Haru respects boundaries, so she respects Kyoko's not-appreciation, and dare she say dislike, dislike(!) for hugs. That's fine. Haru is open minded. Accepting. She can adapt. It's totally fine.

Kyoko doesn't get a hello-how-are-you-pounced at, she gets a high-five, no matter how lackluster or annoyed or tired either of them are. When celebrating, a fist bump. A nudge to startle her out of deep thought. A pat on the shoulder as she massages her forehead in annoyance. And when a mission went badly, Haru brings five and one cushions and tea, despite Kyoko's obviously heretic protests for the devil's burnt bean juice called coffee. They hold hands as she pokes Kyoko's shin with wiggling toes, and she takes delight in seeing how her babbling washes over Kyoko. Hugs can be substituted, and Haru is more than happy to make the effort.

When Kyoko cut her hair even shorter, leaving only just enough for fingers to run and comb through, she was the first to receive the honor of doing so. And if she was honest to herself, Kyoko could have herself bald and pull it off like a runaway model. Totally honest. Okay, she lied. But the new haircut made her more aware of other facial features Kyoko possessed. And Haru could and is appreciating that. A lot. Too much, in fact, but that's okay.

That's why it makes something in her go quietly berserk when people wonder how Kyoko 'deserves' her.

Who was the one to purse her lips and complain endlessly yet went through the archive catalogs for five hours with her? Kyoko. Who was the one that sicced Lambo and I-Pin on Ryohei to buy Kyoko time to escape when he busted their weekly meeting? Her. When tension rise and the temptation to go guns blazing is the easiest yet worst choice, who drags their brains back from their asses? Them.

It's a team effort, they're equals. Super secret spy spouses against erroneous enemies and assisting amiable alliterative allies.

Despite her declining faith in the average intelligence levels, it keeps surprising her when people fail to see it.