Settings: It's been few days since you moved in to the dorm.
You had stayed up late last night, so by the time you finally opened your eyes, it was already nine. Turning onto your side, you found the other bed empty. That was hardly unusual. Choso was almost always out early, either attending a lecture or leaving for a mission. You had no classes that day, so you remained in the dorm to study while rain washed against the windows. The sky had darkened into a dull grey. You glanced at the time β nearly five βand picked up your phone.
Near a train station across the city, Choso felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He had only just finished exorcising a curse. The air smelled of wet pavement and crushed grass.He pulled out his phone and saw your message.
"Heyy! when will you be back? Im making dinner :) "
His expression did not change, but something warm flickered quietly behind his dark-purple eyes. He was still unused to anyone asking when he would be home, much less offering to prepare food for him. " Back by 7" he typed . After a moment, he added: "Don't wait for me if I'm late."
"Got it!" You began preparing [food name], one of your favorite dishes. Since you were not entirely certain when Choso would return, you placed his portion in the fridge before eating your own. After dinner, you took a warm shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and settled onto your bed with your phone. Rain continued to patter softly against the window, filling the room with soothing rhythm.
it was 7:20 when the door finally opened, he stepped inside, boots damp, and hair slightly dishevelled .he looked tried , no he always looked tired.
"heyy~ you're back " You pushed yourself off the bed. βI made [food name]. D'you like it?β Without waiting for his answer, you crossed to the fridge and took out the plate. βGo shower while I heat it up.β He stood motionless by the door.The scene felt strangely domestic, but he didn't think any more deeper
" Yeah" he said "Thanks" By the time he returned from the shower, you had placed his dinner on the dining table. He sat down in a loose, wide-collared sweater and lounge pants, his hair still damp, hanging loosely around his face.You tried not to stare, he looked kinda fine like this... you though. You lowered yourself into the chair beside him while he began eating.
"...Choso, d'you have plan on Thursday?"
He paused midway through chewing, the day after tomorrow ? "not at all" He reached for his glass and took a sip of water, glancing at you over the rim. βWhy?β
you looked away "No...umm I'm just..." The sentence faded as you searched for the right words. βMy sister gave me two opera tickets,β you finally said. βAll my friends are busy, so I was wondering whether you'd want to come with me...? IF you're freeβ you highlighted the ' if '
Choso stared at you for several silent seconds.An opera? like singing? in fancy clothes with music? slowly he swallowed his food
"...You wanna go to an opera?" frankly, he had never been to an opera in his life.
You nodded "it's gonna be fun! there will even be horses, and the famous actors from France would be there too!"
He studied your face - hopeful , genuinely excited. And it wasn't just any date either - it was a two - ticket situation. Her sister probably expected you to go with someone special. He could not quite identify the feeling that settled in his chest. Perhaps it was simply happiness to be included in something so ordinary. Something that had nothing to do with curses, blood, or fighting. After a long pause, he gave a small nod.... "Sure, I'll go"
"For Real For Real? You're free?!" you couldn't hide your excitement
He blinked, never seen someone so happy over his agreement to something so un-Choso-like as an opera. "...yeah" he confirmed a little awkward under the weight of your joy "I'm free"
[Time skip to next day night ] ππππππππππππππππππππππππ
You spent most of the evening preparing for tomorrow's opera, deciding what to wear, which meant dismantling half your wardrobe and scattering it across your side of the room. Choso laying on his bed with his eyes closed attempting and failing to sleep . Your quiet muttering and the soft rustling of fabric kept threading through the silence. You had gone through basically everything you owned like this opera tmr was a life-or-death deal.
Skirt? informal. t shirt? basic . pants?...boring. sweater? too casual!! hang on! maybe these would do? you kept changing outfits under that tiny desk lamp light. Meanwhile, Choso laying still - not deliberately eavesdropping but you had never been skilled at keeping thoughts to yourself.
he turned his head slowly towards you, his half lidded eyes widening when he found you kneeling beside his bed in soft pajamas. Your voice quiet almost tender.
"Are you sleeping?" seeing his eyes open you continued.
"Which one do you think is better? this dark red dress or the blue one?" You lifted them for him to inspect , Choso sat up slightly, propping himself on one elbow. "well...you can chose whatever you like" he said, kind of speechless.
