Awkward.
That was the only word Hajime could think of to describe the atmosphere.
Nagito sounded nothing but exhausted when he said "Why don't we go out when the rain let's up?" after all his previous attempts to make polite conversation for the three of them. Though Hajime was the only one listening. Chiaki was preoccupied, admiring pictures of a younger Hajime. It was really starting to irritate him.
"Yeah..." he absentmindedly replied to Nagito, unaware of what he was agreeing to, then to Chiaki, "how long are you gonna look at them?"
Chiaki gently lowered a framed photo of Hajime at the beach back onto the shelf. Her sleepy gaze settled on him and she shrugged, obviously bored.
Nagito got up from the couch and wandered to the window. He peeked through the curtains. Nagito smiled widely. "Looks like it's dry out, shall we go?"
Hajime made a disgusted expression. "What? Go where?"
Nagito thought for a moment, then his light eyes widened with glee. "I've got just the place."
It was a short walk, supposedly. That was what Nagito had said to reassure a lazy Hajime and a tired Chiaki. A short walk to where? The two were oblivious. Nagito had only given them that slightly reassuring information. Short walk or not Hajime thought it could still be some place awful.
"Just around this corner," Nagito pointed to a small street leading away from the town centre where they were walking through.
Hajime looked down at Chiaki who was walking beside him, very close too he might add. She moved her head to look up at him but Hajime had looked away viciously before their eyes could meet.
"Hajime,"
Crap...
He felt a tug.
"Hajime," she tried again.
With fake calmness Hajime looked down at her grip on his jacket, the material crumpled in her small hands making it crease at the elbow.
"Oh," she said softly. Chiaki released him and stuffed both her hands into her hoodie pockets as if to stop her from doing that. She looked down at her feet with a light smile. "Where do you think he's taking us?" She whispered.
Hajime let a chuckle escape his lips. "Who knows? In fact I'm starting to realise that's a recurring trait in Nagito."
"What do you mean?" She looked up at him curiously.
Hajime found the strength to lock eyes with her. "That nobody has a clue what he'll do next," he replied, then shrugged, "Bit like you actually."
Chiaki puffed her cheeks out in annoyance but Hajime found the whole thing amusing.
Is this, what real friendship feels like?
"Guys, we're here!" Nagito cried.
Both Chiaki and Hajime looked at where Nagito had taken them.
It was an ice cream shop.
Yep. Hajime thought. Doesn't get more basic than this does it?
"Does it have strawberry flavour?" Was Chiaki's first question as they walked through the doors, Nagito and Chiaki in front and Hajime trailing behind. He watched how Nagito and Chiaki seemed so comfortable around each other. They have spent all their school life together so it's only fair.
Nagito smiled down at Chiaki, "Of course, only the best."
Hajime grunted. He'd seen Nagito's smile enough times to know it was a good, genuine and greeting grin. But never did he notice how sickening it truly was. Surely there was something weird about it, right? It wasn't just Hajime who thought that, right?
Nagito got some sort of cotton candy flavour with a mad amount of sprinkles, Chiaki got her strawberry and Hajime simply chose the chocolate fudge.
The three settled on a table outside, and Nagito began bobbing his head along to the quiet sound of music playing from the ice cream shops radio.
"I can't believe I haven't been here yet," Chiaki mused.
Hajime went to speak but Nagito got there faster. "It doesn't surprise me," he laughed, and Chiaki stopped licking her ice cream to look at him, "If you're out of the house you'll only be in the arcade down the street."
Chiaki raised her eyebrows, an expression Hajime had seen before. "How do you know? Have you ever been in there?" Chiaki was skeptical.
Nagito's smile fades and now it was is turn to raise his eyebrows. "I work there part time."
Chiaki paused and considered what this meant. "Oh," she gulped, "I had no-- I didn't-- I hadn't--"
"Noticed?" Nagito finished her sentence as if it was no surprise to him. Chiaki nodded.
Nagito smiled but even Hajime could see there was something rather sad about it.
"It's really no problem, I'm not one to be seen. You know what I'm like."
Hajime spoke up. "I didn't know you had a job," he said.
Nagito nodded, "I have many," he replied, before smiling cheekily, "maybe I'll see you two sometime at the diner, eh?"
Both Chiaki and Hajime were confused as to what he meant by that, looking at each other warily. Nagito but winked before carrying on eating his ice cream.
Good to be back :) xox