[IC] Where It Always Rains

[Asura]

TOTSUKA RYUSEI
戸塚 竜星

---

introduce a little pickle juice. upset the established order.
and everything becomes chaos.

---

If the game didn't offer much in the way of amusement, the reactions it caused certainly did. As he absentmindedly sipped on his boba, Ryusei was given the opportunity to watch Shiori nearly kill herself with a tapioca ball, having taken a cue from himself and sucked down far too much of the sickly sweet treat in an attempt to cool her cheeks. It almost got to the point of wanting to help her, but thankfully enough she managed to swallow it down before he had to bust out the Heimlich maneuver on their first not-a-date. If the choking wasn't comical, watching her try to play it off as if nothing had happened definitely was, and he was thankful for the straw in his mouth if only because it made it easier not to laugh at her expense.

If she was hellbent on playing it cool, then he would follow suit. Putting his drink down, the teen shrugged. "You knew the risks going in. They're her cards."

Remembering that the game wasn't exactly finished until they had drawn for a third time, Ryusei drew another from the deck in front of them. She had said something to the effect of the symbols mattering most that time, so he hardly paid attention to the number as he placed it down. Instead, he focused on the four little hearts plastered across its face. Quite fitting, considering the subject matter of the conversation... and the comment he followed it up with.

"Might have some merit, though. You have been hitting on me all day."

Another nonchalant sip followed.

[Hero]

---

---

Son of a bitch. How did she know he was going to turn it around on her?!

Shiori immediately opened her mouth to protest but immediately snapped her mouth shut. Instead, she quickly looked around, scanning the place. Okay, good, no sign of Ariyoshi. That meant it was safe to talk without fearing that smug, knowing smile of hers. The girl was a witch when it came to this sort of thing, so she wanted to make absolutely sure the coast was clear.

Alright, first things first: Shiori could not ignore his smartass comment. "If anyone has been flirting all day, it's definitely you," She countered, placing her boba down so she could properly glare at him. "It's like you're going out of your way to rile me up. That's why Ariyoshi is convinced this is a date, you can't go five seconds without teasing me!"

She let out a huff, all riled up again. "I'm just reacting to all the things you're doing. You're the one that decided to look cute, so I'm just paying compliments where they're due," She stated. "That said, if you weren't so smug about it, I'd happily accept the flattery."

---

[Asura]

TOTSUKA RYUSEI
戸塚 竜星

---

introduce a little pickle juice. upset the established order.
and everything becomes chaos.

---

The way Shiori went out of her way to conspiratorially look around before speaking clued Ryusei in on what she was going to say before she even said it. Granted, he hadn't expected her to be so forthcoming with her actual feelings on the matter. He'd lose all credibility if he let a little comment about him being cute managed to get him all flustered, so he swallowed down that embarrassment to deal with later. He had to maintain his cool, if only so he could continue to maintain control on the situation—he had decided he liked when he kept the redhead on the defensive, and thankfully, her comments had more than opened her up for a few good counters.

"It's like I'm going out of my way to rile you up because I am. You said it yourself, right? There's nothing fun to do around here, so I'm making my own," He explained matter-of-factually, "You shouldn't be so fun to tease if you don't want to be teased. If anybody is to blame for Ariyoshi getting ideas, it's you for blushing like a schoolgirl whenever I make a comment."

He could practically feel the outburst coming in response to that one. Frankly, he probably deserved it, considering his propensity to poke the proverbial hornet's nest. But, he had already so thoroughly prodded her over the course of the day. Maybe she had earned a reprieve. Before she could start barking in protest, he leaned forward, giving her the smallest hints of the smile he had wore earlier.

"But, that's fine with me. I like it when I make you blush. You're pretty when you're flustered," It was probably for the best that he had lowered his voice as the words left his lips, if only because he didn't exactly have confidence in his ability to keep his own cheeks pale if he had said that within earshot of the proprietor's daughter. As he withdrew back to his side of the table, he pushed the deck towards Shiori's, and then snagged his tea back from where he had placed it, swirling about the little he had left before taking a sip.

"Your turn." He had all but returned to his previous bored facade by that point, which, he hoped, would only worsen the effect his words would have on her.

[Hero]

---

---

Fuck this guy. Fuck him and his fucking honesty. Fuck him and his ability to just say the dumbest shit with a completely straight expression and just sit there sipping his fucking boba like he didn't just go saying the most embarrassing thing she could think of! Also, fuck him, she WAS a schoolgirl! How else was she supposed to react when he teased her?! What was she supposed to do, she wasn't used to hearing these things aimed at her! She scared off most boys with a glare, it wasn't her fault she didn't know what to do! This was victim-blaming at it's highest!

Shiori was visibly red, though whether it was embarrassment or anger was debatable, especially as any retort she could have had dissipated with his fucking comment. She almost gasped, staring at him with wide eyes, though it lasted all of two seconds before her expression soured. How could he just say something like that?! Her grip on her boba tightened and she angrily drank from it. Her face felt hot, so she was definitely blushing, but she was so angry she didn't care. Fuck this guy and his fucking cologne and his fucking hair! She couldn't stand him!

