Sharp-O's One-Shots! "Housewarming" (18+) 09/11/24

[Sharp-O]

Contents

Standalone:
In a Bind - Misaki Kawana is trapped by thoughts of another student.
Foregone Conclusion - The mysterious Shin Kyokan introduces himself to Hisao.
The Gathering - An unlikely group is assembled by a mysterious third party.
Flicker - An evening smoke between two friends.
If It Ain't Broke - A tongue-in-cheek tale of a disbanded club.
Method and Madness (HanakoxRin) - Hanako and Rin. Nuff said.
The New Boy - Rika indulges her curiosity in Yamaku's latest arrival.
Morning Routine - Natsume Ooe has a typical morning.
Lost & Found - In an alternate universe, a familiar friendship is forged.
Hierarchy Of Needs - Shizune and Rin get trapped in the Student Council Room! (18+)
Secret Santa 2023: Tender & Wild - On the last night before winter break, those left behind play a game.
Hazemyth - A curious look at an amalgamated universe combining the worlds of Beyond The Haze and Monomyth.
A Matter of Memory - Hisao attends a New Years Eve Gala with Hanako and confronts a blast from his past.

Monomyth Tie-Ins:
See you in the Funny Pages (this post) - Akio accompanies Hanako to her first Newspaper Club meeting. (Hanakio pt1)
Half-Boiled - Hanako gets her first assignment for the NC. (Hanakio pt2)
Laughter in The Dark - Akio is invited to a birthday party. (Hanakio pt3)
Ambiguous - Akio plays nurse and Hanako makes her move (Hanakio pt4)
Winter’s Lover - Miki and Taro bond during their first winter at Yamaku
Goodbye, Helloooo~ - Hanako says goodbye to Lilly before going on her first date with Akio. (Hanakio pt5)
Ascalon - A day in the life of Molly Kapur
Winter’s Lover II - The story of Miki and Taro's past together is concluded.
Mischief in Shadow (Slightly Risqué) - Hanako's real birthday rolls around and old wounds are exposed.(Hanakio pt6)
Twilight Turnabout (Slightly Risqué) - Hanako and Akio spend the night together.(Hanakio pt7)
The Harmonic Heroine - Ritsu spends time with an old friend.
Reverie - A day in the life of Suzu Suzuki
Elementary - Molly enlists Hanako's help to find her mysterious mute boy.
Life's a Beach - Akio takes Hanako to meet his grandparents. (Hanakio pt8)
Stranger Than Fanfiction - Taro and Akio have an intimate encounter.
The Parent Trap - Hanakio and Sully meet the parents.
Child's Play - Miki is left in charge of a small child.
Cordially Invited: Act 1 - The last Monomyth story begins here.
Cordially Invited: Act 2 - In which Lilly is not as blind as Ritsu would hope.
Cordially Invited: Act 3 - In which the truth will set you free.
Cordially Invited: Act 4 - In which the boys go to a bar.
Cordially Invited: Act 5 - In which it don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing.
Cordially Invited: Act 6 - In which it's only words and words are all we have.
Cordially Invited: Act 7 - In which the gang's all here.
Cordially Invited: Act 8 - In which things are darkest before the dawn.
Cordially Invited: Act 9 - In which we're going to the chapel...
Cordially Invited: Finale - In which we take the first steps toward the future.
Chapter EX: Looking Glass - Curiosity gets the better of a student.
Snowblind Part I - Kenji enlists Hisao for a dangerous mission. (Collaborative Work)
Snowblind Part II - Battle lines are drawn as Miki and Noriko meet. (Collaborative Work)
Snowblind Part III - The battle of wills continues. (Collaborative Work)
Snowblind Part IV - Kenji voices his concern and a winner is decided. (Collaborative Work)
Snowblind Part V - Sweet success, or so they say, is never quite like you imagined. (Collaborative Work)
Snowblind Finale - Taro, Kenji and Hisao learn valuable lessons. (Collaborative Work)
The Best Woman For The Job - Shizune stays winning.
A Spot of T... & A - Molly and Lilly hooked-up at Hanakio's wedding!? (18+)
Housewarming - Akio and Hanako celebrate the first night in their new apartment. (18+)

#######################

This story takes place during the time-jump between Three of a Kind and En Garde and is from Hanako's perspective.

