RP log - An, Renji
Date: December 23th (X-mas party)
Rating: PG
Summary: What happened with An and Renji during the party. Includes two kids, mistletoe, punch, two walks...
As they had agreed, An arrived at the dojo at 18:30. She tugged at her dress a little self-conciously. She hadn't worn something like this for a while. Was it maybe a bit too much? Sakuno had said formal though. She arrived at the door, and knocked lightly, a little unsure if she was supposed to wait by the door, or just wait. Her shoes were feeling a little awkward; strappy high heels weren't her usual everyday wear. She circled her ankles a little.
Miki was the one who opened the door, her eyes going wide and practically googly as she saw An in the pretty dress. "Whoa..."
Meiko came into the picture quickly, following her sister. "Renji-ojisan called some minutes ago and told us you'd come, An-san," she said, blushing admiratively at the sight of the older woman. "He should be here in less than ten minutes. Would you like to come in?"
An smiled at the two girls. "Hi Miki. Hey Meiko. Sorry for bothering you." She walked inside carefully, not wanting to trip in her shoes. The stone flooring was a little more difficult to negotiate right now. "And thanks for opening the door. I wasn't quite sure exactly where I was supposed to meet him."
For the occasion, An had curled and pinned her hair so that the curls fell loosely down her shoulders. "How are you two doing tonight?"
The twins followed An eagerly and Miki spoke, having recovered from her small 'trance' of sorts: "We're doing fine, and actually we're in charge of the house since Mama, Papa and Yuu-niichan are helping in the local shelter tonight. They're supposed to come back soon for dinner."
"Ah, Miki... Did we close the door?" Realizing that they had not, Meiko turned towards the door and went towards it to close it. But right then, a young man dressed in a black suit stepped into the garden.
"No need to do that, Miki. And thanks for welcoming Tachibana-kun."
Hearing the deep, now familiar voice, An turned her head and looked over her shoulder. A smile grew on her face as she took in the sight of Renji all decked out.
"Good evening, Yanagi-san! You look great, by the way." And that was the truth. What was it about a nice suit on a man?
"Well, thank you very much for the compliment, Tachibana-kun," he said politely, bowing a little at his date. The practically diminutive blush on his cheeks wasn't easy to notice at the small distance between them, and Renji himself was completely unaware of its presence. Instead, he went towards the twins just like nothing happened, and gave Meiko a plastic bag.
"Pastries and juice, which shall keep you two full until your parents and Yuu are back. Your father has the Christmas presents from me and your grandfather, and he'll give them to you tonight. Thanks again, girls, and we'll leave now."
Meiko took the bag and both girls bowed at their uncle. He smiled again and turned towards An. "Let's go, Tachibana-kun."
An smiled at the girls. "Have a good night girls, and Merry Christmas."
She bowed a little to them before walking to Renji's side. She smiled at him, enjoying the sight of him dressed so crisply. She was growing accustomed to seeing him in his gi, and this was a nice change. She flushed lightly when she realized she was probably starting a little.
"Yeah, let's get going." An chuckled a little and took the arm he offered her. Waved goodbye to the girls as they slipped out the doors, and headed for the party.
"Thanks, An-san! Thanks, Renji-ojisan! See you later and have a good night!"
After that, Miki grabbed her sister by her free hand and pulled her towards the house, giggling. Renji watched the girls go and, after they fully disappeared from their common visual range, he quietly nodded to An.
"As you wish." She certainly looked different, what with the dress and the hair jewlery and the shoes that made her slightly lean against him as she walked next to him...
The pair walked quietly along the streets of Tokyo, attracting some looks from passersby. An didn't pay them any mind, though she never let go of Renji's arm during the walk. Stupid shoes. They talked about random topics along the way to the casino.
"...and in the end, after all that trouble, he didn't wind up buying it!" An laughed quietly as she finished telling a story from the other day.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the Tokyo Hilton and reached their "casino", all decorated for the holidays. An's eyes went wide as she looked a the establishement, and the people who were coming and going.
"Wow..."
Suddenly, she felt a little out of place.
Noticing how uncomfortable she was at the sight of such a luxury, Renji sighed deeply to put aside his own uncertainty at the whole display. He felt like a sort-of legal alien, used to a relatively simple life of training, hard work and his family... but even then, he had to set an example for his friend and trainée. He didn't want this to be worse for both of them.
So, he nodded and looked at An with eyes that, for a second, were much more open than closed.
