Chapter Text
“Did you know there’s a saying that says the colder the person’s hands, the warmer their hearts?”
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You huffed warm breaths into the palms of your hands, rubbing them together afterward in an attempt to retain the warmth.
All in vain, naturally.
“Sorry! Did I keep you waiting too long?”
You lifted your head to meet your classmate, Yuuji Itadori, coming at you at full speed. Stopping just steps in front of you, you shook your head as you stuffed your hands into your pockets.
“Nah, I got here not too long ago.” You assured.
Itadori let a sigh of relief escape him as he heard that, his grin appearing not too long afterwards.
“Alright! Let’s hurry before we miss the opening! We gotta be the first in line!” Itadori exclaimed, reaching to pull your hand out of your pocket, rushing to lead the way to the new game shop that was hosting its grand opening. Your face felt the nip of the air around you grow colder, a testament to the blood slowly but surely rushing to your head.
Itadori’s hands felt like they burned against yours.
As the two of you stepped out of the shop, Itadori held a voucher proudly in the air, the other hand holding onto a small bag from the store.
“We did it! Now we’ll save these for when the game we’ve been looking forward to releases.” Itadori looked back towards you, his expression showing nothing but excitement. You smiled softly before nodding, placing your own voucher in your wallet for safe keeping.
“Let’s go get something to eat to commemorate this victory!” Itadori suggested, and you quickly pulled your phone out, holding it out to him.
It was a website for a restaurant.
“How about we go here? I’ve heard good things about them.” You suggested, to which Itadori happily nodded.
“Ah, sure thing! I could go for some noodles right now. I wish the weather was warm enough to get them cold though.”
Once at the restaurant, you and Itadori ordered, him shocked that you would choose today of all days to order somen.
“Are you sure that’s all you want to eat? It’s not a big dish either.” Itadori asked, showing his concern.
“It’s fine, I’m not particularly hungry. I’m bad with hot things as well.” You explained, Itadori finally seeming to let it go.
You watched with gentle eyes as Itadori downed his food in record time. He was probably busy with his grandfather before arriving.
“Hey, I’m full. Do you want the rest of my noodles?” You asked before he could finish his own.
It appeared that you had barely taken a nibble of your food, and had Itadori not seen you chewing earlier, he would’ve doubted you had even touched anything at all.
“Hm… the weather is a bit chilly… but I’ll eat it!” Itadori said with a grin before dragging your plate closer to him.
Stepping out of the restaurant with a full belly, Itadori sighed contentedly.
“Man! That hit the spot! Should we do something else before heading home!” Itadori asked. You looked down in thought before suggesting doing karaoke.
Itadori grinned at your suggestion.
As the sun began setting, you two started your walk home after a long day out.
“I haven’t had this much fun in a while! Let’s do it again sometime.” Itadori said, to which you nodded. Before you two parted ways, Itadori stopped you.
“Ah, wait- here, take my voucher. Knowing me, I know I’ll lo- uhhhh… wait, I think I might have put it in my bag…” Itadori opened his bag from the video game store, only to come up empty handed.
“What?! No! I swore I placed it here… aw man… after waiting all that time…” Itadori deflated as he mourned the loss of his voucher.
You quickly pulled your wallet out, offering the voucher in front of his lowered head.
He immediately perked up, shoving the slip of paper back towards you.
“No, I can’t take yours because of a mistake I made.” Itadori said, but you simply pushed your hand back out towards him.
“It won’t be as fun to play the game without you. Just take it.” You said, and Itadori stared so deep into your eyes, you almost jumped when he smiled widely, gratefully taking the voucher. His smile dropped almost immediately when his hand accidentally touched yours.
“Woah! Are you freezing?” He asked as he slipped the voucher into his bag, going to grab your hands.
Your eyes widened at the gesture, looking away.
“No, it’s just that your hands are overly warm.” You said, lips pursing at the contact.
Itadori smiled as he let your hand go.
“Don’t they say the colder the hands, the warmer the heart?” Itadori asked as he mulled over the saying.
