Chapter Text
🎀 puts the WITCH in bewitching 🎀
heyyy sumi
my car broke down on the way over, so i can't go anywhere until it's towed and mai doesn't want to leave me here alone
sorry!!!!! we'll have to reschedule 😞
No need to apologise, it's not your fault! Hope it's an easy fix
me too 😭😭😭
Kasumi chews on her lip as she surveys the texts. Damn. The one time they had thought ahead and paid in advance for the tickets to a premiere. She hadn't seen the girls in ages and was happy to indulge them and their love of horror movies if it meant a catch-up over dinner afterwards. However, now that the safety from the whispered critiques and jokes of the others was removed…
The Conjuring was never a movie that Kasumi would choose to see on her own. She liked her cheesy rom-coms and cute animated movies aimed at an audience half her age, sue her. They were safe and would not leave her with nightmares. There's nothing wrong with that.
A quick check of the time reveals that it's past the starting time, meaning the ads have just begun, and it's too late to refund or exchange her ticket. Well. That's that. After growing up in a family with little money to spare, Kasumi can count on one hand the number of times she had been to the cinema when she was younger. She would not waste the money she had spent on the ticket.
Besides, she has budgeted specifically for the outing, snacks, and dinner afterwards. It would be a shame to put her efforts to waste. Plus, some chocolate and overpriced soda would definitely help her feel better. Kasumi can't help the heavy sigh that escapes her. Maybe some popcorn, too.
She turns off her phone and tucks it away before joining the queue for snacks. As she waits, she admires the cute little The Croods plushies in baskets lining the aisle. If only that was the movie they had bought tickets for. She wouldn't mind seeing it again.
A miniature Guy plushie catches her eye, and she picks it up. She runs her fingers over his tiny top knot. It's so cute! He's so cute. Privately, she can understand why Eep was so interested in him.
Kasumi looks up as the line moves. Only then does she notice the man in front of her. His hair is pulled into a similar top knot. Without meaning to, she chuckles. What a coincidence!
To her dismay, he turns around. Sharp brown eyes flit across her face, then to Guy for the briefest of moments before they snap back up to her face. Kasumi smiles helplessly, and he stares before quickly turning around as the cashier calls him over.
He was kind of (really) cute, she admits to herself. Perfect facial proportions and clear skin, save for a large birthmark climbing up from his jawline. Not to mention his cute top knot, shiny hair–
She shakes her head a little to rid the thoughts from her mind. Poor guy just wants to buy some popcorn, and here she is ogling him. Besides, he probably thinks she's a freak for laughing at some kids' toys. Kasumi is suddenly glad the girls aren't here to tease her.
The aforementioned kids toy is placed back in a basket as she’s called forward. Kasumi decides on a small Sprite and a maxi pack of Maltesers, forgoing the popcorn so as to not ruin her appetite for dinner later.
Thankfully, the ads are still playing as she enters the cinema. Kasumi double-checks her seat's row as she climbs the stairs. It seems to be packed. The three empty seats stand out against the masses of people.
At least she can have the middle seat! Both armrests are hers! Her gaze lazily takes in the surrounding moviegoers and she pauses. Hm.
The guy from the line is one of the people seated directly next to the empty line. Well, at least they won't have to interact at all. Unless…
Kasumi slides past the already seated people, apologising quietly as they wave her off. The man doesn't seem to notice her, apparently enthralled with his massive bucket of popcorn.
Goodbye, armrests. The seat she chooses to sit in is next to his. She defends her actions to herself, surely it will be nice to have some sort of company during this movie. This horror movie. Oh God.
Besides, it's not like he knows she could have sat in any of the three seats. It will be her little secret.
The lights turn down and Kasumi kind of wishes she brought the plushie to cuddle, the opinion of cute guys be damned. The opening music is already spooky enough. Her heart begins to beat a little faster.
Embarrassingly, the abrupt opening cut to Annabelle's face is enough to make her jump. She registers the guy glancing at her and barely resists burying her face in her hands. This is going to be a long movie.
Kasumi is proud of herself as she stays quiet and unmoving as the roommates recount their experiences. She is even quiet during the first game of hide and clap, despite the suspense killing her.
However- as she is not heartless- she begins to sniffle as the dog is found by April. A couple of tears roll down her cheeks and she wipes them away. How does the death of an animal always hurt more than that of a human in movies?
