Akatsuki: hey this is akatsuki. this is haru chan's phone, right?

Haru: Yes, you would be correct, Akatsuki-Kun!

Akatsuki: good i didnt want to accidentally message the wrong person on accident.

Haru: I see. Your caution is quite commendable, Akatsuki-Kun!

Akatsuki: thanks. its usually best to be safe than sorry.

Akatsuki: you want to meet at the library later? finals are coming and some studying wouldnt be a bad idea.

Haru: I would love to!

2/3, Wed

After School - Shujin Library

"If you don't mind me asking, what have you been doing in these past few years? Specifically, I mean."

Haru's inquiry had snapped Akatsuki of his light trance as he sat by her in the library. The duo were currently studying for their Finals, with them packing in a few extra hours of work after school had ended to do just that. Sure, they'd much prefer to be doing some gardening, but their exams took precedence.

Just a day prior, Haru wouldn't have thought it possible to ask such a question of her acquaintance, but now… she felt as though a barrier between the two of them had been torn down, and with its destruction, she could freely speak her mind around him. Akatsuki himself had been focusing on a particularly irritating math problem prior to Haru speaking her mind, though it wasn't exactly a bad thing for her to snap him out of his mild stupor. Blinking a fair bit as he turned to face his fellow second-year, the boy shrugged indifferently.

"Well, not much I guess. Being homeschooled was boring," mused Akatsuki, with him huffing at the dull instructors that his mother had hired to tutor him throughout his middle school years. Haru could only wince sympathetically at that; she had been homeschooled for a few months of her middle school as well, though her father abruptly had her attend a somewhat prestigious prep school to, in his words, make some potential connections for the future. She… wasn't sure if he got what he had wanted, but that was neither here nor there.

Regardless…

"I see. And… outside of homeschool, has anything interesting happened?" asked Haru. Akatsuki shrugged at this.

"Well, no. Life's just been… dull, honestly. Nothing really interesting happens," huffed Akatsuki as he twirled a pen between his fingers with surprising dexterity. "Mother throws some parties from time to time, but they're boring. The other kids have their heads stuck way too far up their asses for me to really give a shit about them."

"Oh. That sounds…" began Haru, only for Akatsuki to snort in amusement.

"Boring? Is it ever. Mother always let me leave early to spend time with mum, and thank God for that," laughed Akatsuki with a cheeky grin. It seemed rather earnest to Haru, who couldn't help but smile herself, though her smile in particular seemed more forced.

"My father never let me leave early, even if I wanted to," whispered Haru meekly as she rubbed her upper arm, eliciting a frown from Akatsuki as he read between the lines and groaned. Okumura mistook this for disapproval, however, as she perked up and got ready to backpedal on her statement, though Augus beat her to it.

"That's just bad parenting. If your kid doesn't want to be there, and if they don't have to, then they should have full permission to just leave," groaned Akatsuki, with him scowling lightly at just how controlling Kunikazu came off as. The Kunikazu that he knew was a sweet man that adored his daughter more so than almost anything in the world… what on Earth happened to that man he once knew?

"W-Well, it is my responsibility to be there as well, though. I too am required to uphold the image of our company," lamented Haru, with her sounding somewhat uncertain with her words all the while. Akatsuki scowled at this, however, as he shook his head.

"It isn't. Not yet, at least. You're still in school, studying. Preparing for your future. You shouldn't be worrying about such a responsibility when you're as young as you are, Haru-Chan," countered Akatsuki, with him scowling a fair bit as he spoke. At that, the auburn haired girl paused briefly as she looked away from him uncertainly. The conflict in her seemed to be rather intense, as she fidgeted rather intensely whilst trying to think of a rebuttal.

Akatsuki ended up believing that he'd done more harm than good, but still… he'd eventually figure out that it was quite the opposite, really. Regardless, on instinct, he tried his best to diffuse the issue.

"Hey… uh… do you know how to solve this formula?" piped up Akatsuki after a few moments of awkward silence, and in response to this, Haru perked up, blinking a fair bit, before she stared over at the boy speaking to her. Pointing at the math problem he had been having issues with, Augus smiled sheepishly as he motioned for her to do her thing, and after regaining her bearings, Okumura puffed her cheeks out with determination before nodding stiffly.

"Well… if… if I don't, then we can solve it together, Akatsuki-Kun!"

The determination in her voice was impossible to ignore…

"Damn. Someone's got a fire lit under them."

… and truth be told, Akatsuki quite liked it.

2/4, Thurs

After School - Shujin Rooftop

"Akatsuki-Kun?"

"Hm?"

"Do… you still like to eat raisins?"

The question had come as a surprise to Akatsuki, who froze a little as both he and Haru crouched by the rooftop plant boxes. The duo had more or less overworked their brains in the library and needed to unwind a little, and as such, they had retreated to the roof to reconvene and plant some stuff.

They had also run into one blonde, Haru referred to him as Sakamoto Ryuji, chilling up there. Akatsuki vaguely knew him via some word of mouth, speaking about him as a delinquent even more so than he was, though he thought little of them. True, the guy was a little confrontational as he watched him and Okumura walk onto the roof, but after Haru had explained to him why they were here, he nodded in understanding and left the premises, allowing them to garden in peace.

Skulls aside, the two tended to the plants in peace, though Haru had suddenly dropped that question onto Akatsuki's head, and after processing it, he paused briefly and nodded a fair bit.

"Well, yeah… I guess. I prefer grapes, though," admitted Akatsuki with a shrug. Haru seemed surprised at this, as she tilted her head at him curiously.

"Oh? But I recall you eating quite a bit in the past," quipped Haru, to which Akatsuki flushed lightly.

"Oh… right, that…" muttered Akatsuki, with him scratching his cheek shyly as he spoke. "Uh… I… just… I just ate them because dad did…"

Though she wasn't as perceptive as he was, Haru was still capable of reading between the lines, and at that, she giggled a little at the unsaid implications. Goodness, Akatsuki's words had reminded Haru of something very important; the boy had idolised his father back when he was still around, and back then, he had taken to eating raisins since his old man had done the same constantly.

