Chapter Text
The mid-afternoon sun filtered through the dusty blinds of Spirits and Such, casting long, quiet shadows across the room. For the first time all week, Mob was away for the weekend, the salt supply was fully stocked, and Reigen Arataka was enjoying a rare moment of complete peace. He hummed softly under his breath, carefully filling out client invoices.
BAM!
The front door slammed open with terrifying force, sending a violent shudder through the frame and spiderwebbing fresh cracks into the drywall. Reigen’s pen skids across the paper, leaving a thick, ruined ink line straight across a five-thousand-yen charge.
"Yo, Reigen," Ekubo boomed, strutting into the office.
Having taken a particular liking to Yoshioka’s body, Ekubo was possessing the former Claw security guard as if it were a permanent upgrade.
Reigen rubbed his temples, refusing to look up from the ruined invoice. "The door has a handle, Ekubo," he said, his voice dripping with forced patience.
Ekubo completely ignored him. He marched straight up to the desk and swung his leg over, sitting right on the edge like he owned the entire building. He leaned back, crossing his arms and using Yoshioka's tall frame to project a smug, commanding presence that dominated the small room.
Reigen kept his eyes fixed on the ink stain, though his jaw twitched. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Actually, yeah, there is," Ekubo answered, his lips curling into a wide, self-satisfied grin. "Go out on a date with me."
Reigen froze. Slowly, he finally raised his eyes to meet the spirit’s gaze. "...Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Ekubo grinned wider, leaning in a little closer.
Reigen set his pen down with a deliberate clack and repeated the words just so he was sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him. "You want me to go out on a date with you."
Ekubo nodded, entirely unabashed.
"Why the hell would I want to do that?" Reigen asked, leaning back in his chair.
Ekubo let out a low chuckle and flashed a playful smirk. "Because I know you want to. And honestly? I can't blame you." He gestured sweeping hands down his host body. "Look at what you're working with here."
Reigen rolled his eyes so hard it almost hurt. "How in the hell did you come to that ridiculous conclusion?"
"It’s obvious! I’ve seen the way you look at me," Ekubo declared, puffing out Yoshioka’s chest.
"I look at you like that because you’re annoying!"
"Oh, please. What about the coffee you brought me last Tuesday?" Ekubo pointed out smoothly.
"That was one time!"
"And you got me dinner," Ekubo added, raising an eyebrow.
"Because I didn't want your host body to starve to death on my office floor!" Reigen barked back.
Ekubo threw his head back and laughed, a rich, pompous sound. "Make all the excuses you want, Reigen, but I know that you’re practically swooning. I’m just saving you the utter embarrassment of having to ask me out yourself."
Reigen stared at him, genuinely torn between throwing a salt splash or laughing out loud. Ekubo’s ego was truly something to behold.
"Besides," Ekubo continued, flicking a stray speck of dust off his jacket, "I’ll give you the best night of your boring little life. I guarantee it."
Reigen pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose, taking a slow breath. "Let me get this straight. You are asking me to go out on a date... because you think I find you attractive, but I'm simply too embarrassed to ask, and you are generously rescuing me from my 'boring' life?"
Ekubo grinned again, perfectly content. "Exactly. I’m doing you a huge favor."
Reigen stared at the spirit, quietly questioning if ghost-possession for this long caused severe delusions. "I see."
Ekubo waited for a beat, tapping his shoe against the side of the desk. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"How about it?"
Reigen let out a heavy, defeated sigh. He knew how Ekubo operated. The spirit would continue to be a relentless pain in the ass, popping in and out of the office to harass him until he got what he wanted. Might as well humor him. What could one single date hurt? It wasn't like he'd ever have to agree to a second one.
"Fine," Reigen muttered, throwing his hands up. "One date."
"I knew you'd say yes," Ekubo smirked, thoroughly unimpressed by Reigen's initial reluctance. He hopped down off the desk, adjusting his suit jacket with a sharp snap. "I'll pick you up here at six on Friday."
He strolled toward the exit, pausing at the threshold to shoot Reigen a sharp wink. "Prepare to be blown away by yours truly."
Ekubo stepped out and slammed the door behind him so hard that the brass chime above the frame snapped off its hook and crashed to the floor.
Reigen sat in the sudden, ringing silence of his office, staring at the broken bell, then down at his ruined invoice.
"...I can hardly wait," he muttered to the empty room.
Friday arrived far too quickly.
Reigen was just packing up his briefcase when—SLAM!
The office door crashed open yet again, the handle punching a fresh, grapefruit-sized hole straight through the drywall.
"Alright, Reigen! You ready to go?!" Ekubo announced loudly, stepping over the fresh plaster dust.
Reigen rubbed his temples, staring at the crater in his wall. "Do you do anything quietly?"
Ekubo just flashed him that ridiculously annoying, self-satisfied grin and marched right up to the desk, expectantly.
Reigen snapped his laptop closed with a long-suffering sigh and stood up. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"Wonderful!" Ekubo chirped. He immediately slung an arm around Reigen's shoulders, steering him forcefully toward the exit.