Once he pointed out the deck, she let out a huff, stuffing a wagashi into her mouth to buy herself time. Fucking asshole. Fine! Fine, he wanted to see her cute and pretty, he would get exactly that while she stayed angry. Being angry comforted her, anyway! She whipped the top-most card from the deck and slammed it down next to his. The face revealed that despite being one, it had a single heart on it. It would be fucking hearts of all things, she swore she was going to burn this place down--

"Oh," Shiori's anger poofed away entirely for a moment as she realized something. Ariyoshi never finished explaining the game. "...she wants us to ask her what the third part is." She sighed, leaning back in her seat.

There was no way that was going to happen. The disappointment surprised her, but she was sure neither one of them wanted to let Ariyoshi have her way. She could already imagine Totsuka making some kind of comment that she needed to step up since he was the one that started the game. Then again, maybe he was just trolling her--he did say he had to make his own fun.

Shiori looked at Totsuka directly, though she found it hard to keep eye contact. "...you keep saying those things, but I really feel like you're making fun of me," She ended up admitting, staring at the cards. "Which, whatever, do what you want, but..."

She fell silent. What was she trying to say? "I'm flustered 'cause you're cute and I don't know how to react."

---

[Asura]

TOTSUKA RYUSEI
戸塚 竜星

---

introduce a little pickle juice. upset the established order.
and everything becomes chaos.

---

It didn't take a rocket scientist to see what Shiori had pointed out; of course Ariyoshi wanted them to ask her the final segment of the game. Her attempts at getting them to play her little matchmaking game hadn't been the least bit subtle, and while it had given him ample opportunity to tease the poor girl across from him, he wasn't looking forward to seeing the smug satisfaction on their classmate's face when she came meandering back with their food. The cards, however, turned out to be the least of his worries. He had become accustomed to the animosity and snark the redhead espoused whenever he provoked her with his words. So, when instead she devolved into surprisingly sincere murmuring, he didn't exactly know what to do.

Had he gone too far with his teasing? True, he had been toeing the line ever since they had met up earlier. It was easy enough to take his little comments as flirting, even before he had gone and called her pretty of all things. But, having gotten caught up in the moment and said that, it was no wonder she was flushing like a tomato and admitting she found him cute, and that he had put her on the back foot. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. It wasn't a date. He couldn't allow himself to get that comfortable, to become that attached to a girl after only one week—pretty when flustered or not. Utsubyo wasn't his home, and desperate for any kind of reprieve from his doldrums as he was, he had forgotten that. He needed to pivot things in a different direction, or he'd have a girlfriend by the end of the afternoon.

"React however you want," He muttered, directing his eyes elsewhere, "It's not like we're a couple or anything."

As he had been doing habitually over the course of their not-a-date, Ryusei sipped at his tea once again. Unfortunately, his tendency to find solace in tea whenever things got uncomfortable had bit him in the ass, and he found himself practically out of the sugary drink. Shaking his empty cup in the air, he called out for their waitress. Better to get her intrusion over with now, and besides, maybe Ariyoshi's presence would serve as a useful distraction from the awkwardness that had filled their conversational void.

"Oi. Another tea."

[Hero]

---

---

Shiori watched Totsuka carefully like she was trying to figure out what was going on in that brain of his. Tragically, she was not a people person, so she wasn't sure what he was thinking. When he did finally talk, though, he just told her to take it how she wanted and that they weren't a couple. Way to state the obvious, she already knew that! He was infuriating, but it wasn't like he was going to give her a straight answer, not when he wouldn't even look at her. What did she expect from the same dude happy to 'rile her up' anyway? Asshole. She got her hopes up for nothing and let him yank her chain for too long.

Shiori outright scoffed, crossing her arms tightly and leaning back against the seat. She stared at a bird outside pecking at someone's lunch that had fallen on the ground. Maybe she should just go home, she was getting depressed and confused.

At Totsuka's call, Harumi happily approached, taking his cup from his hand. "I'm so glad you enjoyed it, you drank it so quickly!" She said as she placed it on her tray, doing the same with Shiori's empty cup. On nothing her expression, Harumi looked concerned. "You look upset, Himawari-san. Was there something you didn't like about it?"

"I'm hungry," Shiori grumbled. "Can you hurry it up? I wanna go home."

Harumi blinked slowly, turning to Ryusei. She opened her mouth, though she wisely chose not to comment. She did, however, look down at the table, examining the cards. "Oh. Are you upset about your results?" She asked.

Shiori threw a glare her way. "Can you stop that? I've told you to cut it out already!" She snapped.

The other girl hesitated, though she picked up her cards, pocketing them. "I'm sorry. I'll be right back with your tea and food." She bowed deeply, picking up the tray and departing to the kitchen.

The redhead let out another huff and sank into her seat, looking back out the window. "So annoying," She mumbled.

---

[Asura]

TOTSUKA RYUSEI
戸塚 竜星

---

introduce a little pickle juice. upset the established order.
and everything becomes chaos.

