#eru chitanda

The Classics Club room was bathed in that typical late afternoon calm. Soft light streamed through the windows, the air smelled faintly of old paper and… boredom, at least from Houtarou Oreki's point of view.

Oreki sat in his usual chair, his book open in his hands, his posture too relaxed for someone still awake. His eyes moved slowly across the lines, completely oblivious to the world around him.

On the other side of the table, Satoshi Fukube held and read a magazine. "Pfft…hahaha!" He tried to stifle a laugh with his hand. "This is too good!"

Curious as always, Eru Chitanda immediately leaned towards him, her eyes shining. "What is it, Fukube-san?" She asked, excitedly.

"Look at this" Satoshi turned the magazine towards her, pointing to an absurd situation depicted there.

Chitanda brought her hand to her mouth and laughed softly. "Ah! That's really funny!" She then turned her face almost reflexively to Oreki. "Oreki-san, look at this!"

He briefly raised his eyes to the magazine page but said nothing, quickly returning to his initial position.

Satoshi let out a dramatic sigh. "You didn't find it funny? Not at all?"

Oreki turned the page. "No, and laughing consumes energy. I don't see enough return on that investment"

"What a sad way to live" Satoshi commented, still smiling.

Chitanda tilted her head thoughtfully, observing Oreki with renewed attention. Her violet eyes seemed to analyze him as if he were a new mystery. "Oreki-san," She began slowly. "You never laugh, do you?"

"That's not true," He replied. "I laugh when necessary"

"And when would it be 'necessary' to justify your energy investment?" Satoshi teased.

"It hasn't happened yet"

Chitanda blinked a few times, surprised. "Fukube-san," She turned to Satoshi. "Have you ever seen Oreki-san laugh?"

Satoshi paused, thinking seriously for a few seconds, crossing his arms. "Hmmm..." He frowned. "Thinking about it, no. And we've been friends for quite a while now"

Chitanda's eyes widened slightly. "Not even a smile?"

"Nope. At most a tiny movement here" He pointed to the corner of his mouth. "But it might have just been my imagination"

Oreki sighed. "Stop talking about me as if I'm not here"

Chitanda's eyes shone brightly. "Oreki-san, now I'm very curious"

Oreki felt a slight shiver. "Oh no..."

"What does Oreki-san's laugh sound like?" Chitanda continued, completely engrossed in the idea. "Will it be discreet? Or unexpectedly beautiful? Perhaps low? Or—"

"Definitely low" Satoshi interrupted. "I imagine something like 'hm,' that's all"

"That's not even a laugh" Oreki murmured, too quietly.

Chitanda moved a little closer to the table, resting her hands on it as she leaned toward them both. "Fukube-san, don't you think we should try to find out?"

Satoshi grinned mischievously. "Make Houtarou laugh?" He put his hand to his chin. "That sounds interesting"

Oreki slowly closed the book. "Don't treat me like an experiment"

"It wouldn't be an experiment" Chitanda quickly corrected. "It would be an investigation!"

Satoshi snapped his fingers. "An investigation by the Classics Club! Objective: to provoke a genuine laugh from Houtarou Oreki!"

Oreki looked away towards the window. "What a waste of energy..." He sighed, as if they would soon abandon the idea.

But Satoshi and Chitanda remained silent for a few seconds. It was that dangerous kind of silence, the silence of when an idea was simmering in their minds.

Satoshi was the first to move. He took two slow steps around the table, observing Oreki as if he were a rare piece in a museum. "Hmmm..." He murmured. "If there's laughter, then there's a trigger"

Chitanda, in turn, approached from the other side, leaning slightly, hands behind her back, eyes attentive and bright, repeating the same murmur as her friend.

Oreki quickly realized they were surrounding him. "You two are too close" He leaned back in his chair, frowning slightly.

"Yes," Satoshi replied, leaning in a little more. "I call it scientific observation"

"Strange name for invasion of personal space" Oreki retorted, looking away.

Chitanda took another small step forward, too curious. Oreki blushed at the approach, then turned his attention back to Satoshi. "Satoshi..!"

"Oh, me?" He replied, feigning innocence.

"You're the one who agreed to this absurd idea, you know very well how her curiosity works"

Chitanda winked. "Fukube-san, did you feed my curiosity?"

Satoshi smiled. "Ehehe... technically, yes?"

"Technically?!" Oreki retorted. "That's like throwing gasoline on a fire and saying you were just testing it"

"Oh," Satoshi crossed his arms. "You always solve other people's mysteries. Don't you think it's fair to become the mystery this time?"

"No!"

"I think so" Satoshi replied immediately.

The two began to argue, talking over each other.

"You know this is a waste of time"

"You know this is interesting!"

"Interest isn't worth the effort"

"Not everything in life is cost-effective!"

While they argued, Chitanda put her hand to her chin, completely absorbed in her thoughts. "Hmmm..."

They both stopped at the same time. "What is it, Chitanda?" Satoshi asked.

