𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫

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𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫

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𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

--AFTER WHAT FELT LIKE AN ETERNITY OF WANDEREING THROUGH THE DENSE FOREST, the group finally stumbled onto a marked path. The wooden signposts were weathered and faded, but they were clear enough to confirm that they were heading back toward civilization. Relief washed over everyone as they decided to take a break.

They settled onto a fallen log by the side of the path. Riku sat in the middle, swinging his legs happily, still riding the high of being carried by Yuji. Misa sat to his right, and Yuji on his left, leaning back on his hands with a relaxed smile. Nobara and Megumi sat a little further ahead, going over the map once again to ensure they were headed in the right direction.

Riku looked between Misa and Yuji, his small face scrunching up thoughtfully. His expression curious and mischievous in a way only a child could manage. "Are you boyfriend girlfriend?"

Misa froze, her eyes going wide as her brain momentarily short-circuited. "W-What?!" she spluttered, sitting up straighter.

Yuji nearly fell backward, his face turning a deep shade of red. "No! No way!" he stammered, waving his hands wildly. "We're not—no, that's not—we're just friends!"

"Totally just friends!" Misa added quickly, her voice an octave higher than usual. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and tried to will it away, but it only made her blush harder.

Riku blinked at them, his head tilting innocently. "Really? You guys act like you like each other."

Yuji let out a strangled laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, well, we're friends, so we like each other as friends. Right, Misa?"

"Yep, just friends!" Misa said, her voice overly bright. She avoided looking at Yuji, her heart pounding in her chest. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Riku squinted at them, clearly unconvinced. "But you were holding my hand earlier, Misa, and you was giving me a piggyback ride. That's like what a mommy and daddy would do."

Misa choked on air, turning to glare at Yuji as if it were somehow his fault. Yuji, meanwhile, looked like he was considering crawling into a hole. "We're not your mom and dad!" Misa exclaimed, her face practically glowing red. "We're just... taking care of you! That's it!"

Riku shrugged, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "If you say so."

From a little further down the path, Nobara's laugh rang out. "Oh my god, this is golden." She twisted around on the log she shared with Megumi, grinning at the trio. "Riku's got you two all figured out."

"Shut up, Nobara!" Misa snapped, throwing a twig at her. It missed, landing harmlessly in the dirt.

Yuji groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Can we please move on from this topic?"

Riku giggled, clearly enjoying their reactions. "Okay," he said innocently, but his grin gave away that he'd won this round.

Misa slumped back against the log, covering her face with one hand. Her heart was still racing, and she couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or something else entirely. She risked a glance at Yuji, who was also pointedly avoiding her gaze, his ears still red.

As the awkward silence stretched, Riku leaned over to Misa, whispering loud enough for Yuji to hear, "I think he likes you."

"Riku!" Misa hissed, clamping her hands over his mouth to stop him from saying anything else. Yuji let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head as he stared determinedly at the ground.

Nobara, of course, doubled over in laughter while Megumi sighed, muttering, "We'll never get out of here if this keeps up."

Despite the chaos, Misa couldn't help but feel the smallest smile tugging at her lips. Even if Riku was a little too observant for his own good, his laughter and innocence were a welcome distraction from the tension of the day. But she made a mental note to avoid sitting near him next time—they'd never hear the end of it otherwise.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

--As the group sat resting on the log, the faint sound of voices reached them from further down the trail. A moment later, two women appeared, chatting and laughing as they strolled through the forest. They looked like tourists, their brightly colored jackets and cameras slung around their necks making them stand out against the muted green of the woods.

Misa's eyes lit up, and she stood swiftly, brushing the dirt off her pants. "Stay here with Riku," she said to the others, her tone determined. "I'll handle this."

Before anyone could respond, she was already walking toward the women with a bright, friendly smile. "Excuse me!" she called, raising a hand to get their attention.

The women turned, their conversation pausing as they noticed her. "Oh, hello!" one of them said, smiling warmly. "Are you lost?"

"Sort of," Misa said, stopping a few feet away. "Actually, we found a little boy—Riku—who got separated from his family, and we were wondering if you're headed back to the information center. Could you take him there for us?"

The women exchanged glances before looking past Misa to where Riku sat on the log, his small frame noticeable even from a distance. "Oh, that poor thing," the second woman said, her expression softening. "Of course we can take him. Is he alright?"

"He's okay now," Misa assured them, her smile widening. "Just a little shaken up, but he's a strong kid."

The first woman stepped closer, her gaze lingering on Misa. "You're so sweet for looking after him. Are you here with your friends?"

"Yeah," Misa said, glancing over her shoulder at the others. Yuji gave a small wave, and Nobara looked like she was stifling a laugh, knowing full well where this was going. "They're over there, being lazy while I do all the work. Typical."

The women laughed, their warm expressions putting Misa at ease. "You're adorable," the second woman said, smiling at her. "So polite and responsible. And you're so pretty! You must get that all the time."

"Oh, stop," Misa said, dramatically waving a hand as if fending off their compliments. "You're going to make me blush. But, you know, I don't hate hearing it..."

Both women laughed again, clearly charmed by her. "Well, you've got a good heart," the first woman said. "The world needs more people like you."

