The first thing Kaminari noticed about you was that you somehow made everything look effortless. Walking your dog? Thousands of likes. Getting coffee? Comments full of heart emojis.
Posting a picture by the pool and a caption that simply read “finally getting some sun ☀️”?
His entire brain practically exploded.
Kaminari stared at the photo for a solid minute, then another, then maybe a few minutes longer..“Dude,” he muttered to himself, “just send the message.” His thumb hovered over the screen before finally typing.
“You know, as your neighbor, I feel legally entitled to join that tanning session????👀👀”
A few seconds later, his phone buzzed.
Cute Neighbor👀💗 : “Legally entitled? That’s a bold claim for someone who just wants to come swim and gawk…”
His grin stretched from ear to ear.
“Check the neighborhood handbook!! It’s in there🙇🙇 Page 47”
“There’s a handbook? And more surprisingly, YOU READ IT?”
Twenty minutes later, Kaminari was lounging beside your pool in a lawn chair, sunglasses perched on his nose. “This is the life,” he sighed dramatically. You laughed from the chair beside him. “You’re acting like you’ve never seen a pool before.”
“I’ve seen pools.” He pointed toward you. “I’ve never been invited to your pool.”
“Absolutely.” The two of you settled into comfortable silence, music played softly from your new shared playlist. The afternoon sun reflected off the water, it was surprisingly peaceful, Kaminari glanced over after a while. You’d gone unusually quiet? Your smile wasn’t quite reaching your eyes anymore.
You hesitated. “Yeah, no of course.” That alone told him the answer was probably no. He sat up slightly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” You looked down at the drink in your hands. “It’s just…” A sigh escaped you. “My boyfriend’s been weird lately.”
Kaminari’s stomach immediately dropped… I mean he knew you had a boyfriend, everyone knew. Still, hearing the words always stung a little…But he pushed that aside.
You shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Okay, maybe I know a little.” The laugh that followed sounded tired. “He never listens anymore.” Kaminari stayed quiet.
“He’ll ask how my day was and then immediately start talking about himself.” You stared out at the water. “I’ll send him something I’m excited about and he’ll leave me on read for hours.”
“Yeah.” You smiled sadly. “And then when he finally responds it’s just a thumbs-up.” Kaminari winced. “A thumbs-up is criminal.”
“Thank you!” You pointed at him. “See? You get it.”
“Because that’s awful. You should post us you know?” Dickarus is flying to close to the sun…
“Just soft launch our tanning day. Then maybe he’ll actually give you some attention and you can talk to him.”
“That was…the smartest thing I’ve heard you say. Yet.”
When you saw that he’d viewed it, your expression softened again. Of course he wouldn’t care. But honestly? You just wanted to talk to Kaminari now. “I don’t even need some huge romantic gesture.” You fiddled with your bracelet.
“I just want him to care.” The honesty in your voice hit harder than Kaminari expected…I mean, you were the girl everyone wanted, the girl everyone noticed, the girl whose posts got thousands of comments…
Yet somehow you were sitting beside him wondering why the one person who was supposed to care didn’t seem to.
“If somebody likes you, they should make time for you.” Your eyes widened slightly. He continued nonetheless. “You shouldn’t have to fight for basic attention. That shit it’s stupid. Especially when it’s a prize like you.” For a moment neither of you spoke…the wind stirred the leaves overhead.
Then you smiled, a real one this time that showed off your adorable smiling lines. “You’re a good friend, Kaminari.” His heart immediately performed a backflip and landed on its face.
Still, he smiled back. “Someone’s gotta tell you the truth.” You nudged his shoulder. “Thanks.” The two of you settled back into your chairs. A comfortable silence returned. But this time it felt lighter. And while you watched the clouds drift overhead, Kaminari found himself thinking that maybe—Just maybe—The guy who couldn’t appreciate you was making the biggest mistake of his life.