See you in the Funny Pages

Just ask him, dummy! He’s not going to be an asshole. Well, he is, but the funny kind not the mean kind, like he is with Taro and Ritsu. He’s Taro’s friend so he must be a good guy, right? Just ask…

“Ex-ex-excuse me? Akio?” At least I actually said the words.

“Eh? Oh, hey, Hana. What’s up?” He answers, with a nice little smile. See? That wasn’t so bad. Wait, he called me ‘Hana’. Is that my nickname now? Better than ‘Nako’, I suppose but it’s a bit too familiar isn’t it?

“Hanako?” He asks, tilting his head slightly.

“S-s-s-orry!” I clamour, “I-I-I was just wuh-wondering if-if you could h-help me?” Calm down, girl…

“Um, sure thing… How can I help?” He asks sincerely.

“I-I-I’ve been a-asked to j-join the Newspaper C-club and-and LilyisbusyandI’mtooshytogoonmyown--” Slow your roll, girl! You’re going to frighten him.

“Hana, slow your roll!” He commands and I obey, only an ‘Eep’ escaping my lips as I realise he just repeated my inner monologue. He’s looking at me… What do I do? I’m freaking out. Breath slow. IGOTTAGO--

“Sure. I’ll be happy to go with you, Hana. If you’re asking that, anyway.” He smiles again, no doubt to reassure me. It works, a little. See? Good guy.

“Th-thank you, Akio…”

---

Natsumi and Naomi said they’d meet me in the Newspaper Clubroom as soon as they could and darted off, chasing up a lead for their next story. I hope it’s another feel-good piece. Akio stuck to his word and is slowly walking along with his cane a few steps ahead of me. I shouldn’t stare but his steps are strange. Not because of his disability, oh no, his steps are methodical but following an odd rhythm that’s… doing exactly what I’m doing…

“A-Akio? Are-are you st-stepping only o-on the d-d-darker tiles?” I ask, nervously. Don’t freak out and don’t freak him out. He stops in his tracks and looks back.

“Uhhh… Yeah? That’s… kinda weird, isn’t it?” He nervously smiles and I shake my head adamantly. Not at all, Akio!

“N-no! I d-do it too.” I smile a little, tapping the current tile I’m on with my foot. He chuckles and taps his cane on the tile he’s on.

“So what’s your score?” He grins, confidently.

“M-my what?”

“Y’know, your score! How many dark tiles does it take to get to certain points in the school? Like your super-secret tearoom?” He explains cheerfu-- Wait.

“H-how-how d-d-do you know a-a-a-about the t-t-tearoom?” Calm down, girl. It’s okay.

“Sorry, you tend to notice when two cute girls have secret get-togethers in an abandoned classroom…” My eyes go wide. “No-no, wait, that came out wrong! I didn’t mean to imply--”

I raise my hand up to my mouth to stifle a giggle as he goes scarlet. Poor lamb.

“I-it’s okay, Akio… I-I know you’re j-joking. I th-think you’re pretty f-funny.” I smile a little to encourage him. Don’t let my awkwardness rob you of your sardonic humour.

“Then you would be one of the few, Hana. But thanks…” He grins again, rubbing his neck. “Tell you what, I’m currently on thirteen dark tiles from the classroom. Use that as your start and see if you can make it to the Newspaper Club in less than me. Deal?” He offers.

“S-sure.” I smile, “Th-though I won’t g-go easy on y-you.” Atta, girl!

---

“Forty-Five… Though I can already tell you beat me…” Akio sighs, defeated.

“O-only b-by eleven!” I giggle a little. Sorry, boy, I don’t mess around when it comes to tile-hopping!

“I call shenanigans, I can’t jump two tiles at a time!” He holds up his cane in mock outrage.

