~Morning~
Almost as soon as you woke up, you pulled out your phone sending Kasumi a text message. The whole night, you thought about the kiss she had given you, feeling blessed that your relationship had finally taken another step. Instead of responding to your texts, Kasumi called you up, with you answering instantly.
You: "Hey, sorry if I woke you"
Kasumi: "N-no...its okay. I usually get up pretty early. Training and all that...h-heh..."
You: "So...last night..."
Kasumi: "Yeah..."
You: "Wanna...talk about it?"
Kasumi: "Mhm...but...I have practice this morning. I'm free this afternoon though...is that okay?"
You: "Y-yeah...you know...Akechi took me to a pretty cool place up in Shinagawa. We could meet up there?"
Kasumi: "Sure, it's a date. I mean!...n-not like, you know...a date, date. I-I mean...like an appointment!"
You couldn't help but laugh at Kasumi's nervous behavior, her shyness still prominent even in her glitchy voice. Neither of you was really sure where things sat between you two now, and with Phantom Thief business on your mind too, your brain was a mess. You knew that despite how important it was, you wouldn't be able to get anything done until you talked with Kasumi, much less a Palace infiltration.
You: "Good luck in practice. I'll send you the address in a sec"
Kasumi: "Thank you...see you this afternoon"
You hung up the call with a smile on your face, already thinking about what to do and wear this afternoon.
Morgana: "I actually forgot to ask, what happened with you two last night? I wanted to give you some space so I stayed home after you went out"
You: "We uh...went batting"
Morgana: "Huh? That's it? You came home with a big grin on like something great had happened"
You: "Well...she kissed me too"
You could visually see Morgana do a double-take as he processed your words, giving you a shocked expression.
Morgana: "WHAAAT?!"
Sojiro: "Hey! Quiet that cat down! Customers might come in soon!"
You: "Sorry boss!"
You yelled your apology down the stairs to Sojiro, picking out your clothes for the afternoon and putting them to one side on your couch.
Morgana: "I'm seriously happy for you F/n!"
You: "Heh, thanks..."
Morgana: "It's about time if you ask me. Watching you two lovebirds act all shy around each other was driving me crazy"
You: "Do you think you could keep yourself busy this afternoon? I was gonna go to the aquarium with her and figure things out"
Morgana: "Say no more!"
You: "Thanks, I mean it"
Morgana: "You better tell me how things go though, I wanna hear all about how our fearless leader Joker stole another heart!"
You: "Do you seriously have to make it sound so cheesy like that?"
You and Morgana shared a small laugh together, the feline jumping into your bag for the morning.
Morgana: "Well, what do you wanna do for the morning?"
You: "We still have a few Mementos requests we haven't got names for. Figured we could do some intel gathering so we got some jobs to do after we deal with Futaba"
Morgana: "Alright then! Let's go get some curry down us and take to the streets!"
Giving him a thumbs up, the two of you went downstairs, taking a seat at the counter as Sojiro plated you up some food.
Sojiro: "Sheesh, of all the strays you could take it, you had to pick such a noisy cat?"
You: "Heh, sorry boss"
Sojiro: "So, how'd your night go with your girlfriend?"
You: "I-it went...well..."
Sojiro: "What's with the attitude change? Usually, you tell me to buzz off! What, she kiss you or something?"
You failed to respond to Sojiro, instantly thinking back to what had happened as your face lit up a bit, enough for Sojiro to use as an answer.
Sojiro: "Heh, not bad kid! We might make an honest gentleman of you yet! Just don't screw things up from here, got it? Dealing with a punk like you post-breakup sounds like way too much of a hassle"
You: "Your confidence in me is astounding"
You dug into your food, enjoying every bite as Sojiro finished setting up the store. After last night, you were in high spirits, excited and nervous to see what would come of this date you had made.
You: "Hey, don't worry bout cleaning the place up tonight, I'll deal with it"
Sojiro: "You serious?"
You: "Yeah, why not? I'm in a good mood after all"
Sojiro: "Huh, keep that attitude up kid, it definitely suits you"
It seemed Sojiro was honestly impressed at your initiative, a gentle smile on his face as he watched you finish up your breakfast and head towards the door. With breakfast finished, you headed out into the city, chatting up anyone you could find in Yongen, Kichijoji, Shibuya, and anywhere else you needed to go to find intel on your targets. At the end of it all, you had the names of plenty of individuals to find in Mementos, heading back to Yongen to drop off Morgana and get ready for your afternoon.