A nudge against her shoulder startles her, and then a large bucket of popcorn enters her line of vision. A little shyly, Kasumi looks over. The man is resolutely not looking at her, staring at the screen as he offers her some popcorn. Even so, she can see a light flush on his cheeks. Cute.
She takes a small handful, not wanting to be too greedy, before he retracts the bucket. After a second, he slowly moves it closer again to leave it within her arm's reach beside him on the chair. Was he…?
Kasumi returns her attention to the movie, chewing thoughtfully on her popcorn. No, she shouldn't assume. But it wouldn't hurt to return the favour, right?
Before she can talk herself out of it, she rips off the top of her Maltesers and places it on the armrest separating them.
The two both stay within the respective boundaries of their chairs as the tour of the Warrens’ museum occurs, but as the dad is awoken by thumping, the man tentatively takes a couple of Maltesers. Score!!
The thumping is revealed to be Cindy sleepwalking and banging her head against Andrea's wardrobe. Kasumi's stomach drops. She has a terrible feeling about that wardrobe. She already knows she won't be able to look at hers the same way for a few weeks.
The feeling doesn't leave her as the girl is put back to bed, especially not when April is found talking to an imaginary friend. The movie hasn't been that bad so far, but she knows it's far from over.
Another game of hide and clap is begun and the feeling only worsens. Kasumi grips her drink tightly as the mother follows the claps to Andrea's room. Oh fuck.
The wardrobe doors open without interference. The mother blindly turns towards the sound, asking for another clap. Heart in her throat, Kasumi feels like she's going to throw up or scream or faint.
Two hands slip through the clothing and- shit- she knows those aren't the hands of a child. Two claps sound. Smiling, the mother moves towards the sound.
“I'm going to get you now… I can hear you breathing.”
Kasumi can't tear her eyes away, her breaths become uneven and shallow. Why did she ever think this was a good idea? She's borderline hyperventilating when April runs in, revealing she was in another room the whole time.
Unfortunately, her breathing shows no signs of slowing down. She can feel eyes on her. On-screen, Christine's leg is tugged. It seems there will be no break for her poor heart.
Christine is pulled down the bed and she sits up, noting her sister is actually asleep. For some reason, she decides to lean over and check under her bed. Kasumi wilts in her chair. She could never.
The look reveals nothing and Kasumi is almost thankful until the door begins creaking open. This she can not deal with. As Christine sits up, the door continues to open. Her sister wakes up.
“Do you see it?”
“See what?”
Trembling, Christine points at the door. Kasumi is sure she is trembling just as much as her.
“There's someone behind the door… There's someone standing over there.” The squeak Kasumi lets out is embarrassing and she covers her mouth, but god she can't help it. She really wishes Mai and Momo were there to console her.
“I don't see anyone.”
“It's looking right at us.” Christine's voice cracks and Kasumi puts down her drink in fear of crushing it. She just knows there's a jumpscare coming.
“Nancy, don't, Nancy!” She sounds as terrified as Kasumi feels.
“No, no, look. There's no one- there's no one here, see?” Nancy pushes the door to the side, showing Christine what's behind. “Uh, it's that smell again.” Kasumi knows exactly what that means, she muffles her next squeal with her hands.
“Oh… my god… it's standing right behind you.”
Half lit by the light from the hallway, Nancy slowly turns around. All is silent. The audience holds their breaths. As soon as Nancy is fully facing away, the door slams shut. Kasumi- and half the audience- scream.
Her vision is a little blurry and she realises she's tearing up again. She grabs a couple of Maltesers, then a handful of popcorn. A glance at the man next to her to check if it's alright has her pausing. He's smiling softly at her.
“You alright?” His voice is a little above a whisper, yet she can still hear it above the screams of the girls and the parents.
“Um, yeah, just not really a fan of horror movies, haha.” She blinks a couple of times to get rid of the blurriness. His face comes into focus and suddenly her thoughts are no longer of the movie. It's kind of intimidating how good he looks.
“Then why are you here?” Kasumi is a little taken aback, nevermind. How blunt! The man winces. “Uh, that came out wrong. I'm sorry.”
“My two friends weren't able to make it last minute and I didn't want to waste my ticket.”
His eyes scan over the two empty seats beside her, before landing on the seat she picked out of the three. The seat right next to him. Kasumi flushes a bright red and- to her surprise- the man does the same.
Kasumi begins to ramble, not wanting him to bring it up. “I kinda forgot how much I don't like horror, they usually make jokes and stuff to keep me distracted. I thought I could handle it, but… obviously not.”