“A-and? I c-can’t get w-within three feet of a p-person wuh-without cramping up so I w-was unlikely to pass y-you...” I stutter slightly, but I manage to get the words out. Can’t believe I admitted that.

“Heh, you’re right. You beat me despite the handicap. Victory is yours, Hanako...” He bows as he opens the door to the Newspaper Clubroom. At least he’s a gracious loser… I timidly bow back and enter the empty room. It’s quite small but there are four workstations, two on each opposite walls, a printer and meeting table in the middle. Akio steps in behind me and closes the door.

“Guess I’ll wait for the roving reporters to show up before leaving.” He says while taking a seat at the meeting table, checking his watch.

“I-if you h-have some p-place you’d rather be…” I whisper, sitting opposite him.

“Some place I have to be but can wait a while. I’m sure Miss Tsunemori can cut me some slack for helping a classmate.” He grins. Miss Tsunemori?

“The c-c-counsellor?” I ask, knowing full well who she is. She’s nice.

“Yeah… Kinda have an appointment but I’ve been good for weeks, so I can be tardy at least once, right?” He shrugs, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh… o-okay.” Don’t ask him why he’s there. Don’t ask him why he’s there.

“Yeah… I got into some pretty self-destructive habits and it took drunkenly kissing my best friend to realise I needed to fix it.” He admits freely though a little defensively.

Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t ask…

“…R-R-Ritsu?” Oh god damn it, Hanako… To my surprise he laughs a little.

“Noooo… Guess again.” Why is he smirking? Is he making fun of me? Who else co-- Ohhhhh. “There it is.” My face goes flush when I realise I must have made a weird face when I realised he must have kissed Taro.

“S-s-sorry…” I lower my head, trying to hide behind my hair.

“Don’t be, I made the mistake.” He smiles a little shaking his head.

Well, this a really awkward. Please don’t say anything stu--

“D-d-do y-you regret it?” I whisper. Why do I even bother?

“In terms of kissing a best friend who’s dating another best friend? Of course. I also regret falling face-first into the carpet after it happened. Not the most graceful of first kisses…” He admits, raising his eyebrows. For some reason, it makes me feel a little better about my failed attempts at kissing.

“Ah! I got you to smile~!” Oh, you jerk!

“N-no I d-didn’t!” I stutter, still smiling a little.

“Who’d have thought that you would be such a sadist, Hana! Smiling at my paaain!” He’s hamming it up, leaning across the table to taunt me. Stop it, Akio, or I’m going to…

“Naughty Hanako!” He teases me more. Please, I’m shaking…

“You’ve cut me to my core! I’ll never be able to look you in the eyes again! How could you…” He whispers his last words and I lose all self-control.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA” I fling my head back, unable to contain the laugh any longer. Just as quickly, I whiplash into holding my ribs. “STOP… Trying to… make me… laugh! You asshole! Hahaha…!” My voice is raspy and weak but I get the words out. I… Oh, shit. My eyes dart to Akio who’s been stunned into silence. Okay, now I should probably run away. Before I get the chance to, Akio bursts into laughter himself, grinning like a mad man.

“YES! Fuck yeah! I did it!” He cries, pumping his fist in the air. “I got you to smile, laugh and even swear in the same day! This is the best feeling ever.”

“Why d-did you..?” I ask, genuinely confused.

“To loosen you up. If you’re going to join a club, you need to learn to interact with people, right? Well I’m making it my personal mission to take the wallflower Hanako and help her bloom into something more like what I just saw.” He grins. He just played me! He played me like a god damn fiddle!

“How d-did you know I-I-I wouldn’t run a-away?” Damn good question.

“Honestly, I didn’t. I just hoped that maybe the Hana inside would be willing to come out for a little while.” He offers an earnest smile and I meekly smile back from behind my hair, cheeks flushed.

“You s-sound like T-Taro…”

“Yeah, well, he tends to rub off on you…” He snorts with amusement.

“Y-you w-wish…” I wrly smile right at him. Payback, funny guy.

