AUTHOR
courting you was like kissing a flame. the fire blazed, yet it was unable to burn the kisser. the possessor would endure weeks of painful lips or the need to restrain himself from kissing another's mouth before being reminded of the flame's presence by the warmth of the hand that was holding his. so even though they weren't physically together, they were deeply in love. baji would go to any lengths for you, even if it meant sacrificing his entire life- being ridiculed by his family, his friends, his coworkers, and potentially even his entire group of friends- all in an effort to catch your attention. life without him was something you could never have imagined. his love for you wasn't just a passing fancy, an obsession, a wish, or even a dream; it was something he had long before resolved to do, and it wasn't just some bizarre fluke and whim. the man with the black hair was intent on winning your approval.
physical touch was his preferred method of showing you his love, despite the fact that baji was never given the chance to kiss you on the lips because either kazutora and chifuyu would destroy the atmosphere or because he is still shy, the black-haired man was still waiting for your approval before he could do so. the amount of love he could feel for someone so soon after meeting them seemed almost unbelievable, but since you two were soul mates, of course that is how his heart felt. he courted you very well though, with a lot of flowers, chocolates and gifts as he tried to show his affection through actions and words alone. baji already knew you were in love with him too, but he wanted the confirmation from your mouth. and from then on, the both of you would frequently met each other.
because of baji, you got to sleep for more than an hour. you don't even know why, but there's one thing that keeps coming to mind: you feel safe when he's around. his warmth makes you feel calm. he soothes your anxiety and makes you feel secure and safe as though all of his attention is on him. regardless of what he does, you are appreciative. you've never felt more secure or at ease. before your friends approached you, you weren't even aware that you were falling for him.
two days ago, the whole group celebrated halloween. everyone turned up in ridiculous costumes even though the idea was meant to be spooky. even hakkai, he arrived dressed like an astronaut. as the group decided to go trick or treating, his outfit and everyone else's looked absurd. although the houses they visited appeared to be a spooky maze, they were nevertheless enjoyable. and now, as the others helped him decorate for the surprise- which was just a few hours away and for which he already had an idea- mikey planned to surprise baji. according to him, baji never acknowledges his birthday. to him, birthdays are just regular days. however, they intended to make it special this year. it would be fun to have a surprise celebration, everyone who knew it agreed. they were going to ensure that their friend had the nicest birthday ever, they intended to go all out today.
to make the surprise fun, chifuyu suggested that you should neglect baji for the entire day. you agreed to the conditions and immediately begin making preparations with chifuyu and his friends, but he advises that you should go it alone. it's fun, he declared. you still could remember how the two of you fought earlier, and you can't believe how stupid your older brother is.
"so after the fight yesterday, you've decided you no longer love me? do you even know what day today is?"
with your throat cleared, you faced your upset boyfriend. "it's november three, baji. what the fuck is wrong with you?"
the black-haired raised his eyebrows, putting both of his arms on his waist as he stood in front of you. "oh yeah, so you're not going to call me by my nickname now, matsuno?"
"that's what you deserve anyways. punching a random guy because you're what? annoyed? most couples wear matching clothes in public and you decided that we should go out with matching bruises? wow." you argued back.
"but this is ridiculous, i learned my lesson! why don't you want to go on a date with me today? these bruises are the sign that i'm still fighting for you."
"you're so dramatic, i told you i'm still tired. i said what i said, i'm not gonna change my mind. if you're really that desperate to go out, why don't you go with chifuyu instead? he's free today."
"you don't care about me anymore, huh?"
"so so," you spoke, shifting your gaze to your phone to avoid making eye contact with him or you might blow up your cover now. you could feel his eyes on your back but ignored him in favor of scrolling through your phone as if there was anything that he wouldn't find repulsive about it.
"okay fine, i'm not gonna bother you anymore. goodbye." baji ran his finger through his hair before he stepped out of your room.
now, you felt bad. "this is all chifuyu's fault, i shouldn't have listened to his dumb ideas." you could tell by the look in his eyes chifuyu had just gotten into trouble for being stupid and had no idea how to deal with his problems. you felt a small amount of guilt for fooling baji, but not enough to make it go away.
blowing a lots of balloons, nahoya and souya simultaneously groaned, which caused their faces to briefly become crimson. they each took a deep breath and waited for some energy to return as they turned to face each other after looking down at the floor first. when the blue-haired man tied the balloon improperly, causing it to fly out of his fingers before deflating on the ground, the two of them began laughing at themselves. when they laughed, it seemed as if there were no differences. the birthday banner was being hung on the wall by hakkai and mitsuya. they had done so much already but it didn't feel right for them not to have put a good amount of effort into the party too. hakkai, who was slightly taller than mitsuya, managed to reach the top row, but his efforts were significantly greater than mitsuya's, due to his long legs.
