Kaori was glad that he agreed to come shopping with her but she hadn't meant to go today. Unfortunately, he was out the door so quickly that she didn't have time to let him know. Well, she was committed to it now and she had to find 'something casual' to wear but what? She made her way to her room after cleaning up and started sifting through her closet filled with clothes. Everything from nightgowns to formal dresses (although it was just the one formal dress). After several combinations were denied she finally decided on a white sleeveless top with a light-blue floral pattern, it was just tight enough to show off her bust which wasn't as impressive as she'd like it to be coming in at only a 70B (32A for US). A blue knee-length skirt to match the floral pattern of her blouse, it was simple and modest. The brown braided belt, a gift from her mother, was a favorite of hers and matched the brown leather sandals she had settled on. Kaori let her hair down to flow freely and grabbed her purse with her wallet and phone. It was a small purse, just big enough to hold her wallet and her phone along with a few extra things, made of brown pleather with a thin strap and a trim of something resembling silver. It was a seemingly 'adult' kind of purse save for the chocobo key chain hanging off the clasp connecting the strap to the purse. It was the only thing she had that hinted at her secret pass time as a gamer. When she made it out she saw that Kyle-Senpai had been waiting on her, hopefully not for too long. She bowed to him again. "Let's go Kairu-Senpai" With that she started to lead him down to the town.

The road leading into town was mostly quiet with a few cars passing every so often. It winded down at a modest slope into what was likely the closest approximation of a city for several miles. The whole place felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the world and it was certainly different for Kaori who had previously only ever lived in Nagoya. Everything seemed much farther apart. Kaori kept pace next to Kyle-Senpai as they headed into town. For a while she couldn't think of anything to say. She really didn't want to have an awkward trip full of silence.. The silence was a bit unnerving so finally she spoke up. "So Kairu-Senpai, what brought you to Japan? Don't they have schools like Yamaku in your country?"

It hadn't taken Kaori too long to change before exiting the girl's dormitory, definitely longer than Kyle, but something like that was to be expected. With a bow and a "let's go", they were off, past the gates of Yamaku and down towards the town below. He hadn't visited the town yet, though come to think of it, he hadn't really visited many small towns before. Being in a city environment where foliage is sparse and concrete is compact will do that to you. This land though, the exact mirror image to L.A. was definitely foreign to him, but in a pleasant sort of way. The scenery itself was beautiful and the air was actually clean, it was something he could definitely get used to. Looking down towards his companion, he couldn't help but smirk at what Kaori was wearing, a floral print top, blue skirt and tiny purse, it was definitely girly. Looking down towards the small growths on her chest though, you could at least tell that womanhood wasn't too far off for her. Realizing he was staring too much he turned his head away, blushing until he managed to cool himself down. The journey down the road was definitely a quiet one, almost awkwardly so, had Kaori not broken it Kyle would have instead.

"So Kairu-Senpai, what brought you to Japan? Don't they have schools like Yamaku in your country?"

He honestly wasn't sure, after having his life pulled out from under him this was the first thing the doctor's mentioned and Kyle considered it as the only option he had left. Maybe there were schools like Yamaku in the US, but he hadn't really paid much attention back then, he was on autopilot at the time...sometimes he still felt that way.

"To be honest this was the first place mentioned to me, I didn't really have a whole lot of time to look at other schools, and Yamaku has a pretty good reputation as far as I knew, so this ended up being my first and only choice. If there are other schools back in the US like this place, that info never came to light and even then...well...if I'm going to be going to school, I might as well pick a good one right?"

Tomohina was not quiet used to interacting with regular students quiet yet. She had never had friends her age growing up. Assuming that what she was taught her entire life was just how she was suppose to act, she didn't quiet feel comfortable being anything but polite. Extremely polite. It didn't even register to her that it could annoy people, beside that girl from her math class anyway. But even though she had people who said they admired her at this school, no one seemed all that interested in being close friends. Of course she didn't even think that it might because of how she acted. Being so polite kept people at a distance from her. Formality was too cold.