~Afternoon~
Kasumi: "It's been ages since I've been to an aquarium, I'd almost forgotten how beautiful they can be"
You: "I had nothing like this back home, it kinda blew me away the first time I saw it"
Kasumi: "I guess a lot of stuff around here is pretty new to you, huh senpai?"
The two of you continued walking around the exhibits, the blue haze of the water filling the halls. Every now and then you looked over to Kasumi as she looked at the fish in awe, counting yourself lucky for being in such good company. After looking over the tanks for a bit longer, you both took a small break, sitting down at a nearby bench to talk.
Kasumi: "Thank you for inviting me out like this"
You: "Pleasure's all mine, I'm having a blast"
You both shared a smile together before you sat in silence for what felt like eons. You both knew what you wanted to talk about, but now that you were together, you couldn't think of what to say.
Kasumi: "So...um...."
You: "Y-yeah?"
Kasumi: "....this is really embarrassing huh?"
You: "M-mhm"
Both of your faces were pure crimson, stealing glances at each other quickly before looking away out of your nervousness.
Kasumi: "I-I guess I should just ask....F/n-senpai...do you...l-like me?"
You: "...I really do..."
Kasumi: "...w-well, we could try...d-dating...if you wanted? I-I'd be pretty busy with training...s-so I couldn't always guarantee that I could see you... especially close to competitions...a-and I'm not exactly skilled at...all this"
You: "Kasumi..."
Kasumi: "B-but I'd definitely make an effort! I-I could come to see you at Leblanc after practice! O-or tell you where we'd be training so you can come watch me! O-or..."
You: "Kasumi..."
You gently placed your hand on top of hers, the nervous wreck in front of you suddenly focusing on you and only you.
Kasumi: "I-I...."
Kasumi intertwined her fingers with yours, gripping your hand as if she never wanted to let you go.
Kasumi: "I love you..."
You: "I love you too"
Kasumi: "Y-you do?!"
You gave Kasumi a gentle nod, sitting there looking at the gorgeous girl in front of you. The blue light surrounding you mixed with her blush as she spoke, creating a beautiful scene.
Kasumi: "D-does this mean you can be my b-boyfriend?"
You: "Seems so..."
Kasumi: "H-how are you so calm about this?! I didn't even expect to get this far!"
Kasumi hid her red face in her hands, causing you to laugh lightly as the girl tried to process her feelings.
Kasumi: "I'm so embarrassed, but also...really happy...I-I don't know what's going on"
You: "Take your time"
Kasumi: "T-thank you...you always know just what to say to calm me down. I guess that's one of the many reasons...why I couldn't help but fall for you..."
Kasumi kept her hand interlocked with yours, leaning her head against your shoulder as you both sat together, gazing up at you with caring and admiring eyes.
Kasumi: "I want your eyes to always be on me..."
Taking her advice, you leaned in towards Kasumi, your foreheads resting against each other as you looked deep into her eyes. Her face reddened up more than you had ever seen, Kasumi clearly unable to process the situation.
Kasumi: "I-I um...d-didn't mean...r-right...a-away...."
You: "You are so red right now"
Kasumi: "B-b-because you're so close!"
You: "Now that I think about it, I do owe you something from last night"
Kasumi: "H-huh?"
Without any warning, you leaned closer and pecked your new lover on the cheek, Kasumi's redness reaching one hundred percent as she had no idea how to do anything at this point.
You: "Uh oh, did I break her? Come back to me gymnast extraordinaire!"
Kasumi: "H-huh?!"
You: "There she is, you okay?"
Kasumi: "I-I don't know how much of this I can handle..."
You: "You'll get used to it"
Kasumi: "I um...I meant what I said before though. I can't promise I won't be busy with practice most days, so it might get tough to see you at some points..."
You: "That's okay, I'm not going anywhere Sumi. Keep working towards your dream. I'll be here cheering you on all the way"
Kasumi: "F/n-senpai...thank you...for being so understanding. I promise I'll do my best to make time for you without skipping out on practice"
You: "We'll figure things out together. For now, there's still lots to see here, wanna keep looking around together?"
