Reaching the street corner, Rafta suddenly turned to her. "Nicawa-san, could you do us a favor?"
"Hm? What kind of favor?" Ashi asked, tilting her head.
Rafta pulled out his phone, spinning it between his fingers before handing it to her. "Can you go to the other side of the road and record us?"
"Wait, why?" Haari narrowed his eyes.
"You'll see," Rafta said smugly, then turned back to Ashi. "Could you do that for me?"
Ashi hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Uh… yeah, I guess I can."
"Thanks, Nicawa-san!" Rafta grinned, pressing his phone into her hands.
With a small sigh, Ashi crossed the road, positioning herself with the camera. She hit record, focusing on the two boys as they prepared for… whatever this was supposed to be.
Haari blinked, his expression shifting between confusion and disbelief. "Wait… what's the game?"
Rafta smirked, stretching his arms before pointing toward a large tree about a hundred meters away on the left side of the road. "Whoever touches that tree first… and then crosses the road to touch Nicawa-san first, wins."
Haari stiffened. "W-Wait, what?! T-Touch Nicawa-san?! But—!"
Rafta cut him off with a mischievous grin. "And the loser has to do whatever the winner says. Got it?"
"Wait, but—" Haari started, glancing toward Ashi, who was still standing on the other side of the road, unaware of the chaos about to unfold.
Ashi, holding Rafta's phone, murmured to herself, "What are they talking about? And why are they taking so long?"
Rafta cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Nicawa-san! You ready?"
Ashi blinked at the sudden call. "Uh… yeah, I guess?"
"Great! Let's go!" Rafta declared before suddenly taking off at full speed.
"Wait—what the—?!" Haari had no choice but to chase after him.
At first, Rafta had the lead, his confident strides carrying him forward effortlessly. But Haari wasn't one to lose so easily. With each step, he closed the gap between them, his breath steady as he caught up.
"Hey, you're not actually serious about this, right?" Haari asked, his voice slightly strained from running.
"About what?" Rafta replied, his grin never fading as he pushed himself faster.
"About touching Nicawa-san!" Haari shot him a sharp look, his feet pounding against the pavement as he tried to pull ahead.
Rafta turned to him, eyes gleaming with mischief. He wasn't joking.
He was dead serious.
Haari and Rafta reached the tree at the same time, both slamming their hands against the rough bark before instantly turning on their heels and sprinting toward Ashi.
Haari huffed, his breath uneven. "Hey, c'mon, can't we decide on something else? How about… the building gate instead?"
Rafta smirked without slowing down. "If you wanna lose, do whatever you want. But the finish line stays the same."
Ashi, still holding Rafta's phone, tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? Why are they running toward me?"
Haari reached her first, but the moment he got close, his body locked up. His hand hovered inches away from her face, fingers trembling. He had to touch her to win… but—
His mind flashed back to that moment.
The accidental kiss.
Well, it wasn't exactly a kiss, but it was close enough. The memory sent a shock through his system, and before he knew it—
His face turned a deep crimson.
In that split-second pause—Rafta's grin flashed wicked. He bolted forward, legs pumping, dodging a stray soda can on the pavement. Haari jolted, "Wait, what—" and scrambled after him, half a step behind, confusion morphing into a laugh.
Rafta hit the finish line—Ashi—first, lunging to tap the phone in her hands with a triumphant, "I win!" His shout echoed down the quiet street, arms flung high like a champ.
Ashi blinked, phone dipping as she stared between them. "Huh? Hold up—Kichiro-san got here first." Haari skidded to a stop beside her, panting, hands on his knees.
Rafta's smirk stretched smug. "Nah, I crossed the finish line first—boom, victory."
"Finish line?" Ashi's brow crinkled, her voice a mix of bafflement and sass. "What finish line? The road's still there."
Rafta pointed right at her, finger jabbing the air. "You, Nicawa-san—you're the finish line. Game was 'tag the camera.' I nailed it."
Ashi's face blazed red, eyes popping wide before narrowing into a molten glare. "W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I WAS THE FINISH LINE?!" Her shout cracked the air, thick with fury.