Reigen didn't even bother shrugging him off—there was simply no point. Ever since Ekubo had started routinely possessing Yoshioka, he’d become aggressively physical. Personal space was a concept the spirit apparently left in the spirit realm.
Half an hour later, they stood at their destination. Ekubo threw one arm out, proudly gesturing to the towering, neon-lit skyline of the local amusement park.
Reigen blinked. "You brought me to an amusement park."
"You bet I did!" Ekubo grinned, practically gushing as he listed the itinerary. "We're gonna ride all the rides, stuff our faces with junk food, win prizes..." He suddenly paused, leaning in until his lips were inches from Reigen's ear, dropping his voice to a seductive whisper. "...and I heard they have a Tunnel of Love here."
Reigen stared at him in utter disbelief. "Are you serious right now?"
"Of course I'm serious! Now, what ride do you want to hit first?"
Reigen sighed, resigned to his fate. "The roller coaster."
Ekubo’s face lit up. "I like the way you think!" He slid his arm off Reigen's shoulders, only to immediately grab his hand, dragging him toward the queue.
As they got strapped into the coaster seats, Ekubo leaned over with a smug smirk. "Try not to scream like a little girl, alright?"
"We'll see," Reigen muttered.
Ten minutes later, it was Ekubo who screamed the loudest—a high-pitched, surprisingly unholy shriek that echoed across the entire park. But the humiliation didn't deter him in the slightest. From there, he dragged Reigen onto a spinning tilt-a-whirl that left Reigen’s stomach violently sloshing, followed by the bumper cars, where Ekubo took immense joy in broadsiding Reigen’s car at maximum speed over and over again.
By the time they decided to get food, Reigen's hair was wild and his head was spinning. Ekubo ordered a giant hot dog, while Reigen opted for a bucket of salty popcorn.
As they walked, Ekubo casually slung his arm over Reigen’s shoulders again. He took a massive bite of his hot dog, then immediately reached over with his hand that was around Reigen’s shoulders and stole a giant handful of Reigen’s popcorn.
"Hey!" Reigen protested, pulling the bucket away. "You have your own food!"
"I wanted to try yours," Ekubo mumbled, stuffing his mouth with the stolen popcorn. "Don't be such a cheapskate."
Next came the boardwalk games. Reigen loudly insisted they were all shamelessly rigged, but Ekubo refused to listen. When he played the ring-toss, he casually used his spirit powers to subtly guide the plastic ring directly onto the bottleneck, winning a giant, neon-pink stuffed frog.
"I saw you use your powers," Reigen deadpanned as Ekubo thrust the massive plush into his arms.
"So what? You said the games are rigged anyway," Ekubo sniffed, puffing out his chest. "Besides, I know you love it."
Reigen stared at the lurid pink frog, wondering if Ekubo's ego could physically get any bigger without exploding Yoshioka's skull.
"Alright," Ekubo said, rubbing his hands together. "Tunnel of Love. Right now."
Reigen groaned. "Ekubo, that ride is literally just a boring boat floating in dirty water with decorations that look like middle schoolers put them up. And the background music is pure, unadulterated cheese."
"What's your point?" Ekubo asked, unfazed.
Reigen sighed deeply. "You're really not going to let this go, are you?"
Ekubo gave him a wide, glittering grin.
"...Fine," Reigen grumbled.
"I knew you'd say yes!" Ekubo beamed, looping his arm snugly through Reigen's.
They made their way to the ride. A spectacularly bored-looking teenager stood by the dock, gesturing vaguely to a small swan-shaped boat. As they climbed in, the kid rattled off in a monotone: "No standing. Keep your hands and arms inside the boat at all times."
Ekubo had the absolute gall to lean forward and ask, "What about kissing?"
Reigen viciously elbowed him in the ribs.
They squeezed into the ridiculously tight boat, and the gentle current nudged them into the dimly lit, heart-decorated tunnel. Reigen leaned back, squeezing his eyes shut for a second. He genuinely couldn't believe he was doing this.
In the cramped space, Ekubo easily maneuvered his arm around Reigen's shoulders, leaning in close. "So," he murmured, his voice low and dramatic. "You. Me. In the dark... where anything could happen."
Reigen couldn't see Ekubo's face clearly in the gloom, but he could practically feel the insufferable smirk radiating off him. "Don't get any ideas. I'm only doing this to humor you."
"Sure, sure," Ekubo chuckled smoothly. "But I know the truth."
"And what truth is that?"
"That you're totally into me," Ekubo said, confidence oozing from every word. "And that you’re having the best time of your life. There's no need to be shy about it, Reigen."
Reigen whirled to look at him. "Can you even hear yourself?! You're going to drown in your own ego!"
Ekubo let out a laugh so loud it bounced off the plastic tunnel walls, surely audible for a mile radius. "That's what I like about you! You pretend to be so good at hiding your true feelings, but you're an open book. It's so obvious."
"Is it?" Reigen snapped.
"Of course it is."
Reigen crossed his arms, scoffing. "Well, since you know me so well, why don't you predict how this ‘date’ is going to end?"
