It was late Monday afternoon.
Wakana Gojo stood in the laundry room off his grandfather's workshop, feeling a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction.
He was setting up some things when Marin came bouncing in.
"Hey, Gojo-kun!" Marin was still in her Kashiwanoha uniform, her school skirt and brightly patterned socks adding a splash of her usual flair to the plain laundry room.
She had insisted on coming straight to his house after school.
Wakana looked at her, holding a bottle of specialized detergent.
He was also still in his uniform trousers, his shirt sleeves rolled up neatly to the elbow from the quick commute. "Kitagawa-san, you really don't have to help. I know you're tired."
Marin planted her hands on her hips, her expression firm. "No way! I wore it, so I wash it! Isn't that normal for me to wash it, Gojo-kun?"
She was already pulling the red dress and the white wig out of the suitcase, laying them gently on the washing machine top.
"I'd do it, but…" Wakana hesitated.
He always handled the specialized cleaning himself to ensure the delicate fabrics and the wigs remained pristine.
Marin smiled, a look of excitement and determination in her eyes. "Yupp! I understand, I'll leave the delicate dress washing to you!" She picked up the wig brush. "But I can handle the wig! I've done this a million times, so let me show you the secret technique!"
Wakana nodded. "Ah, that's right. I've only ever done this for small doll hair. I don't know the best technique for long synthetic wigs like yours. Please, teach me, Kitagawa-san."
Marin puffed out her chest proudly, settling into her role as the expert. "Understood! First, we always gently brush out all the tangles, like this."
She carefully detangled the long white strands before tucking them into a fine mesh bag. She then placed the wig into a large basin.
"Then the soak," Marin continued, pouring in a small amount of fabric softener into the water. "Mix the softener, then we submerge it. You have to be gentle. You push down to press the water through, not scrub or wring."
She demonstrated, pressing the wig carefully under the surface.
"See? Like this."
Wakana leaned in close, his tired mind instantly focusing on her actions.
"I see. So, pressing distributes the softener evenly without stressing the fibers. That's very efficient," he murmured, watching her hand movements.
Marin was still leaning over the basin, demonstrating the technique, when Wakana naturally leaned in too, his attention solely on the physics of the water and wig.
Suddenly, she saw Wakana was very close.
His breath, smelling faintly of mint, ghosted past her ear as he observed the process.
Marin froze and went rigid.
'Oh no, oh no, oh no.'
Her face immediately erupted in a fiery blush, spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.
The small, functional space of the laundry room suddenly felt incredibly tight.
She was now acutely aware of his body heat and the strong scent of soap and fresh linen that clung to him.
She barely registered the words in her mind.
All she could hear was the frantic "thump-thump-thump" of her own heart in her ears.
Wakana, oblivious, simply straightened up, satisfied that he grasped the instruction. "We should also wash the clothes to remove any sweat stains."
Marin looked down at the wig, unable to meet his eyes, feeling the heat of her blush intensify.
She mumbled something that sounded like agreement, trying desperately to regain her composure.
'He's not even trying to tease me! He's just… doing Gojo-kun things! Why is this so much harder now?!'
The previous intimacy they once shared, the measurements, the heart-to-heart talk, was completely gone, replaced by a terrifying, thrilling awareness that made her want to run away and stay forever all at once.
"Kitagawa-san?" Wakana noticed her silence. "Are you alright? You look a little red."
Marin jerked her head up, forcing a bright, but fragile, smile. "I-I'm fine! Just… thinking about how beautiful those other Mirajanes were! Yeah! Let's move on to the dress!"
She snatched the dress up off the washing machine top, holding it up like a shield. "Soaking the fabric, right?"
Wakana simply nodded, already retrieving a new bucket for the main garment, completely unaware of the emotional storm he had just caused by simply leaning over her shoulder.
The cleaning process for the dress was slightly less catastrophic, as it required more space and less close consultation.
Marin focused intently on Wakana's every instruction, channeling her nervous energy into following the complex soaking and pressing directions he gave.