Haari, still catching his breath, flinched and looked away, cheeks burning. "Uh… whoever touched you first will be the winner," he mumbled, barely audible, scratching his neck like it might save him.
Ashi's head snapped to him, then back to Rafta, her voice a growl. "And who cooked up that rule?!"
Haari didn't hesitate—his finger shot up, pointing straight at Rafta, who was prancing around like a giddy monkey, arms flapping in victory.
Ashi's glare locked on Rafta. A beat passed—then she hurled his phone like a missile. THUNK! It clocked him square on the forehead.
"OW! WHAT THE HELL?!" Rafta yowled, staggering back, rubbing the red welt blooming on his skin.
Ashi didn't spare him a glance. She spun on her heel, storming toward the office building, steam practically hissing off her as her footsteps thudded away.
Rafta groaned, still clutching his head. " what was that for?"
Haari sighed, long and tired, watching her vanish through the glass doors. He turned to Rafta. "Nice going, Rafta. She's pissed 'cause you made her the finish line."
Rafta groaned, still nursing his head. "Jeez, what's her deal? It was just a joke!"
"Wait," Haari said, squinting, gears turning. "Wait a second… but you didn't actually touch her either. So how did you even win?"
Rafta frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You only touched your own phone. But the deal was to touch her," Haari pointed out.
Rafta paused for a moment, then grinned. "Oh? But the phone was in her hand. That means touching the phone was basically the same as touching her, right?"
Haari's brow arched, then—click—he caught a glint in Rafta's eye. "Hold up…" His voice dropped, wary. "Were you planning to touch her somewhere else?"
Rafta's grin stretched wide, eyebrows waggling like a cartoon villain. "Oh-ho-ho~ Where'd you wanna touch her, huh, Raja-ji? Spill it—chest? Shoulder? face? Oorraa"
Haari's eye twitched. That's it. He swung without warning—WHAM!—smacking Rafta clean on the back of the head.
"GAH!" Rafta yelped, tumbling forward, face-planting on the pavement with a graceless thud. He rolled over, groaning, clutching his skull. "Why's everyone using me as a damn punching bag today?!"
"'Cause you're an idiot," Haari said, deadpan, dusting his hands. "Phone's wasn't her— you cheated and pissed her off. Double whammy."
Rafta sat up, still whining, but a grin crept back. "Worth it. Saw you freeze up, lover boy—priceless."
Haari's face flared red again, and he kicked a pebble at him. "Shut it, or you're eating pavement again."
Haari exhaled hard, shaking out his fist like he might swing again. "Alright, fine—you won. What do I have to do now, great champion?"
Rafta hauled himself up from the pavement, brushing gravel off his jeans, then stroked his chin with exaggerated gravitas, eyes glinting like a mad scientist. "Hmm… let's see… what's a worthy forfeit for the mighty Raja-ji…"
A beat—then his face lit up, a grin splitting wide. "Oh! Got it."
Haari squinted, wary. "What?"
Rafta pointed straight up, finger stabbing the sky. "Jump off the building."
"…Huh?" Haari's brain stalled, blinking slow.
"Rooftop," Rafta said, deadpan, doubling down. "Leap off. Splat."
"Wait—WHAT?!" Haari's voice cracked high, shattering the quiet street.
"You heard me," Rafta said, face stone-cold serious, arms crossing like he'd just dropped a mic.
"Are you insane?!" Haari exploded, flailing his arms. "Jump off the roof?! Why the hell would I do that? You want me dead over some stupid race?!"
Rafta shrugged, casual as if he'd suggested pizza. "Pretty much, yeah. Loser's gotta pay up—go big or go home."
No blink. No guilt. Just pure, shameless Rafta.
Haari's jaw hit the ground, then snapped shut. "HELL NO!" he bellowed, spinning on his heel so fast. "I'm not dying for your psycho game—play it solo, you lunatic!"
He stormed toward the office doors, gravel crunching under his stomps, muttering, "Should've stayed in the damn shop…" Rafta's cackle chased him, bouncing off the building like a taunt.
Rafta cupped his hands, yelling after him, "C'mon, live a little—fly like a bird, Raja-ji!"
