a/n: so i wrote this entire thing in a tiny moleskine notebook over spring break and i have no idea if it's actually good or not but. yeah.
Kumiko was silently cursing her status as a first-year, pushing what must have been the millionth desk into place, when she abruptly crashed into Reina - or, rather, their desks crashed into each other, causing a rather large commotion as Kumiko hurriedly apologized and tried to gather herself.
"S-sorry!" she yelped. Reina merely stood there, unflinching, an unreadable expression on her face. Kumiko was reminded of one of their first interactions in high school. It felt like an eternity ago, now. "I w-won't do it again!" she added.
"It's fine," Reina said, breaking her own silence to utter only those two words. Kumiko breathed a sigh of relief and scooted her desk back into place. "You're on edge today," Reina commented. "Is something the matter?"
"H-how do I know if you're not the one who's on edge?" Kumiko sputtered, wishing that she had joined Hazuki and Midori in their conveniently scheduled "bathroom break."
"Kumiko, the finals are a stressful time for everyone. If you'd like, we could have a study session after practice and-"
"Oh, a 'study session,' hmm?" Kumiko groaned, knowing all too well who the voice belonged to. Asuka pranced over, a grin spread across her face. "Now, now, Kousaka-san, I had never nailed you as someone so bold, to go after the oldest trick in the book!" Kumiko turned a deep shade of crimson while Reina tilted her head in confusion. "Oh, play coy all you want, my young trumpet, but I can see right through you. A 'study session,' really? I'm pretty sure my grandparents used that one." Kumiko was starting to sink underneath the desk at this point as Asuka continued, clearly unaware of either younger girl's reaction. "You should make sure to-"
"Asuka, that's enough!" Kumiko turned to see who her apparent savior was. It was none other than Haruka, hands on her hips with a stern expression that reminded Kumiko of a disapproving mother. "You're mortifying them!" The band's president leaned over to whisper a quick '"sorry"' to Kumiko and Reina before going back to reprimanding Asuka. "Honestly, Asuka, they're practically children, and yet you keep on talking to them like that and . . ." Kumiko and Reina quietly snuck away.
"D-did you really mean 'study session' in . . . y'know . . . the way that Asuka thought you did?" Kumiko mumbled once the two were in the hallway, her cheeks still tinted red.
"I meant exactly what I said," Reina replied.
"Y-you didn't mean anything else?"
"Like what?" Kumiko shrugged before making a series of vague hand gestures. "Oh. Is that what people are expected to do while studying with their significant other?"
"S-significant other?" Kumiko was just about ready to pass out.
"That is what you consider us to be, isn't it?"
"I, uh, d-don't know how to answer that." In truth, Kumiko knew exactly how to answer it - with a huge, resounding yes. The incessant, thudding rhythm of her heart drowned out all thought, however, leaving her dry-mouthed and stuttering.
"I don't mind if I misjudged the situation, Kumiko. You may very well harbor no feelings at all, but that would be, as Asuka has said on occasion, okie-dokey as far as emotions are concerned."
"N-no, it's not like that at all!" Kumiko blurted out, grabbing Reina's soft hands and holding them to her chest.
"Hmm?"
"Y-you didn't notice how flustered I was when Asuka kept going on and on about 'study sessions?'"
"Not really, no."
"Anyway, it d-doesn't really matter. I, uh, just don't w-want that stuff to get in the way of . . . us."
"And it won't." Reina pressed a kiss to Kumiko's cheek. "Now, I would assume that the desks are done being set up. Once practice is over, perhaps we can head over to my house to study. Finals can be rather difficult, after all." Reina walked back to the music room without another word, and Kumiko followed with a smile on her face.