Our Mask [Shinso Hitoshi X Reader]

Chapter 17 - Mediator

"Princess, I feel the need to remind you that you live on your own", Hitoshi explained the obvious to understand what he was looking at. He was currently accompanying you to the grocery store and generously offered to push the shopping cart for you despite your initial warnings. In fact, he'd been nothing but generous since the morning started; you briefly mentioned needing to go grocery shopping while on your way out and he offered to help. You didn't necessarily expect to need any assistance in something like this but accepted the offer quick enough. You loved spending time with him too much to say no.

"I told you I had to buy a lot of ingredients. Do you want me to push the cart instead?I really have no problems with it", you offered with a hand out. You were serious about it until Hitoshi lightly slapped your hand away and you gasped in false resentment.

"I'll do it. I'm the hero."

You snorted at the dramatic correlation,"It's not very hero-like to judge those you help."

The man shrugged. He wasn't doing anything you couldn't do, that much was true, but ever since he acknowledged his feelings for you, he would take any excuse to see you more often. He also wasn't sure what reason you had to buy so much; it almost seemed like it wasn't only for yourself. The small suspicion had him immensely curious but he didn't feel like it was right to ask about your personal business. Maybe you would give him an answer by yourself.

"Toshi?"

"Princess?"

"Can you reach that little box up there?"

Hitoshi smiled at the cute request. You were pointing at an item at the top shelve and even with your arm highly raised to specify the item you wanted, your hand wasn't anywhere near it. He mused on the fact that you wouldn't have a way of getting to the box if he hadn't been there. It made him feel useful to you even in this small way.

You watched him reach the item and giggled at how easy he made the task look. When he finally got the item to good view of his eyes, they shined with understanding. Frankly, Hitoshi couldn't believe it took him so long to understand why you were buying so many things. Your apartment was too small to be constantly stocked up so it was obvious this was a one-time haul for you. The box in his hand was all he needed to connect the dots between your grocery list.

"Baking powder. I have to say, I didn't expect to live next door to a baker, but I'll definitely keep that in mind", he teased. Your cheeks grew warm at his exaggerated tone and you stuck your tongue out in retaliation. The reason you hadn't shared your goal from the very beginning was because you were sure he'd start making jokes as soon as he knew and it almost felt too soon. Luckily, there were only a few more items you still needed from the list on your phone, so it probably wouldn't last long.

"I'm obviously not a baker. It's just fun to mess around in the kitchen every once in a while, and I wanted to bake a cake for someone's birthday soon as a surprise."

That caught his interest. You were far too busy as of late but were setting your time and effort apart for a nice gesture like this and it only took that thought to make him desperately want to know who you wanted to surprise with a cake. A spiteful part of him he didn't know he had wondered if it was a guy. He couldn't help the need to know.

"Oh?Who's birthday would that be?", he pretended to be making casual conversation, though his eyes betrayed him as he looked down at you, trying to take any information you gave out verbally or through body language. What he got was a reaction he didn't know what to make of when you turned to him with a look of surprise as soon as he asked. Disbelief was plastered on your face and your look of confusion only made his turn the same.

"Toshi, how could you not know who's birthday it is tomorrow?", you were no longer paying attention to your list or the box he had in his hands as you stared at him. It was almost like you were waiting for him to say it was a joke or to remember within a few seconds but there was no trace of an idea in his head. He raised an eyebrow as he unconsciously placed the box in the shopping cart with caution; the way you were trying to read his movements out of nowhere made him feel uneasy. Why were you expecting him to know so bad?