A Feeling From Deep Within (Ryuji Sakamoto x Reader)

XI. A New Deadline

Once you were back in the real world and back in front of your uncle's bar, your confidence and strength soon withered away and in its place, exhaustion settled in.

You immediately squatted on the ground and leaned your head into your arms. "Oh man, I can't believe I just did that."

Ryuji kneeled down beside you and ran his hand up and down your back. "Yeah, the Metaverse can be pretty exhausting."

You picked your head up to look at him. "No, I don't mean that. I'm talking about standing up to my father."

"You did the right thing, Y/N," Ann reassured you.

"Yes, you showed him that you refuse to sit still while he continues to hurt others," Yusuke added.

"It was very brave," Makoto noted.

Despite their kind words, you still felt ashamed and guilty on the inside. You kept blaming yourself for what your father made you do. He manipulated you to do his dirty work. You were young and oblivious to his intentions – you knew that. But, you still couldn't help but feel partly to blame for the many women who suffered under your father's power. Without you, your father would have never had the success he had with his "business."

You twiddled your thumbs together, lost in thought. You then got up and sighed. "Thanks guys, but I think I'd like to be alone for now... I'll see you guys tomorrow." And with that, you gave a quick wave and walked away.

The group looked at you, worried. They wanted to give you space to digest everything that happened in your father's Palace but they knew it wasn't ideal for you to go off in the night alone. Ryuji, on the other hand, didn't give it a second thought.

"Guys, I'll see you tomorrow at school," Ryuji said, as he ran to catch up with you. "Y/N, wait!"

Once he reached you, he put his hand around your waist.

"Ryuji, I want to be alone..."

Ryuji grabbed your arms and turned you towards him and looked into your eyes. "Y/N... I know it's a lot to take in. But, you don't have to be alone in this. I'm your boyfriend. I'll be your wall, babe. Just... lean on me."

You sighed softly. You knew he meant every word he said and you appreciated it with all of your heart. You smiled softly and wrapped your arms around his waist and laid your head against his chest. "I will... thank you."

Ryuji wrapped his arms around your shoulders and held you tightly. "I'll always be here for you. I... I've never had a girlfriend so I don't know if I'm doing a great job at being your boyfriend so far. But, I really care about you a lot and I want to show you that I do."

You laughed. "Ryuji, we haven't even dated for a full 24 hours. Don't push yourself. We have a long relationship ahead of us, I'm sure."

You heard his heart starting to beat a bit quicker. He took a deep breath. "But, we've hung out a bit in the past few weeks. Even if it wasn't official, it still felt like we were together."

You looked up at him. "You really felt that?"

"Yeah, I did. I really like you, Y/N. The moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew there was something special about you." He paused for a few moments. "I always thought that whole soul mate shit was a load of crap but maybe it isn't."

You felt the corners of your mouth rising. You then reached up towards his face and pecked his lips once. "Well, care to walk me home then?"

Ryuji smiled softly. "Yeah, let's go."

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When you and Ryuji made it to your apartment, you stopped at your door and turned to look at him. "Ryuji... can I ask you a question?"