Fushiguro doesn't really understand why this is nicer than being alone, with the silence.

But it is.

It is!

"I miss my phone," says Hayashi after a while, in a stage whisper.

Fushiguro chortles a thoroughly undignified snort, and covers his mouth while he giggles and whines in pain.

"Thank you for your sympathy, Fushiguro-san, I really appreciate it, Fushiguro-san, why yes I would love to play dumb games on your phone, that is very kind of you to offer..."

"I'm using it," he says, waving it and showing an indeed busy lit screen. "Get your own."

"Bah. You're no fun. And for the record, I am, it is just taking a while because no one will let me out of bed to go buy one myself."

"Then suffer," he says, turning back to his phone, a smile still dancing on his lips.

She gives a snort, and then a dramatic, extended whine that really highlights her suffering. Maybe a bit too much, actually, she's kind of overdoing it.

His laughter is a bit more dignified, this time.

"Bah!"

And then she nestles further under her blanket (with a bit of a wince, not that this stops her very much) and pouts. It is a very dramatic pout.

Fortunately for her, her mother shows up soon enough to save her from the horrors of being a teenager without a phone.

"Hello," says Hayashi Honoka pleasantly, carrying two bags, setting one at within easy reach of each teenager. To Akiho, she says, "Your SD card was completely intact, and I got the same type of phone you had. I'll leave you to pick out a new case for it."

"Ooo," says Akiho, immediately raiding the bag for her new phone. "You found my pieces of phone? Just to get the SD card? Thank you!"

"Oh, I didn't," stresses Honoka blithely, with a smile that has just... a little bit of a sharp edge to it. "And Fushiguro-san, I thought you might be rather bored even with Akiho-san as company, so I got you something too. I hope you like it."

Fushiguro frowns and reaches for the bag to see what's in it.

It is a modest reading tablet, complete with a subscription to a library application that has... lots of options for books.

"You didn't? ... Who did, exactly, mom?"

"Oh, that nice man that I met earlier, Ijichi-san, I believe it was?" The way she says 'nice' does not sound like a compliment. She smiles, and it's kind of obvious where Akiho got her terrifying stabbing smile from. "He was very helpful."

.... Akiho starts giggling.

Fushiguro's frown deepens. "You really didn't have to."

“I know,” she says, gracefully sitting in the chair next to her daughter. “Think nothing of it, really.”

He nods and puts it down then goes back to his phone. He'd rather not... think about it. Right now.

“You know I sort of implied I was going to stab him, right? Ijichi-san, I mean. Grabbed him by the collar and everything.”

“Oh, did you?” says her mother, like they’re talking about the weather. “Good job.”

Akiho snorts.

“Thanks, mom.” She fidgets with her new phone for a few seconds, then says, “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”