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"She's in love with you, you know."
Haruka turned to look at An as the two walked down Vivid street, drinks in hand. It felt like it had been a lifetime since they had last done this. Hanging out together, just the two of them, wandering aimlessly and talking about anything. They must've been only kids the last time, before they went to different schools, before Haruka's idol career took off, before they had started to grow into different people.
"Sorry?"
An's lips curled into a mischievous smirk around the straw in her mouth, golden eyes glimmering with that familiar delight she got whenever she found something to tease Haruka over.
"Hanasato."
Haruka exhaled through her nose.
"Minori?"
She didn't need to clarify, but it allowed her to stall for a moment and search An's features, trying to find what part of her this sprung up from— seemingly unprompted.
"Yuuup. The blushing, the stammering, the heart-eyes... She's got all the signs of Kiritani Haruka-itis."
Haruka raised a perfectly-arched eyebrow, her lips taking on a teasing smile that mirrored An's.
"Oh? And what makes you such an expert on the condition?"
She expected a snarky retort, a shove on her shoulder, or dramatically rolled eyes. Instead, An looked away, attention grabbed by some graffiti that she mumbled about being new. Were her cheeks a little darker than they had been a moment ago?
"Do you love her?"
An spoke after a moment's silence, side-stepping Haruka's question with all the grace of a dancer.
"I do." Haruka looked down at her drink- mostly just ice now. Beside her, she heard the faint sound of plastic crunching. An's hand had tightened around her own cup, ever so slightly. "Just...not the way she wants me to, I think."
Out of the corner of her eye, Haruka could see An's grip relax.
"...Come on, let's go to the park. If we're lucky, the half-court will be empty."
Haruka felt a smile pull at her cheeks.
"Why, are you eager to lose another game to me?"
There was that playful shove she had been waiting for.
"Oh it is on! Loser buys the winner ice cream."