“Or was it the warmer the blanket, the colder the future…”
You let out a light laugh.
“I think both are right.” You said, a figure behind him catching your sight.
Not too far was a girl who seemed to be walking alone- though that’s how it appeared to the regular person.
“Then that means you have a really kind heart! Wait- does this mean I have a cold heart?” Itadori asked, looking down to his chest in wonder.
You continued to stare past him, towards the girl with a dark figure wrapped around her shoulders. It was obvious that this stranger had something weighing heavily on her shoulders.
Despite that, you turned your full attention back to Itadori.
“No… I’m not a very good person…”
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Once you arrived home, you kicked your shoes off, trudging off to your room.
Everyone was out for the night, so it was just you and your thoughts occupying the home.
Setting your earlier purchases onto your nightstand and plopping onto your bed, you stared at the ceiling, thinking back to Itadori’s response to your comment about yourself.
“Really? Well, I think you are. You even gave me your voucher!”
You turned to your side as you eyed the video game bag, taking out your wallet and holding the second voucher in your hand.
You hadn’t expected Itadori to forget he handed you the voucher right before you guys set out to eat.
You handed him the voucher, thinking he would remember entrusting it to you, but when he looked at you with such sincerity, you couldn’t help but keep your lips shut tight.
Yeah, you weren’t a good person.
A good person wouldn’t withhold information to look like a good person in front of the person they liked.
A good person probably would have also helped get rid of that figure that radiated bad energy from the girl’s shoulder.
You were sure if Itadori had your abilities, he would’ve done it.
Sighing, you placed the voucher in your wallet.
No use in dwelling on things.
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“You’re switching schools?” You asked Itadori.
He seemed… different.
It wasn’t just the marks he sported underneath his eyes, but his general aura seemed off.
“Yeah, it’s in Tokyo…” he said while scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.
There was a silence between you two before you spoke up.
“Sorry to hear about your grandfather… I wish I could’ve visited with you that day.” You said, and Itadori seemed a bit taken back. Like he wasn’t really expecting you to say or bring it up.
Still, he smiled.
“It’s alright. I’m sure he would’ve nagged me for bringing you along. He was trying to act all cool and mysterious before he passed.” Itadori said, his eyes looking at you, but not really looking at you. You offered your own comforting smile at his words.
“I think he’d hit you if he heard you speaking like that about him.” You say and Itadori only nodded.
You felt like throwing up.
You wanted to take all his pain away. You hated seeing Itadori like this, and there was nothing you could do about it. At the end of the day, you weren’t the one with a warm heart, it was Yuuji, and Yuuji refused to allow you to help him if it meant possibly causing you distress and that hurt you down to your very core.
Your cold heart would’ve accepted Itadori’s warmth had you been in his shoes.
Your selfish heart would’ve taken advantage of Itadori’s kind heart and milked his generosity dry.
You assume you must’ve showed some inkling of your feelings on your face because Itadori looked at you with a warm expression.
“Hey, I’ll try visiting. You’re my best bud. If you’re ever in Tokyo don’t be a stranger and reach out.” He said, placing a hand on your shoulder.
You could practically feel the warmth of his hand digging deep through the layers of your clothes.
You had never been good with the heat, but god, did you want to feel this heat radiating from Itadori for the rest of your days.
“Hey! Wrap it up! We’ve got a train to catch!” A voice a few yards away called out. You and Itadori both looked over to the strange blindfolded man who waved energetically towards Itadori, beckoning him to finish up whatever he was saying.
“I’ll let you go; don’t want you to be late.” You said as you took a step back. Itadori seemed to have more to say, but held himself back with a smile as well.
“See you around then.” He said, giving you a small wave, which you returned.
You watched as the blindfolded stranger pulled Itadori close to him by wrapping an arm around him. You could tell from your spot it appeared he was teasing him, the way he ruffled his pink hair and the way Itadori’s face started to slowly match the shade.
Ah, yes, you truly were not a good person at all.