---

It took a fair deal of effort on Ryusei's part not to let loose a groan as he spectated the brief interaction between their waitress and his companion. Great, she was in a mood now. Not that she wasn't always in some kind of mood, but the fact she was already openly declaring that she wanted to go home indicated that she was especially grumpy. Had she been hoping for some kind confession on his part? They hardly knew each other! She had even been adamant on her part that it wasn't a date, so the fact she would get angry with him for rebuffing her was baffling. True, he had baited her in with a compliment before suddenly pulling back, but that didn't mean he was interested in her like that. He could at least take solace in the fact it wasn't, in fact, a date—having the girl storm off in a huff wasn't exactly a great look for anybody involved, and with how the last few weeks had gone, he wasn't sure his ego could take another blow like that.

Growing tired of the spiral of his thoughts, the young delinquent dragged his mind to the present. Shiori sat across from him, sulking in whatever darkness occupied her own mind. He couldn't exactly just sit there in silence, eat his food, and then go home. She was the closest thing to an acquaintance he had at Utsubyo High, and if he left things off where they were, he'd undoubtedly get the cold shoulder on Monday and beyond. Not that she wasn't usually at least a little cold to him, but if Ariyoshi was confident enough in her assessment that they were a couple to tease them, the rumor mill surely saw them as such too. He didn't want some sleazy headline about their torrid love affair ending over a sandwich at a local cafe plastering every page of the rag they called a school paper. Which meant he needed to salvage things, without somehow giving her the idea he wanted to be tongue deep in her mouth by Wednesday.

Crinkle. Crinkle.

He found his answer in one of the napkins provided. A few corners torn free, a little bit of rolling, and he had a neat little ball before him on the table. Putting his hand on the table just behind it, he let the tension in his fingers build for a moment, and with a sudden flick, sent it sailing across the table and past Shiori's head. Then another. Then a third. By the fourth ball, he was confident he had zeroed in on his target, and flicked the last one high, fast, and most importantly, directly at her forehead.

[Hero]

---

---

There were a surprising amount of people out and about today, or at least, it looked that way to her. Then again, this was sort of close to the town's center and had plenty of business to go around. It was mostly older people though, with the occasional kid running around like a maniac. Some were even coming this way, likely wanting to grab a bite to eat while they were out. No one looked particularly excited, but they seemed content enough, save for some dude sobbing into what was probably a small paycheck. Yikes.

Shiori let out a tiny sigh. She supposed sitting around all mopey was going to give off the wrong idea. She wanted to go home and sleep until Monday. At least school gave her some sort of guidance, though admittedly she had been tempted to skip. Doing stuff was more fun when she had responsibilities to avoid.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt something hit her head. Her hand flew to her forehead, though the culprit bounced harmlessly to the table. She stared at it for a second, though she slowly raised her gaze to meet Totsuka's, coupling it with an expression of disbelief. Really? He was throwing stuff at her?! Snatching up the ball, she immediately threw it back at him.

"If you're that bored, you should've told Ariyoshi to leave the deck for some Koi-Koi or Go-Stop," She scolded him as she grabbed another napkin, crumpling it up to make another ball. Despite her words, however, she tossed the napkin ball at him.

---

[Asura]

TOTSUKA RYUSEI
戸塚 竜星

---

my father was a pickle. and his father before him.
not long from now i too will become a pickle.

---

It seemed his ploy had worked. If nothing else, flicking paper at the ornery delinquent had gotten her out of her head and back into the discussion, even if it was to chide him for his behavior. Of course, it became rather obvious that he didn't exactly know what to do thereafter. Himawari was definitely in a foul mood, and he wasn't adept at maneuvering around the feelings of others. Hell, he wasn't especially adept at maneuvering around his own feelings, as he had come to realize earlier in their little outing. It was probably best to keep things casual, engage in some inane banter to carry the day, finish their food, and part as amicably as possible.

But that sucked. When the hell had he ever been some witless normie, too scared of broaching the hard topics to say anything of worth? Sure, when he rebuffed the redhead, he had probably hurt whatever feelings the otherwise apathetic girl was capable of mustering, but he couldn't do anything about that. Instead, he could focus on the other thing that was probably gnawing at her, as much as she tried not to let it show.

The teen used his forefinger to slide the ball that had bounced off his chest so that it sat directly parallel to his companion. Then, winding up his fingers not unlike a footballer taking a shot, he flicked it hard enough to send it flying across the table to its source.

"You're the one who invited me out, y'know? It's your responsibility to keep me entertained," He chided playfully, "But I suppose Ariyoshi did go sticking her nose where it didn't belong, so she'll have to take some responsibility, won't she?"

He peeked over the back of the booth, utilizing one of the few advantages of being so ungodly tall, and gestured for the waitress to approach once he caught sight of her returning from the back.

"The third pair. What's it mean? I'm... curious." He lied, but if Himawari was too shy to ask, then he'd do it for her. Besides, what was Ariyoshi gonna do? Mock him for it? Most people thought twice about doing that—another advantage of height.