She blushed a bit in just at thinking how heated her thoughts had made her before. Running a finger tip over bottom lip as she pushed a lock of hair over her ear, her face was like rose painted porcelain. She had turned her head, so she didn't think the upperclassman would notice. He called her well-mannered, but she wondered if it a compliment or more of a critical observation. Her dark lashes passing over flushed cheek, she blinked in surprise at her own gloomy thoughts. Since when was she so keen at falling into such negative thoughts anyway? Smiling in the direction of the other boy she simply let it pass and let him talk.

Tomo ran a hand over her wet shoulder. It was a bit cold being out of the water, though the sun still beat down on her head and her legs. She listened to him explain his exercise routine with a slight nod, but when he moved in the water she tilted her head, as if perking her ears to listen to where he was moving. He finally stayed in one spot and gave a small laugh. That's when she opened her eyes, as if to show her curiosity at what had stilled him. He explained.

"Similarity?" she asked with a small hint of warm amusement, "I should think so." She gave his a rather mischievous tilted grin. "You're hands are why you're at this school," Tomo said, enjoying the hint of how he was proud like she was, "Mine is my eyes." Oh, he would probably want an explanation... She kicked her feet gently in the water, sort of hoping she hadn't freaked him out. "Your swimming patterns and the sounds you make when in the water," she put it simply, "But you are right in that out differences make us similar. I am happy to meet someone with a proud ruefulness in what most would call a disability." Her eyes stared right at him. "What skills do you have?" she seemed a bit excited, leaning forwards, elbows resting on her knees, "I already gave away one of mine."

Damn, this girl was good. It made sense though; blind people were often adept at picking up and discerning the nature of sounds. It was a big part of how they visualized the world around them, though it never failed to amaze Isamu. "Well, in order to explain my skill, I'd like to explain the nature of my condition. The medical term for it is ectrodactyly. The common term is....lobster claw hand. My hands and feet are rather severely malformed. Instead of five fingers and toes on each appendage, I only have two. The large digit, as well as a second digit consisting of the two outer digits fused into one. To be quite honest, it very rarely has any effect on my daily life, though certain acts of dexterity require a work-around or two."

Smiling, he continued. "Origami. I wanted to hone some sort of skill, but much in the way of music was impossible." Chuckling again at the image of trying to learn how to play the flute or some similar instrument, he continued. "My parents home-schooled me, making me well aware that I was 'different'." He made sure to stress the last word to ensure his distaste at the thought. "I appreciate what they did for me and the lengths they went through to ensure the quality of my education, though. Few people are able to switch between Japanese and English mid-sentence without much difficulty. It was because of my awareness of my difference that I learned just how much I enjoyed spitting in the face of reality. At least, that's how I think of it. Whenever I make a particularly nice work, I put it into a small chest I keep in my room as a reminder that although I have my limits in some areas, I'm still a person with my own set of talents, hopes and dreams."

Smiling at the thought, he leaned against the edge of the pool, relaxing even further. "As for other skills...." A grand blush appeared on his face as one skill came to mind, and Isamu thanked whatever cosmic force controlled the Universe that Mizukimura-san couldn't see it. "Well, actually, I'm not so sure if I have any other skills in spite of my condition. As I said before, it rarely effects my day-to-day life. The worst I usually get is people staring, but I've learned how to deal with them. Now, if you're interested in my wide array of other skills, I'd be willing to enlighten you some day." Chuckling playfully, he smiled and leaned his head back, closing his eyes and feeling the sun on his face.

Tomo listened well to his explanation of how his body had formed. Her hair was drying, its dark length becoming straight and silky with a slight wave towards the end. Playing with her hair, she nodded as he talked. Movement was really only one of the silent ways to encourage a person that you were listening when you couldn't focus your eyes on them. Still leaned forwards, she clasped her hands together and tilted her head.

"Origami," she smiled, "It sounds like you are quiet skillful then. While I can't fold paper in such a precise way, I can do music." Her lips formed a warm grin of amusement. "I was home schooled too," her voice was gentle and cool, her smile weakening a bit, "Seems we have a lot in common. Though I'm sure your parents didn't stress how important it was to be delicate and pleasant, or how to be poised why dressed in thick kimonos." She laughed softly at the thought of a tall masculine boy wrapped in layers of embroidered cottons and silk, bowing with his hands poised like a girl. But he probably had different lessons from her. Her family certainly was oddly traditional.

