Painted With Roses (Oreki x Chitanda)

Chapter 21 - Hamster Key Chain

Slowly and steadily as time proceeded, the two finished their small, awkward (for Oreki, that is) chatter and ice creams.

There was a small dot of cream attached nearby Oreki's mouth. Though he did not realize it, Chitanda saw it and leaned in to him, wiping it off with her clean, white handkerchief. "You're just like a little boy, Oreki-san," she joked around. His cheeks flushed a light red color and he avoided eye contact with those violet eyes.

Unexpectedly, his phone then vibrated, a message icon appearing on the screen.

"Ah, is that a message, Oreki-san?" Chitanda noticed, asking.

He said nor did anything in response and read the message. It was from Fukube.

Oi, Houtarou, where r u? Mayaka and i r near the big tower. Meet us there.

Oreki fell silent and glanced around the park, catching a glimpse of the tower Fukube had mentioned. "Let's go," he said.

"Where to, Oreki-san? Are we possibly meeting up with Fukube-san and Maya-chan?"

"Yeah."

Chitanda's violet eyes grew wide and glimmered. She at once stood and looked like a very excited girl receiving a new toy. "Let's hurry!" she exclaimed and ran off recklessly towards a random direction.

Oreki wondered at her sense of direction. "Chitanda, it's the other way around."

She turned her head and stared at him. "Ah," she realized, and then started to laugh softly.

Her joyful face shaded a nearly transparent red-pink blush on Oreki's cheeks. He looked away and turned his back to her, starting to head towards the tower.

Chitanda, still smiling, caught up to him and the both walked to meet up with the other two.

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"Oh look, here they are," Fukube said, waving his hand high as Oreki and Chitanda started to reveal themselves.

"Chii-chan~!" Ibara yelled out to her, waving too with a beaming face.

Chitanda giggled as she saw her and waved back, while Oreki, without doubt, walked with an expressionless face, his green eyeballs eyeing Fukube.

"Ah, Chii-chan! You were with this guy all along!?" Ibara uttered when she and her close friend gathered once more, dismay and pity filling her voice. Her eyes shot an undeniably cold glare at Oreki, but he ignored it purposely in return.

"Houtarou, Houtarou! Tell me everything!" Fukube insisted, his interests overpowering him.

Oreki ignored him, but eventually was annoyed by his continuous badgering. "I ate ice cream," he simply replied.

Fukube burst out laughing and ended it with a long sigh. He shrugged playfully, expressing an oh well expression and smirked at Oreki. He gave him a dark, dirty look.

"Let's look around for a bit more before we head back!" Fukube shouted.

The girls cheered and ran off while the guys explored nearby. Oreki stood in front of a stand that was filled with key-chains meant for girls.

He picked one, and there illustrated an adorable hamster, coated with its soft fur. It was fat and looked very merry. Its round eyes were unquestionably the cutest and could make every girl melt with awe. This should be it, he thought. As he was purchasing it, Fukube stood next to him and saw the key-chain.

"Who's it for?" he inquired. "Looks like it's for a girl. Your sister?"

Oreki was slightly startled at the fact that his friend suddenly came into sight, but couldn't care any less afterwards. "Chitanda."