"taka-chan, you're too small. you can't reach it, let me do this work instead." the blue-haired smiled, scratching the back of his neck but in the end, draken ended up putting it, leaving the two of them with a disappointed look while muttering something under their breath like, "that damn annoying giants."
emma and hina were looking over for the foods, especially the cake, in case that mikey might eat it. knowing that guy, he'll do anything for food. he would just get on their last nerves if he did eat them, or might recieve a slap from the light brown-haired female. they opted to keep the cake in the refrigerator for the time being. since kokonoi is wealthy, the group doesn't mind that he had to spend money on the banners and the meals. once everything had been carefully put away, including the cake in the center of the table and the balloons attached to the wall, you couldn't help but smile.
"guys! kazutora just texted me, they're coming back in a few minutes." takemichi shouted, earning everyone's attention, and shoved his cellphone back into his pocket.
"oh shit, the candles are missing," pah-chin stated, but sighed in relief when peh-yan scolded him, finally remembering that he was just holding it.
nahoya stood up, grinning widely. "let's turn the lights off first."
when they were already ready to surprise the birthday boy, the balloons started popping out of nowhere and suddenly, the whole room was filled with the noise of their mumbles, also screams. the banner fell on your head since you were the one who's sitting on the couch along with emma. "be quiet for a moment, they might hear us."
"yeah, let's shut our mouth first." chifuyu spoke once again, earning a "shh" from everyone until all of them started arguing again while warning each other to keep quiet before draken decided to step in. it was a disaster, everything was.
"they're here! they're here! shh!" mikey whispered, running away from the door after peeking on the peephole.
"happy birthday, baji keisuke!"
"b-baji... he..." kazutora ran as he stumbled to get inside the house, his eyes looked terrified.
"tora, did something bad happen to baji? what happened?" you asked and you could already tell he's nervous, his eyes shifted away when you stared at him.
"y/n, i-" he closed his mouth and stood straight in front of you, finally looking at you in the eyes. kazutora's bottom lip trembled slightly and tears were streaming down his cheekbones. his face was contorted. you were perplexed, what happened? when did everything get so emotional? were those real tears? he seized your hand in his icy, quivering grasp. he gave you a tight hug, and you were startled to see him sobbing. unsure of what to do, you clumsily gave him a hug in return. thoughts flew out of your head.
"b-baji got involved in a car accident.. for the last time he was still breathing, he wanted you to come to the rooftop. he wanted to share his last peyoung yakisoba with you..."
and at that moment, the emotion in your eyes disappeared.
you feel so weak, almost falling on the ground after they lead the way to the rooftop but thank goodness, emma, and hina was there to catch you. even though you have no clue why they were leading you there instead of to the hospital, you kept your mouth shut. nevertheless, your mind was still spinning with questions.
chifuyu was the first one to broke into tears on the way to the rooftop and was soon followed by takemichi until all of them were sobbing loudly while you felt lost. you tried your best to comfort them, but couldn't find anything you could say to console them when they started screaming even louder. you stood there, feeling bad for not crying along with the rest of them because you didn't know what to do or say. you didn't really understand what was going on, so instead of saying anything you focused your gaze on the ground. your hands shook as you tried to calm down, trying to figure out what to do next.
"should we turn the lights on-" your mouth formed into a thin line when you turned around, no one was standing there. they vanished in an instant. you blinked quickly, attempting to figure out what was going on. were you beginning to hallucinate? you had just begun to wonder if there was a problem. you shivered as the sound of your footfall reverberated loudly across the empty hallway. you disliked being alone yourself, especially at night. you were aware that this house wasn't actually haunted, but you couldn't get rid of the uneasy sensation you got when you had left. it appeared to be someone or something monitoring you and waiting for you to make a mistake or damage anything. you paused before moving further, nervously glancing down as you drew nearer to the closed doors at the end of the hallway
nothing, you were greeted by nothing.