"Limitations are only a new set of challenge," she agreed, "And I sure do like beating challenges." Leaning back, sitting up straight and twirling a strand of hair around her finger, Tomo wondered why he started to hesitate. Other skills? What did he mean? Were they funny things? Covering up her confusion, she stood and managed to find the place she had set her towel. Drying off the rest of her, she wrapped the towel under her arms to hide her only just barely clothed body. She had almost forgotten her embarrassment too... "Well, I heard there was going to be a talent show sometime soon," she finally said with an innocent and cheerful smile, "Perhaps you can 'enlighten' us all with your talent then, whatever it may be."

Shaking his head to free some of the water from his hair, Isamu paid careful attention to the words of his companion. Something about her made him feel as though she were someone of great importance. However, that was likely her demeanor and the confidence she radiated. He couldn't help but feel calm in this girl's presence. That he also blamed on her demeanor. She was confident but gentle, polite but firm. He also had to agree with her assessment of limitations simply being challenges. It made sense to him. After all, when a video gamer wanted to earn a sense of pride, they would complete a game using only the starting weapon, or do it in a certain amount of time, or with only collecting some number of upgrades.

So, having a few fingers fewer or a lack of sight was like playing on "Medium" difficulty. Of course, that wasn't to say that every person without a disability had an easy life, just that by default, they were operating on a somewhat more favorable playing field.

Killing the gaming metaphor, Isamu noticed her convenient segue into the talent show, planting an idea in his head. Well, some of his skills he couldn't showcase, but there was one he definitely could, with some luck. It was a....much more Americanized skill, but....it was a skill nonetheless. "Ah yes, the talent show. I indeed plan to showcase one of my skills there. I just need to pick the specifics of my act. I'm certain it will be a success." Smiling, he returned to slowly moving through the water, keeping his ears ready for a response.

Tomohina turned towards him when he spoke, tilting her head with a gentle smile. "I'm sure you will do well then," she beamed warmly, "You remind me of a third year named Kyle Parker. I believe he is American. I think you two would get along well." She turned a bit pink at those words and bowed toward the upperclassman, although she wasn't quiet sure if she bowed directly enough. It was hard to keep a firm point on where people stood when you couldn't see them.

"I bet you will do wonderfully," her honey sweet voice said with such cheerfulness, "I hope to talk with you again." Walking into the girl's dressing room, she made sure to at least give him a little time for response before entering. Her hair stilled tied up, still damp but almost dry, she rinsed herself off without getting too wet all over again. Changing into her clothes, a pale pink sun dress with a sunny yellow belt and dainty white shoes, she folded her wet clothes and put them into her bag. Leaving the dressing room, she took out her white cane.

"I will be cheering for you, Tanaka-sempai," she said with a smile.

Kyle: "To be honest this was the first place mentioned to me, I didn't really have a whole lot of time to look at other schools, and Yamaku has a pretty good reputation as far as I knew, so this ended up being my first and only choice. If there are other schools back in the US like this place, that info never came to light and even then...well...if I'm going to be going to school, I might as well pick a good one right?"

It wasn't quite the answer she had expected. Kaori had assumed that he came to Japan to go to school at Yamaku but this apparently wasn't the case. From what he had said it seemed as if he was already in Japan when he lost his arm and then chose to come to Yamaku because he couldn't be bothered to look online for schools back home? Surely it wouldn't have taken more than an hour to compare a few schools. She wanted to learn more about it but, considering how she felt about her own disability, she didn't think Kyle would really want to talk about his own condition. Maybe Kyle is a laid back person and didn't feel the need to look for other options since Yamaku was available? Or maybe he is one of those people who just does things without thinking them through? "That sounds a bit irresponsible..." Oh no! Did I just say that out loud!? "What I mean is that it just seems... uh... like... um... a very... uninformed decision." Smooth, Kaori.

"That sounds a bit irresponsible..."

That one made him stop in his tracks, "ouch", he looked at his companion as she started spitting out words. Kyle began reviewing his past life choices, taking her words into careful consideration and realized, she was right. From being determined to fight from the start because of his father's whim, all his matches, the training, and god smiting him on that match leaving him with no future, all product of irresponsible choices. Even his choice to come here to Yamaku, when he could have researched other places; irresponsible. This time though, he couldn't fail, he had to make it through and find a future for himself. He shook his head at her, finally ready to give an answer.

