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This was likely the most awkward car ride Nanami Kento has ever been on.
He finally decided on leaving Jujutsu for sure. Though he knew he was sure to miss you, his only friend– best friend, he knew he couldn’t stand the idea of continuing to live life like this.
“So what kind of job is it anyways? Like, what will you do?” you spent the first 20 minutes of the car ride in dead silence. You weren’t sure if you would cry seeing him go, and you wanted to spend your last moments together at least peacefully. It took you way too long to build up the courage to say something.
“Stock broker. It seemed simple enough to learn without a college degree.”
“Does it pay a lot?”
“I feel like that’s inappropriate to ask.”
“Inapro–?! I’ve known you for over 6 years, have seen you naked, know your ticklish spots, AND that one time you–!”
“Ok I get your point!” He threw his hands up in surrender and to hush you. Though he wasn’t an easily embarrassed man, he wasn’t sure if you would spill information that Gojo could somehow bribe out of Ijichi, who was driving you both. “Um, I think about 120K?”
“You THINK about 120K?!”
“Yeah. I wasn’t that focused on the number.”
“Geez. Well, you certainly won’t have to worry about anything financially…”
Silence fell once more. Normally silence with him was never anything to stress about, it was actually quite comfortable, but this was likely the last you’d ever see him.
But you couldn’t think of what to say, so you dealt with it.
He felt the same. He wanted to speak to you, to see you laugh. The way you throw your head back, the way you throw your body on his shoulder trying not to fall to the floor, your silent wheezes randomly breaking out in loud cackles. He ached to hear it one last time before he never heard it again.
But he couldn’t think of anything to say, so he dealt with it.
Ijichi pulled into the parking lot of the airport, knowing you’d want to go in with him. Everyone stepped out of the car, Ijichi as well, to help him pull out his luggage from the trunk.
Before you both walked away into the airport, Nanami laid a hand on Ijichi’s shoulder, “Thank you. For everything.” Neither of them wanted to elaborate on their unconfirmed friendship, so they left it at that.
You both walked into the airport in tandem, but not together in your thoughts. Nanami could have never possibly guessed what you were thinking, he was too far away from this airport in his mind.
He honestly didn’t know where he was entirely. Somewhere fictional with Haibara, with you, with him, all together. He didn’t want to work as a stock broker. To him, this seemed like the worst possible thing he could do. So did Jujutsu sorcery. So did anything else that put the ones he loved at risk or away from him.
But for some odd reason he can’t discern, he decided that if he had no one in his life for him to love, then he can’t be at risk for any of these possibilities. So he chose a company as far away as possible from you here in Tokyo.
This was eating him alive on the inside. All he wanted was to stay here with you and love you. To love you, to cherish you, to adore you. But he thought that this could clearly never happen for him. So instead of perpetual continual tortuous fantasizing, he’s going to give it all up and run away from it all.
“I think this is your gate. B9, right?” Nanami, were he not a more collected man, would’ve jumped right out of his skin. But all that escaped was an obvious blink of his eyes as if to snap him out of his thoughts.
“Um, yes,” he said as he pulled out his ticket. “B9 is my gate.”
He had about an hour before departure, so you both shared one last meal with each other at a small sandwich shop inside the airport. It took you both a while to feel comfortable considering the heavy emotions and atmosphere, but eventually you both sparked up a conversation and truly enjoyed your last hour together. Just talking about nonsensical topics that would sound utterly insane and irrelevant to any passer-bys.
Soon came the time for him to board the plane. The dreaded moment where’d you have to watch him walk away knowing it would be the last. You did your best to not cry, and succeeded to the extent that he at least never saw you cry.
Before he left, you had one thing you needed to do first.
“Kento! Wait!”
He turned around to find you, just about to walk into the tunnel to the gate.
“Take this. Don’t read it until the plane takes off, ok?” you smiled a bittersweet smile as you handed him the letter that’s been weighing down your jacket the whole terrible day. “Good bye, Kento.” You held in your tears, sure, but your hurt heart showed through your eyes. He could read you better than anyone.
But he already made up his mind, so he took the letter, gave you a small smile, and turned away from you forever.
Kento walked through the gate, onto the plane, threw his carry-on into the overhead department, and took his seat. He sat restlessly. He’s never once felt so fidgety in his whole life.
You promised to wait to read it. It’s her one and only last request. It’s the very very least you can do to respect it. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t know. Just have some patience for goodness sake.
His actions betrayed his inner consciousness almost without hesitation. He ripped open the letter and began to read.
Dear Kento,
You have always been first and foremost my best and closest friend. I have never once had a doubt in my mind of whether or not I could trust you on any given topic. You love me on my good days and bad days. You have an immeasurable amount of patience, especially when my emotions get the best of me. You know I never mean the cruel things I say to you, but you also don’t allow me to be so cruel without correction. You have established the healthiest relationship I’ve ever had with someone and have taught me more than anyone else ever will.
I feel as though the love you have for me is so pure and truthful as a friend. I’m sorry I haven’t been as honest as you in that regard. I once thought of you only as a friend, but as the years have gone on, my view of you has changed. Every touch gives me butterflies and every glance makes me grin. You fill up my heart, Kento. I’m afraid that now that you’re gone I may never fill this hole again.
