Sometimes Satoshi has bad days.

Sometimes it starts with all his bright colored undershirts in the laundry, and he has to make do with a boring white tee beneath his uniform. Usually he doesn't mind. But he minds today when the other boys in the locker room notice; they smirk and ask why he isn't wearing his typical turquoise or carrot-orange shirt.

They're usually the same kids who don't like how he crosses his ankles or gestures with his hands, the same ones who eye him askance when he walks out of the Handicrafts Clubroom and later have to sit next to him in Student Council. Or maybe Satoshi's completely wrong and they just hate his jokes. He promises he'll get better. With the jokes, at least.

But the rest of the day keeps getting worse, little irritating things like the right strap of his backpack tearing, or somehow losing his favorite lucky pen right before his English test – stuff that wouldn't be worth getting upset over if they had happened separately. And then there are the normal everyday facts that haven't bothered him in a long time. They resurface with alarming sharpness as he packs his bag after class – that Mayaka is a great friend and he likes her very much, but he still can't quite return her feelings, and then there's Houtarou, who will likely never return his.

The thought passes. Stays back in the awkward memories of middle school. After a moment, it makes Satoshi laugh at himself, right before the left strap of his backpack gives out and all his books come tumbling down as he stands, and he isn't laughing anymore.

Right then and there Satoshi decides that he doesn't want to go to the Student Council meeting or the Handicrafts Club. He just can't deal with anything now. And while he's got plenty of friends he can vent to, what he wants is quiet company – and of course no one's better at that than Houtarou, who won't ask questions or fret or even care very much. Strangely enough, his indifference is what Satoshi wants.

It turns out that Houtarou had already left his last class, so it's a slow walk up to the Classics clubroom. Satoshi's broken backpack is heavy in his arms as he nudges the door open with a foot. He belatedly remembers that Chitanda and Mayaka will also be inside, but he actually wouldn't mind their company either, now that he thinks about it.

He walks in, but to his surprise there's only Houtarou, slouched over the table with his cheek propped in his hand.

There are three opened books on the table, each one near a different chair. Satoshi doesn't like drawing conclusions, but it's obvious that Chitanda and Mayaka had been in the room at one point.

"Hey," Houtarou says, not getting up.

Satoshi plops down in the chair next to him, dumping his bag carelessly on the table. From the corner of his eye he sees Houtarou glance at the bag, idly tugging his bangs. Satoshi's brow rises. Huh. Interesting.

"Where's Chitanda and Mayaka?" he asks after Houtarou's hand drops back down.

"Investigating," Houtarou replies. "Chitanda's curious about something." He looks as if he wants to roll his eyes, but even that is too much effort for him.

"Ah, but then why are you here?" Satoshi sits up, curious despite himself. At least this would be a distraction from his terrible day. "I'd thought Chitanda would want you for a theory."

"Already told them," Houtarou sighs. "Besides, someone had to stay behind for you." He folds his arms on the table and settles his head into them.

The room falls silent. It takes a moment for Satoshi to realize that apparently Houtarou's done with his explanation. Figures.

"Hey! Don't just end right there!" Satoshi leans closer, making a face, and shakes Houtarou's shoulder. "Now you've got to tell me. What are Chitanda and Mayaka up to?"

Houtarou cracks one eye open. "You're wearing a white undershirt."

Satoshi blinks, glances down where the top two buttons of his jacket are undone. "Well, yes. All my usual shirts were in the laundry."

"This morning Chitanda said your right backpack strap broke," Houtarou continues. "And Ibara noticed that you didn't sign with your usual neon pen when you checked out an English book from the library. For your test, am I right?"

Satoshi stands up, slapping his hands against the table. The movement startles Houtarou, who looks at him reproachfully.

"You've turned me into a mystery!" he exclaims, partly delighted and vaguely offended at the same time.

Houtarou takes Satoshi's laughter as a sign to go on. "You lost your pen sometime between getting to school and before first break. We concluded it was back in the locker room. It probably fell out when your strap broke."

Satoshi nods, but tilts his head. "You're probably right! But what does that have to do with my shirt?"

"Not much," Houtarou admits, gaze sliding to the side. He blinks, and focuses back on Satoshi, like he's rallying himself. "But your backpack is still broken. Normally you'd fix during break in the Handicrafts room. But you didn't since you were having a bad day."

"Haha, that's not much of a mystery," Satoshi says wryly, sitting back down. He rubs the side of his head, not wanting to talk about it. No doubt Houtarou already has it figured out with that strange brain of his.

"Yeah, but Chitanda wasn't curious about why you were upset. Just how to cheer you up," Houtarou says, and this time he does roll his eyes.

"Oh," Satoshi says, mouth hitching up with the beginnings of his first real smile of the day.

"I had two theories. And don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't want to waste energy going to the locker room."

With that, Houtarou leans over, tilting his chair on two legs, and kisses Satoshi right on the cheek. It's quick and totally innocent and just a little ridiculous, because Houtarou doesn't look happy when he does it. His mouth moves, ticklish, and even the soft smack of his lips sounds dutiful and solemn.

But Satoshi can't help but feel pleased anyway. He's not that dumb or desperate, but it's genuinely funny to him – that Houtarou would do just about anything if it got him out of exerting energy. In terms of physical labor, Satoshi supposes that a kiss is like no effort at all.

"One day this will backfire, you know," he grins, waggling a finger under Houtarou's nose. Houtarou's chair thumps back on all four legs, but Houtarou hasn't shifted an inch. Satoshi doesn't budge from his spot either, but he puts a dramatic hand over his chest. "Someday you'll break my heart! What if I become sad all the time just so you can kiss me?"

Houtarou is unperturbed. "You wouldn't take advantage. And you don't need me to be happy."

The club door slides open, banging overly loud against the frame before Satoshi can make a totally insincere, totally flippant retort. Hautarou's the only who starts away, falling back into his seat, and Satoshi glances up, smiling when he sees Chitanda and Mayaka bustle in.

Chitanda is all triumph, praising Houtarou for being correct while Houtarou frowns.

"It was just dumb luck," Houtarou corrects wearily, but he doesn't take his eyes off her.

It's lucky that Satoshi isn't a jealous kind of person, with the way Houtarou seems to be unable to say no Chitanda. Besides, Satoshi has Mayaka to thoroughly scold him for being careless.

"Next time don't lose the things I give you," Mayaka berates, but she forgives him just as fast, arms crossed and head turned away. Her hip bumps against his arm as she slides next Chitanda and sighs over the fact that somehow Houtarou was right again.

"I'm sorry you've been having a bad day," Chitanda says, holding out his pen in a kind of shy way, and how could he not smile at that? Satoshi knows that without her, Houtarou wouldn't have even bothered coming up with theories to cheer him up. He probably has her to thank for all this.

"Well, it's not much a bad day anymore," Satoshi laughs, and takes back his lucky pen.