Chapter Text
On a somewhat windy day, a young Itto was walking home with his heart and mind full of worry and doubt. He was wearing a jacket his granny hade made for him, but it had some holes in it due to wear and tear. He tried not to let his mood show, shivering just a little when a particularly cold gust of wind hit him in the face. How rude.
When he got home, he sighed before opening the front door and entering the house. “Hey, granny. I’m home.” he said, unable to hide how tired he felt. He’d just finished running errands, walking over to the cooking area to put some groceries away.
“Ah, welcome back, dearie. I hope it wasn’t too cold for you outside.” Granny Oni said, happy that her beloved son was home. She’d gotten her sewing kit out, no doubt having noticed the holes in Itto’s jacket earlier.
“Oh, nah, it was fine. Just kinda windy ‘n’ stuff…” Itto replied, putting things away while trying to keep his mood hidden. Once he finished, Granny Oni spoke up.
“Come here, sweetheart. Let me fix that jacket for you.” she said, smiling softly.
“Oh, uh…” Itto knew he couldn’t say no to that, since granny would insist on doing so anyway. He took off his jacket and handed it to her.
“Hmm…” Granny Oni reached up to place her hand on Itto’s cheek, making him look at her. “Is something wrong, dearie? Are you feeling unwell?” she asked, noticing how he seemed distant and upset.
“It’s nothing… I’m just tired.” Itto said, hoping she’d drop it.
“Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything, right?” Granny asked, tilting her head when Itto tried to look away.
“Y-Yeah, I know… I just need a minute…” Itto said, speaking quietly and avoiding eye contact.
“Oh, alright, dearie. But come to me when you’re ready to talk, okay?” Granny said, her voice kind and comforting. She stroked Itto’s cheek, pleased to see him lean into the touch.
“I will…” he said, putting a hand on hers for a moment before gently removing it.
“Good. I’ll be here if you need anything. Go get some rest.” Granny said, patting him on the head. Itto leaned down a bit so she could reach better, chuckling a little to himself.
“I will. Let me know if you need any help around the house.” Itto replied before going to his bed to rest. He sighed and hid under the covers for a while, hearing granny hum to herself as she sewed the jacket’s holes shut.
After a while of sulking alone, Itto mustered up the strength to tell Granny what was up. He got up and quietly went over to where she was sitting, taking a seat next to her.
“Um… granny? I need some advice.” He said, his expression gloomy and hurt.
“Ah, I’d be happy to help you, dearie. What’s on your mind?” Granny Oni asked, pausing her sewing for a moment to smile at him.
“Uh, w-well…” Itto fidgeted nervously, looking at the floor.
“It’s alright, sweetie. Take your time.” Granny said, gently placing a hand on Itto’s shoulder. After a moment of silence, the oni spoke up.
“Um… do you think I’ll ever find love?” he asked, tearing up with doubt.
“Well of course you will! It’s only a matter of time, dearie.” Granny encouraged, patting him softly.
“But- how can you be so sure?! Everyone thinks I’m a monster! They all hate me and treat me like dirt!” Itto snapped, clearly having pent up frustration from his worries. This was something that had been brewing for a long time…
“Oh, Itto…” Granny frowned sadly hearing him say that. She couldn’t bear to have him so sad and hurt.
“I-… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to-”
“No, it’s alright, dearie. I’m just worried about you, that’s all.” Granny said, putting her sewing aside so she could hug him. Itto quickly burst into tears, sobbing in her arms, feeling awful for having raised his voice at her. It wasn’t her fault he felt lonely. Why was his fuse always so short? Why couldn’t he just-…
“I’ve got you, dearie. Just let it all out…” Granny said, holding him close and gently rocking him side to side. Itto continued crying into her shoulder, desparately seeking the comfort he needed so badly. He hated feeling so weak. He wished he was stronger so that he wouldn’t be hurt so easily. He wished he could stop feeling this way and that the world would stop being so cruel. If only…
“Do you really think everyone hates you, dearie? I can tell you right now that that’s not true… not at all, my dear, sweet boy…” Granny said, hoping to comfort her beloved son. She knew he was going through a lot, being a growing teenager and all. She knew people were cruel to him because he was an oni, which she could hardly bear. The poor thing…
“But… people are still so mean to me all the time… They call me names and threaten me...” Itto said, his voice quivering as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Sweetie…” Granny held him warmly, doing her best to make sure he’d feel safe.
