City Jaunt! || harajukuharuspex

harajukuharuspex:

Akira grinned at his (rather dumbfounded) expression. “There’ll be plenty of time for chivalry later, Guru-chan.” She rolled her eyes but nonetheless made an exaggerated show of pulling down the seatbelt and clicking it into place.

Ah, it had been quite some years since she last rode in a convertible. The wind wouldn’t do anything for her hair; in fact, it rather made her feel like ants had crawled across her scalp and burrowed deep before violent ejection. But the weather had proven to surpass her expectations, sun shining and not a cloud in the sky. She should’ve brought sunscreen, now that she thought of it. Oh well. Possible burns could be dealt with when they returned from their jaunt to the city. Maybe she could coerce Hakuba into bubble tea as well.

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“Why, whatever gave you that idea? Of course it’s for you you silly billy, I said so over the phone.” She placed the package on her lap. “Should I tell you what it is? Wouldn’t want you to get in an accident trying to unwrap my mess of a wrap job.”

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Hakuba cast a wary glance to the side to see his silly classmate and the box that she held before turning his eyes to the road. 

“You really didn’t have to get me anything, Akira-kun. Honestly, I’m just very glad that you were willing to come with me today. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, it’s not as though I have a lot of friends at school, much less anyone who would go with me to Tokyo…” He sighed. “But I’ll throw in food, too, whenever we get hungry…”

Yes, Hakuba; attempt to sweeten the deal that she has clearly already agreed to. 

Safely on the freeway and into the furthest lane, Hakuba pressed the gas pedal in a way that gave the engine need to roar. He shifted gear, and settled the car into a speed that would cut at least five minutes from their journey. Not that time was really a pressing concern, at least yet; Hakuba simply loved to go fast.

City Jaunt! || harajukuharuspex

harajukuharuspex:

“Shhhhsh I got you a present, hope you like it.” Akira frowned as Loki circled her ankles. She groaned. Dumb cat, always needing to be fed. Food poured and cat eating away, Akira dashed out the door, almost forgetting to lock it in her haste.

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Jammed the elevator button, tapping her foot impatiently, run for the stairs and hear the elevator doors slide open as she descends the first five steps and sigh. Akira flew down nine flights of stairs and beamed at the waiting Hakuba. She hopped into the convertible without waiting for him to open the door (ergo her forgoing the skirt – jumping over a door is far more fun than chivalry). “Let’s go!”

The detective stared when his classmate literally hopped into his car, hand slowly retracting from the door handle. He had, in fact, intended to open the door for her but…  well, all right then! 

“Yes, let’s go indeed. Don’t forget to buckle up." 

Hakuba turned the car back on, smirking as the engine roared to life. He checked his mirrors, and pulled away from the curb and out into the city. They were headed for Tokyo, which was a 36-40 minute drive from their starting point. He stole a glance at her.

"Please don’t tell me that the box you’re holding is a gift for me." 

City Jaunt! || harajukuharuspex

harajukuharuspex:

Akira swore as she pinched her finger in the necklace clasp for the third time. Damn thing. Damn bitten and torn fingernails. She managed to open and latch the small golden heart around her neck with sore and red fingers and sighed in relief. And pain. Really, she should just stop biting her fingernails.

Nah. She gnawed at her thumb as a familiar vibration echoed through the apartment. Oh shit. Where had she left her phone? It should’ve been in her pocket, where it always was, but then she had just changed into her brand-new jean shorts and before these shorts she had worn a skirt and- Aha! Akira held up the elusive cellular device, plucked from the first pair of shorts she had put on for the excursion calling her. And sure enough, the sneaky side-shot she’d gotten of Hakuba while in class had appeared on the display. She hit answer.

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“Guru-chaaaan,” she replied, laughing. “Be down in a mo. I’m so ready! She’s going to be so surprised when she gets back. Also happy birthday you idiot, as if I wouldn’t notice.” Akira snatched her purse from the floor and keys from the windowsill. She held a brightly wrapped package under her armpit for the stubborn detective. Honestly.

