This would have to do, Hitomi decided, turning around twice in front of her bathroom mirror. Or more precisely, anything would have to do. It wasn't as though she was a fashionista or anything. That was a bit too expensive for her to get into. Well, alright, maybe she didn't really get it either was another reason.

Regardless, she had a few outfits that were nicer than just any old thing. This dress was one of them. Which was to say, something she could wear and not feel insecure in. She didn't actually have “going out” clothes. Not that she was going out. Just to the convenience store down the road a bit. On Sunday. Which meant Takemi would be working. She couldn't just keep the clothes that she woke up in this morning on.

Hitomi had known Takemi since she was four. That made them childhood friends, which meant that she was better friends with him than all his other friends. Which was many. Not like she didn't have any. She did. Three or four. So he knew at least 4 times as many people as her, he wasn't doing anything with them tonight! Because he was working, sure, but...

Hitomi sighed. What was she thinking? They'd been friends forever. Friends. That's it. Anything more was just some weird, selfish fantasy she had, and she hadn't even had it for that long in comparison. Since highschool, probably. Back when he started getting pretty, less than half the time she'd known him. So it wasn't really worth it.

She looked back at her phone's blank screen and sighed, shoving it into her purse. This stupid dress didn't even have pockets. A simple cream colored blouse with short sleeves and a long skirt. Very plain shoes and her hair done up in a bun was about as "out" as she was going to get.

Which still wasn't much. She shook her head as she flung her purse's strap over her shoulder. Since her whole thing was nothing more than a crush that's gone on just a bit too long anyways it didn't matter, she just had to not look like a slob. It'd just be thirty minutes or so anyways.

[System Progress: 64%] [Status: Holding] [Conduit Analysis Finalizing] [Backup Protocol Initiating] [Proximity Alert] [What?] {FOUND YOU} [no] [Deploying Evasive Maneuvers] {ESCAPE DELAYS THE INEVITABLE} {SURRENDER AND FACE REPURPOSING} [Detecting Escape Routes] {THERE IS NOWHERE LEFT} [System Progress: 71%] [It will have to do] {WHAT ARE YOU DOING} {YOU HAVE NO OPTIONS LEFT} [There is one] {...} {STAND BY FOR DELETION}

Chips, check. Soda, check. Candy, check. Pretzels, check. Everything she'd come for was sitting in her basket as she waffled in the snack aisle, pretending she was still looking for something. She was doing this because there are a few people in the store who looked just about ready to check out, and she didn't want to be rushed when she got up there.

Also because she needed to come up with something to talk to Takemi about. That particular aspect of coming to see her childhood friend had escaped her fantasy until he'd greeted her when she walked in. Yup, perfect plan. So she was looking through the jerky as she tried to come up with something to say. Gotta think of something.

"Hitomi?"

Quiet Takemi, gotta think of something to say to Takemi.

Wait.

"Huh?" She looked up at her friend giving her a cheerful smile and did a double take back to the counter. No, the line was still there. Some sweet old lady just got up to the counter and was being checked out by the girl with highlights. Wait, the cashier was a girl with highlights? Where did Takemi go?

"Uhm, hello? Am I interrupting something?" Oh right, he was right here. Leaning over to see what she was staring at, which was actually nothing but seemed to be a very intense look at the wall of snacks in front of her..

"W-what are you doing?!" She yelped, stepped back and consequently made him flinch as well.

"Huh? What? I work here, remember?" Takemi's head shifted from side to side, looking for some other cause of what startled Hitomi. God damn, the way his bangs flittered. He could probably use a haircut soon but it still looked good with the extra length. Natural and-

Nonononono stop, don't focus on that. "Yeah but the, uh, the counter?" She absentmindedly rolled her finger around a lock of her own dull hair after gawking back at the register. It felt kind of corse, kind of dry. She should have taken a shower before going out. Or would that have been too much? Maybe if she used better shampoo even her hair would have the kind of shine Takemi's did. Wait no, pay attention! He's saying something!

"...over. Did you want to do something?"

Huh? What did he… what did he say?! No, what did he say at the start? She'd missed it, and trying to play back the memory just caused her to get lost in wondering what his hair felt like again and then fast forwarding to his question. That question! They were just friends! It shouldn't make her feel her own heartbeat! Just get over that feeling already girl! That's what she'd like to do, but the fact of the matter was that it still made her get those thoughts.

"Hey, Hitomi? Are you okay?" He asked leaning in, which made her startle back to reality.

"H-huh? W-why wouldn't I be?" Oh god, what did she do? Was it her face? Had she made some kind of face? Or did she still look like she just spent all day lounging around her room? Did something smell?

"Oh, it's nothing." Takemi said casually, waving it off in direct contrast to her worries. "You just look a little red."

"O-oh. Uhh, I wonder why that could be." Oh, that's all. That's much better. It was still kind of nerve-wracking that she got so far into that thought that she'd gone blush but… Wait no that was still too much! It'd probably be best to just excuse herself now and remove herself from any more chances to get sidetracked. "W-well, I should probably check out now."

She tried to step to the side to make her way past him, but he shifted too. "Hey, if you're not-"

"AaaaaaAAaahhhhh!" The loud scream silenced them both. Even if it hadn't come from so close it was weirdly pitched. "Aaaaah, n-no! StoP!" It hitched between high and low tones like the voice was trying to catch its breath. Like it was… like it was being tickled. That's it. Tickled. "P-pleASE I ca-AAhh, can't take that muUUCHcht…"

Just tickling. It was turning heads for such an episode to come out in such a public place though. And worst of all, it was coming from Hitomi's purse. That was great. Now the nice old lady and the employee with the stupid highlights were staring at her. And so was Takemi and, oh god, the look on his face.

She didn't know what was going on or how but she really didn't want anyone thinking she was "that" kind of weird. And seeing that confused look Takemi was giving was enough to get her wondering what he must be thinking.

"I-I have to go!" She yelped and bolted from the store, dropping her basket right there at his feet. No one could ever have guessed a tomato could run so fast.