"You're right, it was irresponsible, but I've always been one to make decisions like this on the spot, its just what I do." He really didn't want to leave the conversation on a bad note like this, so as he started walking again he asked her, "So, about you taking my picture earlier, are you a photographer or are you really just a stalker?" He smiled at that, a little teasing never hurt anyone.

An American student at Yamaku? Now that's definitely a piece of information that he was needing. Things like that were always useful to know. Actually, now that he thought about it-he'd heard something about an American student yelling at another girl. Something about his arm and losing what he had. That....was actually a pretty common sentiment. Those students who hadn't been born with their conditions-or hadn't known about them-often raged at the loss of their "normal" life. For his sake, Isamu hoped this Kyle person would come to terms with what happened, even if he still never really became okay with it.

As Mizukimura left, he called after her. "Thank you! If you get into it, I'll cheer for you all the same!" Collecting his thoughts as she left, he went back to swimming. He still had a bit of cardio to do, and swimming wasn't a terrible way to keep in shape. Pausing, Isamu gently slapped the water with his hand, listening to the sound. "Even with the water, those ears can pick up anything. Guess I shouldn't be surprised." Taking a deep breath, he dove into the water and started swimming underwater, quickly turning and pushing off of the wall as he reached it.

After about another twenty minutes of swimming, Isamu came out of the pool and changed back after rinsing his body off in the males' dressing room. When he made it back to the dorms, his first order of business was to get back to his room and do a little homework. After getting a good start, he stretched his arms and looked at the DVD on his dresser. Over twenty years old, an American movie he'd picked up on a whim. Die Hard 2. Chuckling, he grabbed the DVD and his portable DVD player, making his way to the common room. He preferred having others around, even if he was doing something only he could enjoy.

The sunlight was receding and hiding like an awkward teenager at a beauty pageant, and Mariko was starting to shiver in the sudden mild coolness. It wasn't like she was sensitive or anything. Her immune system was better then most. It had been the one thing keeping her together when she was nothing but STEM cells soup floating in afterbirth. Mariko blinked, and reached a hand up to her eye. A lash had detached itself and was perilously close to sticking itself in her eye. She wiped it away, before wiping it off on her skirt. Seems like the day was nearly over. Even though the sun was still pretty high in the sky, Mariko's day lay open and untouched like an empty box. Time to fill it up. She pushed past the doorway, up the stairs and into her room. Her sanctuary. Kept always just a little warmer then outside, so going in always felt like a warm hug from a room. It felt alive. Perhaps people weren't meant to have such a close relationship with living space, but this one made it work. She sat down in front of her desk, swept aside some of her paper folded mutations, pulled up her keyboard, and began.

A couple of hours later, she pulled herself away, before she really lost her temper. Her breath came thick and fast,like she'd been running. Strategy games always got her temper fuming. She rested her head back on the uncomfortable seats, noting how unfamilliar it felt. She'd been close, this time, but the gods of random chance had been against her.from the start. And there'd been that one archer who fired like he owned an AK-47 in a world of swords and arrows, killing off Mariko's best troops. She though she'd had a chance to salvage it all and continue until the computer's reinforcements had arrived and she'd ended up knee deep in corpses. She quit after that. It had all been a massacre.

Her heartbeat had calmed down now, and all that the computer was showing was her desktop: Green grass and blue skies. She turned, and looked at the real deal outside her window.

It hadn't taken long to rule the teacher out. Her airhead tendencies made her easy to tail, her mannerisms nothing like the girl Fuyuki had stumbled into. With only two possibilities left, he decided to track the most likely offender first; Matsushita Mariko. The file on Matsushita was quite blank and he couldn't recall ever having a request relating to her... About the only details he had were a vague description of her appearance and disabilities, although perhaps illnesses would be the more accurate term. Tracking a girl he knew virtually nothing about was both a tremendous pain in the neck and a worthy challenge; nothing got his investigator's blood pumping quite like a blind hunt. It took hours though, trawling supplementary data files, striking up casual conversations with Matsushita's classmates, even sneaking into the staff room to read rotas. In the end, he managed to narrow down her room to a block of four; typically it was in the dorm directly opposite his... Knowing his luck, Fuyuki's room would probably look straight out into her window.

