Disclaimer: Don't own Persona 5, nor any of it's characters.
Rating: T
As stated in the disclaimer, this story takes place after Twin Kingdoms, but in the vein of Ryuji and Hifumi becoming more than friends- the start of a seeming-unlikely pairing. Enjoy :P
Shibuya
Near Kanda Line
Five minutes till the time Hifumi said- Ryuji made a sound, knowing he shouldn't be nervous, since she's not late yet.
And yet somehow, he still is...
"Ryuji."
Having been checking his phone, he was surprised at first, but quickly realized it was Hifumi- damn she looked nice! Modest as usual, but pretty nice! She wore this white long-sleeved shirt, though there were a few color accents and stuff, along with a long-ish dark-blue skirt, under which she wore brown leggings. Compared to his casual 'ZOMG' shirt (underneath his open jacket) and jeans, it's like she was rich-class fancy by comparison... hehe, he wondered what her idea of 'actual' fancy was, but was pretty sure he might find out later.
"Hifumi" Ryuji said quickly, realizing he'd been staring a bit- he tried for a smile. "Glad you could make it."
She dipped her head, hands in front of her, clutching a handbag of sorts. "We did make plans" Hifumi said a bit shyly, if lip curving. "It would have been rude of me to be late."
"Well yeah, but I-I was just saying anyway."
They shared a little reaction, she humming slightly and he a bit sheepish, before there was a moment of silence.
"Come on. We should get going" Ryuji said, hoping it didn't get too bad- he gestured for her to follow, and began walking. Hifumi caught up to him easily enough, but he didn't see the moment where she'd paused, as if surprised about something.
Inokashira Park
"Daaammn, I forgot how good this place looked!" Ryuji breathed, mostly to himself- seriously, all this nature and stuff was a nice chance from the cities. Not to mention, he saw paths and such that ran around the lake, which could've made good running paths for him - now he's kicking himself for not coming here before just because he was single. "Seriously, look at this!"
"I am looking" Hifumi breathed beside him, sounding similarly impressed. "The scenery is truly lovely."
He turned toward her then, giving a little grin. "So you like it? Sweet" he said, chuckling a bit. "Well, I said you'd be in for a treat, Hifumi."
She seemed to become shy again, glancing away with a slight pink blush. "You did say that, Ryuji" she admitted, before slowly looking back at him. "And even though our date has just started, I am- I am already beginning to enjoy myself. Although, I have no plans of where to go from here."
"That's fine" Ryuji quickly assured. "I got some for us. If we decide to do different stuff though, we can, so don't feel like you're being railroaded."
Some surprise, before she began to laugh a little. "A strange way of putting it" Hifumi told him, smiling. "But I don't believe that I'll feel that way."
To that, he just laughed back a little.
"Still, what is the first step in your plan?"
"Taking a walk around the park" Ryuji said straight-out, which seemed to surprise her again, slightly. "We walk around together, talking and all that shit, hopefully break the ice between us" he continued, before rubbing his head (and tapping his foot). "Well, what little ice there may be. I mean, it's not like we're total strangers."
Hifumi soon nodded. "Of course" she answered, before tilting her head. "Still, I find it admirable that you aren't showing your nervousness so easily, Ryuji."
"Uh- well, it's not 'cause I'm hiding it or nothin'" he admitted, a bit sheepish. "I am nervous, a lot. I'm just so focused on what I'm trying to say right now, that I guess I'm not thinkin' 'bout it, f'real."
"That level of focus is still admirable" she said, completely sincere-
-in fact, he suddenly felt a bit warm in the cheeks, but managed a kinda-stupid grin to cover for it.
"Thanks for that, Hifumi" Ryuji managed to say, feeling better; her kindness always surprised him. Seriously, even when dealing with a guy like him, she's nice, patient, and sincere in everything she said... it's almost too good-to-be-true that he's on a date with her.
Almost; he sure as hell ain't dreaming right now.
"You're quite welcome, Ryuji" Hifumi answered, still sincere as she gave him a slight bow. "Now uh, shall we go on that walk?"
"Sure thing. But first, I got a little something for ya."
