The Oni

Chapter Two

It's been a couple of days since that first meeting with Waru in the park, and you glance at your phone as it buzzes.

A small smile crosses your face as you see the big red emoji that Waru had chosen for his contact picture. You think back to the hours following that little escapade, and how much fun it had been.

You'd all gone to the restaurant that Waru had suggested (not on his bike, however. It was large, but still not quite enough room for three) and had a blast well into the night as both Waru and Amai had ordered things at random off the menu for you to try. Most of them you'd never even heard of, but you'd ended up really enjoying most of them. You drew the line at the squid, though.

Afterward, you'd all exchanged phone numbers and started talking whenever any of you had the time. It had been great so far, and you'd been happy to get to know Waru even more.

You flick open the group chat with Amai and Waru to see what the Oni had said.

>>You guys down for another date night? I'm off and free for the next few days.

You smile and go to type something, when you see the indicator for Amai typing already. That fox... You shake your head. He should be doing work at work, not on his phone. You let it slide, though, as his message appears.

>Absolutely. I can't really help make plans right now, so I'll leave it up to you two to work things out. :)

You giggle; he just had to add that smiley. He's always so worried about how other people read his messages.

Your phone buzzes as another message comes in; its from Waru, but a direct text instead. Huh. You open it to see:

>>So the little guy's birthday is this weekend, right?

You stare at the phone and blink a few times before checking the date.

Oh gods; you'd forgotten Amai's birthday.

<Yes, it is, and I'd completely forgotten!! HELP!!!

>>You forgot? Is that any way to treat the little fuzzball? D:<

You bite your lip nervously; you honestly felt bad about this. Other than your anniversary, this was literally the only day out of the year you had to really remember. You glance down as another message from Waru comes in.

>>I'm just kidding, don't take it to heart. Anyway, did you want to figure out something to surprise him?

<That would be wonderful, actually. I have a hard time planning anything at all.

>>Just leave it to me, babe. I've got you covered.

You blink at the word 'babe'; it's the first time he's used it when talking to you. It made you feel a little... odd, but in a good way.

A moment after that message came through, your phone buzzes again as a picture pops up in the chat. You feel your face heat as you lay eyes on it.

In it, Waru was posing in a tank top with one arm flexed, his bicep bulging like a mountain. He was winking directly at the camera, and grinning mischievously. You stare for a long moment before replying, feeling a bit bold.

<With a show like that, how could I possibly say no?

>>You really can't, babe. I'll let you know what I work up. It's gonna be great.

You sigh and set your phone aside, running a hand down your face. That had been highly unexpected, but you weren't complaining.

You consider the thought of Waru sending the same pic to Amai when your phone goes off once more, indicating a message from Amai. You briefly wonder (not for the first time) if he's psychic and open the message.