kazuha–toyama:

“Heh, ‘ight” Kazuha replied simply nodding her head as she continued onward – until they approached the mall. Kazuha hadn’t seen why Heiji had despised Hakuba-kun so much, after all he wasn’t quite the pain Heiji had made him out to be.

Kazuha turned back to the blonde detective and smiled lightly – figuring it best to describe her somewhat silly scenario to him where there was less commotion. “Well ya see, I’m not sure if it’s just meh bein’ paranoid or wha’ but" 

Kazuha hesitated slightly recalling the events. "Ya see, fer de last few days thin’s have been comin’ up missin’ in muh locker at Aikido practice…” Kazuha paused for a moment and bit her bottom lip softly

“It was small stuff at first… So I thought maybe I was just bein’ clumsy and droppin’ it… But d’en” She hesitated again and began fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt. “It’d gotten to de point whur other thin’s gone missing.. thin’s I know fer sure I hadn’t misplaced…”

Kazuha stared up into the detective’s eyes her green eyes flickering like flames. “So I left a note…” Kazuha said nervously “I haven’t checked it yet really – I was going ta wait fer Heiji but ya see…” Kazuha’s voice began to get weak as she spoke “I feel like w’en I’m thur… I’m bein’ watch’d…”

“Feelings of being watched… and disappearing items,.. Hmmm.” Hakuba looked thoughtful, continuing their approach to the mall while he mulled over the details presented in his mind. “Might I be able to get a list of said items from you? In chronological order of when they went missing, of course, starting with the first item leading up until this last one… Which, I must ask, I’m curious as to why you’re so certain about it not being misplaced?”

The detective took that moment to pull out the little black book that he kept in his inner suit jacket pocket, as well as his pen. 

“We’ll need to, of course, check the Aikido establishment for the status of your note. As for being watched… well, I will stay with you until Hattori-san is able to take over.”

Wait. Was that really a good idea? 

kazuha–toyama:

“Y-You were tryin’a…” Kazuha stared at him for a minute “Of course… I should’a known” Kazuha laughed lightly. 

She had thought something totally different but she should of suspected as much from a detective – they were always trying to deduce things. Kazuha didn’t really understand the thrill they got from it but she shrugged it off and looked towards the mall – which had now been in plain sight.

“Ya…” Kazuha said raising a brow and then looking back to him “Since I kind’a ruined your fun,” Kazuha began to say as she began heading towards the mall. “I suppose I could always have ya help me with somethin’…”

Kazuha had a small problem – one she was going to bring up to Heiji but seeing as she couldn’t really do that anytime soon, she supposed it’d be alright to let Hakuba-kun help. If he wanted? 

“It’s quite all right, Toyama-chan… I am what I am, and detectives never seem to be able to stop their process of deductive reasoning.”  Hakuba smiled easily. The longer Kazuha acted more or less calmly with occasional shows of interest and care, the more tolerable she was. 

“Hm?” His attention was drawn to her at the suggestion that there might be a mystery to solve. “What is it that I can assist you with, my dear?”

kazuha–toyama:

Kazuha stared blankly at him and became slightly agitated when he told her not to yell. She liked to yell – especially when she thought someone was acting like an aho.

Kazuha, however, wasn’t going to say that. It’d be rude and that is after all why she’d yelled at him in the first place. She tried to keep a noticeable smile on her face as she listened carefully to his words. 

Kazuha stood in a particularly awkward stance  as the detective paced around her -she couldn’t help but follow his movements with her eyes. 

“Oi…” Kazuha whispered quietly a small blush on her face as she’d turned to face him. “I am a 2-dan in aikido, so no further need ta inspect me a’right?” Kazuha said slightly embarrassed before raising a brow to him.

“My weaknesses?” Kazuha inquired “Why’d ya wanna know my weakness?”  

“Ah…” Hakuba blanched. That was not what he had been expecting. “I was going to use the information to determine what your passion was, but… ah, I suppose it’s Aikido." 

Well. Okay then. 

Sheepishly, Hakuba rubbed the back of his head with a hand, then looked onward. The mall was in sight. 

"Let us… resume our quest, then, and procure a new mobile phone for you, ne, Toyama-chan?”

kazuha–toyama:

Somewhere at the half way point Kazuha got tired of dragging Hakuba along with her and slowed the pace a bit. Kazuha lifted her other hand to her cheek – touching it briefly in order to ensure her fluster was gone before turning to face the detective.

“What’s wrong Hakuba-kun? I didn’t hurt yer arm right?” Kazuha questioned tilting her head slightly and dropping her arm from his. She still hadn’t known what it was but could definitely tell something was on his mind. 

“Oi? Hakuba-kun? Oi!” Kazuha yelled her eyes solely focused on him. It was him after all who’d offered to take her. Why was he in such a trance like state – perhaps she was a bit too rough?

Oh. He was being rude, wasn’t he? 

Hakuba blinked once, then forced a smile, straightening up once they’d come to an awkward sort of pause. 

“There’s no need to yell, Toyama-san… my apologies; I was just thinking about the strength of your grip.”  The detective said this, only realizing after the fact how it might come off, so laughed and quickly amended his statement. “I was trying to figure out which sport you might be engaged in to put that strength to use. I’m aware that Hattori-san is something of a Kendo champion… but I’m afraid that I’m unaware what captures your extracurricular attention.”

He turned to her, tilting his head, and looked her over from ponytail to foot. Then, he began to pace around her, investigating, while rubbing his sore, previously clutched arm, with his other hand. Ow.