"Huh?" she breathed, surprised- she soon saw that he's digging into his pockets. "You- you got something for me?"
Ryuji gave a chuckle, finding what he's looking for, though he kept them inside his closed fists at first. "Two days ago, I was at Ahikabara's arcade, and I tried the gachapon machines there" he said, to her growing interest. "They sell little figures in capsules, but what you get is random. Anyway, I tried them, and on two of my tries, I struck gold!"
Like that, he opened his hands, revealing two golden dragon charms- the kind you attach to phones and such.
Hifumi made a sound, interested. "They're quite lovely" she said, before looking at him with surprise again. "Wait, you're giving me one?"
"Hell yeah I am" he said with a grin. "I thought that since you're always going on 'bout that dragon in shogi, maybe you should have this little guy for good luck, 'specially for your professional matches."
It wasn't long before another smile appeared on her face - leaving him a bit wondering/jolted - before she took the one in his right hand. "Thank you for your kindness, Ryuji" she said, clearly pleased, looking at the charm fondly. "I swear that I will treasure it always."
"G-Good to hear! Plus we're all matching and everything too; hope you don't mind."
"Why would I mind?" Hifumi asked, curious.
To that, he couldn't answer... mostly because he suddenly felt tongue-tied, regarding her smile.
/
Somewhat later
This truly was a good date thus far, as she is quite enjoying herself.
In addition to his dragon charm gift - very thoughtful, and even practical - they had gotten ice cream from a moving stand, which was quite delicious. All-throughout their walk, she and Ryuji had talked about various things, including her own observations about the park's scenery; she even took pictures of various areas. Ryuji had said he wasn't much for taking 'pics' of scenery, but it didn't stop him from admiring the sights anyway - yet though he didn't take pictures of the park itself, he took various ones of them, something she also began doing after realizing her lack thereof. Sometimes just her in Ryuji's case, which made her slightly self-conscious (if happy), and occasionally the two of them together; he always had this big grin when taking the latter, and sometimes just in general.
Even after spending months playing together, she found she hadn't gotten tired of the sight one bit. Plus she was curious about the hobbies she had heard from him: playing games (presumably different than shogi), reading manga, and so forth - by contrast, her non-shogi hobbies were still limited.
Still, the only (minor) flaw thus far, the source of her continued nervousness, was regarding one specific aspect. Ryuji - either deliberately, or unknowingly via his 'focus' - had not thought to try and hold her hand just yet, despite them being on a date.
"Ryuji is also nervous, focus notwithstanding" Hifumi thought, hands held together, bag included; she glanced at his profile. "Perhaps he is also 'waiting for the right time'. But... well, uh, if he doesn't try before the next activity is over, I believe I must. It is the- the next step, and it isn't only up to him when it happens."
Easier said than done though, since the thought made her body jittery.
"Alright, almost there!"
Jolted out of her thoughts, she saw Ryuji pointing down the path, and subsequently got her looking in that direction. He was pointing toward a shack on the waterfront, which housed numerous boats in a dock: they were big enough for two people to sit, allowing them to row upon the lake's surface.
"That's our next activity" Ryuji said, turning toward her. "Whaddya you think, Hifumi?"
Hifumi found her cheeks heating slightly- the thought of the two of them together in a boat, alone, was both embarrassing and a bit thrilling. "I have never been on a boat before" she admitted, if gentle. "I am nervous, yet looking forward to the experience. However... I hope you won't mind me asking you to row, Ryuji."
He gave off a chuckle. "I was gonna anyway" Ryuji said, sincere. "I mean, I try and work out a lot, so it'd simply be easier for me to row both of us; it's cool."
"Even still, my asking you might have been considered rude."
To that, he just gave a grin, stepping closer and slipping an arm over her shoulder- even in her pleasant surprise, she noticed that the gesture was instinctive, rather than planned. "You gotta do a looot more than that to be rude, Hifumi, far as I'm concerned" he said easily. "And 'sides, even if you were rude to me, like casual level stuff, I'd probably just brush it off. It wouldn't be that big of a deal."
