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“What’s that?” Suguru leaned back and peeked over his shoulder, seated in the common room at the dormitories and absentmindedly catch-and-throwing a baseball with one hand.
“This?” Satoru smirked smugly as he held up the pressed shirt and slacks that just came in from the cleaners. “I’m wearing this tonight.” He grinned. And Suguru could only grimace at the obnoxious smile on Satoru's face.
“Going all out, huh?” Suguru's brows rose in awe. It seems, for the right girl, Satoru was willing to clean up his act.
“Don’t be so bummed about it, man!” Satoru snickered and patted Suguru’s back, irritating him. “Not everyone can score a date with a hottie!”
Suguru narrowed his eyes at his idiot best friend. How the immature Satoru landed a date with the most popular model in the whole of Japan was beyond him...
— Satoru left the dormitory that evening with a skip in his step, with his face bright and in all smiles. He had a good sparing session with Suguru and got him to eat dirt; Yaga commended him for a good job on his last mission; And now -
He sniggered as he walked downtown -
Everyone was openly gawking at the handsome him!
It only made sense, he glanced at his reflection on the glass panels of the stores he walked by, in awe of how ridiculously attractive he was; - It only made sense that someone as handsome as he would date a girl just as beautiful.
Going out with anyone less than drop dead gorgeous was bound to be a crime! —
—Snickering to himself as he walked downtown, Satoru stops in front of some popular restaurant in Tokyo to meet his date. She kept raving about the place and wouldn't dare go anywhere else. It was pretty cute. And Satoru was resigned to follow whatever she wanted.
When he brought up going to Disneyland instead, his date laughed as if he was joking and asked if he was nine.
Satoru didn’t mind. And he just laughed with her. He figured it shouldn't matter that they had nothing much in common. Being the prettiest was enough reason to like her.1
The restaurant she wanted to go to was fully booked for the evening. Still, she was insistent. She told her personal assistant to get them in. And Satoru laughed at her joke, when he overheard her tell her assistant over the phone that she better get her a table or she’d dock her pay.
His date seemed so pissed that nothing was happening, not even her name could get them in. So, Satoru pulls her close, and he tries to appease her by tenderly cupping her cheeks. And the second he touched her, she jerked away with an irritated expression. Seeing the surprise in Satoru's eyes, she caught herself and forced a sickeningly sweet voice, and she told him that she was looking after her make up. I can never tell when paparazzi'll show up. She smiled sweetly and held his hand instead.
Satoru nodded, with his brows raised. He was honestly taken aback. But he guessed girls were touchy with their make up. He remembered walking in on Shoko and Utahime putting guck on their faces. And the second they saw him, right as he was about to laugh his head off - they yelled at him to get lost. In the end, he and Suguru joined them.
Not there, baka.
Utahime told him then, with a guarded smile as she wiped the greenish-muck from his eyebrow.
It'll hurt if you're not careful. She frowned, an embarrassed flush on her cheeks he always found cute.
Satoru averted his gaze and absentmindedly squeezed the hand of his date. And he calls up his cousin. And his date nearly jumped him when he told her they had a table for that evening.
How can you be that handsome, and that rich, and have never been here! She laughed at him when they’re finally seated and he’s told her he’s never gone to that restaurant before. He mentions how his aunts have always pressured him to go with them, but he couldn’t be bothered.
How could he laze around when Suguru was back at school training. If he slept on practice, Suguru might one up him and send him eating dirt the next time. Also, eating was a transactional thing. He usually ate a lot, and fast, to keep his stamina up. He’d eat plenty of sweets too, to stimulate his brain.
Sitting down some place and spending over an hour there doing nothing but eat? What was the point of that? There was so much he learned in school everyday. How could he waste his time with such trivial things.
Also,
He snickered to himself;
If he slacked off, what would he show off to weak senpais who made funny faces.
You’re missing half your life! Satoru blinked and laughed, missing half of what his date had said.
She kept talking about herself and could hardly hold Satoru’s attention.
“Ne,”
Satoru looked up with a small smile lingering on his lips, nearly forgetting he was with someone… and on a date… His mind switched back and forth constantly from the new technique he learned the other day to the latest episode of Digimon, then he wondered how he’ll be dragging Suguru and Shoko tomorrow to the fan meet with the model Waka Inoue. What if she falls in love with him at first sight too? He’d never let them hear the end of it!
“What’s so funny?” Her smile was forced. It was obvious Satoru hadn’t been listening.
