I'll think about it and get back to you?

...okay.

Aaaaaaa what did he do wrong this time, at least the previous times he could tell???? It was going so good he was being so sexy and confident and powerful and now something happened that he doesn't understand and aughhhhh!

So should I, like... stop flirting until you do or is it not that kind of thinking about it and getting back to me?

I think flirting's okay, just, I'll be a bit at arm's-length.

Un...derstood, he says, because he feels like this would be the wrong time to go with "yes, sir".

Sorry.

I mean, it's fine, it takes two to tango as they say and if you don't want it I don't want it et cetera Iiiii am babbling now because I got nervous and I am bad mental self-control when that happens I'll shut up now.

And here's their classroom. It's okay.

Okay.

Is he being oversensitive. He might be. Haru didn't say anything wild or insane or anything. He just—thinks Yutaka might be coming on too strong? Which, well, fair? He kinda was? But it seemed like Haru'd been enjoying it up until that point? Yutaka is starting to overthink things againnnnnnn he hates it when that happens, he should just quit while he's ahead and actually shut up and stop thinking except, uh, he's already done this class before and there is like no point in doing it whatsoever so he doesn't have anything better to distract himself with? Maybe he can go on the Tsubasa Chronicles subreddit on his phone while the sensei isn't looking and see what ideas people might've had for time power usage.

The teacher doesn't catch him, or else doesn't care much. Haru studies history like he's never sat through this lesson before.

Not just that, but also like he feels like it's important! For some reason! Even though it's just high school and also Yutaka is having some trouble focusing! But it's fine! He is writing down ideas for how to use time stop powers!

The next time they cross paths is at lunch time.

Yutaka is off his game he is destabilised his stride is broken he is not really sure what to do does Haru look like he wants Yutaka's company or

He's sitting with Watanabe, and reading a book. Same book he was reading at this point in the loop last time.

Well, last time right now Haru was in a hospital or something. And this time Yutaka's been—less avidly seeking social connections with other people. Or, no, he's optimising them; the people he didn't like or didn't want to spend time around, he's not bothering with, and so he is streamlining his social circle. And it's, well, today he sat with Fujioka last time but he hasn't met Fujioka yet this time and nghhhh.

He does have a reason to sit with Haru and Watanabe, namely that he's in their club, and also he does enjoy Haru's presence and personality? Last time he got salty but this time it's fine? But also it's been a day and a half and he is having some kind of emotional something, here, that he does not like. He doesn't know what the right thing to do isssssssssssssssssss. Also, uh, he took a look at his gem just now, after doing the earlier rewinds, and it's, uh, starting to look a bit darker. A bit uh. More noticeably dark. So he's kind of spooked. He doesn't know when it's too bad? Like it's not black or anything, just, it's. Darker. So he doesn't want to rewind any more. But then he doesn't know what to do instead.

Haru said he was going to keep Yutaka at arm's length. And Yutaka didn't exactly, like, hide the fact that he was having whatever weird emotional something he is currently having. So it wouldn't be so weird if he didn't have lunch with them, right? Right. So he's gonna go introduce himself to Fujioka.

(Since when is Yutaka the kind to get so shaken by a single boy. He should honestly have moved on already. It's clearly not gonna happen, he's known it since yesterday at least that it wasn't going to happen, clearly Haru was just humouring him. So. Whatever.)

Haru has no particular reaction to Yutaka going and sitting with Fujioka at all.

Yes, that is because Haru, unlike Yutaka, has not gone fully insane over some boy in the course of a day and a half. ...admittedly Yutaka has known Haru for a lot longer than Haru has known Yutaka, and, like, Haru saved Yutaka's life once, and then died in a way Yutaka could've prevented and which may have traumatised him a skosh. And admittedly that last thing happened literally yesterday, subjectively. Admittedly this situation isn't normal at all. Admittedly. But it really doesn't excuse this insanity. It really doesn't. It's fucking nuts.

Yutaka should pay attention to his conversation with Fujioka rather than get so obsessed with some other guy who doesn't even like him. Hey Fujioka do you like Tsubasa Chronicles? Yes, Yutaka knows it's super old, but—oh, you're like a huge fan? Cool Yutaka has some thoughts about the way time powers work in that universe, and also in the Clow universe, yeah.

And after school Haru (who is, notwithstanding the standoffishness, annoyingly cheerful about having eradicated malaria for 95% of the day) prepares to step "carefully" across the ice.

...okay, but. But. But. But that, that is. That's.

That's Yutaka catnip, honestly.

"Would you like to take my hand, Haru?" he asks, offering a hand or an arm or whatever it is Haru wants to pretend to need.

"By all means." Hand on elbow.

...God he really is a sucker, isn't he. Well, he'll let Haru lead the way, both physically and metaphorically.

Haru walks to Ren's car. It's not a great car, she had to buy it on a schoolteacher's salary, but presumably it would be irresponsible not to own a car at all with a child who falls down as much as Haru of last week did. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Really."

I'm always just a thought away.

It's a pretty neat perk of the whole being magical deal. He's got a key to the car; he lets himself into the passenger seat and waves at Ren, who's coming over from the kindergarten.

He'll wait for her to arrive and bow to her when she does. "Please have a wonderful evening, ma'am."

Bow. "And you as well."

They drive away.