This never gets old. Your grandfather could perfectly reenact this scene from memory. He said it made him feel the ginchiest. That old fool picked that slang up from an American friend of his," she cackled and reminisced.
"I'm surprised he had an American friend," Y/n used his hand to support his head, putting his arm on his thigh, "Since Japan and America didn't have the best relationship with each other."
"Well, some folks simply don't give a damn about that kind of thing," she turned her head to look at him. "That's what I loved about your grandfather; He knew how to live optimistically."
Truth be told, Y/n couldn't remember what his grandfather was like. His gramps passed away from old age before he could even say his first words, but he apparently cried like a baby when he first held Y/n in his arms. A shame, really. He sounded like a really cool person. Whenever his grandmother found herself rambling about her late husband, he couldn't help but be more interested in him.
While his grandfather was supposedly the opposite of minimalist, he wanted everything he owned to be donated in his will. All that remained from his stuff when he was alive was the necklace that Y/n wore. The only reason the necklace was still here was because he asked Y/n specifically to receive it, which made him curious why he would request that. Y/n's parents did try to change his grandmother's mind from giving away her husband's property, saying that they're filled with memories, but she didn't concede.
Well, there was the fact that his grandfather could see spirits too, according to a story of his that he told his granny. That was probably what intrigued Y/n the most. His grandfather's madness was why his granny could even tolerate him in the first place.
Y/n's grandmother looked at the clock on the wall above the TV, and decided that it was already late enough, "Well, we should go to sleep now. It's 10 already. Now come on, help me get to my room."
"Okay," Y/n stood up and supported his grandmother by her hand, her other one holding a cane. He carefully guided her to her bedroom, and before she shut the door, she kissed him on the cheek and bid him goodnight.
Seeing as the TV wasn't turned off, Y/n headed back to the living room and shut it off. As he was about to go to his room, he noticed something covered on the kitchen counter. He opened it, and he saw a few red bean mochi on a plate. When he decided to take and lift them, he saw a note on the table.
"I know how you easily get hungry, so here's a few late-night snacks."
-Nana
Y/n felt a warmth in his chest when he read what was written. A smile tugged at his lips, and he ate the mochis in silence. After eating, he washed the plate and put it on the dish rack.
Time to sleep. But first, a bath, he wiped his hand on a towel while thinking. His phone started buzzing because of a few text messages from Mizuki, whom he had been ignoring for a few hours now as they watched a movie.
He checked on it, seeing her bombardment of dms.
_____________________________________________
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 5:35 PM
Yo
You in tomorrow?
Going back to the hospital, I mean.
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 5:50 PM
You there?
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 5:57 PM
Oi
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 6:10 PM
Stop ignoring me
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 6:23 PM
I swear I will feed you your balls
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 6:36 PM
Do you hate me?
I think you hate me.
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 6:50 PM
HEY, YOU FUCKING IN OR NOT
I will castrate you
Girly Pop 💅 changed your nickname to Snobbitch 🙄
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 7:24 PM
I'm in love with the shape of you
we push and pull like a magnet do
Although my heart is falling too
I'm in love with your body
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 7:54 PM
We don't talk anymore, we don't talk anymore
We don't talk anymore, like we used to do
What was all of it for?
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 8:09 PM
Did I do something wrong?
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 8:30 PM
Please answer meeeeee
Come onnnn
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 10:02 PM
Ok, I won't bother u anymore :(
_____________________________________________
Y/n couldn't help himself from chuckling. Mizuki seriously started writing song lyrics like it was one of those lyric prank videos on YouTube. He finally began typing.
_____________________________________________
Snobbitch 🙄 Today at 10:03 PM
Yeah, I'm in.
Sorry, was watching movies with my grandma
Girly Pop 💅 Today at 10:03 PM
Y/N
FINALLY
OMG
I THOUGHT I DID SOMETHING WRONG
I WAS CRYING
Girly Pop 💅 sent a picture
_____________________________________________
Y/n snorted, saving Mizuki's picture to make fun of her in the future. Afterwards, he finally took a bath and slept early, just to have energy for tomorrow.
Unknowingly to him, that was the best decision he could have possibly made.
_____________________________________________
Author's Comment: That was a long one.