Do you mind if I kiss you before I go?
Takes place after this and this.
Aoko: *comes into the classroom straight from the locker area, chatting amiably with Keiko the whole way about this and that. She isn't completely focused on the conversation, however. Her mind's been rather occupied lately with figuring out that puzzle that is one Kaito Mousy-ShinRa, and all the strange places he keeps taking her to and things that he keeps telling her. She's started keeping a list in her diary, writing down everything that she can remember, but it still doesn't seem to make any sense, and she knows that she's missing something.
Keiko doesn't seem to notice her slight distraction, at least, and the conversation between the two girls continues as they take their seats among the other milling students. It's oddly normal, after everything she's been through lately*
Kaito: *If Aoko is paying attention, she might notice that the people already in the classroom aren't sitting at their desks. In fact, they seem to all be gathered around a desk in the corner of the back of the room. Whatever is back there sure is catching the attention of the entire class, and the room is filled with the excited murmurings of a bunch of students and a few 'oohs' and 'aahs' from some of the girls.
Too bad the students are obscuring whatever it is they're looking at. But whatever it is, it has to be worth checking out. Right, Aoko?*
Aoko: *well, even if she hadn't noticed, Keiko would have, and both of the girls turn to look at the commotion in the back* What's going on back there? *Keiko predictably declares that they should find out and drags Aoko after her, stumbling and protesting* Hey-! Keiko-chan!
Kaito: *and, of course, if Keiko manages to push her way through the crowd of people, Aoko might find one familiar mop-headed magician shuffling a deck of cards and wowing the crowd with a few magic tricks. He motions for a girl to lean forward and pick a card, which she does and replaced back on the deck. He shuffles, all the while talking to her and smiling charmingly, before he indicates she should check her skirt pockets. The girl does so, and there's a collective wow as she pulls out the exact same card she had chosen from his deck earlier.
He really does know how to charm an audience*
Aoko: *stops dead, due both to seeing him in general and seeing him performing the very first trick he'd ever shown her. She knew in her head that he was going to start attending her school, but actually seeing him here, without any warning and fitting in as if he'd been there his whole life-- it's more than a bit of a surprise, and she's left with her mouth hanging open* K-Kaito...
Kaito: *he glances up from his deck of cards and flashes Aoko the most smug grin he can manage* Oi, Aoko~ Nice to see you here!
Aoko: *she doesn't have time to be infuriated by it, still trying to get over her surprise even as all their classmates start to whisper and murmur at the familiarity between the two* W-when did you get accepted?
Kaito: *he tosses a card into the air, where it turns into a red rose with a puff of smoke. There are more oohs as he catches it and immediately hands it to Aoko* Yesterday~ Today's my first day!
Aoko: *takes it, blinking, and finally her brows furrow* Baka, you could have told me! *but she doesn't get the chance to say anything more, as Keiko (and just about everyone else) starts crowding in, bombarding her with questions about when she met Kaito and how and what was she doing hiding him away all this time...*
Kaito: *he's still grinning in that oh-so-very smug manner as the students begin to ask Aoko all of these questions. Luckily for the girl, she's given a reprieve when their teacher finally walks into the room. The crowd begins to disperse, and Kaito leaps off of the desk and heads toward the front of the room to be introduced properly*
Aoko: *more than grateful for the reprieve, especially since she isn't really sure how to answer half those questions. She scurries back to her seat and cuts off Keiko's stream of questions with a sharp, pointed glare, barely registering Kaito's introduction as she carefully stows the rose away in her desk*
Kaito: *His grin widens as he's introduced, and with the manners of a perfectly raised Japanese boy, he bows* Please treat me well! *he stands up straight and bounds over to the desk pointed out to him by his teacher-- the one right next to Aoko*
Aoko: *is not going to give him the pleasure of seeing her blush, although it's certainly difficult. Why didn't she realize that he'd pick the desk next to her? It wasn't even empty last week-- Tanaka-san got transferred out all of the sudden in the middle of the term, which almost never happens, and she she casts him a sideways look, unable to help wondering all of the sudden whether he had something to do with that. Not that she suspects anything malicious, but it seems a little too convenient...*
Kaito: *ahaha well, he certainly wasn't responsible for any mid-year transfers. Then again, he was an incredibly lucky person. He grinned back at her as she shot him a furtive glance, and as the teacher instructed them to pull out their text books he leaned over to whisper at her* Does this mean we get to pass notes during class?
Aoko: *rolls her eyes and whispers back* Baka, you'd better not get me in trouble! *but she's smiling. Just a bit*
Kaito: *which is a good sign, and his grin widens* Me? Get you in trouble. *a low chuckle* Aoko, I never get caught.
Aoko: No, you'll just get me caught instead. *scoffs, teasingly, and opens her textbook to the proper page*
Kaito: *rolls his eyes and turns back to his textbook*
Aoko: *finds his presence next to her oddly comforting, and the day practically flies by. He doesn't need any help catching up at all, with his smarts -- he's actually ahead of more than half of the class -- and lunch is just a repeat of this morning's sudden burst of popularity. Aoko bears it graciously, ignoring the students who try to pepper her with questions while she gets out her bento*
Kaito: *this school is much easier than the private tutors he was given back at home-- which, considering who his mother was, isn't really surprising at all. He's actually a whole year ahead of the class, but there's no reason to take advantage of that. He's at this school for a reason, after all, and that reason happens to be a second year high schooler. By the end of the day, he's already made a few new friends and is packing up his book bag to head home* Your school isn't so bad.
Aoko: *does the same, snorting at his understatement. Even she can tell he was enjoying himself* Baka, of course it isn't. *gives him an unsure smile* You made a lot of friends already. *not that she should have expected anything less, in retrospect*
Kaito: *snaps his bag shut and slings it over his shoulder, turning toward her with a cheeky grin* That's because you have some pretty welcoming classmates.
Aoko: *picks hers up by the handle and heads for the door* You're just good at attracting audiences. *it's a half-compliment, part-teasing*
Kaito: *following her~* I'm a magician, I have to be! It comes with the territory.
Aoko: You should put on a show for the school festival. It's coming up soon. *and she thinks it would be a far better use of his magic than using it on heists*
Kaito: *cheeky grin* Will I get compensated for my efforts? *mostly joking*
Aoko: You'll get more fangirls. *completely deadpan. |D And she opens up her locker and starts getting out her shoes and coat*
Kaito: *stops and watches her get her items from her locker, laughing* I think I already converted some new fangirls.
Aoko: *rolls her eyes, putting on her sneakers* I'm not surprised.
Kaito: *watching her as he balances on the balls of his feet* I'm just a people person, Aoko-chan. *another pause* What do you usually do after school?
Aoko: Umm... *looks sideways at him as she shrugs on her coat* It depends...
Kaito: *quirks an eyebrow at her* On what?
Aoko: Sometimes I go to Keiko-chan's, or out with friends. *though that isn't very often* Or somewhere to do homework.
Kaito: Out with friends, huh. *it's not a question, it's a statement* Oi, why don't you show me around Azumano, then? *not that he really needs it. He knows the city almost like he does the back of his hand*
Aoko: Don't you know where everything is already? *wraps a colourful scarf around her neck; it's been getting really cold out lately. It's due to start snowing any day now*
Kaito: I know where it is. *he acknowledges this with no problem* I don't know where the fun places to hang out are.
Aoko: *picks up her bag and hesitates* I don't know if you'd really call them fun. *not the places that she hangs out, anyway*
Kaito: *waving his hand* That's for me to decide, right? *grin* C'mon, Aoko, if you don't have anything better to do, let me tag along!
Aoko: *frowns at him and closes her locker* I've got homework to do, you know!
Kaito: I'm not going to take up the rest of the day, just the afternoon. *flat look*
Aoko: I still have to go home and make supper for Dad, remember. *flat look right back*
Kaito: Just a little tour! C'mon, Aoko, couldn't hurt! *pulling his stuff out of his locker now and slipping on his jacket*
Aoko: *waits for him to finish before heading out the main doors* If you really want a tour, you're going to have to wait for the weekend. *she honestly doesn't have enough time today. She was planning to do some homework at one of her favourite haunts, then go home to make supper*
Kaito: Why? *he asks it curiously, almost like an innocent child who doesn't quite know how the world works* Why put off what you can do today till tomorrow?
Aoko: *huffs* I can't do it today! I told you, I have homework and have to make supper-- *anything else she might have said is cut off by an eep as they step out the doors and are suddenly buffeted by the sharp winter wind*
Kaito: *he shoves one hand into the pocket of his jacket as he braces himself against he cold, shoulders squaring tensely* C'mon, just an hour! I promise it won't be that long! *gdit, he wants to spend more time with her*
Aoko: *frowns behind her scarf, and sighs* You can come if you want, but I'm really just going to do homework. *makes for the bus stop~*
Kaito: *follows~* I can do it with you! *not that... he really needs help*
Aoko: Okay, okay! *peers at the schedule to see when the bus is coming*
Kaito: *waaaaits with a grin. Plan = success!*
Aoko: *mutters* Baka. *glances at him* Are you cold? *that jacket doesn't look very warm*
Kaito: *shakes his head* Not really. It gets pretty cold in Gaia. I'm used to it.
Aoko: *tilts her head to one side* How cold?
Kaito: *shivers a bit, but he shrugs it off* A good twenty degrees colder than this, at least.
Aoko: *notices the shiver and frowns* You're still shivering!
Kaito: *flat look* Anyone would shiver in the cold!
Aoko: It's because you're wearing such a light jacket! *her coat is nice and warm and has a high collar, so she takes off her scarf and hooks it around his neck* Here.
Kaito: *he opens his mouth to protest, but before he can she's wrapping her scarf around his neck, and he's fighting off a surprised blush* I-I'm fine!
Aoko: Just take it, idiot. *clutches her bag to her chest and tries to warm her hands. Barely ten minutes outside and they're already going numb. She'll have to remember to bring her gloves tomorrow*
Kaito: *he hesitates, before he brings his free hand up to pull the scarf tighter around his neck. He watches her as she attempts to warm her hand, and he's struck with the urge to reach out and do it for her. But she's hit him for that, wouldn't she?* Need help?
Aoko: I-I'm fine.
Kaito: You sure? *when he's done adjusting his scarf, he reaches out half way, but doesn't quite grab her hands* I don't have any gloves either.
Aoko: *hesitates as well, then reaches out and takes the end of the scarf, wrapping it around her hands and his* How about this?
Kaito: *bliiiiinks at the way she wrapped the scarf around their hands, both of their palms pressed together snugly, and that blush he was fighting off earlier comes in full force. He grins* Better.
Aoko: *smiles shyly back, aaaand just then the bus pulls up next to them*
Kaito: *... which means it's time to pull away, right? He does so in disappointment and allows Aoko to board the bus first*
Aoko: *quickly disentangles her hands, blushing just as redly as he was, and does so, dropping in her fare and sighing happily at being able to get out of the wind*
Kaito: *follows suit, depositing the appropriate amount of change into the coin collector and following her toward the back of the bus*
Aoko: *finds an empty seat and sits up against the window so she can see where to get off~*
Kaito: *sits down next to her, scooting over a bit so his arm is brushing against hers* So where are we going?
Aoko: It's a secret! *if he's going to demand to be let along, then she's going to have fun teasing him*
Kaito: *scooting closer again, teasingly* A secret? C'mon, Aoko, secrets aren't fun unless they're shared!
Aoko: If they're shared they aren't secrets! *makes a face at him as the bus pulls out*
Kaito: *makes a face back* They're a secret if they're shared between two people~
Aoko: I'm still not telling you. *folds her arms. Hmph*
Kaito: *pokes her cheek* C'mon, Aoko, why not?
