Good Mood MC x in denial Ghouls
(Gifts from tsundere ghouls: Ren, Leo, Romeo)
Request: What if the Ghouls, who are usually mean, rude, or a bully towards MC, come across something that they overheard MC wanting? They bought it using the excuse that they were feeling "nice," or it's for a TikTok video(Leo), just anything to deny their feelings. On the day they gifted the present to MC, she was already in a good mood because she had just gotten a very rare rest day from the counselors [no accad/no mission]. Already being in a really good mood when she received the gift, she was overjoyed and thanked them profusely, even giving them a hug [something they never thought they'd get from MC because of their attitude]. They get flustered. Once MC is gone, the Ghoul panics, realizing that they might actually like MC.
Ren
Ren keeps fidgeting with the gift, turning it in his hands over and over again. As usual, it’s not a busy day at the diner so all he can do is wait for you to come in.
He already prepared everything beforehand: What he’ll say. How you’ll react. How he’ll react to your reaction.
He starts practicing.
“Here, senpai.” He awkwardly holds it out. “It’s nothing special so don’t take it seriously or anything–”
Ping.
The diner door swings open and Ren nearly jumps out of his body. He hides the gift behind his back so quickly, he almost drops it.
“Hey, Ren!”
You walk in with your usual smile. No, it’s even brighter than usual.
“H-Hey, senpai,” he mumbles.
You take a seat on the chair next to him.
“What’s up? Why’d you call me here?”
“Uhh.” His grip tightens around the keychain. “Well…”
His rehearsed speech disappears from his mind in an instant.
“There was this sale going on for the game we’ve been playing.”
He avoids your eyes.
“And it was like…a buy one get one free deal, so…” He forces the words out. “So I got this too.”
Slowly, he opens his hand, revealing a small keychain in his palm.
Your eyes light up immediately.
It’s the exact character you mentioned liking a few weeks ago.
“Do you want it?”
You rise quickly from your seat to get a closer look.
“Want it? Ren, this is literally the one I was talking about!”
You take it carefully from him like it’s the most precious thing. You keep staring at it. Turning it in your hand, appreciating every little detail.
Somehow your smile keeps growing and Ren can literally feel his heartbeat speeding up at your reaction.
“Anyways, I just grabbed whatever–”
Your arms suddenly wrap around him.
His entire brain short-circuits.
“Thank you so much!”
His hands flail up into the air.
“S-Senpai?! W-What are you doing?!”
You look up at him without letting go. That’s worse.
“Ugh. C-Can you not look at me like that?” he stammers. “I said it’s not a big deal!”
“It is to me!”
You finally pull away, still smiling, failing to see that Ren is about to combust.
“Seriously. Thank you. I’m gonna cherish it forever.”
“So dramatic,” he huffs. “…you’re welcome.”
It wasn’t the reaction he practiced for.
But somehow… It felt way better.
“Oh yeah!” you suddenly shout, making him flinch. “The school gave me a few days off. No missions. No classes."
“And?”
“...Wanna spend the whole day together? Watching movies, playing games, anything you want!”
For the first time, he smiles.
“Yeah,” he mutters. “Let's do it.” ____
Later that night…
Ren walks back to Jabberwock.
Haru notices it immediately.
“Oh? Ren, did something happen today?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I dunno.” Haru grins. “You just look really happy.”
Ren slowly touches his own face. Coming to the terrible realization that he was smiling this whole time.
His face turns violently red.
“M-Mind your own business, you clown!”
He storms off into his room before Haru can say anything more.
SLAM.
Ren shuts the door behind him and leans against it heavily.
In reality, his heart hasn’t calmed down since you smiled.
The feeling of your hands on his back still lingers.
Warm. Tight.
“Dammit, there’s no way,” he groans into his hand. “Do I…really like her?”
Leo
Leo lazily scrolls through his phone while you sit beside him.
You’re barely paying attention until something catches your eye. A glittering tear-drop necklace spins across the screen.
You gasp quietly.
Leo glances sideways at you.
“What?”
“It’s just…” You lean closer. “So pretty.”
“Hah.” He smirks immediately. “Good thing you’ll never get it. It looks way too expensive for an NPC like you.”
You shove his shoulder.
“You’re the worst.”
“And yet you continue to loiter around me. What does that say about you?”
You roll your eyes and leave it at that.
It’s just Leo being Leo.
But later that night…
The necklace mysteriously appears in his online cart, ready for check-out. ____
A few days later...
“Hey. Honor roll.”
You look up from your phone.
“Close your eyes."
You immediately repel back, narrowing your gaze.
“Hey, that’s rude. Don’t act like I’m gonna do something crazy to you.”
“I mean, you are Leo.”
“Just shut up and close your eyes.”
You sigh dramatically before obeying.
You hear him shift, moving behind you.
Something cold brushes your collarbone, causing you to flinch.
“Hold still,” Leo mutters.
Suddenly, his fingers lightly brush the nape of your neck.
You hear a click.
“...Okay. Open.”
The necklace from a few days back rests on your chest.
For a second, you genuinely can’t speak.
He leans back against the couch casually.
“Like it, honor roll?”
“Leo…It’s beautiful.” You carefully touch the necklace. “You actually remembered?”
He shrugs.
“Hard to forget when you made that stupid face.”
Despite the smugness in his voice, he hasn't looked directly at you once.
“Considering how much it cost, you owe me your loyalty. For the rest of your life.”
You laugh softly.
“Leo. Seriously…thank you.”
