"You won't force me, simply bully me into it." It's a joke, said with all the fondness of a close friend.
At the moment, the very thought of apologizing was something that he very much doubted should be considered at all. Though he had to admit that such feelings were likely the result of being fresh out of the fight in the first place.
Ryunosuke had been rather earnest in his assessment of being able to trust Manabu when he had first brought him up. Ryunosuke was pleasant, kind, easy to make friends with--but trust was another matter entirely. He had little doubt that he would find a way to solve his own disagreements, and that would mean--
"If I say I will at least consider apologizing, would that be good enough for now?"
He chuckles lightly. Yes, he certainly could bully Kazuma into apologizing, but where would that actually leave him? What lesson would be gained from it? Nothing as far as he's aware, but at least Kazuma seemed amenable to maybe apologizing.
It would have to do.
"Yes." Ryunosuke nods. "That would be enough. I'm sure you'll do the right thing."
Which would be to apologize, that much is implied. He'd rather them be friends, or something akin to it considering neither of them seems to trust easily.
The right thing. Kazuma hadn't known what the right thing was since he stepped on a boat heading for England what seems like ages ago. The right thing and the right choice were not always synonymous, let alone synchronous, in Kazuma's mind.
Still, he'll give a slight nod and a hum of agreement, acquiescence for the time being.
"Oh--" The otherwise neutral expression he had borne for the discussion of conflicts and apologies slid into an amused grin. "You might want to turn that phrase over again, partner."
Oh. Oh. His face flushes with embarrassment as he tries to stammer out a good explanation before settling on:
"You know what I meant!"
That's not what he meant at all, Kazuma, and you know it! He would like to retire to his room now and pretend that he didn't just ask his best friend to remove his clothing. The implications! Of all the things he could have said! He could die.
There's laughter then, whole and genuine. It's been some time since Kazuma had cause to laugh, even if this was at Ryunosuke's expense. Surely he should be allowed?
At least he was laughing, and it was a sound that he could stand to hear more often. He missed hearing his laughter, and he ached with the knowledge that he went so long without it, and how he would go without until Kazuma felt it was time for him to return home to Japan. Leaving him in London wasn't an easy choice, but it was the choice he needed to make to continue forward.
"The impropriety of it all." He finds himself laughing as well, as he rubs his face. "You just couldn't help yourself could you?"
It was funny in retrospect, but boy if he wasn't embarrassed by it in the moment.
"Come on, I'll get you some clean clothing to wear."
"The scandal. What will they say?" The laughter fades into a soft chuckle before stopping completely. "You can hardly blame me for taking advantage of such an opportunity."
For cracking a joke and acting much closer to his age than he had in some time. It felt good, to simply allow himself to be.
"You know as well as I do that it would be almost impossible to avoid that." Considering they would likely take on the same cases... their paths would cross as many times as fate would allow.
He finally lets it drop, changing the subject back to his clothing.
"It's flashy compared to our school uniforms." He points out, moving further into the flat.
It was true enough; with their pursuit of the truth and the goal of changing the system, it would only be a matter of time before their paths crossed and they were set against each other again.
A ponderous thought, but one he lets drop as Ryunosuke turns the conversation around on him and his clothing again.
"...In that context, yes. I can concede they may seem flashy. It might be a better idea to find less...auspicious clothing to wear in Trench." Whatever Ryunosuke managed to have on hand for him would do well for now, but it might be best to stand out as little as possible from now on.
"We could see if the clothing shop I got my coat from has something you could wear. It'd be better than trying to clean your white clothing all the time." He says as he disappears into the bedroom. It doesn't take him long to return with a few items that look like they'd fit him.
"Here, try these?" He says as he offers the clothing out to him. "They might fit."
Might is the keyword there. Ryunosuke isn't certain that they will, but they're a little big on him, so there's a good chance they'll at least fit Kazuma better. At least he hopes.
"It would be better than simply waiting for this to stain..." Which it may have already if they didn't have the means to properly treat it. Of course, he is only just now considering that fact.