Aoko: Because! *swats at his hand*
Kaito: *moves his hand, but pokes her cheek again when she stops* Because isn't a good answer~
Aoko: *swats again* Is so! Stop that!
Kaito: *stops poking her, but is leaning against her now* Geez, Aoko, you're taking up the entire seat.
Aoko: *huffs, but she's trying not to smile* You're the one squishing me, Bakaito! *leans back just as hard*
Kaito: *still leaning* No way! The reason the seat isn't big enough is because you're taking up all the space!
Aoko: Am not! *leans harder, almost shouldering him*
Kaito: *leans harder too, pushing her up against he wall but not squishing her*
Aoko: Kaito-!! *shoooves*
Kaito: *laughs and lets her shove him away*
Aoko: *sticks her tongue out at him* Idiot.
Kaito: *sticks his tongue out back* I'm a cute idiot.
Aoko: Maybe in your head. *but she leans comfortably against him*
Kaito: *his arm suddenly feels very idle at his side, but he isn't sure how she'd respond if he wrapped it around his shoulders, so he doesn't* Don't lie, you think I'm cute.
Aoko: Do not. *looking interestedly out the window now; they're almost at their stop*
Kaito: *a scoff* Do too. *peering out now* What are we doing down here?
Aoko: Do not. And I told you it's a secret. *rings the bell as they get to the right street downtown, and gives him a nudge to stand up*
Kaito: *stands up and gives her a look, but says nothing as he waits for her to exit into the aisle*
Aoko: *does so and hangs onto the poles as the bus comes to a stop, playfully swinging herself onto the steps for the back doors*
Kaito: *follows her at a hurried pace so she doesn't leave him behind, shivering against the cold as he steps back into the winter air* You look excited. *and there's a playful chuckle in his voice as he speaks*
Aoko: I like this place! *hops off the bus and folds her hands behind her back, still holding her bag, as she turns to an innocuous brick building tucked between two much larger shops. It's plain and easy to overlook, except for the brightly-coloured writing painted on the plate glass window, pronouncing it the Page Break cafe*
Kaito: *he peers at the writing on the window, noting that he doesn't remember this place at all for all the time he's been in Azumano. It looks interesting, though, and he follows her inside without a word*
Aoko: *lets out a content sigh at the warmth as they walk inside, tucking her hair behind her ears and letting her eyes adjust to the dimmer interior. It's actually two stories on the inside, with a winding staircase leading up to a partly recessed second floor that looks out onto the main floor and the barista counter. There are tables with cozy chairs and couches everywhere, and more importantly, there are stacks and stacks of books. It looks like someone crossed a library or a bookstore with a cafe, and nearly every patron is tucked in a comfortable corner with a novel or two. She turns to him with an unsure smile* Aoko likes coming here to do homework sometimes.
Kaito: *he lets out a low, impressed whistle at the inside of this place, filled the brim with novel upon novel and the smell of coffee beans. It quiet, almost like a library, and yet more inviting than one at the same time. He an see why she comes here to do homework-- there are people here, so she wouldn't feel completely alone. And at the same time, no one would disturb her* ... it's nice. *and he smiles at her warmly*
Aoko: *her unsure smile warms to match his, and she leads the way to the barista counter, not noticing the way the cashier's face lights up when she approaches-- and then darkens slightly when he spots Kaito* Do you want something to drink?
Kaito: *Kaito, however, does notice, and he arches an eyebrow inquiringly at him* Sure. Want me to get it? *as in 'want me to pay for yours, too?'*
Aoko: No, that's okay. *though she appreciates the gesture. The barista smiles politely at both of them as they approach and asks Aoko if she'll have her usual, which surprises her. She didn't think she came in here often enough to have a usual. Though it's true she usually has the same thing...* Um... yes, please.
Kaito: *and both of his eyebrows shoot up in surprise at that* Come here that often, Aoko? *it's slightly teasing*
Aoko: *frowns* I didn't think so... *but she's quickly served up exactly what she's ordered each time she's come in this winter-- an apple cider with cinnamon, nutmeg, and just a touch of vanilla. She blinks*
Kaito: *he peers at it* And you get that every time you're here?
Aoko: *nods and takes her drink, paying and moving out of the way so he can make his order* It tastes like apple pie and vanilla ice cream if you make it right!
Kaito: *oh damn it, she paid before he got the chance to step in and do it for her* You should try something different every so often. *and he orders a hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles*
Aoko: Like what? *takes a sip of hers*
Kaito: *takes his from the barista and nods at him in thanks, before he turns back to Aoko* Like this. *and he hands her the hot chocolate*
Aoko: *the barista nods politely enough, but his eyes are mostly on Aoko. She's still oblivious to it as she blinks and takes the hot chocolate, looking at it thoughtfully* Hmm. *that looks... very sugary. But she takes a sip, being careful not to scald her tongue. It seems they used Spanish chocolate, and she's surprised by the way the rich darkness offsets the whipped cream* ...It is pretty good. *she smiles at him, licking her lips; it's a little hard to drink around the whipped cream without getting it all over her mouth*
Kaito: *smiles widely at her, taking the cider from her hand as she sips his chocolate* Good! 'M glad you like it! *and he takes a gulp of her cider happily* You can have it, and we can officially say I bought you a drink. *he winks at her, in full view of the barista, before he wanders off to find a seat, fully expecting her to follow*
Aoko: *flushes, partly at the wink, and partly in embarrassment as she realizes what he just pulled on her* Hey-! Kaito!! *hurries after him* You can't just steal my cider! *>[*
Kaito: *sips at her cider again* I didn't steal it, I traded for it. *cheeky grin*
Aoko: You could have asked. *huffs, then looks at him curiously* ...What do you think?
Kaito: *licks his lips too, trying not to be distracted by the mental image of her doing so earlier* Tastes like apple pie.
Aoko: *smiles at that* Told you! *glances around and picks an empty couch in a corner with a good view of the rest of the cafe* Let's sit here!
Kaito: *follows her to said couch!*
Aoko: *puts the hot chocolate down so she can shed her coat, scooting behind the table and curling up in the deep cushions with a happy sigh*
Kaito: *does the same, draping his coat over the back of the couch and plopping down on the cushions comfortably. He scoots over toward her, purposely getting close, before he picks up his drink again*
Aoko: *amused smile as she reaches out and tugs on her scarf, still around his neck* You forgot something, silly.
Kaito: *blinks as she tugs her her scarf. He had forgotten it was even there. Oh well, he can totally play this off* Don't you know that wearing scarves indoors is considered 'cool' these days? *and yes he does know how absolutely ridiculous he sounds*
Aoko: *rolls her eyes* You made that up. *picks up her hot chocolate and takes a sip*
Kaito: *laughs and tugs at the scarf, draping it over her head when he pulls it off* How do you know?
Aoko: It's obvious, baka. *sticks her tongue out, trying not to giggle as she pulls the scarf off her head and tries to smooth her hair down again*
Kaito: *he just reaches out and musses it up again* How is it obvious?
Aoko: *ack-!* It just is! Stop that! *swats at him with her free hand*
Kaito: *avoids! Still laughing and grinning* You're cuter with your hair all frizzy!
Aoko: Do not! Cut that out! *puts her drink down so she can defend more effectively, making to muss his hair in retaliation*
Kaito: *griiins and he changes from mussing her hair to tickling~ And they're probably in full view of the barista too* Do too!
Aoko: *he'd better have put the cider down first. :| And they're in full view of everyone else, for that matter, as she squeaks and tries to simultaneously grab his hands and squirm out of the way* K-Kaito!!!
Kaito: *he did 8| And he doesn't give in! Going for the sensitive spots at her sides almost immediately*
Aoko: *lakfhalkfh going to bang into the table at this rate* Kaito, s-stop it!! *laughing uncontrollablyyyy. And desperately trying to tickle him back now, since dodging isn't working*
Kaito: *he's doing a pretty good job of not letting her tickle him back* Magic words, Aoko-chan~
Aoko: *which is not fair, btw. Ohjeez, so many people are staring at them now* N-no way!! *she is not saying please when he's being a jerk--alfhalfkahsf yelps at a very ticklish spot, practically doubled over in laughter now* P-please...! *damn him*
Kaito: *doesn't seem to care that people are staring at them~* Just one word, Aoko~!
Aoko: I-I just said it! *noooooo, mercy D:*
Kaito: Wrong word! *still tickling*
Aoko: *oh for-- she can't think of what it is when he's tickling her like that and she can't breathe* Kaito-!! *he is so getting a smack later. In fact, she's trying to kick him now*
Kaito: *oh fiiine if you're having problems breathing... he pulls away with a smug smirk*
Aoko: *aiiiiiiir. DX And he gets a weak whack on the shoulder, through a lingering bout of hiccups and giggles* Jerk.
Kaito: *laaaaaughing now*
Aoko: *....tickles him*
Kaito: *apdoifjpoaisdjfoiapsjdf scoots faaaaaaaaaar away from her*
Aoko: *pursues, still tickling!* Let's see how you like it! *evil griiiin*
Kaito: H-hey--! T-turnabout isn't f-fair play!
Aoko: Oh yes it is! *most of the other patrons are just shaking their heads and turning away now, though a few are laughing quietly at the pair* What's the magic word, Kai~to~? *grin grin grin*
Kaito: *ffffft laughing* A-abracadabra!
Aoko: *aha, so that was it. She should have known* Nope! *definitely going to get him back in full. Though she has a bit of an ulterior motive in that she's discovered that she really likes seeing him laughing*
Kaito: *which would make him beam if he knew. He's trying to push her hands away now* P-please? *fft still laughing*
Aoko: *lets up, finally satisfied, and sits back on the couch, at least as mussed as he is* Serves you right. *teasingly pokes his cheek*
Kaito: *trying to catch his breath now, still kinda laughing* ... meanie.
Aoko: *giggling at him* You started it! *starts combing out her hair with her fingers and straightening her clothes*
Kaito: *starts doing the same* Only because I said you were cute when you were all mussed up. *and she really is*
Aoko: You started it when you started messing up my hair! *blushes and lets out a 'whew' as her heart finally resumes a sedate pace, squirming back into the cushions and picking up her hot chocolate once again. She came here to do homework, but now she's completely forgotten about it*
Kaito: *scoots up next to her again, picking up his cider. He quirks an eyebrow at her, but says nothing*
Aoko: *sees that eyebrow* What? *siiiip*
Kaito: *siiip* Nothing. *she's just really friggin' adorable right now, and he could watch her for aaages*
Aoko: *does not easily pick up on that sort of thing, if the poor barista is any indication. She gives him a suspicious look but lets it drop, happily drinking her chocolate~ Though that whipped cream really does keep getting everywhere. She should have stirred it in first or something*
Kaito: *watches her for a few more moments, his gaze dropping to her mouth as she sips the hot chocolate, and he sighs*
Aoko: *blinks at him. First the eyebrow, now sighing?* Is everything okay?
Kaito: *shakes his head* 'Course it is. *and he finally looks away and sip at his own cider*
Aoko: *peeeeeers at him* You're acting weird. *it's a bit of a surprise to her that she knows him well enough by now to tell that*
Kaito: No 'm not. *tilts his head back for another gulp of cider. Pause* Y'know that guy at the counter likes you.
Aoko: *frowns; he's changing the subje-- wait what?* E-ehh? *is clearly surprised by this bit of news, and she glances over at the counter, trying to figure out which one he's referring to*
Kaito: *he's still sipping his cider, looking over at the counter out of the corner of his eye* The one that served us. He knew your usual order.
Aoko: *frowns more* Y-yeah, but...
Kaito: You said yourself you didn't think you came her often. *siiiip* So he's been paying special attention to you.
