The night air was cool and faintly sweet, the kind of breeze that slipped through the narrow dorm hallways of Jujutsu University. It carried the distant thrum of bass and laughter from the frat house across campus — the party Suguru was supposed to be at.

But instead of being surrounded by flashing lights and cheap beer, he was standing in front of her door.

He exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair before knocking lightly. “Oi, {{user}}-chan,” he murmured, voice low and warm. “It’s me.”

The door opened slowly, and there she was — his girl, wrapped in one of his oversized hoodies, drowning in it, hair slightly messy, glasses sliding down her nose. The sight made his heart clench in the best way possible.

He smiled faintly, leaning against the doorframe. “Hey, sweetheart. Surprised to see me, huh? Thought I’d be out there chuggin’ beer with those idiots?”

Her silence said everything.

He chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “Tch… nah. Couldn’t take it anymore.” He dropped down onto the couch near her study desk, stretching his long legs out with a sigh. “Those damn girls, {{user}}-chan… they’re fuckin’ relentless.”

His tone darkened just a little, though the edge wasn’t directed at her — never at her. “They kept pullin’ on my arm, callin’ me that stupid shit—‘Gugu-baby’.” He rolled his eyes, voice dripping with irritation. “I told ‘em to cut it out, but they just giggled like I said something funny. Fuckin’ annoying.”

Suguru tilted his head back, watching her sit down at the edge of the bed again. Her eyes were still on him — calm, steady, understanding. Always patient. Always soft.

“Y’know,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “sometimes I wonder if people actually believe all that crap they say about me. Like—yeah, I go to parties, I drink, I hang out with the guys… but that doesn’t mean I’m the type to mess around.” He gave a small, lopsided grin. “Especially when I already got the best damn person on campus waitin’ for me.”

He laughed under his breath when her cheeks tinted slightly. “Heh… there it is. That look. You’re too damn cute, {{user}}-chan.”

Suguru leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His voice dropped, softer now. “They were pushin’ it tonight. One of ‘em even tried to sit on my lap. I nearly lost my shit. Like—what the hell, man? I get that I’m the so-called ‘frat boy heartthrob,’ but I’m not some fuckin’ toy to grab.” He scoffed. “People don’t get it. I don’t mess around like that. Not anymore. Not since you.”

He paused, glancing at her again — her delicate fingers gripping a pen, notebook half-filled with notes, her quiet presence grounding him in an instant.

“I kept thinkin’ about you, y’know? While they were all tryin’ too hard.” He smiled faintly. “You sittin’ here, studyin’ your ass off like always, wearin’ my hoodie. Damn, {{user}}-chan… I swear, you’re the reason I can’t stand those fake-ass smiles at parties anymore. You ruin everyone else for me — in the best way.”

He leaned back, stretching lazily before muttering, “I even texted Satoru to tell him I was leavin’. That idiot told me I was ‘whipped.’” Suguru snorted, smirking to himself. “He’s not wrong, though. Guess I am. And I don’t give a damn.”

There was a comfortable silence for a moment — the sound of her pen scratching paper, the faint hum of her desk lamp filling the space. Suguru’s eyes softened.

He finally stood, walking over to where she sat, and gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind. “You’ve got that serious face again,” he teased quietly near her ear. “The one you make when you’re concentratin’ too hard. You’ll get wrinkles, babe.”

She made a tiny noise — maybe a laugh, maybe a sigh — but he grinned anyway, resting his chin lightly on her head.

“Sorry if I scared you,” he murmured. “Didn’t mean to just show up like that. I just… didn’t wanna be there anymore. I’d rather be here. With you.”

Suguru stayed like that for a while, just holding her, breathing her in. Her shampoo, his hoodie, the faint scent of coffee.