"But I cantttt that's why I'm askinggg, Im just an indecisive girl π₯Ί"
He exhaled - almost a sign, but not quite annoyed, more like...oh no, fashion choices. He looked at the two dresses again , she was really stressing over this. after a beat of silence
"okay red! " you smiled and returned to your bed without questioning his choice, moving on to choosing accessories. Apparently, his opinion mattered. He was not sure why that thought kept him awake longer than your noise had.
[time skip to the day] ππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ
You woke up late again. Choso on the other hand, had already showered and dressed in what was apparently his version of formalwear: clean shirt and pants . He sat quietly at his desk, occupied with his business while you got up to get ready. The dorm filled with soft sounds as water run from your shower, music playing faintly through your phone, drawers opening and closing, and the occasional clatter of makeup. Show starts 4p.m.
"Choso d'you think my make ups are fine...?" You looked at his direction
He looked up from the couch. The hem of your dark red dress fell just above your knees, hair curled into soft waves that framed your face. Delicate make up , subtle blush on the cheeks, eyes lined with shimmering shadow. --- 'beautiful' he thought , he give a small nod " yeah...you look good" You smiled "Thanks~!"
After lunch, the two of you headed out. The afternoon sun shone golden over the streets as you walked side by side. --- Before long, the opera house came into view , the building was enormous: tall pillars , marble entranceway, along with a faint scent of old wood and perfume in the air.
You entered the theatre and settled into your seats as the audience gradually filled the rows around you.
Leaning closer to Choso, you lowered your voice. "you know, my sister's gonna be a witch in the show"
"oh right. interesting." no wonder she got the tickets
[Show time~ ] ππππππππππππ
After the final curtain call, you dragged him to the back stage finding your sister, she stood there in her witch costume smirking immediately upon seeing you two "ohhh~" she teased in a sing song voice before pulling you into a tight hug "you brought a boy to my opera?!"
Heat immediately rose to your face "he's just a new friend I made at uni" You deliberately left out the part about him being your roommate. That conversation could wait until the two of you were alone.
" Hi handsome boy~" she greeted
"Nice to meet you, I'm Choso" he greeted then stood quietly beside you while you chatted with your sister. After taking several photographs with your sister and the rest of the cast, you finally left. The cool spring night air brushed against your skin.
"Hey" you said softly walking beside him, steps begun to slow, a dull ache spreading through your feet " thanks for coming with me today..."
"It was a great performance, " He replied "Your sister is pretty talented, glad that you invited me" he noticed how extremely slow you walked , heels clicking unevenly against the pavement. he glanced down at you and stopped. you turned toward him, confused, until he silently offered you his arm. Then your eyes lifted to his, hesitant ,a silent question asking 'May I?' seeing his soft expressions you slipped your arm gently around his. A warm flow spread through his chest at the contact, he shortened his stride to match yours as the two of you strolled beneath the streetlights.
By the time you reached the dorm, the elevator was still out of order. It had been broken for a week, but tonight the handwritten UNDER REPAIR sign felt like a personal attack.
You stare up the stairwell.
Choso followed your gaze. He had never particularly minded taking the stairs, but after noticing the way you shifted your weight from one aching foot to the other, he looked down at you.
"Want me to carry you?" his voice was calm
"...no it's okay I can just walk slowly..." You glanced away "and Im ...heavy..." He frowned, Heavy? You looked almost fragile. More importantly, the way you said it, so self-conscious -- as though accepting his help would make you a burden. Without replying, he stepped in front of you, turned his back, and slowly crouched down.
"Get on." more like a command,whether you like it or not .
You hesitated. The last thing you wanted was to bother him, but another sharp pulse of pain shot through your feet, immediately weakening your resolve. Eventually, you gave in and carefully climbed onto his back.
Your arms slipped around his shoulders , he placed his hands beneath your knees and straightened up with ease. She was light. So light.
"Dont apologize" he said as he carried you up all eleven floors without losing his pace. His breathing remained steady, and his steps never faltered, while you held on carefully and tried not to think about how warm he felt beneath your arms.
Then gently -- so gently, almost surprising coming from someone usually so stoic -- he lowered you to your feet in front of the dorm door.
you nodded "Thank you." your eyes moved over him uncertainly. "Are you okay?"