Aoko: *feels guilty that she didn't notice. D:* O-oh... *he glances at the barista again, quick and shy, but it's an uncertain and nervous look rather than an interested one. He's nice, from what she knows of him, but she's never had a near-stranger show an interest in her before. ...Well. Aside from Kaito*
Kaito: *He's trying not to show exactly how irritated the fact that someone else is interested in her makes him. It's not like he has any claim on her whatsoever, but... he tried pretty darn hard to get her to even be his friend, and he isn't about to give up on more than that just yet* Would you say yes if he asked you to dinner?
Aoko: *shoots him an annoyed look, half-thinking that he's asking it just to be obnoxious* I don't think that's any of your business.
Kaito: *shrugs* I'm just curious
Aoko: *siiiighs and takes a sip* ...no. *though she'd feel kind of bad about it*
Kaito: *... he relaxes a bit, pleased with that answer. His mug hides his grin*
Aoko: *which is a good thing for him. She shoots him another suspicious look*
Kaito: *he peers at her* What?
Aoko: ...Nothing. *siiiips, frowning again at the counter* ....You're sure he...? *maybe he's just really good at remembering orders*
Kaito: *nods* I'm positive.
Aoko: How do you know?
Kaito: *leans back, looking thoughtful* When a guy likes you, you can tell. He smiles a lot, compliments you a lot, remembers little details about you... *grin* Has he complimented you yet?
Aoko: *blushes and shakes her head* N-no... *pauses* ...He does always say goodbye when I leave, though... *she'd never paid much thought to it before, but now that she thinks about it, she hasn't seen any of the other employees doing that*
Kaito: That's a hint, right there. *siiip* He pays a lot of attention to you. He's probably trying to muster up the courage to ask you your name.
Aoko: *flushes redder* Oh. *...well, this is going to be awkward, then. She doesn't want to hurt his feelings, but* W-what should I do? *she knows what Keiko would say, but she's not particularly interested in dating a boy she hardly knows. If he wants to be friends, that's fine with her, but she isn't sure if she should wait until he tries to ask her out, or approach him first, or...*
Kaito: *tapping the side of his mug thoughtfully* Be honest with him if he does ask.
Aoko: And wait until he does?
Kaito: *a nod* Though you might want to send subtle signals that you're not interested. *cheeky grin* Me being here might help with that!
Aoko: *flushes again* Baka. You're not my boyfriend. *quite deliberately turns her attention to her drink, except now she's thinking about all those signals he listed before. Kaito's complimented her quite a bit, and smiles at her a lot... but he's like that with all girls, she reminds herself quickly. He's like that on heists all the time, she's seen it. And at school... well, okay, not so much at school, but still*
Kaito: *He really shouldn't let that sting as much as it does. Casually, he drains the last of his cider* No, but he might think I am. *And yes, he did deliberately leave those hints for her to pick up on*
Aoko: *mutters* Keiko sure did. *her friend isn't going to leave her alone about that for weeks, she's sure, even though Kaito isn't anything more than a friend. A very, very good friend, granted... one who's kept her company in all kinds of weather, and taken care of her when she was sick, and made her laugh with his magic tricks... and really, that means a lot more to her than any kind of compliment*
Kaito: *He puts his mug down on the table and turns to face her, grinning brightly* See? Sounds like your problem is basically solved.
Aoko: Not yet it isn't. *but she relaxes slightly, peering at the bottom of her mug and then holding it out to him* Do you want to finish it? *since she got a sip of her cider but he didn't get any chocolate*
Kaito: *blink blink* You sure? I finished your cider.
Aoko: *nods* I got to drink some cider but you didn't get any hot chocolate.
Kaito: *grins at her, before taking the cup and draining the last of the hot chocolate*
Aoko: *wriggles to get comfortable against the couch cushions, then suddenly remembers that she came here to do homework. She was so busy talking to Kaito that she'd completely forgot* Oh, shoot. *pulls her bag over and starts rummaging through it for her books and paper*
Kaito: *places the now-empty mug next to his own and settles in close to her* What do you have to do?
Aoko: Math and a bit of English. *pulls out her books and sets them on the table; Math she'll be able to get through quickly, at least* ...And some Art History. *right, they have that essay due at the end of the week DX*
Kaito: *leans forward* Need any help?
Aoko: Maybe with History. *looks at him, tapping the end of her pencil thoughtfully against her chin* Do you have anything to do? *it's his first day of an end-semester transfer, there must be something*
Kaito: *shakes his head* No. That's why I'm offering to help.
Aoko: *staaares* You finished it all already?
Kaito: *blinks* Me? No way! I just don't have to do it right now!
Aoko: *frowns* How much do you have to do? *cracks open her Math book and starts numbering a spare sheet of paper with the questions*
Kaito: Just some math and a little bit of English. I get a break on that essay since I'm a transfer student~ *she could probably hear the tilde in his voice*
Aoko: *she does, and it makes her roll her eyes* Figures. *there's a pause while she gets started on that first question, then asks* Don't you have a lot to catch up on, though?
Kaito: I'm at least one year ahead. *watches her work, checking for any mistakes* Home schooled by the best my mom could buy.
Aoko: *blinks at him in surprise, pencil stilling* Then why are you in our year?
Kaito: *shrugs* I'm only 17!
Aoko: But if you're that smart, they should have put you in the advanced class. *unless he deliberately fudged some questions on the aptitude test or something*
Kaito: *waves his hand* Well, they didn't.
Aoko: Won't the homework be boring for you? *turns back to the next question, though she's still glancing at him*
Kaito: Homework's always boring for me. *still watching her*
Aoko: *huffs* Of course. *okay, going to get serious about this calculus now*
Kaito: *waaaaaatching still*
Aoko: *is either oblivious or doesn't mind at all; either way she doesn't mention it. She gets through the math quickly enough, and slides the book aside to pick up her English, pausing to smile at him* Want to get some refills? *since they'll be here a little while longer*
Kaito: *Is impressed with how intelligent she is when it comes to math, and a little relieved she didn't pick up on the fact that he didn't skip a year ahead because he wanted to be in the same class with her. He grins* Sure! I'll pay this time!
Aoko: Baka, you don't have to. *gets up and grabs her extra mug* This time you can get hot chocolate and I can have my cider. *smiles teasingly at him*
Kaito: *takes her mug, or at least tries to* I want to. It's not a big deal. *grins right back*
Aoko: *fixes him with a firm look* If you pay this time, you have to let Aoko pay next time. *because she doesn't like mooching off her friends, even the ones who have money*
Kaito: *rolls his eyes* Yeah yeah, deal. *and he honestly doesn't mind this one bit*
Aoko: *at least it ensures that there will definitely be a next time, if only so she can pay him back* Fine. *nods and lets go of her mug*
Kaito: *takes it and heads toward the barista counter happily. Now that guy is definitely going to think he is her boyfriend*
Aoko: *men. Meanwhile, she curls back up with her book and papers on her knees, content and comfortable as she quietly sings along to the radio tune playing over the cafe's speakers*
Kaito: *returns with a mug of hot chocolate for him and one of cider for her. He hands her the cider and plops down next to her*
Aoko: *yay, cider! She beams at him* Thank you!
Kaito: You're welcome. *takes a gulp of his hot chocolate and leans on her shoulder to see what she is working on*
Aoko: *conjugation. :| She's been doing pretty well so far, but she's already made small mistakes on one or two questions without realizing it* *sips her hot cider, rolling the taste around her tongue as she answers the next question*
Kaito: *lifts a hand to point it out to her* You missed that one.
Aoko: *gdit. Frowns at it* It's not plural?
Kaito: *shakes his head* Not this time. 'Ran' can be used for the plural or singular, but in this case the proper pronoun is 'he,' not 'they.' *pointing this out to her helpfully, for once not being smug or condescending about it*
Aoko: Oh! *she appreciates it, and he's rewarded with the fact that you can practically hear the lightbulb going on in the tone of her voice. She quickly erases and corrects her answer* I see now. *smiles in satisfaction*
Kaito: *nods* Fix that one too, it's the same principle.
Aoko: Right. *does so* This one too? *points to a question she hasn't gotten to yet*
Kaito: *grins* See if you can answer it on your own first. *... btw sometimes during this, he started resting his chin on her shoulder*
Aoko: Okay, okay. *she very much noticed, and an equally noticeable pink has risen to her cheeks, but she doesn't physically shake him off* Kaito... *she doesn't mind him just leaning on her, but that's a little close (even though it's comfortable, and she isn't going to think about that part. When did she become so relaxed about him touching her?)*
Kaito: *he doesn't quite notice the hesitant tone in her voice as he waits for her to answer the question* What? You don't get it?
Aoko: *blushes deeper; he's got to be doing that on purpose* You're on my shoulder. *shrugs gently to emphasize her point*
Kaito: *blinks at her. He was very conscious of his move to rest on her shoulder, and he was somewhat hoping she either wouldn't notice and wouldn't mind. He hesitates a bit, before asking* ... do you want me to move?
Aoko: It's kind of making it hard to write. *which is true*
Kaito: S-sorry. *he can't quite hide the stammer in his voice as he pulls back, a small embarrassed flush spreading across his cheeks. He always feels so strange with her-- at times, he's positive he's getting somewhere. And then at times he feels like he's just hitting brick wall after brick wall. Right now is one of those latter times* But you get it, right?
Aoko: Y-yeah. *suddenly she feels bad for shrugging him away-- she'd thought he was just being flirtatious, but the stammer makes her think again. To make up for it, she tentatively leans back against his side, not letting him pull away entirely. She does enjoy the warmth and his presence, after all. Maybe a bit more than she should*
Kaito: *the gesture is somewhat reassuring, and he can't help but grin softly. He does that a lot when he's around her, he finds. And he really likes it* Go ahead and answer then, silly.
Aoko: I am! *pouts and answers the question, hesitating a little bit -- and not because she's having trouble with the answer so much as she's having trouble with the thoughts running through her head. Every time she thinks she knows where she stands with the boy next to her, he does something that makes her heart flip-flop, and it's getting very confusing. She'll think he's joking and it'll turn out he's being serious, she'll think he's poking fun at her and it turns out he was only trying to help, she thinks he's only showing her a magic trick and he kisses her... she started out thinking he was shallow, and he's turning out to be deeper than she ever imagined. And she isn't sure what to do about it*
Kaito: *he watches her hesitate, and quirks an eyebrow* Something wrong?
Aoko: *shakes her head* I've got it. *she reluctantly turns her attention back to her homework. Maybe she can try to sort out her thoughts later, when he isn't right there distracting her*
Kaito: *lets out another sigh, barely audible, and watches her work*
Aoko: *works! Nibbling on the end of her pencil occasionally when something stumps her, almost completely forgetting her cider*
Kaito: *slowly sips at his hot chocolate as he watches her, pointing out her mistakes (which are few) as she goes. He's physically restraining himself from wrapping his free arm around her waist and pulling her further back into him. That gesture probably wouldn't be appreciated*
Aoko: *she is curled quite comfortably against his side, at least, especially once she toes off her shoes so she can tuck her legs beneath her on the couch. And now English is done! She breathes out a sigh of relief and decides to take a brief drink break before she picks up her Art History, cradling the warm mug in her hands* There. *mmm, cider*
Kaito: *it's entirely too comfortable, sitting like this. Their drinks are warm, and so is the atmosphere around them, and for a moment he can almost forget that they're even in public. He likes this, too much for his own good he thinks, and he kinda wishes things could be like this all the time. With... maybe a few changes, like his arm slung around her shoulders as she curls up to him even more, but he hasn't given up on that possibility yet* What do you have to do for art history?
Aoko: It's an essay on the Cultural Revolution. *which he should know the intimate details about, not that she knows that. She doesn't even know what part her family played in it* I have a bit of an outline done, but it's hard to find information on it. *frowns at her notes as if it's their fault*
Kaito: *his ears perk at the topic and he grins* Need help? I know a lot about the Cultural Revolution.
