each word only causes her brow to furrow further, until there truly is no way it can go anymore. it is a soft ‘huh uttered out before hikari has even finished speaking, eyes a curious thing to hear what makes her think so: kaoruko wouldn’t do something like that, surely ! oh, but she’d heard tale of an annual prank, hadn’t she ? but futaba had told her not to worry much about it coming to any of them, & she’s super trustworthy !! still though, hikari is too, & she, despite all the researching she’s done up to this point to try & keep up, is the expert. it is a nod that she settles on, and though it is meant to lead into agreement, it is only the opening act for hesitant questions, ‘ w-wait, hikari-chan, what do you mean there’s no such thing? ’ if there’s no such thing, then . . . all her work ? her day that she had planned to spend all with hikari ? ‘ there’s gotta be, right? kaoruko-chan knows all about traditions. maybe . . . maybe it’s only in japan & that’s why you don’t know about it? ’
words trail out on their puff of white, suggesting more than arguing ; scrambling in a certain desperation to hold onto plans. she’d been so excited to spend the day together, after all ! it’s hope that hikari will agree that has her smile blooming once more, nearing a toothy grin but then, it is as though on cue though that her teeth chatter something sudden, & she realizes that, in hikari being so close again, that in having shared her warmth so close, she’d once again forgotten just how cold she was ( & look how neat she is; setting more than just the record straight ! ). it’s only at her suggestion that her mind has caught up to her body, & it is another firm nod given. her hand searches blindly behind her ( truly cursed would she be to miss a moment of hikari - time ! ), finding the handle and using the weight of her back against it to push the door open. ah, she’d almost forgotten the feeling of not being a popsicle ; would’ve, if not for hikari ! it’s almost as though she can think clearer too ! a relieved sigh leaves her at it, frozen legs hardly willing to move from their place.
moving forward, though, really this time ! even if it isn’t physically yet ! she really wants to spend this time together, & she worked so hard on it ; if it is a trick ( jury is still out ! ), then . . . it’ll be like doing a play, won’t it? or creating a new tradition? it’d be nice to have one with her ! & she thinks she’d be warmer quicker if they did continue ! the next mistletoe is only a few turns down the hall and she’s no scientist, but if she was that warmed by kissing hikari outside, then it’d be super great inside, wouldn’t it? so it is now words presented with conviction rather than hesitance, though they come hurried, perhaps overeager. ‘ well, it’s fine anyway, isn’t it? we can still do it ! just in case there is a curse, right? ’ in it, her free hand finds itself to the one held in her other, effectively sandwiching it ; it’s leverage used to lift it between them, to pull it up between them in a pleading thing, seeking assurance, somehow, in closeness. ‘ what is it that they say, hikari-chan? better safe than soggy ? ’
but then, she cuts her trailing uncertainty off with a soft oh as a thought hits her , head tilting something pondering as it’s broken quickly by yet another question, ‘ unless . . . you don’t want to? ’ sheepish, nearly ! she should of asked, really, before the first one even !! but her barreling through has been brought to a halt, & so it’s caught up to her now, the realization that she’s maybe gotten carried away again, ‘ which, that’s okay ! i was just really looking forward to being with you today, is all. so, whatever you wanna do is fine !! ’
karen’s visible DISAPPOINTMENT nearly shattered hikari’s heart all over again — hadn’t thought it would be taken so hard . but karen did seem excited about this , didn’t she ? should hikari have stayed silent about it ? or was she right to at least say something to the other ? guilt already began to burrow back into her very soul — made her throat seem to tighten as the other spoke . almost immediately afraid she’d given her the wrong impression — worried she had ruined karen’s entire day . maybe even their friendship .
but then karen continued — offered hikari that suggestion that just maybe it really is a thing . that maybe she only didn’t know because it isn’t a thing in london . && as much as she still did doubt it ( if only because of its source ) she , too , found herself wanting it to be true — was just trying to decide whether how she should respond when karen pushed the door open — found herself pulled inside along with the other , too lost in her own thoughts to have been fully paying attention . still , the warmth of the dorms was much nicer than the freezing cold outside — already felt the heat once again warming her her cheeks , as if melting a thin layer of ice off her exposed skin .
gaze returned to karen as soon as she spoke — was quick to her hands with her own free one — just in case . was happy to accept those words — confirmation enough that this probably wasn’t something karen was only doing because of something kaoruko told her . offered the smallest touch of a nod before karen continued . better safe than soggy ? “ — sorry . ” a soft correction that came almost automatically , still couldn’t help the slightest tug of a smile at her lips && the questioning sort of furrow in her brows as she met the other’s warm gaze .
but when karen continued , expression shifted again — this time a slight surprise in her gaze as her head tilted — almost subconsciously mirroring karen’s own movements . unless she doesn’t want to ? she should have expected the question , really , but the surprise came in just how obvious it was to her , even if she was perfectly aware that karen wouldn’t have any way of reading her mind like that . instead , offered the other a small smile && a light squeeze of warming hands . heart nearly stopped at those final words . the reminder that karen really was looking forward to spending the day with her . only made her response even more eager , albeit still characteristically quiet . “ yeah , i agree . we should do it . just in case . ” was happy to entertain it — real or not — if it meant spending the day with karen .
