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"So you're admitting that you need my help?"
Jiji cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly on Momo's mattress. Well, this was bound to happen, one way or another. It was either he went to her or Okarun, and truth be told, he was half convinced that Okarun had stumbled his way into dating Momo. The guy was too shy to make a move on his own.
"I mean. We used to date, back in the day, so…"
Those were fun days. Sure, they were only fourteen, had absolutely no idea what the hell they were doing in regards to dating, and sometimes his tendacy to bottle his emotions didn't mix well with Momo's intensive personality (especially when he learned that she liked to take care of her partners, and Jiji wasn't comfortable being taken care of).
Still, he wouldn't trade the nights they shared on the roof together for anything. How Momo would tell him about the spirits her granny told her about, and how she wished he'd visit more.
How he couldn't find the courage to apologize to her. How he acted stupidly, and tried to kiss her until they were both convinced that they would be fine.
Their week at summer camp wasn't enough, not really, and having a relationship purely based off of texting just didn't work for them, either. Momo adored him, Jiji knew that, but she was miserable without having someone close by with, someone who she could be around every second of every day. So, they ended things.
"I'll help ya out, but on two conditions; one, you tell me who it is, if its Aira I probably won't be much help, and two, you actually need to be emotionally available with whoever you're trying to date." Momo crossed her arms.
Jiji bit back a sigh. Yeah, of course she'd say that. She wasn't wrong for it, either, but it was a bit embarassing! He ducked his head as he began to blush. "Fine, fine. Don't laugh, but its… Unji Zuma."
"Oh." Momo blinked. "I thought you hated his guts, or something."
"Its not my fault he's infuriating!" Jiji huffed, crossing his arms. "He teases me all the time about lil things. How I talk, how easy he riles me up, don't even get me started on his looks! Yeesh, I didn't think that piercings and glasses could look good on a guy as big as he is... but I guess there's Zuma. Everytime I try to work up the courage to make a move, well…. last time we ended up trying to figure out who was better at arm wrestling." He coughed and looked away. "I lost."
"Maybe if you stopped competing with him, you could ask him out like a normal person." Momo nudged him with a snicker.
Jiji pouted before he hid his face into his hands. "You're so mean to me, Mo! C'mon, help a bro out!"
"Well, luckily for you, I'm a genius who knows exactly how to get two idiots like yourselves to actually work together." Momo whipped out her brand new phone and grinned.
Jiji couldn't help but grin as he tied his rollerskates to his feet. It felt like ages since he'd done this type of thing, maybe back when he and Momo were little, which was too long in his opinion! He awkwardly hobbled to his feet, praying that he wouldn't lose his balance.
"You ready?" Momo skated over, Okarun nervously holding onto her arm for support. "I'm like. 99% sure Zuma can't skate!"
"D-doesn't he wear sandals?" He piped up, looking back at the short haired fellow.
"Well, then Jiji can fall into his arms. Simple." She grinned, before she started to skate away. "Just do as I do, okay?"
He opened his mouth to argue that Unji Zuma would not accept his help, but Momo was already making her way towards him, offering an eager hand to get him up and off his seat. He bit his lip and quickly skated after him.
"Jiji will help you with the basics, 'kay? I'm gonna help Okarun. Can you believe he hasn't skated before?" Momo grinned, guiding Zuma's hand into Jiji's. And huh, that was news to Jiji. Awful convienent for him, getting stuck with Zuma.
"That's fine, as long as he doesn't let me fall." Zuma grinned, leaning his weight against him ever-so-slightly. "Think you can handle that, Enjoji?"
He fought back the blush that quickly spread across his face, sputtering as he pushed him up. "A-as long as you can keep up, Unji."
"Easily." Despite his confident words, Zuma's eyes were glued to his feet, watching as they made contact with the rink. He pushed his feet forwards, tightening his grip on Jiji's arm. "These kinda remind me of my sandals."
"But with wheels!" Jiji slowly led him onto the rink. Skating on a carpet surface was one thing, but actual wood? That was where the real challenge would lie.
"Are ya gonna teach me or not?" Zuma grumbled, taking an unsteady step forwards.
"Well for one, you shouldn't lean forward like that, you'll end up like Okarun." He pointed out, watching as Zuma straightened up. "And uhh… honestly, just copy what I do?"
"Some teacher." He rolled his eyes.
"Just… push one foot off after the other. It'll feel like you're falling, but you'll get used to it!" He assured him. "We don't have to go super fast!"
"I don't need to be coddled. Keep telling me what to do." Zuma pointed a finger at him with a glare.
"Just follow my lead, boo!" Jiji stuck his tongue out as he grinned.
If Zuma had any snarky remarks, he withheld them, his brow furrowing in concentration as he moved his feet against the ground. He adjusted his glasses with a huff, his face tinted pink in embarrassment.