“It’s cus I’m an oni… isn’t it?” Itto’s crying had gone quieter. Granny shook her head before speaking, stroking his head gently.
“It’s because of their prejudice. It’s got nothing to do with you, dearie.” she said confidently, knowing it wasn’t his fault.
“But they have that prejudice because of my horns…” Itto mumbled, sulking sadly as his crying came to a halt.
“They have it because they’re small-minded. It’s not because of you or your horns, dearie.”
“But…” The young oni was still full of doubt, but was also starting to understand Granny’s point the more he processed.
“You’re not a monster, Itto. You’re a wonderful, kindhearted young man. I know you’ll find love one day, sweetie.” Granny said kindly, squeezing him gently with her hug.
“Really..? Are you sure?” Itto asked, gently pulling away from the hug to get some space.
“Of course I am. Those that judge you so harshly are shallow, small-minded people. They’re not worth your time, dearie.” Granny replied, gently wiping Itto’s tears. “You’ve got friends, don’t you? That proves you’re not as hated as you think, dear.” she added, reminding him of the few friends he’d made. Thinking about them gave him hope.
“Heh… thanks, granny.” Itto said, wiping his eyes dry.
“No problem, dearie. I love you.” Granny said, smiling at him.
“I love you too.” Itto replied, thankfully feeling better after granny’s pep talk.
That was a conversation Arataki Itto had had with his granny when he was younger. He was an adult now, still living with her and his little bull Ushi. He had more friends, his own gang, and was more confident in himself, taking no shit from other people anymore. He refused to let prejudiced asshats step all over him, and he was big enough to scare them off now. He felt proud of his progress and happy with his life, but… well, his love life hadn’t changed. Not yet, anyway.
He had a massive crush on Kujou Sara, admiring her beauty and how much of a badass warrior she was. She was fast, strong, gorgeous, scary, and mysterious. Itto wanted her to be his girlfriend so bad…
… until she rejected him. He’d impulsively sent her a love letter one day, and she met him in person to talk. She had explained that although she carried much respect for Itto, she wasn’t interested in anything romantic with him. Itto was devestated at first, heartbroken by the news. After some time and space, he recovered and the two of them stayed friends without any romantic tension. He’d still jokingly use terrible pickup lines on her, which she found amusing, even though he hadn’t completely gotten over his crush. He still found her very attractive and would blush when talking to her, but she didn’t mind. She found it cute in a way, but was still not interested in being his girlfriend.
Although he felt hurt that she didn’t love him back, he still wanted to keep her as a good friend. But after the rejection, he felt as if he’d never find love again, confiding in Granny Oni about his troubles. That conversation from years ago may as well have happened again, but with an added talk about rejection and relationships in general.
“We unfortunately have to face heartbreak every now and then in life. It’s tragic, but sometimes necessary for our growth. I’m sure you’ll meet a nice girl one day, dearie. Just be patient, okay? I’ll always be here to root for you.” That’s what Granny Oni had said. She told him a lot of wise things that day…
Apart from Kujou Sara, Itto also had a crush on Miss Hina, a charismatic young lady in charge of the “That’s Life” column in one of Yae publishing house’s magazines. He yearned to meet her in real life, wanting to yap his heart out to her about how much she meant to him and how much her replies to his letters had helped him in life. She was a hero to him, in a way, and for that he loved her dearly. But as time went on, he started to feel hopeless about that as well. She was a celebrity. She probably got hundreds of letters every day. What if she didn’t remember him? What if she wasn’t sure who was who, out of all the people that write letters to her? It almost felt parasocial to love her so much.
Whenever he was alone, he often found himself wondering when it’d be his turn to finally find love.
Just how long would he have to wait…?