I think this is the same for both of us with Haibara, which is why I never imagined to burden you with these feelings of mine. I never wanted to say something that would drag you down and cause you to be stuck restlessly in this wretched world of Jujutsu. I think you made a wise decision in freeing yourself from this hurt. I wish I were strong enough to do the same.
I’m sorry if even now that you’re leaving you feel burdened by my words. I just needed to get these feelings out on paper so that maybe it will exit my heart through my pen and I can move on. Please continue your life with me only as a distant happy memory. I hope that if I ever see you again, whenever that may be, you have a beautiful wife and children living a peaceful life deprived of any pain or hurt.
I love you, Kento. Have a good life.
Love, y/n
Kento was frozen. His thoughts swarmed and consumed him.
“ Dammit. ” he scolded himself under his breath a little louder than he’d normally prefer, but he really didn’t care that much at this moment.
He couldn’t believe what a complete and utter dumb ass he was.
He immediately stood up and hastily grabbed his carryon from the overhead compartment. A hostess tried to stop him, but she was an ant compared to his large figure.
“Is the plane still connected to the gate?” His voice, though at a reasonable volume for a public place, was still very commanding and a little scary.
“Sir, if you would please sit down so we can-”
“Answer my question.”
“Um, yes sir, but we need you to-”
“Thank you.” He gracefully moved past her with his luggage and made his way to the front of the plane.
The hostesses at the front told him to ‘sit down’ and they ‘will only assist him once he sits down’, and the like. The door to the gate was still wide open, only feet away from him.
“I’m getting off this plane. Now.”
“Sir, if you don’t sit down, we will ban you from this airline!”
“That’s fine by me. I’m sorry for the troubles, but I’m getting off of this plane.”
He pushed his way through the attendants and found his way onto the gate. He sprinted down the gate into the open airport, frightening the poor girl at the front of the gate who takes the tickets.
“Sir! You need to get back on-–!” He didn’t hear her at all. He was too focused on finding you.
His mind raced as time slowed down. His eyes darted through the entire airport gate in front of him, searching for any crumb of you. Every memory of you culminated in his mind’s eye trying to remind himself what you looked like to better find you, as if he could ever forget any part of you.
He had no clue what he was thinking trying to leave you. He could never forget or get over you.
He tried not to panic at the idea that you had left already, climbing into the back of Ijichi’s car, moving on with your life; your life devoid of Nanami.
That was until he saw the back of your lilac sweater hunched over in one of the chairs in the gate.
He dropped his bag and sprinted around the rows of uncomfortable chairs to crouch in front of you.
You were crying into your hands. Your stomach clenched and your heart ached. It would be months before you got over Nanami as you promised in your letter. That was until you felt Nanami’s hand grip your shoulders and you opened your eyes to find him kneeling in front of you.
“Did you mean it?! What you said– wrote?!”
His eyes were so strongly fixated on you, you felt as though he was trying to search through your soul. It was odd for you to see Nanami behaving almost as though he were begging you for an answer. You’ve never known him to care about anything that fervently to give up his dignity.
“Huh? Wait, you read it already–?”
“Did you mean it?” His voice lowered almost into a whisper, but it still didn’t lack his sense of urgency. He spoke intensely and lovingly at the same time in a way you couldn’t understand.
“Yes. Every word. Why did you come back?!- you’re going to miss your pla–”
He pulled you up out of your chair and into his heart. He kissed you longingly, passionately, ardently, breathlessly, and hungrily.
He kissed you like it was his last moments on earth.
He kissed you like it was the beginning of the world and you were still more beautiful than its creation.
He pressed his lips into you, and you allowed him. You opened your heart and lips to him as you’ve been dying to do for years. He moved his hands up to your neck and held you like it was only his hands keeping you together. He may have been right, to be quite honest.
You had your hands on his neck, holding onto him so fiercely you were slightly concerned you could hurt him, but you also didn’t care at that moment.
Inevitably you both had to pull away from each other for air. As you each panted for air, Nanami whispered to you “why didn’t you tell me before now?”
“I didn’t think you liked me back. I’m sorry Nanami, I-”
“No, don’t be. I’m not mad at you. Just, could've been better timing,” he chuckled breathily. “If I weren’t as weak as I am for you and waited to read the letter as you instructed, I would’ve been stuck on that damn flight instead of here in your arms.”
“So I take it that my feelings are reciprocated?” you grinned as you teased him.
“Oh honey, I have been crazy about you for years now.”
“Honey? Already using pet names?”
“I’ve been doing everything I can to not call you pet names.”
You laughed at him. Even though minutes ago you were hurt and embarrassed about confessing, now you couldn’t help but think he was a little ridiculous. But to be fair, with how serious of a person he normally is, just about any silly thing that strays away from his normal vocabulary seems very ridiculous.
“Come on, lover boy; let's grab your stuff and go home then.”
Loverboy??? Nanami did not expect to like such an embarrassing pet name like that, but he couldn’t deny the building blush on his cheeks and ears.
Nanami grabbed his luggage and then promptly laced his fingers with yours with his one open hand. You both walked out of the airport hearts fuller than when you first entered a little over an hour ago.