"Fly off yourself! and stop calling me that, that's not my name" Haari shot back, not turning, the glass doors slamming shut behind him.
Haari's hand hovered over the elevator button, the office lobby's hum a dull backdrop, when—thump—Rafta leapt onto his back like a deranged koala, arms clamping around his shoulders.
"Oi—! What the hell?!" Haari lurched forward, legs wobbling, nearly eating the floor.
Rafta's grin. "If you're too chicken to jump the roof, least you can do is ferry me back to the department."
Haari grunted, shifting to steady the lunatic's weight. "Ugh, fine—whatever shuts you up." He straightened, Rafta's legs dangling like deadweight, and jabbed the elevator call button, the ding a promise of relief.
But before the doors slid open, Rafta poked his shoulder—hard. "Oi, what're you doing?"
"Huh?" Haari twisted his head, glaring. "Getting us up—duh."
Rafta pointed past him, finger jabbing toward the stairwell like a dramatic reveal. "Nah, take the stairs."
"…What?" Haari's voice flattened, incredulous.
Rafta's grin stretched wider, eyes glinting with pure evil. "Elevator's boring, man. You're my ride—make it a thrill. Stairs or bust!"
"That's—" Haari started, jaw tight, but Rafta leaned in, voice dropping to a taunt.
"If you had a problem with it, you should've just touched Nicawa-san when you had the chance," he teased, wiggling his brows. "Could've avoided all this, huh, Raja-ji?"
Haari's eye twitched, a vein pulsing. That damn night—lips brushing, red faces—flashed back, Rafta's jab twisting the knife. He sucked in a deep breath, shoulders squaring. "Fine, just stop calling me that" he growled, stepping away from the elevator, the ding mocking him as he turned to the stairs. "You're a dead man when we hit the top."
Rafta whooped, tightening his grip like a jockey. "Giddy-up, Raja-ji~! Let's ride!"
As Haari carried Rafta on his back, climbing the stairs, Rafta's voice broke the silence.
"Hey, I'm just curious… Why didn't you touch her?" he asked, his tone playful but genuinely interested. "Was it because you were embarrassed? Or were you afraid of her reaction?"
Haari exhaled, adjusting Rafta's weight on his back. "You can say that, but the main reason was… I didn't have permission."
"Permission?" Rafta tilted his head.
"If I had just gone ahead and touched her, I don't think she would've gotten that mad," Haari admitted. "But crossing the line into someone's personal space—it's a sign of disrespect. And I respect her. That's why I held back."
Rafta hummed in thought.
As Haari turned the corner onto the next floor, he glanced back. "What about you?"
"Hm?"
"If she hadn't been holding that phone, would you still have touched her?"
Rafta grinned. "That was the whole purpose of giving her the phone."
Haari blinked. "Huh?"
"I never actually needed the video," Rafta said with a chuckle. "I wanted her to hold the phone so we could use it as the finish line. But if I had just told her to hold it for no reason, she wouldn't have do that. So I gave her a reason."
Haari stopped mid-step.
"…You planned that?"
Rafta snickered, patting Haari's shoulder. "Of course, Raja-ji. Strategy wins the war."
Haari sighed. He was getting real tired of Rafta's nonsense.
By the time they hit their department's floor, Haari's legs burned, and Rafta was a giggling mess, still slung across his back like a deranged backpack. Haari shoved the stairwell door open, panting. "You're insane, Rafta," he said, shaking his head, a grin tugging despite the ache.
Rafta slid off, landing with a bounce, barely holding in cackles. "Ahaa that was so good , I think you should start this as part time job here."
" Shut up "
They stumbled into the hallway, laughter erupting, loud and unhinged, echoing off the walls.
But the laughter was short-lived.
As they entered their department, a cold, ominous presence washed over them. Standing at the entrance, arms crossed and expression sharper than a dagger, the head of the department OKi Habi.
The duo froze in their tracks. Haari and Rafta froze mid-step, Their laughter evaporated into silence. Their faces drained white, eyes wide like deer in headlights. Rafta's grin twitched; Haari's jaw locked.