Heart beating faster, if content with the way things were progressing, Hifumi smiled. "It would be a big deal to me, Ryuji" she answered, very much aware of his arm every second. "I never wish to be rude toward someone I've become v-very fond of, under any circumstances."
Evidently her words had an effect, for Ryuji didn't verbally answer; his cheeks became slightly red, helped by his split-second realization of where his arm was/how they were standing. In fact, his first impulse was to jolt, about to half-pull his arm from it's position-
-thankfully, she had foreseen that happening, and she clutched at his wrist with her hand.
Though she was content, her cheeks still remained warm. "Um- I do not- I do not mind where your arm is, Ryuji" she said, struggling somewhat but getting through it. "I would prefer that you keep it there... at least, until we arrive at that dock. That is, if you do not mind!"
"N-No" Ryuji said quickly - however, he seemed quite surprised, despite his saying that. "I don't mind, like at all. F'real!"
...
Minutes later, after Ryuji self-taught himself the rowing motions, they were in a rowboat and heading toward the center of the lake. It was an interesting sensation, sitting on a surface that moved with the water's ripples, but quite serene - and while they weren't the only ones out on the lake, they were spread-out enough to generally be considered 'alone'.
"I didn't know this place offered such a service" Hifumi breathed, quite content. "It is quite enjoyable. Thank you, Ryuji."
At his place, Ryuji gave a semi-sheepish grin, doing several backhanded rows to slow them down; now they could just float. "Well, I thought it'd be memorable" he answered, stretching his arms then. "From what I heard, this place is a great date spot, and uh, it's usually only couples who do this boat thing. Though honestly, at first I wasn't sure how much I'd like it."
Then he chuckled, glancing around several times. "Now that I'm here though, I gotta say I'm liking it. It's just so nice, even if it might not be a regular thing for me."
She was glad to hear that, giving a smile. "I feel that latter part as well, that it is really nice" she admitted, threading a bit of hair behind her ear. "I never imagined before that I would ride on a boat with a- a man, much less during a date."
"You were totally 'bout to call me a 'boy', weren't ya?" Ryuji asked, teasing; he had his signature grin.
"I-I wasn't!"
"You were! It was totally on the tip of your tongue!"
Hifumi tried to respond, to return the little 'banter', but had difficulty forming the words- she was shaking a bit from suppressed laughter. "You- Ryuji, this isn't funny!"
While he retained the grin, his only response was to chuckle. "Could've fooled me" Ryuji said, still clearly enjoying himself, hands resting upon his knees. "Then again, it's not like you're wrong. We're still in high school, so hopefully I got a bit of growing left - sure as hell hope so, because I really wanna grow into a somewhat-bigger build."
While slightly miffed over his tease, she kept her smile, having enjoyed it regardless.
"They say that after the age of eighteen, perhaps even twenty, we tend to gain an extra inch or two of height" Hifumi recalled, as part of her effort to recompose herself. "Though, this is in general. Everyone is different."
"F'real?" he asked, seemingly referring to her 'in general' statement, before pumping his fist. "Hell yeah, I can't wait for that!"
She wasn't surprised, even as she noted the boat swaying due to his fist-pump; perhaps they could support two people's weight, yet their construction was still light. "I'm certain it'll happen before you know it, Ryuji."
"But till then, I just gotta keep at it" he continued, beginning to flex in place- she was caught off-guard. "Keep myself in shape by running every day, working out at the gym, and all that shit."
After determining that his 'showing off' was how he felt right now, rather than the obvious implication, Hifumi managed to tone down her flustered feelings. It's true that during their time spent hanging out, it'd been easy to see that Ryuji's quite toned, perhaps even muscular- knowing that he worked out/ran on a regular basis only added to the image.
It certainly explained things.
At the same time, she noticed that Ryuji still wasn't giving any obvious signs of- of wanting to 'make a move' on her, even for small stuff. Hifumi thought it's possible that maybe, he's simply waiting till the end of their date, trying to show proper manners... if true, and even if not, she appreciated the thought. However, while she would prefer a gradual pace, she wasn't that conservative... or at least, that's the feeling she has discovered recently. She observed that since hanging out with Akira, and later Ryuji, she has definitely become more sure of herself, even if she's still a bit nervous about showing off her shogi habits.