“We're taking pictures later. People online will eat this up–”
Before he can finish, you pull him into a hug.
Leo freezes.
He knew you’d be grateful. And that you’d look at him with those shiny eyes.
But he didn’t expect this.
Not your arms around him. Not your voice all soft near his shoulder.
“Thank you, Leo. Really.”
His brain goes strangely blank. He resorts back to what he does best. Insult.
“...Your reaction is seriously grossing me out,” he mutters.
But he doesn’t push you away. He doesn’t even try.
In fact, his hand awkwardly settles against your back.
“Leo.”
“What?”
You pull back, still smiling.
“I got permission from Darkwick to rest for a few days.”
“Huh?”
“So… wanna go out with me?” Leo blinks.
“I want to spend my free day with you.”
His chest does something deeply irritating.
“I’ll even take you to that spicy eclair place you keep talking about.”
Leo stares at you for a long moment.
He wants to say no. Maybe make you beg him a few more times.
But his mouth opens without permission.
“Fine,” he sighs before managing a smirk. “If you’re asking me out, it better be the best date you’ve ever planned in your life.”
___
After you leave his room, Leo heads straight to the bathroom.
He turns on the sink immediately.
He splashes cold water against his face.
Then again. Then again.
He grips the edge of the counter and slowly looks up at the mirror.
His face is still warm. How annoying.
“Tch.” He clicks his tongue. “So stupid.”
A hug. A short one at that.
“It was just a hug,” he mutters.
Then why the hell is his heart beating this fast?
Leo presses a hand against his chest, trying to physically force it to calm down.
“...You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Romeo
You enter Romeo’s den, with a stack of papers in your arms.
You find him seated in his usual burgundy armchair. Graceful as always.
“Romeo, I brought the sheets. Where do you want them?”
“At my desk.”
He doesn’t even look up from the papers in his hands.
“Okay.” You place them down carefully before turning to him. “Anything else?”
He crosses one leg over the other. “Open the second drawer from the bottom.”
You crouch slightly and pull the drawer open.
You almost gasp.
Inside sits an elegantly sculpted perfume bottle wrapped with a dark red ribbon.
And it's not just any perfume. It's His.
The fragrance Romeo occasionally wears– the one you always notice immediately.
The one you once absent mindedly told him smelled really nice.
Slowly, you lift the bottle from the drawer.
“...Romeo.”
“It’s for you.”
You stare at him in disbelief.
“I thought this was a limited edition. They stopped selling it years ago.”
“They did,” he says casually. “I simply used my connections to get another one.”
Your eyes widen further.
“And,” he adds, “I had them alter the formula slightly. More citrus”
Only now does he finally look at you. A faint smirk touches his lips. “You seem to prefer those notes.
You genuinely can’t speak. He remembered that?
Something you mentioned once months ago?
Romeo watches your stunned expression with obvious amusement.
“What is that look for? Impressed by something this simple?”
“This is seriously one of the nicest gifts anyone’s ever given me.”
“Well, naturally.” He stands smoothly from his chair and extends his hand.
“Though if you intend to use it, give it here.”
“Huh?”
“You’ll waste it otherwise.”
Romeo walks toward you slowly. Closer and closer until there's barely an space in between.
“Lift your wrist.”
You obey automatically.
One spray is all it takes for the citrus scent to bloom into the air immediately.
“Now hold still.”
His fingers lightly tilt your chin upward.
Another spray at your neck.
“Don’t rub it,” Romeo explains quietly. “Perfume settles best on pulse points. Body heat diffuses the scent naturally.”
You try to listen. Really.
But it’s difficult when he’s standing this close.
When his hand is still lightly resting beneath your chin.
When he smells so good. so familiar.
“There,” he mutters. His gaze lingering on you for a second longer.
“...Much better.”
You stare at him.
Suddenly—
Your arms wrap around his waist.
Romeo goes completely still, absolutely stunned.
You bury your face against him happily.
“Thank you, Romeo. Really.”
He huffs.
“...You’re awfully bold today,” he says at last.
“Sorry. I’m just really happy.”
“Hm. I noticed.”
You pull back sheepishly.
“I wanted to tell you something. Darkwick gave me tomorrow off,” you continue excitedly. “No missions. No classes. Nothing”
Romeo raises a brow.
“So that’s why you’re unusually cheerful today. ”
“And this gift made it even better!”
You grin brightly.
“So…wanna go to a nice restaurant with me tomorrow?”
His eyes narrow. A faint smile touching his lips.
“And why exactly should I rearrange my schedule for you, BB?”
“Please?” You clasp your hands together dramatically. “I’ll wear the perfume. And you can wear yours. Matching.”
Romeo exhales softly through his nose.
“So shameless.”
It’s not a yes. But it’s definitely not a no.
___
Later that evening…
Two lackeys stand outside Romeo’s room.
“...Doesn’t Fico seem to be in a weirdly good mood today?”
“Now that you mention it…yeah."
“He hasn’t thrown anything at us once.”
“Love does crazy things to people—”
“I CAN HEAR YOU, YOU TGA’S!”
Both men fix their postures immediately.
“S-Sorry, boss!”
Romeo sighs sharply and closes the book in his hands.
“Love?” he repeats under his breath.
What a ridiculous thought.
And yet…
His fingers pause against the faint citrus scent still lingering on his sleeve.
Your smile flashes across his mind.
That damn smile. Dangerously sincere.
Romeo clicks his tongue quietly.
“...Ridiculous.”