"We've come quite far, Tachibana-kun. Coming in now?"
Without knowing it, she started to grip his arm a little harder, feeling a little nervous. Hopefully she wouldn't do anything to embarass them both. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at her companion and nodded.
"Yeah. Let's have a good time, ne?"
Still on Renji's arm, An took a first slightly hesitant step up the stairs to the entranceway. After all, this only ever happened once a year, and it was even rarer for her to have a date to something.
Renji simply nodded and kept on walking, being caeful to keep his rhythm slow so An could easily keep up with him. He observed his surroundings more carefully now, taking on all the details that his sharp eyes could register. Decorations, lights, the high-class people, the persons from the Agency...
At some point, he noticed that An's grip on his arm was slightly tighter, and this increased at some points. He looked at her with some worry and whispered, "You still find hard to fit in?"
An smiled a little uneasily, but shook her head. "A little, but I'll be fine." She straightened up, and pulled her confidence up. She noticed a few people that she recognized milling about, but no one she was particularly close with. Over by the side, she noticed some Agency employees grabbing some punch, and gestured towards it. "Would you like some punch, Yanagi-san?"
Since there were no waiters or waitresses around, Renji thought that accepting An's offer would make the girl feel more comfortable. He then nodded, smiling.
"Thanks for your kindness, Tachibana-kun."
Walking carefully towards the punch bowl, she ladelled out one glass for him and for herself. "Here you go." She handed it to him carefully. Holding her glass up for a mini-toast, she clinked it lightly against his.
"To a happy holidays, and new year."
Maybe it was all the lights, but An thought she caught the edges of his lips curve into an almost smile. And that sight alone made her smile earnestly before taking a sip of her punch.
"To a happy holiday and new year as well..."
Renji thanked his partner and took a sip too.. Too sweet for his particular taste, yet it seemed to be made with non-habitual drinkers in mind, since it contained more juice and fruits alcohol...
Letting the sweet taste linger in his tongue for some seconds, he swallowed rather slowly and then looked at An, allowing himself to smile more openly.
"Are the parties always this much of a production? I hadn't realized how huge it was going to be. Considering how long it's been since I got a pay increase, I wouldn't have guessed that the Agency would be willing to spend this kind of money on a party." An chuckled a little.
As time passed, she was slowly growing more comfortable with her surroundings. Seeing everyone else all dressed up didn't make her dress seem as showy anymore, and it seemed that she was just fancy enough, yet plain enough to attract little or no attention. She put her now empty punch glass down at a table.
"So, what does one usually do in a place like this other than gamble? I have to say, all my courses in number theory and game theory have kinda taken the fun out of casinos for me." She gave him a slightly lop-sided smile.
"Gambling is practically the main activity in such places... still, some are known for hosting live entertainment events, such as concerts and sporting events, or we can also check the surroundings."
Renji mentally recalled some more details quietly, but in his mind it still wasn't enough. "I'm not too sure if this particular casino is run the same way, though..."
"Yeah, a walkabout might be nice. They've got a lot of interesting artwork up on the walls. And maybe there's a lounge act or something."
His last comment made An tilt her head questioningly. "Oh? Is there something we should be aware of?" Maybe they had certain house rules?
She took his arm again as they walked, admiring the beautiful chandeliers hung throughout the casino.
"This casino was specially prepared for this party, Tachibana-kun," he said as they walked towards the entry. "It surely has different rules regarding the use of money, like limits or use of their own... eh?"
He stopped just as they were going in. There was something green and red hanging from the big entrance door...
An didn't notice anything hanging from the door and had taken a step underneath it. "Hmm?" She looked over at Renji, who hadn't moved along with her. Was something the matter?
At that moment, another man started to move into the entrance way, with a smirk on his lips as he saw An just standing there. And she was completely oblivious to it...
With a brief sigh, Renji pointed upwards towards the mistletoe just above their heads. "I believe you recognize a Christmas tradition like this one, do you?"
Huh? What tradition? She glanced up where Renji was pointing and her eyes went wide. One second later, she felt someone tapping her shoulder behind her. She spun around, eyes growing ever wider as a stranger smiled at her and pointed up at the mistletoe as well. Huh? What? What was going on? Did this mean she owed that stranger a kiss?
"Sir," Renji's voice rose all of a sudden, "does the tradition include persons who are already in the company of others?"