"Easy," Ekubo answered instantly. "You're gonna go out with me on a second date and totally admit that you've fallen head over heels for me."
Reigen fumed. "Let me tell you something, Ekubo. Your ego is completely out of control, your goal of becoming a god is utterly stupid, and you are a massive pain in the ass."
Instead of being even slightly insulted, Ekubo just burst into laughter again. "Nice try, Reigen. You might be good at conning everyone else, but you can't fool me."
Reigen huffed, turning his head away. "You're impossible."
"So I've been told."
"You’re also delusional."
"Anything else?" Ekubo asked, thoroughly enjoying himself.
"No," Reigen snapped.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
Ekubo chuckled quietly, resting his arm heavier over Reigen's shoulders. "We'll see."
"Whatever," Reigen muttered.
A minute later, the boat bumped gently against the exit platform. The same bored teenager stared down at them. "Have a nice day," he droned.
Ekubo offered the kid a flashy wink. "We certainly will."
Reigen immediately punched him in the arm.
As they stepped out into the night air, Ekubo casually looped his arm through Reigen’s once again. Reigen let out a quiet sigh, only half listening as Ekubo immediately began talking about their next date as if it were already a guaranteed fact.
Reigen looked down at their linked arms, then back up at the spirit occupying Yoshioka's face.
A quiet realization hit him.
Yes, Ekubo was an arrogant, delusional, pain in the ass spirit with a god complex. But underneath all that bombast and ridiculous posturing... Ekubo had genuinely sought him out. He hadn't just wanted an excuse to cause chaos; he specifically wanted to spend time with Reigen.
That actually meant something. Reigen wasn't entirely sure what, but one thing he knew for certain: Ekubo craved his company for some reason.
Spending decades as an invisible, floating blob of ectoplasm had to have been profoundly lonely and probably boring. But now, Ekubo had Mob, and he had Reigen. And Ekubo really liked being seen.
Reigen adjusted the giant pink frog under his arm, letting out a soft, almost imperceptible breath. He supposed he could be okay with that.
Maybe.
The night air had grown cool, but the neon lights of the amusement park still hummed with energetic warmth. Ekubo didn't show any signs of slowing down, walking with a proud, exaggerated strut that drew weird looks from passing teenagers.
"So, next Friday," Ekubo continued, gesturing animatedly with his free hand while keeping his other arm hooked firmly through Reigen’s, "I'm thinking we hit that high-end Italian place downtown. Ya know, the one with the white tablecloths and the ridiculously overpriced pasta? Yoshioka’s wallet can handle it, and let’s be honest, you have to experience being wined and dined by a future god."
Reigen looked sideways at him, clutching the oversized pink frog tightly against his chest. "Bold of you to assume I'm giving you a second date, Ekubo."
"Please," Ekubo snorted, waving off the objection effortlessly. "You’re practically floating on cloud nine right now. Look at you—you haven't pulled your arm away once since we left the boat."
Reigen opened his mouth to deliver a sharp, well-rehearsed snarky comeback, but stopped himself. Ekubo was right. Reigen could have pulled away at any point. He’d slipped out of tighter jams than a possessed man’s grip before. But as they walked past the flashing light of the arcade booths, Reigen just let out a quiet, resigned hum and settled into the rhythm of their shared stride.
"Don't flatter yourself," he finally answered smoothly, adjusting his grip on the plush frog. "It’s just efficient."
"Sure it is," Ekubo answered with a wide, wicked grin. He leaned in a little closer, shoulder pressing against Reigen's. "Admit it, Reigen. You had fun tonight."
Reigen looked away, watching the neon reflections dance across the pavement. His mind flicked back to the ruined invoice at the office, the cracked drywall, the absolute chaos of the evening, and the undeniable, absurd reality of sitting in a tiny boat inside a cheap Tunnel of Love with the most egotistical spirit he’d ever met.
It was utterly ridiculous. It was noisy, expensive, and thoroughly exhausting.
And yet, for the first time in months, Reigen hadn't thought about rent, client demands, or fake exorcisms for three straight hours.
"The popcorn was terrible," he answered neutrally. "And my stomach is still recovering from that spinning monstrosity you forced me on."
"That’s not a no!" Ekubo laughed loudly, clapping Reigen on the shoulder with enough force to stagger him slightly. "I knew it! You're completely smitten.”
Reigen couldn't help the tiny, reluctant smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth, though he quickly masked it with a severe frown. "You are truly unbearable."
"And yet, here you are," Ekubo shot back triumphantly, winking down at him. "So, six o'clock next Friday? I'll pick you up at your apartment next time."
Reigen sighed, a long, quiet breath that melted into the chilly night air. He looked up at Ekubo—at Yoshioka's familiar face, currently wearing an expression of pure, unadulterated, childish joy.
“I’ll think about it,” he finally answered.
“Of course you will,” Ekubo answered, a genuine flicker of satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
They reached the park's exit gates, stepping out onto the quiet street toward the train station. Ekubo didn't let go of Reigen's arm, and for once, Reigen didn't seem to mind as much.