He did not even look winded. "Yeah."
Stepping in, you kicked off those heels, peeled off the stockings and collapsed on the bed with a muffled groan , the back of your feet swollen.One heel had started bleeding where the shoe had rubbed against it for hours.
One look at your bloodied heels was enough. Choso crossed to the cabinet, grabbing some bandages and alcohol,then sat down on the edge of your bed.
"Im fine..." You did not want to make a spectacle of it. Acting helpless in front of him felt embarrassing, as though you were deliberately trying to draw his attention.
He ignored your protest ,gently took hold of your ankle "This is going to hurt" Before you could object, he cleaned the broken skin and pressed a sterile pad over it. "there"
You clenched the bedsheet in both fists, burying your face in the pillow,trying not to make a sound. Crying out over a blister would have been childish. He glanced at you but said nothing.
Once your wounds were treated, he began to stand. Without a second thought, you reached out and caught the sleeve of his shirt. He looked back at you, confusion visible in his eyes, slowly sitting back down again. For several seconds, you said nothing. Your hair had fallen across your face, concealing most of the warmth spreading over your cheeks.
Then, still avoiding his gaze, you leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. His whole body went stiff, eyes widened -- yet he didn't pull away. For the first time in...maybe ever? someone kissed him. You retreated almost immediately, your fingers loosening around his sleeve. Neither of you spoke. The silence between you suddenly felt different.
Heat rushed into your cheeks " Sorry...I was just..." you looked away "Thank you" Only after the words left your mouth did the weight of what you had done fully settle over you. You barely knew anything about his personal life. What if he already had someone? What if you had misunderstood everything?
Choso remained motionless.The place where your lips had touched his cheek still tingled faintly.And now she's blushing, apologizing again, for kissing him? Slowly , he turned to face you. For the first time since it happened , he looked at you properly. Your eyes lifted to his, uncertain and searching. He leaned closer, then hesitated --- just long enough to give you the chance to pull away.
His lips touched yours with almost reverent caution, the kiss so light and tentative,as though he were trying to understand what you had meant.
When he drew back, he stayed close, forehead resting against yours.
His hand rose , pausing briefly in the air before cupping your cheek gently. And ... He kissed you again. This time, you closed your eyes and returned it, your fingers tightening around his sleeve. the tiny gesture hinted him to continue. His heart seemed to have finally caught up to what his body already knew.
The kiss deepened just a fraction more. Leaning closer his one arm slowly wrapped around your waist to pull you nearer without breaking the kiss.
Your heart hammered against your ribs, you didn't want this to stop 'I think I like him'
The realization arrived all at once
Choso held you close, no one had ever looked at him the way you did. His life had always been narrow and unchanging, every scrap of affection inside him reserved for his brothers. Familial love was the only kind he had ever understood.
Yet this was clearly different
The kiss ended gradually. You remained beneath the dim light of the room. Faces close...cheeks flushed, you looked down , shy, not able to hold any eye contact .
"Good night..." you mumbled, like nothing special had just happened.
Choso who usually spoke so calmly suddenly didn't know what to say either, so instead of responding he gave a small nod, rose quietly and returned to his bed.
That night, neither of you slept.
You lay beneath your blanket, replaying the kiss, every small detail burning into your memory.
Across the room, Choso stared at the ceiling, equally awake.
He had never done anything like that before. In truth, he had never even developed romantic feelings for anyone. The only love he had ever known was the instinctive devotion he felt toward his brothers.
Feeling lonely. you slipped out of bed. After what had happened, crawling into his bed did not feel entirely unreasonable.At least, that was what you told yourself.
Choso felt the mattress dip beside him. At first, he did not move. Then the familiar scent of your shampoo drifted toward him, and his breath caught when he realized it was you.
You curled up beside him, assuming he had already fallen asleep.
Without opening his eyes fully he turned onto his side to face you and slowly lifted his arms, opening it slightly, an unspoken invitation : 'come closer. '
A small smile touched your lips. You snuggled into his arms and rested your head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around you, tight and secure, chin resting on top of your head, one hand stroking your hair gently . The blanket covered both of you in the quiet dark as you eventually fell asleep.
Taglist openπ: @mrskamikazekaito