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It was spring.
You could tell because there was that slight chilly nip in the air which prompted Kyoko to wear a light, orange jacket over her thin white shirt. She loved the shirt. She had bought it on a shopping trip with Moko-san and it was just classy enough that she could imagine herself as a rich young lady every time she wore it. The ruffle along the v-shaped neckline and the ruffled choker that tied with a thin ribbon added what she considered to be a perfect elegance to the ensemble.
Ren just thought that she looked beautiful.
"What are we doing here?" he asked, taking her hand to help her out of the car. She gave him a grateful smile.
"I told you, it's a surprise," she answered. "Now hurry."
She started forward, walking quickly with her hands clasped behind her back to discourage her from reaching out to him. She recognized the danger of how Tsuruga Ren sometimes made her feel, but she was a determined girl. Life was as simple as mind over matter. As long as she did not reach out for him she would conquer these feelings and would never have to suffer the pain of rejection.
Ren just wanted to hold her.
"Mogami-san, you said this was important. But I'm still confused. What are we doing at a park?"
"It's a surprise," she hedged again. "You'll see when we get there."
"Alright. But then can you at least tell me why it's just the two of us?" Kyoko repressed a grimace at the possible misunderstanding a normal girl might have had if Tsuruga-san had said something like that to her using that particular tone.
"Yashiro-san deserves a beak," she replied sweetly. "And Moko-san was against the whole idea, so I decided it would be better if she didn't come. And Maria was busy with her studies."
"Oh. It was supposed to be a group activity." She was confused as to why he was smiling his gentlemanly smile. He did not seem angry per se, just… disappointed? Really, if that man was not careful he was going to deceive all the girls in Japan into thinking that he was interested in them. Kyoko knew better than to assume that, but she thought Tsuruga-san would have more sense in these matters given that he had never had any bad gossip about him. He was Japan's Number One Bachelor. He belonged to all women.
Ren just wanted her all for himself.
They wandered around a garden in the park for a while, Kyoko gushing over the blooming flowers. She gave particular praise to the roses that they found. Ren laughed at her antics and plucked a bloom, tucking it behind her ear. Fighting embarrassment and pleasure, Kyoko scolded him for mutilating the plants and for picking a blossom that clashed horribly with her outfit. Ren ignored her protests and eventually they petered out.
"We should go to the Kusabue no Oke Rose Garden," he commented. Kyoko winced.
"It's too far," she complained. "It would take too long to get there, and it would be too expensive a trip."
"We could plan a day trip," he answered. She fought back her passionate desire to accept his offer with all of her force of will. He was not asking her out on a d-da- anything, and she was not at all happy about the attention, and she did not immediately draw his attention to something else so that he would be distracted and forget he had said anything.
Ren just wanted spoil her.
"Are you hungry?" he asked as an hour passed and lunchtime rolled around. They had walked a full circuit of the park several times, having fun hiding in bushes and behind trees as they almost ran into other people. Kyoko had worked up a little color and was a little breathless.
"A little," she admitted. "But I don't really want to go inside just yet. It's too nice out." She started shrugging out of her jacket as she said this, letting it fall down around her elbows before she got distracted by the cool breeze ruffling through the pink blossoms in the tree and smiled brightly. "Isn't it wonderful?"
"Yes."
He really should not smile like that. A girl could get delusions if he did that too often. Especially after Dark Moon, when he always used that smile on Mizuki. Kyoko did not believe that the smile he gave her was just a bit softer, or more wistful. She knew that it was not so. She was still a rational human being and had complete control over herself.
Ren just wanted her to smile at him like it meant something.
"This is good," Kyoko stated, shoving another bite into her mouth.
They were eating at a small restaurant, hoping that no one would believe it was Ren having lunch there, even if he was recognized. He insisted on paying and Kyoko was too anxious to argue for very long.
"I'm glad you like it. I'm just sorry about the stares," he apologized.
"Oh, that always happens when I'm with you. After our assignment together especially I'm used to it. You're just very eye catching. And easy to look at."
This thought amused her a great deal. Here she was, a plain and boring girl, eating lunch with the best looking man in the room. She wondered what people thought about them as they sat and ate this plain and boring food. Tsuruga-san certainly seemed out of place. But Kyoko was a simple girl and enjoyed the simple pleasure of eating food she had not had to cook. It did not taste half bad. She wished she could compliment the chef.
Ren just wondered what her smile tasted like.
"Mogami-san."
"Yes?"
"We've had lunch and visited three parks in the city. While I enjoyed looking at all the flowers, it's almost dinnertime. What's the surprise?"
"You'll see," was her only answer, pulling him by the sleeve towards a relatively secluded spot where no one would necessarily recognize them if they were spotted, but not so secluded that it seemed too romantic. "Here," she said, collapsing onto the ground and waiting for him to join her, surprised when he dropped his own jacket over her before he sat. "Tsuruga-san, I already-"
"You looked cold," he explained, cutting off any protests. She opened her mouth to try and object again but he leaned closer and she jerked back, startled by the sudden action. Her heart had leapt into her mouth and stuck there, stopping any argument she was planning on using. In fact, her whole mind seemed to have gone blank. She pushed the panic back and prayed he would not pull a stunt like that again. She might give herself away.
Ren just wished she was not afraid of him.
"Sorry," he murmured. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"N-no. I'm fine," she stammered, pinching herself to regain control. This was ridiculous.
"So, what are we doing here?" Ren asked again, noting the rather isolated location. Kyoko blushed slightly.
"Well, I thought if you wanted to lose your temper, it would be better if other people weren't around."
Ren blinked in surprise. "Why would I lose my temper?" he asked, trying to sort through all the things that could anger him that did not frighten or threaten Kyoko in any way. The list was rather short.
"Well, there isn't a surprise. I lied."
"What?"
"I- I thought that you seemed really tired from all your work, so I asked Yashiro if he could clear some of your schedule so that you could have a day off. He really agreed that you needed a break and got the president on board to help. But they left me in charge of the plans. Since I didn't think you got to stop and enjoy things very much since you're so busy, I thought we could just enjoy the nice weather and all the new flowers."
"That's… it?"
"Yes."
She looked up at him sheepishly, hoping he was not too angry. He seemed to be stuck on astonished, and Kyoko thought that particular face was cu- interesting. She babbled on a bit more, about how she had been worried and had not wanted to inconvenience him, but had wanted to help somehow. Her frantic and garbled words did not seem to have much effect on him, but he did not seem to be getting angry. He was starting to smile that heavenly smile again. Kyoko wished that she knew her heart was safe from it.
Ren just wished she would think about him forever.