The Mystery Panta (Ouma Kokichi x Fem! Reader)

The First Sip

//no ndrv3 spoilers; takes place in an au where the cast goes to school at Hope's Peak Academy

"Slow down!" I sat in the shotgun seat of a convertible, which was racing down the street. The skyscrapers at my side passed by in a blur, blending together inseparably. The driver of the car was a dark figure, someone who I could not see. Noticing my desperate plea, the figure turned to me and let out a sinister giggle.

"Hey, wake up!"

I blinked my eyes, an uncomfortable pain in my neck as I craned my neck upward. I then sat up entirely and rubbed my eyes, scanning the classroom. Save for a few students, the room was mostly empty. What was that dream just now?

I turned my head to the right and saw Kaede standing next to me, a small frown on her lips. She sighed softly as I stood up to face her, my brain still hazy from the previous dream.

"You can't keep sleeping in class, (y/n)-chan!" She scolded me as I slung my bag over my shoulder. I had agreed to go with her to a café after school, as I had grown to be quite close to her in the couple weeks we'd been at school together.

"I'm sorry, Akamatsu-chan," I murmured with a small grin as we began to walk out of the classroom. It's not like I could help my sporadic napping in the first place; as I was the Ultimate Bookworm, I often found myself staying up until the wee hours of the morning with my nose in a book.

Kaede smiled, a sudden warmth in her voice. "I can't stay mad at you," she exclaimed joyfully. The autumn leaves fell around us in the mundane way they do during any October afternoon, though the weather was abnormally warm. Eventually, we ended up at the café, which was adorned with pastel shades and other admittedly cute embellishments.

"I'm glad you dragged me here," I smiled as she took me by the hand to a table by the window.

"I didn't drag you!" She pouted, folding her arms angrily.

"I'm sorry! It really is a nice place!" I laughed as I held my hands up defensively. "What do you want to order?"

"Not sure yet," the pianist admitted as she picked up the menu on the table. Her amethyst eyes fixated on the text, and I decided to look at my own menu to determine what I'd want to order.

"Aw man," I sighed, attracting the blonde's attention. "They don't have grape soda here! What a shame!"

Kaede glared at me in disgust, then let out a giggle. "Why do you want to get soda at a café?"

"It's my favorite drink," I explained. "It's no matter. I'll just try one of the different lattes that they offer."

Once the barista prepared our orders, we sat there and engaged in light conversation. Naturally, it shifted to the topic of our still new school lives.

"What do you think of our classmates, (y/n)-chan?" She asked as she sipped on her latte.

"They're alright...." images of my classmates flashed into my mind at split second intervals. "Though, I do find some of their talents a little... interesting."

"Like Ouma?" She asked, brushing her blonde hair behind her shoulder.

"Ouma?" I echoed in confusion. I racked my brain for an image of who he was.

"Never mind, then," she waved it off, shaking her head in dismissal. When we were finished, we paid our bill and then proceeded to make our walk back to the dorms at school.

Once I parted ways with Kaede, I proceeded to make my walk back to my dorm. Just as I was about to step inside, I realized I had accidentally kicked something.

"Huh?" I looked down and saw a bottle of soda sitting at my feet. I picked it up, reading the label out loud.

"Panta," I mumbled, the slightly dizzy beverage still cool to the touch. I scanned my surroundings, realizing that not a single person was in sight. I was convinced someone had accidentally lost it, and that I needed to return it to the owner. Suddenly, I noticed a post-it note hanging on the door. 

"It's for you!" It read, written in unrecognizable handwriting. Upon reading it, I heard a faint giggle off in the distance. It sounded almost like a his, almost identical to the one I heard in my dream. I felt a shock run up my spine, though I turned and the hallway was empty.

My mind swam with confusion as I opened the door to my form, locking it behind me. I sat on the couch and stared at the bottle, still confused as to who the culprit of the gesture was. I opened the top, the drink letting out a his as I took a few gulps of it.

Who was the one responsible for it? And how did they know it was my favorite beverage?