"those dumb fuckers. fine, i'm heading to the rooftop all by myself. i'm not scared," you closed your eyes, singing the dora the explorer theme song to distract yourself as you ran towards the door. your feet made light noises against the polished hardwood flooring as you bounded up two flights of stairs.
after opening the door, you arrived at the rooftop in a flash. it was already night when you looked up and when you opened the door, you fell on your knees and cried. tears poured out of your eyes like a spring. the air felt cold and biting against your exposed skin, and yet you barely noticed. this made you upset, as you weren't used to being treated like this.
when you looked up again, you were compelled to cover your lips with a quivering hand as tears began to trickle down your cheeks. a black-haired man wearing a white jacket and striped shirt stood in front of you, he had dark circles under his eyes, but his smile could only be described as bright. as the party popper was let off the air, your pulse beat quickly with expectation. a sudden explosion of fireworks and the smell of smoke caused the rooftop to go utterly silent before everyone started laughing. in the midst of the pyrotechnics, a solitary star emerged and rose high enough for everyone to see.
"keisuke!" you gasped, bursting through the door, hyperventilating as he immediately opened his arms to catch you.
you clenched your fist, taking a deep breath before aming a punch at his face. the black-haired mslr was caught off guard, but he quickly countered by grabbing your hands as you attempted to attack him. however, you managed to twist your hand free and elbow him in the stomach. you smiled, watchig him struggle as you watched him recover and regain his footing. "that's for pranking me that you were dead, my god, you didn't know how broken i am to hear that."
"that's for pranking me that you were dead, my god, you didn't know how broken i am to hear that."
"for a second, i thought you were a boxer." baji spoke as he chuckled, handing you a bouquet with a card on top of it and pulled the card. "go on, read it."
"i love you, can i make you mine again?"
you swore you never felt butterflies from your stomach stronger than before. "mr. baji, i think you stole my whole heart again. you've been good to me, let's make this day a very special day to you. so, what if i were to tell you that i said yes? i'm going to say yes to you, either way. be my boyfriend. ah no, let's be more than that."
for a second, he looked at you like a kid in candy land. the black-haired man just stood there and gazed, his eyes wide and his mouth parted as a grin spread across his face. You looked up, grinning and tilting your head, still astonished to see him. before he pulled himself out of his stupor, stood up, and brushed himself off, his mouth clicked shut. then, something unexpected happened. he took another step in your direction while maintaining a wide smile on his face, but this time it was filled with joy. his cheeks turning pink as he stepped forward. his hand stretched out for yours and as much as you wanted to take it, your feet wouldn't budge, rooted to your spot. you saw it coming when he ran closer to your figure, enjoying his embrace as he wrapped his arms on your body. lifting you off the ground and started spinning around whilst letting out a loud laughter. "i can do this every day just to make you mine."
"you idiot, why are you so surprised? isn't my feeling towards you obvious?"
"i mean, yes but i figured out we broke up earlier because you didn't love me anymore. if it wasn't for chifuyu texting me that it was just a prank, i would have beat every guy i see on the road."
"you're really an idiot, aren't you?"
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"happy birthday, baji keisuke!"
you invited everyone to this location- toman café, to celebrate baji's birthday, therefore the entire group was there at the time. you were sitting at the table next to the transparent window that displayed the view outside, watching as mitsuya finish putting up the finishing touches of decorations and placing a big cake on the top while listening to a music playlist that has been playing for awhile now inside the cafe. due to the fact that they still had work to do, pah-chin and peh-yan made the decision to leave earlier today. luckily, the café doesn't close too early. there are still many students around and even workers too, who just finished serving orders for their tables and started wiping down tables. this was the cafe where you worked, which is why you decided to invite all of your friends to come here and celebrate baji's birthday.
"blow the candles and make a wish!" you shouted, lighting up the candle and clapping your hands in excitement. your friends were all watching excitedly at the moment, quietly cheering.
baji closed his eyes for a brief moment after casting a wide smile across the faces of everyone seated at the table. before turning to gaze at you, the black-haired man observed the candlelight, and when your eyes met, you could see the stars mirrored behind him. even more lovely than usual, he is. he returned the stare, and you felt the corner of your mouth curl upward. "thank you so much for everything."
"y/n, blow this candle too!" the blue-haired, hakkai appeared next to you as he pushed the cake. "for finally making up with baji and all, even that one was just a prank. it's your monthsary, right? don't worry, koko was the one who bought that."
