Another short fic for one of my OTPs, RyuRin, in Ansatsu Kyoushitsu. Enjoy please ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own Ansatsu Kyoushitsu or its characters. I only own this fic.

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Chiba pulled out his phone from his pocket. The screen lit up with a message from Hayami.

"Chiba? I have to cancel our appointment today – I have plans. Sorry."

Chiba frowned at the message, then shrugged. Oh well.

"It's alright. Tomorrow, then?" he replied.

"Sure."

Chiba set the phone down. He sighed. I wonder what plans Hayami made that she had to cancel our appointment.

He let his mind wander. He didn't know why they agreed to call these meetings "appointments." Of course, when he asked Hayami, she had simply said that she didn't want anybody to misunderstand and automatically assume that they were dating.

It's not like we have feelings for each other. I mean, we're just sniping partners, right? Completely professional.

Chiba groaned. Who was he kidding? Of course he had feelings for her. He especially liked watching her emerald green eyes – her intense gaze had nearly made him blush more than once whenever she was looking at him. He actually stared at her a lot – thank goodness no one could see his eyes through his long hair.

He stood up and stretched. I should do something rather than lie on the bed all day and think about Hayami. Then he blushed. Where had that come from? He shook it off and decided to go to the arcade near his house.

Chiba pulled his gray hoodie off his head. The arcade wasn't too crowded at this time of the day, which he was grateful for. However, as he sat down, he glimpsed a familiar head of fiery red hair – Hayami's hair. He frowned. What was Hayami doing here? Didn't she have plans-

"Wow, you're good, Rinka! I think you could even beat me at shooting games!

Chiba froze. A boy's voice? Hayami was with a boy? And one that called her by her first name, no less.

He peeked over the top of his row to see what was going on.

A blonde-haired boy had his arms on Hayami's shoulders, talking about how much she'd grown. Chiba thought that Hayami would throw his arm off, but to his surprise (and disappointment) she giggled and punched him in the arm.

He had never seen Hayami so happy, with a big smile on her face like that. She was also talking animatedly, which was quite unusual for the usually cold and stoic girl that was his partner. She had never looked quite so happy when she was with him anywhere.

A thought suddenly struck him. Wait… are they on a date? Chiba felt like he couldn't breathe for a few moments. Then he took a deep breath and calmed himself.

The duo suddenly started walking toward the exit. The boy said something, and Hayami laughed. Chiba felt a pang of… envy? Jealousy? He decided to follow the pair and see where they went. He pulled his hoodie over his head and proceeded to walk out of the store.

The pair walked to a café. Surprisingly, it was the one that Isogai helped at – and where he and Hayami frequently held their "appointments." Chiba felt another stab of jealousy, though he quashed the emotion.

"A plain espresso, please," he heard Hayami say.

"I'll have what the lady orders," the other guy joked.

Chiba stiffened slightly, then forced himself to relax as he slid silently into the seat behind them. That way, he could stay out of Hayami's line of sight and eavesdrop at the same time.

"What will you have?" a waitress came by his table, ready to take his order.

He hesitated. "An espresso, please," he finally settled on.

Chiba thought that Hayami's eyes briefly settled in his direction, but she turned around after a moment and continued chatting with the mysterious boy.

He sipped his coffee, wincing as the hot liquid scalded his tongue. Hayami was talking about her grades now. Chiba smiled for a moment. With Koro-sensei's help, her grades were now steadfastly improving. He remembered the few times that Hayami would ask him about some math problems, and in return, tutor him in biology.

Chiba paid attention to the conversation again.

"…I'll be going now, Rinka. See you next time!" the blonde stood and did something that shocked Chiba more than anything else.

He kissed Hayami on the cheek. Hayami made it worse – she kissed him on the cheek too, and bid farewell to the boy, smiling all the way.

Chiba couldn't move. He kissed her. And Hayami kissed him back. Somewhere, a rational part of him was saying that it was completely platonic, but the emotional part of him (which he didn't even know he had) was screaming and raging about how the boy stole Hayami from him.

Suddenly, somebody slid into the seat across from him.

"Chiba. What are you doing here?"

The sentence shocked Chiba out of his daze, and he looked up. Hayami was sitting there, her intense emerald gaze directed at him.

"I-I'm just passing," he mumbled, turning pink and looking away.

Hayami arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really? If you're just 'passing', then why are you at this café? Isn't it a bit far from your house?"

Chiba turned redder. "I…"

"I saw you at the arcade, you know. There's no use in pretending," she said, still staring at him.

Chiba stayed silent. He didn't want to tell Hayami that he was following (stalking, a part of him squealed, though he ignored the voice) her and the boy.

"Chiba… were you wondering what I was doing with Kaito?" Hayami asked, the thought suddenly popping up in her mind.

The black-haired boy turned tomato red. He was, indeed, wondering who and why the guy was with Hayami, and more importantly, how he was so important that Hayami canceled their scheduled "appointment." He nodded slightly.

Hayami stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Chiba frowned, not that she could see it. He had just admitted that he was stalking the pair, and Hayami was laughing?

"Hayami?" he asked, baffled and confused.

Hayami wiped tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that I never thought I'd see you jealous over this kind of stuff. Actually, Kaito is my cousin from America. Today's his last day at Japan, and we were close, so yeah…"

Chiba gaped at her. "And I thought you guys were dating…" he said, shaking his head. Idiot, jumping to conclusions like that.

Hayami sighed. "Baka…" she said quietly.

They sat in a slightly awkward silence. Chiba broke it first.

"Well, since we're here… do you want to go to the theater? I hear there's a movie playing that's starring Kayano-san," he offered.

Hayami smiled at him. Chiba's heart skipped at the sight of her smile.

"Sure. Ticket's on you!"

Thank you for reading, reviews are greatly appreciated :)