[Finally, Hikaru knows what she wants to say in response. It's important. It's there in the tremble of her lips, the curling of her tongue--it tastes sour, and sharp, like she's biting directly into a lemon. Looking up at Touya, she's never wanted to say it more than she does right now: You wouldn't have noticed me if not for Sai. Touya doesn't know that she's swearing fealty to stolen valor and a pathological liar. She doesn't know the first thing about it. All of her fine feelings would evaporate as soon as she found out...] You make it sound like we're about to swear a blood oath or something, [Hikaru says quietly.] Like you're gonna prick our fingers and get us all mixed up in each other. [She tilts her head to a rueful degree, but somehow she's still smiling--even with that horrible flavor in her mouth. She's too much of a coward to tell Touya the truth.] You're pretty lucky I'm not all that squeamish, you know.
[Regardless, she isn't expecting Touya to bend down and scoop up her shoes like that, but that's what she's doing, and then there's a splash of warmth across Hikaru's cheeks. It's princely, that's what it is, for Touya to do something like that. It's chivalrous and stuff. Now she's staring right at Touya, and Touya isn't even looking back at her, not anymore. Then Touya does look at her, and she offers her hand, too, which couldn't be more inviting, in spite of everything. Hikaru folds her fingers around Touya's before she can think twice about it. She finds the strength to stand up again--with a little bit of Touya's help, admittedly. In her other hand, she clutches the fan and the handkerchief, protective of them both.]
My room. Yeah. All right, then... [Without high heels, Hikaru really notices how much taller Touya is when they're standing together. It's annoying before it's humbling, but it's likewise a touch alluring, to think of where her head would fit if Touya wanted to hold her. They take the steps down one at a time, all the way down to the landing of the third floor--and they're still holding hands. Hikaru doesn't have time to wonder about that when Touya fearlessly opens the door to the third floor hallway, and Hikaru almost digs her heels in--almost--in a moment of intense dread. But when she enters the hallway, too, she looks back and forth, on high alert, and she finds... nothing. No reporters, no cameras, no Kurata-san with steam coming out of his ears, no officials from the Nihon Ki-in with a lecture on unsporting behavior--just an ugly red carpet and the scent of cleaning fluid. Nobody's here. Hikaru allows herself to be led down the hall, all the way to her room, to Touya's room, since they're located side by side.
She looks over at Touya. They're still holding hands.
Again, that sour taste in her mouth...]
Do you want to come in?
[Hikaru seems closer to defiance when she asks that, like she's daring Touya to reject her, even though she wouldn't blame Touya for being sick of her by now. (Last night, Hikaru kept straining her ears, hoping to catch any and every sound from Touya's room. Footsteps, maybe, or a cough, or just some evidence that Touya still existed.) (Hikaru can't stand it when things get too quiet and still, and she's reminded of how alone she is.) (She can't fucking stand it.)]
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[Regardless, she isn't expecting Touya to bend down and scoop up her shoes like that, but that's what she's doing, and then there's a splash of warmth across Hikaru's cheeks. It's princely, that's what it is, for Touya to do something like that. It's chivalrous and stuff. Now she's staring right at Touya, and Touya isn't even looking back at her, not anymore. Then Touya does look at her, and she offers her hand, too, which couldn't be more inviting, in spite of everything. Hikaru folds her fingers around Touya's before she can think twice about it. She finds the strength to stand up again--with a little bit of Touya's help, admittedly. In her other hand, she clutches the fan and the handkerchief, protective of them both.]
My room. Yeah. All right, then... [Without high heels, Hikaru really notices how much taller Touya is when they're standing together. It's annoying before it's humbling, but it's likewise a touch alluring, to think of where her head would fit if Touya wanted to hold her. They take the steps down one at a time, all the way down to the landing of the third floor--and they're still holding hands. Hikaru doesn't have time to wonder about that when Touya fearlessly opens the door to the third floor hallway, and Hikaru almost digs her heels in--almost--in a moment of intense dread. But when she enters the hallway, too, she looks back and forth, on high alert, and she finds... nothing. No reporters, no cameras, no Kurata-san with steam coming out of his ears, no officials from the Nihon Ki-in with a lecture on unsporting behavior--just an ugly red carpet and the scent of cleaning fluid. Nobody's here. Hikaru allows herself to be led down the hall, all the way to her room, to Touya's room, since they're located side by side.
She looks over at Touya. They're still holding hands.
Again, that sour taste in her mouth...]
Do you want to come in?
[Hikaru seems closer to defiance when she asks that, like she's daring Touya to reject her, even though she wouldn't blame Touya for being sick of her by now. (Last night, Hikaru kept straining her ears, hoping to catch any and every sound from Touya's room. Footsteps, maybe, or a cough, or just some evidence that Touya still existed.) (Hikaru can't stand it when things get too quiet and still, and she's reminded of how alone she is.) (She can't fucking stand it.)]