Goemon X Rin - Surprise List
Note: This is a fanfic!
Goemon had expected that answer when he asked her out on a dinner date.
“Surprise me,” Rin had said, tilting her head slightly, lips curved in that small, trusting smile that always made him feel like he was standing on thin ice. Not because it was dangerous, but because he wanted to do it right. Too right.
He nodded anyway, calm on the surface. “Leave it to me.”
The moment they parted, he panicked.
Food was serious business. Rin ate quietly, carefully, but when she liked something, her shoulders relaxed. Her steps slowed. She’d take smaller bites, like she wanted the moment to last. Goemon had noticed. Of course he had.
So he did the only reasonable thing.
He went to Fujimori.
“Search results,” Fujimori said, already half turned toward his screen, fingers flying. “Area?”
“Asakusa.”
“Budget?”
“…Reasonable.”
“That’s not a number.”
“Something she’d like,” Goemon replied, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the monitor like it might bite him.
Fujimori snorted. “You’re hopeless. Fine. Japanese food. Ambience matters?”
Goemon hesitated for half a second. “…Yes.”
They narrowed it down together. Ratings, reviews, photos. Fujimori scrolled while narrating like a professional commentator. Goemon listened, silently weighing each option like he was choosing a battlefield.
In the end, he made a list. Three places.
Fujimori dropped the pins on the map, copied the link, and sent it to Rin.
Rin opened it later that night in the shared house, sitting cross-legged on her bed. The map loaded first. Three red dots clustered around Asakusa. She zoomed in, then out, tapping each location, reading names, skimming photos.
“Hmm…” she murmured to herself, already smiling.
Only after that did her eyes drift to the top left of the screen.
Surprise List.
She blinked.
“…Oh.”
The name wasn’t loud. It wasn’t showy. It almost felt accidental, like he hadn’t realized it was there at all. And somehow, that made it worse for her heart.
She laughed softly, pressing her lips together as warmth crept up her cheeks.
When she went to find him in the kitchen, she tried very hard to sound normal.
“So, you made a list?”
He glanced over while his hands continue washing cups in the sink. “Yes, pick the one you like most.”
She held up her phone. “And you named it.”
“…Did I?”
Rin smiled at him. “It’s cute.”
His response was immediate. He looked away, ears reddening. “Just choose.”
She scanned the list again, more carefully this time. Tomo Tokyo. Hanare. Then she stopped.
“The second one,” she said. “Akami. I like sashimi.”
“Understood.” He smiled.
And just like that, the decision was made.
The day of the date arrived quietly. No grand countdown. No dramatic buildup. Just the soft awareness of it sitting in Goemon’s chest from the moment he woke up.
They didn’t need to meet anywhere special. They left the shared house together, as usual. The difference was subtle. A different kind of silence. A shared understanding that today was… special.
Rin slipped on her shoes and glanced back at him.
“You ready, My Lady?” he said, opening the door for her, “I’ve been waiting.”
She laughed, stepping past him. “Let's go.”
They walked together through Asakusa, shoulder to shoulder. The air smelled faintly of incense and street food. Tourists passed them by, laughter and chatter weaving around their quiet bubble.
Goemon glanced at Rin from the corner of his eye. She was taking everything in, eyes bright, steps light. Every so often, she’d slow down just a bit, and without thinking, he matched her pace.
Akami was warm inside. Wood tones. Soft lighting. The kind of place that didn’t rush you.
When the sashimi arrived, Rin’s expression softened instantly.
“It looks really fresh,” she said.
Goemon watched her take the first bite. Watched her shoulders drop. Watched the small, satisfied hum she didn’t realize she made.
“…Good?” he asked.
She nodded and smiled. “Very.”
To Goemon, that was enough to make the whole thing worth it.
They talked as they ate. Nothing heavy. Small observations. Little laughs. The kind of conversation that slipped easily between pauses, like it had always been there.
At one point, Rin glanced at her phone again and smiled.
“I still can’t get over the name,” she said.
“The map?”
“Yes. Surprise List.” She looked at him. “You didn’t even point it out.”
“I didn’t think I had to.”
Her gaze softened. “That’s exactly why I noticed.”
Outside, Asakusa glowed softly as evening settled in. Lantern lights reflected on the street. Rin walked a little closer now, their sleeves brushing.
Goemon thought about how, centuries ago, he’d lived in shadows, always moving, always hiding. And now here he was, walking beside her openly, worrying about sashimi and map pins and whether she was warm enough.
Rin slowed her steps and looked up at him. “You know,” she said quietly, “being surprised by you feels… safe.”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out, just barely, letting his fingers brush against hers.
“As long as I get to walk you home,” he said, voice low and steady, “I don’t mind what you choose.”
She smiled, lacing her fingers with his.
And this time, he didn’t let go.
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