He waits until Ryunosuke comes back, gratitude ease to read on his expression. "Thank you, these will at least do for the moment."
He sets them aside and then fixes his gaze back on his friend. "I don't want to track more dirt in here. Do you mind?"
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no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 12:22 am (UTC)At the moment, the very thought of apologizing was something that he very much doubted should be considered at all. Though he had to admit that such feelings were likely the result of being fresh out of the fight in the first place.
Ryunosuke had been rather earnest in his assessment of being able to trust Manabu when he had first brought him up. Ryunosuke was pleasant, kind, easy to make friends with--but trust was another matter entirely. He had little doubt that he would find a way to solve his own disagreements, and that would mean--
"If I say I will at least consider apologizing, would that be good enough for now?"
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 12:34 am (UTC)It would have to do.
"Yes." Ryunosuke nods. "That would be enough. I'm sure you'll do the right thing."
Which would be to apologize, that much is implied. He'd rather them be friends, or something akin to it considering neither of them seems to trust easily.
"Now let's get you out of those clothes."
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 12:42 am (UTC)Still, he'll give a slight nod and a hum of agreement, acquiescence for the time being.
"Oh--" The otherwise neutral expression he had borne for the discussion of conflicts and apologies slid into an amused grin. "You might want to turn that phrase over again, partner."
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 12:46 am (UTC)Oh. Oh. His face flushes with embarrassment as he tries to stammer out a good explanation before settling on:
"You know what I meant!"
That's not what he meant at all, Kazuma, and you know it! He would like to retire to his room now and pretend that he didn't just ask his best friend to remove his clothing. The implications! Of all the things he could have said! He could die.
Let him die, please.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 12:51 am (UTC)There's laughter then, whole and genuine. It's been some time since Kazuma had cause to laugh, even if this was at Ryunosuke's expense. Surely he should be allowed?
"I'm kidding, Ryunosuke. I know what you meant."
Please don't make him suffer for it.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 12:56 am (UTC)"The impropriety of it all." He finds himself laughing as well, as he rubs his face. "You just couldn't help yourself could you?"
It was funny in retrospect, but boy if he wasn't embarrassed by it in the moment.
"Come on, I'll get you some clean clothing to wear."
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 01:00 am (UTC)For cracking a joke and acting much closer to his age than he had in some time. It felt good, to simply allow himself to be.
"...Clean clothes would be a blessing right now."
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 01:41 am (UTC)A prosecutor and a defence attorney! What would the papers actually say?
"I'll go grab you a clean set of clothing. It's nothing as flashy as that but... it'll at least keep you dry and warm."
Unless he went rolling around in the snow again.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 01:53 am (UTC)How far can a mere joke go before it's no longer a joke? Before one of them starts to seriously think about the implications and possibilities?
"Flashy? It's...practical." And absolutely flashy. Militarian, but with a flare of style. Let him live, he didn't choose it.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 02:06 am (UTC)He finally lets it drop, changing the subject back to his clothing.
"It's flashy compared to our school uniforms." He points out, moving further into the flat.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-02 02:18 am (UTC)A ponderous thought, but one he lets drop as Ryunosuke turns the conversation around on him and his clothing again.
"...In that context, yes. I can concede they may seem flashy. It might be a better idea to find less...auspicious clothing to wear in Trench." Whatever Ryunosuke managed to have on hand for him would do well for now, but it might be best to stand out as little as possible from now on.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-04 10:30 pm (UTC)"Here, try these?" He says as he offers the clothing out to him. "They might fit."
Might is the keyword there. Ryunosuke isn't certain that they will, but they're a little big on him, so there's a good chance they'll at least fit Kazuma better. At least he hopes.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-07 12:18 am (UTC)He waits until Ryunosuke comes back, gratitude ease to read on his expression. "Thank you, these will at least do for the moment."
He sets them aside and then fixes his gaze back on his friend. "I don't want to track more dirt in here. Do you mind?"