CAFFEINE ; jujutsu kaisen oneshots

Midnight Missed Stops ; Toge Inumaki

It had been a hellish day. All you wanted to do was drag yourself back to the tiny apartment you shared with your best friend, maybe binge-watch a cheesy rom-com and order takeout. But of course, life had other plans—your bus was late.

Slumped against the side of the bus stop, you felt your eyelids grow heavier by the second. All the tiredness from your 12-hour shift made it impossible to notice someone had sat beside you.

The apartment you shared with your friend was ridiculously overpriced for how small it was. You'd both been searching for a cheaper place for weeks, but every listing was either worse or way out of your budget. And then there was your landlord—an old geezer who gave off the vibe of someone who'd lost custody of his kids in a messy divorce.

You didn't even realize you'd dozed off until a light tap on your shoulder jolted you awake. Blinking groggily, you looked up to see a boy with snow-white hair and soft violet eyes. He looked about your age.

"The bus!" you gasped, quickly realizing it was the last one for the night. If he hadn't woken you, you would've missed it. "Thank you so much."

He nodded silently, his lips curving into a small smile, and stood to board the bus. You followed behind him, scanning for an empty seat. To your surprise, the white-haired boy waved you over to an open seat next to him. Gratefully, you sat down.

"Thanks again," you said, flashing a tired smile as you brushed a stray strand of hair from your face. "I'm [Surname], by the way."

The boy didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pulled out his phone, typed something, and turned the screen toward you.

My name is Inumaki Toge. I apologize for not being able to speak, but you don't need to thank me.

"Oh, no need to apologize, Inumaki. It's nice to meet you," you said warmly. His kindness made your rough day feel a little brighter.

Toge smiled and offered you his number, which you gladly saved. The two of you exchanged a few more words—well, texts on his part—before you noticed his eyelids drooping. He looked just as tired as you felt.

Soon, you felt a gentle weight on your shoulder. Glancing down, you saw Toge had dozed off, resting his head against you. For a moment, you froze, unsure of how to react. But seeing how peaceful he looked, you decided to let him sleep.

Twenty minutes later, the bus reached your stop. You gently shook Toge awake, watching as his eyes fluttered open.

"This is my stop," you said softly. "It was really nice meeting you, Inumaki."

Toge gave you a small smile and waved as you stepped off the bus.

As you skipped toward your apartment, you didn't notice Toge watching you through the window, a goofy grin on his face. At the next stop, he got off and pulled out his phone.

"Gojo, can you pick me up?" he asked when the call connected.

"You took the bus?" Gojo's amused voice crackled through the line.

"Long story," Toge replied, glancing at the now-empty seat you had occupied.

The truth was, Toge hadn't needed to take the bus. He'd noticed a shady-looking man lingering near the bus stop earlier and didn't want to leave you alone. But how could he explain that to you without coming off as creepy?

When you arrived home, your roommate was asleep on the couch. Smiling to yourself, you gently carried her to bed before grabbing a snack. Just then, your phone buzzed.

Hey, did you get home safe, [Surname]?

The text from Toge brought a smile to your face. You replied instantly, your tiredness momentarily forgotten:

Yeah, I did. How about you? Did you make it home safe?

At Jujutsu Tech, Toge read your messages with a soft smile, his cheeks tinting pink.

Gojo, ever the nosy one, leaned over. "Who's got you all smiley, huh?"

"Salmon," Toge replied flatly, locking his phone.

"Ohhh, my boy's finally growing up!" Gojo teased dramatically, pretending to wipe away a tear.

Ignoring him, Toge replied to your texts: I did. I'm glad you made it home safe. Goodnight, [Surname].

You read his reply and couldn't help the giddy smile spreading across your face.

night, Inumaki You texted back before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Meanwhile, your roommate stirred awake, noticing your unusually cheerful mood. Curiosity piqued, she grabbed your phone and guessed the password—which turned out to be her birthday.

Reading through the messages, she smirked. "Well, well, looks like someone won't be single for long," she murmured before setting your phone back on the desk and drifting off to sleep, a smug grin on her face.

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Done updating stories for the day bc I actually touch grass sometimes

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