He hated those damn things, but he kept eating them regardless just to 'look cool'!

"D-Don't laugh about it…" stammered Akatsuki meekly, with him losing his cool for one of the first times since… well, forever, really. Haru couldn't remember the last time this had happened; even if her memories of their interactions years prior were fuzzy, she never remembered an occasion where he became this flustered, and in all honesty, she quite liked it.

"But it's cute, though," smiled Haru, with her unintentionally causing Akatsuki's cheeks to blush a deeper red as he hid the bottom half of his face behind his hand. She didn't notice this, however, as she reached behind herself and pulled out a small bag of seeds. By the time she had turned back to face her friend, Augus had managed to regain most of his composure, as evident by how his cheeks were less flushed now, leaving her in blissful ignorance as she showed him the bag.

"... grape seeds…?" read Akatsuki, with him tilting his head lightly as he took the bag from Haru. in response to this, the girl smiled sweetly.

"I… remembered that you liked to eat them yesterday while I was looking after the plants at home, then I remembered how we have a large collection of seeds near the back. I thought that it wouldn't hurt to bring some to school so that we can plant them on the roof…" explained Haru with a small smile. A small yet kind smile, one that more or less melted straight through Akatsuki's heart as his lips quivered lightly as he looked away with a massive blush on his face.

"That's… very kind of you, Haru-Chan," thanked Akatsuki after he had regained his bearings, to which Haru smiled lightly and bumped her elbow into his own.

"I'm sure it's nothing you wouldn't do for me, Akatsuki-Kun," mused Haru, and in truth, she wasn't exactly wrong on that. Hell, he had chased away her fiance just for her. Him getting something planted for her was probably a small thing compared to that! "Maybe we could eat them together, once they've grown completely!"

"Yeah. That sounds… nice."

2/5, Fri

After School - Shujin Level 2

"I'm sorry for assuming that you were Okumura. I… was unaware that the two of you were different individuals."

As he said this, Akatsuki bowed in one Shiho Suzui's direction, an act that made her feel somewhat awkward all the while. Beside her, Ann Takamaki snickered lightly behind her hand as she watched Augus' body tilt forward in an apologetic manner, though not long after, the girl being apologised to snapped out of her stupor and responded politely.

"Oh! Uh… well, it's fine, really! You're a new transfer, after all! Happens to the best of us!" assured Shiho with an awkward smile. The whole situation was awkward, to say the least, as Akatsuki, who had been waiting by the stairwell on the first floor, had abruptly jolted up upon seeing Suzui and immediately moved to apologise for a trivial matter. His sudden pop-up had made the volleyball girl leap up and land in Ann's arms, making for a comical sight indeed.

Regardless, after setting her down, Takamaki giggled and watched as her pal assured Akatsuki that it was indeed fine, though she was curious…

"Why did you mistake me for Okumura-Senpai, though? It seems somewhat… unprecedented," commented Shiho, with her tilting her head lightly as she spoke. To this, Akatsuki simply blushed lightly before speaking.

"I… didn't know that Haru-Chan was Okumura, and I heard some rumors about me being with a girl under the same name. I didn't interact with anyone but her for the longest time, but we did speak on at least one occasion, so I just… assumed," explained Akatsuki meekly, and at that, Shiho's mouth opened up in an ooooh motion whilst Ann did her best to hold back her snickers. Augus, on the other hand, looked as mortified as someone like him probably could as he bowed lightly in apology once more. "Again, I apologise for that."

"Oh, no need, really. In all honesty, it was quite funny…" admitted Shiho as she scratched her cheeky meekly, and in response to this, Ann cackled lightly before she slung her arm over Suzui's shoulders and pulled her best pal in close for a side-hug.

"Indeed it was!" laughed Ann, with her giggling like a maniac as she recalled just how Shiho's face looked when he had called her Okumura all those days prior (he had also done so on a small handful of occasions whilst they were wandering the halls and happened to bump into each other, though that in itself was rare). Suzui had shown her 'annoyance' by booping Takamaki on her nose, much to her amusement.

"Hmph, well, either way, my name is Suzui, Suzui Shiho, and this dashing blonde bombshell over here's Takamaki, Takamaki Ann," introduced Shiho with a smile. Ann gave him an adorable peace sign as she posed in his direction, one that he nodded to before speaking.

"Takamaki? As in, the daughters of the Dazzling Takamakis? The globally acclaimed fashion artists?" mused Akatsuki with an almost-grin, to which Ann blinked in surprise.

"You know them? Mum and dad are pretty big, sure, but in the fashion industry, they're not the biggest…" mused Ann in surprise, to which Akatsuki huffed.

"Yeah, I do. I own a few of the things they made, actually. They're very good at what they do," mused Akatsuki with a small smile. He wasn't lying in that department; the Dazzling Takamakis were a big deal in the fashion and modelling industry for a reason, and the family was great at making suits, with his mother having ordered a few for him for public events. They fit him like a glove, and though he typically disliked fancy attires, the ones custom made for him by the Takamakis were the sole exception to this rule.

That aside, Ann seemed genuinely surprised by this as she blushed at the praise thrown to her parents. Shiho grinned at this, with her having found something new to tease her best friend about, though before much else could be said…

"Akatsuki-Kun!"

The voice of Haru Okumura stopped all conversation. Pausing as they turned to see her running towards them, the boy in question smiled as the girls that were with him blinked when they saw Haru, now dressed in a gym uniform, skid to a halt by their side.

"I'm sorry for the wait! The bathrooms were a lot more crowded than I had expected…!" apologised Haru, to which Akatsuki huffed.

"It's fine, Haru-Chan," assured Akatsuki with a nod, though as he did so, the duo surprised the pair of girls before them at just how casual they were being, especially with the use of their first names. Not even a week prior, the two had been using their surnames with one another! Just what happened between the two since then…?

