Hitomi's cat ears flattened down against the light ping of a raindrop. She looked up to the gray skies, and was surprised to find that it was raining. Her glasses quickly accumulated a few drops of water, bringing Hitomi to her senses. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the wet, and drew a small umbrella from her bag. She popped it open, and lifted the protective item over her head in order to keep herself dry on her walk home.

On an impulse, she decided to take the route past Aoyagi-kun's home. She had long given up on her home visit, but she was still interested in the boy's well being. He was so quiet in class…

As she neared Ritsuka's house, she heard the chatter of two individuals behind her. Much to her dismay, it sounded like a couple walking arm in arm, talking about the fun they had on their walk and how the park was so quiet and pretty in the rain. The male of the couple asked if he could have one of the pictures that Ritsuka…

Hitomi gasped in surprise, and turned around quickly.

Aoyagi-kun and Agatsuma-san were walking together, looking quite comfortable with one another. Agatsuma-san held a clear umbrella over their heads, while Aoyagi browsed through the pictures on his digital camera. His kitty tail twitched when hit with a raindrop, and he slowly drew it under the umbrella.

"Soubi, we should do this more often. Look at this one: doesn't it make you all calm inside? You're the artist here; don't you just want to paint it, preserve it or something?"

"Yes. It's a very pretty picture. Just like you."

"Souuuu-bi!"

"I'm only saying what I feel, Ritsuka."

"I'm not a girl! Don't call me pretty!"

"Is that an order?"

"…Soubi, I'm not going to order you around today. I'm too happy right now."

"As am I."

Hitomi blushed as Ritsuka snuggled against the older man, watching as Agatsuma-san casually tossed an arm around his thin shoulders. They were quite a pair; Ritsuka, being short and dark haired, an innocent yet with those ears and tail still attached, and Soubi with his tall and gangly frame, a blonde with icy blue eyes and a chillingly calm smile…and no cat-like features to speak of.

"Shinonome-sensei, is that you?"

Hitomi yelped as the couple spotted her. She silently berated herself for standing in their path, and blushed a deeper red for being called out by Agatsuma-san.

"K-konnichiwa, Aoyagi-kun, Agatsuma-san! How are you?" Hitomi nervously scratched the back of her head, trying to sound as if she had just seen them. Judging by Aoyagi's blush, he too was surprised at the encounter, and he had managed to detangle himself from Agatsuma-san's hold before Hitomi had even gotten the chance to respond.

"Hello, sensei. I was just walking home, and Soubi decided to accompany me here. Are you also on your way home?" Ritsuka faked a smile at Shinonome-sensei, which she returned two-fold.

"Yes, I was actually. It was nice running into you two."

Soubi smirked slightly, causing Hitomi's face to become redder than ever. She quickly said her polite goodbyes, and then scurried in the opposite direction. She had gotten a safe distance away, before hiding herself behind a convenient brick wall. She strained her cat ears to hear what was being said, and peeked over the wall. She wasn't much for eavesdropping, but she couldn't resist with this pair.

"Do you think she saw anything? Soubi, I told you we should have kept an eye out for anybody!"

"Here's your house, Ritsuka."

"Soubi!"

"Now, you sure you won't consider coming over tonight?"

Sigh.

"I told you…I have homework to do over the weekend, and 'kaa-san would get suspicious and…it would be indecent!"

"Would you at least like me to call you to check up on you?"

"…if you want to." Blush.

"Suki daiyo, Ritsuka."

And with that, Agatsuma-san was gone.

Ritsuka stood out in the rain for a while, unknowingly holding the umbrella that had been in Soubi's possession before. Then, with another sigh, and a small mutter that sounded like "baka", Ritsuka turned to go into his house.

And then Hitomi was left out in the rain, left to ponder exactly what the relationship was between Aoyagi-kun and his Soubi.