She slowly raised her face, her eyes gleaming dangerously excitedly. "I had an idea"

Oreki felt an immediate chill; this never ended well for him. "Whatever it is, I object"

"Oreki-san," Chitanda moved a little closer, leaning in until she was almost at his eye level. "Are you ticklish?"

Oreki froze, in absolute silence.

Satoshi's eyes widened. "Oooooh! That's a good one!"

"It's not good at all" Oreki replied quickly, perhaps too quickly. "And it's irrelevant"

"But it's an involuntary reflex, isn't it?" She continued, genuinely intrigued. "If it's automatic, maybe..."

Satoshi placed his hands on the table, excited. "Then feel it"

"That's not what I said!"

Chitanda took a cautious step forward, slowly extending her hand and stopping a few inches from Oreki's side. "Can I test it?" She asked, polite as always.

Oreki looked away. "...No"

She immediately withdrew her hand. "I understand" She replied, without insisting.

Satoshi frowned. "Huh? You gave up too easily"

Chitanda smiled slightly. "I didn't give up, I'm just thinking about where it would be most effective"

Oreki looked back at her. "What?"

Too late. Chitanda, with a quick, light movement, touched Oreki's ribs, almost as a test.

He startled in his chair. "Tch-! What did I just say?!"

Satoshi covered his mouth to avoid laughing. "Reaction confirmed!"

"That wasn't laughter" Oreki retorted.

"That's why I said r-e-a-t-i-o-n" He retorted.

Chitanda tilted her head, observing intently. "Interesting" She murmured. "Oreki-san, you reacted faster than when you solve a simple mystery"

Oreki blushed slightly, looking away.

Satoshi grinned broadly. "So it's decided, the next mission of the Classics Club: to map Houtarou Oreki's ticklish spots"

"What??? I didn't authorize that!"

Chitanda smiled, her eyes shining as always. "But Oreki-san," She said softly, "isn't it curious to think that we can laugh unintentionally?"

Oreki sighed, defeated, realizing too late that he had made a mistake. By not ending the conversation immediately, he had, in practice, authorized the continuation of the investigation.

"So," Chitanda said, excitedly, approaching again. "We'll begin methodically"

"Methodically?" Oreki repeated. "What does that mean?"

Satoshi crossed his arms, assuming an exaggeratedly serious air. "Observation, hypothesis, test, and reaction, that's pure science"

"That's not science, it's an abuse of—"

Chitanda carefully extended her finger. "Oreki-san, let me know if you feel uncomfortable" She said, starting at his neck, lightly touching just below his ear.

Oreki stiffened immediately. "Nn-!" He tilted his head, trying to pull away and rid himself of that irritating touch and sensation.

"Immediate reaction" Chitanda commented, her eyes shining. "Fascinating!"

"You just shuddered" Satoshi observed. "Mentally noted"

"Don't write anything down!"

Chitanda shifted her position slightly, moving down to the sides of his torso, touching more cautiously.

"Chitanda...!" Oreki tried to stand up, a short sound escaping him. "Tch-! S-Stohohop...!"

"Ooohh, that was an interesting sound" Satoshi commented.

"It was almost a laugh" Chitanda said, genuinely impressed. "Your body reacts before you can rationalize" She continued, returning to his ribs, with quick, light touches this time.

"Pfft...!" Oreki held his breath, his shoulders rising and trembling in response. "T-This is unfair"

"Why?" Chitanda asked.

"Because..." He looked away. "Because it's uncontrollable"

Satoshi smiled. "So we're getting close, huh?!"

While Chitanda continued to focus on the upper body, testing small variations and observing each reaction attentively, Satoshi had an idea. A dangerous idea.

He crouched down slowly, taking advantage of Oreki being too busy trying not to react to notice him disappear completely from sight under the table. Until...

"Ahhhahaha-! N-No!" A quick tap on the sole of his foot and Oreki jumped violently, the sound escaping before he could stop it.

Satoshi, now well positioned under the table, smiled like someone who had just discovered an archaeological treasure. "Bingo!" As Oreki was distracted, he managed to get under the table and pull one of his shoes off, gaining access to the sole still covered by the sock.

"Satoshi!" Oreki tried to pull his foot away, but he had already secured the point. "Hahahahaha! S-Stop it!" He brought his hand to his face and mouth, trying to contain the laughter that now came in short, involuntary waves.

Chitanda froze, and then her eyes widened. "He laughed!"

"He really laughed" Satoshi confirmed, excitedly.

Oreki tried to compose himself, taking a deep breath. "That was just a momentary slip"

Satoshi ran his fingers along the sole of his shoe once more, this time faster and more precisely.

"Ahahahahahaha! H-Hey!" The laughter was clearer this time, undeniable. "Okay, okahahahahay!"

Chitanda brought her hands to her mouth, completely amazed. "Oreki-san," She said, with a radiant smile. "Your laugh is real!"

Oreki finally managed to pull his foot back, leaning back in his chair, his face slightly flushed. "This has never happened before"

"It has!" Satoshi replied, returning to his seat.

Chitanda nodded, satisfied. "Investigation conclusion: Oreki-san is ticklish and can laugh"

Oreki looked away, sighing. "You two are a disaster"