“Nothing in particular.” Satoru told her honestly, his eyes darting away and grinning.
“You said you go to Jujutsu High?” His date tilted her head, her long hair beautifully framing her small, symmetrical face. “I’ve never heard of it before.”
“It must be very exclusive, ne?”
“Hm.” Satoru nodded with a cordial smile. “You have to be strong to get in.”
“Oh?” His date’s glittering eyes widened in intrigue. “Strong connections, ne?”
Satoru furrowed his brows and scratched his head. “…Not really…”
“Ne, ne,” His date grabbed his large, calloused hands over the table and blushed prettily. “What did you think of my latest commercial?”
“The one with the whale?”
Satoru didn’t notice the irked twitch on his date’s brow.
“I guess it was funny.” Satoru thought of that comedian Hotohara-san with her then, his bit was pretty hilarious.
"Funny?" His date forced a cute giggle. “I meant - how was I?” She urged him with an excited smile, her eyes bright in anticipation. “What did you think of me?”
“You?” Satoru smiled and grinned and blinked, taken aback by her bright, waiting face.
And he tells her without thinking much about it, his smile, genuine and innocent, “I think you’re boring.”
And his date’s glowing face freezes over. And she blinks in confusion -
“What?”
“Ah,” Satoru leans on a palm, misreading the room and her budding anger completely passing over his head. And he tells her casually, like it’s nothing to him, just a matter of fact. “You talk about nothing but yourself. You order far too much food than you eat. You’re obnoxious and wasteful. Also,”
Satoru arched a brow, gave her a bored look over, and pursed his lips at her in disinterest; his date gaping in disbelief at this point -
“You’re not even as pretty as I thought you were.” —
— “Hm.” Suguru rest his chin on his palm and narrowed his eyes at Satoru who’s just walked back in the dorms with a ticked off expression on his face. “You’re back early.”
“How was your fancy date?” Shoko perked up from her seat and turned to look over her shoulder at the newly arrived Satoru, “Made a love connection?” She teased. And Satoru nearly gagged where he stood.
“Bleck!!” He couldn’t have looked anymore disgusted than he already was.
“I take it didn’t go well?” Suguru chuckled.
“Lamee!” Satoru groaned with that potently disgusted expression on his face as he stormed across the common area to his room and slams the door shut behind him - only to open it again, his head popping out, his expression absolutely pissed off -
“She burst in tears right in front of everyone and blamed me!”
Both Suguru and Shoko froze from what they were doing and looked up at him in shock.
“Huh?”
“Then she made me ride back with her all the way to her house in some mansion on the other side of town!! The entire drive - she did nothing but cry and kept blaming me for it!!”
“Just what did you do, Satoru?” Suguru knotted his brows in worry, knowing absolutely well that there was a good chance Satoru did something wrong. His best friend had absolutely zero tact!!
“How would I know??” Satoru threw his arms to the air in frustration. “We were just eating dinner then she asked me what I thought of her and I just told her what I thought!!”
“Poor girl,” Shoko covered her mouth in shock. And beside her, Suguru’s lips twitched in a growing headache.
“Told her what exactly?”
Satoru started to glare at them. He didn’t know why, but he could feel that they were blaming him as well.
“I told her she was full of it.” He grumbled at them. His eyes narrowed at their silence, and he eventually blurts out - “And that she’s not as pretty as she thought she was.”
“Oh god,” Suguru smacked his head. And Shoko started massaging hers.
“What?” Satoru barked at them. “What is it?!”
“You know how I’ve always been telling you to grow up?” Suguru scratched his head in disbelief at how naive his best friend was. “Well,” He pointed at Satoru and heatedly said - “It’s finally bitten you in the ass!”
“Huuh??” Satoru groaned. “What’s wrong with what I said?!”
"You're trash, Satoru." Shoko shook her head in disappointment. And Satoru's veins were close to bursting -
"You weren't there!"
“She looked even uglier with all her crying!!” Satoru gagged. “All that make up caking down her face! Gross!!”2
“Suguru,” Shoko huddled close to Suguru and hissed between them, much to Satoru’s annoyance. He was literally standing next to them and could hear everything they were saying… and they were both acting like he couldn't!! “If we don’t help him out, Satoru’ll die a virgin.”
“What the hell are you guys talking about?!” Satoru flushed red in embarrassment. And he was in over himself in anger when they only ignore him.
