You're going on your first official mission tomorrow. You're a little nervous, but since Atsushi will be with you and it's just catching a couple rag tag gangsters you think you'll be fine.
"Kyouka I'm getting Thai food, do you want anything?" You ask your roommate.
"I want you to be safe tomorrow and come back unharmed," she says quietly.
"Yeah I got like twenty dollars."
"I'm serious," Kyouka looks at you pouting. "How can you be so relaxed?"
"I'm not that relaxed," you admit. "I'm trying to distract myself by stuffing my face."
"I can't even think about eating without feeling like I'm going to throw up."
"Are you really that nervous for me?" you ask her. She nods.
You go over, pat her head and smile. "It's not even that dangerous, and besides, I'm going with Atsushi!"
"You're going with Atsushi?"
"What, you think Atsushi can't protect me?"
"What if they say the word 'orphanage' and then he starts crying and can't get it together and leaves you alone to do all the fighting?"
You laugh. "I don't think that will happen. If anything, I think that will make him fight more. Don't worry so much. I'll get you that tofu thing you like." You're about to turn around, but then she gets up off the bed. "I'm going too."
The Thai place you go to is right across the street, but you're not complaining.
When you're walking, Kyouka slips her hand into yours. She's done that a few times lately, when you're alone together. You think it's adorable.
As soon as you get inside the restaurant and there's a lot of people around you, she lets go. You feel a little dismayed. You notice that she's standing closer to you than usual.
"Hi, could I get the number six with-" You feel Kyouka hook her pinkie finger around yours. Your face goes hot. "Yeah the-the..." What were you ordering again? The person behind the counter looks at you with anticipation. "Number six?" He asks.
"Yes! With the-" Kyouka lays her head on your shoulder. "The fried tofu-no! I mean boiled rice, no wait-"
Kyouka just speaks for you. She orders way more than she told you she wanted. There goes all your money. Again.
"Do you want to eat here or at home?" You ask her.
"Home," she says. So you head to your shared apartment when your food is ready. She holds your hand again. Why is this flustering you?
In the lobby, you run into Atsushi and Dazai.
"Oh, you guys got dinner, that's what we're doing right now!" Dazai remarks.
You nod. "We love that Thai place." You say.
"I know little Atsushi-kun's feeling a little anxious about guarding a newbie on her first mission, so I'm gonna help him relax!" Kyouka stiffens next to you.
Atsushi punches him in the arm and mutters something.
"It's okay, I'm a little nervous too," you say to him. "But we'll do great."
As you go into the elevator, Dazai calls after you, "Make sure to get lots of rest before tomorrow!" You sigh. Kyouka stares intensely at the ground, saying nothing.
"What's the matter?" You ask her.
"Atsushi is an idiot," she says quietly.
You snort and giggle.
Kyouka hardly touches her mountain of food, as you expected. She'll eat it tomorrow. You don't understand why she's so worried about you. You'll be fine.
When you get ready for bed, she trails behind you in silence, staying close to you. It's like you have your own sidekick.
"You have toothpaste," you tell her.
"Where?" She asks, immediately reddening in the face.
"Here." You wipe up her chin with your thumb, where toothpaste had dribbled. She says something, but too quietly for you to hear.
"Huh?"
"Can I sleep with you?" She blurts out, all in one breath.
"You mean in my bed?"
She looks down and nods.
How. Adorable.
"Yeah, sure."
She follows you to your bed and lays down near the edge, hesitating to get comfortable. You curl up under your covers and close your eyes, waiting for sleep to come. After a few moments, you feel Kyouka snuggle up against you, burying her face into your chest and wrapping one arm around your waist.
You reach up and stroke the back of her head. "You're the sweetest person," you tell her.
"I've killed thirty seven people," she states.
"You're the sweetest person," you repeat.
She doesn't say anything for a while. You think she's fallen asleep, so you close your eyes.
Then she says, "Why are you still nice to me when I've killed people before? Why are you not afraid of me?"
She's in a funk. She does this a lot. You look right into her pretty blue eyes and say, "Because that's not who you are. You were being controlled by a bad bad man, and he made you do things you didn't want to do-"
"I still did them." Her bottom lip starts shaking. You hold the back of her head and press your forehead against hers.
"Shshsh, that was all in the past. Now, you're here with the ADA, you're here with me, and you're a very good girl. Now, lets go to sleep, okay?"
"Oh, right. Sorry, I know you need to rest for tomorrow."
"It's fine."
