— — — — — —
"Who could be coming over this late?" Puzzled, Oikawa walked to the front door and opened it.
"Here, take these."
Standing outside was Kawasaki, her arms loaded with bags of groceries.
The cold had left her cheeks rosy, and she was shivering slightly. Her hair, which she rarely wore up, had been pinned into a neat bun with the hairpin Oikawa had given her for her birthday.
Tonight, she was wearing a white dress.
And because of the freezing weather, she had thrown a coat over it.
Seeing how cold she was made Oikawa's heart ache. He hurriedly pulled her inside. "It's freezing out. Why are you wearing a dress?"
He took the bags from her hands and set them aside before grabbing a blanket from the sofa and wrapping it around her.
"What's all this?"
"Crab, beef, shrimp... Oh, and some tofu."
"What'd you bring all this for? Come over here first. The space heater's on this side. Warm up." Without waiting for an answer, Oikawa led her over to his computer desk, switched the electric heater to its highest setting, and soon warmth spread through the room once again.
Kawasaki stole a glance at him.
Then her eyes drifted to the computer screen he had forgotten to close.
A moment later, she quietly looked away. "Oikawa, we should marinate the beef first. The crab and shrimp need to be cleaned too. If we leave them sitting, they'll spoil."
"They're not more important than you." He pulled over a chair and sat beside her, gently taking her icy hands into his own.
Her fingers were freezing.
It made him feel even worse.
"Today's the thirty-first. There aren't any buses or taxis running anymore. How did you get here?" Oikawa asked, a frown creasing his brow.
"I... just... came." Her eyes darted away.
"You walked?" His voice sharpened.
"...Yeah," she admitted in a tiny voice.
Oikawa snapped, "Are you an idiot? It's freezing outside! Your house is over a kilometer away, and you're dressed this lightly. What if you got sick?"
Kawasaki lowered her head.
Her eyes slowly filled with tears as she bit her lip.
"Why are you yelling at me...?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I just... didn't want you to spend New Year's Eve all alone. Don't be so mad. I'm really not cold."
Oikawa looked at her, his throat tightening.
He pulled her into his arms.
"Why are you so good to me?" His voice trembled. "I'm not worth it. I really... I'm not."
Kawasaki suddenly felt something damp against her neck.
She paused. Then a bright smile spread across her face.
"It's fine. As long as I think it's worth it." She leaned against him with a gentle smile. "Oikawa... you have to be good to me from now on, okay? No more bullying me."
"...Umm."
After a brief silence, Kawasaki asked carefully, "Um... Oikawa... were you crying just now?"
"No." Oikawa denied it immediately.
A scumbag like him would never cry. It was just... the wind had been too strong. Some sand had gotten into his eyes.
"Liar," Kawasaki mumbled under her breath.
After another moment, she spoke again, "Oikawa... could you loosen your hug a little? I can barely breathe."
Reluctantly, he let go.
Only when he held Kawasaki in his arms did he truly feel she belonged with him.
The moment he released her, he couldn't shake the fear that she'd disappear from his life if he looked away for even a second.
After a quiet moment, Kawasaki tried awkwardly to make conversation. "Is... um... this the same kind of heater the school uses?"
Starting conversations had always been Oikawa's job.
She clearly wasn't used to it.
"Um... I'll go clean the crab and shrimp. Otherwise they'll start smelling." Realizing how clumsy she'd been at changing the subject, she hurried toward the kitchen as if trying to escape.
But before she could make it to the kitchen, Oikawa caught her gently by the wrist. "Go change first."
"...could... could it wait until later? L-Let's eat first..." Kawasaki mumbled, her face burning.
"No," Oikawa shook his head. "If you cook in that dress, it'll get dirty. I know how much you like it."
"...Oh." She lowered her gaze. "But... I didn't bring any other clothes."
Without another word, Oikawa led her into the bedroom and pointed toward the wardrobe. "Just pick whatever you like. There are shirts and pants in there."
"You... You need to go outside first." Kawasaki's face was bright red.
"Do we really have to be this formal?" Oikawa raised a hand. "I swear I won't peek."
"No. You'll definitely peek. If you don't leave, I'm not changing."
By now, Kawasaki knew him far too well.
If he stayed in the room, he'd absolutely sneak a look. And who knew what else he'd try.
"Alright, alright. I'll go. Can't people trust each other just a little?" Grumbling, Oikawa reluctantly left the bedroom.
The instant he stepped outside, Kawasaki locked the door behind him, refusing to give him even the slightest opportunity to entertain any bad ideas.
