The Librarian's Daughter (Ryuji Suguro x Reader)

15) THEY SPEND TIME

𝒯𝐻𝐸𝒴 𝒮𝒫𝐸𝒩𝒟 𝒯𝐼𝑀𝐸

(Name) was left behind with the bitter knowledge of Mephisto being the one who proposed the idea of the attempts in the first place. Nevertheless, it was her father who implemented this suggestion and she was very aware of that. It should be a long time for the girl to see her legal father again.

'Thanks' to that, she was even more grateful for the friendship she had made with Ryuji. The girl had grown to like the boy very much and it would be a lie to say Bon didn't like her, too. Not necessarily in that way, but they didn't make a secret out of their friendship. It was special after all.

✧ ✧* . . ✧ *✧ ✧

"You're going to lunch with us today, aren't you?" Suguro asked his female friend as they were to leave the classroom for lunch break. "It would be rude to decline," she smiled, "of course I'm going with you." Ryuji put up one eyebrow at this. "So you're just coming along so that you won't look unpolite?" (Name) gasped out at his mocking answer in fake-shock. "Just stop. I like spending time with you and your friends, so don't put a wrong complexion on me, Ryuji."

They both smiled while walking out of the room. "Thanks."

She never expressed her gratitude to the boy, but it didn't feel right for (Name) to just leave the situation at how it was now. She was free, but thanks to what? Or whom, to be exact.

"For... what?"

Bon was a bit confused by her little spoken word and shuffled on his feet. And then, there was her sincere smile again that made the boy so indescribably happy.

"Thanks for opening up the world to me."

For the first time, it felt for Bon like he really helped someone. When fighting the Impure King with his classmates and other exorcists, he knew he would save the world and all the people around him, but now... someone he has known for fairly some time thanked him. And it felt so real because he got to learn a great deal about her pain afterwards. So, he was quite at a loss for words.

"You're very welcome, (Name)."

✧ ✧* . . ✧ *✧ ✧

"Hey, it's (Name)!" Rin shouted while waving his arms around in the air. The group has grown quite fond of the girl in the few times she sat with them and ate together. "It's good to see you again, (Name)," Shiemi greeted her too as the girl and Ryuji sat down at the table. The group immediately began chattering about the most different things and all the previous sorrow had faded away fully. During the conversation, (Name) and Bon gave happy glances towards each other which wasn't unnoticed by a particular pink-haired boy sitting next to his old friend.

"Hey Bon," Shima quietly whispered in his friend's ear, "say, has something happened?" Suguro stared at his friend with confused eyes for a few seconds, until he stole a glance at the girl who was sitting besides him - she hadn't noticed that Shima approached Bon and continued sharing her food with Shiemi and Rin.

"What do you want to imply, Shima," Bon continued eating his own bowl of nikujaga, slowly getting annoyed because of his friend's behaviour. "Oh, I don't know, but I don't remember you two smiling at each other so happily some weeks ago," his spy-friend proceeded with his assumptions.

"Oh, and that means something to you?" Suguro grew a bit louder. He wasn't one to mess with a topic like... love, perhaps.

"Haha, you're getting angry, Bon-Bon-"

"What means something?" A female voice spoke up in the middle of their chat and both of them slowly turned their heads around to see a confused (Name) stare at them.

"We were just talking about ... our most recent exorcist training," Suguro answered quickly and immediately cursed himself for lying.

Said girl nodded at this, a small smile making it's way up her face. There was still that subtle hint of sadness due to that whole exorcist mess she was in in the past, but it grew more distanced with each time she smiled. "Sounds great. I assume it was as interesting as always?"

"Oh, it was very interesting, dear (Name)," Shima answered flirty and wiggled his eyebrows, much to his male friend's annoyance. The girl didn't quite know how to react and only grinned bashfully, the grip around her bottle of water tightening.

"Interesting? It was like one of our most boring lessons ever, guys," Rin yawned out and put both his arms behind his head.

"I wish I could participate in your lessons, even if-" the girl began, but stopped abruptly as she remembered Bon and Lewin were the only 'outsiders' that knew about her being the only worldwide-known person that was completely unable of seeing demons.

"Even if?" Shiemi tilted her head and even Izumo got quite curious now as she crossed her arms.

"Ahh, I just formulated it bad. I don't think I would do good in the exorcist's field, heh," (Name) answered a bit too nervous for everyone's liking, but because of their big confusement, they didn't pry any further.

"Come on, we should eat up and get going for our afternoon classes, (Name)," Ryuji came to rescue and his friend thanked him quietly in her mind. The group soon got back to their leisure chat and the only two people aware of the underground library continued eating in silence. A few minutes later, it was time for everyone to get back to their classes again and the female was really grateful her friend stepped in so quickly.

"Thanks again, ..." she paused.

"It's no problem, I noticed how uncomfortable you got. I don't think you have to tell them, it's a hard thing to process after all," Ryuji replied as he adjusted both straps of his rucksack. "Was there something else you wanted to say?" he asked after having noticed her pause from earlier.

"Would it be okay for you if I also called you Bon, Ryuji?" she asked him with big eyes.

After a few seconds of slight, but joyful bewilderment, Suguro finally answered after snickering shortly.

"Of course. To be honest, I was confused you didn't try it in the first place."

"Oh, I didn't want to screw up the good path of our friendship, Bon."

"I don't really think you'd ever be able to."