“Daaaamn, Hana! That was vicious! I’ve never been prouder.” He laughs, clutching an imaginary wound and I join in, though much quieter. Natsume and Naomi finally return and instead of instantly freezing at their sudden presence, I feel… a little relaxed. Huh. Now there’s a new sensation.

“I guess I’ll head over to the medical wing. You guys best be nice to her or I’m coming back here with a much taller guy and a much shorter girl to beat you up!” He points menacingly at Natsume and Naomi while I giggle uncontrollably. “You’ve been warned.” Why is he so damned funny?

“S-see ya, Akio!” I call to him as he leaves.

“See you in the funny pages, Hana.” He winks and closes the door.

[Alpacalypse]

I don't care if this is OOC for Hanako or not, it's freaking glorious
Personally, I feel that her inner monologue would have been a little more self-deprecating, but that's just me.

I like this one!

[Sharp-O]

She's a tough character to write for, I'll admit, not least because adding extra letters to words is a ball-ache.

But like I said in the Monomyth thread, Hanako shows significant growth when not the focus of the story so I was just expanding how I thought she'd grow when exposed to Taro, Ritsu and especially Akio. Her baseline personality often comes across as too damn fragile for my tastes so what if, instead of Lilly being her sole friend and protector, she also formed a friendship with Akio, someone who is as weak physically as she is often portrayed emotionally? I think there's ground to be covered there.

As for self-deprecation... Yeah, I can see it and it would be fun to write and hanging out with a deadpan snarker could certainly make her turn that way. Going forward, I'll see how naturally that fits into her development.

[swampie2]

Nice to see old Akio, though Hanako wasn't the same as the VN, it still works very well.

Nice little story!

[AntonSlavik020]

This was pretty amazing. Lots of fun to read, just like the main story. Love what you did with Akio.

[Sharp-O]

Nice to see old Akio, though Hanako wasn't the same as the VN, it still works very well.

This was pretty amazing. Lots of fun to read, just like the main story. Love what you did with Akio.

Thanks, guys. After the super depressing House of Cards arc and with the focus on Taro and Ritsu going home, I needed to write a little more of him returning to his old self and I think the summer adventures of Akio and Hanako could certainly be a thing. (I really want to write the co-ed water wars, just for shits and giggles)

[Decadent Albatros]

Well, I genuinely think that Hanako can easily react like this, so in my opinion this isn't that much of an OOC behavior, not that I care about it that much since I honestly enjoyed this one-shot! Forgive me as I say this, but this is your first work that I read so Akio is a new character for me. Regardless of this, I must say I enjoyed this a lot! In general I tend to dislike the dialogue structure, but I liked how you added the inner-most-self of Hanako and some narration to fill the gabs, that dialogues tend to create (for me, at least). I'm really curious if you tend to continue their relationship (since I think this is a Hanako without Hisao's influence, I think), and if you do, well, you can count a new reader!
Well done and I hope that you continue with your one-shots!

[Sharp-O]

Well, I genuinely think that Hanako can easily react like this, so in my opinion this isn't that much of an OOC behavior, not that I care about it that much since I honestly enjoyed this one-shot! Forgive me as I say this, but this is your first work that I read so Akio is a new character for me. Regardless of this, I must say I enjoyed this a lot! In general I tend to dislike the dialogue structure, but I liked how you added the inner-most-self of Hanako and some narration to fill the gabs, that dialogues tend to create (for me, at least). I'm really curious if you tend to continue their relationship (since I think this is a Hanako without Hisao's influence, I think), and if you do, well, you can count a new reader!
Well done and I hope that you continue with your one-shots!

Thanks, Albatross! Akio is the auburn-haired kid with the cane who sits next to Hanako. Since this takes place within my ongoing Taro fic, it's more of the trio's influence on her rather than Hisao (who is on the Shizune route) so it's a little more positive and friendly than straight up romantic. This partnership will no doubt continue in both one-shots and Monomyth so don't worry!