Aoko: *blinks at him* You do? *...though she supposes it makes sense, given his night job*
Kaito: *nods* Wanna hear about it?
Aoko: Yes please! *smiles*
Kaito: *and insert seemingly wildly fanciful story about the cultural revolution here, saying no names and still managing to remain very vague*
Aoko: *...yeah, not very impressed, sry 2 say* ...That didn't explain anything. *B|*
Kaito: *cheeky grin* Of course it did!
Aoko: No it didn't! You didn't give any details at all! *she's not sure he'd count as a source reference anyway, orz*
Kaito: *laughing* You just didn't pay attention!
Aoko: I did so! *she even took notes, disconnected as they are :|*
Kaito: *fffft* If you really had you wouldn't say it didn't explain anything.
Aoko: Or you just don't make any sense. *B|*
Kaito: *eyeroll* Take it as you will! *will always be vague*
Aoko: *will always be annoyed with him for it, even if she figures it out* *huffs and gets to her feet, putting down her cider* If you aren't going to be any help, then you can come help Aoko find books for it instead. *grabs him by the wrist, fully intent on dragging him over to the book stacks*
Kaito: *yelps as she pulls him off the couch and onto his feet* Fine, fine! *doesn't mind this at all*
Aoko: *over to the History section first, which is on the second floor~ Tugs him along up the stairs*
Kaito: *doesn't pull his wrist away or resist at all, actually, though he's tempted to somehow slide his hand into hers. He's been tempted to do a lot of things during this meeting*
Aoko: *she's sorry for sending so many mixed signals :<*
Kaito: *it's okay 8| It just. Confuses him*
Aoko: *well that makes two of them. :| Browsing the bookshelves now*
Kaito: *You more then he B| He's being pretty straightforward. Also helping!*
Aoko: *well his conflicting loyalties with his father are less complicated :| Picks out a few titles~*
Kaito: *He's still being straightforward 8| Picking out some too*
Aoko: *she doesn't know what is straightforward for her right now okay :|* *that should be enough history books* Let's try the art section too. *heads back down the stairs, arms full of books~*
Kaito: *holds his books too, humming a bit as he follows~*
Aoko: *art section is under the second floor, by the barista counter. She puts down the history books so she can browse more easily. He may notice that she's going a bit slower this time, pausing over pictures of paintings or sculptures that she likes or is impressed by*
Kaito: *he notices* You really like art, don't you?
Aoko: *jumps in surprise and blinks at him* Yeah... *smiles softly, running her fingers over a photograph of a glass sculpture of a bird, all translucent and crystalline* It's amazing the kinds of beautiful things people can create sometimes.
Kaito: *peering at the picture over her shoulder* Do you want to be a professional artist?
Aoko: *pauses, then nods* Yeah. *bright bright smile at him* It's hard sometimes, but I really like drawing.
Kaito: You're really good at it too. *but he won't bring up the fact that he's been through her sketchbooks and some of her paintings*
Aoko: *blushes modestly* I still need a lot of practice. *still smiling* But thank you.
Kaito: *grin* You're welcome.
Aoko: *puts the book back, since it doesn't have anything useful, and pulls out another one* ...Aoko still thinks you could be a professional magician. *glances at him*
Kaito: *he's sifting through the books too, picking out ones that he knows for a fact will be helpful (and some that he thinks she might like just because the of the artists featured in them)* Dunno if Mom or Dad would like that. *sheepish laugh*
Aoko: You shouldn't let that stop you if that's what you really want to do! *but to be fair, she knows that's easier said than done*
Kaito: *a nod. He's actually entertained the idea heavily, and it's something he can envision himself doing too. But he will always have to steal-- it's part of his bloodline at this point*
Aoko: *lapses into uncomfortable silence. Some part of her is slowly coming to accept that, and she doesn't like it at all* ...I think we have enough. *picks up her share of books with an oof*
Kaito: *helps* I think we have more than enough.
Aoko: *giggles at that, hauling them away to their table~*
Kaito: *helping~ Hardly noticing the stares he's getting from the barista that likes her*
Aoko: *not noticing at all orz*
Kaito: *whups. Plops down on the couch again and props open some books* What time do you have to be home? *Because they've been there a while and it's beginning to get late*
Aoko: *glances out the window, where it's already gotten pretty dark, then at her watch, and relaxes slightly* An hour and a half, but I have to leave in an hour to catch the bus. *hmm, definitely not going to finish all these books, but she just as definitely doesn't have enough money to buy all of them either. She sighs and pulls over one of the books he's opened, careful not to knock over their drinks* I'll have to come back tomorrow to finish these.
Kaito: I could come and help. *He's enjoyed this afternoon far far too much not to ask*
Aoko: *starts to ask whether he wouldn't be busy with his own homework, then remembers that he already said he's ahead a year* ...Okay. *it is faster working with help, after all. And while she rarely feels alone at the café, somehow she feels even less so with Kaito around*
Kaito: *is very pleased she said yes, and he peers over her shoulder at the book she opened* Alright, maybe if you start here... *and then he proceeds to help her with her research |D*
Aoko: *going to try to cram as many notes as she can into an hour. Which is a lot; she's fairly fast at researching*
Kaito: *will help with that so she'll have twice as many :3b*
Aoko: *should have more than enough to start on her first rough draft tomorrow \o/*
Kaito: *whoo!*
Aoko: *not moving away if he inches closer, either. So long as he doesn't obstruct her furious writing |D*
Kaito: *he has been inching closer the entire time |D As close as he can get without obstructing her writing, actually*
Aoko: *that's perfect, then. And ffft she's so distracted that she accidentally takes a drink of his hot chocolate instead of her cider, not realizing her mistake until she tastes it*
Kaito: *he laughs* Oi! That was mine!
Aoko: It was an accident! *looks a bit guilty as she hands it back to him, sliding him her cider as well* Here. *he can have a sip to make up for it :|*
Kaito: *shakes his head* You don't think I care, do you?
Aoko: Fair is still fair. *:|*
Kaito: *eyes her, but takes a sip of her cider anyway, not tearing his gaze away from her expression*
Aoko: *flushes at the staring* W-what?
Kaito: *puts down her mug* Nothing!
Aoko: It was something! *takes back her mug* You were staring!
Kaito: I was not staring! *though he knows he was*
Aoko: You were so!
Kaito: *eyebrow* Do you want me to be staring?
Aoko: W-why would I want that? *stop making her blush DX*
Kaito: *but he likes it when she blushes >:* Dunno! You tell me.
Aoko: *it's embarrassing DDX* Well I don't! *except she doesn't sound nearly as convinced as she would have liked*
Kaito: *eyebrow again*
Aoko: *glaaares back*
Kaito: Don't you need to finish taking notes?
Aoko: *eeps and hurriedly turns back to them, and after a few moments of scribbling belatedly retorts* You're the one who distracted me!
Kaito: What did I do to distract you? You're the one who drank my hot chocolate!
Aoko: *...point* You started staring at me!
Kaito: I was just taking a sip of your cider. *>|*
Aoko: You were staring. *she knows he was, don't try to argue with her >[*
Kaito: Was not. *>|*
Aoko: Were too. *still taking notes while she argues btw*
Kaito: Was not. *still watching*
Aoko: Were too!
Kaito: Homework, Aoko. *taps her notes*
Aoko: I'm working on it! *grumps*
Kaito: *griiins and continues to watch*
Aoko: *grumps more, still writing*
Kaito: *yawns and scratches his head lazily as he interjects here and there*
Aoko: *glancing at her watch occasionally; she'll have to be careful not to miss her bus, and they still have to put the books away*
Kaito: *doing homework with her is surprisingly relaxing jsyk*
Aoko: *is finding it much less stressful than usual, too >>*
Kaito: *good :|b*
Aoko: *sets aside the books they've already gone through so they'll be faster to put away*
Kaito: *that hour and a half really flies by while they're working, and he's too engaged in what they're doing to even bother to notice the flow of time*
Aoko: *is as well, forgetting to check her watch again until some time later. And then she eeps-- her bus is going to be here any minute* I'm gonna be late! *FLURRY OF ACTIVITY IS A GO. Namely stuffing her notes in her bag and gathering up the books to put away*
Kaito: *it almost takes him off guard, but as soon as she begins putting things away, he reaches over to help to make it go faster. He doesn't want her to miss her bus, after all*
Aoko: Can you take these ones? *pushes the art books in his direction and grabs the history books herself, running them back up to the second floor*
Kaito: *apoidjfa takes the books, almost fumbling and dropping them, as he watches her take off upstairs. He rolls his eyes, before he heads over to the art section and proceeds to put the books away*
Aoko: *doing her best not to knock into any other patrons as she quickly puts the books away and races back downstairs, throwing on her coat. :< The cider will have to come with her*
Kaito: *finishes putting the books up and heads back over to the couch* O-oi, it's not the worst thing in the world if you miss your bus! *grabbing his coat and her scarf to put them on, too*
Aoko: If I miss it I won't have enough time to make dinner before Dad gets home! *she's already pushed her time to the absolute limit; usually she leaves the café earlier than this. Still, she stops to glance at her watch again, and relaxes slightly. Cleaning up didn't take nearly as long as she expected, mostly thanks to Kaito's help, so they have a few extra minutes*
Kaito: *he finishes buttoning up his jacket and loops her scarf around his neck, completely forgetting that it was hers in the first place. He grabs her bag along with his and hands it to her* Then let's hurry.
Aoko: *nods and quickly does up her own coat before taking her bag from him and smiling gratefully* Thanks. *grabs her cider and away they go!* The stop's across the street and a little further down.
Kaito: *he takes his hot chocolate and follows, shivering a bit as they step outside into the crisp December air* How long is the bus ride?
Aoko: Maybe twenty minutes? *Azumano isn't huge, but she's still out on the outskirts of the town* If the traffic isn't too bad, anyway... *drinks her cider as they walk~ And o hay, the barista guy didn't say goodbye to her today. She glances back at the café door in surprise*
Kaito: *he notices* Did you forget something?
Aoko: *shakes her head and keeps walking* The guy at the counter didn't say goodbye today...
Kaito: *he sips at his hot chocolate to hide his grin* Imagine that.
Aoko: *gives him a look* You didn't say anything funny to him when you went to get the refills, did you?
Kaito: *gives her a look* I didn't say anything to him!
Aoko: You'd better not have! *looong look, then lets it drop. It's not like she'd be particularly upset if the barista guy gave up on her, but... she still can't help but feel the slightest bit guilty*
Kaito: *really didn't say anything to him. He's pretty sure buying her drinks was enough. And they weren't exactly hidden in that corner, and everyone saw him tickling her, so...* Cross my heart, Aoko!
Aoko: Fine. *grumps. And here's her stop*
Kaito: *and he stops to wait with her. Looks like they beat the bus after all. This one isn't exactly the one he needs to take to get back home, but he doesn't mind going out of his way for her*
Aoko: *curls her hands around the fading heat of her cider* Which bus do you have to take?
Kaito: *shrugs* Not this one.
Aoko: *raises an eyebrow* That didn't answer my question.
Kaito: *grin* Sure it did.
Aoko: Did not.
Kaito: Did too.
Aoko: Did not!
Kaito: Did too!
Aoko: Did not!
Kaito: Did too! *and that is the bus pulling up!*
Aoko: *oh gdit* Kaito...
Kaito: *cheeky grin* Yes~?
