Rei had been a little hopeful when Kit demonstrated some evidence of study. It was a strange thing to feel, given the circumstances, and she wondered if it was fair to feel she was making some sort of progress with him. Surely, there were other ways than the one Ms. Yoshino had given in to. She’d be the university’s favorite whore if she gave all her students the same sort of encouragement. She was so absorbed with the implications on her own morality as his educator that she jerked the steering wheel in surprise, when his hand brushed her leg. The car swerved, and Rei cursed as she corrected.<br/><br/>“Kit.” She said it like it was a warning, and it might have been, but it was somewhat endearingly circumstantial. Not, “don’t touch me like that.” Just, “don’t touch me like that when I’m driving.”<br/><br/>It left a strange atmosphere in its wake. An intimate sort of silence like she and Naho had sometimes shared, driving in the quiet of a resolved argument. A little heavy, a little close, and peculiarly reassuring. Rei didn’t quite know what to do with that sensation, now. Nonetheless, she startled herself with her own practicality when Kitato fell rapidly toward petulance.<br/><br/>“Well, you don’t get much say in that, do you?” she said. “Your brother and I have been together for a long time.” As if the endurance of their relationship meant anything for its passion or ultimate longevity. “If anyone has a right not to like things, it’s Nahoya.” Rei added. She had placed herself in the role of the villain, same as Kit, then. She sighed, glancing at him to see him sulking in his seat.<br/><br/>Rei shook her head. “Surely you could have anyone else you wanted to cause trouble for.” She said. It sounded so simple, and Rei realized it was probably true. She had not expected to feel a stirring of discontentment over it. How ridiculous. Two days ago, Rei couldn’t have cared less whether or not Kit was coming home or spending the night in some random girl’s bed. At least, not beyond how much it would make Naho fret. “Anyway, it’s a little unreasonable to carry on like this, right?” It was strange, listening to herself. It should have been a rhetorical question, but even Rei thought she sounded like she was expecting him to reply. She wondered what answer she was hoping for.