[Decadent Albatros]

Well, I genuinely think that Hanako can easily react like this, so in my opinion this isn't that much of an OOC behavior, not that I care about it that much since I honestly enjoyed this one-shot! Forgive me as I say this, but this is your first work that I read so Akio is a new character for me. Regardless of this, I must say I enjoyed this a lot! In general I tend to dislike the dialogue structure, but I liked how you added the inner-most-self of Hanako and some narration to fill the gabs, that dialogues tend to create (for me, at least). I'm really curious if you tend to continue their relationship (since I think this is a Hanako without Hisao's influence, I think), and if you do, well, you can count a new reader!
Well done and I hope that you continue with your one-shots!

Thanks, Albatross! Akio is the auburn-haired kid with the cane who sits next to Hanako. Since this takes place within my ongoing Taro fic, it's more of the trio's influence on her rather than Hisao (who is on the Shizune route) so it's a little more positive and friendly than straight up romantic. This partnership will no doubt continue in both one-shots and Monomyth so don't worry!

Let's hope Akio (as for the others, I'll make sure to read your other works and check how they act) is not as... well, idiotic and dense as Hisao in Hana's route xD. Oh and no problem, I'm a sucker for happy-hanako moments x:

[Sharp-O]

Let's hope Akio (as for the others, I'll make sure to read your other works and check how they act) is not as... well, idiotic and dense as Hisao in Hana's route xD. Oh and no problem, I'm a sucker for happy-hanako moments x:

Akio's got a rapier wit and he's sat next to Hanako for nearly three years, he's far more experienced with her eccentricities than Hisao would be. Not going to say he couldn't run his mouth before thinking but the way these two seem to match up, Hanako wouldn't immediately become a mess of tears and hair. And I agree, Happy confident Hanako is best Hanako.

[Decadent Albatros]

Let's hope Akio (as for the others, I'll make sure to read your other works and check how they act) is not as... well, idiotic and dense as Hisao in Hana's route xD. Oh and no problem, I'm a sucker for happy-hanako moments x:

Akio's got a rapier wit and he's sat next to Hanako for nearly three years, he's far more experienced with her eccentricities than Hisao would be. Not going to say he couldn't run his mouth before thinking but the way these two seem to match up, Hanako wouldn't immediately become a mess of tears and hair. And I agree, Happy confident Hanako is best Hanako.

Yup yup!
... Now I have the urge to write a happy and confident Hanako one-shot myself. Thanks, I suppose! D:

[Sharp-O]

If you do, I'll give it a read

[Sharp-O]

A tale of bound desire with Misaki Kawana.

In a Bind

I feel the tension in my brace as I stretch; the customary suffocating feeling that accompanies my every movement. It’s slight but constant, enough that you never really get used to it. I let out a sigh as I ease back into the bean bag I’m sitting in. I cross my legs and slide through the pictures I’ve taken for the day.

They’re the usual assortment of voyeuristic shots of people around campus. Ibarazaki on the track, trying to outrun something only she knows about. Misha looking wistfully at Shizune when she thinks no one notices. Molly drinking a watermelon soda. The newbie helping Tezuka with her mural. Molly trying to hold her skirt down during a strong breeze. Yuuko in a rare moment of composed beauty. Molly… getting dressed.

I frown and shut the camera off. Try as I might, I can’t get that girl out of my mind. I’ve known her for almost three years now and yet I never thought about her like this until a month ago. The events of a rainy, painful, night play in my mind. I release a sad sigh into the quiet in the library as I close my eyes.

“Just relax, Misaki.” I hear that whisper in my mind, like it’s in my ear. If sound were taste, her exotic cocktail of accents would be delicious. Her voice was a sumptuous medley of spice and sweetness, soothing me to my core.

If her touch were music, her fingers dancing across my bare skin would be equal to the precision of a concert pianist. I squirm against my brace, letting the pressure emulate it across my shoulders, her touch that night burnt away all the pain with an intense passion.