Aoko: *huffs* Oh, never mind! *she knows he's just going to follow her anyway. >[ Gets on the bus and pays her fare*
Kaito: *follows and pays his~ Taking a seat next to her again. It's darker despite the bus lights, and there are fewer people on than there were this afternoon*
Aoko: *comes into the classroom straight from the locker area, chatting amiably with Keiko the whole way about this and that. She isn't completely focused on the conversation, however. Her mind's been rather occupied lately with figuring out that puzzle that is one Kaito Mousy-ShinRa, and all the strange places he keeps taking her to and things that he keeps telling her. She's started keeping a list in her diary, writing down everything that she can remember, but it still doesn't seem to make any sense, and she knows that she's missing something.
Keiko doesn't seem to notice her slight distraction, at least, and the conversation between the two girls continues as they take their seats among the other milling students. It's oddly normal, after everything she's been through lately*
Kaito: *If Aoko is paying attention, she might notice that the people already in the classroom aren't sitting at their desks. In fact, they seem to all be gathered around a desk in the corner of the back of the room. Whatever is back there sure is catching the attention of the entire class, and the room is filled with the excited murmurings of a bunch of students and a few 'oohs' and 'aahs' from some of the girls.
Too bad the students are obscuring whatever it is they're looking at. But whatever it is, it has to be worth checking out. Right, Aoko?*
Aoko: *well, even if she hadn't noticed, Keiko would have, and both of the girls turn to look at the commotion in the back* What's going on back there? *Keiko predictably declares that they should find out and drags Aoko after her, stumbling and protesting* Hey-! Keiko-chan!
Kaito: *and, of course, if Keiko manages to push her way through the crowd of people, Aoko might find one familiar mop-headed magician shuffling a deck of cards and wowing the crowd with a few magic tricks. He motions for a girl to lean forward and pick a card, which she does and replaced back on the deck. He shuffles, all the while talking to her and smiling charmingly, before he indicates she should check her skirt pockets. The girl does so, and there's a collective wow as she pulls out the exact same card she had chosen from his deck earlier.
He really does know how to charm an audience*
Aoko: *stops dead, due both to seeing him in general and seeing him performing the very first trick he'd ever shown her. She knew in her head that he was going to start attending her school, but actually seeing him here, without any warning and fitting in as if he'd been there his whole life-- it's more than a bit of a surprise, and she's left with her mouth hanging open* K-Kaito...
Kaito: *he glances up from his deck of cards and flashes Aoko the most smug grin he can manage* Oi, Aoko~ Nice to see you here!
Aoko: *she doesn't have time to be infuriated by it, still trying to get over her surprise even as all their classmates start to whisper and murmur at the familiarity between the two* W-when did you get accepted?
Kaito: *he tosses a card into the air, where it turns into a red rose with a puff of smoke. There are more oohs as he catches it and immediately hands it to Aoko* Yesterday~ Today's my first day!
Aoko: *takes it, blinking, and finally her brows furrow* Baka, you could have told me! *but she doesn't get the chance to say anything more, as Keiko (and just about everyone else) starts crowding in, bombarding her with questions about when she met Kaito and how and what was she doing hiding him away all this time...*
Kaito: *he's still grinning in that oh-so-very smug manner as the students begin to ask Aoko all of these questions. Luckily for the girl, she's given a reprieve when their teacher finally walks into the room. The crowd begins to disperse, and Kaito leaps off of the desk and heads toward the front of the room to be introduced properly*
Aoko: *more than grateful for the reprieve, especially since she isn't really sure how to answer half those questions. She scurries back to her seat and cuts off Keiko's stream of questions with a sharp, pointed glare, barely registering Kaito's introduction as she carefully stows the rose away in her desk*
Kaito: *His grin widens as he's introduced, and with the manners of a perfectly raised Japanese boy, he bows* Please treat me well! *he stands up straight and bounds over to the desk pointed out to him by his teacher-- the one right next to Aoko*
Aoko: *is not going to give him the pleasure of seeing her blush, although it's certainly difficult. Why didn't she realize that he'd pick the desk next to her? It wasn't even empty last week-- Tanaka-san got transferred out all of the sudden in the middle of the term, which almost never happens, and she she casts him a sideways look, unable to help wondering all of the sudden whether he had something to do with that. Not that she suspects anything malicious, but it seems a little too convenient...*
Kaito: *ahaha well, he certainly wasn't responsible for any mid-year transfers. Then again, he was an incredibly lucky person. He grinned back at her as she shot him a furtive glance, and as the teacher instructed them to pull out their text books he leaned over to whisper at her* Does this mean we get to pass notes during class?
Aoko: *rolls her eyes and whispers back* Baka, you'd better not get me in trouble! *but she's smiling. Just a bit*
Kaito: *which is a good sign, and his grin widens* Me? Get you in trouble. *a low chuckle* Aoko, I never get caught.
Aoko: No, you'll just get me caught instead. *scoffs, teasingly, and opens her textbook to the proper page*
Kaito: *rolls his eyes and turns back to his textbook*
Aoko: *finds his presence next to her oddly comforting, and the day practically flies by. He doesn't need any help catching up at all, with his smarts -- he's actually ahead of more than half of the class -- and lunch is just a repeat of this morning's sudden burst of popularity. Aoko bears it graciously, ignoring the students who try to pepper her with questions while she gets out her bento*
Kaito: *this school is much easier than the private tutors he was given back at home-- which, considering who his mother was, isn't really surprising at all. He's actually a whole year ahead of the class, but there's no reason to take advantage of that. He's at this school for a reason, after all, and that reason happens to be a second year high schooler. By the end of the day, he's already made a few new friends and is packing up his book bag to head home* Your school isn't so bad.
Aoko: *does the same, snorting at his understatement. Even she can tell he was enjoying himself* Baka, of course it isn't. *gives him an unsure smile* You made a lot of friends already. *not that she should have expected anything less, in retrospect*
Kaito: *snaps his bag shut and slings it over his shoulder, turning toward her with a cheeky grin* That's because you have some pretty welcoming classmates.
Aoko: *picks hers up by the handle and heads for the door* You're just good at attracting audiences. *it's a half-compliment, part-teasing*
Kaito: *following her~* I'm a magician, I have to be! It comes with the territory.
Aoko: You should put on a show for the school festival. It's coming up soon. *and she thinks it would be a far better use of his magic than using it on heists*
Kaito: *cheeky grin* Will I get compensated for my efforts? *mostly joking*
Aoko: You'll get more fangirls. *completely deadpan. |D And she opens up her locker and starts getting out her shoes and coat*
Kaito: *stops and watches her get her items from her locker, laughing* I think I already converted some new fangirls.
Aoko: *rolls her eyes, putting on her sneakers* I'm not surprised.
Kaito: *watching her as he balances on the balls of his feet* I'm just a people person, Aoko-chan. *another pause* What do you usually do after school?
Aoko: Umm... *looks sideways at him as she shrugs on her coat* It depends...
Kaito: *quirks an eyebrow at her* On what?
Aoko: Sometimes I go to Keiko-chan's, or out with friends. *though that isn't very often* Or somewhere to do homework.
Kaito: Out with friends, huh. *it's not a question, it's a statement* Oi, why don't you show me around Azumano, then? *not that he really needs it. He knows the city almost like he does the back of his hand*
Aoko: Don't you know where everything is already? *wraps a colourful scarf around her neck; it's been getting really cold out lately. It's due to start snowing any day now*
Kaito: I know where it is. *he acknowledges this with no problem* I don't know where the fun places to hang out are.
Aoko: *picks up her bag and hesitates* I don't know if you'd really call them fun. *not the places that she hangs out, anyway*
Kaito: *waving his hand* That's for me to decide, right? *grin* C'mon, Aoko, if you don't have anything better to do, let me tag along!
Aoko: *frowns at him and closes her locker* I've got homework to do, you know!
Kaito: I'm not going to take up the rest of the day, just the afternoon. *flat look*
Aoko: I still have to go home and make supper for Dad, remember. *flat look right back*
Kaito: Just a little tour! C'mon, Aoko, couldn't hurt! *pulling his stuff out of his locker now and slipping on his jacket*
Aoko: *waits for him to finish before heading out the main doors* If you really want a tour, you're going to have to wait for the weekend. *she honestly doesn't have enough time today. She was planning to do some homework at one of her favourite haunts, then go home to make supper*
Kaito: Why? *he asks it curiously, almost like an innocent child who doesn't quite know how the world works* Why put off what you can do today till tomorrow?
Aoko: *huffs* I can't do it today! I told you, I have homework and have to make supper-- *anything else she might have said is cut off by an eep as they step out the doors and are suddenly buffeted by the sharp winter wind*
Kaito: *he shoves one hand into the pocket of his jacket as he braces himself against he cold, shoulders squaring tensely* C'mon, just an hour! I promise it won't be that long! *gdit, he wants to spend more time with her*
Aoko: *frowns behind her scarf, and sighs* You can come if you want, but I'm really just going to do homework. *makes for the bus stop~*
Kaito: *follows~* I can do it with you! *not that... he really needs help*
Aoko: Okay, okay! *peers at the schedule to see when the bus is coming*
Kaito: *waaaaits with a grin. Plan = success!*
Aoko: *mutters* Baka. *glances at him* Are you cold? *that jacket doesn't look very warm*
Kaito: *shakes his head* Not really. It gets pretty cold in Gaia. I'm used to it.
Aoko: *tilts her head to one side* How cold?
Kaito: *shivers a bit, but he shrugs it off* A good twenty degrees colder than this, at least.
Aoko: *notices the shiver and frowns* You're still shivering!
Kaito: *flat look* Anyone would shiver in the cold!
Aoko: It's because you're wearing such a light jacket! *her coat is nice and warm and has a high collar, so she takes off her scarf and hooks it around his neck* Here.
Kaito: *he opens his mouth to protest, but before he can she's wrapping her scarf around his neck, and he's fighting off a surprised blush* I-I'm fine!
Aoko: Just take it, idiot. *clutches her bag to her chest and tries to warm her hands. Barely ten minutes outside and they're already going numb. She'll have to remember to bring her gloves tomorrow*
Kaito: *he hesitates, before he brings his free hand up to pull the scarf tighter around his neck. He watches her as she attempts to warm her hand, and he's struck with the urge to reach out and do it for her. But she's hit him for that, wouldn't she?* Need help?
Aoko: I-I'm fine.
Kaito: You sure? *when he's done adjusting his scarf, he reaches out half way, but doesn't quite grab her hands* I don't have any gloves either.
Aoko: *hesitates as well, then reaches out and takes the end of the scarf, wrapping it around her hands and his* How about this?
Kaito: *bliiiiinks at the way she wrapped the scarf around their hands, both of their palms pressed together snugly, and that blush he was fighting off earlier comes in full force. He grins* Better.
Aoko: *smiles shyly back, aaaand just then the bus pulls up next to them*
Kaito: *... which means it's time to pull away, right? He does so in disappointment and allows Aoko to board the bus first*
Aoko: *quickly disentangles her hands, blushing just as redly as he was, and does so, dropping in her fare and sighing happily at being able to get out of the wind*
Kaito: *follows suit, depositing the appropriate amount of change into the coin collector and following her toward the back of the bus*
Aoko: *finds an empty seat and sits up against the window so she can see where to get off~*
Kaito: *sits down next to her, scooting over a bit so his arm is brushing against hers* So where are we going?
Aoko: It's a secret! *if he's going to demand to be let along, then she's going to have fun teasing him*
Kaito: *scooting closer again, teasingly* A secret? C'mon, Aoko, secrets aren't fun unless they're shared!
Aoko: If they're shared they aren't secrets! *makes a face at him as the bus pulls out*
Kaito: *makes a face back* They're a secret if they're shared between two people~
Aoko: I'm still not telling you. *folds her arms. Hmph*
Kaito: *pokes her cheek* C'mon, Aoko, why not?
