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"Achoo!"
Minori covers her mouth. Her eyes bug out, "…'Scuse me."
"Minori, try that before you sneeze," Haruka grins, pulling his elbow over his head.
"I-I know that! It just came out so suddenly, y'know?"
He continues to laugh at her, nodding all the while. Haruka is normally as kind as they come— well, he always is kind, really! But as he's become more comfortable, laughing aloud, transparent with his worries and interests, Haruka has also become more… more, what?
Minori shakes herself out of her head, she can not be like this before practice! She settles her nerves with a deep sigh, then lunges for her toes. Though this is the furthest she's managed, the ends of her shoes remain far away…
"Here— allow me?"
A pushback against the bottoms of her sneakers reels her head up. Haruka sits directly across, his shoes pressed tight hers. His arms reach out with open palms. He tilts his head, waiting.
"Eh? Ah, sure!"
Minori pushes herself as far forward as she can. Her arms waver in circles, well aware that does nothing to close the distance between their fingers. Instead, Haruka's hands find hers first, gliding to her wrists, then tugs her taut as if she were made of rope. But… she's not.
"Ow ow ow ow!"
"Don't lose to this, Minori! Hold out a little longer!" His voice is all smiles.
"R-Roger…!"
She gets stretched to the end of eternity before Haruka finally lets her go. With the utmost idol elegance, Minori tumbles backwards and flops flat on her back.
"Harukaaa!" On any other occasion she wouldn't dare dream of groaning at Kiritani Haruka. This impossibility, however, has been challenged as well.
"Airi would say an element of surprise is a most-needed spice for anything idol, so I went ahead and helped myself. You held out well though." Though the compliment is appreciated, she can still hear that grinning habit of his. Haruka pushes himself up and dusts off his hoodie. He lends a hand her way, assuredly to pull her up than to pull her thin. "I'm impressed by how much you've improved."
Minori wipes her brow and hooks herself on Haruka's gesture. Gradually, she rises to her feet.
"Thank y— achoo!"
"Minori!"
Had Haruka not held on to Minori as tightly as he did or not react fast enough to circle her waist, Minori would have fallen again from her head ricocheting backwards.
"Sorry— bwegh, my nose… today might be one of those days," Minori shuffles away, lest her off-day start affecting Haruka's as well.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"I am! Pretty sure, at least." She rubs her nose, looking up at the cloudy skies. "I think it's just the wind getting me. Usually it's pretty sunny so the floor here is all warm."
Haruka looks upward as well and rubs his neck. "That is true… Why not wear your gym jersey for now? Layers go a long way."
"I would if I didn't forget it in the laundry bin after washing it the night before."
"Ahaha, I see… Then, here."
Haruka's arms cross. They lower and he grabs the hem of his hoodie, he lifts, a sliver of his chiseled midriff—
"H-H-Haruka?!" Minori slaps her hands over her eyes, screwing them shut against any sliver of a chance of peeping. "What are you doing?!"
The rustle of fabric stops. "I'm lending you my hoodie?" Then continues.
"Stop!" Still determined to keep her eyes closed, she wails at Haruka. Her fingers tug down any scrap of fabric they can find. "I-I-I can just wear your jersey, can't I?!"
"W-Well, yes, but it hasn't been washed yet, I wouldn't want to make you wear something I sweated in. You can have my hoodie and I'll slip into my jersey, see?"
Minori chokes on a whimper. Today is really not her day… "I'd— I won't… Jersey is. Fffine… "
More rustling as Haruka's arms lower, the pearly gates creaking to a close. "Are you sure?"
Not trusting her heart to lurch out of her throat, she nods.
"Alright then…" He lets go.
At last, Minori comes up for air again. As Haruka reaches into his bag, she smacks away any red dusting her cheeks still, running through her breathing exercises in massive panic.
One of the things that came with Haruka's new-found comfort and confidence is his lax attitude towards… going… topless… Minori knows that she's overblowing the situation, it's not that he can't at all, in fact she loves it— how it says that he's at ease around her, she means!
She just needs a warning… and some time to prepare her heart… But Haruka loves to take her off guard. Lately he's been more…
More…
Haruka shakes the jersey out of its folds. "Here you go— ah, it might be a bit large on you, I'm realizing."
"That's fine. Longer sleeves means I stay warmer!"
As Haruka helps to pull it over her shoulders (he doesn't have to but she doesn't stop him), shivers trail across her skin, tingling like goosebumps despite the warmth.
Minori tugs the flaps to cocoon her middle. The collar brushes along her cheek and an ocean-breeze fills her senses. It's fresh, like sitting by the shoreline. She raises her arm. The sleeves fold and overlap around her wrist. Fragrant, drifting idly. Salty, distinct and strong on her watery daze.
"It's comfy…"
"Huh?"
Somehow, all the jitters and nervousness and panic were blown away… Just Haruka being there, the sense that he's always nearby, makes her ready to do anything.
Minori giggles into the soft paws. "It's nothing! I'm all good to keep stretching now!"
With Minori, Haruka feels all of his uneasiness disappear. Just having her nearby is enough to keep his heart safe and assured… getting too close however—
Minori hugs his jersey. "It's comfy…"
He feels heat sting across the back of his neck. "Huh?"
Bubbling laughter sparks a flame through his veins. "It's nothing! I'm all good to keep stretching now!"
Haruka feels the steam leaving through his pores. Vapors of sweat cause his hoodie to cling to his skin, a horrible irritant. He fans his body with his hoodie for relief though temporary, and ultimately, futile.
These feelings aren't new to him, frankly he's too aware. He wants to get up into her face, he wants to run, he wants to laugh and smile with her until his cheeks hurt, he can't stop smiling with her…
Haruka groans. Lately, he's felt more… more… unexpectedly immature.
He would love to take a layer off, if it meant Minori would still be comfortable around him.