He said that in a polite yet slightly severe tone of voice, similar to the one he sued when correcting his pupils at the dojo or his sparring partners. It was easy to see that he wouldn't accept a refusal, since he considered An as his companion and he wouldn't let anyone force her into anything she didn't want to do.
The man looked at Renji, and for a moment looked like he was going to challenge the field agent. But something in Renji's tone made him think twice and he simply smiled and bowed to An.
"My apologizes." He bowed to Renji as well before taking his leave.
An let go of the breath that she didn't know she was holding. She smiled in relief at Renji. "Thanks, Yanagi-san. Guess I wasn't paying enough attention." But she was now standing under the mistletoe with Renji. Hmm...
She smiled sheepishly before going up on tiptoe and giving him a quick peck on his cheek. "Thanks again."
"You're welcome on both accounts, Tachibana-kun," he replied, as always keeping his calm demeanor, yet still allowing himself to smile a little at the girl. "It looks like we'll now be able to see how this casino works like."
Nodding in agreement, An took his arm and head into the casino. With a smile, she decided that she was going to make the most of the night.
-----
The evening passed, and An had to admit that she had enjoyed herself. It was time for them to call it a night. Even though it was December, it wasn't cold enough that they couldn't walk home as well. And besides, that would be a nice excuse for her to spend a little more time with Renji.
She was still walking slowly, and Renji attributed it at least partially to the high heels shoes she was using. The other reasons... well, at the current moment Renji didn't feel like disclosing them. Both of them were tired and would have to wake up relatively early for work.
Soon, they were reaching An's building, and then her doorstep. Renji smiled to his companion and murmured: "Thanks now from me, Tachibana-kun. It was a lovely Christmas party."
"It was. I'm glad you asked me to go." And then she realized exactly what she had said and flushed slightly. She stepped up to her doorstep, keys in hand. "Um...maybe we could hang out again some time?"
She shifted on her feet a little, clearing her throat a little uncomfortably. Oh well, she had put it out there. She smiled nervously before speaking again, not waiting for his answer.
"Anyway. Have a good night, Yanagi-san. I'll see you tomorrow."
"I don't see any reason why I'd refuse such an offer," he said. It looked like she was hiding something from him, though... but even after his recent decision about not asking, he wasn't sure if he should let her keep it inside.
"See you tomorrow, Tachibana-kun," he said, his voice sounding somewhat softer than usual. He leaned a little closer to mkake sure he'd be able to listen to her reply.
Seeing as he had taken her out for a nice evening, she wondered if it would be okay to give him a kiss on the cheek goodnight. Figuring that it wouldnt' be a problem, she tilted her head in closer.
"See you then..."
And she moved her face in close to his...
But her lips didn't land on Renji's cheek as An had intended. The Aikido master suddenly felt her mouth pressed against his own in a full-fledged kiss, one that took him by surprise as, for a brief second, he almost froze right on the spot, eyes briefly going fully open as he realized what was going on.
Oh. Shoot.
An didn't know what had happened, but instead of hitting his cheek, she could now feel his lips against hers. For a moment, she was frozen in shock. She couldn't move to break the kiss, or anything. Just completely frozen.
Not that this was anything unpleasant.
Renji was the one who recovered control on his body first, eyes again half-closed, slowly pulling away from his friend. He sighed and stood still, his thoughts coming back to normal and analyzing the situation. An was in front of him, her cheeks intensely red, her own eyes still wide with a surprised expression that seemed to be sincere...
Renji breathed in deeply, yet didn't say anything. But he wasn't upset at An; for all his logical train of thoughts, he has to admit that things like this just... happened at times.
"...."
An blinked a bit as she tried to reign in her thoughts, which were going a mile a minute. She took a deep breath, and tried to look Renji in the eye.
"Yanagi-san... I... I'm so sorry... that was completely by accident. I was aiming for your cheek, really I was...." An's voice trailed off as she looked down at the ground. She bit her lower lip as she tried to pull herself together. Putting on a smile, she raised her head to look at him.
"Well, have a good night, Yanagi-san."
And with a nod and a quick bow, she slipped into her apartment, eager to leave the embarassing situation behind.
Renji wanted to believe that she was honest. At such a moment, he didn't have any real data telling him about the feelings behind those that she was showing him. Nor did he really want to ask or to reach an ultra definitive conclusion...
"Have a good night, Tachibana-kun," he murmured when An was gone, breathing in deeply and walking towards his apartment, making small mental notes to himself about the whole deal.
