Chapter 3: Told You.
"Not going to respond?" the fox prompted.
"Not going to give you the satisfaction."
"Aww, and here I thought we'd be such good friends."
"We're not friends."
"Partners, then."
"We're not anything." He grumbled, he could already foresee himself arguing constantly with this thing in the near future.
The fox laughed, it's tinkling voice suddenly reminding him of wind chimes. "Oh, this is going to be fun." She said with a hint of mischief, to which Mitsuki ignored and kept walking.
The streets of Osaka buzzed around him, couples still infesting every corner, every bench, every godforsaken crepe stand. To him, their love filled sights were without a doubt an eyesore.
He kept his head down and moved quickly, determined to reach the sanctuary of his tiny apartment where he could process the fact that a mythical creature was currently invading his personal space.
Just then, He rounded a corner a bit too fast.
THUMP.
Mitsuki stumbled backward, papers and books exploding into the air around him. He blinked, disoriented, and found himself staring at a girl sitting on the ground, surrounded by scattered notebooks and a now-spilled coffee cup.
"Oh shoot—I'm so sorry!" Mitsuki dropped to his knees immediately, grabbing at notebooks yet he was careful not to shove them into a haphazard pile. He might be hypocritical but that didn't mean he was a total jerk.
"I wasn't looking where I was going, that was completely my fault—" Mitsuki's words stuck in his throat when he saw that the one he'd bumped into just now was actually a girl, one with long bangs which covered most of her face.
"No, no, it was mine!" The girl's voice was flustered but sweet. She reached for a falling notebook at the same moment he did, and their hands collided.
Mitsuki froze.
' Is this what I think it is?!'
Her hand was warm and soft to the touch. She had painted nails, a pale pink, nothing flashy and a small ring on her index finger. His gaze traveled up her arm, past her sleeve, to her face once more.
Now that he took a second look, his suspicions were out the window, she really was cute, although some might see her as out of placed but he didn't care.
She wasn't model-level gorgeous, nor the kind of girl who would make heads turn in Shibuya, but cute in a way that felt... real. Black hair pulled back with a simple clip. Big eyes that widened when she realized their hands were still touching. Cheeks that flushed a delicate pink.
"Ah—sorry!" She pulled back like she'd been burned, ducking her head.
Mitsuki's heart did something stupid in his chest. "No, I—it's fine. Here, let me help." He gathered the rest of her things quickly, hyperaware of her presence beside him.
As well as her textbooks. A pencil case with cat doodles on it and a planner partially hidden under her bag.
His eyes caught the cover of one of the textbooks.
Introduction to Modern Japanese Literature.
He knew that book. He'd bought a copy just last semester for his required lit class.
"Here you go." He handed her the stack, allowing himself a small smile. "All accounted for, I think."
The girl accepted the books, clutching them to her chest like a shield. "Thank you. Really, I'm sorry for not paying attention—"
"Seriously, don't worry about it." Mitsuki stood, offering her a hand without thinking.
She hesitated for just a fraction of a second before taking it. Her palm pressed against his, and he pulled her up with perhaps a bit more care than necessary. When she was standing, she quickly let go, smoothing down her skirt with one hand while keeping the books pressed close with the other.
"I should—" She gestured vaguely behind her. "I need to—"
"Yeah, of course." Mitsuki stepped back, giving her space. "Go ahead. Sorry again."
She bowed politely, lthough a bit to quick but polite nonetheless. "Thank you for helping me!" And then she was off, disappearing into the flow of pedestrian traffic before he could even think to ask her name.
Mitsuki watched her go, a strange warmth settling in his chest despite the lingering embarrassment of the collision.
Was that... could she be...
He shook his head, but the thought persisted. The way she'd blushed. The way their hands had touched. The textbook from his own university. It felt like fate. It felt like the universe finally throwing him a bone after years of relentless suffering.
The fox materialized beside him, having vanished during the encounter. "Well, that was pathetic."
Mitsuki glanced at her, a grin spreading across his face. "Jealous?"
"Of what? You bumped into a girl and helped her pick up her things. That's the bare minimum of human decency."
"And yet." Mitsuki started walking again, his step noticeably lighter. "I'd say I'm well on my way to becoming a winner in everything."
The fox rolled her eyes so dramatically he was surprised they didn't get stuck. "A winner? How do you figure that? You didn't even get her number."
"Ah." Mitsuki tapped his temple knowingly. "And this is why you're a heavenly creature and not a human. Too naive."
The fox's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
"I caught a glimpse of her textbooks while I was helping her up." Mitsuki's grin widened. "They're from my university. Same year as me, if I'm not mistaken. Which means—"
"Which means absolutely nothing," the fox interrupted. "You still don't know her name, her major, or whether she's even single."
"It means," Mitsuki continued, undeterred, "that I know exactly where to look. My campus isn't that big. I'll find her eventually."
" Haven't you ever heard of the phrase if it's ment to be, it shall?"
The fox opened her mouth to retort, then closed it. For the first time since appearing, she looked genuinely speechless.
Mitsuki chuckled, feeling better than he had all day. "See? Not a loser."
He walked another block before something shifted in his gut. A pressure or should he say an urgency. He glanced around, suddenly aware of his surroundings in a different way.
"Uh." He shifted his weight. "Where's the nearest restroom?"
The fox raised an eyebrow but said nothing, fading from view as if she'd never been there at all.
Mitsuki didn't question it. He spotted a convenience store sign down the street and quickened his pace.
******
The restroom was blessedly empty and relatively clean for a public facility. Mitsuki locked himself into a stall and took care of business, the events of the day finally catching up with him.
A system. A talking fox. A girl who might actually be his soulmate.
He shook his head, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. If someone had told him this morning that his Valentine's Day would end like this, he'd have laughed in their face. Or cried. Probably both.
He noticed the fox hadn't reappeared. Probably for the best. Some things a guy needed privacy for, even if the observer was a mythical creature from beyond the veil.
'Tomorrow.' he thought, finishing up and adjusting his clothes. ' Tomorrow I'll go to campus early. I'll find her. I'll talk to her properly this time, maybe ask her to coffee, and—'
The restroom door creaked open all of a sudden.