Still, it seemed like he was picking it up fast! After just a little bit, Zuma grew confident enough to move without holding onto him, but he didn't drift far. It seemed he enjoyed taking it slow like Jiji had suggested! And sure, he still stared at his feet a few times, but miraculously, he hadn't slipped either. It just goes to show how good of a teacher he really was!
"It's crazy how big of a natural ya are! I'd never let you fall." Jiji laughed, squeezing Zuma's hand.
"Maybe you've just got dumb luck." He retorted, but the smallest of smiles were tracing past his face.
"Hey! How's it going over here?" Momo approached, apparently already have done a full few laps with Okarun. His hand was clasped firmly around her's, able to stand somewhat steady. It was better than before, at least.
"Glasses hasn't fallen yet, so I guess that means I'm just that good of a teacher!" Jiji grinned, sticking his tongue at the deliquent.
Zuma rolled his eyes at him. "Its not hard to learn, for me at least."
"Yeah, guess that makes sense! You were hella agile in Danmara." Momo shot a finger gun at him with a grin. "Kinda wish we could've brought those candies back, though. I guess this place is a close second."
"You're comparing magic candies to an arcade." He argued. "They gave us powers."
"…You should have regular sweets, they're banger." She stopped at the arcade. "Jiji is a pro at the games, he can get ya a good haul!"
Jiji grinned at the boast. "Its true, I'm da master!"
"I don't really care for candy, to be honest. It wasn't something I could ever really have." And Zuma fucking shrugged like his sad childhood was just a fact of life.
"All the more reason to indulge, dude! C'mon, I'mma sweetie, after all!" He released his hand to throw his arm around Zuma's shoulders.
"… Fine, I suppose." He let this happen, as a blush spread across his cheeks against his will.
"Think we can outdo the boys, Okarun?" Momo gave him a gentle shake with a mischevious glint in her eyes. "I promise to get ya all the candy you waaannntt."
"I—y-yeah, that sounds good. Some um, er, friendly competition!" He smiled weakly at Jiji, looking as awkward as possible. This. This was why Momo was Jiji's wingman, and not him.
And unfortunately, it was not friendly competition. In Jiji's defense, he hadn't anticipated Momo using her powers to cheat! The amount of candy she could send spilling out of the crane machines was ridiculous!
It was incredibly unfair, especially since Jiji wasn't exactly knowledge about using his chii the way that Momo did. Evil Eye insisted on having a turn to "show those cheaters what for!" but he nearly broke the arcade machine into bits. Zuma was painfully bad at the games, as well, but at least he wasn't bothered by the cheating.
"They didn't say no powers." Zuma shrugged, snatching a chocolate candy out of Jiji's palm. "Just another clever plan from that girl."
"… Do you even know her name?" Jiji had to ask. He wasn't sure he'd ever heard Zuma actually call her Momo.
"I mean, she never told it to me." And he looked bashful, possibly the first time Jiji had ever seen his face darken and adorned in a blush.
He wanted to see more of Unji Zuma blushing. He wanted to be the reason it happened.
"You coulda asked me! I would've helped a cutie like you out!" Jiji teased him, pressing his finger into his face as he gave him a puppy-eyed stare.
"This is why I couldn't ask you." Zuma quickly looked away, which, rude.
"Aw, don't be like that! Here! A sweetie for mah sweetie!" Jiji passed him a lollipop, one of the big ones that he loved as a kid. He plucked an orange one into his mouth with a grin.
An eyebrow was raised at him playfully, as Zuma undid the red wrapping. "Your sweetie? I knew you were clingy, but this is ridiculous."
"I— I'm not clingy!" He argued weakly, but it was absolutely unfair with how Unji was staring at him, like he'd already gotten what he'd wanted out of him.
And his stupid lips. How they delicately kissed the bulb of the candy. Why couldn't he be that candy?
"You're the only one who minds if you're clingy, ya know." He continued, moving closer until his knees bumped against Jiji's. "Wonder why that is."
"It's, well— No one likes a jealous type, that's why!" Jiji crossed his arms firmly.
"You make a lot of assumptions, yaknow that?" Unji commented. "I wouldn't have came if I didn't like you."
"… It wasn't just cause Momo kept bugging you, was it?"
"… Meh, she can be persuasive. But that's not the point."
"But… are you having fun, at least?" That was what was most important to Jiji. Even if this entire scheme was a flop, he'd rather have given Zuma a fun time than make him miserable.
"Your lessons weren't… horrible. But next time, let's go somewhere more quiet. Just the two of us, yeah?" A calloused and rough hand intertwined with Jiji's, one with many stories yet to be told.
And as he whispered his agreement, Jiji hoped that he'd get to hear each and every one of them.