But this was not news.
Yuizaki Hiyono sighed, watching the couple bicker over something--what was it this time? That fact probably wasn't important--with voices that rose high above the sounds of birds chirping and Narumi Ayumu lazily telling them to keep it down before he left. Ryouko ignored the threat of the youngest among them and continued to berate Kousuke for whatever he had done wrong this time, completing her show of dissatisfaction with a hard slap on the back of the head. The redhead pouted and grumbled but didn't hit back, only returned to poking at his lunch. At one time long ago, Hiyono had considered Kousuke a very threatening person, but with Ryouko around he was really the opposite...
"Quit mumbling. If there's something you want to say to me, say it."
"It's nothing..."
Maybe he didn't want to hurt her. The detective-in-training chewed thoughtfully on what had been left in her obentou, barely tasting the food at this point, wondering in the back of her mind if it was possible to overdose on the cooking of a Narumi. Maybe...
"Baka, you didn't finish your lunch."
"I'm not hungry. You can have it."
Maybe, she thought, he was too afraid of her to say anything. If not for the fact that Ryouko had always been kind to her, Hiyono guessed she'd also be quivering in her shoes whenever the brunette looked her way...
"I eat enough as it is. You're the one who's going to complain about being hungry later, and make me prepare dinner when you KNOW I can't cook--"
"Me? I'm not the one who orders people to go get them bread every other day--OW!"
Ayumu lifted his head from his arms and opened his mouth, then shut it, sighing. He'd been stretched out on his back on their picnic blanket trying to take a nap when the fight began, and all his remarks so far seemed to have proved useless, considering they were STILL going at it. Hiyono made eye contact with him and smiled sweetly, putting down the emptied box that had been in her lap. They would stop soon, and once they did Ayumu could sleep... and maybe he'd even let her curl up beside him, because his chest really WAS comfortable, even if he didn't like loaning it out as a pillow...
"Don't complain. You need people to order you around. Otherwise you're reckless and stupid."
"I'm not the reckless one."
"What was that?"
"Quit it. I'm--OW!"
Hiyono was the one sighing now. Maybe it would be a while...
"Quit it, Ryouko!"
"K--Kousuke, what in the hell..."
Now THIS was news. Hiyono suddenly wished for a camera, or even her little worn-out notepad and a pen, because she didn't really trust her memory when it came to recording moments like this. At the moment, Kousuke had Ryouko by the wrist, and the brunette had actually been pinned to the picnic blanket--pinned, on her back, with Kousuke on TOP of her!--and was unable to move or get away from her captor. Ayumu actually sat up and stared at them as if he'd never seen anything like this before--well, maybe he hadn't--and even Hiyono was a little surprised. Well, there went at least a little of her uncertainty...
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Quit hitting me."
"What are you complaining about? You've never minded it before--"
"Before. Before what? Before you decided it would be too hard to actually show any sort of compassion for me? Is that it?"
Hiyono's fingers ached for her notepad. Maybe she'd left it in her backpack after all...
"Kousuke, I don't know what you're talking about..."
"Do you really hate me that much?"
They were silent and it was then that Ryouko noticed their two-person audience, and she pushed Kousuke away with what was probably all of her strength, managing to get out from under him, at least. She resumed sitting with her back against the tall tree they'd all taken shelter under, glaring fiercely at him as he struggled to get to his knees. He knelt in front of her and when he reached out to touch her she slapped his hand away. Hiyono winced and so did Ayumu, although later he would probably not admit to doing so, considering he was supposed to be a stoic in these situations.
"I see. That's how it is."
"Don't touch me."
Ryouko's voice was unsteady. Maybe she was about to cry?
"I--"
"Don't touch me!"
"I didn't mean to hurt you," the redhead said, and sank back down onto the blanket, staring at his hands. Hiyono exchanged a glance with Ayumu, and although she knew that he was now concerned he wouldn't dare act on such an emotion, and so he lay back down and folded one arm behind his head. Hiyono glanced at Kousuke and Ryouko and then looked back to Ayumu, who lifted an eyebrow at her and then patted the empty space to his left side. She gave a little sigh and lay down beside him, knowing very well that not even the promise of all the interesting gossip in the world could tear her away from the chance to snuggle with Narumi Ayumu. He wouldn't call it snuggling, but she certainly would... and maybe, she thought as she looked back to the still-silent pair in front of her, these things would work themselves out without her interference.
"I don't hate you, stupid."
Ryouko's voice broke through the air like a breeze, quiet and careful, and Kousuke lifted his head, looking at her blankly. She went on, her gaze fixed elsewhere, the wind stirring the short locks of her hair. "I thought I already told you... that it's difficult for me to be close to anybody... especially you."
"Mm..."
"You didn't hurt me... you just..." The brunette sighed. "I'm the one who hurt you, I think."
"A little."
"I'm... sorry, I guess. I don't know how to act... now that we're..." Hiyono was desperately wishing for her notebook now, considering she had never seen Takamachi Ryouko blush and had previously been convinced that the runner was incapable of showing any girlish emotion. "... like this," she said, and the comment was vague but strangely telling. "I don't know what I should be doing..."
"You shouldn't be doing anything, Ryouko." The redhead reached for her hand and this time she didn't resist him, actually wrapping her fingers around his own and holding on tight. "I already know... how it is you feel. Just... try to show it a little more..." He smiled at her kindly, gently, and it was at this point that Ryouko actually blushed again. "... ne?"
Hiyono could have shrieked. Maybe Ryouko was in love with Kousuke too!
"Ah..." The brunette rubbed one flushed cheek with the back of her free hand. "I'll try that."
"Good... and now that this has been settled..." Kousuke sent a sharp glance in the general direction of Ayumu and Hiyono, but his gaze promptly softened when he noticed how the two had rearranged themselves while he hadn't been paying attention. "Heh... maybe we should give these two some time to themselves..."
Ayumu would have groaned had he not been yawning. Hiyono smiled and drew closer to him, smiling at Kousuke. "I think Narumi-san would like to finally have his nap," she said, then giggled. "Asazuki-san and Ryouko-san seem to argue even louder now that they're feeling differently about each other."
Kousuke rubbed the back of his neck as his entire face changed color. "Kind of forgot you guys were there..."
"Come on." Ryouko got to her feet and promptly seized Kousuke by the collar of his shirt, ignoring the gagging noise he made as he was quite nearly choked. "We're going for a walk. We can come back and wake up these two lovebirds in a little while, right?"
Ayumu's mouth was not occupied by this point. "Lovebirds?" he repeated, his voice flat. "Oi. What's that supposed to mean?"
He had asked his question a little too late, and by now the redhead and brunette had fled to the sidewalk, snickering to themselves about the previously made comment and rather easily holding hands. Hiyono watched them as they walked away and suddenly let out a little yawn of her own, snuggling closer to her own brown-haired partner as she did so. Ayumu made a noise that sounded like a half-convincing groan but didn't really push her away, just relaxed and allowed his head to fall back onto his arm. "Those two are strange," he mumbled and then closed his eyes, seeming satisfied with the idea of uninterrupted sleep. "Can't even like each other without arguing about it..."
Hiyono smiled a little. "We're like that too, sometimes."
"Maybe we are," her partner replied, "but that's not news to either of us."
"Mm..." She closed her eyes and contemplated a nap. "No... not really."