"I will be your date to the wedding."

It took a moment for your brain to catch up.

You must have misheard him.

"What?"

The.

FU-

You screamed internally.

"No, you won't." You blurted out.

"Why not?" he asked, voice calm as ever.

You blinked, scrambling for an explanation. "I—because—what? You don't even like me.  Why would you do this?"

"Because it’s practical," he said simply. "You need a date, and I’m here. It’s not complicated."

"It's very complicated,"

His hands found the inside of his pockets. "Is it?"

"Are you sure you're not doing this just to mess with me?" you asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"I’m not," he replied, his gaze steady.

You shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts. "This is insane. I can’t ask you to do this. You don’t have to."

"Did I say you were asking?" Giyuu said, an edge of dryness in his voice. "I’m offering."

"And I'm refusing. We're not even acquaintances. We've probably had three full conversations in total, including the gyoza incident, which you still haven't let me pay you back for, by the way. It wouldn't work, I don't think you understand the situation."

"Do you currently have any other options?"

"No, but I'll find someone."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

You opened your mouth, then shut it. You had no idea.

"I’ll take that as a no."

"That’s not the point. I have... time."

"Okay," he spoke.

"Okay." You reinstated.

-

"Hold up, he offered?" Mitsuri questioned, eyes wide.

"Yes," you groaned, head falling in your hands.

"To a wedding!?"

You nodded, groaning again.

"I must say, even I'm surprised." Mitsuri continued. "He's not known for being one for social events."

"Why is why it makes no fucking sense."

"Maybe it's his way of trying to smooth things over between you,"

"We could do that in one conversation, now everything is going to be even more awkward,"

"Not to change the subject too much, but do you guys ever talk academics?"

"No we don't funnily enough..."

"This might be a stretch, but could it be related to research? Maybe it's part of an experiment!"

You blinked, the thought catching you off guard. "An experiment? Are you suggesting he’s treating this like some... social science case study?"

Mitsuri shrugged, her grin widening. "Hey, you never know! Maybe he’s trying to understand how people interact at social events. PhD students get creative with their research ideas, right?"

You couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it. "Yeah, because that's exactly what I need—being a research subject for his little experiment on 'How to Survive Weddings 101.'"

"Hey, you might be onto something," she teased. "Imagine him taking notes: 'Subject Y/N, Exhibit A: Awkward Conversation, Episode 47.'"

"Shut up," you muttered, fighting back a grin. "It's not funny."

"Totally funny," she said, laughing. "But seriously, if it is for research, it kind of makes sense, right? He might be too socially awkward to actually... want to go. But if it’s for academic purposes, that’s an easy excuse."

You leaned back, still unsure but intrigued by the idea. "I mean, that actually... could be it. But I don’t think Tomioka would use something as trivial as a wedding for research. He’s not that desperate for data."

Mitsuri hummed, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "Maybe not. But what if it’s something adjacent? Like networking? Conferences, presentations, research grants… they all love the whole 'well-rounded scholar' thing."

You frowned. "What does that have to do with me?"

She shot you a pointed look. "Because maybe you make him look more… sociable? Approachable? I mean, let’s be real, Giyuu’s not exactly a social butterfly. But if he shows up to events with someone, people might start seeing him differently."

You scoffed. "So I’m some kind of… academic PR stunt?"

Mitsuri giggled. "A very cute one."

You groaned, dragging a hand down your face. "I refuse to believe he's that calculating."

She shrugged. "You never know. But there's one way to find out, right?"

You narrowed your eyes. "Ask him?"

She grinned. "Exactly."

"Yeah, no thanks," you muttered. "I'd rather live in blissful ignorance."

Mitsuri laughed. "Well, whatever his reason is, you’re considering it, aren’t you?"

You huffed. "I haven’t not considered it."

Her smirk widened. "Then I’d say he’s already won."

-

You ended up heading off campus to the city library because the campus one was so over crowded with undergrads.

Plus you had to pick up your iron tablets.

You didn't mind, but it meant you had to walk a little longer.

The cold air nipped at your cheeks as you walked, your bag slung over one shoulder. It wasn’t too bad—just a little extra time to clear your head, away from the stifling atmosphere of the university library.

Besides, the city library was quieter. Less chaotic. You liked that.

You pulled your coat tighter around yourself as you neared the pharmacy, already dreading the awkward interaction. It wasn’t a big deal, but for some reason, you always felt weird picking up your iron tablets. Maybe it was the way the pharmacists glanced at you, like they were silently evaluating your health.

Or maybe you were just overthinking it.

Regardless, you stepped inside, grabbed your prescription, and stuffed it into your bag before making your way to the library.

You found a quiet corner near a window, setting down your bag with a sigh.

Your fingers brushed over your bag’s zipper, hesitating. You probably should take one of those iron tablets now. You hadn’t eaten much today, though, and taking them on an empty stomach always made you feel worse.