Later that night, your phone sat in your hands for a solid minute before you finally hit Kaminari’s contact. It was late enough that you almost expected him not to answer. Instead, after a few rings—
His voice was rough with sleep, you immediately sat up straighter towards your bedroom fan. Your face was flushed. “Kami?” A yawn crackled through the speaker.
“Y/N?” He sounded like he’d been dragged directly out of a dream, you couldn’t help laughing. “Were you asleep?”
Another yawn, the sound of blankets shifting followed.
“I was having a really good dream, too.”
A pause. “You were buying me food.” You groaned. “Of course you big back.”
Despite sounding exhausted, there was still that familiar playful grin hidden in his voice. He rolled onto his back. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t the slightest bit bricked from your voice.
“So what’s up?” Your smile softened. “I just wanted to thank you.” There was a brief silence .“For what?”
“For hanging out with me today, letting me yap.”
“Oh-” His tone grew gentler. “Girl, no problem.”
“I mean it.” You curled up under your blanket.
“I’ve been feeling kinda crappy lately and it helped.” The line was quiet for a second. Then:
Tf is he tryna get into….You found yourself smiling at the ceiling.
“You’re really easy to talk to, you know.”
“Hmm wooow calling me slow?”
“You’re supposed to say thank you.”
You laughed, a sleepy chuckle came from the other end. Then he said:
His voice lowered slightly.
“If your boyfriend won’t treat you right, I will. If you need somebody to talk to, just call me.”
Something about how naturally he said it made your chest feel warm.
A comfortable silence settled between you, then Kaminari spoke again.
“So your boyfriend really won’t hang out with you?” You blinked.
“…No. S’like pulling teeth.”
Another rustle of blankets. Then, in the most casual tone imaginable:
“Me plus you, equals this Saturday at 8. I wanna see the new final destination.”
“I’m serious.” You could hear his grin. He yawned again. “Then again, if you just wanna tan by the pool, I’ll come.” You rolled your eyes, smiling. “How generous.”
“If you wanna complain about life, I’ll come listen.”
“If you wanna get food, watch movies, play games—” He paused. “I’ll be there babe.” Your heart skipped. There was no teasing in his voice now. Just honesty.
“You make it sound really simple.”
“Isn’t it?” You didn’t know how to answer that. Because maybe it was. Maybe caring about someone really was supposed to be that simple. The silence stretched, then Kaminari suddenly mumbled: “…You’re easy to spend time with. You don’t make me feel dumb.” Your breath caught. “What?”
“What did you just say?” Another pause, then a sleepy groan.
“You absolutely said something.”
“I’m pleading the fifth.” You laughed so hard you nearly dropped your phone. And somewhere on the other end, Kaminari smiled into his pillow.
“Text me tomorrow.” The request slipped out before he could stop it. A beat passed.
“I love you.” Your smile widened.
“Love you too sleepy head.” Another comfortable silence, neither of you hung up immediately, neither wanted to hurry to end the conversation. Eventually, with a quiet goodnight, the call ended. And as Kaminari stared at the dark ceiling of his room afterward, one thought kept circling through his sleepy brain:
“If someone wasn’t making time for you Y/N, they were an idiot.”
Because if you called him tomorrow—He’d answer. Immediately.
A few days later, Kaminari was walking back from the convenience store when he heard someone call out behind him.
“Hey.” He turned…your boyfriend.
The guy he’d only met a handful of times. The guy who somehow always looked annoyed whenever you were around. Kaminari already knew this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.
The guy stepped closer. Chest to chest with him.
“You think it’s okay to hang out with my girl like that?”
“Uh…What?” The boy grabbed his collar.
“I see you hanging around her all the time now.”
Kaminari’s patience immediately started evaporating.
“She invited me to hang out. S’not like you’re going to.”
“Right.” The boyfriend laughed bitterly.
“You’re just waiting for your chance, aren’t you?”
Kaminari stared at him…not because the accusation surprised him..because of the way he said it. Like you were some object he owned.
