July 1/Run in/PG/Open

[kei]

A little curve crept onto Kettaro's lips as he felt right about Ayame liking Ren and vise versa. It felt nice--to know another's secret. All Kettaro had were his siblings to tell him all of their secrets. He felt as if he was holding an invisible precious item that Ayame had lent him for a bit.

"I liked him at the time, but I don't think I could ever like anyone as much as-" She cut herself off. "Never mind."

"Ayame..." was all that he said; dropping the honorifics. He looked into her eyes, but not with eyes of pity of sympathy. They were understanding--even if he has never experienced that before.
"Do you know if -he- likes you back? You know, the one you like." he asked casually, head on his hand now.

"Aw, Kettaro. Just look at yourself. Your hair's shinier than mine, you're sweet and intellectual, you dress like a british model. I mean who wouldn't like you?" she said, fixing an askew pin in his hair.

Kettaro's blush flowed steadily away thanks to Ayame's words. He felt more comfortable, more relaxed around the female.
"Haha, aw, thanks! But you know, I could fix up your hair at my place a bit! Don't be shy to come visit, Ayame." he smiled and then added, "Plus, you'd get to see you-know-who there. But that's up to you, haha~!"

[hannah]

"Do you know if -he- likes you back? You know, the one you like."

Blushing, she looked away. "You can never really tell with Ren. I'm getting the idea, but-" She paused and sighed. "I won't get my hopes up."

Wiping the look of apathy from her face, she smiled and turned back at the sound of his voice again.

"Haha, aw, thanks! But you know, I could fix up your hair at my place a bit! Don't be shy to come visit, Ayame." he smiled and then added, "Plus, you'd get to see you-know-who there. But that's up to you, haha~!"

Her face reddened again. "K-Kettaro, I don't think that's such a, well, you know, I, uh, I'm not allowed in the boys' dorms anyway." she said, fumbling and tripping over her words. This was bad. This was very bad. Normally, she wouldn't just tell anyone about something like this. Actually, she'd never told anyone about her feelings for Ren. Not even Yousuke. How did Kettaro get close enough that she could just lose all her sense and begin babbling?

"Although, it would be cool if you could do something about this," she mumbled, tugging at her hair. It was long, and from a distance it looked alright, but close up, the ends were split, and it was dull like a sanded wooden floor. "If you wanted to, that is."

[kei]

"K-Kettaro, I don't think that's such a, well, you know, I, uh, I'm not allowed in the boys' dorms anyway."

"I'll sneak you in~ And wha--?! Then why am I allowed in there? I'm probably more of a threat to the boys than you are, ahaha!" he let out a laugh as he poked the girl's cheek.
"And don't worry! If you guys decide to get fancy in the room, I'll hide or leave~" he finished his teasing and gave her a reassuring smile.

Kettaro tilted his head at the girl's hair. Her blonde matched her reddened face in a way. He felt her hair and it was almost like touching hay. The blonde had a horrified face, but tried hiding it with a nervous laughter. He really, really wanted to fix her hair now. The split ends, the damaged feeling, the small knots...

"All right. You're coming with me." he got up from the couch, still holding onto her golden locks. "Let's get this haystack fixed, Ayame!"

[hannah]

Snickering to herself, she stood along with him. Her hair was awful, a few years on the road kept her mind busy with things far from appearances. "Alright, Kettaro. But, where do we start?" she asked, looking at a strand of dried out hair.

Where could he start? It'd grown so long, and it looked beyond repair. As grateful as she was that he'd even considered touching her hair, she was a bit embarrassed, and it showed. Even now she had more important things to worry about.

"A-Actually, Kettaro, I'll have to go with you another time. I still have a few things to study up for, so..." she stammered. "I have a test tomorrow, and then I have to rehearse a play with Ren tomorrow," she groaned, walking back to the table to get her notebook. "But the next day would work if that's alright with you. ...I'm sorry."

[kei]

"Alright, Kettaro. But, where do we start?" she asked.
"I'm pretty sure you shower everyday, so let's skip the shower scenes." He laughed even harder at that, but proceeded. "Putting up your hair damages it since your ties are so tight, so you should let your hair down often and be free for a bit!"