The nickname grated him, but Hakuba only grimaced to show it. Oh, and she mentioned his birthday. Well, at least they were getting all of the nonsense out right from the start. He could only hope that things would improve from that point. 

“Ah, thank you, Akira-kun. But, really, this isn’t a trip about me so let’s keep that little detail as quiet and out of the way as humanly possible, please." 

He glanced toward the structure again, sighing internally as he waited for her to appear. The sooner they got going, the sooner they could pick up the package that was being held. Although he’d been assured by the shop owner that they would, indeed, hold it for another week, Hakuba didn’t want to risk any chances. 

City Jaunt! || harajukuharuspex

After the adventures of the early morning, Hakuba set out for his day plans. Yes, it was his birthday, and yes he had things to do that evening (family obligations, of course), but this afternoon he was going to do something he wanted to do, dammit, and that was taking a friend shopping to buy a gift for another friend. It had nothing to do with him and that’s exactly what he wanted. Akira knew that it was his birthday, but he hoped that if he didn’t bring it up, she wouldn’t either. 

He pulled his car up to the front of her apartment building and pulled out his phone, typing in her number, and waited for her to pick up. During this, Hakuba verified the time on his pocket watch and adjusted the car’s dashboard settings. Two minutes slow. Appalling. 

“Akira-kuuun,” Hakuba said, leaning back in his seat. “I’m here. Are you ready for our jaunt to the city for top secret gift shopping plans?”

“Happy birthday, Hakuba-kun! I, uh, wasn’t sure what to get you, so hopefully you don’t own this…” Akira presented the first season of Elementary to him, ducking her head. She laid a gift card to their usual frozen yogurt haunt on top of Jonny Lee Miller’s face. “Have a great day.”

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“Ah! I’ve been meaning to watch this. Can you believe that I haven’t seen a single episode of it yet? These cases lately have been murder!”  He laughed.

Then laughed some more.

When he was finally done, he coughed and took the gifts with a grateful nod. “Thank you, Akira-kun. I’ll make sure to treat next time we go — after shopping tomorrow afternoon, right~?” 

harajukuharuspex:

Akira found herself torn between laughter and pity; she settled for covering her mouth to stifle any sound that may escape as she switched legs. They completed the position and she whispered back, “Nothing really. Just involves combining balance, flexibility, and sweat.” For as the class progressed to more complex positions, contorting their spines (poor Hakuba, six feet, or nearly that, and trying to match the movements of a person of smaller stature such as herself), the room’s temperature rose to a balmy forty-one degrees Celsius.

At the class’s conclusion, Akira smiled at Hakuba, who was flushed with exertion. “First class is always the toughest. Welllll, actually the second class sucks. And the third. But everything after that is a breeze!” She hoped he would come back for a second or even third class; she could use the companionship.

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“You know what? After hot yoga, I am always dying of heat, and I’m feeling pretty good about myself for exercising of my own free will. I like frozen yogurt. Would you be so kind as to join me?”

"Frozen yogurt?”  Hakuba found the ability to string the words together somewhat taxing after such a long and torturous class. Embarrassment was the feeling of the day, and his cheeks hadn’t lost any of their color, even  after several minutes of cool down.

Yet, as embarrassed as he was and as much as he wanted to crawl home, shower, and never come out from under his covers again, he had to admit that frozen yogurt did sound fairly tempting. 

“If you haven’t lost all faith in me as a human being and still wish to be seen with me in a public setting then sure, yes, I will accompany you to get frozen yogurt." 

The detective sighed, He didn’t want to go back to yoga ever again, least especially after having taken the class. But he didn’t want to give up what Baaya was holding over him, and Akira seemed like a really nice person, despite whatever crazy possessed her to willingly return to class each week. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe the frozen yogurt would make it completely worth it. Or, perhaps, the chance to make a new friend. 

All were interesting possibilities… so he shrugged. If she was okay with him, so be it. They’d go get frozen yogurt. But that didn’t mean that he would ever have to come back to class again.

Hot yoga was over.