The man is quiet for a couple of seconds.
“I could do that for you if you want. Horror movies don't scare me, I just watch them for fun.” Kasumi's face burns, whether because of, well, him or out of embarrassment, she isn't sure.
“No, no, I wouldn't want to be a bother.” The last thing she wants is to ruin his viewing experience because she can't keep it together.
“I wouldn't mind." There is nothing in his expression that indicates he's lying. Kasumi swoons a little, maybe chivalry isn't dead. "I'm Kokichi."
“I'm Kasumi. I appreciate the offer, but please don't worry about it.” Despite the circumstances, she manages a small smile.
They both return their attention to the movie and- honestly- Kasumi already feels better. Onscreen, the mother hears what she thinks is the girls playing hide and clap. She checks the bedrooms, finding them all asleep.
All at once, a loud crashing sound makes the mother (and Kasumi) jump. Pictures of the family are flung off the wall beside the staircase. Once the ruckus has died down, two claps sound. Of course, the mother decides to investigate.
The doors to the basement open. Kasumi wants to scream at the screen as the mother enters. This is not looking good. Her heart rate is picking up again.
Fortunately, the mother decides to leave quickly. However, she makes the fatal mistake of not hightailing it when she has the chance.
“Whose ever down there, I'm going to lock you in now.” The door slams shut, causing the mother to fall down the stairs. She lays there for a second, before sitting up and taking in her surroundings.
A lone ball falls, scaring her and she bolts up the stairs. Kasumi is on the edge of her seat. Maybe she should have taken Kokichi up on his offer.
The lightbulb blows, leaving the mother in complete darkness. Trembling, Kasumi reaches for some more popcorn to calm herself. A match is lit, revealing the mother's terrified face.
“Hey, want to play hide and clap?” The child's voice is soft, gentle. Kasumi freezes, unable to force herself to move. A pair of hands clap beside the mother's face and Kasumi is unable to stop herself from jumping. Her arms splay out, hands grabbing onto anything for safety, and she screams. She's not alone, similar reactions ripple across the cinema.
The scene changes, cutting to the door rattling as the mother cries out from the inside. Her desperation to escape makes Kasumi feel sick. Another scene change: now to the bedroom of Andrea.
Familiar sounds wake her, Cindy is bumping her head against the wardrobe again. Andrea decides to let Cindy sleep in her own bed for the night, guiding her gently. Before she can climb in herself, the doors of her wardrobe begin to move.
As Andrea goes to close them, Cindy wakes up. Her breathing is broken, terrified, catching Andrea's attention. However, Cindy isn't looking at her. Her wide-eyed stare is fixed above the wardrobe. Kasumi whimpers.
Tentatively, Andrea follows her gaze. The malevolent spirit is perched there, watching. It screams, before throwing itself at Andrea. Too terrified to scream again, Kasumi digs her fingers into whatever she's clutching for comfort to ground herself. She can feel tears sliding down her face, but she can't move. Too much is happening all at once.
The rest of the audience, however, are not frozen stiff. Popcorn flies around the room from the reaction to the jumpscare as the spirit lands on Andrea. Not even that can break Kasumi out of her trance.
Finally, the father arrives and frees his wife. The two rush to Andrea's room, only to find the girls screaming and crying. And that's the end of that.
A cut to the Warrens giving a lecture allows Kasumi her breath back. She attempts to calm herself down, shakily moving her limbs in order to get some feeling back. Only then does she register her fingers tightly wrapped around Kokichi's arm. There's no way he wouldn't have noticed and, yep, as she peeks up at him, he's already looking at her. The softness of his gaze is doing terrible things to her heart.
Her face explodes with colour and she whips it away, whispering apologies. Imagine if she left a bruise on him, she would never live it down.
“Oh-my-gosh, I hope I didn't hurt you.” She whispers, shameful.
“I didn't mind, Kasumi.” The mixture of a flustered blush and the remnants of her terror makes her face feel prickly, but she doesn't particularly dislike it. Before she can respond, his eyes catch on something.
“Hey, you've got some popcorn in your hair.” Used to being around her friends, she tilts her face up towards him. His eyes grow wide and he doesn't move, so she gives him a questioning look.
“Aren't you going to take it out?” After blinking a few times, Kokichi shakily reaches up and plucks it out. He smooths down the lock it had become caught in, sending shivers down Kasumi's spine.
“There you go.” His voice is a little hoarse. Kasumi gives him a thankful smile and his eyes snap to her lips.
