Sleepless Studying {KyerinNicolette}

[Kyerin]

While there was cooler air in the hallway, there was also a distinct difference in the smell of the air. It smelt... well, to be frank, it smelt like something was burning. Fortunately, there was no black smoke... at least, not in the hall. There was a bit near the stove, which is where Kyerin was... which leads back a few minutes to how such a situation got started.

Kyerin nodded as Nicolette walked off to the shower, then walked over to the areas she had pointed to be the source of her food stores. He wasn't really that hungry, but she definately needed the food. He was a bit disappointed with what he found, considering that they were mostly microwavable or unhealthy meals... or a combination of the two. Well, even that would be better than nothing.

Of course, one thing led to another... it started with the idea that it would taste better if it was warmed up in a pan instead of in a microwave, which tends to make things hot and dry. This was followed up with rummaging through the other stuff in her drawers to find some spices and such to add more flavor to the potentially flavorless meal... which led to distractions which led to the meal burning which led to minor panic which led to billowing black smoke...

Which led to now.

Kyerin finally had enough intelligence to turn off the stove, preventing more smoke from being made, and opened a window to fan out some of the inky blackness. He did hear the door open, however, and planted himself in the hallway between her and the slowly diminishing smoke cloud. "Nice shower?" he asked, too focused on hiding the visual of the ruined meal to realize that he was seeing her almost nude.

[Nicolette]

Nicolette stood in her hallway, staring at Kyerin with wide eyes before she took to actually breathing. Her cheeks warmed up red, but her eyes widened even more as she took in a few deep breaths. What in the...

"...Is...Is something... burning?" She asked, her tone fearful, and almost horrified. She clutched her towel and went to rush forward toward the kitchen where the source of the smell seemed to come from. She could see a bit of smoke, which alarmed her even more, but she couldn't get quite far with Kyerin standing directly in her path. Despite this, she tried to get passed him.

[Kyerin]

Kyerin noticed that the girl's face turn red, and thought at first that maybe she had had a too hot shower, which was understandable; she did look better now after the shower, and smelled like... something nice. However, gears turned in his head, and he realized that she was probably not wearing anything under that towel... and he was right here, looking at her... his cheeks turned red at the thought.

However, as she remarked and moved to pass him, the young man recovered, and placed one hand on her shoulder, turning Nicolette around back down the hallway. "Oh, it's a small technical difficulty, nothing to worry about. You're suppose to be relaxing; I'll take care of it all." Maybe putting the meal in the microwave wouldn't be such a bad idea... well, the next meal, that is.

[Nicolette]

Nicolette felt her cheeks heat up even more and felt electricity flow through her body at the feeling of his hand upon her bare, wet shoulder. She swallowed hard and let him turn her around and push her gently toward the end of the hallway where her bedroom was. She nearly protested, but then decided it would best if she were clothed first. She glanced back at him before going into her bedroom to find some clothes.

She grabbed the under clothes first, pulling on the bra and panties, before she shuffled around for clothes to put on. She found a large t-shirt that she usually used for bedtime, but she was horrified at being unable to find a single pair of pants. And even more to her horror, she had taken her clothes down to the laundry room earlier that evening, and they probably would be closed by now, so she couldn't be able to pick them up at her laundry locker until morning.

She let out a groan as she buried her face in her blankets, dressed in under clothing and a shirt. Now what? She sighed and went to her drawers, shuffling through them. She found a single pair of mini-shorts and slid them up her smooth legs, sighing when she finally buttoned them. How embarrassing...

She left the bedroom and quickly made her way down the hall, seeking out the burning smell, her loose blonde locks still dripping a little behind her.

[Kyerin]

Kyerin was glad that she took his advice and went into her bedroom, giving her a last smile before she closed the door behind her. That would at least give him some time to take care of things. His smile fell from his face as he turned back to the kitchen, thinking. How could he fix all of this...

Well, first thing was to toss the burnt food, and place the pot at the sink to take care of in a moment. The second was to grab a new meal, and throw it into the microwave, opting to follow the instructions this time as opposed to improvising with "common sense". While that cooked, he took the soap and sponge, and scrubbed at the pan to get rid of the burnt remains from the inside. After that was done, he spent the remaining seconds to wave more smoke out before the microwave beeped at him. With that, he closed the window.

As the girl came out of the hallway, Kyerin forced up a new smile, placing the food onto a plate for her. "Glad to see you... wearing something..." he remarked, distracted for a second by her mini-shorts. He quickly looked back up at her face to not stare, though his cheeks were tinged red. "I think you'd feel better if you ate something as well."

[Nicolette]

Nicolette's cheeks also tinged with red at his comment. How embarrassing to be seen in just a towel by a guy, especially one like Kyerin. And she only said that given their odd relationship. They were rivals, but they did have some close, friendship moments... And some moments that could have become something more than just friendly. She walked over and took the mircrowaved meal and placed it on the counter to cool for a few minutes. She looked at the young man near her, swallowing and thinking of what to say.

"So... May I inquire as to what exactly was burning in my kitchen...?" She finally asked, blinking innocently up at her rival-friend-thing.

[Kyerin]

Kyerin was considering sitting down when the girl did, but her leaving it on the counter to cool for a moment, and then standing there looking at him caused him to pause and remain standing. He wasn't quite sure what they were, to be honest; he knew that their positions made them rivals, but the two of them were quite friendly... maybe even moreso. He wasn't sure if he was hoping for that, or not; still, it was nice to have someone so friendly.