"after this, that candle isn't the only one you're gonna blow."
your eyes grew wide at baji's statement, jaw dropped as the others bit their lips to contain themselves from laughing very loud. you couldn't quite figure out why he would say such a thing. you glanced between them and baji, unable to say anything as you tried to comprehend the situation. it took a few seconds but they soon burst out laughing. they laughed even harder when they saw the shocked expression on your face.
"how about you shut the fuck up before i slap your soul the fuck out."
"i'm just kidding!"
to break the awkward silence, draken and emma were the first one to talk about their lives while hina excused herself to order drinks too. emma and draken both had a lot to say about their pasts, and they talked for hours about everything from their favorite food, movies, books, etc. the conversation eventually shifted onto the topic of their relationship.
"sorry, i can't give you any gifts. i'm sorry for being rude earlier and happy birthday too." you bit your lips from embarrassment, feeling the male's hand dropping on your shoulder.
"being with you is the best gift i've ever had, that's what matters," he whispered, kissing you on your forehead.
"look, there's a fight outside!" hakkai emphasized as they hurriedly exited the cafe at the same moment, cramming themselves through the doorway just before the manager reprimanded them for almost breaking the door and other things. they anxiously watched as others gathered around the entrance and peered in through the tiny gap they had made. they exclaimed in shock at what they saw as they stood on tiptoe to get a better view of the outdoors.
"fuck, be right back!" takemichi cried, leaving the table with girls left only to go the men's bathroom.
"want some?" senju asked, offering you a cake that she sliced which you gladly took, muttering a simple thank you at her. you personally knew that she wasn't fond of sharing her foods at others, so you were surprised at her generosity. you ate the cake in silence, enjoying its sweet taste before taking another bite. you hummed softly in appreciation.
your head snapped in the direction where akane was standing up, sitting next to the transparent glass, and smiled. "might just pull a main character moment and eating my cake so i can look badass."
"so who's gonna tell her that she just looks stupid and not badass." emma whispered.
"hey, don't slap my hair! you're gonna mess it up no matter how much hairspray i used!" akane slapped the blonde-haired hand away and quickly pulled out her phone to check her hair. "is there something you're gonna tell us?"
"what are you talking about?" your smile faded, clearing your throat as you frowned at the female.
a girl with brown color and a not-so-long face appeared behind you as she stood in the middle of you and hina. you turned around and met her gaze adoration filled with yellow-orange eyes. she was beautiful. "you know, it's not that difficult to connect the dots. how can you live like this?" yuzuha pecked your cheeks as a greeting, doing it with the others too. as usual, you caught a glimpse of her leg warmer and skirt that ended above her knees as she chewed the bubblegum, even offering you one. you're not as badass as her but you two clicked together.
"then unconnect the dots," you replied.
"fine, we're not gonna bother you anymore about your insomnia thingy again. if you need help, we're here for you."
"my radar just detected something- a pretty girl wearing an oversize shirt with white skirt! hina, emma, i'll walk past their table and make sure to push me close to her, then i'll make my move!" senju clapped her hands together, eyes filled with excitement. she was a very energetic girl, and when she got excited, everyone around her was forced to listen to her.
"dude, no. she might think you're a creep or something, i'm sure she'll shoo you away." emma, smiled when the green short-haired face suddenly fell, the annoyed expression slowly creeping on her face.
you chuckled, shaking your head off. "that's kira, the café's barista."
inhaling the cold wind nipping through your skin as your hair swayed caused by the wind, you crossed your arms underneath your chest. your lips began to sputter air, which then condensed in front of you. the cold made your fingers feel numb, worried that if you moved, your bones may break. you made the decision to step outside for a moment because the café felt stuffy and you were thankful for four thick jacket when the temperature dropped. you calmly waited as you regarded the city square's white structures. you decided to come outside for a moment because the café felt suffocating and with the weather getting colder, you were grateful for your thick jacket. you stared at the white buildings that surrounded the city square, waiting patiently. "let me pose! stolen pics aren't cool," you yelled but baji only laughed before he stuffed his phone in his pocket and walked towards where you were standing, just in front of the café's door.
"stolen or not, you're still pretty."
"you and your cheesy line, geez. you have no taste at all."
sighing in defeat, you faced the tall man next to you. "i just can't believe it. we were supposed to surprise you but why am i the one who got surprised instead?"
"speaking of that surprise, it was all planned to distract you too."
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