Ren couldn't help the slow, teasing smirk that spread across his face. He let his hand trail down her back, drawing lazy circles against the fabric of the oversized t-shirt.
"Finish what we started?" he repeated softly, letting the words hang in the air. He pretended to mull it over, tilting his head. "I don't know, Maki. That's a pretty big commitment. Are you sure you can fit me in? What if the track coach suddenly needs you for emergency hurdle practice?"
Maki groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as she aggressively buried her burning face into his shoulder. "I swear to god, Ren, if you ruin this for me right now..." she threatened, though the effect was completely ruined by her muffled voice and the fact that she was actively hiding from him.
"I'm just making sure," Ren chuckled, his chest vibrating beneath her. He wrapped both arms around her waist, finally pulling her fully against him. "Tomorrow. The whole day. It's a date."
"Yeah," she mumbled, the lingering tension in her muscles finally bleeding away. "A date."
The quiet of the apartment settled over them. Between her lack of proper sleep and the grueling, muscle-cramping physical exhaustion she had brought with her, it didn't take long for the adrenaline to completely crash.
Within minutes, the frantic beating of her heart slowed against his chest, and her breathing leveled out into a soft, steady rhythm.
Ren stayed awake just a little longer, watching the faint blue light of the television flicker across the walls before he eventually closed his eyes, letting the static hum of the system fade to the back of his mind.
...
The morning sun completely transformed the apartment, washing away the heavy, suffocating tension of the previous night and replacing it with a bright, comfortable warmth.
Ren stepped out of the bedroom, running a hand through his messy hair, only to stop dead in his tracks in the hallway.
Maki was standing near the front door, already wide awake and fully dressed. But instead of borrowing one of his hoodies or magically producing a casual outfit, she was completely buttoned up in her dark, high-collared Jujutsu High uniform. The dark jacket, the pleated skirt, the opaque tights—she looked ready to exorcise a Grade 1 curse, not go to the arcade or a cafe.
Over her shoulder, she had slung a sleek but heavy-looking carrying bag.
Ren leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "Let me get this straight. You finally get a whole day off from your tyrannical track coach, we're about to go on an actual, proper date, and you decided to wear your stuffy boarding school uniform?"
Maki's shoulders instantly stiffened. A faint pink dusted her cheeks as she looked down at her dark clothes, suddenly looking very self-conscious. She crossed her arms defensively, her amber eyes narrowing into a glare.
"Shut up. It's all I had on me," she muttered, aggressively adjusting the strap of her bag. "I didn't exactly have time to go back to my dorm to pack a weekend bag. And I have to carry my... expensive track batons with me. This uniform is durable. It makes sense."
"It makes you look like you're about to proctor an exam, Maki," Ren laughed, pushing off the doorframe and walking toward her.
He stopped right in front of her, gently flicking the high collar of her dark jacket. She scowled, swatting his hand away, but there was no real heat behind the gesture.
"Alright, change of plans," Ren announced smoothly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his apartment keys.
Maki blinked, looking up at him with a flash of panic. "What? Are we not going out?"
"Oh, we're definitely going out," Ren smirked, slipping past her to push the front door open. He stepped out into the hallway and gestured for her to follow. "But there is absolutely no way I'm letting you walk around Tokyo on our date looking like a strict hall monitor. First stop: we're getting you some actual, good clothes."
Maki stepped out of the apartment, her blush deepening as she scoffed. "I don't need you to buy me clothes, idiot. My uniform is perfectly fine."
"It's a tragedy is what it is," Ren deadpanned, pulling the heavy door shut behind them and locking the deadbolt with a crisp click.
He spun the keyring around his finger and looked at her, his dark eyes filled with that same warm, effortless confidence from the night before.
"Besides, you promised me last night. 'Whatever you want to agree to', right? And I want to see my girlfriend in something that doesn't look like it's made of tactical armor."
At the reminder of her breathless, flustered promise from the night before, Maki's face turned a brilliant, violent shade of red.
She practically choked on her own breath, her grip tightening on the strap of her weapons bag until her knuckles turned white.
"I—You—Just shut up and walk!" she stammered aggressively, stomping down the hallway toward the stairs to hide her burning face.
Ren chuckled softly to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets as he followed her down the hall.
The date had officially begun.
...
The fluorescent lights of the bustling Shibuya mall were a stark contrast to the dim, quiet halls of Jujutsu High, and Maki looked entirely out of her element.
She stepped out from behind the heavy curtain of the dressing room, her hands awkwardly smoothing down the front of her new outfit.
The transformation was absolute. Gone was the rigid, tactical school uniform. Instead, she was wearing a soft, fitted beige ribbed turtleneck sweater tucked into a high-waisted, olive-green skirt that stopped just above her knees.
It was a far cry from her usual combat gear, perfectly highlighting her athletic build while looking completely, beautifully normal.
She had even put her wire-rimmed glasses back on, framing her amber eyes and giving her an effortlessly cool, sophisticated look.
"Well?" Maki asked, her voice dropping a defensive octave as she nervously shifted her weight. She pulled slightly at the hem of the skirt. "Is this looking good? Or do I look stupid? Because I feel like I'm completely exposed in this."