“Him?” Suguru side eyes Satoru like he’s not there - and absolutely pisses him off. “Pretty sure he’s too much of a creep for that to happen…”
Satoru simmered in humiliation beside them.
“But I hear you. He needs help.”
“Oi.” Satoru’s eye twitched and cracked his knuckles, ready to smack these two idiots’ heads…
“Oh, Satoru!” Suguru looked up at the demented glower on Satoru’s face and gave him an innocent smile. “Didn’t know you were there!“
“Shut the crap!!”
With that, Suguru and Shoko scrammed and ran back to their rooms laughing. And Satoru could only simmer and click his tongue - absolutely pissed at this stupid waste of a night!! —
—“So, that’s what happened.” Shoko told Utahime a few days later, during the annual Goodwill Event. “Look at him,” Shoko pointed to Satoru resting under a tree after training, not really doing much but taking a break and playing his gameboy, oblivious to the skewed narrative Shoko was scattering around when he honestly didn’t give an ounce of shit about his miserable date. “It’s kind of sad, ne?” Shoko chuckled.
“How will he expect to get a girlfriend with that personality of his?” Utahime frowned in disbelief.
“I can’t believe he actually said his date was obnoxious and loud when he’s exactly the same.” Utahime grumbled to herself, earning a chuckle from Shoko.
“What’s the use of being handsome when he’s such an idiot?” Utahime grimaced as she turned to Shoko.
“…What?” Shoko chuckled, taken by surprise. “You think Satoru’s handsome?”
Utahime’s eyes widen in realization.
“Utahime-senpai…”
And her cheeks puff red; her face flushed and turning scarlet.
“...Do you like Satoru?”
“N-n-n-no-!!” Utahime stammered in horror. “Of course not!!!! Why would I?!"
"He’s an idiot!!!”6
Shoko narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at her friend stammering like a fish out of water…
"It's just that you find him handsome..." Shoko eyed her stuttering, red-faced senpai in suspicion.
“Being handsome doesn’t mean anything to me!” Utahime huffed and stomped her foot, her cheeks still glowing and tinted red in embarrassment. “If the person’s no good!!”3
Shoko’s starts to grin.
“I see,” Shoko smiles to herself.
“What’re you girls talking about?” Suguru joined them later along with Satoru.
And Utahime’s eyes darted sideways at her approaching kouhais, her ears ringing in alarm.
“Nothing much.” Shoko smiled at her classmates, noticing how Utahime stiffened up and was starting to glare in self-preservation. Satoru was bound to say something dumb with Utahime around… “We were talking about dating.” She tells them.
“Ohh,” Satoru’s brows rose in intrigue, and he starts snickering, much to Utahime’s annoyance. “What would Utahime know about dating?” He laughed at the miffed Utahime teasingly.
“I-I’ve been on dates, baka!” She snapped at him. “And use honorifics!!” She blurted out, her cheeks flushed from both anger and embarrassment.
“You?” Satoru pursed his lips and gave her a condescending sneer. “You date?”
“I said use honorifics!!” Utahime simmered.
“Why wouldn’t Utahime-senpai date?” Shoko chuckled in confusion. And Satoru turns to her with his brows knotted.
“Who’d date someone who’d just nag you??”
“You’re the only one who’s disagreeable here!!”
“You need professional help for what you have, Satoru.” Suguru sighed in exasperation.
“Haaa??” Satoru glared at his best friend, "Quit treating me like I came from some mental institution!!"
"Then, maybe you should quit acting like you came from one." Suguru dishes back coolly, ticking Satoru off good.
"Want to take this outside??"
"Quit talking nonsense, Satoru." Suguru snapped, his glare menacing; already summoning a curse on the space behind him. "We're already outside."
"Would the both of you quit it???!!!!" Utahime cried for the love of god!! And Satoru and Suguru had the gall to turn to her with matching wide, toothy smiles.
"Quit what?" They grinned and jovially hung an arm over each other's shoulder as if they weren't just going to fight it out a few seconds ago.
“You’re a girl, ne Utahime?” Suguru suddenly asked, catching Satoru in a headlock. Utahime narrowed her eyes at the two idiots suspiciously. "Why don't you go out and show Satoru how to date?” Suguru grinned. And he chuckles to himself when Satoru freezes in his arms. “Show him the ropes! Then maybe Satoru’ll wisen up, ne?” He laughed when Satoru finally tapped out.
“Haaa??!!” Utahime cried in dread. And Satoru fell on the floor beside her, his hair standing up in a messy fray.