Aoko: Because! *swats at his hand*
Kaito: *moves his hand, but pokes her cheek again when she stops* Because isn't a good answer~
Aoko: *swats again* Is so! Stop that!
Kaito: *stops poking her, but is leaning against her now* Geez, Aoko, you're taking up the entire seat.
Aoko: *huffs, but she's trying not to smile* You're the one squishing me, Bakaito! *leans back just as hard*
Kaito: *still leaning* No way! The reason the seat isn't big enough is because you're taking up all the space!
Aoko: Am not! *leans harder, almost shouldering him*
Kaito: *leans harder too, pushing her up against he wall but not squishing her*
Aoko: Kaito-!! *shoooves*
Kaito: *laughs and lets her shove him away*
Aoko: *sticks her tongue out at him* Idiot.
Kaito: *sticks his tongue out back* I'm a cute idiot.
Aoko: Maybe in your head. *but she leans comfortably against him*
Kaito: *his arm suddenly feels very idle at his side, but he isn't sure how she'd respond if he wrapped it around his shoulders, so he doesn't* Don't lie, you think I'm cute.
Aoko: Do not. *looking interestedly out the window now; they're almost at their stop*
Kaito: *a scoff* Do too. *peering out now* What are we doing down here?
Aoko: Do not. And I told you it's a secret. *rings the bell as they get to the right street downtown, and gives him a nudge to stand up*
Kaito: *stands up and gives her a look, but says nothing as he waits for her to exit into the aisle*
Aoko: *does so and hangs onto the poles as the bus comes to a stop, playfully swinging herself onto the steps for the back doors*
Kaito: *follows her at a hurried pace so she doesn't leave him behind, shivering against the cold as he steps back into the winter air* You look excited. *and there's a playful chuckle in his voice as he speaks*
Aoko: I like this place! *hops off the bus and folds her hands behind her back, still holding her bag, as she turns to an innocuous brick building tucked between two much larger shops. It's plain and easy to overlook, except for the brightly-coloured writing painted on the plate glass window, pronouncing it the Page Break cafe*
Kaito: *he peers at the writing on the window, noting that he doesn't remember this place at all for all the time he's been in Azumano. It looks interesting, though, and he follows her inside without a word*
Aoko: *lets out a content sigh at the warmth as they walk inside, tucking her hair behind her ears and letting her eyes adjust to the dimmer interior. It's actually two stories on the inside, with a winding staircase leading up to a partly recessed second floor that looks out onto the main floor and the barista counter. There are tables with cozy chairs and couches everywhere, and more importantly, there are stacks and stacks of books. It looks like someone crossed a library or a bookstore with a cafe, and nearly every patron is tucked in a comfortable corner with a novel or two. She turns to him with an unsure smile* Aoko likes coming here to do homework sometimes.
Kaito: *he lets out a low, impressed whistle at the inside of this place, filled the brim with novel upon novel and the smell of coffee beans. It quiet, almost like a library, and yet more inviting than one at the same time. He an see why she comes here to do homework-- there are people here, so she wouldn't feel completely alone. And at the same time, no one would disturb her* ... it's nice. *and he smiles at her warmly*
Aoko: *her unsure smile warms to match his, and she leads the way to the barista counter, not noticing the way the cashier's face lights up when she approaches-- and then darkens slightly when he spots Kaito* Do you want something to drink?
Kaito: *Kaito, however, does notice, and he arches an eyebrow inquiringly at him* Sure. Want me to get it? *as in 'want me to pay for yours, too?'*
Aoko: No, that's okay. *though she appreciates the gesture. The barista smiles politely at both of them as they approach and asks Aoko if she'll have her usual, which surprises her. She didn't think she came in here often enough to have a usual. Though it's true she usually has the same thing...* Um... yes, please.
Kaito: *and both of his eyebrows shoot up in surprise at that* Come here that often, Aoko? *it's slightly teasing*
Aoko: *frowns* I didn't think so... *but she's quickly served up exactly what she's ordered each time she's come in this winter-- an apple cider with cinnamon, nutmeg, and just a touch of vanilla. She blinks*
Kaito: *he peers at it* And you get that every time you're here?
Aoko: *nods and takes her drink, paying and moving out of the way so he can make his order* It tastes like apple pie and vanilla ice cream if you make it right!
Kaito: *oh damn it, she paid before he got the chance to step in and do it for her* You should try something different every so often. *and he orders a hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles*
Aoko: Like what? *takes a sip of hers*
Kaito: *takes his from the barista and nods at him in thanks, before he turns back to Aoko* Like this. *and he hands her the hot chocolate*
Aoko: *the barista nods politely enough, but his eyes are mostly on Aoko. She's still oblivious to it as she blinks and takes the hot chocolate, looking at it thoughtfully* Hmm. *that looks... very sugary. But she takes a sip, being careful not to scald her tongue. It seems they used Spanish chocolate, and she's surprised by the way the rich darkness offsets the whipped cream* ...It is pretty good. *she smiles at him, licking her lips; it's a little hard to drink around the whipped cream without getting it all over her mouth*
Kaito: *smiles widely at her, taking the cider from her hand as she sips his chocolate* Good! 'M glad you like it! *and he takes a gulp of her cider happily* You can have it, and we can officially say I bought you a drink. *he winks at her, in full view of the barista, before he wanders off to find a seat, fully expecting her to follow*
Aoko: *flushes, partly at the wink, and partly in embarrassment as she realizes what he just pulled on her* Hey-! Kaito!! *hurries after him* You can't just steal my cider! *>[*
Kaito: *sips at her cider again* I didn't steal it, I traded for it. *cheeky grin*
Aoko: You could have asked. *huffs, then looks at him curiously* ...What do you think?
Kaito: *licks his lips too, trying not to be distracted by the mental image of her doing so earlier* Tastes like apple pie.
Aoko: *smiles at that* Told you! *glances around and picks an empty couch in a corner with a good view of the rest of the cafe* Let's sit here!
Kaito: *follows her to said couch!*
Aoko: *puts the hot chocolate down so she can shed her coat, scooting behind the table and curling up in the deep cushions with a happy sigh*
Kaito: *does the same, draping his coat over the back of the couch and plopping down on the cushions comfortably. He scoots over toward her, purposely getting close, before he picks up his drink again*
Aoko: *amused smile as she reaches out and tugs on her scarf, still around his neck* You forgot something, silly.
Kaito: *blinks as she tugs her her scarf. He had forgotten it was even there. Oh well, he can totally play this off* Don't you know that wearing scarves indoors is considered 'cool' these days? *and yes he does know how absolutely ridiculous he sounds*
Aoko: *rolls her eyes* You made that up. *picks up her hot chocolate and takes a sip*
Kaito: *laughs and tugs at the scarf, draping it over her head when he pulls it off* How do you know?
Aoko: It's obvious, baka. *sticks her tongue out, trying not to giggle as she pulls the scarf off her head and tries to smooth her hair down again*
Kaito: *he just reaches out and musses it up again* How is it obvious?
Aoko: *ack-!* It just is! Stop that! *swats at him with her free hand*
Kaito: *avoids! Still laughing and grinning* You're cuter with your hair all frizzy!
Aoko: Do not! Cut that out! *puts her drink down so she can defend more effectively, making to muss his hair in retaliation*
Kaito: *griiins and he changes from mussing her hair to tickling~ And they're probably in full view of the barista too* Do too!
Aoko: *he'd better have put the cider down first. :| And they're in full view of everyone else, for that matter, as she squeaks and tries to simultaneously grab his hands and squirm out of the way* K-Kaito!!!
Kaito: *he did 8| And he doesn't give in! Going for the sensitive spots at her sides almost immediately*
Aoko: *lakfhalkfh going to bang into the table at this rate* Kaito, s-stop it!! *laughing uncontrollablyyyy. And desperately trying to tickle him back now, since dodging isn't working*
Kaito: *he's doing a pretty good job of not letting her tickle him back* Magic words, Aoko-chan~
Aoko: *which is not fair, btw. Ohjeez, so many people are staring at them now* N-no way!! *she is not saying please when he's being a jerk--alfhalfkahsf yelps at a very ticklish spot, practically doubled over in laughter now* P-please...! *damn him*
Kaito: *doesn't seem to care that people are staring at them~* Just one word, Aoko~!
Aoko: I-I just said it! *noooooo, mercy D:*
Kaito: Wrong word! *still tickling*
Aoko: *oh for-- she can't think of what it is when he's tickling her like that and she can't breathe* Kaito-!! *he is so getting a smack later. In fact, she's trying to kick him now*
Kaito: *oh fiiine if you're having problems breathing... he pulls away with a smug smirk*
Aoko: *aiiiiiiir. DX And he gets a weak whack on the shoulder, through a lingering bout of hiccups and giggles* Jerk.
Kaito: *laaaaaughing now*
Aoko: *....tickles him*
Kaito: *apdoifjpoaisdjfoiapsjdf scoots faaaaaaaaaar away from her*
Aoko: *pursues, still tickling!* Let's see how you like it! *evil griiiin*
Kaito: H-hey--! T-turnabout isn't f-fair play!
Aoko: Oh yes it is! *most of the other patrons are just shaking their heads and turning away now, though a few are laughing quietly at the pair* What's the magic word, Kai~to~? *grin grin grin*
Kaito: *ffffft laughing* A-abracadabra!
Aoko: *aha, so that was it. She should have known* Nope! *definitely going to get him back in full. Though she has a bit of an ulterior motive in that she's discovered that she really likes seeing him laughing*
Kaito: *which would make him beam if he knew. He's trying to push her hands away now* P-please? *fft still laughing*
Aoko: *lets up, finally satisfied, and sits back on the couch, at least as mussed as he is* Serves you right. *teasingly pokes his cheek*
Kaito: *trying to catch his breath now, still kinda laughing* ... meanie.
Aoko: *giggling at him* You started it! *starts combing out her hair with her fingers and straightening her clothes*
Kaito: *starts doing the same* Only because I said you were cute when you were all mussed up. *and she really is*
Aoko: You started it when you started messing up my hair! *blushes and lets out a 'whew' as her heart finally resumes a sedate pace, squirming back into the cushions and picking up her hot chocolate once again. She came here to do homework, but now she's completely forgotten about it*
Kaito: *scoots up next to her again, picking up his cider. He quirks an eyebrow at her, but says nothing*
Aoko: *sees that eyebrow* What? *siiiip*
Kaito: *siiip* Nothing. *she's just really friggin' adorable right now, and he could watch her for aaages*
Aoko: *does not easily pick up on that sort of thing, if the poor barista is any indication. She gives him a suspicious look but lets it drop, happily drinking her chocolate~ Though that whipped cream really does keep getting everywhere. She should have stirred it in first or something*
Kaito: *watches her for a few more moments, his gaze dropping to her mouth as she sips the hot chocolate, and he sighs*
Aoko: *blinks at him. First the eyebrow, now sighing?* Is everything okay?
Kaito: *shakes his head* 'Course it is. *and he finally looks away and sip at his own cider*
Aoko: *peeeeeers at him* You're acting weird. *it's a bit of a surprise to her that she knows him well enough by now to tell that*
Kaito: No 'm not. *tilts his head back for another gulp of cider. Pause* Y'know that guy at the counter likes you.
Aoko: *frowns; he's changing the subje-- wait what?* E-ehh? *is clearly surprised by this bit of news, and she glances over at the counter, trying to figure out which one he's referring to*
Kaito: *he's still sipping his cider, looking over at the counter out of the corner of his eye* The one that served us. He knew your usual order.
Aoko: *frowns more* Y-yeah, but...
Kaito: You said yourself you didn't think you came her often. *siiiip* So he's been paying special attention to you.
