Chapter 84
AKIO
The soft glow of the screen illuminated the room, casting a warm and inviting ambiance that enveloped us, along with the moonlight flooding in from the sheer curtains that Nicole had put up last week.
Nicole and I were nestled on the couch, her head resting on my shoulder, her fingers gently tracing circles on my bare chest. We were in the heart of our own little world, content and at peace, watching Jujutsu Kaisen together after school.
I gently rubbed her thigh and pulled her closer to me, closing my eyes at the hum of Nicole’s gasp of surprise. She popped a piece of cheese, a slice of soupy, and a cracker between my lips.
After I bit into it, crumbles fell from my mouth onto my chest. Nicole giggled softly and swiped them away onto the floor for the time being. Our housekeeper would be here tomorrow morning anyway.
The faint scent of the wine we had opened earlier wafted in the air. We weren’t old enough to drink, but it sure as hell felt like we had lived two goddamn long lives after what we had been through. So, I was calling this an exception.
Suddenly, Nicole sat up. “Did we ever finish that project?”
“Which one?”
“Our science project.”
Once I finished chewing, I grabbed my glass and took a sip. “Yeah.”
“When?”
“I finished it last week.”
Nicole snapped her head toward me. “Without me?!”
I offered her a sheepish grin. “I didn’t want to stress you out, love.”
While I knew she had just been about to go off on me for doing it all myself, she stopped herself as my words drifted through her pretty little ears. Then, her cheeks rounded, and she gave me a soft smile. “You can’t just call me a pet name whenever I’m mad at you.”
“Why not?”
She grabbed a pillow and hit me with it. “Because, you nerd, that’s not fair.”
“Sure it is.”
When she playfully hit me with a pillow again, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward me until her lips pressed against mine. With her, the weight of the world seemed to disappear, and all that mattered was the here and now.
Jujutsu Kaisen continued to play in the background. I had pulled her in to kiss her because I loved her, but also because I didn’t want her to fall in love with that white-haired, blue-eyed Satoru Gojo on the screen, who I had caught her ogling earlier.
My lips curled into a smile, and I tugged her closer.
Who would’ve thought that Nicole, the head cheerleader and my only crush for years, would love anime as much as I did, have the biggest heart, and want the best for her newfound friends?
But best of all …
She was mine.
Continue reading Nicole and Akio’s story in the epilogue .