Checkmate

13

"...Yukinoshita Haruno. What are you doing here?"

"Aw, what's with the tone of voice? Aren't you happy to see your onee-chan, Hikigaya-kun? Though, I can see that you've chosen some different company today... I wonder how Yukino-chan would react if I told her..?"

The eerie smile on Yukinoshita Haruno's face made me feel uncomfortable, but I kept a straight face and didn't let it show. Miura let go of me and quickly wiped her eyes as she also turned to fully face Haruno, and I noticed her eyes moving down to the blonde's scarf and lingering there for a brief moment, before she met my gaze again.

"You didn't answer my question." I replied to Haruno and glanced briefly at Miura, who was in the midst of composing herself again. I felt my heart throb as I looked at her and had to avert my eyes quickly, though. The things Miura said, and their effect on me... I can't just ignore all that, but dealing with Haruno takes priority right now.

"Ooh, being assertive, are we? I like it." Haruno said with a cheeky smile, but very quickly her face became serious, and I couldn't help but draw a parallel to my encounter with Hayama earlier in the week. "Shizuka-chan called me and said there was something important she wanted to talk about, so I'm on my way to meet her. As I was passing here, I couldn't help but notice you, Hikigaya-kun. What surprised me was seeing you here with her." I saw Miura's eyes widening briefly as Haruno mentioned meeting with Miss Hiratsuka, but otherwise she had no reaction to her so far. "Now, I answered your question, so it's only fair play if you answer a question I have. What were you doing here with... Miura-san, was it? A date, perhaps?" Haruno took a step closer to us as her eyes scanned us, gaining a dangerous glint to them as they passed over mine and Miura's scarves. I hope she doesn't get any weird ideas just because our scarves happen to have a similar pattern... We just bought them from the same store because it was convenient, and because Miura wanted to get a gift for me to thank me, that is all.

"No, this is not a date. I was looking after a classmate's younger sibling and Miura happened to walk by, then decided to keep us company." Haruno lifted an eyebrow and looked around the playground, but no-one other than the three of us was present. "Our classmate just came to pick up her sister not too long ago, and we were just about to leave as well. You might have even passed them, depending on which direction you came from. You're free to believe whatever you want, but it's the truth." Haruno kept her gaze locked with mine for a few seconds, before shifting it to Miura.

"A likely story, but that doesn't explain what I saw as I arrived here. Quite an intimate display, if I do say so myself. And the things you said to Hikigaya-kun? Something about helping him, because he shouldn't hurt himself any longer..?" How much did she hear, exactly..? I saw Miura's hand balling up to a fist, and before I could respond to Haruno's words, she took a step forwards.

"This has nothing to do with you." Miura said to Haruno in a cold voice, and while the older woman's initial reaction to Miura's words was unamused, Haruno paused for a moment upon seeing the blonde's expression, and her own began to shift rapidly into one of intrigue. "Eavesdropping on other people is not very polite, and neither is interrupting an... emotional moment."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Miura-san, this has everything to do with me! You see, Hikigaya-kun here will one day be my brother-in-law, so as his big sis I need to make sure he doesn't go around cheating on poor Yukino-chan." Haruno's tone of voice was playful as she tilted her head towards me, while Miura narrowed her eyes at the older woman and glanced at me briefly. "What about you, then? I thought you were just another part Hayato's entourage, but your presence here suggests something less... boring." The glint in Haruno's eyes made me shiver, and I felt my own hand balling up into a fist as well. I can easily see why Haruno would think the old Miura to be 'boring'... I looked to Miura next to me, and the glare she was directing at Haruno told me everything I needed to know about her thoughts regarding her words.