Aoko: *feels guilty that she didn't notice. D:* O-oh... *he glances at the barista again, quick and shy, but it's an uncertain and nervous look rather than an interested one. He's nice, from what she knows of him, but she's never had a near-stranger show an interest in her before. ...Well. Aside from Kaito*
Kaito: *He's trying not to show exactly how irritated the fact that someone else is interested in her makes him. It's not like he has any claim on her whatsoever, but... he tried pretty darn hard to get her to even be his friend, and he isn't about to give up on more than that just yet* Would you say yes if he asked you to dinner?
Aoko: *shoots him an annoyed look, half-thinking that he's asking it just to be obnoxious* I don't think that's any of your business.
Kaito: *shrugs* I'm just curious
Aoko: *siiiighs and takes a sip* ...no. *though she'd feel kind of bad about it*
Kaito: *... he relaxes a bit, pleased with that answer. His mug hides his grin*
Aoko: *which is a good thing for him. She shoots him another suspicious look*
Kaito: *he peers at her* What?
Aoko: ...Nothing. *siiiips, frowning again at the counter* ....You're sure he...? *maybe he's just really good at remembering orders*
Kaito: *nods* I'm positive.
Aoko: How do you know?
Kaito: *leans back, looking thoughtful* When a guy likes you, you can tell. He smiles a lot, compliments you a lot, remembers little details about you... *grin* Has he complimented you yet?
Aoko: *blushes and shakes her head* N-no... *pauses* ...He does always say goodbye when I leave, though... *she'd never paid much thought to it before, but now that she thinks about it, she hasn't seen any of the other employees doing that*
Kaito: That's a hint, right there. *siiip* He pays a lot of attention to you. He's probably trying to muster up the courage to ask you your name.
Aoko: *flushes redder* Oh. *...well, this is going to be awkward, then. She doesn't want to hurt his feelings, but* W-what should I do? *she knows what Keiko would say, but she's not particularly interested in dating a boy she hardly knows. If he wants to be friends, that's fine with her, but she isn't sure if she should wait until he tries to ask her out, or approach him first, or...*
Kaito: *tapping the side of his mug thoughtfully* Be honest with him if he does ask.
Aoko: And wait until he does?
Kaito: *a nod* Though you might want to send subtle signals that you're not interested. *cheeky grin* Me being here might help with that!
Aoko: *flushes again* Baka. You're not my boyfriend. *quite deliberately turns her attention to her drink, except now she's thinking about all those signals he listed before. Kaito's complimented her quite a bit, and smiles at her a lot... but he's like that with all girls, she reminds herself quickly. He's like that on heists all the time, she's seen it. And at school... well, okay, not so much at school, but still*
Kaito: *He really shouldn't let that sting as much as it does. Casually, he drains the last of his cider* No, but he might think I am. *And yes, he did deliberately leave those hints for her to pick up on*
Aoko: *mutters* Keiko sure did. *her friend isn't going to leave her alone about that for weeks, she's sure, even though Kaito isn't anything more than a friend. A very, very good friend, granted... one who's kept her company in all kinds of weather, and taken care of her when she was sick, and made her laugh with his magic tricks... and really, that means a lot more to her than any kind of compliment*
Kaito: *He puts his mug down on the table and turns to face her, grinning brightly* See? Sounds like your problem is basically solved.
Aoko: Not yet it isn't. *but she relaxes slightly, peering at the bottom of her mug and then holding it out to him* Do you want to finish it? *since she got a sip of her cider but he didn't get any chocolate*
Kaito: *blink blink* You sure? I finished your cider.
Aoko: *nods* I got to drink some cider but you didn't get any hot chocolate.
Kaito: *grins at her, before taking the cup and draining the last of the hot chocolate*
Aoko: *wriggles to get comfortable against the couch cushions, then suddenly remembers that she came here to do homework. She was so busy talking to Kaito that she'd completely forgot* Oh, shoot. *pulls her bag over and starts rummaging through it for her books and paper*
Kaito: *places the now-empty mug next to his own and settles in close to her* What do you have to do?
Aoko: Math and a bit of English. *pulls out her books and sets them on the table; Math she'll be able to get through quickly, at least* ...And some Art History. *right, they have that essay due at the end of the week DX*
Kaito: *leans forward* Need any help?
Aoko: Maybe with History. *looks at him, tapping the end of her pencil thoughtfully against her chin* Do you have anything to do? *it's his first day of an end-semester transfer, there must be something*
Kaito: *shakes his head* No. That's why I'm offering to help.
Aoko: *staaares* You finished it all already?
Kaito: *blinks* Me? No way! I just don't have to do it right now!
Aoko: *frowns* How much do you have to do? *cracks open her Math book and starts numbering a spare sheet of paper with the questions*
Kaito: Just some math and a little bit of English. I get a break on that essay since I'm a transfer student~ *she could probably hear the tilde in his voice*
Aoko: *she does, and it makes her roll her eyes* Figures. *there's a pause while she gets started on that first question, then asks* Don't you have a lot to catch up on, though?
Kaito: I'm at least one year ahead. *watches her work, checking for any mistakes* Home schooled by the best my mom could buy.
Aoko: *blinks at him in surprise, pencil stilling* Then why are you in our year?
Kaito: *shrugs* I'm only 17!
Aoko: But if you're that smart, they should have put you in the advanced class. *unless he deliberately fudged some questions on the aptitude test or something*
Kaito: *waves his hand* Well, they didn't.
Aoko: Won't the homework be boring for you? *turns back to the next question, though she's still glancing at him*
Kaito: Homework's always boring for me. *still watching her*
Aoko: *huffs* Of course. *okay, going to get serious about this calculus now*
Kaito: *waaaaaatching still*
Aoko: *is either oblivious or doesn't mind at all; either way she doesn't mention it. She gets through the math quickly enough, and slides the book aside to pick up her English, pausing to smile at him* Want to get some refills? *since they'll be here a little while longer*
Kaito: *Is impressed with how intelligent she is when it comes to math, and a little relieved she didn't pick up on the fact that he didn't skip a year ahead because he wanted to be in the same class with her. He grins* Sure! I'll pay this time!
Aoko: Baka, you don't have to. *gets up and grabs her extra mug* This time you can get hot chocolate and I can have my cider. *smiles teasingly at him*
Kaito: *takes her mug, or at least tries to* I want to. It's not a big deal. *grins right back*
Aoko: *fixes him with a firm look* If you pay this time, you have to let Aoko pay next time. *because she doesn't like mooching off her friends, even the ones who have money*
Kaito: *rolls his eyes* Yeah yeah, deal. *and he honestly doesn't mind this one bit*
Aoko: *at least it ensures that there will definitely be a next time, if only so she can pay him back* Fine. *nods and lets go of her mug*
Kaito: *takes it and heads toward the barista counter happily. Now that guy is definitely going to think he is her boyfriend*
Aoko: *men. Meanwhile, she curls back up with her book and papers on her knees, content and comfortable as she quietly sings along to the radio tune playing over the cafe's speakers*
Kaito: *returns with a mug of hot chocolate for him and one of cider for her. He hands her the cider and plops down next to her*
Aoko: *yay, cider! She beams at him* Thank you!
Kaito: You're welcome. *takes a gulp of his hot chocolate and leans on her shoulder to see what she is working on*
Aoko: *conjugation. :| She's been doing pretty well so far, but she's already made small mistakes on one or two questions without realizing it* *sips her hot cider, rolling the taste around her tongue as she answers the next question*
Kaito: *lifts a hand to point it out to her* You missed that one.
Aoko: *gdit. Frowns at it* It's not plural?
Kaito: *shakes his head* Not this time. 'Ran' can be used for the plural or singular, but in this case the proper pronoun is 'he,' not 'they.' *pointing this out to her helpfully, for once not being smug or condescending about it*
Aoko: Oh! *she appreciates it, and he's rewarded with the fact that you can practically hear the lightbulb going on in the tone of her voice. She quickly erases and corrects her answer* I see now. *smiles in satisfaction*
Kaito: *nods* Fix that one too, it's the same principle.
Aoko: Right. *does so* This one too? *points to a question she hasn't gotten to yet*
Kaito: *grins* See if you can answer it on your own first. *... btw sometimes during this, he started resting his chin on her shoulder*
Aoko: Okay, okay. *she very much noticed, and an equally noticeable pink has risen to her cheeks, but she doesn't physically shake him off* Kaito... *she doesn't mind him just leaning on her, but that's a little close (even though it's comfortable, and she isn't going to think about that part. When did she become so relaxed about him touching her?)*
Kaito: *he doesn't quite notice the hesitant tone in her voice as he waits for her to answer the question* What? You don't get it?
Aoko: *blushes deeper; he's got to be doing that on purpose* You're on my shoulder. *shrugs gently to emphasize her point*
Kaito: *blinks at her. He was very conscious of his move to rest on her shoulder, and he was somewhat hoping she either wouldn't notice and wouldn't mind. He hesitates a bit, before asking* ... do you want me to move?
Aoko: It's kind of making it hard to write. *which is true*
Kaito: S-sorry. *he can't quite hide the stammer in his voice as he pulls back, a small embarrassed flush spreading across his cheeks. He always feels so strange with her-- at times, he's positive he's getting somewhere. And then at times he feels like he's just hitting brick wall after brick wall. Right now is one of those latter times* But you get it, right?
Aoko: Y-yeah. *suddenly she feels bad for shrugging him away-- she'd thought he was just being flirtatious, but the stammer makes her think again. To make up for it, she tentatively leans back against his side, not letting him pull away entirely. She does enjoy the warmth and his presence, after all. Maybe a bit more than she should*
Kaito: *the gesture is somewhat reassuring, and he can't help but grin softly. He does that a lot when he's around her, he finds. And he really likes it* Go ahead and answer then, silly.
Aoko: I am! *pouts and answers the question, hesitating a little bit -- and not because she's having trouble with the answer so much as she's having trouble with the thoughts running through her head. Every time she thinks she knows where she stands with the boy next to her, he does something that makes her heart flip-flop, and it's getting very confusing. She'll think he's joking and it'll turn out he's being serious, she'll think he's poking fun at her and it turns out he was only trying to help, she thinks he's only showing her a magic trick and he kisses her... she started out thinking he was shallow, and he's turning out to be deeper than she ever imagined. And she isn't sure what to do about it*
Kaito: *he watches her hesitate, and quirks an eyebrow* Something wrong?
Aoko: *shakes her head* I've got it. *she reluctantly turns her attention back to her homework. Maybe she can try to sort out her thoughts later, when he isn't right there distracting her*
Kaito: *lets out another sigh, barely audible, and watches her work*
Aoko: *works! Nibbling on the end of her pencil occasionally when something stumps her, almost completely forgetting her cider*
Kaito: *slowly sips at his hot chocolate as he watches her, pointing out her mistakes (which are few) as she goes. He's physically restraining himself from wrapping his free arm around her waist and pulling her further back into him. That gesture probably wouldn't be appreciated*
Aoko: *she is curled quite comfortably against his side, at least, especially once she toes off her shoes so she can tuck her legs beneath her on the couch. And now English is done! She breathes out a sigh of relief and decides to take a brief drink break before she picks up her Art History, cradling the warm mug in her hands* There. *mmm, cider*
Kaito: *it's entirely too comfortable, sitting like this. Their drinks are warm, and so is the atmosphere around them, and for a moment he can almost forget that they're even in public. He likes this, too much for his own good he thinks, and he kinda wishes things could be like this all the time. With... maybe a few changes, like his arm slung around her shoulders as she curls up to him even more, but he hasn't given up on that possibility yet* What do you have to do for art history?
Aoko: It's an essay on the Cultural Revolution. *which he should know the intimate details about, not that she knows that. She doesn't even know what part her family played in it* I have a bit of an outline done, but it's hard to find information on it. *frowns at her notes as if it's their fault*
Kaito: *his ears perk at the topic and he grins* Need help? I know a lot about the Cultural Revolution.