“You know,” Kaminari said slowly, “she can decide on her own who she hangs out with. She’s a big girl.” The guy scoffed. “Oh, so that’s how it is?”
“You think you’re better than me?”
“To her? Yeah. I know it.” Kaminari shrugged. “I I answer her texts, to. Premium service.”
That one landed…hard. The boyfriend’s face darkened instantly. “You little—”
“Look, man.” For once, Kaminari wasn’t smiling. “If you’re mad, be big mad.” His voice stayed calm, “But don’t take it out on me because your the reason your girl looks for attention elsewhere.” That’ll do it.
The argument exploded from there, voices raised, tempers were lost, a small crowd started paying attention. And when the boyfriend finally shoved Kaminari—That was the moment everything crossed a line. Kaminari shoved him back, farther away from him.
“Don’t do that. Don’t put your fucking hands on me dude.” The warning was clear. And unfortunately, Ignored. The boyfriend came at him again, which was a gravely bad decision.
Because despite his goofy reputation, Kaminari was still a hero student, and a trained fighter. The confrontation didn’t last very long, a few moments later, the boyfriend found himself sitting on the pavement looking more shocked than injured while Kaminari stood several feet away trying very hard not to lose his temper completely. His nose was busted up, and he looked like he stuck his finger in a light socket.
“Are you fucking done?” Kaminari asked. The guy glared, but didn’t speak. Kaminari sighed.
“And for the record,” He adjusted the bag hanging from his shoulder. “I don’t even care if she dates me.” That seemed to catch him off guard. “I care that she’s happy.”
The soon to be ex boyfriend didn’t even mumble. “She spends half her time wondering why you don’t pay attention to her. She sits in her room, in front of her vanity, picking apart her face, and layering makeup when she doesn’t even need it. Hell, she used to never even touch the stuff before you!”
Kaminari’s voice lowered as he leaned down to the guy’s level. “And how you’re more worried about me than about fixing that bullshit, is beyond me.” Silence…the guy looked away first. Getting up and picking his battles by walking away.
That evening when your phone rang, you answered immediately.
You did NOT laugh…but your voice softened.
“What the hell happened?”
Kaminari explained the argument, the accusations, and the fight.
The silence on the line afterward was long.
Then: “You… really said that?”
“Yeah of course I did.” You sounded more surprised than anything. Kaminari hated that. He would tell you that, and more every day if he could. Because after everything he’d learned about you, the thing that bothered him most wasn’t that your boyfriend disliked him.
It was that you kept getting treated like an afterthought. “You deserve better than that baby.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
“Kami…” His heart immediately started racing.
His voice was quieter now.
“You shouldn’t have to beg somebody to care. I’m being hella vulnerable, but I don’t care.”
You didn’t answer right away.
When you finally spoke, your voice was small.
Kaminari sat up so fast he nearly fell off his bed.
The answer came instantly.
“Of course baby.” An hour later, the two of you were sitting on his shoulder, holding his bicep on his bed. Just talking. Deeply, really talking. The things you’d been pretending weren’t bothering you. Even some things that he pretends don’t bother him.
And for the first time in a long time, someone listened to each of you. Eventually you looked over and smiled at him, cupping his bruised cheek.
And suddenly he realized something dangerous. He wasn’t hanging around you because he had a crush anymore. Or because he wanted to see the hottest girl in school in a bikini.
Well— I mean that is a plus. But he genuinely cared. Which was probably why the next thing out of his mouth was:
“If anybody ever makes you feel like this again, I’m going to dip my hands in a pool and electrocute them.” You laughed.
“What are your death rates?”
“For you?” He leaned back into the pillow. “2.
Your ex, and your heart.” You rolled your eyes immediately. “That’s cheap.”
“Isn’t it?” He wrapped an arm around you.
His smile softened. “I really love seeing you smile.” For a second, neither of you looked away. And that was the moment both of you realized this was becoming something more than friendship.
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