MY MUSE, tooru oikawa

chapter thirty two

(chapter xxxii)

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

In a moment of resignation, Yuna let out a sharp exhale as she watched Tooru's figure slowly become lost in the ebb and flow of the crowd. She found herself laid out on a park bench, feeling both mortified and utterly bewildered. It had only taken a matter of minutes since their meeting for her to feel lightheaded and overwhelmed, leaving her feeling vulnerable and exposed.

Her relentless overthinking became the source of her own distress, causing her to dwell on the day's plans too much. Ironically, the weather that day was actually ideal for the summer dress, given the heat. However, she had been so consumed by her worries that she hadn't even noticed how scorching the temperature was.

When she finally arrived at the meeting spot, the sight of Tooru made the temperature on her skin spike even hotter. He was battling the same high temperatures, but the sight of him wiping away his own sweat only further intensified her heated state.

Mustering all her strength, she managed to take a few steps towards him, but the moment she found herself standing in front of him, she stumbled forward, straight into his open arms. Fortunately, Tooru didn't panic and managed to maintain his composure, steadying her in his embrace.

Their luck held out, as they were conveniently close to a cluster of benches in the park. There she lay, her worries momentarily interrupted as the cool sensation of a bottle touched her head. Curious, she removed her hand from her eyes, only to see Tooru standing above her with a warm smile on his face.

Tooru crouched down, the bottle held in his hand, and began, "We should have definitely checked the weather today, huh?" His tone was light, but laced with concern.

As she began to apologize, he quickly shook his head, "Don't" he cut her off firmly, "It could easily have been me, so don't bother." His response was gentle, but firm, dismissing any notion of blame.

She chuckled and shifted her position, her proximity to him suddenly becoming painfully obvious as she found her face close to his. Rather than acknowledging the closeness, she simply smiled back, "Yeah, I could tell."

Tooru leaned against his hand, which rested on his knee, and his lips forming a pout. Yuna couldn't help but snicker softly at his expression, "So, our date didn't start quite as smoothly as I had hoped."

She suggested with a cheeky smile, "You make it seem like our day has to end here."

Tooru looked up, his grin widening, and asked eagerly, "Wait, do you still want to go ahead with our plans?"

She took a moment to assess her condition, before confirming, "I'm starting to feel a lot better, so give me a couple more minutes, and then we can definitely continue with all your plans."

Tooru couldn't help but continue to gaze into her eyes, a sense of surprise lingering within him. Her words had caught him off guard, as he had grown accustomed to dates ending abruptly due to unforeseen circumstances. Nevertheless, her determination to carry on gave him a glimmer of hope.

"Are you sure you want to continue?" Tooru finally managed to say, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Her response was immediate and unwavering. "I'm certain," she reassured him, her tone resolute. Her determination to push forward despite the earlier incident only served to heighten Tooru's curiosity and intrigue.

In that moment, Tooru realized his error. Yuna was unlike any girl he had encountered before—she was different, someone he had never imagined could exist.

From the moment he had laid eyes on her, something deep within his mind had urged him to take a chance and initiate a conversation. For once, playing games or treating her as a mere target for his antics was the furthest thing from his thoughts.

Tooru chuckled defiantly, his confidence unwavering.

"I guarantee you, you'll never forget this day," he replied with a cocky smile.

In response, Yuna paused for a brief moment, contemplating a snarky remark, but something within her urged her to keep the comment to herself. Instead, with a burst of bravery, she chose to be bold and direct.

"It will just be this one time, huh?"

Her comment caught Tooru off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless. He took a moment to compose himself, a smirk tugging at his lips as he responded with a wink, "You got me there, Yu-chan."

Yuna chuckled and shifted onto her back, a sense of confidence in her response, "Umm, you'd probably end up bored if you followed my plans."

Tooru tilted his head slightly, asking curiously, "Has someone told you that before?"

Yuna chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement at his response.

"Well, a few people have commented on it, but honestly, I simply see the activities I usually engage in as fairly commonplace," she responded, a hint of modesty in her voice.

Tooru's tone turned more serious as he gently chided her, "No, don't undermine yourself like that, Yu-chan...what you choose to do doesn't have to depend on others' experiences."

He leaned back, resting his arm against the backrest of the bench, his expression thoughtful.

"What I'm saying is," he began, his tone deliberate," if you go on a date or hang out with someone, you should pursue what you truly want to do, without worrying about what society deems as interesting or exciting."

His gaze met hers, a hint of intensity behind his words," Life is too short to spend it pleasing others. You should focus on making yourself happy."

Yuna looked at Tooru and asked, "What about when you go on dates with all these girls?" Tooru flinched at her question, and before he could speak, Yuna chuckled as she sensed that she had him cornered. "Don't tell me you don't follow your own advice," she said with a laugh.

Tooru sighed in defeat, forcing a smile as he replied, "I just do what they want."

Yuna sat up and spoke bluntly, saying, "So it's for them and not you...that's boring." She then asked, "Please don't tell me you have something similar planned for today."

Tooru grimaced at her words and averted his gaze. He felt both humiliated and ashamed because he had thought of using the same tactics as the other girls.

He was already struggling to keep his feelings for Yuna as just a friendship—but when she was blunt and honest with him, those emotions grew stronger.

She didn't sugarcoat anything, and he loved that about her.

"Let's try something," Yuna said, bringing a finger to her chin and tapping it. "How about we just do whatever without a plan? We can see something and do it on a whim. How does that sound, To-kun?"

"I think I like it," Tooru grinned, pleased with her idea. "We can definitely do that," he replied.

Yuna got up from the bench with her fists clenched and smiled, saying, "Great, let's start—first, let's find something cold to eat. What do you say?"

"You don't even have to ask, lead the way," Tooru said as he stood up straight and offered his arm for her to hold. Yuna wrapped her arm around his, and the two strolled through the park together.

Coincidentally, both Tooru and Yuna had thought of the same thing at the same time.

"We'll be just fine," they thought in unison, smiling secretly to themselves.