Chapter Text
Kusuo showed his love in the smallest and quietest of ways.
And to a girl who was used to nothing less than the grandest of gestures from rich men who cared for only her face, it meant everything. It meant that unlike her many admirers, he saw her as a human with flaws and feelings, and not some sort of goddess or a porcelain doll to display in a glass case. Kokomi knew she was exceptionally beautiful - she’d have to be incredibly naïve to not know that - and while ethereal beauty certainly had its perks, it also led to an exhausting and lonely life of futile façades, plastering on a smile when all you wanted to do was run away or scream or just... be less than perfect sometimes. The worst part was that she didn't even realise how truly lonely she had been until she found her circle of close friends and the boy she loved.
In all honesty, she'd never really thought about love before, and never saw the significance in it. Perhaps it was due to the fact that many men and women alike would fall to her feet after catching one glimpse of her angelic countenance and give her everything her heart desired without a second thought. For a red-letter such as herself, love seemed fickle, something easily changed by a pretty face, something she'd never have the want nor need for.
She remembered one grueling Monday when she’d been up all night studying for an English midterm - contracting a headache which must’ve shown on her face, because when she went back inside for her next class, a pack of Advil was waiting for her at her desk, with a tiny post-it note attached to the back. The note was short, yet it carried more depth than any love letter she’d ever received. It simply read “Take care of yourself” and she knew instantly who had left it there. Kokomi was no stranger to gifts from admirers and friends alike, but the countless bouquets of roses, sweet smelling chocolates and golden necklaces all dimmed in comparison to the tiny packet of tasteless tablets she held in her palm. That day, seemingly so normal, had struck a "" realisation in her; a realisation that maybe she wasn't as distant from other girls in her class who'd excitedly gossip about how some boy or girl had rendered them speechless with just the smallest of actions or the merest hint of a smile, or gush about the butterflies they got in their stomach when watching a romantic film and wondering if they'd experience It too.
She'd finally understood. Because this tiny packet of tablets left on her desk warmed her heart like nothing else could and she felt that sensation of butterflies in her stomach once again. She had realised that she was just as much of a fool as all young adults were when it came to love... And that she really did love Saiki Kusuo.
She looked up at her boyfriend, who seemed slightly flustered as if he could tell what she had been thinking. Smiling, she laced her hand through his and pressed a small kiss to his cheek. He blushed slightly.
"What was that for?"
"Just... Because."