"Mm! Oh, sorry, d-did I interrupt something?" asked Haru awkwardly, to which Akatsuki shook his head whilst Shiho and Ann assured her that she did not, and moments later, she sighed in relief.

"Oh, no. Technically speaking, your friend did stop us to apologise for mistaking me for you, Okumura-Senpai," smiled Shiho, with her smile widening ever so slightly when she saw Akatsuki fidget a little. Haru took a moment to realize what she was getting at, and when she did, she giggled lightly, eliciting an even deeper blush from the boy as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Speaking of, we never got your name, and just calling you Akatsuki-Senpai seems disrespectful, soooo…" added Ann, with her humming as she awaited an answer. Akatsuki offered one quickly, and she hummed a little when he did. "Eh? Mixta, huh…? I could've sworn I've heard that name before."

"Well, have fun remembering, I guess," mused Akatsuki as he began to walk off, seeming somewhat nervous at the prospect of someone discovering his true identity. He left a little faster than one would expect, though as he did so, Haru bowed a little at Ann and Shiho before she followed in his footsteps.

"Sorry about him. Akatsuki-Kun just has issues when it comes to strangers. Until next time, Takamaki-San, Suzui-San!" bid Haru, with her swiftly moving to catch up to Akatsuki, and with them gone, the girls found themselves cackling lightly at just how strange they were. Still though, they did seem to like one another, so good for them, they supposed.

Regardless, now that the issue was over and done with, Ann began to ask Shiho about volleyball practice, and in response to this, the girl's good mood almost immediately dissipated.

2/6, Sat

After School - Shujin Gates

"Our finals are coming up…"

"Technically speaking, they would be my firsts."

Blinking a tiny bit at Akatsuki's comment, Haru found herself humming in agreement after some time, with her tilting her head lightly as she saw some weird logic behind his words. Yeah… the Final exams would technically be his first.

"You… you're not wrong, actually," admitted Haru, with her pulling her spade out of the dirt patch they were crouching in front of as she spoke. To this, Akatsuki hummed and went to work on burying a few of the grape seeds that his friend had brought with her.

Quite recently, as in starting just five seconds ago, Akatsuki had made some attempts at joking around with Haru. One of his many uncles had stated that lighthearted banter was always a good way to fill in the silence between friends/acquaintances, though unfortunately for Augus, he was horrible at both breaking the silence and making up jokes; it was a miracle that Okumura was as kind as she was to not care about this.

"Are you ready for it?" asked Akatsuki as he removed his hands from the soil and brushed them against his pants. Haru responded to his inquiry with a mild shrug.

"I believe so, but you can never be too prepared. Do you want to study a bit more today?" asked Haru, with her inviting Akatsuki for a study session with very little issue. Humming at this, Augus nodded and took her up on the invite, and without wasting much time, the duo moved off to the library… well, after Haru had changed out of her gym uniform, anyways.

Along the way, the two did find a few students staring at them in an awkward manner, though they mostly ignored them in favour of chatting with one another in a reserved manner. The same applied to whilst they were studying; students gossiped about as they watched the duo look through their notes, with them wondering if they were an item or if, God forbid, Haru was an accomplice to Akatsuki's alleged Yakuza crimes.

The first one never failed to cause a blush to creep into Haru's features… and as for the second, it just made Akatsuki roll his eyes in amusement more so than anything, though for the most part, they didn't let any of that get them down as they continued with their studying. They left the library feeling just a little smarter than they had been hours prior, and with that over and done with, the two said their goodbyes before leaving for their respective households.

In Haru's case, however…

"Soooo~"

"J-Javor-San, please! We're just friends!"

And off in the distance, Akatsuki, who had overheard the whole exchange, found his cheeks going flush as he heard the chauffeur's words as well.

2/8, Mon

After School - Shujin halls

A wince appeared on Haru's features as she read the article on her phone, and moments later, she showed it to Akatsuki, who flinched as the two stopped walking for a bit to have a look at what was written.

"Another Psychotic Breakdown, huh?" mumbled Akatsuki, with him scowling at the notion of another man going psychotic, however briefly. Said man was a high standing individual, someone working under Japan's MOH, Ministry of Health, and the article spoke of (and showed via censored images) how the guy had stripped naked and… erm… well, he stripped naked and threw shit at people, basically. Haru didn't read past that as her face went a little green, and Akatsuki thought it wise to not visualise the image in his mind either.

"Why is this happening, I wonder. People do not just go psychotic for no reason. There must be some correlation between these situations," bemoaned Haru, with her frowning as she continued walking alongside Akatsuki, who frowned sadly.

"The only real correlation we have right now is that these breakdowns happen almost specifically with people of power, but we can't link them anywhere past that," sighed Akatsuki, with him shaking his head as he spoke.

The Psychotic Breakdowns were an issue that plagued Japan for the better part of the past two years, with there being no real way to predict or stop them whatsoever. They happened at random, specifically to people in powerful positions, and by all means, the country as a whole was put on edge, with none of them knowing when the next Psychotic incident would occur.

With that being said, however, there was one individual that was on the case.

"I heard that the Detective Prince is on this one's case too. Akechi Goro, was it?" mused Akatsuki as they reached the gates of Shujin, and to this, Haru chuckled lightly.

"Indeed… he's tackled a few of these cases in the past, and even if he doesn't find out the cause of them, I'm confident that he'll be able to close this case like all the ones in the past!" smiled Haru with a grin, and to this, Akatsuki chuckled and shrugged. There was no denying that Akechi was a talented individual, but still, he had no proper opinion on the guy beyond that, and as such, he couldn't pass judgement upon him at the moment.

"Perhaps, but either way, it's best if we left now. Exams aren't over, after all. C'mon," urged Akatsuki, and to this, the duo left for their respective homes to study for yet another day of tests.

2/10, Wed

After School - Shujin Gates

As to be expected, the Final Exams had been a meat grinder.

