rabbithatch | no spy music allowed in rabbi thatch | ryusei sakuta and kengo utahoshi

no spy music allowed in rabbi thatch | ryusei sakuta and kengo utahoshi

It was quiet when Ryusei walked into Rabbit Hatch. Good, there wasn't anyone in here. He made his way quickly to the control room and pulled out Meteor Switch; he needed to do this quickly before anyone came in. Tachibana's support was all very well and good, but Meteor's status was always either dictated to him or sent in a box. Nothing like the real-time updates Rabbit Hatch could do, and if Ryusei wanted to get a full picture of Meteor's capabilities, he needed to do a little sneaky diagnostic right now, right here.

Don't look down on me.

Tachibana couldn't ever again insinuate that Ryusei was at fault for weaknesses in battle. He had received Meteor Storm, but he didn't want to have to ask for another upgrade, even if he was confident that Tachibana would give it to him. He was grateful to Tachibana for doing so. But on the other hand, Tachibana had taken advantage of his situation—of Jirou's situation—to manipulate Ryusei. Oh yes, he remembered it, even if he was loathe to mention it to Tachibana. Just in case.

Quickly. He tapped his fingers on the table as Meteor Switch was scanned. After a harrowing moment, the results finally came up on the screen. Ryusei leaned forward.

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"... it's a really stupid reason." Kengo gave a nervous smile again as he sat up a bit straighter, leaning back in his seat. He let the food drop from his hands back onto the surface of the table as he laced his fingers together and stretched. Moving around was one of the signs that he was uncomfortable with the current topic, even though he wouldn't readily admit something like that. How was he supposed to admit something like feeling closer to his father and fulfilling his father's dream by fighting for him? There had to be a nicer way to say it.

Tilting his head to the side, Kengo dropped his hands to the table once more. "I'm protecting people because my father couldn't. Fighting for people who can't fight. ... though I guess now people are fighting for me because I can't." That particular comment still made him upset. It was nice that he had met Gentarou and Ryusei and everyone else, but there were times when it truly bothered him that he couldn't be the one wearing the suit, fighting for his father's sake. More and more often, however, it was becoming easier to deal with. Friends made the burden lighter.

When Ryusei asked his second question, Kengo waved one hand a bit. "I didn't see the point in talking about it. Something like that isn't important, so don't worry. We'll only need to think about it if Meteor decides to put up with us." He picked his food back up. "I just want to know if he knew my father or what his connection to him is."

That was nice. "You think," Ryusei said slowly, "that Meteor's doing it for... his father?"

Well, that was one way of finding out that Utahoshi didn't suspect Ryusei. "What makes you think he knew your father?"

Tachibana was.... Ryusei didn't know anything about Tachibana. He didn't know anything about Utahoshi the senior, either, so it was a possibility, but coming to a conclusion based on the lack of information was such a negligent idea that Ryusei put it out of his mind almost immediately.

There was a more reasonable explanation, in any case. Utahoshi didn't know anything about Meteor. If Fourze and Meteor were as similar as Utahoshi claimed, then it was only natural to connect them, and the both of them to Utahoshi the senior.

Unfortunately, it put Meteor under an amount of scrutiny that Ryusei didn't like. Not that Ryusei doubted his own ability to keep his secret. But he couldn't refute Utahoshi's suspicions or risk moving the scrutiny on himself, for knowing so much. Even though he wanted to, Ryusei didn't add a comment to his questions about Meteor's possible motivations.

"I'm not saying it's because of the exact same reason. With Fourze's system being my father's research and Meteor's being so close to it, it makes sense he would have a tie to my father. ... somehow." Kengo trailed off for a moment, seeming unsure of what he was saying. There was no way to prove any of this and his theories were starting to embarrass him. "Even if it's something in passing, the systems are compatible at a basic level. That's not something I can ignore when there's a potential for it to be used to benefit our goal."

And whatever Meteor's goal was... It certainly wasn't helping out the club. No, Meteor had something he was selfishly fighting for, or at least that he was good at keeping to himself. The other Rider hadn't hesitated to attack anyone who got in his way. At the very least, he'd never actively tried to kill any members of the KRC, which convinced Kengo that Meteor wasn't openly hostile -- just very determined.

"It's really nothing to worry about." Kengo picked at the rest of his onigiri, tearing off a small piece to put it in his mouth. "It's a scientist mindset, I guess. Planning for any potential research opportunities and any possible outcome."

As long as Utahoshi felt that way, it was fine. Probably. Nothing more Ryusei could do, in any case.

He finished the onigiri, then another. He should draw out this break as long as possible, he knew, to keep Utahoshi from feeling competitive. But the Meteor conversation had made him nervous. It was starting to show; the tension was starting to build in his body from having to keep still. His heel was starting to tap on the ground, a jittery staccato rhythm.

