Chapter Text
The harsh morning sun hit Ibuki's eyes, forcing him to sit up from the bed. It was the weekend, meaning he didn't have much to do today. He quickly remembered he was going to call Oguma later today, making him a bit nervous yet excited. What to talk about, he wasn't sure, but he still wanted to talk to him.
Even though they haven't talked much, he still thought Oguma was a very interesting person. He didn't even know how to use a self-checkout, yet he seemed to be very well off money-wise. He wanted to get to know him. Maybe the call could help take their relationship further, or possibly scare Oguma off. This thought did not sit well with Ibuki so he quickly pushed it aside.
It was now the early afternoon, and Ibuki still hadn't sent a text to Oguma. He quickly grabbed his phone and opened the message app. The first thing he saw was Oguma's profile picture. He looked at it for a bit. He had a very fancy suit on and a serious expression, although there was a barely visible smile. Ibuki thought he looked very handsome and regal, different from the slightly disheveled but cute and clueless deer he saw at the store. He started to smile.
He opened the messages, which let him look at the past texts they had exchanged. He reread them, which gave him a weird but nice feeling he couldn't describe. There wasn't very much though, so he went to the bottom and started typing hesitantly: “Hey oguma , are you still able to call today ?”
Ibuki quickly turned off his phone, anxiously anticipating Oguma's reply, but it didn't take long for him to check again. Not even a minute passed when he saw that he started typing. His heart started to beat a bit faster waiting for his response. Finally, he typed: “Of course, I'm available all day. You can call me whenever you can.”
This made Ibuki even more excited. He quickly started typing: “Alright, ill call you now then” He hesitated for a bit before clicking the call button. His heart suddenly started picking up speed waiting for Oguma. It took a few seconds, but he eventually picked up. “H-hello?”
“Hello, Ibuki. How are you doing?” Hearing Oguma say his name brought red to his cheeks, making him feel warm. It sounded nice to his ears.
“I'm doing good. How about you?” His voice had a tinge of nervousness to it, but he hoped Oguma didn't notice.
“I'm good as well.” There was quiet talking in the background, but it suddenly stopped. “I'm just taking the advice you gave me. Right now, I'm watching a few shows and movies, and it has really helped me destress.”
Ibuki was glad knowing Oguma did what he suggested. He quietly let out a sigh of relief. They got past the how are you's without a single second of awkward silence while thinking about what to say next. It also seems like this deer pays attention. “That's good. What do you like to watch?” He asked, genuinely curious. Whatever Oguma had an interest in, so did he.
“I like a lot of mystery and crime. For example, I was watching The Godfather just now.” Oguma felt glad to talk about his interests to someone that is hopefully also interested.
“Nice, so do I! I've watched that too.” Ibuki replied. It might be a very well-known movie, but it's still great finding people who enjoyed the same thing. This let him relax a lot more, giving him something to connect to Oguma with.
“Good to hear, usually people I know prefer more romance or action. I do like some of those as well, but mystery is simply the most entertaining for me.”
“Interesting. Well, I think you should watch F1. It just came out a month ago. It's action, but I'm sure you'll like it. Maybe it can help you find new stuff you could like.” Ibuki could recommend a lot more, but he didn't want to overwhelm Oguma.
“I could consider it, but on what app is it on?” Oguma asks. “I don't have that many streaming services.”
“Oh, it's only in theaters right now. I'm not sure when or if they're going to add it to streaming.”
“I see. Well, if your schedule allows it, would you like to see it together then?” Without even thinking, Oguma invited Ibuki out to the theaters. He regretted it for a bit, until he realized he'll see him again. A part of him started to get excited because of that. He just dismissed it as possibly finding something interesting. It's not about Ibuki.
This caught Ibuki off guard. He wasn't expecting to get to see Oguma so soon, but that doesn't mean he didn't want to; he'd love to. A slight smile appeared on his face as he blushed again. “Sure! I was planning to watch it with a few friends, so you should come with us.” He hoped he didn't sound too excited, but he was. “We actually have a spare ticket since one of them isn't going to be able to come, so you don't need to worry about that. We'll also be going to a restaurant after.”
Oguma didn't really mind the tickets, but rather the friends Ibuki is going with. He doesn't know them, which made him a bit nervous as to who they could be. “Great, that sounds like a plan then. I think this is a good opportunity, as I don't go out often. I usually have to stay home or in my office to do paperwork and attend meetings. I'm just wondering who you're bringing.”
“Oh, just a few of my friends that I work with. They're fun guys. They can be a bit obnoxious at times, especially Free, but I still think you'll like them.” Ibuki was hoping he would. He didn't want to make Oguma uncomfortable on their first time going out. Maybe he could hang out with just him for a bit after they go to the restaurant.
“Alright. I might have to owe you for this.” Oguma was hoping he could make it up to Ibuki for the free ticket. It might not be much, but he still wanted to give something back to him.
“No, it's completely fine. It's my treat. We got the tickets from a discount anyway.” Ibuki politely refused. He was inviting him purely to have fun together, without needing to receive anything in return.
“Well, I would still like to, even at another time. I could pay for everyone's restaurant bill. I'm guessing you want to accept, but don't want to appear greedy. This will also be my treat, Ibuki.” Oguma felt a desire to pay for whatever the lion needed. He didn't know why, but he felt like he deserved it.
Ibuki was taken aback by Oguma's bluntness. He knew he wanted to be spoiled. It was no surprise though, since he got 100 dollars back at the convenience store. At least they won't have to argue about how to split the bill this time.
“Well, I guess you might've caught me there. I'll feel bad though. I don't want to take advantage of you.”
“You won't take advantage at all. Like I said, it's also my treat. You don't need to give anything in return. Don't worry about it.”
Ibuki hesitated a little. He was going to feel very guilty after this, but the cute deer kept insisting. “Alright, fine.” There was a disappointed sigh, fully knowing Ibuki was glad he wouldn't have to pay. He felt like such a horrible person. “I'll text you the ticket with the location and time. I'll have to go now though. See you then."
He felt great convincing Ibuki to let him pay the bill. He also wanted to help pay for other stuff the lion wanted. “Great, I will be looking forward to it. I will see you tomorrow, Ibuki.”
The deer hanged up, which made Ibuki let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He didn't even realize he was tensing his body during the call. That deer was just so cute. He started blushing again, remembering they were going to see each other the next day. He sent him the ticket along with the theater's location and the time of the movie. It was going to be the next day, but that still left time for Ibuki to prepare to see Oguma again. He knew he was going to be a nervous mess around him. And his friends were certainly not going to help with that.