And visa versa.

As he made his way back to the dorms, intending to just try spying from his own room, he came across the girl heading to hers. Pulling up sharply he hid behind a tree, ignoring how suspicious he must have appeared; the worst thing that could happen now was if the girl turned around and recognised him and that risk far outweighed looking weird before a random student. Fortunately Matsushita carried on walking, presumably not hearing his stealthy footsteps as Fuyuki padded along behind. As she ascended to her room inside the girl's dorm, Fuyuki ran through his options; he could try sneaking in and perhaps listen in through her door, but that was a huge risk. Alternatively he could go with his earlier plan and spy from his own room; a pair of binoculars sat by his window for just such an occasion. However, he wanted to be able to see details and ideally hear what Matsushita was up to... A compromise was needed.

Normally Fuyuki was quite sensitive about his small stature but he did admit that it had its uses. He shot up the nearest tree like a squirrel, settling into the densest part of the greenery with the best view of Matsushita's window and tried not to feel like a peeping tom. From here he could hear her voice, watch her through the open window and was (hopefully) hidden from sight. Fuyuki settled in for a long stakeout, his PDA ready to take notes. Unfortunately his stamina wasn't up to the task and he found himself nodding off as time wore on. As hard as he fought, Fuyuki couldn't concentrate and eventually fell into a light sleep, quite safe in his adhoc tree house.

And in full view of Matsushita when she turned to look out her window.

How long had he started painting? Only a few minutes ago, an hour, had he been there for the last hundred years, a ghost of memories past? Honestly he did not know and he didn't really care either, that was the troubling part. The people of the cafeteria came and went providing a semi present background noise that was dampened by his headphones. Some watched him work for a little bit having nothing better to do. But they all left eventually after finding out that most of what he did was stand there and just stare intently at a wall for long periods of time and occasionally take a drink of water before deliberately making one stroke and then the process repeated over and over again like clockwork. One might of pondered this process and its greater meaning and they might of seen something in how each of his small movements seemed to be slow and thought out, every crane of his neck, or slight sag of his shoulders as if everything was choreographed into some very interpretive dance. These observations might of held a bit of truth, but in reality Ueda was not thinking at the current moment he was just acting and reacting never thinking just doing. It was the main reason he stilled did the whole “art” thing it helped him forget. Forget that he was dying, forget all those that he had failed, forget that he was slowly destroying himself, forget everything and just focus on the idea that he was slowly giving birth to.

Eventually though he knew that he was not going to get anymore work done at that moment. So he slowly began to pack his supplies back up: neatly, methodically, in total contrast to a man that was anything but. He put all the paints and all the brushes into a duffle bag which he picked up slowly as to not over exert himself and looked once more at the mural. It was nothing you could call Art yet. It was just a few lines a few lines in which he did not have a purpose for yet. The idea, the purpose, the subject it all came later for now it was just an escape. He left the cafeteria at a slow gait and proceed across the grounds and back into the “main building” as it was. He thought about taking the the elevator, but decided against it and he progressed up them and went on his path knowing exactly where he was heading and yet took his time. Not a lot of people were around, it was the weekend and evidently everybody was out doing things, nobody wanted to be inside a place of academic prestige. This was not necessarily a bad thing though, he never liked crowds he prefered to be able to hear himself think.

He eventually came to the art rooms and he entered. Of course they were empty not even Mr. Nomiya was still around. The sun as it slowly made its path towards setting sent small lazy beams through the window and all was peaceful. The smell of paint and clay was ever present in the room as he slowly brought the duffle bag down where he would be able to grab it again later. Unzipping it he brought out his brushes and walked over to the sink and turned it on and began to clean them. It was these routines that helped keep Ueda grounded to his reality. It prevented him from snapping inwardly and kept his thoughts in order. He had grown fond of the art room as he spent his years at the academy. The feel of the penecil shavings that have long been compressed together into a seemingly united layer over the floor, the tables rough with scratches and dried paint. It was all very peaceful and familiar to him. Eventually though he finished and left closing the door behind him.