"Tell that to my friends," Misa said with a playful roll of her eyes. "They'll say I'm bossy, but I like to think of myself as motivated."

The second woman grinned. "I think we're on your side. You're doing a great job."

"Thank you," Misa said, clasping her hands together as if she'd just won an award. "It's not easy being the responsible one, but someone has to do it, right?"

The women laughed again, shaking their heads fondly. "We'd be happy to take Riku back to the information center," the first woman said. "It's on our way."

"Perfect," Misa said, flashing them a grateful smile. "He's a great kid, so just keep an eye on him. He might try to convince you he's secretly a superhero or something."

As the women nodded and began walking toward the group, Riku hopped off the log, looking slightly nervous but reassured by Misa's confidence. "They're really nice," she told him softly, crouching down to his level. "They'll take you back to the information center, and we'll make sure your family finds you, okay?"

Riku nodded slowly, his small hand clutching hers for a moment longer before he let go. "Thank you, Misa," he said quietly, his eyes glimmering with gratitude.

"You're welcome, buddy," she said, giving his hair a quick ruffle. "Now go charm them like you did me."

Riku giggled before walking over to the women, who welcomed him with kind smiles. As they walked away, the second woman glanced back at Misa, giving her a small wave. "You're a natural," she said warmly.

"Thanks!" Misa called back, standing tall with her hands on her hips. "And if you ever need someone to boss around your friends, I'm your girl!"

The women laughed one last time before disappearing down the path with Riku, leaving Misa to return to the group, looking satisfied.

"Well," Nobara said, raising an eyebrow as Misa approached. "You sure charmed the hell out of them."

"What can I say?" Misa replied with a shrug and a sly grin. "I've got the gift."

Yuji chuckled, leaning back on the log. "You're really good with people, you know that?"

Misa's cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly covered it with a dramatic toss of her hair. "Of course I am. It's called having a personality, Yuji. You should try it sometime."

The group laughed, the tension of the day finally beginning to lift as they prepared to continue their journey.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

--The group moved steadily along the path, the forest thinning slightly as the sunlight began to filter through the canopy more easily. Misa had joined Megumi at the front, the two of them discussing the map and the best route back to the main trailhead. Their voices were low and serious, focused on the task at hand.

A little further behind, Yuji walked alongside Nobara, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. For a while, they walked in silence, the rhythmic crunch of their footsteps filling the air. But Nobara's sly smirk didn't go unnoticed by Yuji, who glanced at her suspiciously out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" he asked, frowning slightly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, nothing," Nobara said innocently, though her tone dripped with mischief. She tucked her hammer into her belt as she turned to him, her grin widening. "I was just thinking about what Riku said earlier."

Yuji groaned, already dreading where this was going. "Seriously? You're still on that?"

"Of course I'm still on that," Nobara said, laughing. "I mean, 'boyfriend and girlfriend'? That's comedy gold! The kid was reading you two, Itadori."

"He's a kid!" Yuji protested, his face already heating up. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Oh, doesn't he?" Nobara countered, raising an eyebrow. "Because from where I'm standing, he wasn't that far off."

Yuji stumbled slightly, his face turning redder by the second. "What are you even talking about?"

Nobara leaned closer, her smirk growing. "Oh, come on. You and Misa are always teaming up, always cracking jokes together. You've got that whole 'playful banter' thing going on. It's like watching a bad rom-com."

"That's not true!" Yuji exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly. "We're just friends!"

"Sure," Nobara said, drawing the word out like she didn't believe it for a second. "That's what they all say at first."

Yuji groaned again, rubbing his face with his hands. "Why are you like this?"

"Because it's fun," Nobara said with a shrug. "And because you're terrible at hiding it."

"Hiding what?" Yuji demanded, his voice rising slightly. "There's nothing to hide!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Itadori," Nobara said, her smirk almost devilish now. "But I see the way you look at her. You're so obvious."

Yuji stopped walking for a moment, his face burning. "I do not look at her any certain way!"

Nobara turned to face him, walking backward as she crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look. "Oh, really? So if I asked you how you felt about her, you'd say..."

"I'd say she's a friend!" Yuji snapped, his voice louder than intended. "Just a friend! That's it!"

Misa glanced over her shoulder at the sound of his raised voice, her brows furrowing. "You guys okay back there?"

"Fine!" Yuji called, waving a hand dismissively. "Everything's fine!"

Misa gave him a curious look but shrugged, turning back to her conversation with Megumi. Nobara, however, was trying not to laugh, clearly enjoying every second of Yuji's embarrassment.

"You're such a pain," Yuji muttered, glaring at her as they resumed walking.

"And you're such an open book," Nobara shot back, smirking. "Seriously, Itadori, if you're not careful, Misa's going to figure it out before you do."

"Figure what out?!" Yuji exclaimed, his voice full of frustration—and a little panic.

"Exactly," Nobara said with a wink, clearly enjoying her victory as Yuji groaned for the third time that day.

The two of them continued bickering quietly as they trailed behind Misa and Megumi, but Yuji couldn't help the nagging thought in the back of his mind. Am I really that obvious?

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