Chapter Text
"Maaaan, how long do ya actually need for the tasks? Are ya going to write a doctoral thesis on it or what?"
Heiji was lying across the tatami mats of his parents' house, bored and sweating, waiting for his best friend to finish her summer homework. He had checked off the assignments within the first few days after the school vacations began - so that he wouldn't have to worry about them for the rest of the vacations and would be free to do other things. But Kazuha had more trouble solving the assignments than the young high school detective, who rolled a little closer to the open sliding doors of the room they were sitting in at that minute.
They had chosen the room that overlooked the garden. It was the most pleasant because it had the best view into the beautifully manicured garden. A light breeze blew through the house because the sliding doors were also open in other rooms to create an airy climate. A small wind chime tinkled in the breeze in between while Kazuha sat bent over her notebook. Even the watermelons on the table in front of her were sweating in this heat.
"It’d go faster if a certain someone would help me here a little more!"
Grimly she looked at her best friend, whose tank top had slipped and exposed more of his upper body than she actually wanted to see. Didn't this guy actually have any decency? Best childhood friends or not - sometimes she doubted whether he even perceived her as a woman, the way he always walked around in front of her. How was she supposed to concentrate on her tasks when she felt the heat in her cheeks all the time? What an idiot.
"No, it's too hot for me right now…"
"Then live with it!"
"I could just go by myself!"
"Go on then!"
"But I don't wanna!"
"Then don't complain!"
"I can complain all I want if it's a fact, Ahou!"
"I don't understand why I have to come along anyway, Ahou!"
A pair of turquoise eyes peered up at her over the edge of the table as Heiji made at least a small effort to look her in the eye.
His eyebrows were drawn together grimly as he gave her an almost reproachful look. Kazuha could have melted again, although his look didn't seem very inviting. Why did this annoying guy actually look so forbidden good? But she did not let herself be taken in by it.
Instead, she turned her head aside, playfully offended. "Hmph!"
"Because ya have to. You'll like it."
"I don't know what's so great about throwing on a stuffy motorcycle helmet in these temperatures…"
Heiji narrowed his eyes slightly, still peering over the edge of the table at Kazuha. Then he lay back down and crossed his arms behind his head in a huff.
"Ya won't find out that way anyway."
Kazuha turned her gaze back to him and frowned slightly. Lately, the guy was always making a secret out of everything and constantly beating around the bush. What to make of it, however, the brunette didn't know. She sighed slightly and turned her eyes back to her notes. "Can ya at least explain me the task here or will ya melt away if ya try?"
Heiji opened one eye scrutinizingly, then brought down a hand and pierced his ear thoughtfully with his little finger.
"Could it be any friendlier?"
"Who wants me to come with ya? I'm happy to just go home! At least I can do the things in peace…"
"Still, ya could say 'please'!" A bit ponderously, the highschool detective sat up and bent over the table to look at her task. There ya go, Kazuha thought, and let him explain the task to her. When she understood the solution, she then also gave him a pretty smile. "Thank ya, Heiji!"
He reacted a little grumpily, perhaps a little embarrassed. But Kazuha already knew that he liked to cover up his embarrassment a little. She didn't hold it against him and continued to work diligently on her tasks while he lay down on the tatami floor again and waited for things to happen.
Actually, it was strange that he was so patient. The trip must be really important to him.
It took a while longer, and while her pen scratched across the paper in silence, the wind made the wind chimes sound repeatedly, and the cicadas could be heard outside, Kazuha solved one task after another.
But finally she was able to put down the pencil and stretched extensively in relief. "Done!" she announced delightedly. But when her eyes fell on her childhood friend, he had actually dozed off over the wait.
Kazuha propped her chin in one hand and looked across the table at Heiji lying on the floor, sleeping peacefully there with his mouth slightly open.
Well, he was funny, wasn’t he? First he made such a fuss and now he just fell asleep. For a moment, she wondered if she should wake him up. But somehow he seemed so peaceful right now that it was almost a pity. She decided to savor the moment a little instead, if he didn't notice. She could still wake him up in half an hour or so. She tiptoed to one of the closets and took out a thin blanket so that he wouldn't catch a cold in his sleep. Then she went over to him and carefully put the blanket over his naked belly.
Comfortably, she lay down at his side and watched him sleep for a while. It was rare to have the opportunity to just look at him so intently up close without it becoming embarrassing. Surely he would think she was creepy too if he knew about this right now. But she didn't care right now, after all, she didn't do this all the time.
However, her eyelids became increasingly heavy. Learning was also exhausting. In addition this heat… And then this idiot also wanted to go with motorcycle clothes. Kazuha rested her head on her forearms.
This was suicide… Wherever he wanted to go.
-*-*-*-*-
When Shizuka wondered about the unusual silence in the house and a little later looked after the two teenagers, she found them lying side by side on the floor asleep.
A smile came to her lips at this almost nostalgic image, as she had last seen such a scene in their childhood. So she did not miss the opportunity to capture this sight for eternity on photographic film, before she gently covered Kazuha with a light blanket and left them alone again.