Rating: PG
Summary: What happened with An and Renji during the party. Includes two kids, mistletoe, punch, two walks...
As they had agreed, An arrived at the dojo at 18:30. She tugged at her dress a little self-conciously. She hadn't worn something like this for a while. Was it maybe a bit too much? Sakuno had said formal though. She arrived at the door, and knocked lightly, a little unsure if she was supposed to wait by the door, or just wait. Her shoes were feeling a little awkward; strappy high heels weren't her usual everyday wear. She circled her ankles a little.
Miki was the one who opened the door, her eyes going wide and practically googly as she saw An in the pretty dress. "Whoa..."
Meiko came into the picture quickly, following her sister. "Renji-ojisan called some minutes ago and told us you'd come, An-san," she said, blushing admiratively at the sight of the older woman. "He should be here in less than ten minutes. Would you like to come in?"
An smiled at the two girls. "Hi Miki. Hey Meiko. Sorry for bothering you." She walked inside carefully, not wanting to trip in her shoes. The stone flooring was a little more difficult to negotiate right now. "And thanks for opening the door. I wasn't quite sure exactly where I was supposed to meet him."
For the occasion, An had curled and pinned her hair so that the curls fell loosely down her shoulders. "How are you two doing tonight?"
The twins followed An eagerly and Miki spoke, having recovered from her small 'trance' of sorts: "We're doing fine, and actually we're in charge of the house since Mama, Papa and Yuu-niichan are helping in the local shelter tonight. They're supposed to come back soon for dinner."
"Ah, Miki... Did we close the door?" Realizing that they had not, Meiko turned towards the door and went towards it to close it. But right then, a young man dressed in a black suit stepped into the garden.
"No need to do that, Miki. And thanks for welcoming Tachibana-kun."
Hearing the deep, now familiar voice, An turned her head and looked over her shoulder. A smile grew on her face as she took in the sight of Renji all decked out.
"Good evening, Yanagi-san! You look great, by the way." And that was the truth. What was it about a nice suit on a man?
"Well, thank you very much for the compliment, Tachibana-kun," he said politely, bowing a little at his date. The practically diminutive blush on his cheeks wasn't easy to notice at the small distance between them, and Renji himself was completely unaware of its presence. Instead, he went towards the twins just like nothing happened, and gave Meiko a plastic bag.
"Pastries and juice, which shall keep you two full until your parents and Yuu are back. Your father has the Christmas presents from me and your grandfather, and he'll give them to you tonight. Thanks again, girls, and we'll leave now."
Meiko took the bag and both girls bowed at their uncle. He smiled again and turned towards An. "Let's go, Tachibana-kun."
An smiled at the girls. "Have a good night girls, and Merry Christmas."
She bowed a little to them before walking to Renji's side. She smiled at him, enjoying the sight of him dressed so crisply. She was growing accustomed to seeing him in his gi, and this was a nice change. She flushed lightly when she realized she was probably starting a little.
"Yeah, let's get going." An chuckled a little and took the arm he offered her. Waved goodbye to the girls as they slipped out the doors, and headed for the party.
"Thanks, An-san! Thanks, Renji-ojisan! See you later and have a good night!"
After that, Miki grabbed her sister by her free hand and pulled her towards the house, giggling. Renji watched the girls go and, after they fully disappeared from their common visual range, he quietly nodded to An.
"As you wish." She certainly looked different, what with the dress and the hair jewlery and the shoes that made her slightly lean against him as she walked next to him...
The pair walked quietly along the streets of Tokyo, attracting some looks from passersby. An didn't pay them any mind, though she never let go of Renji's arm during the walk. Stupid shoes. They talked about random topics along the way to the casino.
"...and in the end, after all that trouble, he didn't wind up buying it!" An laughed quietly as she finished telling a story from the other day.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the Tokyo Hilton and reached their "casino", all decorated for the holidays. An's eyes went wide as she looked a the establishement, and the people who were coming and going.
"Wow..."
Suddenly, she felt a little out of place.
Noticing how uncomfortable she was at the sight of such a luxury, Renji sighed deeply to put aside his own uncertainty at the whole display. He felt like a sort-of legal alien, used to a relatively simple life of training, hard work and his family... but even then, he had to set an example for his friend and trainée. He didn't want this to be worse for both of them.
So, he nodded and looked at An with eyes that, for a second, were much more open than closed.