Aoko: *blinks at him* You do? *...though she supposes it makes sense, given his night job*
Kaito: *nods* Wanna hear about it?
Aoko: Yes please! *smiles*
Kaito: *and insert seemingly wildly fanciful story about the cultural revolution here, saying no names and still managing to remain very vague*
Aoko: *...yeah, not very impressed, sry 2 say* ...That didn't explain anything. *B|*
Kaito: *cheeky grin* Of course it did!
Aoko: No it didn't! You didn't give any details at all! *she's not sure he'd count as a source reference anyway, orz*
Kaito: *laughing* You just didn't pay attention!
Aoko: I did so! *she even took notes, disconnected as they are :|*
Kaito: *fffft* If you really had you wouldn't say it didn't explain anything.
Aoko: Or you just don't make any sense. *B|*
Kaito: *eyeroll* Take it as you will! *will always be vague*
Aoko: *will always be annoyed with him for it, even if she figures it out* *huffs and gets to her feet, putting down her cider* If you aren't going to be any help, then you can come help Aoko find books for it instead. *grabs him by the wrist, fully intent on dragging him over to the book stacks*
Kaito: *yelps as she pulls him off the couch and onto his feet* Fine, fine! *doesn't mind this at all*
Aoko: *over to the History section first, which is on the second floor~ Tugs him along up the stairs*
Kaito: *doesn't pull his wrist away or resist at all, actually, though he's tempted to somehow slide his hand into hers. He's been tempted to do a lot of things during this meeting*
Aoko: *she's sorry for sending so many mixed signals :<*
Kaito: *it's okay 8| It just. Confuses him*
Aoko: *well that makes two of them. :| Browsing the bookshelves now*
Kaito: *You more then he B| He's being pretty straightforward. Also helping!*
Aoko: *well his conflicting loyalties with his father are less complicated :| Picks out a few titles~*
Kaito: *He's still being straightforward 8| Picking out some too*
Aoko: *she doesn't know what is straightforward for her right now okay :|* *that should be enough history books* Let's try the art section too. *heads back down the stairs, arms full of books~*
Kaito: *holds his books too, humming a bit as he follows~*
Aoko: *art section is under the second floor, by the barista counter. She puts down the history books so she can browse more easily. He may notice that she's going a bit slower this time, pausing over pictures of paintings or sculptures that she likes or is impressed by*
Kaito: *he notices* You really like art, don't you?
Aoko: *jumps in surprise and blinks at him* Yeah... *smiles softly, running her fingers over a photograph of a glass sculpture of a bird, all translucent and crystalline* It's amazing the kinds of beautiful things people can create sometimes.
Kaito: *peering at the picture over her shoulder* Do you want to be a professional artist?
Aoko: *pauses, then nods* Yeah. *bright bright smile at him* It's hard sometimes, but I really like drawing.
Kaito: You're really good at it too. *but he won't bring up the fact that he's been through her sketchbooks and some of her paintings*
Aoko: *blushes modestly* I still need a lot of practice. *still smiling* But thank you.
Kaito: *grin* You're welcome.
Aoko: *puts the book back, since it doesn't have anything useful, and pulls out another one* ...Aoko still thinks you could be a professional magician. *glances at him*
Kaito: *he's sifting through the books too, picking out ones that he knows for a fact will be helpful (and some that he thinks she might like just because the of the artists featured in them)* Dunno if Mom or Dad would like that. *sheepish laugh*
Aoko: You shouldn't let that stop you if that's what you really want to do! *but to be fair, she knows that's easier said than done*
Kaito: *a nod. He's actually entertained the idea heavily, and it's something he can envision himself doing too. But he will always have to steal-- it's part of his bloodline at this point*
Aoko: *lapses into uncomfortable silence. Some part of her is slowly coming to accept that, and she doesn't like it at all* ...I think we have enough. *picks up her share of books with an oof*
Kaito: *helps* I think we have more than enough.
Aoko: *giggles at that, hauling them away to their table~*
Kaito: *helping~ Hardly noticing the stares he's getting from the barista that likes her*
Aoko: *not noticing at all orz*
Kaito: *whups. Plops down on the couch again and props open some books* What time do you have to be home? *Because they've been there a while and it's beginning to get late*
Aoko: *glances out the window, where it's already gotten pretty dark, then at her watch, and relaxes slightly* An hour and a half, but I have to leave in an hour to catch the bus. *hmm, definitely not going to finish all these books, but she just as definitely doesn't have enough money to buy all of them either. She sighs and pulls over one of the books he's opened, careful not to knock over their drinks* I'll have to come back tomorrow to finish these.
Kaito: I could come and help. *He's enjoyed this afternoon far far too much not to ask*
Aoko: *starts to ask whether he wouldn't be busy with his own homework, then remembers that he already said he's ahead a year* ...Okay. *it is faster working with help, after all. And while she rarely feels alone at the café, somehow she feels even less so with Kaito around*
Kaito: *is very pleased she said yes, and he peers over her shoulder at the book she opened* Alright, maybe if you start here... *and then he proceeds to help her with her research |D*
Aoko: *going to try to cram as many notes as she can into an hour. Which is a lot; she's fairly fast at researching*
Kaito: *will help with that so she'll have twice as many :3b*
Aoko: *should have more than enough to start on her first rough draft tomorrow \o/*
Kaito: *whoo!*
Aoko: *not moving away if he inches closer, either. So long as he doesn't obstruct her furious writing |D*
Kaito: *he has been inching closer the entire time |D As close as he can get without obstructing her writing, actually*
Aoko: *that's perfect, then. And ffft she's so distracted that she accidentally takes a drink of his hot chocolate instead of her cider, not realizing her mistake until she tastes it*
Kaito: *he laughs* Oi! That was mine!
Aoko: It was an accident! *looks a bit guilty as she hands it back to him, sliding him her cider as well* Here. *he can have a sip to make up for it :|*
Kaito: *shakes his head* You don't think I care, do you?
Aoko: Fair is still fair. *:|*
Kaito: *eyes her, but takes a sip of her cider anyway, not tearing his gaze away from her expression*
Aoko: *flushes at the staring* W-what?
Kaito: *puts down her mug* Nothing!
Aoko: It was something! *takes back her mug* You were staring!
Kaito: I was not staring! *though he knows he was*
Aoko: You were so!
Kaito: *eyebrow* Do you want me to be staring?
Aoko: W-why would I want that? *stop making her blush DX*
Kaito: *but he likes it when she blushes >:* Dunno! You tell me.
Aoko: *it's embarrassing DDX* Well I don't! *except she doesn't sound nearly as convinced as she would have liked*
Kaito: *eyebrow again*
Aoko: *glaaares back*
Kaito: Don't you need to finish taking notes?
Aoko: *eeps and hurriedly turns back to them, and after a few moments of scribbling belatedly retorts* You're the one who distracted me!
Kaito: What did I do to distract you? You're the one who drank my hot chocolate!
Aoko: *...point* You started staring at me!
Kaito: I was just taking a sip of your cider. *>|*
Aoko: You were staring. *she knows he was, don't try to argue with her >[*
Kaito: Was not. *>|*
Aoko: Were too. *still taking notes while she argues btw*
Kaito: Was not. *still watching*
Aoko: Were too!
Kaito: Homework, Aoko. *taps her notes*
Aoko: I'm working on it! *grumps*
Kaito: *griiins and continues to watch*
Aoko: *grumps more, still writing*
Kaito: *yawns and scratches his head lazily as he interjects here and there*
Aoko: *glancing at her watch occasionally; she'll have to be careful not to miss her bus, and they still have to put the books away*
Kaito: *doing homework with her is surprisingly relaxing jsyk*
Aoko: *is finding it much less stressful than usual, too >>*
Kaito: *good :|b*
Aoko: *sets aside the books they've already gone through so they'll be faster to put away*
Kaito: *that hour and a half really flies by while they're working, and he's too engaged in what they're doing to even bother to notice the flow of time*
Aoko: *is as well, forgetting to check her watch again until some time later. And then she eeps-- her bus is going to be here any minute* I'm gonna be late! *FLURRY OF ACTIVITY IS A GO. Namely stuffing her notes in her bag and gathering up the books to put away*
Kaito: *it almost takes him off guard, but as soon as she begins putting things away, he reaches over to help to make it go faster. He doesn't want her to miss her bus, after all*
Aoko: Can you take these ones? *pushes the art books in his direction and grabs the history books herself, running them back up to the second floor*
Kaito: *apoidjfa takes the books, almost fumbling and dropping them, as he watches her take off upstairs. He rolls his eyes, before he heads over to the art section and proceeds to put the books away*
Aoko: *doing her best not to knock into any other patrons as she quickly puts the books away and races back downstairs, throwing on her coat. :< The cider will have to come with her*
Kaito: *finishes putting the books up and heads back over to the couch* O-oi, it's not the worst thing in the world if you miss your bus! *grabbing his coat and her scarf to put them on, too*
Aoko: If I miss it I won't have enough time to make dinner before Dad gets home! *she's already pushed her time to the absolute limit; usually she leaves the café earlier than this. Still, she stops to glance at her watch again, and relaxes slightly. Cleaning up didn't take nearly as long as she expected, mostly thanks to Kaito's help, so they have a few extra minutes*
Kaito: *he finishes buttoning up his jacket and loops her scarf around his neck, completely forgetting that it was hers in the first place. He grabs her bag along with his and hands it to her* Then let's hurry.
Aoko: *nods and quickly does up her own coat before taking her bag from him and smiling gratefully* Thanks. *grabs her cider and away they go!* The stop's across the street and a little further down.
Kaito: *he takes his hot chocolate and follows, shivering a bit as they step outside into the crisp December air* How long is the bus ride?
Aoko: Maybe twenty minutes? *Azumano isn't huge, but she's still out on the outskirts of the town* If the traffic isn't too bad, anyway... *drinks her cider as they walk~ And o hay, the barista guy didn't say goodbye to her today. She glances back at the café door in surprise*
Kaito: *he notices* Did you forget something?
Aoko: *shakes her head and keeps walking* The guy at the counter didn't say goodbye today...
Kaito: *he sips at his hot chocolate to hide his grin* Imagine that.
Aoko: *gives him a look* You didn't say anything funny to him when you went to get the refills, did you?
Kaito: *gives her a look* I didn't say anything to him!
Aoko: You'd better not have! *looong look, then lets it drop. It's not like she'd be particularly upset if the barista guy gave up on her, but... she still can't help but feel the slightest bit guilty*
Kaito: *really didn't say anything to him. He's pretty sure buying her drinks was enough. And they weren't exactly hidden in that corner, and everyone saw him tickling her, so...* Cross my heart, Aoko!
Aoko: Fine. *grumps. And here's her stop*
Kaito: *and he stops to wait with her. Looks like they beat the bus after all. This one isn't exactly the one he needs to take to get back home, but he doesn't mind going out of his way for her*
Aoko: *curls her hands around the fading heat of her cider* Which bus do you have to take?
Kaito: *shrugs* Not this one.
Aoko: *raises an eyebrow* That didn't answer my question.
Kaito: *grin* Sure it did.
Aoko: Did not.
Kaito: Did too.
Aoko: Did not!
Kaito: Did too!
Aoko: Did not!
Kaito: Did too! *and that is the bus pulling up!*
Aoko: *oh gdit* Kaito...
Kaito: *cheeky grin* Yes~?
Aoko: *huffs* Oh, never mind! *she knows he's just going to follow her anyway. >[ Gets on the bus and pays her fare*
Kaito: *follows and pays his~ Taking a seat next to her again. It's darker despite the bus lights, and there are fewer people on than there were this afternoon*