Reflect || Toge Inumaki x Oc (Female)

Chapter 16: Café Plans

ᡕᠵ᠊ᡃ່࡚ࠢ࠘ ⸝່ࠡࠣ᠊߯᠆ࠣ࠘ᡁࠣ࠘᠊᠊ࠢ࠘𐡏 ♡

The day after the baseball game had declared Tokyo as the winner of the goodwill event, Gojo had convinced Utahime and the Kyoto principal to invite all the students out to a nearby café. To sell his invitation even more, he offered to pay for both schools orders.

Everyone happily got their drinks, chose who to sit by, and then got comfortable at the tables outside by the street. The Kyoto students kept to themselves while Megumi and Yuuji sat together next to the table with Maki, Panda, and Toge. Kaori and Nobara hurried off to a table across the sidewalk, already laughing about whatever they could come up with.

"I got the most expensive drink just to see Gojo get broke faster!" Nobara snickered, taking a long sip from her three-kind chocolate latte.

Her friend laughed along with her, placing down her dorm keys on the table as they continued to speak.

"So do you like anyone?" Nobara eventually asked, raising an eyebrow for the answer.

Kaori hadn't liked anyone before, so she at first didn't think of this as an embarrassing question. Nobara was pleading for the answer as the girl next to her kept quite for a moment.

"Do you know all the second years names?"

Nobara nodded slowly, deciding if she really did or if she was delusional.

Kaori resisted the urge to turn around and point out who she liked, deciding it might look like she was making fun of him. "I think I like Toge."

Nobara gasped, leaning forward before she whispered excitedly, "Inumaki?! The blonde one who can't speak?!?!"

Kaori stayed against the back of her chair, shaking her head, "he can speak!"

"Omigosh!" she gasped again, shaking her drink around as she stamped her feet on the cement.

"Don't tell him, okay?" she said in fear of rejection.

"I promise! But you should totally ask him out!" she squealed, her eyes flickering between Kaori and the boy who was already looking at the brunette. Nobara's eyes grew wide as she took another sip of her drink. "Yeah! Ask him out!"

"But would he even say yes? What if he doesn't like me..."

"He definitely does! Look!" she exclaimed, shoving her shoulder instead of pointing.

Kaori turned in her seat, looking at Toge who's eyes were already growing wide. She raised her hand, slightly waving to him.

When he took his hand from his pocket and waved back at her, Kaori smiled and turned back to Nobara. "I'll do it."

She squealed in delight, watching as Kaori turned again and waved him over to their table. He sat up sharply, finally standing when Kaori waved her hand again. He excused himself from his table and jogged over towards the girls, not a drink to be seen in his hands.

"Hey Toge," Kaori smiled again, turning her body fully towards his.

His eyes squinted, and Nobara just knew he was already smiling at Kaori. "Kelp!"

Kaori smiled back at him, turning her head to Nobara again as she desperately needed some encouragement. Nobara nudged her shoulder, taking an intense sip of coffee.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out to the shops with me tomorrow? Maybe in the morning if your not busy?" Kaori rushed through her words, getting her embarrassment over with. She fumbled with her nails while she awaited his answer.

Both girls could see his face turn red, his hands clenching in his pockets as he responded enthusiastically, "salmon!" His head shook randomly in his excitement.

The girl he stared at happily smiled at him even brighter as she offered a seat to him. "Do you want to sit with us?"

Her hands pushed a chair further out from under the table, and he nodded again, taking the seat she offered.

As Toge rested against the seat, Nobara quickly sparked up another conversation. "So Kaori..."

As the girls talked, Toge stared at the brunette ramble on to her new friend. His face would flush every time she turned her head to him, smiling against the hand she rested on her cheek. With his ears blocking out the conversation the two girls were having, he stumbled up from his seat as the two girls stood simultaneously. Kaori turned to him as his chair squeaked.

"Nobara wants me to find a new tracksuit with her," she stated, "sorry."

His ears tuned back in, taking the cue that he wasn't going to be joining them.

"Salmon."

Kaori could hear his voice getting smaller. Placing her drink and keys back onto the table, she stepped closer to him. He stayed still, face flushing once again as she hugged him. Hands ran through his hair softly, and his breathing became quicker.

With a sudden burst of confidence, he removed his hands from his pockets, lightly hugging her back. He laid his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arms further around her torso as he took a breath to relax.

The orange haired girl watched them, internally screaming at the interaction while loudly sipping on her latte.

This sound alerted both people involved in the hug. Toge looked over Kaori's shoulder to see Nobara, and he decided it was best to pull away. Kaori took this as a warning from Nobara to pull away asap. They both retracted their arms, stepping away without making eye contact. Kaori grabbed her belongings from the table, smiling one last time as she stared at the ground, "see you tomorrow, Toge."

"S-salmon."

As the girls walked away from the café, the air in Toge's collar grew thicker. His breathing was quick, and his face was burning. Unzipping his collar enough to still cover his seals, he tried to breathe in the cool air. But as he watched Kaori get thrashed around by the first year, he took a deep breath, already anticipating the day ahead.

"Did you see how red he got? He's so in love with you!" Nobara exclaimed quietly, her hand on Kaori's shoulder tossing her from side to side.

"Did I do okay?" she whispered, hoping that all the movies she watched and books she read actually helped her. Never having dated someone before, she panicked and picked a safe hangout option.

"It was perfect!" Nobara jumped happily. "Since you didn't make it seem serious you can assure yourself he likes you tomorrow!"

"Do you really think he does?"

"Stop doubting it!"