"We've come quite far, Tachibana-kun. Coming in now?"
Without knowing it, she started to grip his arm a little harder, feeling a little nervous. Hopefully she wouldn't do anything to embarass them both. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at her companion and nodded.
"Yeah. Let's have a good time, ne?"
Still on Renji's arm, An took a first slightly hesitant step up the stairs to the entranceway. After all, this only ever happened once a year, and it was even rarer for her to have a date to something.
Renji simply nodded and kept on walking, being caeful to keep his rhythm slow so An could easily keep up with him. He observed his surroundings more carefully now, taking on all the details that his sharp eyes could register. Decorations, lights, the high-class people, the persons from the Agency...
At some point, he noticed that An's grip on his arm was slightly tighter, and this increased at some points. He looked at her with some worry and whispered, "You still find hard to fit in?"
An smiled a little uneasily, but shook her head. "A little, but I'll be fine." She straightened up, and pulled her confidence up. She noticed a few people that she recognized milling about, but no one she was particularly close with. Over by the side, she noticed some Agency employees grabbing some punch, and gestured towards it. "Would you like some punch, Yanagi-san?"
Since there were no waiters or waitresses around, Renji thought that accepting An's offer would make the girl feel more comfortable. He then nodded, smiling.
"Thanks for your kindness, Tachibana-kun."
Walking carefully towards the punch bowl, she ladelled out one glass for him and for herself. "Here you go." She handed it to him carefully. Holding her glass up for a mini-toast, she clinked it lightly against his.
"To a happy holidays, and new year."
Maybe it was all the lights, but An thought she caught the edges of his lips curve into an almost smile. And that sight alone made her smile earnestly before taking a sip of her punch.
"To a happy holiday and new year as well..."
Renji thanked his partner and took a sip too.. Too sweet for his particular taste, yet it seemed to be made with non-habitual drinkers in mind, since it contained more juice and fruits alcohol...
Letting the sweet taste linger in his tongue for some seconds, he swallowed rather slowly and then looked at An, allowing himself to smile more openly.
"Are the parties always this much of a production? I hadn't realized how huge it was going to be. Considering how long it's been since I got a pay increase, I wouldn't have guessed that the Agency would be willing to spend this kind of money on a party." An chuckled a little.
As time passed, she was slowly growing more comfortable with her surroundings. Seeing everyone else all dressed up didn't make her dress seem as showy anymore, and it seemed that she was just fancy enough, yet plain enough to attract little or no attention. She put her now empty punch glass down at a table.
"So, what does one usually do in a place like this other than gamble? I have to say, all my courses in number theory and game theory have kinda taken the fun out of casinos for me." She gave him a slightly lop-sided smile.
"Gambling is practically the main activity in such places... still, some are known for hosting live entertainment events, such as concerts and sporting events, or we can also check the surroundings."
Renji mentally recalled some more details quietly, but in his mind it still wasn't enough. "I'm not too sure if this particular casino is run the same way, though..."
"Yeah, a walkabout might be nice. They've got a lot of interesting artwork up on the walls. And maybe there's a lounge act or something."
His last comment made An tilt her head questioningly. "Oh? Is there something we should be aware of?" Maybe they had certain house rules?
She took his arm again as they walked, admiring the beautiful chandeliers hung throughout the casino.
"This casino was specially prepared for this party, Tachibana-kun," he said as they walked towards the entry. "It surely has different rules regarding the use of money, like limits or use of their own... eh?"
He stopped just as they were going in. There was something green and red hanging from the big entrance door...
An didn't notice anything hanging from the door and had taken a step underneath it. "Hmm?" She looked over at Renji, who hadn't moved along with her. Was something the matter?
At that moment, another man started to move into the entrance way, with a smirk on his lips as he saw An just standing there. And she was completely oblivious to it...
With a brief sigh, Renji pointed upwards towards the mistletoe just above their heads. "I believe you recognize a Christmas tradition like this one, do you?"
Huh? What tradition? She glanced up where Renji was pointing and her eyes went wide. One second later, she felt someone tapping her shoulder behind her. She spun around, eyes growing ever wider as a stranger smiled at her and pointed up at the mistletoe as well. Huh? What? What was going on? Did this mean she owed that stranger a kiss?
"Sir," Renji's voice rose all of a sudden, "does the tradition include persons who are already in the company of others?"