Oblivious, Kasumi moves her face away, completely missing Kokichi's shuddering breath. She turns her attention back to the screen, where Ed and Lorraine Warren are now confirming the existence of a demonic presence which is specifically tied to the basement. A little spooky, but nothing compared to before.
The interviews between the family and the Warrens begin, however, they don't make Kasumi nervous. That is, until April's interview. Something about such a sweet young girl using such a creepy music box to talk to her ‘imaginary friend’ rubs her the wrong way. When the boy appears, Kasumi holds her breath, but fortunately, there is no jumpscare.
Lorraine follows the feeling of a presence to the garden, where she finds a woman hanging. Without looking away, Kasumi reaches for some popcorn, accidentally bumping hands with Kokichi.
She turns to flash him an apologetic smile, noticing he was already giving her a similar smile of his own, but is distracted by a smear of chocolate from her Maltesers on the side of his mouth. For a daring second, she imagines wiping it off herself, before banishing that thought. Nope nope nope. That would be creepy.
Instead, she pointedly gestures to the side of her mouth. He licks it away and Kasumi averts her eyes before her thoughts can worsen, her handful of popcorn acquired.
The movie is bearable again as an exorcism is recommended, however, proof is required by the church and the spirit may feel threatened. The daughter of the Warrens gives Lorraine a locket with a picture of her inside as she misses her. Kasumi feels calm. This is fine.
Everything begins to decline again when it's revealed that the mother's voice didn't show up in the recorded interviews. Next, the history behind the house and the malevolent spirit is revealed. Cameras and microphones are set up to record any evidence, crosses are placed around the house. Kasumi could feel the tiny amount of courage she had built up fading. She just knows that it's all going to go up in flames.
Her heart rate steadily increases as the mother stays home to rest, feeling weak. As she rests, Lorraine takes over the laundry. A blanket is blown off the line, revealing the shape of a woman, before flying up to cover the window where the mother rests. Anxious, Kasumi sips her drink to calm herself down. It's okay, it's okay. Don't freak out and grab Kokichi again. She's shivering. It's during the daytime, nothing scary happens then, right?
Wrong. The blanket flies away to reveal the malevolent spirit inside the bedroom. To Kasumi's horror, Lorraine rushes inside. The mother wakes up screaming as the spirit leans over her and- ew- throws up in her mouth. However, when Lorraine arrives, the mother says she's just a bit nauseous. As a reluctant watcher of horror movies, thanks to Momo and Mai, even Kasumi knows something is drastically wrong.
Night falls and Kasumi wishes her heart rate would fall with it. The police officer hears voices and is attacked by some sort of maid ghost, but it disappears before the others arrive. It seems that the movie is determined to keep her on edge.
Kasumi takes deep breaths to ground herself as Cindy begins sleepwalking again, setting off the cameras in the process. Ed says it's the spirit guiding her that's setting off the cameras and her stomach drops. How do people like Kokichi, Momo and Mai find this stuff fun to watch? She feels like she could throw up at any second.
Naturally, Cindy makes her way to Andrea's room. The recording devices pick up April's imaginary friend, the boy Lorraine saw, verbally guiding her. Kasumi does not like where this is going. She feels like she has been doused in cold water, yet she's starting to sweat. The suspense is killing her.
The room is empty when the group breaks in, but using UV lights they find Cindy's footsteps disappearing into the wardrobe. Kasumi whimpers pitifully. Anywhere but there.
Cindy is found asleep in a secret room. April tells them her imaginary friend hides there when he's scared. Kasumi's palms are starting to itch. Please can they just leave that room already?
Once Cindy is removed, Lorraine crawls in. Wide-eyed, Kasumi finds herself unable to look away. She calls for the music box and places it on a shelf, before noticing a rope. Without a second thought, she pulls it up. It's a noose.
Lorraine leaps to her feet, only to break a board beneath her and fall into the basement. Kasumi cries out. No no no!!! She knows exactly what she's going to find down there. Lorraine lays there, before sitting up and searching the room with her flashlight. She finds nothing, aside from the music box.
Digging her nails into her palms, Kasumi watches as Lorraine searches for spirits with the mirror in the music box. The torch catches the light of a knife. She knows she's shaking again, but she can't stop herself. Her heart is back in her throat, making it hard to breathe.
The knife is held by a woman in a yellow dress who stands over a bloody crib.