"No-no-no-no way!!!" Utahime cried in sheer horror - unknowingly irking Satoru who was starting to glower and frown. "Nothing I say'll get through that thick head of his!!"
"He's beyond help!!"
"Who said I needed your help for anything??" Satoru sneered at the fuming Utahime as he stood up. "I'll show you!" He gave her a smug smile. "I can be the perfect date easy!!"
"Then it's settled!" Suguru clapped his hands and cheered. "It's Satoru's day off tomorrow!"
"HUH??"
Satoru grinned as Suguru grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away.
"He'll meet you at the park at 11!!"
"See ya, Uta-hime!!!" Satoru laughed out loud as he waved at a horrified and absolutely shocked Utahime. And beside her, Shoko could only smack her own head in disbelief; thinking about how those two got them good. —
— They ran away laughing, an arm slung over the other's shoulders. And Suguru, smiling, turned to his friend and asked him, certain of the answer but curious all the same,
"You really like Utahime, huh?"
Satoru paused in surprise. And Suguru laughs at the shock on Satoru's face.
"Haa??" Satoru quickly glared in annoyance. "No way!!"
Suguru wasn't buying it and he crossed his arms, turning serious.
"You'll have to admit it one of these days if you want to be with her, you know."
"Oi, you two!"
Satoru and Suguru turn to find a frowning Yaga-sensei.
"You haven't filed your reports yet!"
And they both give their angry sensei cheeky grins.
"Get back to work!!"
"Haaiii!!!" Suguru and Satoru chimed in unison, the both of them earning a good smack of guidance on their heads from their irked sensei.
That night, Satoru lazily rests his chin on a hand and unconsciously taps his foot under the table.
It didn't take much time to finish his report. The problem was that he's neglected writing the lot of it for the last few weeks. So, stuck in his study, crouched over his desk, he writes down his notes and tries not to let his mind wander.
But,
He idly scratched his head. And he sees Utahime's face looking up at him in surprise.
And he scratches his head again. And she smiles in greeting,
You must be the new first year.
Her voice was as sweet as her smile.
And he shakes his head again. And he tries to focus.
Come next morning, he drops off his reports in a messy pile on Yaga-sensei's desk. And, stuffing his hands in his pockets, slouches and passes by the common rooms.
"Oi, Shoko," Satoru said as he peered in, Shoko turning to look up at him from the couch. "Tell Utahime she better show up."
Shoko tilted her head, confused when, just as abruptly as he came, Satoru left.
"Haaiii!!" Shoko cried to no one in the empty room, and she smiles to herself and turns to her phone. —
— For some godforsaken reason, Utahime actually found herself meeting up with Satoru. And when she spots him in the crowd, she begins to glower at the self-important expression on his face.
“That’s what you wear on dates?” Satoru frowned at her in greeting and shook his head at her in disappointment. “No wonder you’re single!” He smirked teasingly.
Utahime glared at him. And her face flushed red in embarrassment.
“This isn’t a real date, you idiot!”
Satoru’s lips break into a full, beaming laugh.
"What's so funny?!!" Utahime snapped, flushed and already angry when Satoru jumps to his feet and - to Utahime's surprise - suddenly grabs her hand and pulls her to him.
“You." He grins at her, his face a foot from hers that their proximity takes Utahime aback, her hazel eyes drawn by the bright blue sky behind his sunglasses. Then, at the next second, he spins around and drags her with him, horrifying Utahime that all she could do was pale and yell after him as they ran down the road -
“Wha-where are you taking me??”
“Saitama!!” Satoru snickered at a shocked Utahime over his shoulders and showed her a pair of Lions baseball tickets with his free hand. “I got tickets!!”
“Wha-wha-what???!!” Utahime cried in shock - disbelief - and excitement - and she speeds up and runs hand in hand alongside Satoru with a matching laugh, her eyes wide in awe. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner!!”
“Go! Go! Let’s go! Hisashi!” Satoru cheered ahead of her and raised Utahime’s hand with every excited pump of his fists, “Go! Go! Let’s go! Hisashi!” Utahime cheered with him with a hearty laugh, the both of them laughing as they ran up to the train station.—
—They spend their entire evening in the game. Satoru kept ordering soda, much to Utahime’s dismay. Utahime bought them yakisoba, takoyaki, and yakitori too. And when the Seibu Lions' cheer came on, they cheered on strong. And when Leo the mascot started dancing, everyone in the crowd clapped along with him and Utahime laughs her heart out pointing at the miffed expression on Satoru's face because he looked exactly like the Seibu Lions mascot!
