decorator | the one and only idol for you

[ Ai's well aware that Rinne's taller and broader than she is (much like basically everyone else in the world is, too) but she hadn't quite realized how much bigger and stronger his hands were than hers until his fingers had curled around hers. It's warm, too — she'd hadn't realized how cold her hand had been until it'd been wrapped up in Rinne's touch. ... it's nice. And he's blushing all the way up to his ears — this trip is already worth all the hassle it's taken to get things arranged and they're not even at the ryokan yet.

With her luggage trundling along behind them, she sets off hand in hand with Rinne. ]

Well, his blood pressure went up so fast when I told him what was happening, he passed out before he got a chance to say anything.

[ A beat. Then she giggles. ]

No, just kidding. As far as he knows, this is a totally above board sponsorship that I'm enjoying all by myself. In fact, he actually got all excited about it... he was talking about making a whole thing of having me stay at different spots around Japan and hyping them up if this one worked out, but that's like twenty steps too far ahead, right?

[ Now Rinne's thinking, wow. He's a bad influence for making her lie to her dad! But if it makes Ai happy, he thinks he shouldn't care too much.

He pulls his luggage along as they walk down the winding path. They're south of Tokyo, but the lush mountains and red leaves remind him of his hometown in Hokkaido. Would Ai like it in his hometown? Probably not. The village is quieter than the city, but nothing there can belong to anybody. Not even Rinne. Not even Ai. This weekend, at least, is his. This ryokan is his territory. Nothing won't ever threaten it. ]

Kyahaha! You gotta dream big if you wanna win big, Ai-chan. Strawberry Productions, Yugashima Onsen... they're all placing their bets on you. They got a reason to believe this sponsorship will work out, yeah? So it ain't about how you do it. You know how to make this shit trend.

[ Oh god, his heart starts to race as he even thinks this: ]

You just gotta make sure we don't get caught.

[ She laughs, merry and at ease like she never is back in the city. Out here where nobody but Rinne knows her, she can be a little more at ease. ]

What, get caught? Me? Rinne-kun, you should know better. When I want to be sneaky about something, nobody can sniff me out.

[ Not unless she practically tells on herself, of course. But that hardly counts. She's kept secret after secret after secret as she and B-Komachi have risen higher and higher, so what's one more? When you think about it, a three-night retreat to somewhere pretty and out of the way is much easier to keep a lid on than the two living people who absolutely do not exist in her apartment. She'll manage it. ]

Besides, I've been coming up with ideas! Since this is supposed to be like one of those solo travel diaries, I can just take selfies and solo pics and it'll look totally above board. And people will figure 'if she's doing her own photography, she must be by herself'. Right? You can tell me I'm a genius if you really want.

[ So modest... ]

Yeah, yeah, my Ai-chan's super smart. You want a prize for that?

[Cute. He'd ruffle her bangs or pinch her cheek here if he could. Maybe that's not very boyfriend-like of him, though.

...They never did bother with naming what this was, did they? He's pretty sure friends don't just book three nights at a ryokan in the beautiful middle of nowhere. But would Ai want that? She already has one secret to keep. He can't give her another.

But she wants him here.]

Being sneaky's a lot of work, though. I can't believe we gotta sneak around here, too! I just wanna do nothing with you all day...

It's a lot of work, sure... but isn't it more fun doing something when you know you're totally not supposed to be doing it?

[ Wink! When she says stuff like that with that mischievous smile on her face, you really have to wonder just how much she was kidding about Saitou's blood pressure... ]

We should still be able to have fun, though! I looked up a bunch of things about this place before I set out. They've got all these fancy open air baths and their lounge has one of those air hockey tables - oh, and there's a TV in our room that streams a whole bunch of stuff we can watch for free. So we're all covered!

[ Look how proud she is of all her research...

After a moment though, her pleased as punch expression softens a bit. ]

And besides. Even if all we're doing is laying low, we usually have fun whenever we're together, right?

[He looked all of that up, too, but it's so much funner listening to Ai talk about it. So that's what she likes about this place, huh? Rinne's excited about those things, too, but Ai's right — it's so much funner to do something he's not supposed to. That's the second thing he likes about this trip. The first? Well...]

Yeah. [His smile reaches up to his eyes.] I always have fun when I'm with you.

[He is rarely honest like this. The boys would freak out if they saw him. His gentle smile is only ever with her, and only when they're alone. Ai's probably figured it out by now, hasn't she? He's not like this with just anybody.]