“She made me do it.” She repeats. Her head turns unnaturally to face Lorraine. Kasumi can barely hold it together as Lorraine looks away from the music box, trying to see the spirit behind her. There's nothing there.
The music box is checked again, yet the woman is gone, only for another spirit to appear behind it.
“She made me do it.” The spirit doesn't attack, it only points. Lorraine follows the finger with her flashlight.
A hanged woman appears out of nowhere. As her body, still hanging, begins to turn towards Lorraine, Kasumi lets out a little scream.
Warm, tentative fingers touch her wrist and Kasumi almost screams again. A terrified glance down reveals Kokichi's palm, open and relaxed by her hand. Without thinking, she grabs it and squeezes, fingers laced together.
Lorraine is chased by the hanged woman as she bolts for the stairs, however the spirit is in pursuit. The locket gifted from her daughter is ripped off by an unseen force, but she reaches the top just as Ed opens the door. Kasumi feels the slightest amount of relief.
The malevolent spirit is revealed to target mothers and force them to kill their children. This family is next. After the reveal, a cross falls. Kasumi slightly curls in on herself, trying to prepare for whatever happens next.
As her sisters watch on in terror, the locks of Nancy's hair begin to rise. Then, dragged by her hair, Nancy is flung around the room. None of the men are able to hold her down. Nancy is crying and Kasumi feels like she's about to as well.
Soothingly, Kokichi caresses the back of her hand with his thumb. That, coupled with the end of the excitement due to Lorraine cutting off Nancy's hair, begins to calm her down. Her breathing is embarrassingly ragged and she probably looks like a mess.
The only upside to that is that it was recorded, meaning the evidence was collected and able to be sent off to the church. This leaves the Warrens and crew to pack up, unable to do more in their current situation. They promise to return when the church sends an exorcist.
It takes all of that time for her to collect herself.
“Sorry about that.” She whispers. Kokichi squeezes her hand.
“You have nothing to apologise for.” His voice is warm, a little teasing. On-screen, Lorraine has a vision of her daughter, which she interprets as a bad omen. However, a call back to the house reveals she's fine.
The scenes of everyone talking and the church denying their appeal due to them not being members allows her more time to calm down. Maybe also more time to enjoy Kokichi's comfort. She doesn't let go of his hand, telling herself that everything will pick up again soon. That's the only reason she hasn't let go, right?
All too soon, the daughter of the Warrens is awoken by a presence and explores the house. She notices Annabelle is missing. Kokichi resumes his soothing touches, something that Kasumi is infinitely grateful for.
The lights begin to fail, leading the daughter to discover Annabelle is found in Lorraine's office. Annabelle turns towards her and the daughter tries to escape, but the door is stuck. Kasumi concentrates on Kokichi's touch.
The girl screams and bangs on the door, alerting her grandmother and her parents, who had just arrived. Ed opens the door, saving her from a flying chair.
Her attention is redirected as she feels Kokichi shuffle closer. Kasumi feels fuzzy. He clears his throat quietly, a little awkward.
“How are you feeling?” The sensation of the air from his whisper makes the hairs on her neck rise.
“I'm… surviving.” He huffs a laugh and Kasumi swears she can feel butterflies.
“What a relief.” His voice is so soft and so close, it makes warmth bloom across her cheeks. Kasumi downs the rest of her drink to help cool herself off.
The mother has left the family's motel with Christine and April. Andrea admits to her father that she smelled like rotten meat. The Warrens are contacted and realise the mother is possessed, so the group heads back to the house.
The Warrens, their assistant, and the police officer break in, only to hear screaming from the parents. The mother is fighting against the men who restrain her as she attempts to stab Christine with some large scissors. Terrified, April watches on. Once the restraints are in place, they notice that April has disappeared.
Okay, Kasumi thinks to herself, this is the home stretch. You've got this.
Locating her is cast aside in favour of trying to take the mother to the Exorcist, however, she begins to burn at the doorway. The entity will not let her leave without a fight. She is dragged back to the basement and the group splits, one going to find the missing child.
Kokichi squeezes her hand and she squeezes back. It's kind of embarrassing how much it relaxes her.
The majority attempt- and succeed- in restraining the mother again. They know that she won't make it if they have to wait for the Exorcist, so Ed volunteers to conduct the exorcism himself.
The assistant continues to search for the child, eventually hearing her cries from under the floorboards. Meanwhile, the exorcism has begun. The mother coughs up blood, hissing and spitting as Ed chants in Latin.