I writhe in the bean bag, the pressure of my brace and the thoughts of her filling me with warmth. My mouth moves but I can’t hear words, if there were any. I open my eyes to the soft afternoon light to look around and I’m just as alone as I was five minutes ago. It’s deafly quiet, my heart beat and piqued breathing the only sound in my world. I rub my thighs together a little before placing both hands on them. I daren’t. Not here.

I get up with an exasperated sigh, placing my camera in my bag and walking slowly out of the library, scanning the stacks for signs of life as I go. For the briefest instance, I see a shape amongst the rows of books but when I focus, there’s nothing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

As is to be expected of the bedroom of a photographer, my walls are littered with my work, most of which is from the last three years. It’s a mural to my experiences here and it fills me with nostalgia. I unbutton my blouse and skirt; allowing both to fall to the floor, revealing the serpentine series of straps across my spandex clad torso and hips.

The SpineCor corrective brace is a relatively modern piece of gear, all but untested here in Japan. I’m one of the few Scoliosis sufferers here lucky enough to partake in a trial organised by the school nurse and funded by Yamaku‘s backers, or so I‘m told. It’s definitely one of the best brace systems I’ve used and, thankfully, is one of the few designed for adults so I can keep wearing it. The one downside is that I have to spend twenty hours a day in this rig. It can be suffocating at times but it’s a tremendous help.

I breathe slow as I begin to unbuckle the various straps. The first few times, I had the nurse’s help to get in and out of it but with some minor adjustments, he helped me figure out a system where I could do it myself, both for my independence and for my modesty.

I slide the harness slowly off my legs and remove my spandex undersuit. I stand in the centre of my room, bare and liberated for the next four hours. I stretch out and let my skin breath, a contented smile spreading across my lips. Freedom has never felt so sweet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Feeling satisfied and refreshed after a long shower, I don a comfy blue tank top and shorts and take my camera out of my bag. I retrieve the memory card and slot it into my laptop to transfer today’s images. As the transfer runs, there’s a knock at my door.

I slowly slide my door open to find a petite, dark-skinned girl with onyx plated twin tails. My heart skips a beat as she speaks.

“Good evening, Misaki.” Her smile is captivating and her voice rings in my ears.

“Um, Hi, Molly? W-what can I do for you?” I answer, my throat inexplicably dry all of a sudden.

“I was hoping I could be of service to you, actually…” She suggests, stepping into my room and closing the door behind her. “You looked to be in pain earlier and I thought I might be able to help… alleviate it.”

“Earlier?” I ask, puzzled.

“In the library.” Her ochre eyes penetrate me as I realise I was never alone there. She was… watching me. A shiver runs up my curved spine as she looks past me at my laptop; a singular, damning, photo making this situation all the more awkward. She steps over to my desk and examines the picture closely. I wince as she tilts her head in thought. I’m screwed.

“You have quite the eye, Misaki… The form, the colour composition… Quite impressive.” Her compliments just make my heart rate sky rocket.

“But if you wanted me to model for you…” She continues, turning and plucking the buttons of her school blouse one by one as she walks towards me, the sway of her hips mesmerising me.

“You could… have just… asked.” The last two buttons are undone with her words and the blouse shrugged off her shoulders with the very last. My mind and heart are racing but when her lips touch mine, the world melts away and I am ensnared once again by Molly Kapur. Bound by her touch and suffocated by desire.

Freedom is overrated.

[Sharp-O]

Half-Boiled

The rhythmic rapping on my door wakes me up. Sunday. 9:30am. I groan as I shift into a sitting position, a loud yawn lazily floating from my open mouth. The same rhythmic rapping. I get it, I’m up! Mostly.

“Rise and shine, wallflower. We’ve got things to see and people to do!” A familiar voice calls through the door. That’s right, I asked Akio to help me with errands for the Newspaper Club… Ugh, guess I better get up then.

“Oh! Hi, Lilly,” Akio calls in the hallway. Oh no, he didn’t disturb Lilly, did he? “No, I’m just picking up the underwear I left here last night.” WhatthefuckareyoudoingAkio?