He needed to either get out of here, or distract Utahoshi—prevent him from wondering why Ryusei was acting like this. Ideally, he should do both at once. What would occupy Utahoshi's attention? Work. Ugh. Well, what else? He didn't know. He still didn't know that much about Utahoshi. Was now really the time to fix that?

Frowning, Ryusei fiddled a moment with the plastic on the table. This would be easier if Kisaragi were here. "What's Kisaragi-kun and the others doing?" he asked after another moment. "Are they coming in today?"

Ryusei's current nervous attitude certainly hadn't escaped Kengo's notice. It was making him a bit uncomfortable as well, feeling as though he had done something to make the other act this way. Maybe it was like the magnet effect he and Kisaragi had, where they strongly opposed each other in certain circumstances. Being around the other had always been easy when the rest of the club was involved and Kengo didn't have to worry about talking too much, but he was doubting his ability to carry on much of a conversation in private.

Kengo's nervousness seemed to mirror Ryusei's, as he kept his head down and finished his first onigiri, starting to work on his second one. With anyone, he usually tended to go bury himself in work and generally not pay attention to them, but Ryusei had forced him out here and... well. That had to mean that Ryusei wasn't upset with him, right? Even though Kengo felt as though he'd said something wrong.

When Ryusei spoke again, Kengo paused in eating, lifting his gaze before immediately lowering it again. "Kisaragi wanted to drag everyone to something. I told him I wasn't feeling well. ... though I would have expected him to come back by now." He sighed. It was just like Kisaragi to lose track of everything else.

"So we have some more time to ourselves," Ryusei said after a moment. If Kisaragi were returning, he could have forced Utahoshi to take it easy and Ryusei wouldn't have to scrounge for something to say like this. Utahoshi and Tomoko were the only people with whom Ryusei could hear himself think, but this was just too quiet. What would Kisaragi normally talk about? Something inane, Ryusei was sure.

He glanced up at Utahoshi through his hair, observed him for a moment. Did it seem as if...? "Utahoshi-kun? Are you nervous about something?"

Bored, maybe? Was it that much of a sacrifice to sit here with Ryusei? But... he was still here. It couldn't have been that much of a sacrifice. Or maybe Ryusei just wanted to believe that.

"... It isn't Switch-related, is it?"

"It depends on when he decides to come back. He would usually want to check on me by now, but at least he's out having fun." There was something strange with the way Kengo had said those words, taking another bite of his onigiri. It was nice that Gentarou could run around with the rest of the club. Kengo didn't want to force the other to work all the time, but it made Kengo realize that he wished he could be closer to the others and out doing things with them. ... or maybe it was just Gentarou that he wanted to spend more time with. For as close as their bond seemed to be, the two of them rarely spent any time alone or talking. It was almost always work.

When asked about being nervous, Kengo paused for a moment with his food still in his mouth. Finishing his current bite, he chewed his food and swallowed it, hoping that he could figure out what to say before he finished. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind. ... was he really being nervous?

"I'm still not used to talking to you, I guess." As an afterthought, Kengo added after a few moments of silence, "I'm not usually like this around anyone else." It was true, wasn't it? Gentarou was so forceful that he never had time to be nervous. Yuki was essentially his little sister. ... the rest of the club members were treated as if they were any other person he knew, just less coldly. With Sakuta... What made him different from the others?

Thinking that far had pinged Kengo with the sudden realization of why he was acting so strange. This interaction was the first time he had ever actively tried to be friends with someone. It was no wonder his actions felt so strange and foreign.

Was that bitterness that Ryusei detected? He stared at Utahoshi a moment, puzzled, before dropping his gaze to his food. Kisaragi was.... For some reason, Ryusei felt he should defend Kisaragi. Not that the regent-haired idiot needed it. It didn't help that Ryusei got the feeling that Kisaragi would have dragged Utahoshi along anyway if Utahoshi didn't insist on not going. But Utahoshi really had been ill....

Ryusei shoved another bite into his mouth. It didn't lessen his confusion any, but it made sure he couldn't blurt out anything stupid.

What could he say to the revelation that Utahoshi struggled to talk to Ryusei? That wasn't the kind of thing a person said so casually. "It's... I'm...."

That's right, Utahoshi thought Ryusei was upset. That probably accounted for it. They needed to make this relationship work if they were going to work on the Switches together. If nothing else, Kisaragi would bug them until they acted warmer to each other regardless of what they actually felt. It all came down to Kisaragi, didn't it? "It's... okay. Just— Just be honest. I-I guess."