You made a mental note to grab something on your way back.

Flipping open your laptop, you pulled up your research notes and began skim reading them.

Your supervisor was a great guy, he was experienced and knew what he was talking about.

But he made you, work.

It wasn't unexpected, you were, after all, a PhD student in an incredibly competitive field.

After three hours of reading and note taking, you were more or less seeing stars.

And for once you listened to your body, and made your way to the small Library Cafe downstairs.

You scanned the menu before ordering some iced coffee and a muffin and taking a moment to sit down.

Eating felt like a relief, but you couldn't help but feel marginally guilty.

You ignored it though, and diverted your attention to the heavy rain that had begun to hit the window.

You gnawed the inside of your cheek before making your way back to where you had left your things.

The weather got progressively worse  by the time you had decided to wrap up for the day.

You made your way downstairs, before pausing at the entrance, your stomach twisting.

There was no way in hell you were going to walk home in that.

You sighed, watching the rain pour down in sheets, the streets now practically rivers. It would be a miserable walk, and you weren't even sure you'd make it without getting completely drenched.

You took a deep breath before taking a step forward and letting the raindrops hit your head.

Oh well.

Such is life.

But just as you were about to trudge forward in defeat, an unfamiliar car began to slowly pull up beside you.

"Get inside L/n."

Excuse me?

It took you a minute.

"I can walk it's fine Tomioka,"

"I'd rather you not get sick."

You sighed.

"You don't have to do this, it's fine."

"L/n."

You sighed again.

There was no point in arguing.

You quickly opened the door and slumped in the passenger seat.

The warmth of the car hit you instantly, a stark contrast to the freezing rain still dripping from your clothes. You shivered involuntarily, shifting in your seat as you tried not to get water everywhere.

Giyuu didn’t say anything as he pulled back onto the road, eyes fixed ahead, hands steady on the wheel. The only sound in the car was the soft hum of the engine and the rhythmic swish of the windshield wipers.

You glanced at him, then out the window. The silence felt heavier than usual. Maybe it was just the contrast to the storm outside, or maybe it was the fact that you still didn’t understand why he was doing this.

"Are we going back to campus?"

you asked, breaking the silence.

Giyuu didn’t look away from the road. "Unless you have somewhere else to be."

You shook your head, shifting in your seat, still uncomfortably damp. "No, just wondering."

After another few minutes of silence, you spoke up again.

"I know this might be a lot to ask, but is it alright if we stop and get something to eat? We don't have to if it'll be inconvenience but I'd really-"

"L/n." he interrupted, voice low and slightly quiet.

You blinked, twice.

"You don't have to over-explain everything." he continued. "Do you have a preference?"

"I'm in need of something warm. Soup, maybe?"

"Takeaway?"

"Absolutely. I'm not ruining your car or stopping somewhere to eat in the state I'm in."

"You don't look that bad,"

"Thanks?"

Giyuu didn’t reply, just flicked on the turn signal and took the next right.

You watched the streets blur past, streetlights casting golden streaks on the rain-slick pavement. "So, where are we going?"

"There’s a place a few blocks from here."

"Quiet?"

His hands tightened slightly on the wheel. "Good food."

The rain hadn’t let up by the time he pulled into a small parking lot outside a cozy-looking restaurant. Warm light spilled from the windows, fogging up slightly from the temperature difference.

"I’ll be quick," you said, already unbuckling.

But before you could open the door, Giyuu reached over and locked it.

"Stay," he stated. "I'll go."

You frowned. "I can order my own food, you know."

"I know," he said, already unbuckling. "But you’re soaked. Just stay here."

You opened your mouth to argue but hesitated. The car was warm, and the idea of standing in line, dripping wet, while waiting for food wasn’t exactly appealing.

"Okay..." You relented, crossing your arms before he left the car.

You exhaled, leaning back against the seat. This whole situation was… strange. Giyuu wasn’t exactly known for being social, let alone going out of his way for someone. Yet here he was, offering to be your date to a wedding, driving you home, and now picking up food for you.

It didn’t make sense.

He was meant to hate you.

You glanced out the window, watching the warm glow of the restaurant. He wasn’t inside for long, and after a few minutes, you spotted him stepping back out, a plastic bag in hand.

As soon as he slid into the driver’s seat, the scent of fresh food filled the car.

"Here." He handed you the bag without hesitation.

You took it, feeling the warmth through the plastic. "You didn’t let me pay."

Giyuu started the car. "You can pay next time."

You blinked. "Next time?"

He didn’t respond.

You narrowed your eyes, but let it go, instead peeking into the bag. The warmth seeped into your fingers, and the smell of rich broth and fresh ingredients was almost enough to make you forget how weird this whole situation was.

"Thank you." You spoke under your breath.

"No worries." he replied.

And suddenly, you were back home.

-

a/n: IM ABT TO COMBUST OH MY GOD