A little smile.
"If that is what you have decided, I will say 'good luck'" Hifumi breathed sincerely, before her hands began to move in place. "But as of right now, may I- um, may I-I sit next to you, Ryuji?"
"Huh?" he breathed, almost freezing with surprise - the contrast between how he was before, and now, was almost startling. "Oh, uh... y-yeah, sure. I mean, i-if you want."
Must be the nervousness talking, or the surprise- perhaps both.
Well for now, there is the 'first experience' barrier; after they've crossed it, he should start leaning back toward his normal behavior.
Carefully, making sure that the rowboat stayed (relatively) steady - which Ryuji unconsciously helped on - Hifumi managed to half-stand and move over to his side. He quickly made room, almost too quick since it partially tipped them, to both of their sounds, but after that they were steady again; she quickly sat down, heart still beating faster.
"I didn't expect this" Ryuji said, looking at her; he seemed nervous, but not unwilling. "I mean, you being this 'forward', Hifumi... sorta. Earlier I was thinking you'd wanna wait till at least the end of the date, maybe after that on a potential second one, when it's all proper and such."
"That's why you were surprised earlier, when I was okay with your arm around my shoulder" she thought, if relieved; so it's not just because he's nervous.
Out loud: "I'm certain I would hold a stranger to such standards, but you are not a stranger, Ryuji" she said, gentle- her nervousness showed too, yet she's okay. "I mean, I don't wish you to- to completely ignore dating etiquette, but you can do what you feel is acceptable within reason, and ask where you aren't certain. If I have a problem with anything, you will certainly find out."
Then Hifumi fully looked at him. "Although, if you are insistent upon being proper, I don't wish to pressure you into changing your mind" she quickly assured. "Just that I'm amenable to you- um, being more f-forward."
"Amenable" Ryuji said, in a slower, repeating type of tone. "That another word for agreeing?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
Barely a second passed before: "Man, you're awesome!" he said with a chuckle/grin, fairly louder. Were she not used to these types of moments from their shogi sessions, she might have jumped from her seat (and potentially caused issues with the boat); as it was, she was only surprised. "For a proper girl, you're way more okay with a lot of stuff than I would've guessed! Dunno why it surprises me at this point, but it does."
"I-I'm honored by your compliment, Ryuji" Hifumi breathed, somewhat flustered-if-pleased by it. "I hope I can continue to surprise you."
"Me too, for both of us."
A moment later, Ryuji's arm was again moving around her shoulder- despite her surprise, her beating-faster heart, she noted aspects about the motion (namely that it wasn't instinctive this time, and was hesitant-slow). A quick look at Ryuji confirmed these: he was looking at her intently, seeing if she's okay with it or not, but his nervousness was particularly visible, including a few instinctive mouth movements.
While her cheeks heated slightly, she did manage a smile to reassure him, as well as slowly leaning her arm/side against his; it seemed to work, if his breathing out was any indication.
"I'd- I'd like us to stay like this, for a few minutes" Hifumi whispered, only an effort keeping her from mumbling. "Is that okay?"
"'Course it is, Hifumi" he breathed back, nervous again but different than earlier. "And after that?"
"I'll leave that up to you."
Two things are for certain though: 1) she is feeling unmistakably warmer from this contact, even if minor- though this could also be part of her body's reactions to the contact. And 2), that when they do get back to shore, she knew exactly what she wanted to do first... even though the thought of actually doing so was making her more nervous.
But she cannot let it stop her; it'd be unfair to Ryuji, who was trying despite his own nervousness making him assume various things.
...
Man, he's still kicking himself for being an idiot back there, assuming that he had to be completely proper or else he'd screw things up, even unconscious or whatever. True, Hifumi didn't want him to do whatever he wanted - like hell that he would - but she'd been willing for him, and herself, to go a bit faster during this date, and he didn't consider that possibility at all despite having hanged out with her for months.
But, he can't sit here and blame himself right now; what's done is done.