He said that in a polite yet slightly severe tone of voice, similar to the one he sued when correcting his pupils at the dojo or his sparring partners. It was easy to see that he wouldn't accept a refusal, since he considered An as his companion and he wouldn't let anyone force her into anything she didn't want to do.
The man looked at Renji, and for a moment looked like he was going to challenge the field agent. But something in Renji's tone made him think twice and he simply smiled and bowed to An.
"My apologizes." He bowed to Renji as well before taking his leave.
An let go of the breath that she didn't know she was holding. She smiled in relief at Renji. "Thanks, Yanagi-san. Guess I wasn't paying enough attention." But she was now standing under the mistletoe with Renji. Hmm...
She smiled sheepishly before going up on tiptoe and giving him a quick peck on his cheek. "Thanks again."
"You're welcome on both accounts, Tachibana-kun," he replied, as always keeping his calm demeanor, yet still allowing himself to smile a little at the girl. "It looks like we'll now be able to see how this casino works like."
Nodding in agreement, An took his arm and head into the casino. With a smile, she decided that she was going to make the most of the night.
-----
The evening passed, and An had to admit that she had enjoyed herself. It was time for them to call it a night. Even though it was December, it wasn't cold enough that they couldn't walk home as well. And besides, that would be a nice excuse for her to spend a little more time with Renji.
She was still walking slowly, and Renji attributed it at least partially to the high heels shoes she was using. The other reasons... well, at the current moment Renji didn't feel like disclosing them. Both of them were tired and would have to wake up relatively early for work.
Soon, they were reaching An's building, and then her doorstep. Renji smiled to his companion and murmured: "Thanks now from me, Tachibana-kun. It was a lovely Christmas party."
"It was. I'm glad you asked me to go." And then she realized exactly what she had said and flushed slightly. She stepped up to her doorstep, keys in hand. "Um...maybe we could hang out again some time?"
She shifted on her feet a little, clearing her throat a little uncomfortably. Oh well, she had put it out there. She smiled nervously before speaking again, not waiting for his answer.
"Anyway. Have a good night, Yanagi-san. I'll see you tomorrow."
"I don't see any reason why I'd refuse such an offer," he said. It looked like she was hiding something from him, though... but even after his recent decision about not asking, he wasn't sure if he should let her keep it inside.
"See you tomorrow, Tachibana-kun," he said, his voice sounding somewhat softer than usual. He leaned a little closer to mkake sure he'd be able to listen to her reply.
Seeing as he had taken her out for a nice evening, she wondered if it would be okay to give him a kiss on the cheek goodnight. Figuring that it wouldnt' be a problem, she tilted her head in closer.
"See you then..."
And she moved her face in close to his...
But her lips didn't land on Renji's cheek as An had intended. The Aikido master suddenly felt her mouth pressed against his own in a full-fledged kiss, one that took him by surprise as, for a brief second, he almost froze right on the spot, eyes briefly going fully open as he realized what was going on.
Oh. Shoot.
An didn't know what had happened, but instead of hitting his cheek, she could now feel his lips against hers. For a moment, she was frozen in shock. She couldn't move to break the kiss, or anything. Just completely frozen.
Not that this was anything unpleasant.
Renji was the one who recovered control on his body first, eyes again half-closed, slowly pulling away from his friend. He sighed and stood still, his thoughts coming back to normal and analyzing the situation. An was in front of him, her cheeks intensely red, her own eyes still wide with a surprised expression that seemed to be sincere...
Renji breathed in deeply, yet didn't say anything. But he wasn't upset at An; for all his logical train of thoughts, he has to admit that things like this just... happened at times.
"...."
An blinked a bit as she tried to reign in her thoughts, which were going a mile a minute. She took a deep breath, and tried to look Renji in the eye.
"Yanagi-san... I... I'm so sorry... that was completely by accident. I was aiming for your cheek, really I was...." An's voice trailed off as she looked down at the ground. She bit her lower lip as she tried to pull herself together. Putting on a smile, she raised her head to look at him.
"Well, have a good night, Yanagi-san."
And with a nod and a quick bow, she slipped into her apartment, eager to leave the embarassing situation behind.
Renji wanted to believe that she was honest. At such a moment, he didn't have any real data telling him about the feelings behind those that she was showing him. Nor did he really want to ask or to reach an ultra definitive conclusion...
"Have a good night, Tachibana-kun," he murmured when An was gone, breathing in deeply and walking towards his apartment, making small mental notes to himself about the whole deal.