Just so you know, I ain't going easy on ya! Rinne-kun's pretty good at air hockey☆

[ Is this mushy? It is kind of mushy, huh? They might play around at flirting and Rinne says all sorts of things to her, but it's rare that they're so soft and direct with each other out of pure necessity. She'd always thought she was no good at that kind of talk but she's finding it's slipping out of her more and more easily now it's just the two of them and she doesn't have to worry.

Hm. Maybe if this goes well and they don't get caught, they'll have to find a way to make a habit of this. But that's a big if. ]

Sorry to say, but I'm pretty good at it too. So good that you might have to get ready to eat your words and surrender.

[ Bold faced lie. She's never played air hockey once in her life. But she likes it when Rinne gets keyed up and competitive. ]

Oh? Kyahaha, then you're on!

[Rinne knows Ai likes to bluff, but he's just happy she wants to play with him at all. That she would do these things with him regardless of who he was or what he is — it's nice. It's not lonely.]

If I win, you get to do whatever I say! And if I lose...

[Well, Ai can think of that.]

If that's what's on the table then I promise to crush you without mercy.

[ 'the loser does what the winner says', huh. yeah, she's played that game before. Coming from Rinne, though, it really does feel like harmless, playful fun — after all, the only reason she's happy to be here is because Rinne is the kind of guy she never usually finds anywhere. The kind she can... well, about ninety percent trust. For her, that's a solid percentage. ]

Now I just have to plan what to ask for... hm, hm ♪ Since I'm planning to beat you so badly, I should probably be nice...

[ bullying him <3 ]

Uh, now I'm scared of what you'll do when you're not nice.

[Can she not? His palms are getting sweaty. He's going crazy. It's not that he doesn't trust her — she's one of the few people he does — he just thinks he's not mentally prepared for this. What if she decides that she hates this? Like, what if he sucks? Ugh, no. That's not what he should be worried about.]

We're almost there.

[Rinne's worried about something far more important than that.

He gives her hand a small squeeze.]

Hey, Ai-chan. You... You know what we're doing, right?

Hm?

[ She looks up at him, blinking. She's still smiling and it's too gentle and bright for it to be put on but... while it's not exactly clueless, it's clear that whatever's bugging Rinne is very evidently not bugging Ai in turn... if it's even on her mind at all. Maybe she really is just a little too calm. ]

Well of course I do. You think I dodged around the Prez and Miyako-san and still didn't have any clue?

[ Her smile turns into a grin, just sharp edged enough to be playful. ]

We're here to have fun! Right?

...

[He can't deny that!!!

And just like that, he loses his chance. They arrive at the entrance, and the question shuttles back to where it came from. He's still nervous! But now is not the time to worry about tonight. They have a whole day ahead of them.

At the lobby, Rinne does not hide his awe the entire time they're there. His mouth is agape in childlike wonder as he takes everything in, from the huge decorative plate in the foyer to the bronze statues of bodhisattvas near the front. He keeps sneaking a peek at the souvenir shop, wanting to look at their wares. He knows that can wait, though. They have to check in first. He'll do that.]

So this is a ryokan, huh... I thought it'd be bigger.

Gyahaha! Guess that makes it perfect for a shorty like you.

[pats her head ☆]

[ In almost perfect tandem, Ai's face lights up alongside his. She's been to sleek, fancy places before in Tokyo but this is different — it's not necessarily ornate, but the decorations and the care with which everything's been placed and the sweet, old smell of the wood that makes up the building makes it feel grander than anywhere she's ever set foot in before. It's almost enough to make her feel like they've made a mistake in asking someone like her to represent this place.

Mistake or not, she was asked to a job and that's what she's here for — so of course she's snapping pictures of everything on her phone as she goes. She's so caught up in her quest that she doesn't let up on the snaps until Rinne's hand touches her head.

... Hm. More evidence that Rinne's hands are both bigger than previously thought and that she kind of likes it?? But still, she puts on a show of huffing, if only to play into the joke. ]

If it's the perfect size for me, it'll be too small for you, won't it? [ She puts on a perfectly puppy-dog-eyed expression of concern and not at all of mockery. ] What a shame... you might have to sleep on the side of the river outside... I promise to wave hello to you every morning, though!

[Rinne leans back in mock offense.] Ahh? What's that? After all the strings I pulled to get us here, I can't even sleep next to my girlfriend? Some vacation this is!