Kasumi: "Y-yeah... definitely"
You stood up from your seat on the bench, helping Kasumi up to her feet as you held hands. With the young first year at your side, the two of you continued exploring the aquarium, a small glow on both your faces the entire time. There was no turning back now, you were in a relationship with Kasumi, and you couldn't be happier. Your exploration ended with a trip to the gift shop, browsing over all the souvenirs and trinkets they had for sale there.
Kasumi: "That dolphin show was so incredible! I could never imagine creatures like that to be so graceful. Perhaps there's a way for me to implement their style of movement in gymnastics..."
Kasumi began thinking aloud as you two explored, trying to adapt her idea in her head.
Kasumi: "Ah! Sorry, I'm talking about gymnastics again..."
You: "Don't apologize, its your passion after all. Plus, I find it pretty cute to be honest how it's always on your mind"
Kasumi: "O-oh...well...good"
Kasumi moved herself a bit closer to you in response, resting herself against your chest for a few moments.
Kasumi: "Do you wanna...hang out some more?"
You: "I'm all yours tonight. Any ideas?"
Kasumi: "W-well...the park is pretty beautiful in the evenings..."
You: "Inokashira it is then"
You finished up at the aquarium, Kasumi insisting on buying you a small souvenir to decorate your room before you left for the train station. On the ride to Shibuya, Kasumi made sure to stay close to you, holding your hand in hers as you both rode the train back.
~Evening~
Once you arrived, you both walked through the park, passing by only a few other people out here during the night. The cold night air was a welcome change from the recent heatwaves, and the company you had made the night that much better.
Kasumi: "Taking an evening stroll together through a park...guess we really are a couple now huh?"
You: "Still can't believe it?"
Kasumi: "To be honest? Yes..."
You: "Face it, from now on you're stuck with me. I'm not giving you up any time soon"
Kasumi: "Hehe, I'm sure I'll survive somehow"
The two of you lightly laughed together as you walked, enjoying each other's company now you were officially a couple.
Kasumi: "Um....you're really sure you're happy with...me?"
You: "Really sure"
Kasumi: "You're really definitely sure?!"
You: "Really definitely"
Kasumi: "Absolutely one hundred percent!?"
Instead of responding to her, you leaned in and kissed her again on the cheek, the first year practically jumping out of her skin in shock.
Kasumi: "S-stop doing that out of the blue!"
You: "Stop being so adorable then"
Kasumi: "I seriously am doubting whether my heart can survive this, and it's only our first day!"
You: "Hehe, we can slow down or speed up as much as you want, I don't mind"
Kasumi: "R-really?"
You: "Yeah, this is all new territory to me too. The last thing I want is you to feel uncomfortable around me now that we're together, so if anything is up, just talk to me"
Kasumi: "O-okay..."
Kasumi instinctively moved closer to you, gripping you tightly and hiding her face in your shirt as you walked. With a gentle smile, you embraced the girl for a moment before continuing to stroll around the park for a bit longer.
Kasumi: "It's...getting pretty late...my Dad will be wondering why I'm not back yet..."
You: "I'll walk you back to the station"
Kasumi: "T-thank you, but I need some time to...process...everything...sorry"
You: "Don't apologize, take all the time you need"
Kasumi: "T-thank you senpai..."
You: "Well, goodnight then"
Kasumi: "U-um!"
You: "Hm?"
Kasumi: "Could you...um...well.."
You: "Could I?"
Kasumi: "C-could you....k-kiss me? Once more?"
You could see it was taking all of Kasumi's willpower to force out those words with minimal stuttering. You gently moved your face towards her, softly kissing her once more on the cheek, before leaning in towards her ear to whisper to her.
You: "Good night Sumi. Love you"
Kasumi: "L-l-love you too..."
Embarrassed beyond belief, Kasumi went on her way, struggling to even walk normally in her condition. After she had properly departed, you headed back to the station yourself, riding the train back to Yongen. The rest of your night was spent with Morgana as you cleaned the café, informing him of everything that had happened. After the whole shop was spotless, you nestled into bed, your phone buzzing and displaying a text from Kasumi just before you went to sleep.
Miss you already