harmonize_rpg | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Haruka+Mirai
Where: Mount Rokko
When: Sunday April 23rd, day
What: Biking and Social link GO~

Several days after the idea, Haruka met up with Imaizumi downtown for that trip to Mount Rokko. Getting there was a bit difficult, between the traffic and noise occasionally drowning out Haruka's headphone but once they got out of the downtown area, it wasn't too bad. Noise died down, a pleasant breeze blew by (or that might just have been the freer space), and she started hearing differences in the road as the wheels pass over.

She adjusted her headphone again, memorizing the instructions it rattled off, before turning to the volume down. Turning her head in Imaizumi's direction, she asked,

"Holding up, senpai?"

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Mirai was able to pull his bike over to the side and continued his journey down the road. He went back onto the pavement at some points when he was able to ride up some kerbs and down them. He would have enjoyed the wind blowing his hair had not Haruka - who was some distance behind him - followed him at a cautious pace. He was by then too focused on thoughts of the previous days to pay her much heed. He focused his gaze on the road ahead until he was sure where he was going.

"I always hold my end, Kiri-chan," he said. He was dizzy with admiration for his own wordplay. "I think you should worry less of me. You seem quite well."

"Yep. As long as my mortal enemy, the dreaded parked car, isn't in the way I'm mostly fine," Haruka replied. The path felt like it was straightening so once she had confidence, she sped up, gaining ground on Imaizumi. She still lingered back a little but she seemed to be testing the distance between them.

"I used to bike around back home all the time. Can probably keep up to you on any day."

"Sure, you may try. But, gentleman that I am," replied Mirai, "I won't be taking advantage."

He now rode his bike at a greater speed - say only a little slower than a car may trundle along - to the safest spot on the road ahead where he could park on the side and put his foot on the pavement. His phone's ringing would tip Haruka off. It ended abruptly, when Mirai jammed his thumb over the cancel button.

"It's an old friend," he said, eying the road. "I wonder if you could keep up, were I to ride this properly."

Then he hurtled on, turning down a side-street and flying down there and across an empty road up into the hills.

"Generous. I'll try not to disappoint," Haruka replied.

She followed him a bit more closely and waited for him when he came to a stop. However, when she heard that last sentence, she had a brief moment to register that before he suddenly zipped off. She listened for a moment as it sunk in before she smirked and took off after him.

She didn't have as long legs as Imaizumi probably did, but she was light and fast and didn't seem bothered by the gradual incline. Her headphone relayed new directions for the sudden change in route and she listened to it peripherally. Most of her focus was ahead, Imaizumi's trail.

Mirai was amused at this acceptance of his challenge. He put his fingers around the handles and his feet pushed into the pedals and he put all his energy into it. He seemed weightless. Now he ignored his problems and raised his head - he saw the way ahead becoming steeper and put his bike into a higher gear.

"Come on, Kiri-chan!" he said. "You're so slow."

He glanced back to look and make sure she was there. Then he sped up his bike and was gone, so swiftly that Haruka barely had time to register he was no longer there. He rode swiftly to the top of the middle part of the climb, where the road wound around the hillside, pulling over to an embankment that had a fantastic view of the city. He climbed off his bike, which he set against the barrier, and rested his hands on the ward - finding the sight to be spread over an incredible distance and bathed fully in sunlight.

"Tortoise and hare, senpai!" Haruka called back, changing gear and altering her position as she speed up.

She slowed as the road changed directions, no longer as linear as it was before. Even with Imaizumi as a guide, she needed time to adjust for those changes. However, that gave him time to get further ahead and soon, Haruka lost track of him. She turned her head as she tried tracking, but hearing nothing but her surroundings, she simply kept following the road, speeding away.

Unknowingly, zipping past Imaizumi and the view.

Mirai stood staring at her vanish. He had half-closed eyes and a mildly annoyed face. Haruka, it seemed, was not up for enjoying the sight of the city and was heading further up the hillside. She went out of his sight and it was quite hard to justify staying here now.

He sighed and grabbed his bike. He did not seem best pleased when he put his feet to the pedals and chased after her. But perhaps he should have spoken when he had the chance - no, the responsibility to watch out was hers.

Haruka, meanwhile, was still steadily making her way up the hill. She slowed a bit to get her bearings, listening to her headphone. Imaizumi was either as fast as a certain hedgehog or she'd somehow gotten very lost.

However, she eventually heard something behind her.

She was bemused, and turned her head slightly as she called back,

"So slow, senpai?"

If it was him.

"Slow?" Mirai asked.

It was him. By now he was rather regretting this bike ride up the hill. It was hard having to babysit people. But then a wide grin spread over his face. How fun it was - fun! - to have somebody who responded to his teasing.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're blind, right? You should've been listening out for me better. So you shouldn't be casting aspersions, Kiri-chan."

"Yep, my bad. I should have used my enhanced senses to ascertain exactly where you were," Haruka replied easily. The ground was starting to shift again, leveling out. Her headphone related to her that the waterfall wasn't too far away, over the hill. She listened for more instructions, committing them to memory, before she turned her head back again. She continued, with a bit of a smirk,

"But I'm blind, not slow. Meep, meep."

