YOU, ME, US [ okkotsu yuuta x reader ]

10: THE SAVIOR

"I'm telling you, Aimi, I think I found love in Italy."

"All you did was try authentic pasta," Aimi replies matter-of-factly, "you glutton."

"Shut up. I'm being serious! What I really did was look confused at a golf club, and all of a sudden all these men want me and—"

"Yeah, 'cause that's the extent of the men who want you. Golfers."

"Aimi, this is why you don't pull. Because you have no real knowledge about men. Me? I eat men for breakfast. And what I've learned is that golfers are the richest. Especially if their hair is going grey."

"I know you aren't talking. In junior high, all you pulled was that freaky Okkotsu guy."

"I'm changed now. I was meant for Italy."

"You mean 'meant for the food.' Bye."

Without another word, Aimi hangs up the call. You stare at the screen in utter astonishment before a notification appears, reading: "Ravioli."

A couple minutes later, Aimi's phone erupts with hate comments appearing all over her previous Instagram posts. To no one's surprise, they're all from you.

That ass, is all Aimi thinks. But the grin on her face betrays her true feelings, because beyond her words, her hate comments, and her expressions, is a girl who truly cares for you. Her best friend—your best friend—in the world.

Because Aimi knows you; she knows you're trying to befriend golfers and get written into their wills; she knows you're always onto the next great thing, always looking forward instead of behind. Aimi knows you as someone who's weighed down by your regrets, yet you still force yourself to press on out of sheer spite.

You're a spiteful ass. Aimi likes that about you.

It's a bit surreal now that you're separated by a whole continent, because Aimi has always remembered you for who you were: her ride or die, her seatmate back in Miyagi. But times have changed since then. First, you went off to Tokyo, and now you're all the way in Italy.

You're always moving; Aimi knows that. In fact, everyone knows that—even that one puny guy, Okkotsu Yuta.

Back in junior high, Aimi would see Okkotsu pass by the window of your class, looking in your direction. He'd fade in and out like a shadow, terribly shy and evasive, but in your presence, he stood a little straighter, and spoke a little louder. As if he was afraid you'd leave him, so he'd force himself to become something like you, and he'd act in a way that was unlike himself because he knew that if he remained as he was, he'd be unable to catch up.

She was aware of the way he'd search for you amidst the crowds during assemblies, and the way he'd stare at you despite his gaze never being returned. Okkotsu was enamored, so much so, that he didn't care if you never noticed. He just wanted to exist in your presence, and that was enough.

Although he was weird, Aimi thought that if anyone in the world were to deserve you, it would be Okkotsu. Because only Okkotsu was ever willing to change to become someone worth your time, and only Okkotsu was capable of loving despite never being loved back. He was a boy who always seemed to have a lot of love in him. It was enough to engulf the world, and enough to reach you.

It was never enough, though, because you were always facing forward, dead-set on what was directly ahead of you. You had no time for anything around, or revolving around you. You weren't necessarily chasing anything, and rather, you seemed to be running from your fears, as if your dream was impossible.

But your dream is a simple little thing: to grow old with someone.

When you had told Aimi that, she grimaced, wondering when you developed such a low self-esteem.