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It started off small.
Little things, like a film Denki didn’t remember buying, or a snack food he didn’t eat in the snack drawer.
Things like the soft pink decorative pillow in the corner he thought belonged to Mina. It turns out that it didn’t, that Mina had never even known it existed — let alone seen the thing — before Denki called her up that day.
They were all easy enough to ignore. He fluffed up the pillow and tucked it away with the rest on the armchair, put the snacks into their own little section off to the side, filed away the film on the shelf, slotted it neatly into place among the ones close to it in the alphabet. Put it all out of his mind. They were little things, barely worth the effort of worrying.
Occasionally more stuff would pop up. Still nothing big, but they stuck out to him regardless.
A bracelet on the coffee table, the newest book to a series he didn’t read, a brand of energy drink he did enjoy! But it’s a flavour he’s not so keen about. Soap in a scent that felt so familiar, but was nothing he remembered owning. A skirt that looked achingly like something someone else would wear, but he just couldn’t figure out who.
Maybe some of his friends were coming over without him knowing? He didn’t mind if that was the case, since they all had door keys for a reason, but he felt like they’d mention it.
No one mentioned the little things. Denki was stumped.
Then bigger things started changing.
A throw blanket over the sofa, completely changing the colour from its weird beige to a brilliant purple. Things in his kitchen that are being swapped out, where Denki used to blindly grab until he got one of his gag mugs, now there are proper ones with little flowers and plants on the sides. The second-hand cooking utensils are replaced by brand new ones, with rainbow silicone handles so he can use them comfortably while looking stylish.
Sometimes a door is left ajar, revealing decor he definitely didn’t put up. Denki doesn’t go into that room, just gently shuts the door and moves on with his business. That room is just a spare, Denki doesn’t even go in there to clean (even if he should). Life goes on.
And Denki... Denki doesn’t tell anyone. Maybe he just has a very helpful ghost?
Briefly, the thought that Tooru is sneaking in and switching things up pops into his head. That thought is easily brushed aside, Denki meets up with Tooru so often that if she was doing anything he’d know by now, obviously.
The two of them chat about anything and everything. Denki talks about how he’s getting into some new shows in his free time, Tooru responds with how she’s moved into somewhere new and is working on sprucing up the place, but that she’s doing things slowly in order to keep her roommate as much in the dark as she can.
They part ways at the end of their hangouts. Tooru scoops Denki into her arms and squeezes tight enough that he feels like he’s going to pass out. Denki lifts her up in return, spinning wildly until she screeches at him to put her down. They both laugh with each other, hug one last time, and then walk in opposite directions.
They don’t even live in the same prefecture, so of course it isn’t Tooru doing any of this.
Except, the door is unlocked when Denki gets home after their last hangout.
Except, Denki’s able to hear humming from down the hallway.
Except, the door that’s sometimes ajar is open wide, and a set of floating clothes can be seen as Tooru changes out of the exact same outfit as what Denki has just seen her wearing.
‘Hey Tooru’ Denki pulls out his phone and texts her. Her phone dings, Denki watches as she picks it up and messages him back.
‘?’ She seems confused, sitting down criss-cross on the bed Denki thought was a spare. ‘Did you forget what you were gonna buy already lol?’
‘Nah, they were out so I came straight home.’
Tooru looks up. Denki waves from his spot lurking around a corner.
“If you wanted to see me naked then I’ve got some bad news, Denki.”
She sounds so solemn saying it that Denki can’t help the laughter he bursts into, collapsing against the wall with very little grace and poise.
“I can’t believe that it took you so long to figure this out, you dummy!” She flicks his ear as she sits down next to him, still only half-dressed because of course she is. “Next you’ll be telling me you didn’t realise we were dating!”
The silence says it all.
Denki gets tackled to the ground unceremoniously, Tooru shaking him by the shoulders while muttering about how unbelievable he is.
“Wait-” Denki manages to get out between shakes. “So we haven’t just been hanging out more these past few months? Those have been dates?”
Tooru wails like Denki just told her he liked to steal from toddlers in his spare time. That answers his question better than any words ever could.
They spend the evening curled up next to each other on the throw-covered sofa, Tooru’s pink fluffy pillow tucked against Denki’s chest as they watch that old horror flick he found once upon a time ago. He has so much he needs to be caught up on, and he can’t wait.
The way Tooru presses a way-too-wet kiss to his cheek makes him squirm and giggle like a schoolgirl with a crush. He nuzzles his face up against her neck, smiling and ignoring her complaints about it tickling.
He can’t believe he’s been missing out on this. So unfair.