"Seriously... did she have to guard against me that much?" Oikawa sighed helplessly.
Though, to be fair he really had been wondering whether he should burst in while she was changing.
...
Less than three minutes later, Kawasaki stepped out of the bedroom.
She was wearing one of Oikawa's shirts and a pair of his pants. Both were much too big on her, making her look adorably awkward.
The corners of Oikawa's mouth lifted into a quiet smile.
Though there was something else about her that caught his eye even more. Her hair, now hanging loose over her shoulders.
"You look really beautiful with your hair down," Oikawa said.
Kawasaki's cheeks flushed. "Liar. You were laughing because I'm wearing your clothes."
"When was I laughing?" Oikawa protested.
"You were. I saw you smiling."
"I wasn't."
She shot him a sideways glance but didn't bother arguing any further.
Instead, she handed him her hairpin. "Tie my hair up for me."
"But it looks so much better down." Oikawa looked reluctant
"It'll just get in the way while I'm cooking. If we finish quickly, we can still watch the Kōhaku Uta Gassen."
The annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen was NHK's New Year's Eve music special, one of Japan's biggest television events. Over the years, it had become a tradition for countless families to watch it together as the year came to an end.
After helping pin her hair back up, Oikawa followed Kawasaki into the kitchen. "I'll help."
The kitchen was noticeably colder than the living room, so he unplugged the space heater from the other room and carried it over, setting it near the doorway.
Oikawa sat there carefully removing the veins from the shrimp while Kawasaki marinated the beef.
A traditional Japanese New Year's dinner was usually much more elaborate than this. But Kawasaki knew Oikawa had never been one for following convention. So tonight's feast was simple.
Shrimp tempura. Stir-fried beef cubes. Mapo dofu. Boiled crab. Plus gyoza and abalone.
Every single dish was one of Oikawa's favorites.
After feeding him for nearly a year, Kawasaki knew his taste better than anyone.
...
..
"The last dish is done!"
After nearly an hour in the kitchen, Kawasaki finally finished the mapo dofu.
Soon, the coffee table in the living room was covered with steaming dishes as Oikawa carried over the final plate.
"Want something to drink?" Oikawa asked with a grin.
"Like what?" Kawasaki asked.
"Wine," Oikawa said, pulling out the bottle he'd been hiding.
Kawasaki froze before immediately shaking her head. "We're not twenty yet. Drinking is illegal. And you're not allowed to drink either."
"Alright." Seeing how firm she was, Oikawa didn't argue.
He had managed to get a bottle of red wine through Chris Yamada, planning to enjoy a glass on New Year's Eve. But if Kawasaki didn't want him to drink, then so be it.
"Oikawa..." She tugged nervously at the hem of his shirt. "If someone catches you buying alcohol, you could get arrested. Please don't do something like that again."
She looked genuinely frightened, her lips trembling.
"...Alright." Oikawa nodded with a helpless smile.
"No." She refused to let it go. "Promise me you won't do it again."
Oikawa paused, then looked at her seriously. "I promise."
Only then did Kawasaki finally release his shirt and smile again. "Good. Then let's eat. I'll get your rice."
She had completely slipped into the role of a housewife.
She served him a bowl of rice. Then miso soup. Then handed him his chopsticks and spoon.
After making sure everything was ready, she hurried back to sit beside him.
"You didn't have dinner with your family?" Oikawa asked softly.
"I did." Kawasaki gave him a sheepish smile. "Just... not very much."
She switched on the television, changed the channel to Kōhaku Uta Gassen, then quietly nestled against Oikawa's shoulder as though it were the most natural place in the world.
Oikawa glanced at her. "So... you snuck out, right?"
"Mhm." She nodded.
"Won't your parents be worried?"
"I'll go home really, really early tomorrow morning." She smiled reassuringly. "I already asked Taishi to cover for me."
Oikawa fell silent for a moment before asking, "He didn't ask where you were going?"
Blushing, Kawasaki lowered her voice. "I told him I was spending the night at a classmate's house."
Oikawa's expression turned odd. "And he didn't suspect anything?"
"What do you think?" Kawasaki shot him a glare.
Oikawa looked at her with an amused grin. "So, you're staying the night? Hehe... Finally, we can... Ow, ow! I was kidding! Don't pinch me! Seriously, stop!"
Oikawa quickly rediscovered just how terrifying an angry Kawasaki could be.
And judging from her expression, she wasn't even using her full strength.
Pouting, Kawasaki complained, "You boys only ever think about dirty things."