Be honest? Kengo always tried to be that way, though it was rare that he would go through the trouble of telling the whole truth. His bitter emotions usually came out first, while his softer emotions were buried so deep that he was reluctant to even admit they existed. He'd never really seen the point of being vulnerable around anyone. If they were important enough, then they'd know they were important to him, right?

There was a small smile on Kengo's face as he reached across the table and gave the top of Ryusei's arm a quick pat. "Sakuta. ... I'm sorry for the way I act sometimes. Everything you've done for me..." He shifted uncomfortably, turning his head away. "Helping with switches and Fourze's development, bringing me this... It means a lot to me." ... why had he never told Gentarou something like this? Kengo couldn't really explain it.

Feeling awkward enough already, Kengo dug in his school bag and pulled out a bottle of water, standing up and already starting to head back into the control room even though he wasn't done with his food.

Wide-eyed, Ryusei watched him go. "U-Utahoshi-kun," he said after a long moment. "You're not... Are you done with your food?"

He picked up the set and followed, putting it on the table next to the keyboard. "J-just in case you...."

Why did that come out so awkward? He turned away and returned to the main room. What was this reaction? Must be the nervousness. He needed to— "I'll be right back," he said quickly, striding to the door that led to the storage room.

Kengo had carried the onigiri he was still eating back into the control room with him, slightly alarmed to see how quickly Ryusei had trailed in behind him. Ryusei really was going out of his way to help him and take care of him, wasn't he? It was part of the reason Kengo could never bring himself to be mean to the other. With Gentarou, it was different because the other had always been so forceful, but Ryusei was too soft-spoken. Kengo was always worried about the way he treated him and that his feelings would be hurt.

Before realizing what he was doing, Kengo had reached out to grab for Ryusei's arm, missing as the other had already started away from him. Had he said something wrong again? Maybe being like that had been too much... Trying to force down the embarrassed coloring rising on his cheeks, Kengo sat down and put his food aside, opening the bottle of water and taking a long sip. Maybe focusing on work would make things easier...

For the second time that day, Ryusei slammed his fist into the wall, but it didn't make his feel any better, so he turned and leaned against it instead, and took deep breaths.

He didn't have the time to blow off his nerves in the usual way. Even if he had the time, he didn't have the space. He punched the air in frustration. He'd gotten Utahoshi's attention off Meteor, after all. But why did he have the feeling that the attention had shifted... onto Meteor, to Ryusei? It had to be just his imagination. Being friends with the Club members was still flustering him in a way that he'd never been before, which was strange if he thought about it, but after the Cancer incident, he didn't want to take their friendship lightly.

... That was all. That had to be the reason. He still wasn't used to 'meaning a lot' to anyone but Jirou.

Jirou.... Focus. He had to focus. Maybe someday he could ask Utahoshi to show him those notes on Meteor. Maybe someday Ryusei would get another chance to look at Meteor's specs on this equipment.

He headed back to Rabbit Hatch, hesitated just a moment when opening the locker door, made a sardonic face directed at himself for his hesitation, and stepped back into the moon base. He paused at the doorway, then forced himself to walk to the control room. He dispensed with the fake smile, maintaining a neutral expression. "What are you working on?"

While Ryusei was gone, Kengo had scribbled down a few other notes in his notebook and then put it away, though the temptation was there to let Ryusei have a look at it, just because they'd been discussing it. There was no point to really dwelling on it now though, was there? It was still something that wouldn't happen for awhile, if it ever happened at all. So while he waited for Ryusei to return, Kengo brought up the specs for the current switch and kept them on the screen, though he couldn't quite motivate himself to work on it. It was difficult to tell what was wrong, especially since every time he tried to pinpoint it, his mind would shove the topic out of his head.

Absently tapping at a few keys, Kengo returned to eating the rest of his onigiri, perking his head up when he heard the door open. When Ryusei walked into the room, Kengo attempted to smile at him, though he couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he turned his attention back to the computer, feeling more awkward than before. "We should be able to finish this one up today..."

"Apparently it's good for catching small particles of Comic Energy," Ryusei said, coming over to look over Utahoshi's shoulder. Just keep talking about the Switches, and it would all be fine. If Utahoshi looked like he was exerting himself, Ryusei would be here to do something—probably threaten to tell Kisaragi, if it came to it. Utahoshi disliked Kisaragi making a nuisance of himself as much as Ryusei, right?

He'd come to that if he came to it. Something on the screen caught his eye. More quickly than he probably should have, Ryusei had leaned forward. "Something just—"

It wasn't anything Meteor-related, was it? Ryusei had made sure to— No, that was just something flashing that usually flashed. "—Oh, it's nothing...?"