And then she suddenly sped up, following the level road and heading towards the path downhill.

"Oh no," Mirai drawled. "Wait. Don't leave me."

He picked up his pace and sped after her up the hill till the ground changed and he began coasting down it. He followed her round a corner. He followed her some distance up and gave himself another view of the city. Then followed her to the area down the bottom of the hill and stopped alongside her in an area of natural beauty he hadn't seen before. This place, unlike the streets of Kobe and the spires of Tokyo, had various natural sounds, places to dismount and a rushing stream of water that could be heard somewhere close. He tied his bike to one of these railings and hurried off into the wilderness.

Haruka slowed down as the ground started downhill. The road quickly passed under her, and she couldn't help but stop to enjoy the feel of the wind. It felt good, after the trek uphill, and she allowed herself peddling for it.

The bottom of the hill felt nice too. She waited for Imaizumi, looking content as she waited. It wasn't silent but it was a different, less obnoxious set of sounds compared to the city. They didn't sound too far away from the falls either...

She followed Imaizumi's lead and locked her bike to one of the railings. She took a while longer to get her cane out of her bag and to take a sip of her bottle bottle before following after him.

She called out,

"Ever been to anywhere like this, senpai?"

"I can't say I have."

Mirai's voice came from some way away, and was absent-minded as he focused on the flowing water in front of him. The stream was churning as the water flowed over and around rocks in a hurry, causing the stream to turn white in parts. Then he was paying more attention to leaning over the rocks that made up the side of this natural waterfall. Whose noise was coming from overhead.

It did not look like a place where he was capable of being disturbed.

"Guess that makes sense? Tokyo doesn't sound like it'd have much for wilderness," Haruka replied. "Kyoto has places like the Torii shrine but it doesn't feel as nice and all those steps just suck to climb."

She took out her headphone and put it back with her piPod and started feeling the path with her cane. The path felt mostly clear but it became rocky as she walked closer to the riverbed. The water ran quickly, falling over in what sounded like short drop and when she stuck her cane in, it didn't feel particularly deep where they were.

Eventually, she came to where her cane lightly hit a shoe. Right at the edge of the riverbed.

Haruka stared for a moment. Before a little smirk worked it's way across her face.

And then she gave Imaizumi a light push.

At this point, Mirai's nose had almost been in the water. Now the rest of his face was clean - and wet. His hands and sleeves were drenched in river-water. His mouth was full of it. He pulled back from the stream and shook his hair out as if he was a dog.

There followed an anticipatory silence. Thoughts were getting darker behind his eyes, which hid them with a spark of mischief as the sodden collar of his shirt aggravated him - and he spat some of the water at her.

"You're such an ass."

Haruka didn't flinch away as the water flecked at her. She said,

"You said to give you a surprise sometime?" However, she seemed to be looking at him with concern. "You alright, wetness aside?"

It wasn't quite the same as pulling an umbrella out from someone already wet.

Edited 2013-09-06 09:56 (UTC)

Mirai's lips dribbled with water - which slid down his chin - and it did fall to the ground. He could feel some blinding him, so he first wiped his left hand on his trouser leg, then used the back of it to soak the water from his eyes.

And though his mood and expression gave an uneasy feeling, it was lifted when the color of his eyes shone with a detached sort of curiosity.

"... Yeah. You do this to boys often?"

Haruka still looked a bit concerned, her head turned in his direction attentively, but she relaxed slightly as some of that feeling she was feeling lifted a little,

"Not really?" She replied. "It would be a bit weird to try and get every boy I know wet. So special case?"

There definitely seemed to be something angry behind Mirai's eyes, though. It was feral, observing and waiting till she made it clear what she wanted.

"Oh, you think so? I thought it was just a harmless spot of fun. Still, Kiri-chan? What makes you think I'm special?" he asked simply.

"Could be that too? I didn't have nefarious intents behind it at least," Haruka said, and she sounded and looked perfectly genuine.

"Also, I guess I'd only do it with friends?"

Mirai lightened up and gave a kind smile - which he seemed to have ready to go on his face before the remark had passed - and wrung some water out his hair.

"Ah nice," said Mirai. "I suppose we're special friends." "I've got some things I only do to special friends. You should treasure that."

Haruka tilted her head slightly, looking a bit bemused and genuinely curious.

"Huh. Special friends?" She seemed to think on that a moment before she asked, "Like what?"

"I would be perfectly willing to show you," Mirai replied - and his eyes seemed to gleam. It was good to fool people like this.

Haruka turned her head upwards. "Wow. This reminds me of many situations right now...."

However, she shrugged anyway.

"Sure, if you're willing?"

"In public? Really?" His voice began lightening, as much as it could. For he was feeling rather playful. "I was unaware you're that kind of girl, Kiri-chan."

He was entirely occupied with the thought of what they could get up to. So much that the sound of the water seemed to fade into the distance.