"Better late than never" Ryuji thought to himself, carefully trying to turn the rowboat back to the dock- they were only a few feet away now. "Now at least, I can do things more properly. That's better."
Somehow he managed it; the boat nudged the dock, but otherwise slid into place before he stopped it, tying the boat back into place. Only after that did Hifumi carefully stand up, getting off one leg at a time, whereas he just jumped-and-landed with ease- she didn't seem particularly surprised, judging by the little smile she gave.
He just sheepishly grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe it's just me, but you looked like you wanted to stay longer, Hifumi" Ryuji said, a bit playful-
-her cheeks nearly turned pink, but her lip did curve. "It- it wasn't just you, Ryuji" she admitted, hands held together (if fidgeting a bit). "But we could not stay forever."
"Yeah" he breathed, glancing out at the lake. "Still, there's a little time left. We can walk back to the train station, hitch a ride, and then you'll get back in time for dinner. You said that, right?"
Hifumi slowly walked closer, standing more at his right side (which when he noticed, almost startled him). "I did" she said, more gentle; she gave him a little smile, though she seemed shy. "I'm glad that you remembered."
Again, Ryuji felt a bit of that warmth, and he didn't know what to say-
-then that moment, her fingertips brushed against his.
"Huh?" was his first, instinctive reaction, before he looked down and realized what he was seeing- she was trying to hold his hand!? He quickly looked up, seeing that she'd paused, as if his reaction had made her uncertain... but despite that, he saw that while nervous/shy, she wanted to hold his hand.
Hot damn, she really is awesome!
Still he suddenly felt nervous, and also- wait, hell no! 'Eff that! He's not let that stop him no more, like he just thought!
His hand jerked at first, almost making her jolt as she glanced down, but then Ryuji got his hand to move properly. Within a second he'd taken her hand, real fast too, and Hifumi was surprised... still, even as her cheeks turned pinker (and his a bit red, probably), her fingers did grasp back after a moment.
Man, her hand sure felt warm...
"I-" she breathed, considerably shyer. "I'm sorry if- if I surprised you, Ryuji."
It took him a moment, but he got his mouth to work. "You did, but it was- it was a good one. F'real" he managed to say, hoping he weren't stuttering or nothin'.
Hifumi managed a little smile, seeming relieved. "I'm glad. Still, there is... one other thing I wish to know, before we head back."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Were you- were you also planning on, um, walking me home? At the end of this date?"
That briefly threw him off, simply because he weren't expecting it. "Uh... earlier, I think I was. Now, I'm not sure" he said honestly, if slower. "Do you want me to, Hifumi? I can, ya know, if you really want."
Rather than make her even more shy, Hifumi seemed to like that; she kept the little smile. "I do appreciate the thought, Ryuji" she breathed, her grip on his hand tightening slightly. "But, that being said, I-I don't wish you to board a train with me to Kanda, then have to come all the way back to Shibuya. You will be late getting home, and it will cost you yen that could be spent elsewhere."
"It's not that much, really" he said, rubbing his head. "But, if you're against it-"
"I am, at least a little."
"-then sure, I guess we can say goodbye at the station instead."
The station- waitwaitwaitwaitwait! If he's not going through the walking-her-home thing, than that means she might expect him to kiss her when they got there! Or heck, if he hadn't realized this, she probably would've brought it up and then had them do it... and would've been yet another thing that his nervousness would try to hold back!
Not this time!
"We will" Hifumi continued, even as he had these thoughts - she glanced down at nothing, seeming half-occupied. "Still, I-I hope I'm not assuming when I say that- that we shouldn't only s-say 'goodbye'. Once we have gotten to the station-"
Exactly then, Ryuji moved his hands to her shoulders, and since he was fast about things, he ended up a half-step closer too.
"-ahh!" she breathed, surprised at this; her hands instinctively grasped his arms.
It felt like a long time, or maybe it weren't; all he knew was that his heart's beating like crazy, and his cheeks were really, really warm. Ryuji could see the same signs on Hifumi too, as her cheeks were red, and eyes wider - in fact, he realized they were closer than he initially thought, and he could actually feel her breath.