[His use of the word is deliberate. He hopes she doesn't hate it. He made sure to say it quietly, but so long as he was friends with the owner here, no here would go to the press about two idols at a romantic ryokan in the fall. After all, it's a normal thing for ordinary people to do. Rinne wants to think the days will pass by smoothly, too. It's his first time sharing a room with a woman. Japan's rising star, no less! He really doesn't want to fuck this up.]

Well, you can tour around and take more pics without me. Repping the place is your job now. I'll bring our bags to our room.

[ Ai's expression doesn't change but something about her posture does — she'd been scrolling through the photos she'd taken so far and the her thumb slips clean off her phone. Her shoulders straighten a little. Is that the first time he's said it? It must be, right? That's why her stomach is squirming all of a sudden. Which is stupid — he's been talking about liking and loving her since the first time they really talked, even if he was just playing around, and they've been going on dates, they've come here together... that's the kind of thing you do with a girlfriend, right? So it shouldn't be strange to hear him call her that.

... it is strange. But not in an unpleasant way. In fact... Oh. She'd really liked hearing it. She kind of wants to hear him say it again.

When Ai looks up at him from her phone, two pinpricks of colour bloom high in her cheeks. Look at that, her blush has finally made it onto her face. ]

Ah— no, wait, no way! [ Before he can make a move to leave without her, Ai steps in close and presumptuously links her arm through his. No escape! ] If we're looking around, I want us to go together!

Oh...

[ Oh.

Ai is so cute when she blushes.

No, Rinne, focus. He's actually not sure what to say to that. Nothing like this has ever really happened before — being wanted by someone and being someone's special someone. If Ai wants to do these things together, who is he to say no? Of course he'll indulge her. ]

But we really oughta bring our bags to our room first. You can trust the folks around here — if I don't say that, they'll kill me — but it's better to get this out of the way before anything else.

[ Like eat and take pictures and, well, he's trying not to think of the obvious.

... This is bad. It really might be better for Ai to go ahead. Rinne will need a distraction.

Oh, he knows.

It goes completely against his personal code of conduct, though. ]

Mm.

[ Rinne tilts his head, leans in, and quickly presses his lips against her cheek. It can hardly count as a kiss. It can hardly be called a kiss. The touch was so light and the moment was so short that even the tiny hairs on her skin might have hardly felt it.

But the warmth was certainly there. ]

Catch up with you later.

[ As Rinne makes his way across the lounge, red up to his ears, he takes their luggage with him. ]

[ Ai opens her mouth to protest again — they're only here for three nights and they have no idea when they'll ever be able to get away with something like this again, so they should spend every available second they have together, right? Before she can even try and get any of that out, though, Rinne cants his head towards hers and with that brief touch of warmth to her cheek, Ai falls silent. She's so completely taken aback that she doesn't get a chance to try and stop him before he pulls away and starts heading off. But then she realizes that the most delighted, undignified kind of smile has begun to spread over her face. She lifts a hand like she might try and cover it — then stops. If it's here... it's okay for her to smile like this, isn't it?

Grinning after him like that, Ai gives him a little wave as he goes. His ears are all red. Rinne's so cute. ]

Heehee. Alright then, we'll catch up later! I'll take a bunch of photos and you can help me pick out the best ones!

[ And... the quicker she gets this part over with, the quicker she and Rinne can just relax. Right?

Right. What's there to worry about? ]

[Everything! There's everything to worry about! Doesn't she know what they're supposed to do at a ryokan? When Rinne brings their luggage into their room, he falls to his knees, then on his hands. Before him is a 10-tatami mat room with two soft futons laid out side by side — a reminder of the inevitable. On the table by the window is a personal note from the owner wishing them luck.

Rinne's going to kill him.

After doing a brief search around the room for hidden cameras, Rinne finally plops himself onto one of the chairs with a relieved sigh. This was supposed to be a vacation, but whatever. If Ai can enjoy it to the fullest, then that's all that matters...]

Ah?

[As his eyes glance around the room, the baskets on the side of the wall catch his eye. That's right, that's what they're here for. Every traditional ryokan's got to have an onsen. This one has private open-air baths, too. N-not that he's excited to bathe with Ai or anything! But she'll have to do that to give the ryokan a solid review, right? The baths are vacant now, and they will be vacant for a while.

...

Rinne should prepare everything before Ai gets here. And then they can enjoy the bath together.]