Akatsuki and Haru had studied as much as they could on and off, but they felt as though they had just barely scraped through the whole ordeal by the skin of their teeth. Okumura in particular expressed a small amount of worry in regards to her potential score, though Augus was quick to assure her that she'd (probably… hopefully) do fine.

"I envy you at times, Akatsuki-Kun. How can you be so calm all the time?" asked Haru meekly as both she and Akatsuki left the school grounds, and in response to this, the boy shrugged.

"Oh, I'm actually panicking inside right now. I'm just better at hiding it," admitted Akatsuki. He had meant that as a joke, but Haru took it verbatim as she blinked a little and glanced up to look him in the eye, and sure enough, there was a small glimmer of panic shining behind his irises.

"Oh… I see. I apologise for bringing it up, Akatsuki-Kun," apologised Haru as they stepped out of the school gates, and at that, the duo paused as Okumura got ready to head off to where her pickup was parked. She was about to bow in farewell to Akatsuki before doing so, though before she could do that, Augus hummed lightly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, since our exams are over… you wanna, I'unno, go walk around the area or something? We have a free pass to Shibuya, after all," invited Akatsuki, with him sounding uncharacteristically… nervous(?) as he spoke. Haru blinked a little at his offer as she glanced back at her pickup car; Sasha had poked his head out of the window as he listened in on the conversation, and when his little boss had glanced back at him, he shrugged and gave her a hand motion that more or less said go on I'll cover for you when you get back.

He also had a cheeky grin on his face whilst doing so, one that made Haru blush more than she probably wished for, though regardless, at his approval, Okumura perked up and turned back to her friend, where she nodded firmly.

"I'd love to, Akatsuki-Kun!"

After School - Shibuya

Traveling to Shibuya in the afternoon certainly took some time; the train was packed with dozens of other students, making the ride feel longer than it probably was.

The fact that Akatsuki and Haru had been forced to be pressed up against one another due to the crowd certainly didn't help anything. They probably should've requested a car ride from Sasha…

Regardless, upon exiting the train, the duo began exploring Shibuya to their heart's content. Akatsuki, due to how his rented apartment was located in Aoyama Itchome, didn't have any real reason to head to Shibuya until now, and Haru… well, she never did have a good excuse to look around the area, so this was a new experience for the both of them. Due to their worries about getting lost, they stayed close to the train station and wandered around the general vicinity, which wasn't all that bad, really.

"Oooh… this stand sells a variety of juices… should we try some?" asked Haru as she and her friend exited the station, only to come face to face with a Drink Stand. The prices were a little more exorbitant than other places, but that was no problem for either herself or Akatsuki, and seeing as how she seemed keen on drinking it, the boy shrugged and got two for the road.

"This seems rather… nasty," mused Akatsuki as he held up a plastic bottle of… well, Nasty Aojiru. Why did he buy this one again…? It literally had nasty in its name…!

Either way, glancing over at Haru, the pink haired boy raised a brow before shrugging and holding his cup up as a toast. Okumura, as kind as ever, mirrored the gesture and took a sip from her cup, and, much to Augus' shock… she seemed to enjoy it.

'Well, probably not too much of a shock, since I got her a different one from mine,' noted Akatsuki when he saw how Haru's cup had a distinctly less deathly appearance to it when compared to his own. Either way, Augus… well… he just downed it in one go, and upon doing so, he felt like a small part of him had died a little on the inside. At least he felt a little Gutsier after that, though…

"Akatsuki-Kun… is it just me or do… do you look a little… green?"

"It's just your imagination, Haru-Chan."

His response was hollow and vacant, though Haru was kind enough to overlook that as they continued on.

After that harrowing experience (and after Akatsuki had emptied the contents of his stomach when Haru wasn't looking), the duo just went walking briefly, stopping by the local store, 777, to get some snacks. Thereafter, they headed to the arcade, where Haru was taken aback by just how… loud everything was. Akatsuki, having been brought to several arcades in the past, was barely phased.

That aside, the duo went off to mess with whatever arcade cabinet they could find. The one Akatsuki was drawn to the most went by EXTREME VERSUS, a licensed arcade game that he'd played a lot of back in Shizuoka. The pair played a few games of it, though ultimately, Haru found that she was subpar at it at best, which was understandable, Augus supposed, as it was not for everyone.

Whack a Mole was a whole other story, however, as both he and Okumura were great at going caveman on their poor targets. Haru in particular was able to strike her targets with such intensity that Augus was genuinely worried that she'd break the arcade cabinet, which creaked under her powerful strikes on more occasions than one.

Another game she excelled at was a somewhat generic but still fun shooter game. Turns out, Haru was exceptional when it came to gunplay; how this was the case… no one would ever know, but whilst the two were firing at zombies with their plastic guns, Akatsuki couldn't help but sweatdrop lightly as he watched his friend's score eclipse his own by a large margin.

'Damn,' thought Akatsuki as he lowered his plastic gun and watched as Haru fired at the pitiful mass of virtual zombies with her own, a cheery smile on her face as she giggled with each head popped. They had garnered a small crowd by then, in no small part due to the giggling from Okumura, which, in the current context, could be considered creepy…

… to everyone but Akatsuki, anyways, because-

'Thats hot.'

… yeah.

Anyhow, they had bled the machine dry of tickets by the time they finished their game, with Haru happily walking out of the arcade with a large stuffed bunny rabbit in her arms whilst Akatsuki followed closely behind, holding onto a mecha keychain that he had gotten with whatever tickets they had left. He would've been upset at his small prize, but honestly, the smile on Okumura's face made him quell that thought.

After a quick meal to recover their lost stamina at the local beef bowl shop, dubbed Ore No Beko (Akatsuki had to do a double take when he saw Toranosuke Yoshida there, of all people), the pair moved about the underground mall, where they found many a store that piqued their interest, though the one that caught Haru's was a flower store, run by a stellar young woman that went by Hanasaki. She was practically giddy with joy as she spoke with the young owner about the flowers, and Akatsuki was more or less forced to stand by with a bunny in his arm whilst he waited for Haru and Hanasaki to finish their conversation.

