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zarahjoyce) wrote2012-09-16 08:04 pm
zarahjoyce) wrote2012-09-16 08:04 pm
Entry tags:
KRF Fic: Five Times Ryusei Tried to Convince Someone He Doesn't Care About Tomoko That Way - Part I
Rating: G
Summary: Set post ep-44. He became paranoid of everything and everyone - what could they be thinking, every time Ryusei sat next to Tomoko at the Rabbit Hatch?
Notes: ...no I have no excuse for writing this, except awkward!in denial!Ryusei is just a thing of beauty to me. Also I meant to cram all five things here but then this one turned into a monster instead of being short, heh.
I.
Ever since Yuuki handed Tomoko and Ryusei that couple's ticket in the Rabbit Hatch, he'd been feeling a bit out of sorts.
Which was a damn shame, really, because Ryusei genuinely liked hanging out with Tomoko. Sure, she had her odd, quirky moments that sometimes made him just stop and stare at her and think, what was she thinking? but to him those were what made her... unique. Interesting. He had never bothered with the occult before - truthfully he found those to be utter drivel practiced by those who ought to have known better - but then along came Tomoko and suddenly he found himself willing to discuss the topic with her. She'd shared with him her favorite brews and magical concoctions and they were definitely intriguing. She even made him come with her to an occult store, which was generally one of the most... unforgettable... moments in his life. He'd like to think himself open-minded about some things and just outright damning of others, including witchcraft, before she came into the picture. Now he was quite willing to acknowledge the remote possibility that, perhaps, there were things that were just beyond rational thinking. It seemed that hanging out with her made him a bit more understanding of the impossible.
He also liked hanging out with her because he found himself able to share things with her that he couldn't with Gentarou. Ryusei told her about Jirou's progress in the hospital, and that any day now he would be well enough to be discharged. He told her about his plans of forming his own club at Subaraboshi upon his return there - which was getting closer and closer every day. He told her about missing Tachibana sometimes and finding himself talking to the Meteor Switch as if someone on the other side was listening - and he told her that, sometimes, he could feel that someone still was.
Imagine his surprise, then, when all of a sudden his spending time with her was being misconstrued to mean... different things. Feeling things. Which were completely inappropriate - not to mention embarrassing. As a result he became paranoid of everything and everyone - what could they be thinking, every time Ryusei sat next to Tomoko at the Rabbit Hatch? Most of the time he did so only because there was nowhere else to sit. Or if he stood behind her? And he did that only because his view of the group was better that way; he happened to like observing everyone, after all. Or if they appeared at the Rabbit Hatch together? Could he be blamed if her classroom was on the way there?
Because of this, nowadays he couldn't bear the thought of hanging out with Tomoko again, for he knew he would just make a total idiot of himself. Ever since he became the reluctant owner of their couple's ticket, every time she was near, he could feel himself reddening and unable to look at her directly - and if she talked to him - oh boy. His smile would just become unnaturally wide, and he would fidget like mad. If, by some miracle he was able to form coherent words and answer her - which, admittedly weren't very often - he would, of course, either stammer or blabber like a fool. Tomoko - bless her - would only stare at him in confusion before kindly, silently moving away.
She was now spending more time with JK than with him, and it infuriated Ryusei to no end.
Of course, he had no one to blame but himself.
And Yuuki, of course.
Which was why he was holding on to her wrist as of this moment.
"Yuuki-san, may I talk to you for a moment?"
Yuuki cocked her head to one side and studied him, before nodding enthusiastically. "Of course, Ryusei-kun! What about?"
It was a good thing that he was able to find an empty room where they could talk in private. There, Ryusei carefully took the colorful ticket that was inserted between the pages of his book and showed it to her. "What did you mean by this?"
"Oh! Yours and Tomoko-chan's couple's ticket!" Yuuki snatched it from his hand, then made rocket-like sounds from her mouth as she waved it in the air. "Zoom! Zoooooooooom!"
"...Yes, well." Ryusei shoved his hands in his pockets. At times like this, he had absolutely no idea how to even begin talking to Yuuki. Was he supposed to snatch the ticket back, just to regain her attention? But what if he ripped the ticket? Should he just tell her to stop playing? But what if she got offended? Finally, he decided on clearing his throat. Loudly. "I... know what it is, Yuuki-san. My question is, why did you give me and Tomoko-chan a--" He winced. "--couple's ticket, when we're not even--" Ryusei paused. "I mean, my intention towards Tomoko-chan isn't--" He paused again, because that sounded wrong and-- "--not that I have any intention towards Tomoko-chan, of course! But--"
Yuuki only blinked at him in reply, looking as if she was hanging on to his every word - or trying to make sense of them.
...All right, this wasn't how he thought this conversation would go. It should have gone smoothly! He opened his mouth to try again.
"Yuuki-san, Tomoko-chan and I are friends, that's all. That ticket is completely unnecessary, and I really don't appreciate what it implies about her and me." There. That was straightforward enough.
Again, Yuuki only blinked at him.