This Kasumi can deal with. The suspense leading up jumpscares and just knowing that something is about to go wrong are so much worse.
The chair the mother is restrained to begins to float, banging against the ceiling. Ed demands for her to be put down. Kasumi absentmindedly helps herself to a couple of pieces of popcorn, only to regret it when the entity complies, smashing the chair and freeing the wife. It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did, causing her to swallow the popcorn weirdly.
She attempts to conceal her coughs as she seeks out her drink, only to remember she had just finished it. They get harder to muffle and, just as Kasumi is about to get up to leave the room, Kokichi offers her his drink. A little desperate, she doesn't take the drink from his hand before she takes her sip through the straw.
He's adorably flushed when she pulls away and Kasumi can't find it in herself to regret making him so flustered. It's kind of flattering. She ducks her head and turns back to the screen. Anyway!
A poorly-timed shout from the assistant interrupts them. The child has been found. Immediately, the mother grabs the scissors and sprints off down the basement towards the girl.
Once the girl has been found, Ed chants the demon's name, causing her pain. Meanwhile, the husband and Lorraine try to get through to her on the inside. Lorraine reminds her of a memory of the family, ultimately resulting in the demon being expelled from the mother's body.
In the morning, the family reunites and the music box is placed in the Warrens’ museum. Kasumi lets out a sigh of relief, the movie is finally over.
However, now that the movie is over… The main lights fade into existence and Kasumi shyly casts her eyes to the still-interlocked fingers of her and Kokichi.
“Still surviving?” The other moviegoers are gathering up their belongings, but neither of them wants to move.
Her eyes wander up his pale arms, across the image depicted on his shirt (some sort of mech from an anime she has never seen), and finally up to meet his eyes.
“Yeah, thanks to you.” The tips of his ears grow pink and he looks away. She's delighted.
“Would you maybe… want to go get dinner or something?” He can barely meet her eyes, it's adorable. “If you're not busy. No pressure, I know we're still pretty much strangers.”
Kasumi's heart has been through so much in the past few hours alone.
“I'm glad you asked, I was too nervous to.”
Finally, he looks up at her. His eyes are so pretty and, damn, if that birthmark doesn't make them pop. To her surprise, he seems shocked.
“Really?”
“I mean… I don't go around doing this often. Or, like, at all.” Kokichi looks a little starstruck and it's kind of doing wonders for Kasumi's self-confidence.
“Okay. Um. Let's go?” He rises to his feet without letting go of her hand. Kasumi grabs her things, including their combined rubbish, and allows him to gently pull her up.
Once standing, she properly notices how much taller than her he is. While Kasumi is barely 5’7”, he is obviously over 6’. She has to tilt her head back- he's at least half a head taller than her.
Kasumi has never particularly cared about height differences, her type has staunchly always been someone who she has fun with and who she believes is the only one for her. However… having to look up at him, combined with how handsome he is and his obvious interest, leaves her a little flustered.
As Kasumi does her best to pull herself together, the two exit the cinema. Like the well-raised individual she is, Kasumi disposes of their rubbish as they exit.
“So, Kasumi, what's your favourite food?”
“Stews are my favourite, particularly those made by my mum. And you?” Kokichi brings out his phone, presumably to somehow find somewhere that will suit her tastes.
“I just like anything with a strong flavour.”
“Easy to please.”
The two reach the building's exit, lingering in the warmth as Kokichi scrolls through the options. Kasumi peeks at him through her bangs, happy to sneak glances at him as he searches.
Finally, his face brightens and he puts his phone away. She instinctively smiles.
“Okay, so, there's a-” Kasumi tilts her face up so she can properly make eye contact, although her bangs are still getting in the way. She really needs to trim them. “Um, a-” He chokes, cutting himself off. “Stop smiling at me.” His face is flushed a violent red and Kasumi is perplexed.
“Excuse me???”
“Um. Uh. I.” She raises an eyebrow. His voice falters, meaning she has to strain to hear him. “I can't talk when you look at me like that.”
It's Kasumi's turn to flush a violent red, she can't help but look down to hide it. She had never been that sort of girl to anyone. As blood roars in her ears, she can vaguely make out Kokichi rambling about big blue eyes and heart-shaped faces and she's kind of melting. They're in the same boat.
Content, she presses her cheek against his bare arm to cool it off and he goes quiet. She doesn't need to hear about the place he chose, she would be happy anywhere with his company. Even if it was another horror movie.
“Sounds perfect, Kokichi. Let's go!”