He walked around in silence until he eventually found himself without knowing in the self dubbed music wing. Which consisted really of only a small number of rooms that happened to have instruments in them. He had found himself a room that he had never seen before, tucked behind a corner and down the hallway right next to the dead end, the only other thing back there being a janitors closet. But for one reason or another he was drawn to the room and so he tried the door. And to his great relief it swung upon with relative ease. The room was about the size of all the other classrooms, for one big difference being the decor. It was mostly posters of music things: Scales, chords, instruments. Though most of them were at the current moment dropping or falling down, as if not just he had never seen this room but the school had forgotten about it. What drew his eye was actually near the back of the room in a corner. It was a Steinway Grand Piano. Not something that you found usually sitting in the music room of a high school. No they belonged in concert halls, or the homes of really rich people. But there it was sitting and beckoning to Ueda to go over. He played the piano for sometime when he was younger, as advised by his physical therapist to keep the strength in his fingers up to speed and he occasionally found himself drawn to playing something. But he had not played for a few months. But the idea of playing such a beautiful instrument was more than he could just sit by and let go at the moment.

And so that was what he did sitting down and brushing a layer of dust that had formed over it as he opened it. He experimentally played a few notes and to his surprise they rang out clear as day. And then he closed his eyes trying to remember a time when he was little. Sitting on his father’s lap as he played on their own little piano nothing as grand as this, but it got the job done. Those were happier memories and he did not get a lot of those. But he prefered not to think about that because if he did for too long he was going to have to distance himself from the world in one way or another and he still needed to pay Toke a visit, so he did not want to use up his dwindling supply. So instead, he give himself another distraction and he began to play and without really deciding on what he was doing, he began to play one of the songs his father used to play. Separating himself from the world as he went along.

Mariko smiled, her eyes pointedly fixed on sky. A skilled observer of faces would've noticed a waxy, glassy quality to the smile. It had waaay too many teeth pressed too tightly together to even qualify as a smile. Mariko was a bad actor at the best of times. She sidled away from the window and out of it's view. Once out of the way, she dived for her desk. There wasn't anything suitable Not even the mop with the stupidly long handle she kept behind the door would reach that far, and she, Mariko, couldn't aim for peanuts. She grabbed what she was looking for: A rubber band. Perfect. She wrapped it around a few of her fingers, and grabbed a new piece of paper and folded it sloppily and haphazardly into a thick rectangle shape, a hornet. The schoolgirl's friend. She made three more, in case she missed with the first few. And fashioned a crude cone out of yet another sheets of paper, as a megaphone.

Mariko peeked over the window and stared at her target, a short hunched figure in the trees. He was squatting on a branch, hands disgustingly near his crotch. She loaded the makeshift catapult, and fired. It sailed clean over the pervert's head by a good few metres. Not a problem. That was why she'd made spares. The second got caught in a crossbreeze and passed to the right, but the third struck the boy. The distance made it to far to see precisely where, but she shot another one in the same direction to be safe. Then she grabbed the makeshift megaphone, and yelled.

"Would the sick Hentai fuck please stop peeping through the girls windows!?"

She had done it now. Kaori almost fell over trying to stop abruptly as Kyle was stunned by her words. She could see the contemplative look on his face. She had definitely made him angry, there was no way that he would just let her get away with calling him irresponsible. Kaori already knew what would happen next. He's going to yell at me, maybe even hit me! I remember from somewhere that Americans are very violent people. Is this how our abusive relationship will begin? He'll hit me right here! "Oh no..." I'll say "It's not his fault. I shouldn't have said those things!" Eventually I'll get used to it and it won't hurt as much. I'll tell people he has a good heart and that he's not always that kind of person. I'll tell people I can help him change!

Kyle: "You're right."
Kaori: "Eh?"
Kyle: "You're right, it was irresponsible, but I've always been one to make decisions like this on the spot, its just what I do."
Kaori: "Ehhhh?"
Kyle: "So, about you taking my picture earlier, are you a photographer or are you really just a stalker?"
Kaori: "Don't be stupid!"

Just like that he had taken her comment in stride and turned it back onto her. Kaori started walking again as they entered the outskirts of the town. She wasn't about to let him see her blushing red face again since he clearly enjoyed teasing her. "Of course I'm not a stalker. I was going to take some landscape pictures when I saw you." Her defiant posture had disappeared when she thought of him underneath that tree. She spoke softly, "I just thought you looked kind of cool..."