Somewhat awkwardly, he did catch sight of two other Shujin students, Ann and Shiho of all people, standing by a clothes store, doing some shopping. They seemed just as surprised as he was when they caught sight of him, though outside of a quick smile between each other and a mild wave on Suzui's part, they more or less acted like the other did not exist, which was fine by Akatsuki.

Regardless, Haru left the flower store after a long conversation with Hanasaki, and upon doing so, she showed Akatsuki the obscene amount of Bio-Nutrients she had bought with a smile. The pink haired boy found it almost comical as he helped her shove them all into her bag, though he did not comment on it outside of a mild snort of amusement.

Evening had rolled around by now, and both Akatsuki and Haru were now walking about Shibuya, the latter holding her little rabbit close whilst the former walked with his hands in his pockets whilst also holding onto the bag of Bio Nutrients. Overall, the day was rather fun for the two of them, though Augus would have to deduct some points from it as the drink stand owner was clearly trying to assassinate him.

Assassinations aside, however, Haru and Akatsuki had collectively decided to call it a day as they moved to a pickup point, with the former ringing up her chauffeur, who stated that he'd be there within a quarter of an hour. This freed the two kids up for some idle chatter whilst they waited, and although it began awkwardly at first, things eventually picked up between the two.

They spoke of nothing in general, with Akatsuki commenting on how strange it felt to be in a public school once more, especially after three years of homeschooling, whilst Haru told her friend that Sugimura had been out of contact for quite some time. Hm… it seemed as though Akatsuki's threat had made him run off, if only for awhile…

"Not that it's a bad thing, of course," added Haru rather hastily near the end to avoid any possible misinterpretations, and as she spoke, Akatsuki noticeably loosened up as he nodded in acknowledgement.

That aside, their talk was rather nice, with nothing much of note happening between them all the while. With that said, though, their hearts still felt as light as the air around them as they stood by one another and spoke without any real topic in mind.

"This is nice," mused Akatsuki after a few minutes of mindless banter, with him moving to stand just a bit closer to Haru as he spoke. Okumura seemed just a bit confused as to what he was referring to, prompting him to continue. "I don't remember the last time I came out with a friend like this. It must've been years ago."

"Oh. I… I'm sorry to hear that, Akatsuki-Kun," muttered Haru sadly as she clasped her hands together in a somewhat sympathetic manner. In response to this, Akatsuki simply smiled as he gently moved his knuckles up and lightly bumped them against her own. A small part of him had wanted to stroke her hair in an affectionate manner, but he knew that would be crossing some boundaries, especially after they had only just recently reunited with one another.

That… and he still recalled just how poorly she had reacted to the gesture just a few days ago. Akatsuki wasn't sure why she had reacted how she did, but for now, he reckoned that it was best to avoid doing such a thing until further notice.

"Don't be. I'm happy to spend time with you, Haru-Chan," assured Akatsuki with a grin, and at that, Haru's cheeks exploded in a flurry of red as she stared at him in disbelief. The boy stuck with his guns either way, though, as he eyed her with a smile… a red cheeked smile, but a smile nonetheless. "It makes me happy, being able to spend time with you."

"I… o-oh… w-w-well…I'm glad you feel that way too, Akatsuki-Kun," mused a flustered Haru, with her grabbing her cheeks in embarrassment as she spoke. Okumura's heart slammed against her ribs as it hammered in her chest, with her finding Akatsuki's words to be very much endearing, but unbeknownst to her… the boy was also feeling somewhat nervous at revealing all this to her, and when she had revealed that she felt the same, his heart sped up and almost met Haru's own in terms of BPM.

"... heh…" mused Akatsuki as he ran a hand through his hair. At the same time, Haru buried the lower half of her face in her rabbit plush as she contemplated what else to say, though she couldn't find any more words to utter until Sasha was here to pick her up, and by that same virtue, neither would her friend.

The duo just stood there silent from there on, basking in each other's embarrassed company all the while.

Whilst they did so, however, they failed to notice a tall and slim individual framing the image of them within his fingers, which were shaped into a rectangle.

Observing them through this frame of his, the boy smiled dreamily as he captured the image of the duo's awkward and unbeknownst love into his mind, heart and soul, and before long, he lowered his hands as he watched Haru's chauffeur pull up and usher her into the car, with Akatsuki bidding her farewell all the while.

'Beautiful, simply divine!'

Akatsuki: hey there haru chan

Akatsuki: i was wondering

Akatsuki: have you ever felt as though you were being watched in public?

Haru: I believe so. Father used to say that everyone is subconsciously watching you whenever you are in a public space.

Akatsuki: do you think theyre judging us when they do that as well?

Haru: I wouldn't think so?

Haru: I don't mean to pry, but why are you asking this?

Akatsuki: no real reason

Akatsuki: i just feel like someones watching me or something

Akatsuki: its probably my imagination but still

Haru: I see

Haru: If you believe there is a stalker, perhaps report the issue to the authorities? Or perhaps your private security force, if you happen to have one?

Akatsuki: i actually do have one. mother recommended them to me. do you?

Haru: I do indeed! They are on speed dial!

Akatsuki: cool

Akatsuki: theyre probably stealthier than mine

Akatsuki: hey btw, you wanna meet up next sunday at shibuya?

Akatsuki: 2/21

Akatsuki: shinos coming to town then and hes setting up a small art booth next week

Akatsuki: but hell need some time to set up. im thinking of surprising him the moment he opens its doors.

Haru: I would love to, but I am unsure if my schedule will be open in the evening. Could I confirm this with you at a later date?

Akatsuki: kk

Haru: By the way, Akatsuki-Kun, what does btw mean?

Akatsuki: by the way

Haru: ?

Akatsuki: ill have to explain this in person

2/12, Fri

After School - Shujin Rooftop

"I see. B-T-W… means… by the way?"

"Ah. It's a shortened version, at least."

