in time | akaashi keiji x reader

nameless

GROUND FLOOR. THE CAFE. Akaashi did not, as he'd like to emphasize, he definitely did not mean to follow her all the way to the library cafe.

"A, um, a, a sandwich please," she says.

"That'd be 400 yen, Ma'am," the cashier tells her before grabbing a sandwich.

"Fo- Four hundred?!" she gasps, her eyes slightly widen at the price.

"Then, um the pastries? That cake slice," Y/N points.

"That'd be 300 yen, Ma'am."

"Hey, Ayami-san," she hears Akaashi's voice from behind. It adds to the awkwardness, especially since they haven't even greeted each other until now.

"H-Hi, Akaashi-san."

"I can pay for it," he offers, then grabs his wallet from his pocket.

"No, no, it's okay," she tells him and rushes to give the cashier a five hundred yen bill.

"Here's your change, Ma'am."

"Tha- Thank you!" Y/N says, a little louder, and upon stashing the coins on her pocket, quickly steps away. Akaashi lets out a soft chuckle which leaves the poor girl even more confused.

"Um, Ma'am, your cake slice," the cashier reminds with a nervous smile.

"Ah, haha, right, right, thank you," Y/N says.

"And you, Sir? The usual? Heh."

"Oh. Yes, of course."

"That'd be 350 yen, Sir."

15 minutes pass and neither had the guts to speak, much less even sit close. While Akaashi sits nearby the window, Y/N settles on the other side.

But she realizes she has this one small problem. Actually, the more she thinks about it, the lesser it seems to be irrelevant. She took a cab to go here and now, having spent half her budget, she's left clueless on how she's supposed to go home now.

But maybe the sweet boy she's been gazing at could be the answer to this.

"Nu uh, I cannot do that, that's literally admitting I'm not, well, I'm not me," she scolds herself.

"It's either I'm busted or I'm ending up homeless."

As for Akaashi, as he sips on his drink while reading, the thought of Y/N continues to linger on his mind. At this point, he couldn't keep setting aside his suspicions. "She's acting strange, that's what," he concludes. His mind continues fleeting away from whatever textbook is on his hand.

Y/N, or well, Yudai Ayami, remains a mystery to him, like a puzzle he needs to put together. He has been used to this, treating people like cases supposed to be solved. As for example, Bokuto and the hundreds of data about him Akaashi memorized on his head. The team, too, though anyone barely notices; he has them figured out, profiled in his mind.

"Hi there, Akaashi-san." Her voice disrupts his train of thoughts. He looks up from the book he's reading and he spots her, nervously smiling and speaking.

"Oh hello, Ayami-san. It's a surprise to see you in the cafe."

"Ah? It is? Heh," she chuckles, still awkward.

"Mind if I, um, sit with you?" she asks, hugging the book she just borrowed, along with her notebooks.

"Oh," he mouths. "No, of course I don't mind," he answers formally.

"Great," she mumbles and takes a seat facing him.

Even more awkward silence follows.

"Akaashi-san, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Do you, um, do you know how to go to the train station from here, or something?" she asks. The least she could remember is what her stop is, she simply needs to know how to get there.

"Yes. It's just a short walk from here, why?"

"Ah, heh, you see," she mumbles, she couldn't think of an excuse convincing enough not to further his suspicions.

"I kinda got lost on my way here," she reasons.

"Oh, I see," he says, sparking some hope that she's not yet busted. "That's understandable, you barely go here anyway," he adds.

"Ah, right, right. So will you help me out?"

°
°
°
°
°

Akaashi didn't like changing his plans but this one is an exemption. Instead of going back up in the fifth floor to resume his studies, after their stay in the cafe, Akaashi decides to take her home.

It's still unknown to him why he'd go to this extent just to help her out. Maybe it's because she puzzles him, stimulating his mind and creativity. He wanted to figure out her mystery. Perhaps, it's plainly just curiosity.

On the other hand, Y/N tried not to think about it, assuming he was simply a kind soul and a helpful man.

"Thanks, by the way, you saved me," she tells him as they near the entrance of the train station. It looks so much different than what she remember in the 70s.

"Y/N?" He pauses on side of the path as he calls her.

"Yes?"

"Wait. Did he just say, Y/N?" She hears her real name for the first time, for the first time in this timeline at least. The crowd is loud; Tokyo is full of people. But she's certain she heard it loud and clear.

Now, she isn't nameless anymore.

Surprised by the sudden call, she freezes on the spot, unable to say another word. "But how? How does he know?" the question repeats on her mind like a broken tape.

"You're not Ayami, aren't you, Y/N?"