It started one day after class when Shuuichi was being his usual pushy self. But this day he was… pushing his pushy-ness.
He walked out of the classroom beside Kumiko, badgering her. "Come on Kumiko. Just go out with me once- you'll have fun. I'll show you things you'll never forget." He wiggled his eyebrows. Kumiko scoffed.
"Why would I change my mind today, when you failed every other day of the year to show me a single good thing about yourself."
Reina, walking a few feet behind them stifled a chuckle into the back of her hand. Shuuichi's face reddened and his eyebrows furrowed. It was usual for Kumiko to turn him down but she was usually embarrassed and quiet about it. This new, insulting him to his face in front of everyone pissed him off. Shuuici grabbed Kumiko at the elbow, yanking her arm towards him. "You listen up you little- Oughhf!"
Shuuichi's back slammed against a nearby wall and he released Kumiko's arm, which was soon linked together with Reina's. Kumiko blinked. What just happened? Reina was walking her away from Shuuichi calmly, gently pulling her by their linked arms. Shuuichi wasn't letting it happen so easily though.
"What the fuck!?" He yelled, following after them. Reina took a breath and turned to face him, a bored expression on her face. "How did you- I wasn't done with her!"
"Well now you are." Reina said, eyebrows quirking down and the corner of her lips twitching slightly. Was she fighting a smirk? A grimace? What was that expression? She was always so hard to read.
"Like hell I am." Shuichi snorted. "Who are you to speak for her anyways? She can speak herself. She's a big girl." He sneered.
Unperturbed, Reina's spoke without hesitation. "I'm her girlfriend." Kumiko wasn't sure how she kept in the squeak that bubbled up into her chest. She blinked wide, turning her face at the wall beside them to keep from Shuuichi from seeing her wild expression. GIRLFRIEND!? GIRLFRIEND!? Was Reina doing what she thought she was? What is going on!?
Shuuichi seemed taken aback by that. He blinked, looking twitchy for a second before trying to meet Kumiko's eyes, getting into her space. "Is this true? Kumiko!"
Kumiko took a breath before looking up at him. She steeled herself, stomping on the spot, balling her fists and pushing her nose into the air. "Yeah! Reina is my girlfriend and she speaks for me sometimes because sometimes I say things that aren't very smart!"
In a few seconds Shuuichi's face distorted into a several different impressions; shocked, disgusted, impressed? And then awkward. "Uh I- what, I never seen you together like that- what? Like.." Reina smiled a small victory smile and pulled Kumiko to walk away again, leaving a stuttering Shuuichi behind, still seeming to try to wrap his head around it.
"You overdid it." Reina commented calmly when they were out of earshot of Shuuichi.
I overdid it? You're the one who said we were girlfriends! In front of Shuuichi who we see almost every day!
"Sorry I uh, wasn't expecting that." Kumiko managed, her heart pounding. They were still arm in arm.
"Well Shuuichi was getting out of hand. I didn't like that he was getting physical. That's what friends do right?" Reina hummed, bumping her hip against Kumiko's.
Right. Friends. Well she's never called us anything before that so.. friends is better than not friends.
"Yeah." Kumiko gave her a small smile. "Thanks." She tried not to lean into Reina too much. Physical interaction between Kumiko and her roomate didn't happen often but Kumiko thought about it… alot. When Reina laid on her bed at night reading Kumiko thought sometimes that it might be nice to just lay by her- maybe lay close enough that their nightshirts would touch. "But um. What do we do about it now?"
Reina shrugged slightly. "Keep pretending. Its not that hard and it will get us to and from classes with less Shuuichi. Less problems."
Kumiko made a face. "Not that hard? I've never had a girlfriend before- I don't know anything about that!". Reina turned her head away for a fraction of a second- an action that Kumiko had figured out meant she was probably looking away to roll her eyes.
Reina slid her hand down Kumiko's arm and linked fingers with her. "See? Easy?". But Kumiko had already frozen up. Reina's brows furrowed and she shook Kumiko's hand a little in their hold. "Well it doesn't work if you get like this. You'll have to become comfortable with it." Reina stopped walking, standing at the side of the hall with Kumiko and glaring at their hands. "Get comfortable. Become comfortable." She ordered, shaking their arms again. Kumiko flushed in what she hoped came off as frustration.
"You don't just get comfortable! Comfortable is a feeling! I-"
"Is it because of something I'm doing? Do I make you uncomfortable Kumiko?" Reina asked, seeming… intrigued?
"No! Yes! You're- you're just really bad at holding hands!" Kumiko blurted, taking the first exit her brain offered.
Reina smiled at that for a moment. "You're terrible." She hummed, turning and walking again, pulling Kumiko by her hand still. "You'll have to teach me to do it right then."