Blinking a tiny bit as she processed this, Haru hummed lightly to herself as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. How interesting… she was learning quite a bit from Akatsuki now, it would seem.

Classes had just ended for the day, and Akatsuki and Haru were both by the roof of the school, with the duo just idly working on the vegetables they had up there to pass the time. Now that their finals were over, they didn't really need to worry about much as they tended to the greens, speaking about whatever random topic came to mind.

"I feel terrible for forgetting most of them, though. Atland-San, Norba-San, Stark-San and Chadan-San… they were all so nice to me back then," muttered Haru sadly at one point, with her having felt bad about not recalling so many kindhearted individuals from her past. Key of which being- "You as well, Akatsuki-Kun. I didn't remember anything about you until your real last name came up."

"I wouldn't feel bad about it. I kind of forgot as well. I remembered you for a few good months, but then…" Akatsuki had trailed off, with his eyes growing distinctly hollow as he slouched his shoulders sadly. "Shit happened, and… I didn't."

"Your circumstances were different from mine, though. You… lost someone close to you. I…"

Haru had trailed off there as well, with the words finding themselves lodged in her throat as she looked away sadly. Akatsuki noticed this and placed a hand atop her shoulder, eliciting a squeak from the girl as she turned back towards him. She seemed to be expecting something bad to happen when she did so, so it was quite a relief when she saw that, rather than the leer of her fiance, it was her friend smiling at her in understanding.

"You don't have to tell it to me now, you know?" hummed Akatsuki lightly, to which Haru smiled, thankful for his understanding.

"Thank you, Akatsuki-Kun."

"Anytime, Haru-Chan."

2/14, Sun (debatable if this is canon to the story as a whole)

Evening - Shibuya Station Square

Haru: Can we meet somewhere in Shibuya?

Akatsuki: sure what time?

Haru: Does evening work for you?

Akatsuki: yeah sure. by the arcade?

Haru: Yes, that will work!

Shifting a little awkwardly on the balls of his feet, Akatsuki huffed a little as he slid his hands into his pockets and felt around the mostly empty space in there. There was something that irked him about Haru's message to suddenly meet up, though he forced himself to not think about it as he tugged on his collar and tried to relax.

In truth, he had intended on messaging her to see if she was free to meet today as well. It was a… personal reason but still, a reason nonetheless, though she had beat him to the punch in that regard. Silently, he wondered if her reason for meeting her was the same as his, though he perished the thought as he watched the chauffeur car that Haru always boarded roll up and open its door, allowing Okumura to exit the vehicle without much issue.

Though, she did pause a little when she saw Akatsuki standing idly by, and in response to this, Sasha rolled the window down by the driver's seat and gave her a quick pep walk, one that riled the girl up as she puffed her cheeks up and approached Augus with as much determination she could muster. She… didn't get far before she raced back to the car and slammed her head into its top… and on impact, the frame of the vehicle buckled from just how strong Okumura really was.

Whilst Sasha freaked out about his car being damaged, Akatsuki huffed in amusement and approached Haru, who was still debating between getting back into the car and skedaddling on out of here and confronting him. Her chauffeur assisted her in regaining her lost courage, though by then-

"Haru-Chan?"

"A-AKATSUKI-KUN!"

Akatsuki was already behind her, seeming worried as Sasha fell back into his car and laughed his ass off. He was quickly met with the annoyed and amused stares from two individuals in particular, though before long, they turned back towards each other, with Haru seeming somewhat uncertain on what she should do next whilst Akatsuki just appeared… awkward.

"So…"

"Aka-"

"Oh."

"Ah!"

"You can go first, Haru-Chan/You go first, Akatsuki-Kun!"

"No, you go first, I insist/N-no! Please, you can go first!"

"Well, you invited me here-/I invited you here to-"

".../…"

Neither Shujin student could really find the right words to speak to the other, with them either cutting each other off or pausing when they thought the other would speak up first. It got to the point where they ended up growing silent out of reflex, and before long, Haru's chauffeur sighed and honked the horn of his car, startling both into saying what was on their minds.

"Please accept this, Akatsuki-Kun!"

"I want you to have this, Haru-Chan."

Jolting up, Haru immediately bowed forwards in a near perfect ninety degrees as she held a bag of… chocolates towards Akatsuki.

And at the same time, Akatsuki looked away with a red face as he offered Haru a small bag of chocolates as well.

Off in the background, Sasha could only close the window of the car before he hollered at the sheer teen awkwardness of the situation, and moments later, both Haru and Akatsuki looked up and saw each other's chocolate, prompting them to blush quite fiercely when they acknowledged how the other had more or less done what they had!

"Is this…?/Akatsuki, you…"

"Chocolate?/Chocolate…?"

"Ah!/Gaaah!"

"Giri-Chocolate!/It's G-Giri Chocolate, Akatsuki-Kun!"

"Giri-Chocolate…/Giri Chocolate?"

"So… so it's…/Oh! So it's like mine…?"

"You kids really need to stop speaking over each other."

Cackling lightly as he rolled the windows of the car back up, Sasha grinned at the sight he was being presented. Both Akatsuki and Haru were blushing heavily as they registered his words, and as a way to tease them, he grinned widely and showed them a chocolate he had gotten hours prior.

"Yare Yare Daze…" laughed Sasha as he took a bite of his own Valentine's Choco, ignorant of how the two were staring at him in bewilderment. "Hm, not bad…"

2/15, Mon

Lunch time - Shujin hallway

And so, the scores for their final exams were posted, and thankfully…

"Well, I didn't fail."

"Neither did I, Akatsuki-Kun!"

"..."

"..."

"Wanna celebrate at the arcade?"

"Oh! I would love to!"

That evening, Kunikuza Okumura would begin to wonder why his daughter kept coming home so late these few days. And on that note, why was her chauffeur occasionally sneaking into her room with a duffel bag that looked like it had a massive stuffed animal inside it?

He'd have to look into that eventually.