Kyle burst into laughter from her statement, the fact that she could go from concerned, to confused, to pissed in span of 10 seconds was hilarious on its own though. Maybe she thought he was going to do something worse than agree? Whatever the case she decided to put up a tough girl act in front of him, but he could tell he definitely got her flustered. Some could say he might have gone a little too far, but if she were really pissed she would show it, her display of bravado now was only because he caught her off guard.

"Of course I'm not a stalker. I was going to take some landscape pictures when I saw you," she paused momentarily and seemed to relax a bit, "I just thought you looked kind of cool..."

That made Kyle smile a little, that earnest speech she had about her was definitely refreshing, it was something he could appreciate. That being said it might be a bit corny to thank her on something like that, and he definitely didn't want to come across as cocky...well too cocky anyway. Silence and a small smile, it wasn't much but it didn't seem as corny and it was better than doing nothing.

"I'm a first time visitor to this town, I think you might have to lead the way," they stopped at the edge of the town, having finally made it down the hill, "where to, Master Chef?"

Tomohina had changed into a yukata after all. Her modesty had over ruled her desire to swim and her encounter with the upperclassman had ended up reverting her back to a need of more traditional clothing. Though she couldn't see, she could feel the difference. Wearing a sunny teal yukata with an orange obi, she ended up walking back towards the school buildings. Well, she might as well learn further layout of the buildings then. She didn't have friends to hang out with yet, but she might need to know more about the buildings at her new school for the future.

Roaming leisurely through the halls, it was a sound that caught her attention. It sounded like music, but it was so faint most people might not of even heard it. Following it like Alice might of followed that white rabbit, she concentrated on the echoing, haunting sound. Getting closer and closer, the jazzy sound of a piano began to get louder and louder. Curiously she finally found the room the music was coming from. Opening the door slowly, quietly, she stood there for a moment until the song was over. Whoever had been playing just seemed to stop the song suddenly.

"Is that how it ends?" she finally asked, her calm clear voice sounding a bit odd to her after she had been so engrossed in the sound of music, "The song?" She took a few steps inside the room, her eyes on the floor, but a smile on her doll-like face. Tilting her head to the side, she waited for their answer. It was a warm day, so the sound of cicadas rung through their silence and she almost felt a bit comforted. "Or perhaps I interrupted you," she grinned in a kind of amusement, edging cautiously in the foreign room, her white cane often hitting objects she had to touch to register as chairs, "You play really well."

Ueda was lost in a time and a place far away from the present. To a small inn in Nachikatsuura, that had no place in the world of fancy hospitals and large bills. The ever present warmth radiating from within no matter the coldest winter nights, the smell of his mothers kushikatsu dancing through the air romancing the noses of all that were within. The sound of laughter and absent minded chatter as people gathered in to starve off the cold of the winter nights or to gather in the warmth of the summer evenings. His father’s voice that seemed so deep and powerful when he was younger as it took up the entire room with its presence as he sang old love songs that got everyone to sing along as he played on the piano. And for a moment if only just a moment Ueda was not some strungout addict who was perfectly content on destroying himself slowly a process that still seemed easier than just waiting around to die. No, he was instead just a small little kid again before the hospitals before it all went seemingly downhill too quickly and he was happy and if he could he would have froze that moment forever and be perfectly content sitting in that small forgotten room, playing on a forgotten beauty. But he did not have that choice.

As Ueda continued to play he eventually heard the door open behind him quietly. He figured that it was some sort of teacher or a janitor that had heard him and had come to kick him out of the room. So he did what any reasonable person would do he completely ignored them and progressed. His father had told him the secret about Jazz was that it was all a matter of doing not thinking. It was looser and less structured then if you were playing Chopin or Handel, giving it the unpredictable quality that resonated so deeply with some people for it breathed life and movement. To play with one’s brain was to fail immediately it had to be felt with the heart. And so that was how Ueda played it was not as technical as some and sure there were faults to it at times the tempo jumped about, his finger work was a bit rusty as well as the movement in his own hands had been slowed do the axiata so that his brain wanted his hands to go faster than they could manage anymore. But of course those thoughts of the perfectionist within Ueda would always find something wrong with his own playing even if he did it perfectly. Finishing with a flourish he took a deep breath and found that a small sweat had formed, he having pushed his body farther than he imagined to perform as he did. Wiping his face with his arm, still facing away from his guest is when he heard a familiar voice.