“That’s why I love baseball!” Utahime had to yell at him as they were leaving after the game, along with the heavy crowd, a blue cap over her head, her bangs in a fray and one hand holding a fan. Satoru sniggered beside her and had to hold her hand to keep her close. Intertwining their fingers, and smiling when Utahime holds him back.
Then, he pulls her with him away from the crowd to grab dinner at the nearest 7/11 for some pork buns.
"We should leave soon or we'll miss the last train." Utahime reminds him as she finished her food. The both of them were eating in one of the long tables in the convenience store.
"So what?" Satoru sneered at her. And Utahime grimaced at the sight of him talking with a full mouth. "We can book a cab or something."
"Urgh," Utahime groaned in disgust, her expression making Satoru laugh amid all his chewing. "Just finish your food already."
"Told ya I'd be the perfect date!" Satoru harped in suddenly, a smile on his face that caught Utahime off guard.
"Huh?" Utahime frowned at him skeptically. "We just went to a baseball game." She glared. "How was that a date?"
"The entire day passed like it was nothing!"4 Satoru crumpled the paper of his steamed bun, threw it on top of his disposable plate and leaned back on his seat with a smug expression on his face. "Impressed you with my dance moves, bought you dinner, made you laugh - "
"When did you make me laugh??" Utahime's eye twitched in ire, her voice sharp in complete denial.
"Just admit it already, Utahime." Satoru tilted his head, his bangs handsomely falling over his eyes; and a boyish smirk on his lips. "I'm the perfect date."
"That's not fair." Utahime frowned as she looked away, unable to carry the weight of his gaze. "You know I love baseball."
“Besides,” Utahime scratches the side of her face uneasily, her eyes looking outside. Her cheeks and ears were pink under her dark hair. “You can’t expect to have a good time on a date unless you’re out with someone you actually like.”
“It’s not just about if the person’s smart. Or pretty. Or rich.”
“It’s about liking the person you're with.” She turns to Satoru with a honest, vulnerable expression on her face that she takes him aback; that he doesn't quip, nor tease, nor laugh. "But I guess you win this one." Satoru's eyes widen as Utahime's lips spread into a small, shy smile. "Did you know baseball's my favorite sport? I guess Shoko told you." She hid her laugh behind a hand.
"Utahime," Satoru leaned closer. And Utahime's gaze rose to meet his blue eyes. "I,"
"Ah."
Satoru's eyes followed Utahime as she looked up.
"They're here."
And he looks outside with a confused expression.
"I texted them." Utahime tells him as she stood. "I'm taking the next train back to Kyoto."
"Huh?" Satoru's face dropped. "You're leaving Tokyo already?"
"I am." Utahime frowned at the surprise in his voice. "I was supposed to leave earlier today but some idiot forced me to go out with him."
Satoru broke into a smile and scratched his head.
"You're handsome, Gojo." She holds her hands behind her as she walked ahead. Utahime didn't think she should boost his ego in anyway, but here she was doing it. "It won't take much for you to get a girlfriend." She looks back and tells him with a thoughtful frown. "Just don't be an idiot and you'll get her."
They wait out in the curb and they're greeted by an assistant manager and Shoko sitting alone at the backseat, waving at them lazily in good evening, herself having come from a mission to heal some civilians in a remote town. And teasingly, she asks them, "How was it?" And she breaks into a laugh when she sees Utahime's face already souring; "You guys made a love connection?"
Beside her, Satoru frowned, unamused.5
They drop Utahime in time for the last train to Kyoto. And it's Shoko and Satoru who share a quiet, somber ride back to Jujutsu High.
“Shoko,”
"Hm?" Shoko looked up from her phone.
"You know who Utahime likes?"
"Who Utahime-senpai likes?" Shoko smiled at him and closed her phone. "I do." She nodded.
"He any good?" Satoru asked, blue eyes looking out the window.
Shoko tilted her head thoughtfully and pursed her lips.
"I don't really know."
Satoru's expression stiffened. And Shoko smiled at the frown that spread across her classmates' face.
"All I know is that he's tall." Shoko leaned back and smiled knowingly at the evening sky. “And that he’s good at sports.”
"Everything else," She continued in a quiet voice. "Whether he's any good..."
She closes her eyes and rests back with that small, quiet smile on her lips.
"Only time can tell."
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