I make a mad dash to the door and slide it open fully, my eyes wide and darting between Akio and… No one. Akio grins that stupid grin of his when he’s played me. I know he wants to break me out of my comfort zone but he can be a real jackass about it.

“Th-that’s not funny, Akio!” I glare, cheeks flushed.

“I‘m sorry, it didn’t seem like you were going to answer and like I said; things to see, people to do.” He smirks. That’s not even the right phrase…

“Are you going to invite me in or do I have to break out the love confession?” He gestures past me.

“I’m in m-m-my nightgown, you p-p-perv!” I stutter back. You’re giving him what he wants, calm down.

“Would it make you feel more comfortable if I took my shirt off?” He asks with mock concern. Auuuugh. Fuck you, Akio!

“W-w-wait out h-h-here and d-d-don’t harass my dorm-mates.” I close the door, never breaking eye contact with him. “And d-don’t you d-dare pull this sh-shit again.”

I hear him laugh as I go to get dressed. Damn that boy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Natsumi and Naomi gave me my first assignment after a week. Apparently there’s someone stealing books from the library. Akio offered to accompany me to the Shanghai to ask Yuuko some questions. For someone who’s in the Literature Club, he’s spending an awful lot of time helping me with my club activities.

“I-I tried to join the Lit. Club once…” I idly mention as we walk down the hill from Yamaku. I hope he hasn’t heard about that…

“I heard about that!” He exclaims. Crap… “Didn’t Lezard try to ask you a question about your reading habits and you flipped the table at him?” What!?

“I d-didn’t do that!” I gasp, Akio cackling at my reaction.

“I know, I’m just playing.” He puts on that stupid grin of his and I almost forgive him. “So what story have the higher-ups deemed worthy of your talents, Hana?”

“Yuuko s-suspects someone is stealing b-books from the library.” I furrow my brow at the thought. What kind of monster does that? Especially here?

“Clearly we’re on the tail of a dangerous felon. It’s a good thing you brought your muscle!” He flexes his free arm and I raise my hand to my mouth to giggle. I don’t know how he does it but all his dumb jokes strike a cord with me. I wonder if he tones down his usual jokes for my benefit. I hope not…

“Y-you’ll make an adequate m-meat shield.” I smile, tilting my head in that cute way I’ve seen girls do in Manga.

“Hanako! Are you just using me for my body?” He holds his hand to his chest in faux shock.

“W-would you c-complain if I d-did?” I raise a quizzical eyebrow at him. Let’s see your comeback to that, funny guy. He seems taken aback by that reply. Oh no, did I go too far? I hope I haven’t offended him…

“I’d be more concerned that you settled for an asshole like me…” He replies after a few seconds contemplation with a twinge of sadness in his voice. What does he mean by that?

“You m-might be an asshole, Akio b-but you’re the funny kind, the one who doesn’t shy away from saying w-what he f-feels. I wouldn’t h-have b-befriended you if you were a real asshole, right?” I offer my best, coyest smile. Give in to the big-eyes. They make everything better.

“Okay! Okay! Just… Stop with the eyes. Seriously, how do you not get everything you want with that little trick?”

“Who says I d-don’t?” I giggle and Akio just shakes his head.

“Damn, I think you might just be more than a match for me!” He admits, laughing.

“D-don’t test me, Akio, I’ll pass every t-time!” I playfully wink. Did I do it right? I’ve never done it before…

“And now you’re stealing Taro’s lines. You’re just full of surprises, Miss Ikezawa.” He nudges me with his elbow. Eep!

“W-w-well, one of u-us has to pay attention in c-class!” I half-joke, trying not to freak out at the sudden human contact. He just offers a smile in return.

“Touché.”

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Yuuko wasn’t too much help but she at least had a list of books that had gone missing. She gave it to us while she went to fetch our order.

“This list paints a picture of a very sad individual with no social graces or ability to talk to women.” Akio states plainly, after listing off a rather eclectic list of books; half of which I’d never heard of, let alone read.