Despite some difficulty moving his head, he managed it, at least half-an-inch forward... her breathing got faster, but then Hifumi started to relax (if still nervous-shy), eyes closing. Having gotten the go-ahead, he unconsciously did the same things, not thinking at all- as if he could at this point.
Next thing he knew, they were kissing.
Somewhere in his head, he was in awe over the sensations: this was so much sweeter than he'd ever thought it could be, and so warm too! But mostly he moved on instinct, trying things out slowly and not using too much pressure - Hifumi seemed to be doing the same, even as her hands moved up to his shoulders.
Oh man... that little bit she did really worked for him...
Much too soon, Ryuji started to have a little trouble breathing-
-so against his will, he pulled back, panting a little even as Hifumi brushed a hand over her mouth.
He couldn't speak; it's like he didn't know words at all, and could only stare.
Her cheeks were still red, but she did (unconsciously) smile a little, a shy-yet-embarrassingly-pleased type... man, her smiles always affected him! Because he was distracted by this, he didn't notice for a couple seconds that Hifumi had taken his hand again, without a word.
And she wouldn't let go, at least until later, when they got back to the station.
"That was..."
Somehow, that got him to 'recover'. "That was what?" Ryuji breathed, blinking.
The redness in her cheeks deepened.
"T-Thrilling."
/
Shibuya
Kanda Line
Wow... even now, her heart couldn't stop pounding; the sensations of their kiss kept re-occurring.
"So, I will- I will see you later then, Ryuji" Hifumi managed to say, if with warm cheeks.
"Y-Yeah" Ryuji breathed, rubbing his head- perhaps it's just her, but it looked like he's waiting for the right moment to 'explode' (perhaps after she left). "I dunno what we should do uh, next time, but... w-we'll figure it out later."
"Of course."
The next moment though, she stepped forward- this time Ryuji was the one surprised, as she had hesitantly kissed him. It was brief, and again she felt like lingering over the sensations, but managed to feel better at the sight of his wide-eyed expression, before giving a small bow and quickly excusing herself onto the train. He watched her go with the same expression, slowly easing as the seconds passed, whereupon she eventually gave him a wave as the doors closed. Ryuji returned it unconsciously, it seemed, before he regained some control and smiled-
-then his hand turned into a fist, and a grin split his face as he half-turned.
The train doors and 'underway' sounds didn't quite muffle his response: "HELL YEEEAAAAHHHHH!"
Hifumi stared at his receding profile for a moment, then promptly burst into a giggling fit, even as various other passengers reacted to this/the yell. A fair few wondered who that 'weirdo' was, but she barely paid mind, thinking that was quite silly... and endearing as well.
...
Ryuji didn't care 'bout the looks he'd drawn; he was just so happy that they're gonna go on another date! Sure, this one had a few issues on his part, but now he knows about them and can avoid them next time - oh, and speaking of next time, something he's gotta do.
Quickly, he took out his phone and scrolled over the pictures he'd taken on their date, before going into the message function.
To Akira:
Show to Morgana. Tell him we both had fun, and there's gonna be a next date. Will talk later.
Ryuji
After hitting 'send', Ryuji grinned a little, hoping the cat finally got the hint- but that'll have to wait. For now he brought up the Chat, and saw Ann's picture was active... yup, just as he thought; anxiously waiting for him to get on so she can get all the 'juicy details'.
She never changed... *sigh*
Ryuji: So, been waiting to ask me 'bout my date or what Ann?
Ann: I wasn't gonna ask you about your date!
Ryuji: Uh-huh, sure.
Ann: ...so how was it?
'Effing called it!
Ryuji: It went great! Took Hifumi on that boat ride and everything! We kissed twice, and there's gonna be a next date!
Ann: A next date!? That's great news! Where you two going and what are you gonna wear?
Ryuji: Woah slow down Ann! I ain't thought 'bout that stuff yet... and I don't even know when it's gonna be either!
Ah Ryuji, trying so hard yet sometimes going about things the wrong way; good thing Hifumi has a fairly logical mind, and despite her lack of social experience, is a bit driven to learn new things :)
And just in time for the next chapter's events too.