[First, he hides the stupid note in his jacket. Then, he prepares their baskets and their yukata. Finally, he takes a picture of the view from their window. The maple leaves are in brilliant shades of orange and red.]

the view's rly nice
u done??
rinne-kun's lonely... 😔

[ Ai likes the ryokan more and more the more she sees of it. She'd been right in her initial feelings that it was kind of grand but it's cozy, too — not stuffy or formal at all. This is easily the kind of place she could spend a few days and feel just as comfortable as if she was at home. And even better that Rinne's here with her to enjoy it, too.

She doesn't seek out any of the baths - even if they're vacant, she'd like to enjoy the surprise of seeing them for the first time with Rinne — but she scopes out the souvenir shop, takes a few selfies in some pretty spots and snaps a few choice pictures. She can take more at dinner but for now, this should be enough. ]

Almost done!
I asked if it was OK for me to see one of the smaller rooms and they showed me a single person one
So I took a selfie in it like it was mine LOL
And!! I grabbed some snacks for later from the gift shop.
I'll just call the Prez to let him know I got here fine then come see you!

lmaooo u gotta show me later
and yay❤ ok❤
don't take too long or i'm gonna zzz

[ What can he do in the meantime? He has everything ready for them, Ai just has to grab the stuff and go. Hmm...

Well, they do need to clean up before getting in the open-air bath, and while there's already a shower near the bath, he doesn't want Ai to wait on him or be self-conscious. Yes, that's it. That's why he's going to shower now. It's not because he's feeling hot. It's not because he's feeling nervous. It's all for Ai's sake!!! ]

[ True to her word, she's not too far behind him - she takes a few snaps of the view so she can gush about how picturesque it all is before she heads off to their room. It's easy enough to find and she's quick to make her way inside, step out of her shoes at the entrance and pull the inner door back. ]

Ooh...!

[ She'd seen one of the other rooms so she sort of has an idea of what to expect but... this is a little different. Maybe it's just because it's their room but it's so cute and cozy - it's all traditional so it feels fancier than it probably is to someone who's not a city mouse but she doesn't feel uncomfortable at all. And Rinne was right — the view is incredible.

No Rinne, though. It takes a second for her to pick up on the sounds of the shower running and she realizes where he must be. So she calls through, just loud enough to be heard over the water. ]

Rinne-kun, I'm here! I'll go ahead and get changed while you're in there!

[ Rinne jolts up when he hears Ai. He was spacing out just now; if he actively thinks about anything that could happen, he's not sure what might happen. But now Ai's here. There's no time to dwell on (or avoid!) hypotheticals.

He was done a while ago anyway, so he quickly shuts the shower off and dries himself off. The loud whirring of the hair dryer here distracts him from whatever sounds he might hear there. With the way he is now, even the slightest rustle of fabric might shake him up — if he can manage to hear it over the heartbeat in his ears. Fuck, where are his clothes? He probably forgot them in the bedroom. Oh well, he'll just grab a towel on his way out and wear some pants when he gets there—

Oh.

Rinne had gotten so used to living with other guys that he'd almost forgotten the most rudimentary of manners.

Knocking, for example.

Being decent in the presence of strangers, for example. ]

Um...

[ Maybe if he switches gears fast enough, he can at least pretend he's sleazy enough to not be awkward about it... ]

[ One of the things you have to get good at as an idol that nobody bothers to tell you about is a quick change - you can't dawdle around in the dressing room when there's a crowd waiting outside. So usually, getting changed while Rinne was in the other room wouldn't be a problem at all.

She ties up her hair no problem, but as it turns out, she'd forgotten to account for putting herself in a yukata for the first time. She's worn them before for shoots but she's always been dressed by someone else, so tying off the sash while holding it closed is a bit of a process. It's a little big on her, too, and it sags on her shoulder just enough to expose the slope of her neck and collarbone. And she's in the middle of trying to adjust that when Rinne walks in.

Ai freezes. Her head snaps around. She has a smile pasted onto her face to preemptively make a joke out of the whole thing but then it slowly slides off her face as she just... looks at him. Oh. she manages to think. Rinne really does look—

She manages, barely, to snap herself back to to reality and hastily pulls the sagging yukata up over her shoulder. Is it ruder to stare or to pretend she wasn't staring? Not that she can even try and pretend that she's not right now... ]

Ahah, sorry...! I thought I'd be done by now. [ She's... still looking. ] Um, if you want to get changed I can...

[ She can what? Give him some privacy? It's a little late for that, isn't it???? ]

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