The silence that stretched between them was both long and uncomfortable, and Ryusei began to suspect that, either he's saying something wrong or that Yuuki herself was having a hard time understanding him. It was probably the latter, though. This was why he very rarely talked to her, and would only do so if it was completely unavoidable.
When it came to Joujima Yuuki one needed to speak her language and Ryusei found early on that he didn't have the patience for it.
Idly, he wondered how Kengo managed.
After what seemed like hours, Yuuki finally stepped closer to him to hand him back his ticket. "It was meant as a joke, Ryusei-kun."
...wait, what? "...a joke?"
"Mm!" Yuuki grinned at him, then planted her hands on her waist. "I knew you've just been sent home from the hospital when I made the tickets, and I knew Tomoko-chan was still worried about you - so I made your tickets a couple's one as a means to make you two smile! And it worked, didn't it? It cheered you up - and the rest of the club, too." She shrugged. "It wasn't supposed to mean anything, really."
Something wasn't making any sense here. Of all the things he imagined her saying, this was certainly not one of them! Ryusei stilled, wondering how to make Yuuki see that it was not a joke, but a misunderstanding on her part regarding his relationship with Tomoko. "That... can't be right," he said, staring into the ticket as if it held the solution to everything. "You couldn't have-- This couldn't be a joke to you! When you made this, you must have thought there was something between Tomoko-chan and I - didn't you?"
Yuuki placed her forefinger on her chin and looked up. "Nope! I didn't. Unless..." Here she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Unless Ryusei-kun is the one who thinks so!"
The denial that rose in him was swift and quick. Ryusei even laughed aloud. "Of course not. What are you talking about? I only wanted to make things clear between us."
"And it is! I mean, Even Tomoko-chan doesn't think there's something between the two of you." Yuuki then arranged her bag and headed out the door - as if she didn't just drop something completely surprising to him. "Later, Ryusei-kun!"
But he managed to grab her wrist again, and just as quick he let her go. "Yuuki-san, what do you mean-- Tomoko-chan... doesn't...?"
Yuuki nodded. "She congratulated me for pulling a funny prank on the two of you. I... thought you saw it the same way, too."
Wordlessly, Ryusei lifted the ticket to his face and stared at it. Was it all just... a joke? A prank? That he... took seriously?
He should feel relieved about it. Perhaps he was just thinking too much on matters that didn't even matter to anyone else. He became paranoid for nothing.
"...Ryusei-kun, are you all right?"
He stuffed the ticket in his pocket and nodded almost absently at Yuuki. "Yes. Of course. Thank you for your time, Yuuki-san but I-- I need to go." And then he walked straight out of the door.
Which was why he didn't see Yuuki smile knowingly after him.
Summary: Set post ep-44. He became paranoid of everything and everyone - what could they be thinking, every time Ryusei sat next to Tomoko at the Rabbit Hatch?
Notes: ...no I have no excuse for writing this, except awkward!in denial!Ryusei is just a thing of beauty to me. Also I meant to cram all five things here but then this one turned into a monster instead of being short, heh.
I.
Ever since Yuuki handed Tomoko and Ryusei that couple's ticket in the Rabbit Hatch, he'd been feeling a bit out of sorts.
Which was a damn shame, really, because Ryusei genuinely liked hanging out with Tomoko. Sure, she had her odd, quirky moments that sometimes made him just stop and stare at her and think, what was she thinking? but to him those were what made her... unique. Interesting. He had never bothered with the occult before - truthfully he found those to be utter drivel practiced by those who ought to have known better - but then along came Tomoko and suddenly he found himself willing to discuss the topic with her. She'd shared with him her favorite brews and magical concoctions and they were definitely intriguing. She even made him come with her to an occult store, which was generally one of the most... unforgettable... moments in his life. He'd like to think himself open-minded about some things and just outright damning of others, including witchcraft, before she came into the picture. Now he was quite willing to acknowledge the remote possibility that, perhaps, there were things that were just beyond rational thinking. It seemed that hanging out with her made him a bit more understanding of the impossible.
He also liked hanging out with her because he found himself able to share things with her that he couldn't with Gentarou. Ryusei told her about Jirou's progress in the hospital, and that any day now he would be well enough to be discharged. He told her about his plans of forming his own club at Subaraboshi upon his return there - which was getting closer and closer every day. He told her about missing Tachibana sometimes and finding himself talking to the Meteor Switch as if someone on the other side was listening - and he told her that, sometimes, he could feel that someone still was.
Imagine his surprise, then, when all of a sudden his spending time with her was being misconstrued to mean... different things. Feeling things. Which were completely inappropriate - not to mention embarrassing. As a result he became paranoid of everything and everyone - what could they be thinking, every time Ryusei sat next to Tomoko at the Rabbit Hatch? Most of the time he did so only because there was nowhere else to sit. Or if he stood behind her? And he did that only because his view of the group was better that way; he happened to like observing everyone, after all. Or if they appeared at the Rabbit Hatch together? Could he be blamed if her classroom was on the way there?