Kettaro patted Ayame's hair, smiling at her attitude. He moved his hands to her ties and began loosening them, being careful with every movement. The blonde knew what it was like having someone yank out hair during undoing the ties, so he tried being precise on it.
"Hey, your golden locks look really cute, Ayame! Hope I haven't said anything discouraging to you..." Getting the last tie out, "--All done!"

Still standing, Kettaro looked at Ayame with no caution. Her female voice came out. They had to reschedule their little play date until next time.
"Aw," he frowned. "That's okay, A-ya-me~! Wow-- you're so busy with tests and Ren! Ahaha, I hope you two have 'lots of fun together. Tell me about it when you're free, yeah?"
With that, he ruffled her hair smoothly so it wouldn't get tangled.

[hannah]

As she felt her hair fall to her shoulders, she suddenly felt out of place. Her hair hadn't been worn down in so long that she'd almost forgotten what it felt like. She'd even forgotten how long it had grown. "Don't worry, Kettaro, you've helped me out a lot." she said, watching as he pulled out the last knot.

"Tell me about it when you're free, yeah?" he asked, smoothing out her hair.

"I will," she replied, smiling. "Probably the day after tomorrow for sure. Hey, do you have a cellphone?" she asked, pulling a phone from her pocket. "Or you could just sneak into the girl's dorms. Wouldn't be too hard after the hall sweep. I'm in room 10A."

[kei]

Kettaro was thinking of how Ayame would look if she had worn her hair down most of the time. The school uniform matched her blonde quite well, so she would have pulled it off. But maybe she was insecure or something. The sound of her voice broke his train of thoughts and it made him look down at her sheepishly.

"Don't worry, Kettaro, you've helped me out a lot." she said.
"I didn't do anything for you to thank me! But don't worry, I'll always be around if you need me, Ayame."
He placed a hand on her shoulder and beamed a reassuring smile.

"Probably the day after tomorrow for sure. Hey, do you have a cellphone?" she asked, pulling a phone from her pocket. "Or you could just sneak into the girl's dorms. Wouldn't be too hard after the hall sweep. I'm in room 10A."

Kettaro's eyes were beaming. Could it be? A new friend who is a girl?
"Yeah! I have a cellphone! I'll send you something--give me your address~" he replied as he took out his little cute device. "Haha, and I think it'd be hard for me to get into the girls dorm, don't you think?"

[hannah]

Smiling as she looked at his phone, which was pinker than her own, she began to recite her number. "And yours?" she asked, flipping her phone open. Kettaro was just as much a girl friend as any girl could be. He was definitely more feminine than Mayumi, and especially herself.

"Haha, and I think it'd be hard for me to get into the girls dorm, don't you think?"

"Well actually, Ren was able to sneak in after lights out, and he didn't get caught even with all the screaming and yelling." She was never very good with words, but this was one of her worst mess ups yet. "...Oh god that sounded wrong didn't it?"

[kei]

Kettaro was kind of surprised that Ayame had a pink cellphone. Nonetheless, he still smiled at how cute she was for having a girly side. He pressed the buttons in as she recited.

"And yours?" she asked.

The blonde stuck a tongue out, taking the small device from her hand. He entered his number in himself, and even named himself 'KETTARO ☆'.
He hasn't really given his number out to anyone in Aozora yet, so he was extremely content with Ayame's number being in his cellular device.

He placed her little phone back into her hand and said, "Now I really am everywhere, haha!"

Kettaro couldn't wipe his stupid smile off his face. Ren actually going into the girl's dorm was quite a surprise to him.
"Ayame...! Were you guys--you know--ahahaha!!"
There was no way to stop his laughter now.

"...Oh god that sounded wrong didn't it?"

"Of course it did! I don't know what I'm supposed to be thinking right now!"

[hannah]

"Of course it did! I don't know what I'm supposed to be thinking right now!"

Covering her face with her hands, she laughed and cursed her terrible wording. "Not like that! We got into a fight and he came back to apologize, but then we ended up fighting again, and then it resolved, but..." She buried her face into her palms again. I'm an idiot.