“You’re clearly athletic… built for speed and power, yes… But what are your individual strengths and weaknesses?”

kazuha–toyama:

“I suppos’ yer right,” Kazuha thought momentarily about her direct meaning of the word. “Well, as long as it’s somethin’ orange or yellow than it’s good ‘nough for me” Kazuha said aloud looking over to Hakuba with a grin.

Kazuha could tell that he was pondering over something – he had the face Heiji had when he was contemplating something. She just wasn’t so sure what it was – or why he was looking at her while he did so. “Somethin’ wrong Hakuba-kun?” Kazuha asked furrowing a brow to him “Ya got that annoying anxious look on yer face" 

Kazuha then took one of her arms and placed in on her hip and cocked her head to the side as she glared at him – in a full on attitude stance. 

Kazuha then noticed the detective extend his arm for her – something Heiji had rarely done. If ever.  She stared at him for a moment in awe – before her cheeks heated up and she gripped his arm semi roughly and began pulling him along, trying to hide her flustered face.

Annoying? She was calling his face annoying? Hakuba wasn’t sure what was worse, the insult, or the fact that this girl thought that it was appropriate. Then again, he had to remind himself that this was Osaka, and Kazuha was Hattori-san’s savage woman. A fine choice for a mate, he supposed, if one was a brute looking for a wild one. 

The half-brit detective considered this further as the girl took his arm and dragged him onward, which caught him by some surprise.

"Ah- right, then,” Hakuba stammered and shifted his focus to keep pace with her. 

What was he getting himself into?! At least at this rate, it wouldn’t take them long at all to reach the mall.  

kazuha–toyama:

“Sound’s great,” Kazuha began before shutting her eyes and holding up her pointer finger. “Just let me go grab my purse!” Kazuha yelled instantaneously spinning around and running into her home.

Kazuha was in such a hurry she’d forgotten to close the door on her way in. However, it only took her a minute or two to reappear in front of Hakuba – she was panting softly and smiling broadly, her purse swung over her shoulder as she brushed off her clothes and fixed anything that may have been amiss. 

“So ya say they have cute stuff? It’s been a’while since I gotta new phone. I half’ta say. I’m excited!” Kazuha said – stepping beside him when she felt she’d looked well enough to begin walking.

“Ah… ‘cute’ is rather objective, so I suppose you will have to judge that for yourself… but I do believe that there will be something there for you." 

Hakuba wondered, briefly, if this was such a good idea. Helping a lady with a task like this was noble enough, certainly, and he did suppose that it was more or less his own fault. But Kazuha, she was… well, almost as spirited as Hattori. How was that even possible?

Would this end up being Hakuba’s undoing?

Biting his lip, the detective extended his arm for her to take hold of, to walk with her. 

kazuha–toyama:

As Kazuha seen Hakuba approaching her she crossed her arms over  her chest tightly and began to mumble furiously under her breath.  “Wha’d ya want?" Kazuha’s demeanor, however, changed entirely upon hearing his proposition.

"U-Uh, thanks Hakuba-kun" Kazuha said softly uncrossing her arms and  staring directly at him – trying to figure out just what he was up to. "I-I,  uh.." Kazuha was hesitant in her answer, she hadn’t known Hakuba’s full  intentions and knew of his rivalry with Heiji. She contemplated it for  a moment and figured being with Hakuba-kun was better than spending  the day alone.

"I guess I’d have ta go with a flip" Kazuha finally spit out – admitting  defeat against the ridiculous spell and taking Hakuba-kun’s offer as a  kind gesture instead of a malicious intent. Though it hadn’t meant she’d  fully trusted him and would definitely be mindful of what she’d said  around him. 

"I don’t really know much ’bout phones in general which is why I usually  take Heiji, he’s better at figuring that sorta thin’ out. I just go fer what’s  cute!" Kazuha replied earnestly laughing lightly as she gripped the base  of her pony tail with both hands and tugged at it – making it firm and  bouncy. "I have 19636.72 yen ta spend!"   

Well, at least she was enthusiastic. No wonder Hattori-san liked her. Hakuba smiled, faintly pained, mostly patient, and nodded to her responses. 

"A flip phone should be rather easy to procure within that price range, especially one with the styling as you’ve mentioned. Many are made with the female shopper in mind, and can be found in a variety of designs to please any pallet. That said, I suggest that we go straight way to the mall to begin our search.”

Hakuba considered the pricing, and began to formulate a mental list of all of the features the latest flip phones had. What would a girl like Toyama-chan need that she might not think of herself? Hm. 

kazuha–toyama:

    “OI!” Kazuha shouted ”My phone! I was suppose ta get a new one with Heiji ta’day…” Kazuha said hanging her head low – before giving it some thought. ”That’s it! Your going to pay Hakuba-kun!” Kazuha yelled shaking her fist angrily – she hadn’t thought the spell to really be all that strong… She was wrong….

“Ah, well I could assist you in finding and purchasing a new phone, then, Toyama-san… I do know a thing or two about how to get the best mobile for the money." 

Hakuba smiled pleasantly, partly at the idea of spending the day with a lovely young lady of spirit (hoping that he wouldn’t regret it), and partly because it was sure to upset Hattori-san in the process. While being harmless, of course.

"What style of phone are you in the market for? Flip phone? ‘Candy bar’ style? Perhaps a smart phone? Do you know what applications you’d like? What your requirements are?” The detective looked thoughtful for a moment. “And what, exactly, is your budget, my dear? I’m afraid that I’m not all that familiar with your finances."