Note:
First of all: if you're reading this, thank you!
I've been in love with the Iori/Chizuru pairing for so many years now, thanks to the KOF Zillion manwha... only to discover in recent times that the italian translation was wrong in a lot of things, especially all those IoriChi hints. Tho there are some in canon too (that "Chizuru Yashakani" still keep me awake at night)... but I digress.
I finally got around to making some content for them, mostly fanarts (you'll find one related to this story as cover, but you can see it fully over my AO3 account or twitter or tumblr - everything is linked in my bio), but also decided to actively using this account after years and years of bookmarking stories... and the first experiment in writing them is this one. It's been a while since I wrote about them, and the old stories were old and in my native language and EMBARASSING AF. Really. This one is... short and dumb, but I craved some cheesy fluff, ok? Even Iori deserves it.
Also, he's very chill in this story, but he's canonically very quiet outside the tournament, and KOFG gifted us with a super chill Iori, just a bit of a grump. Also, it's an AU. And the "wrong names" are all easter eggs, can you name them? :D
Also also, I apologize for any mistakes you may find here and there, as said before english is not my first language.
Thank you for reading, I hope you will enjoy it!
Mana
"Here's your Dark Roast Coffee, thank you for your order!"
Iori took his cup and sighed. On the label, his surname was spelled wrong.
Again.
He knew that employees of that specific coffeeshop chain had the habit of writing customers' names wrong on their orders; he didn't think this tradition had been also carried over to Japan, though.
"Is everything ok?"
He looked at the barista — a very pretty girl with long, black hair and dark grey eyes.
"It's… Yagami."
"Hm?"
"It's-"
"Oh i'm sorry, but the line is growing! Have a good day!"
Iori moved to the side, glancing one last time at the girl, and then again at the label on his cup.
Kibagami.
With one last sigh, he exited the coffeeshop and rushed to his band practice.
"Here's your Dark Roast Coffee, thanks for your order!"
For some weird reason, Iori hoped that this time the waitress would have written down his surname right. He doesn't even know why, given he has been a regular of this particular coffeeshop for more than two months now.
"Is something wrong?"
Iori looked at the girl - always her, every single time - and then at his cup.
Togami.
This one would have been fun if the coffee he chose had been Luwak.
"Ehm, yes… Chizuru" he said, reading the nametag on her apron. She smiled happily, and he wondered if the room temperature was suddenly too high or something.
"You see… you spelled my name wrong-"
"Kagura-chan! Can you go over here for a second?"
"I have to go" she said, her coworker still screaming her name. "I'm so sorry! Until next time!"
Iori looked at the girl disappearing around the corner that led to the kitchen, wondering if that was some kind of obscure message that the universe was trying to send to him.
What kind of message it was, though, he wasn't sure.
Togami. Oogami. Kibagami. Kagami.
His collection of cups with the wrong name on it looked back at Iori from the kitchen counter.
The last one sounded a bit like a joke, given that the last kanji wasn't even the same as his surname.
"This is getting ridiculous" he sighed. "I'm feeling like a stupid shoujo manga protagonist…"
The cat sitting on his lap - a small calico cat with a short, bunny-like tail - meowed and poked at his hand with her paw.
"Maybe I should… try to introduce myself properly?" Iori mumbled to himself, absentmindedly scratching the cat's ear. "What do you think, Yuffie?"
The kitty purred in response, rubbing her little head against Iori's hand.
He smiled a little.
"Io… Iori-kun…"
He grinned, kissing Chizuru's neck.
It took him two weeks to finally introduce himself to her.
She squealed when he used his teeth.
It took them one other month to finally get more… intimate .
"Iori-kun…"
His grin widened.
Sure as hell she finally learned his name.
Final notes:
Forgot to say, the title is vaguely based on Bon Jovi's You give love a bad name. Sorry, Jon.
And the cat is inspired by one of my bestie's cats, named Yuffie because she loves FF. I do miss that cat. ;-;
But really, thank you if you really read this thing!