He made a show of squinting at it, as if he hadn't been looking at—or rather, for—something specific.

"We'll have to run it through test runs a few times to see what use it has as far as battle application. It doesn't seem particularly useful." That was also what he'd said when they had used the Hopping Switch ages before, but Gentarou had sworn it would have some use. It ended up being useful, so Kengo was reluctant to say something would be completely useless. "We'll find something for it to do."

With the sudden movement, Kengo's body immediately tensed up. Having people stand behind him was something he wasn't used to and neither was having someone that close to him. When Kengo turned his head to look at the other, he realized how close Sakuta's face was to his own, hesitating for a few moments before turning his attention back to the screen and letting out a breath. What in the world had that feeling been?

Ryusei looked over when he felt more than heard the exhalation of breath, then hastily backed away.

"W-we'll have to wait unt-until Kisaragi-kun is here, then," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Ugh, why had there had been a nervous hitch to his voice? He could remain calm. He could. After all this time of putting with Kisaragi and everyone else, he was good at this. He was.

"I-I'm sorry," he belatedly added. "About that. I—" It wasn't like he was hasty to get the Switch done or anything. "I was just—" He stepped forward, earnestly. "There must have been something in my eye—"

Not good enough. He let out a frustrated exhale. "I-I'll let you work," he said, turning to go to the main room.

"Sakuta..." Kengo reached out as soon as Ryusei turned away, pushing his chair back to reach out for the other. His reaction had been faster than the last time, where he had missed, this time making sure to tightly grasp the other boy's wrist so he wouldn't walk away. Kengo didn't bother to stand up, but he tilted his head back to look up at him.

What was he supposed to say? Everything seemed so uncomfortable between them, even though Kengo was starting to realize that he considered Ryusei a close friend. So... What was causing the constant, awkward energy between them?

"Don't apologize." Kengo lightly tugged on the other's arm to pull him back in. "I'd prefer if you stayed." ... it almost felt as though Ryusei was trying to avoid him, as much as the other kept ducking out of the room. Was he forcing himself to be nice, for some reason? Maybe Ryusei genuinely disliked him...

"I just want you to tell me the truth. ... if something's bothering you."

Ryusei pulled his arm from Utahoshi's grasp. After a moment, clasped his hands together in front of him like he usually did, staring down at them while he gathered his thoughts. Something that bothered him? There were plenty. Ryusei went with the truth. "I don't want to rush you," he started.

But he wanted the Switch work done, Fourze at max power. For Jir—for the Club's sake. Meteor Storm Switch had been ready just in time. It might not, the next time. And Fourze wasn't powerful enough yet to handle things like that.

Never mind that that wasn't what was bothering him, per se, at the current moment. But if Utahoshi wanted the truth, then he would get it. "But I'm worried about— About next time."

About the next time he would be stuck in a room alone together with Utahoshi. It was harder to keep himself in control, for some reason. That wasn't acceptable. It couldn't be allowed. He didn't need or want any distractions.

When Ryusei pulled back, Kengo kept his hand up before curling his fingers closer to his palm and dropping his hand to his side. It was just something else that made Kengo feel like he was doing something wrong, or maybe he was a bad judge of character. There had never been a time where Kengo had tried so hard to uncover someone's motives when that person wasn't a Zodiart or a Horoscope.

"Next time?" Kengo wasn't sure what Ryusei meant by that. The next time Fourze fought? It was true that Fourze seemed to be getting weaker with keeping up with the Horoscopes and that Meteor was surpassing them already, but... everything would work out, wouldn't it? As long as Gentarou was there, Kengo was sure they would find a way to win.

Opening his mouth to say something else, Kengo abruptly cut himself off when he heard the sound of the Hatch's door opening again, the rest of the KRC piling back into the room with Gentarou at the front. Kengo tensed up and immediately turned back to his work, trying to find a way to pretend that he hadn't just been having a serious conversation.

He'd turned to look at who entered, but he hadn't failed to notice how hastily Utahoshi had turned back to the console. Had anything they'd said been a secret? He couldn't ask now, not with Kisaragi bearing down on them with that grin on his face.

On the other hand, Ryusei dreaded the next time he'd be alone with Utahoshi too much to orchestrate a moment in private in which he could ask. Perhaps a brief moment.... If he could be sure that Utahoshi would know what Ryusei was talking about. There were many reasons Utahoshi might turn away, the most sympathetic of them being that he didn't want to deal with Kisaragi.

He has the worst timing, Ryusei thought as he plastered a fake smile on his face to greet the idiot. Ryusei would have to deal with whatever it was between him and Utahoshi later.

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no spy music allowed in rabbi thatch | ryusei sakuta and kengo utahoshi

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