Work Text:
A bright, cheerful laugh bubbles out of Ramuda, and he looks up at the blue, blue sky framed by stalks of corn. Today has just been walking and walking and more walking, but he finds that he’s still having a lot of fun!
That said…
“We’re sooooo lost!” He pops a piece of hard candy into his mouth, and laces his hands together behind his head as he looks at his companion in amusement. “We’ve been in here for about an hour, right?”
“Just about.” Yotsutsuji jots things down in his notepad as they walk, brows furrowed in thought. “It is a big maze, after all. But once we figure out where we are, we won’t have much of a problem finding the exit.”
Ramuda hums noncommittally, turning at a random corner and hearing footsteps speed up behind him. It isn’t long before Yotsutsuji’s walking beside him again, and Ramuda leans in to see what’s being worked on. Is that…
“Is that a map?” It’s surprisingly detailed—a bunch of neat little lines decorating the page, possibly having been started from when they first entered the maze. Ramuda doesn’t know, since he had been too excited from seeing a corn maze for the first time to notice.
“Mhm.” Yotsutsuji nods. “It could help us avoid paths we already took, at least.”
Ramuda looks up at him, sparkly eyes intense enough for Yotsutsuji to look away sheepishly. “I didn’t know you could draw maps! That’s sooo cool!!”
That got Yotsutsuji’s cheeks to redden, and he chuckles awkwardly. “It’s not that special of a talent, really. Anyone could do it with a little bit of practice.”
“Then how about you teach me?” Ramuda offers, and grins as Yotsutsuji looks at him in surprise. Really, he doesn’t think he needs to learn to make a map, but it’s another new experience, and he’s more than willing to expand his own knowledge! “And then I’ll be able to make maps too!”
He looks around, and tugs Yotsutsuji along as he turns another corner. It’s just as unfamiliar as the other paths, and it’s the same view, but it’s so much more fun going through it with a friend!
Well. He hopes Yotsutsuji sees him as a friend. He hasn’t missed how wary Yotsutsuji is of him at first, and while Yotsutsuji warmed up to him after his many visits, there’s still some kind of… distance between the two of them.
And Ramuda can’t have that, really. For the sake of his mission, any suspicions are just plain bothersome.
So! Dragging Yotsutsuji along to a corn maze it is!
“I only have this notepad, but…” Yotsutsuji puts his hand to his chin, thinking to himself. “We can come here another time, and you can try making the map then?”
“Okie-dokie!” Ramuda chirps out, taking another random turn and slowing down just enough for Yotsutsuji to catch up.
The two of them walk quietly for some time, and Ramuda takes his time to enjoy the sounds of nature. Leaves rustling, footsteps on dirt ground, the barely-there scratching of pencil against paper…
“Say, Amemura?” Yotsutsuji speaks up, startling Ramuda for a moment. He’s quick to hide it though, and Yotsutsuji doesn’t seem like he notices. “I appreciate the opportunity to try and train my rapping, but… how does this help?”
“Eh?” Ohh, right. Ramuda did say that as an excuse to drag Yotsutsuji out for fun. He hums, looking up at the sky in hopes of inspiration. “Oh! It’ll help with your critical thinking, duh! When rapping, you’ve gotta look at your opponent and think of the best way to attack in the heat of the moment!”
“... I see.” Yotsutsuji looks doubtful, but he doesn’t say anything else.
Ramuda considers saying something as a distraction, but the road beyond one of the turns on their next crossroad catches his eye. He gasps, grabbing Yotsutsuji’s sleeve and pointing.
“Look, look! That looks like the exit, doesn’t it!?” Too impatient and excited to give Yotsutsuji the chance to respond, he grabs him by the arm and starts running. There’s a yelp behind him, and he thinks Yotsutsuji stumbles given the tug against his hand, but soon Yotsutsuji is jogging behind him and easily keeping up.
They soon enter an open area, and Ramuda looks behind them to see the maze behind them. To the side, he sees the entrance a good distance away. With a wide grin, he lets go of Yotsutsuji and spins to face him.
“We did it, we did it!!” He laughs, bright and clear. His feet ache a little from all the walking, but he still has plenty of energy to jump up and down.
Yotsutsuji wheezes for air, hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath. Oops, did Ramuda run too fast? He had expected Yotsutsuji to keep up with him easily, since he has longer legs than Ramuda, but apparently not…?
“Well! We’re done with this bit of training, but there’s another thing we gotta know!” Ramuda clasps his hands behind him, rocking back and forth on the heels of his shoes and eyes wide with cautious curiosity. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
“I’m getting the feeling that the maze has nothing to do with rapping at all…” Yotsutsuji lets out a breath, then smiles at Ramuda. “But yes, it was fun. We should bring Jakurai with us next time.”
“We should! But Jakurai’s always so busy…” Ramuda scrunches up his nose, before grinning brightly as the perfect idea comes to him. “That means we gotta grab him while he’s on break, right??”
“Uh… no, I don’t think—”
“I’m kinda hungry now!” Ramuda announces, and grabs Yotsutsuji’s hand before he can protest further. “And you’re a growing kid! So let’s go get a tasty meal! C’mon, c’mon!”