"What? I'm not like that!" Oikawa straightened up with exaggerated seriousness. "What attracts me isn't your appearance. It's your beautiful soul, Miss Saki. That's what I love most."
"Liar." Kawasaki lowered her head with a smile.
She knew he was teasing. But even so, hearing it still made her happy.
Oikawa finally stopped teasing her.
The two of them ate slowly while watching Kōhaku Uta Gassen together.
It was actually pretty entertaining.
...
They took their time over dinner, chatting and watching TV. And by the time they finished eating, it was almost ten-thirty.
After cleaning up the kitchen and clearing the coffee table, it was close to eleven.
Oikawa glanced at the time on his phone before looking over at Kawasaki. "Wow, it's gotten late before we even realized it. Time to get some sleep. Staying up isn't good for you, so let's head to bed."
"W-We should... brush our teeth first." Kawasaki hurried into the bathroom and took out the toothbrush and cup she'd brought with her.
After a moment's thought, she squeezed toothpaste onto Oikawa's toothbrush as well, filled his cup with water, and handed it to him. "Y-You should brush too."
"Let's do it together." Oikawa stepped into the bathroom.
For a little while, they really did look like an ordinary couple, brushing their teeth side by side, washing their faces together, sharing the small, everyday routines of life.
His clothes were much too large for her, so Kawasaki rolled up the sleeves, exposing her forearms.
Even that was enough to make her blush when she noticed Oikawa looking at her.
The thought of what might happen afterward only made her heart race even faster.
She had read online that a person's first time was supposed to hurt. The stories frightened her... She didn't know how painful it would really be. She only hoped it wouldn't hurt so much that she'd end up crying.
Oikawa gently rested a hand on her shoulder and leaned closer, lowering his voice beside her ear, "Let's just go to sleep. I promise I won't do anything."
Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, he smiled, "I just remembered... when we went camping this summer, weren't you wearing that same dress?"
"I thought it looked beautiful back then... But later I realized it's only that beautiful because you're the one wearing it."
As he spoke, he took Kawasaki's hand and led her into the bedroom.
After closing the door behind them, he locked it almost absentmindedly.
Kawasaki sat nervously on the edge of the bed, head lowered, her face burning with embarrassment.
Oikawa sat down beside her. "Saki... I remember falling asleep in the woods during that camping trip. I kept feeling like someone was holding me. Was that you?"
As he spoke, he slipped an arm around her waist and gently guided her down onto the bed beside him.
Her reply was barely audible, "...Yes."
"What? I couldn't hear you. Come a little closer." Taking the opportunity, Oikawa drew her nearer.
They were so close he could feel the warmth of her breathing.
She looked incredibly nervous, "...It was me."
"Then where did you go afterwards? I couldn't find you." This time, Oikawa's question was filled with genuine curiosity.
"I... I hid behind a tree," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Oikawa chuckled softly. "You idiot. Saki... you're such an adorable idiot."
She bit her lip without answering.
His hand had begun to wander, and she could no longer gather her thoughts.
Seeing that she didn't pull away, Oikawa pressed his luck. "Um... Don't you think it's a little warm in here? Maybe we should be more comfortable before we go to sleep."
"N-No..."
This time she finally resisted, quietly struggling against him.
But her embarrassment kept her from putting much strength into it. There was no way she could outmatch someone as shameless as Oikawa.
Before long, she gave up.
She buried her face against his chest, completely at a loss. Her cheeks were so hot she felt as though she could fry an egg on them.
"O-Oikawa... I'm scared."
Tears welled up in her eyes and soaked into the front of his shirt.
"It's okay." He gently stroked her hair. "I won't do anything to hurt you. You're the most precious person in the world to me, Saki Kawasaki."
He said that, but his wandering hands told a different story.
"Saki, do you remember that time," he said softly, "when that delinquent chased you, and you hid behind me? That day... I was really afraid of losing you."
Kawasaki let out a small gasp, "Oikawa..."
Tears streaked her cheeks as she finally lifted her head to meet his eyes. "I... I love you."
"I love you too." Oikawa returned her gaze with complete sincerity. "I really do. More than anything."
Those words came straight from his heart.
Kawasaki closed her eyes for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "Could you turn off the light?"
He smiled gently. "But I want to see you a little longer."
"..."
"Oikawa, you have to promise you'll always be good to me. You'll never hurt me or make me cry. You can't bully me anymore. And... and you can't keep lying to me all the time."
"I promise." He smiled softly. "From now on, I'll protect that beautiful smile of yours. I'll never make you regret choosing me, Saki."
.
.
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