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As morning arrived there was a chill through the room. Hamuko shuffled around and with her free hand tried to pull over her quilt that she unfortunately realised she was atop of. Noticing only one hand free and looking down, she came face to face with a sleeping Akihiko, fingers intertwined with her own. A smile crept over her face as her heart began to race. Slowly moving her hand to run it through his silver hair his sleepy eyes began to open. Hamuko briskly pulled her hand back and smiled down at him.
"Morning" she spoke as he began to slowly sit up.
It was then that it struck him, not only was this the first time waking next to her, but his first time in her room. His cheeks reddened. As he slowly eyed his surroundings, soaking in everything that was undeniably her.
She had always loved Akihiko's shy side. He was strong, confident and sure of himself at all times, until it came to her, to them.
It felt like everything was perfect. The soft sun shining gently through cracks in the curtains, their warm bodies so relaxed, so at peace, so close…
The moment could only be complete with-
She slowly leaned into him. Her small, pink lips pursed. She wanted to-
A small, quick knocking at the door broke the spell of the moment, with perfect sync they sat quickly and stiffly upright. Hamuko gave a slight wince with the pace of movement.
"Ham-chan, it's Ken. It was getting late in the morning so I came to see if you were feeling ok? " Akihiko's eyes widened as well as Hamuko's.
"I-I'm fine Ken-kun." She spoke, quickly.
"Oh, you're up!" Ken responded, "Are you dressed? I'm coming in." He continued, pushing open the door. They panicked as the youngest S.E.E.S member entered.
"Sa-Sanada-san?" Ken spoke, with a look of irritation and surprise, Glowering at Akihiko, "What are you doing in here?" He seemed angry and Akihiko realised the young boy's jealousy lacing his words.
"Oh Ken-kun, Aki-" She paused for thought, before continuing with a more serious tone. "Akihiko-senpai just came to see if I was ok, just like you." She laughed, uncomfortably before giving the young boy a heart-warming smile. Their being together was painfully obvious to most the S.E.E.S members, they had chosen not to put anything out there in the open. Both trying to keep it low key.
Ken avoided their gaze as he spoke.
"Fuuka-chan has made us dinner." Hamuko checked the clock, which clearly displayed 11:45. "I'll see you downstairs Ham-chan." Ken paced out, leaving the door agape. Akihiko sighed before getting up and Hamuko followed with another wince.
His eyes showed gentle concern, as he laid his hand lightly on her shoulder.
"Are you ok?" He left his hand there and spoke with such a soft voice that she felt his words calming her more by the way they were said than the actual words and then she gave him a smile that just seemed so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushed through Akihiko.
"I'm fine, really." She moved from him with hesitation feeling a pinch of regret as she felt her shoulder lose the warmth of his hand, "Let's go downstairs." Akihiko's lips tugged with a tiny smile as he nodded in acquiescence
Akihiko stopped by the stairs on the second floor and waited for her to head down ahead of him. He could hear their friends bombarding her with morning greetings. With one particularly standing out.
"GOOOOOD MORNING HAMU-TANN, DID YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT?" Akihiko sighed. He knew Junpei would have to say something, his trademark Iori grin on. He began walking downstairs.
Everyone sat around the table staring at the charred remains of dinner whilst Shinjiro frantically, ran around the kitchen following Fuuka and trying to fix the mess she called lunch. An awkward silence filled the atmosphere at the table as Akihiko took his place. It looked like Ken was trying to burn a hole through his senpai with a glare, Akihiko and Hamuko snuck a glance at one another before staring at their plates hoping someone would talk and lighten the atmosphere, Junpei whistled uncomfortably whilst avoiding Yukari's threatening look. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realise there was something going on and Mitsuru tried to keep her curiosity to herself, but she began to believe starting the conversation might help the atmosphere lift.
"Is everything ok Amada?" She questioned. Ken didn't lift his head but shifted his eyes to look at her, biting his bottom lip. He wanted to say nothing, the last thing he wanted was to get Hamuko into trouble. But it all came out, in one angry burst.
"Sanada-san was in Hamuko-chan's room this morning!" He blurted out in a shout, "And, and boys aren't allowed in the girls' rooms-" He briskly looked up at Mitsuru properly, "He was on her bed-" He emphasised, suggestively. Mitsuru's glance slowly moved from Ken to Hamuko, then Akihiko. The senior gulped, he could feel an execution coming on if he didn't explain this, carefully, oh so carefully.
Ken mumbled toward Hamuko,
"Sorry Hamuko-chan.." She took a deep breath and smiled endearingly before quickly standing up and grabbing Ken's little hand,
"We'll just go out for dinner" She looked down at Ken, "My treat!" It didn't take long for his expression to turn from an ambushed shock to terror. She practically dragged him out of the dorm before anyone could respond. Mitsuru merely raised an eyebrow before turning back to Akihiko. Yukari and Junpei sharply turned to each other panicking, wondering if their senpai was about to drop them straight into trouble alongside him.
Meanwhile outside Hamuko still walked along with a grip of Ken's hand. The boy's face emanated red at the contact.
"Um, Hamuko-chan?"
"Yes Ken-kun?"
"I'm sorry"
Hamuko stopped releasing Ken's hand. She gently placed her own on the side of his face and smiled as she could feel the baby fat of his cheeks slowly heating up,
"I'm not angry Ken-kun" She responded, shaking her head lightly, "I guess I didn't realise it would bother you so much.. I mean Aki being in my room-" Ken's glance shifted away, uncomfortably.
'So she calls him 'Aki' now' He looked downcast.
"Hamuko-chan.. It's just that I.. " His eyes tightly closed as he began to build up the confidence he needed.
"I love you Hamuko-chan! And I want to be with you. I would protect you! I may not be as grown as Sanada-san, but I would protect you with all I've got, I want to protect you " He paused and moved closer to her.
"And I definitely wouldn't let you get hurt-" He trailed off, placing one of his little hands on her wounded waist. She pulled away from him with an expression of surprise.
"K-Ken-kun.. how did you..?" He glanced at the floor.
"I saw." Looking up at her again, his expression steeled, "Last night. I was in the lounge and when I heard you all coming back. I hid. I thought I would be told off for being up so late." Hamuko simply pulled him close, his heart raced as his head rested against her soft chest. He could feel his emotions building on the surface, threatening to spill out. "The way he held you, he looked so stern, and yet so confident… and he shouldn't have been looking so confident, you were hurt, hurt on his watch. I would never let that, he just…" He began to choke on his words.
"You're a special friend Ken" He savoured her words before pulling away.
"D-Don't worry.. It doesn't matter about dinner. I have somewhere to be-" He finished, running off.
Hamuko stood, feeling lost, an indescribable feeling of guilt budding inside.