“But we know that you can’t r-read so y-you’re in the… c-clear…” I lose my nerve halfway as Akio stares straight at me. I think I definitely stepped over the line that time. A half-smile creeps onto his face as he closes his eyes and shakes his head.

“You got me good there, Hana. Dead to rights.”

“Y-you can’t be th-that bad with girls. I’m here, r-right?” I smile genuinely. I was only teasing, Akio…

His face burns red and he averts his eyes a little. “Heh. Guess you’re right. When it comes to talking to girls, you’re like a boss character.” Oh, you cheeky…

“R-run, coward! I hunger!” I giggle a little at my own joke.

“How old are you to pull out that reference?” He leans in with a sceptical look.

“I read the internet t-too, y’know!”

Yuuko arrives with our drinks; tea for me and hot chocolate for Akio.

“Th-thank you, Yuuko.” I smile, taking the delicate cup and turning it a few times.

“No p-problem, Hanako…” She gives a rapid bow and leaves. Akio, thankfully, waits until she’s out of ear shot before taking a jab.

“God, it’s like stuttering in stereo with you two.” He chuckles and I narrow my eyes at him.

“D-don’t be a j-jackass.” I scold and his raises the mug to his lips with a villainous smile before he mimics me.

“S-s-sorry.” One of these days, I’m going to slap the shit out of him. Then feel awful about it. Then maybe a little satisfied…

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We spend the afternoon discussing the story and making fun of each other. It feels… refreshing to be able to do that. I’ve never really felt comfortable enough to give Lilly grief and she’s not likely to do the same. I love Lilly to bits but our friendship borders on her being maternal more than us being close friends. I kind of hate that sometimes.

“What’s on your mind, Hana?” Akio asks as we walk back up the hill to Yamaku.

“Just thinking about how much f-fun it is to hang around with you.” I respond with a smile and minimal stuttering.

“Wow, that’s…” I think I’ve actually flustered him. Heh, cute. “That’s really nice of you to say, Hana. I like hanging out with you too. I never thought you’d be able to cut me down as well as you did today.” He chuckles a little.

“S-sorry if I went too far…”

“Don’t be, if you actually offended me, I would’ve left. Seeing you today… I never would have pegged you for having such a rapier wit. I bet Lilly thinks I’m a bad influence on you though!” He laughs, and I shake my head.

“I think she sees th-that you’ve helped m-me a lot.” I cast my eyes down a little. “Plus it’s nice to have o-other friends too…” I quietly admit. Akio either doesn’t want to press the issue or simply doesn’t notice, either way it was good to get that off my chest.

“Applied Cryptography. The Art of War. Culture of Conspiracy. The Feminist Mistake and For Your Eyes Only… There’s got to be a common theme here but I’m not seeing it.” Akio scrunches up his face in thought, rereading the list.

“It could be that there’s m-more than one thief?” I offer. “Rather than one person stealing a b-bizarre assortment, maybe it’s several people…”

“I’ll put the squeeze on the Lit. Club, see what shakes loose.” He shrugs, sounding a little like a noir character.

“Thank you, Akio. You’re q-quite the half-boiled detective.” I giggle.

“I think you meant hard-boiled.”

“No, I d-didn’t!” I cackle a little louder than usual.

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“Yo, Hana!” Calls Akio, accompanied by a series of rapid knocks. It’s almost curfew…

“Wh-what’s wrong, Akio?” I ask as I open the door.

“I’ve got a lead on our mysterious book thief. Suzu’s spotted strange lights in the library after closing, since her room faces it.” He grins. That’s something at least but what--

“And, because I’m a card-carrying member of the Literature Club and we help out in the library from time to time…” He produces out a non-descript mortice key from his pocket. He can’t possibly mean…

“I’m a-already in my nightgown, Akio… I was j-just going to b-bed.” I protest but he’s having none of it.

“Then get dressed, partner. We’ve got a thief to catch!”

[swampie2]

Akio X Hanako!

She's going to be broken when she finds out he's gay :c

Very nice chapter, I'm loving the Hanako stories right now.