It had an ethereal almost regal quality to it of somebody that had more wisdom than she was letting on. A quality that belonged to only one voice he could remember in recent memory and so he turned his head with a small shake of his head and the smallest of grins as he turned to face his one person audience. And there she was the second year that he had met on the first day.. what was her name? Oh yes Tomo Mizukimura the blind girl that had a strange calling for debating philosophy with strange older men. Her appearance alone dressed in a simple yukata with the grace seemingly the personification of a Yamato nadeshiko made him almost chuckle to himself. Like a princess... Princess yeah that describes her rather well. Ueda mused to himself as he grabbed his own cane which he laid down on the bench next to him and pushed himself up feeling his muscles protest and sharp pains running up and down his body. Blocking them out as he gritted his teeth as he straightened himself up and even though with her being blind it still seemed like the proper thing to do give her a slight bow with his head.

“Ah Mizukimura-san, I was not aware that I would have an audience today. I would have dressed up in one of my suits that I don’t own .” He explained with a grin as he stood by the piano and listened, to the tapping of her cane against the chair and the floors as she approached, mixing with the sounds of the insects outside and the sounds of voices somewhere in the distance as students crossed the campus grounds. “But I thank you for your kind words. And how have the hallowed halls of Yamaku and the plethora of interesting characters treated you on your journey so far?”

His breath hitched and shuddered as she heard the sound of another thicker cane scrap across the ground. And he spoke with a sort of smile in his voice. Her head perked in recognition of the voice that addressed her and she smiled brightly. It was a huskier voice that always sounded a bit lost in thought and was cool like spring water. Tomohina was able to get to the piano, placing her hand on its sleek edge. Her face tilted towards his voice, but her eyes stayed directed at the ground. Her dark hair was tied loosely over one shoulder, its wispy wavy ends more wild than usual what with her having taken a bath back in her room. It always made her hair a bit more fluffy and wavier than usual. "Nobuyuki-san," she said with a warm glowing grin, "so it was you who played so lively."

"Well," she hesitated but gave a small sheepish laugh, "It proves difficult finding steady friends, but everything in it's time, right?" She turned towards the piano, brushing her fingers over the keys, the ivory feeling smooth and cool even in the humid sunny day. "And you?" she asked in her gentle yet clear voice, "How have you fared? But then you have been here longer, so you must have a bit of an unfair advantage." It was a tender tease, just like when he had first spoken, though she felt a bit out of her comfort zone speaking so familiarly. But it felt relaxing to talk to someone she sort of knew. There was only too much polite conversations with stranger that she could take before feeling a bit downcast and wary of ever making friends. Yet it seemed this upperclassman, Kyle Parker and maybe even that upperclassman she had met at the pool were the ones she talk more casually too. With other girls she got too excited and would revert to speaking formally, which was perhaps her flaw. It put too much distance between her and others, she realized. Even so, speaking to the calm upperclassman was more freeing than she formerly realized. Perhaps it was because she only seemed to meet the kind who's voices effected her in more relaxing ways.

Kaori was glad to have something else to talk about other than their unusual encounter. Since Kyle wasn't familiar with the town she walked slightly ahead of him down the street. She had only visited the town once before to get food for the previous week but she knew exactly where the food store was. It was two blocks down the road on the corner of an intersection. When they finally reached the door they were greeted by a large sign hanging over the doorway that said 'Nanako's Nomnoms!!!". It seemed a bit out of place for such a quiet town but it was also in a very smart location since it was close to both the school and the center of town.

As they entered Kaori got right to work, handing Kyle a basket and taking one for herself. She practically breezed through the isles picking up vegetables, spices, and finally some beef and pork. She hadn't wasted any time getting what she would need, she even picked up some tofu although she honestly had no idea what kinds of food Kyle liked. "If you see anything you don't like just let me know, okay?" She continued to fill up her basket as she dragged him through the store.