2/16, Tues

After School - Shujin fields

"Haru-Chan, if you don't mind me asking…"

Humming lightly as her name was brought up, Haru glanced over at Akatsuki, tilting her head all the while. The duo were currently tending to some of the bushes on ground level, with Mixta holding onto a pair of sizable pliers to snip at some of the more overgrown parts of the bush whilst Okumura herself made use of a smaller pair to make some smaller cuts here and there.

"Why didn't you introduce yourself as Okumura when we first met?" asked Akatsuki, and in response to this, Haru smiled sadly before snipping off a leaf.

"The answer is simple, Akatsuki-Kun. It's that… a lot of people see me more as Okumura Haru rather than Okumura Haru, and forgive me for saying this but… before I remembered who you really were, I… had thought you would do the same as well," mused Haru, with her smiling sadly with each word. Akatsuki was, admittedly, somewhat hurt by her comment, though he didn't let it affect him too much as he nodded, understanding her stance on the matter.

"Yeah, I get that. People didn't really like it when I introduce myself as Augus Akatsuki, and introducing myself as Aina Bernstein Akatsuki is just asking for trouble. I can't really blame you for lying to me back there," mused Akatsuki. There was some hurt in his voice, that much was obvious, but still, the understanding was present as well, and Haru appreciated that.

"... I… sometimes forget that your mum was a commoner. N-Not that that's a bad thing, of course!" mused Haru, with her adding some clarification near the end, and to this, Akatsuki chuckled lightly. Yeah, she wasn't wrong there; his dad had been a Yakuza bodyguard, his step-mother a famous politician, but his biological mum…? She was literally someone that, in her own words, got lucky and caught the attention of just the right person.

People that didn't know any better would usually say that it was rather unbecoming, to have a commoner wife, but his dad never saw it that way, and it was probably for the best, as Akatsuki had been borne out of their love…

"I know you're not implying that, Haru-Chan. I remember you loving mum back then, and she loved you a lot too," grinned Akatsuki as he lightly nudged his friend, and at that, Haru smiled sweetly as she returned the gesture. A pettier person would've saw her words as insulting, but the boy beside her was anything but.

"You're too kind, Akatsuki-Kun, you know that, right…?"

"Some people deserve to be treated with kindness, Haru-Chan, and I'd say that you're one of them."

The implications of him knowing more than he did about her current situation did not go completely over Haru's head, but still, it was briefly forgotten as Okumura's cheeks flared up at his words.

2/18, Thurs

After School - Shujin hallway

Somewhat unfortunately, Akatsuki could not join Haru today. Apparently, he had to run off to get something done at his apartment, something that worried Okumura at first, though he was quick to assure her that it was nothing major.

That aside, Okumura had lingered in Shujin for a few hours after her friend had departed, tending to the plants on the rooftop. The grape plants were coming along rather well, if Haru had to say to herself, and after happily watering a handful of them for the better part of half an hour, the girl thought it best to depart. It just didn't feel the same, really, to do all this without her friend by her side.

Leaving the roof, Haru had moved on to change back into her student attire and was well on her way towards her chauffeur car, though she was quick to pause when she took note of how a dark blue haired individual was limping his way over to the school gates alongside her. Slowing her pace at the sight, Okumura observed the younger boy briefly as she was quick to identify him as Mishima Yuuki, a First Year member of the Shujin Volleyball Team.

Curious… just a few weeks prior, Haru wouldn't have noticed such things as she mostly kept to herself, but now, she was able to notice the multitude of bandages and bruises present on Mishima's body, and on a similar note, the auburn haired girl had also noticed how the few Volleyball Team members she had bumped into in the halls sported similar wounds as well. Had they all gotten those injuries from practice? If so… then what was even going on in that club?

Right as she thought that, however, Haru widened her eyes when she saw Yuuki tipping forwards, and in an instant, she rushed forwards and seized him by the back of his collar. Let it be known that Okumura was no athlete, but by that same virtue, she wasn't a weakling either. Hidden by her puffy cardigan/gym uniform was a somewhat respectable build, especially for someone her size, and as such, she was able to stop Mishima from falling flat on his face with just one arm, something that made the lowerclassman gasp in shock as he processed what had happened.

"Gah! W-Wha-" began Yuuki as Haru pulled him back up, with her doing so with such strength that he almost fell back from the momentum. Still, he maintained his footing as he glanced over at Okumura in surprise, and moments later, he gulped and bowed hesitantly. "O-Okumura-Senpai! Thank you for your help!"

"It was nothing, Mishima-Kun, but… are you alright? You seem unwell," inquired Haru worriedly, and in response to this, Yuuki blanched a little as his eyes darted around in a panic. Almost immediately, his gaze darted towards a security camera, which had its soulless optic focused almost exclusively onto him, and upon noticing its cold, hard gaze, Mishima shuddered as he shrunk in on himself and turned to leave.

"I-It's nothing, Okumura-Senpai. I appreciate your worry, but… I just… I-I was sloppy during Volleyball practice today, that's all…" assured Mishima as he swiftly departed, and at that, Haru frowned lightly as she watched him leave.

Volleyball practice, huh…? Again, it didn't seem likely that a round of Volleyball would leave one with such injuries, but still… Okumura didn't wish to pry too deep into Mishima's issues. It just felt rude to do so.

She would eventually come to regret making such a decision, but that was an issue for another time.

Akatsuki: sorry for having to leave so soon today. had to go home early to get some things done.

Haru: It's quite alright, Akatsuki-Kun!

Akatsuki: anything interesting happen while i was away?

Haru: …

Haru: …

Haru: …

Akatsuki: is something wrong?

Haru: Nothing much.

Haru: Apologies, Akatsuki-Kun. I had dropped my phone whilst typing.

Akatsuki: its not broken, is it?

Haru: Thankfully no!

Akatsuki: thats a relief. om going to do my homework now see you

Haru: Likewise, Akatsuki-Kun!

Haru: Have a nice day!

2/20, Sat

Midday - Okumura Estate

"Haru, I wish to speak with you. Privately."