Because of this, nowadays he couldn't bear the thought of hanging out with Tomoko again, for he knew he would just make a total idiot of himself. Ever since he became the reluctant owner of their couple's ticket, every time she was near, he could feel himself reddening and unable to look at her directly - and if she talked to him - oh boy. His smile would just become unnaturally wide, and he would fidget like mad. If, by some miracle he was able to form coherent words and answer her - which, admittedly weren't very often - he would, of course, either stammer or blabber like a fool. Tomoko - bless her - would only stare at him in confusion before kindly, silently moving away.
She was now spending more time with JK than with him, and it infuriated Ryusei to no end.
Of course, he had no one to blame but himself.
And Yuuki, of course.
Which was why he was holding on to her wrist as of this moment.
"Yuuki-san, may I talk to you for a moment?"
Yuuki cocked her head to one side and studied him, before nodding enthusiastically. "Of course, Ryusei-kun! What about?"
It was a good thing that he was able to find an empty room where they could talk in private. There, Ryusei carefully took the colorful ticket that was inserted between the pages of his book and showed it to her. "What did you mean by this?"
"Oh! Yours and Tomoko-chan's couple's ticket!" Yuuki snatched it from his hand, then made rocket-like sounds from her mouth as she waved it in the air. "Zoom! Zoooooooooom!"
"...Yes, well." Ryusei shoved his hands in his pockets. At times like this, he had absolutely no idea how to even begin talking to Yuuki. Was he supposed to snatch the ticket back, just to regain her attention? But what if he ripped the ticket? Should he just tell her to stop playing? But what if she got offended? Finally, he decided on clearing his throat. Loudly. "I... know what it is, Yuuki-san. My question is, why did you give me and Tomoko-chan a--" He winced. "--couple's ticket, when we're not even--" Ryusei paused. "I mean, my intention towards Tomoko-chan isn't--" He paused again, because that sounded wrong and-- "--not that I have any intention towards Tomoko-chan, of course! But--"
Yuuki only blinked at him in reply, looking as if she was hanging on to his every word - or trying to make sense of them.
...All right, this wasn't how he thought this conversation would go. It should have gone smoothly! He opened his mouth to try again.
"Yuuki-san, Tomoko-chan and I are friends, that's all. That ticket is completely unnecessary, and I really don't appreciate what it implies about her and me." There. That was straightforward enough.
Again, Yuuki only blinked at him.
The silence that stretched between them was both long and uncomfortable, and Ryusei began to suspect that, either he's saying something wrong or that Yuuki herself was having a hard time understanding him. It was probably the latter, though. This was why he very rarely talked to her, and would only do so if it was completely unavoidable.
When it came to Joujima Yuuki one needed to speak her language and Ryusei found early on that he didn't have the patience for it.
Idly, he wondered how Kengo managed.
After what seemed like hours, Yuuki finally stepped closer to him to hand him back his ticket. "It was meant as a joke, Ryusei-kun."
...wait, what? "...a joke?"
"Mm!" Yuuki grinned at him, then planted her hands on her waist. "I knew you've just been sent home from the hospital when I made the tickets, and I knew Tomoko-chan was still worried about you - so I made your tickets a couple's one as a means to make you two smile! And it worked, didn't it? It cheered you up - and the rest of the club, too." She shrugged. "It wasn't supposed to mean anything, really."
Something wasn't making any sense here. Of all the things he imagined her saying, this was certainly not one of them! Ryusei stilled, wondering how to make Yuuki see that it was not a joke, but a misunderstanding on her part regarding his relationship with Tomoko. "That... can't be right," he said, staring into the ticket as if it held the solution to everything. "You couldn't have-- This couldn't be a joke to you! When you made this, you must have thought there was something between Tomoko-chan and I - didn't you?"
Yuuki placed her forefinger on her chin and looked up. "Nope! I didn't. Unless..." Here she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Unless Ryusei-kun is the one who thinks so!"
The denial that rose in him was swift and quick. Ryusei even laughed aloud. "Of course not. What are you talking about? I only wanted to make things clear between us."
"And it is! I mean, Even Tomoko-chan doesn't think there's something between the two of you." Yuuki then arranged her bag and headed out the door - as if she didn't just drop something completely surprising to him. "Later, Ryusei-kun!"
But he managed to grab her wrist again, and just as quick he let her go. "Yuuki-san, what do you mean-- Tomoko-chan... doesn't...?"
Yuuki nodded. "She congratulated me for pulling a funny prank on the two of you. I... thought you saw it the same way, too."
Wordlessly, Ryusei lifted the ticket to his face and stared at it. Was it all just... a joke? A prank? That he... took seriously?
He should feel relieved about it. Perhaps he was just thinking too much on matters that didn't even matter to anyone else. He became paranoid for nothing.
"...Ryusei-kun, are you all right?"
He stuffed the ticket in his pocket and nodded almost absently at Yuuki. "Yes. Of course. Thank you for your time, Yuuki-san but I-- I need to go." And then he walked straight out of the door.
Which was why he didn't see Yuuki smile knowingly after him.