At her question, he looked to the side sheepishly; the smoke was gone, and the smell was mostly dissipated, but his failure was still around. "It was a... pathetic first attempt to make you something to eat. I would have to say this one will be much more palatable, wouldn't you agree?" He gestures to the cooling food, finally meeting her eyes yet again; since they got back, she had been... rather complacent. He wasn't quite sure if that was a good sign or not.

[Nicolette]

Nicolette glanced at the young man before walking over to her sink. She could still see some charred ash from where the pan started to dislike whatever had been cooking in it. Blinking, she then walked over to the trashcan, where she found some sort of lifeform slowly decaying. She slowly looked back at Kyerin and just stared for a long moment before a few giggles escaped her lips. Suddenly, she grabbed the counter and clutched at her stomach as she burst into laughter.

"O-oh goodness, Kyerin.... I...I cannot believe... Oh, my sides!" She could only laugh harder as she held onto the counter, trying to keep herself from falling over in her laughter.

[Kyerin]

Kyerin watched the girl walk over to the sink and see the remains of his cleaning, and then look in the trash can at the inconsumable remains of his first attempt. He was slightly confused by her actions; did she not believe him? It wasn't so hard to believe... he wasn't a master at cooking. He could follow directions on a box or bag, but that was the main extent.

However, he did not expect Nicolette to burst out laughing, enough to where she had to rest on the counter to keep herself upright. The younger male reached up with one hand, adjusting his glasses, slightly annoyed by her antics. "Surely you find me capable of making mistakes... and if you find my cooking so hilarious, I'll just eat the food I prepared then, and fully enjoy it." He crosses his arms, pouting a bit, but mainly looking stern about it.

[Nicolette]

Nicolette was still giggling and she waved her arm as she pushed herself off the counter and walked over so she was standing in front of the Japanese male. She wass till grinning, unable to stop a few giggles from escaping.

"I really do apologize for my outburst, Kyerin..." She said, her tone still very amused and light. "I just... It surprised me that something like that could happen. I suppose we both keep seeing different sides of each other. I really did not mean to laugh... I just..." She giggled again. "Thank you." She smiled warmly up at him.

[Kyerin]

Kyerin watched the girl approach him as she was still giggling, listening to the words that were able to slip out between the laughter. He did have to admit, she did have a point... they were more open with each other... or just caught each other at more vulnerable times. Thinking back on their encounters, it seemed like she was slightly different each time... very interesting...

The boy couldn't resist a small smile slipping onto his lips as he uncrossed his arms, letting them fall to his sides. "Well, I suppose I can forgive you. It has been very unique between the two of us, hasn't it?" He also had to admit, her good humor did seem to help her appearance, and make her look less gaunt, though there was still a hint of the shadows there. "Now, how about you eat then?"

[Nicolette]

Nicolette smiled affectionately as she moved to sit down at the counter, picking up the fork next to her food. She cut a little bit of the pasta apart and began to slowly eat, thinking as she did so. After a few bites, she reached across the counter to take apart some paper towel and use a piece to wipe at her mouth, setting it down next to her plate as she swallowed and waited half a second before speaking.

"How would we even be able to explain our relationship, Kyerin?" She asked, her tone quite curious. She, as well, had stopped using the title before his name, simply speaking his first name without hesitation. She figured that they'd known each other for this long, it shouldn't be too much of a bother to use each other's names when they were alone... Which almost made it seem like some sort of secret romance, in a way.

[Kyerin]

Kyerin sat down at a nearby chair, watching her eat. It was good to actually see her doing so, considering that she looked like she hadn't in a while, and probably had not. Watching her consume the food was making him slightly hungry, but he was avoiding saying anything; it wasn't enough to even consider bothering her, just a slight twinge. He may have to have a snack later... not here though. He wouldn't take her food.

Nicolette's question came out of left field, causing the young man to start slightly, and think about it. For one, she only called him Kyerin, leaving off all titles and such, which was new, as far as he could remember. But her question... He thought about it for a moment, and finally had to shrug. "I am honestly not sure, Nicolette. I don't even know how to explain it to myself. At times, we seem to be rivals and picking at each other, other times, we're friendly, like old friends... and at other times..." He made a looping gesture with his hand, not quite sure what words to use. "How do you see our relationship?"

[Nicolette]

"I honestly do not know..." The president said, scooping up some more pasta to her fork. "That is why I asked you first." She smiled and took a bite, savoring the delicious taste before swallowing and wiping at her mouth again with the napkin.

"Ah, could I get you anything to eat or drink? I feel so rude sitting here, eating..." She felt her cheeks flush pink again. Her manners, her proper attitude, all seemed to slowly go down the drain when she was around him, which was something she wasn't quite used to. It made her feel bad.

[Kyerin]

Kyerin thought about their relationship for a moment more, but was sidetracked by her question. "Oh, um, I suppose... a glass of water, if it isn't too much trouble?" he replied, his cheeks tinging pink; had he really looked that needy? He wasn't too hungry or thirsty, but a bit of water wouldn't hurt at all. In fact, it might help him focus, considering that the time was beginning to wear on him.

The young man sat for another moment in silence, pondering it, before speaking. "I don't think I could label it. 'Rivals' mainly only covers our contrasting positions in the school club hierarchy, not our personal relationship. We're surely more than 'acquaintences' or 'classmates' or 'kouhai and senpai'... I would have to say we are 'friends'... but... our encounters seems to imply a higher level than just that." He paused again, stroking his chin, before looking back at Nicolette. "Would you say that's an accurate description?"