Pausing briefly as she heard her father's voice, Haru stopped her one-note march through her family home and turned to face her single parent with a curious look on her face. Likewise, her chauffeur stopped beside her as well, with him appearing somewhat sheepish all the while. A quick nod from the patriarch of the Okumura family acted as a nonverbal dismissal on his part, and although Sasha was somewhat reluctant to part ways with his little boss, orders were orders, and after a quick bow, he departed, allowing Kunikazu to escort his daughter to his private office in peace.

Okumura Kunikazu's personal office was… as one would expect, really; professional in appearance, with no real taste or personality to it. Haru frowned a little at this, with her recalling how her father used to decorate this room with various model kits that he fancied. Everything gradually grew stale and more professional, however, as Okumura Enterprises grew in size, and though she never voiced her grievances with it, Haru found herself despising how much her father had changed.

She missed the jolly old man he once was…

Either way, however, after the two had entered, and after the door had shut itself behind Haru, Kunikazu began to stare down his daughter with a mostly unreadable expression. Though she had, admittedly, grown used to unreadable expressions, in no small part thanks to Akatsuki, something about her father's made her shudder lightly as she fidgeted a little.

"Is something the matter, father?" asked Haru cautiously, with her knowing better than to speak out of line, and in response to this, the elder Okumura sighed softly.

"Yes, Haru. Something is the matter. It's come to my attention that, more recently, you have been returning home much later than usual. I would like to know why," began Kunikazu, who cut straight to the point as he spoke. His tone of voice reminded Haru of how he'd speak to his workers, something that hurt her more than she'd like to admit.

"Oh! I apologise, father. I… I have been spending the afternoon studying with a friend! He is very helpful on that front!" assured Haru, with her half lying as she smiled. To this, Kunikazu raised a brow.

"A friend… am I to believe that this friend of yours is this Mixta-Kun that you told me about some time ago?" asked Kunikazu for clarification, and when Haru nodded, he sighed. "I see. Your drive to study is admirable, but please, remember that you do not have to go out of your way to appease others. There are others out there that are more deserving of your attention, Haru."

The silent "like Sugimura Takahashi" was heard by Haru, though she said nothing of it as Kunikazu continued.

"That aside, I called you here for another reason. Quite recently, Sugimura-San has gotten an invitation to an art gallery, and he has been rather thrilled to attend. He requests our presence there, tomorrow, to accompany him for its opening," stated Kunikazu, with him smiling slightly as he spoke. Haru's small frame noticeably shrunk in on itself as she processed her fiance's name, though she didn't let it deter her as she realized something.

"Tomorrow… father, may I know who is hosting this art gallery?" inquired Haru, and to this, Kunikazu smiled, with him mistaking his daughter's question for submission rather than optimism.

"One Norba Shino, Haru. Perhaps you've heard of him?" mused Kunikazu, and at that, the girl nodded.

"I have, father. I… I… I was actually intending on attending his specific art show with Ak- Mixta-Kun," admitted Haru, with her tapping her fingers together meekly. In response to this, Kunikazu raised a brow.

"Attending an art gallery with a mere friend? Perish the thought, we are above such things, Haru. I have already made the proper arrangements; we shall meet Sugimura-San by the driveway tomorrow. Do not be late, am I understood?" hummed Kunikazu, seeming uncaring to Haru's personal dilemma as she acknowledged his words. Opening her mouth, she had fully intended on arguing, but she never managed to do so as the words died in her throat, and moments later, she responded shakily.

"Understood, father…" muttered Haru, with her bowing her head lightly as she spoke. It hurt her a lot more than she wished to admit, for her father to make such arrangements without her consent, but still… she admittedly couldn't bring herself to be surprised by now.

This has been happening for quite some time, after all. Haru had just pretended that it had not.

"Good. That will be all, Haru," said Kunikazu with a nod, and with that, he dismissed her. Haru nodded at this, with her leaving without another word. Her demeanor was dour as she walked back to her room, and as soon as she was in, she shut the door and threw herself onto her bed, wallowing in her own misery for quite some time.

She remained like this for a while, though before long, she got up after she got a message from Akatsuki.

Akatsuki: (there was meant to be a cat picture here, provided by Renn, but unfortunately, FF.N doesn't do pictures)

Akatsuki: look at this cat

Akatsuki: doesnt it look nice

Haru couldn't resist a smile. Akatsuki really did know how to brighten her day up (God bless his impeccable timing too), and with a smile, she typed back to him, stating that it did.

For a brief few minutes, Haru and Akatsuki simply texted one another without much of a care in the world, though not long after, there was a loll in their texts, and without thinking Okumura sent the next series of messages with some reluctance.

Haru: Akatsuki-Kun?

Akatsuki: sup

Haru: There… is an issue I wish to speak with you on.

Akatsuki: whats up. im all ears

Haru: I will not be able to attend the Art Show tomorrow. There is a family issue I must tend to.

Akatsuki: …

Akatsuki: …

Akatsuki: …

Akatsuki's prolonged period of silence and typing had set Haru on edge, with her moving to type out an apology for doing so. She probably would've let slip the fact that she had to attend, just with a different individual, though before she could do so-

Akatsuki: i understand

Akatsuki: family always comes first. take care, ok?

Those words had no doubt come from a place of genuine care, but even so, Haru couldn't help but feel guilty because of them, though she didn't wish to discuss the matter any further as she sighed and thumbed back at her friend. A small part of her wished to tell him about the forced arrangement between herself and Sugimura attending the gallery, but even so, she didn't wish to burden him with her problems, and as such, she opted to end the conversation there.

Haru: I will. Thank you, Akatsuki-Kun.

Akatsuki: anytime, haru-chan

Akatsuki: hey, you wanna chat a little? i finished my homework. kinda bored right now

Haru: I would love to, Akatsuki.

The rest of the evening was spent by the duo texting one another about cats, occasionally dogs, and plants, and for all it was worth, Haru found it quite enjoyable.