"Never mind that. Don't get the wrong idea now, Kettaro." she said, her face still pink. "But anyways, it was nice to talk to someone that knows what a pain guys are, so um. Thank you." She hesitantly hugged him around the waist, the top of her head just barely coming up to his shoulders.

[kei]

While Kettaro was laughing at Ayame's embarrassment, he tried to stop himself to hear her out.

"Not like that! We got into a fight and he came back to apologize, but then we ended up fighting again, and then it resolved, but..."

"Buuuuuuuut~?" he cooed. "And don't worry, I won't get the wrong idea! And why do you guys fight so much? Is it some kinda of hate-love relationship?"

Everything was happening so quickly. A new social link, a new address added into the phone--just everything. But it had slowed down.

"But anyways, it was nice to talk to someone that knows what a pain guys are, so um. Thank you."

The hug that came from Ayame felt nice. She was quite the petite girl. It didn't matter what she's been through, but she did have feelings. Kettaro returned the hug with a giant smile.
"Haha, no problem, Ayame! You probably already know, but I'm not straight. So, you can basically tell me anything--no need to be shy."

[hannah]

"And don't worry, I won't get the wrong idea! And why do you guys fight so much? Is it some kinda of hate-love relationship?"

She let go of him, and moving a strand of hair out of her eyes, she nodded. "You could say that, I guess." she replied.

"Haha, no problem, Ayame! You probably already know, but I'm not straight. So, you can basically tell me anything--no need to be shy."

So he was gay. Not that it was a secret, or that she didn't have the idea. "So then you do know how difficult guys can be." she muttered, smiling understandingly. "You said before that you were interested in someone. Might I know who this person is?" Was this asking too much? ...He did say to ask anything, right?

Well, from the second he offered to fix her hair, she decided they were friends. They could share their secrets and not worry about them being spread, and that's how they would be. But even so, knowing another's secret always made Ayame happy and nervous. Happy that they felt they could trust her, but nervous with the fear of letting them down.

[kei]

It was interesting hearing about Ayame and Ren's hate-love relationship. The blonde male wondered if he'd ever see them in the act. Or rather, if he'd see them kissing. When two angsty children meet... What happens? Do they fight and kiss with angry expressions? Kettaro began pondering strange thoughts, but kept a calm face. He tried not letting Ayame know what he was thinking because it was too embarrassing--even for him to explain it.

"So then you do know how difficult guys can be."
Kettaro laughed, shaking his head slightly. "Hahaha! Kind of~ I haven't really liked anyone until now, though!"
The blonde smiled as he started feeling giddy thinking about him.

"You said before that you were interested in someone. Might I know who this person is?"
She asked the question. She asked the question. She asked the question. Kettaro started getting embarrassed, blushing while fiddling with his thumbs.

"W-Well, he's really cool--he has a lot of games and snacks. He's fun to be around, haha! Oh, and he's a YouTube star!" Kettaro beamed a radiating smile towards the female. He hasn't really talked to anyone about this. Well, only because they can't tell if he likes men right off the bat.

[hannah]

"W-Well, he's really cool--he has a lot of games and snacks. He's fun to be around, haha! Oh, and he's a YouTube star!" His bubbly little rambling was so cute. He was clearly crazy for this boy.

"And, does he like you too?" she asked, winking. "Has he given 'the signs' yet?" Of course, she had no idea what she was talking about, knowing nothing more about boys than what she'd learned from Ren and a few magazines.

[kei]

"And, does he like you too?" she asked, winking. "Has he given 'the signs' yet?"

"We do like each other! And wha -- signs?! I, uh! Well, you know... Sure?" The flustered boy couldn't stop his stammering. Neither can he look at Ayame in the eyes. He was too embarrassed for his own good.
Why am I getting so embarrassed? It's just... talking! Yeah, hahaha...

"Well, you never answered my questions, Ayame~" he trailed. He placed his face closer to the blonde female and lowered his voice. "... Have you guys done XYZ yet?"