Once the dress was carefully hung up to dry, Wakana leaned back against the wall, running a tired hand through his hair.
"That's everything for today," he stated. "Thank you for insisting on helping, Kitagawa-san. It made the work much faster."
Marin leaned her head against the opposite wall, facing him.
The blush had subsided, replaced by a smile.
"It was fun, Gojo-kun," she said softly. "It's cool watching you work. You know everything about this stuff."
Wakana gave a small, weary smile. "It's just stuff I learned over the years. I'm glad you enjoyed your debut."
Marin watched him.
His strong build, his kind eyes, the lingering tiredness around his mouth.
'Marin… You were absolutely beautiful.'
The memory of his whispered comment from the train came flooding back, making her heart nervous with intensity.
She straightened up suddenly, the new surge of emotion pushing her to act.
"Hey, Gojo-kun," she said, her voice firm, deciding on a path forward. "I know you're still exhausted from the last few days."
She pointed an insistent finger at his chest. "Next time we hang out, we're doing something for you. Something relaxing. You have to take a break."
Wakana looked surprised. "But… I thought we were planning the next cosplay?"
Marin shook her head. "That can wait a week. You need to recover first."
"Besides," she leaned in conspiratorially, her eyes twinkling with a sudden idea, "I know this amazing shonen anime, Jujutsu Kaisen. We can watch it together! Who knows, this could be my next cosplay, and we can even do cosplay together!"
Wakana blinked, pointing at himself. "Me? Do a cosplay?"
Marin looked at him with pleading eyes, putting her hands together in a cute gesture. "You don't want to…?"
Wakana paused, considering.
He thought about the physical demand, the attention, and then his commitment to her.
Then, he remembered modeling the Mirajane outfit for the fit checks.
Honestly, it sounded fun.
He gave a thoughtful nod. "Well, if you want to, then I can try. I've modeled for my own clothing before, so it won't be too much different."
Marin instantly got excited and jumped up, clapping her hands. "Yatta! You're the best, Gojo-kun! And there's a character in it too that shares the same surname as you, and I bet you'd look perfect as him too!"
"A character with the same surname as me, huh?" Wakana murmured, a little intrigued.
"It's settled then!" she cheered. "Now that we're done here, I'm feeling quite hungry!"
Wakana checked the time on the laundry room clock and nodded. "It's almost time for dinner, and Grandpa should be back soon. Your father shouldn't be back yet, right? You'll be staying with us for dinner."
Wakana quickly pressed the invitation, keen for her company and afraid she might reject due to embarrassment over eating at a classmate's house all the time.
However, he had clearly underestimated Marin Kitagawa's foodie attribute.
Hearing his offer, she immediately accepted it with a cheer. "Of course! Let's get started before Gramps gets home! Today, I'll be helping you!"
She declared and grabbed his hand, completely forgetting the embarrassment of physical contact she had started to feel recently, with the promise of food replacing her thoughts.
Wakana looked at her eager expression and commented with a smile. "You sure do like eating, huh?"
Hearing his words, Marin paused, turning around sharply.
Her ears and cheeks instantly turned red again, and she placed a hand over her mouth. "Just now... Were you thinking that I eat a lot...?"
(Photo)
Wakana froze, realizing his perfectly innocent observation had hit a sensitive spot. "N-No, Kitagawa-san! I didn't mean it like that at all! I just meant... I enjoy seeing how much you enjoy food! It's refreshing!"
Marin stared at him for a moment, her large eyes wide, before her expression softened into a brilliant, relieved smile. "Oh! You really think so? Yatta! Then let's go cook!"
She released his hand to pump a fist in the air, then grabbed it again, pulling him toward the kitchen.
They hurried out of the workshop and into the main house.
'I need to be much more careful with my words around Kitagawa-san from now on,' Wakana thought as he stared at the girl's back.
'I need to learn how to prepare something worthy of her enthusiasm, too. Maybe something with pork cutlets...'