Inner Turbulence [Open]

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

Ryosuke's home wasn't too far from the beach that he and the Tumbling gang normally met at to practice and fool around on. On the most turbulent of his bad days, he'd found some comfort in going to that same beach and just sitting and watching the waves.

Today wouldn't have brought him the same comfort.

The risk of running into one of his teammates, the thought of being on the same beach he'd had only truly happy memories of....he'd hopped a bus close to the center of town and made a solo trip to the ocean side much further south after class.

And here he was, alone, just as he had been the entire bus ride to this place, sitting at the tip of the coast line where he was only just safe from being touched by the dying waves. He didn't know how much longer he would stay--he supposed however long he needed--but he was sure that eventually the water would reach him, and he wouldn't really protest if it wanted to take him away with it.

Lost to his thoughts, Ryosuke ran his hands backwards through the sand, curling his fingers at the end of each gesture to pick up handfuls that just as quickly slipped through his grasp.

He'd had a lot of dark thoughts lately, between trouble with schoolwork and issues at home, accompanied by the 10,000 other secrets he'd been holding tight.....he was surprised he was still even going to classes at all. His inner demons seemed to be coming out during Tumbling practices too. His work ethic was half of what it had been before, and more than that, he'd found himself growing more distant from the rest of the group. Ryosuke was willing to bet that part of it had to do with his recent encounter with Kiyama, at his own damned home. He wondered if Kiyama had told the team he'd gone to Ryosuke's very house to beat him down, if maybe he'd blabbed to the other guys that Ryosuke was acting like a girl and being all weepy and sulky. Anyway, not like he needed to tell them...Try though he might to pretend otherwise or just put on a cold facade, Ryosuke knew his tensions had to be at least somewhat obvious to his teammates. It was partly what was making him keep his distance.

The biggest problem was that he saw no immediate way out of the issue, and certainly not with his feelings. Then there was the issue at home. His mom had made it a point, the morning following Kiyama's late night visit, to round on him for having someone like the dark-haired Yankee over.

"Look, Ryosuke, all of us here try to keep out of your business. I don't agree with whatever it is you do, and I doubt I ever will," she'd reprimanded, resembling something of his own Yankee personality by getting right into his face and demanding he listen with the look in her eyes alone. "But when you bring those kinds of people to our house, then I have something to say about it."

"And what's that?" he'd asked her, looking away as he ducked into the fridge to grab a can of CC Lemon.

"Don't. Just don't. You can go screw around outside, you can fail all your classes and join the damned Yakuza, but don't you dare bring any of that here. Don't put your family at risk for your mistakes."

And then she'd stormed off.

Ryosuke had already been feeling crestfallen because of the issues with Hino and Mizusawa--their damned secret that he was trying so hard to keep--and then Kaoru, who seemed to be working double time to make sure his admiration for her proved futile. Those things had been bad enough. Then Kiyama had tried to threaten him into giving answers about things he couldn't understand, mistaken what had been Ryosuke apologizing for something else, and now the Tumbling team probably thought he was just being an *ss, just lazy or bored, and not wanting to work at rhythmic gymnastics anymore.

In a way, the family troubles, though it was currently the one weighing heaviest on his mind, was the least of his problems. Ryosuke couldn't help wondering, though, if maybe partly why he was so distressed was due to the fact that he was all alone in it. He hated being alone. And yet, he had to be, in a way. At least in this case. The only people he could probably talk to were Hino or Mizusawa, and yet not only was it somewhat difficult to even get Hino for a second to talk, but Mizusawa had seemed sort of distant, lately, as well. Not in a cold, intentional way, but one that Ryosuke wasn't quite sure he felt up to trying to figure out.

"It's all....useless." Ryosuke fisted the last handfuls of sand he'd brushed through and threw them out as far into the incoming water as he could manage. He felt like that sand, or his emotions did, anyway. Strung out all over the place, hidden among all the other grains of sand that made up every day life. Now, it seemed, he was just waiting for the high tides to come wash all those problems away.

"Useless." He dropped onto his back, resting his head in the sand beneath him, grateful for the late afternoon sun's warm rays as it made a suddenly hasty trip for the horizon. It was the only thing to counter the otherwise wintry chill. And Ryosuke felt he had enough of that coldness inside himself right now.

He didn't hear the approaching footsteps over the sound of the waves.

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Keiko’s outfit


Keiko didn’t normally venture off so far. If she wasn’t at home, or school, or even work, she would walk along the beach, taking in the scenery, the wind, even the occasional cry of a seagull. But lately… She frowned as she made her way along the beach, lately there were more and more fights breaking out around the small town. One in particular that had happened recently was at the local arcade. She didn’t go there a lot, but still, if anyone she knew was there when the fight broke out…

Her frown deepened. Delinquents were always causing problems. The arcade was closed for a full week after that brawl broke out, her sister complaining the entire time. She stopped in her walk, leaning down to pick up a stray stick. Keiko held it up, her eyes squinting against the setting sun before bringing the stick down, letting it trail behind her.

As she continued her small trek, the arm holding the stick came forward, Keiko herself twirling in a small circle, letting her mind wander as she seemed to dance around in the sand, her stick drawing squiggly lines all around her footprints. After moving forward a couple of feet, she stopped, her free hand on her head as her vision swam. She blinked a couple of times, regaining her balance. No more dancing around in the sand.

Keiko turned her attention to the sea, a few seagulls flying around, diving towards the water. Her hand twitched, and she quietly berated herself for not bringing along her notebook. The scenery around her was too beautiful not to be written about. Her focus traveled back to the beach itself, eyes scanning over the area, the words writing themselves in her head, when she spotted someone lying on the sand. The blond hair was the first thing that caught her attention, the second being the skulls. Keiko felt herself cringe, pausing in mid-step, her stick no longer drawing lines in the sand, why would anyone be obsessed with skulls? She knew that person.

No, no she didn’t.

She recognized him. He was one of the delinquents in Atsushi’s club. A couple of girls in her class had gone out with him, she knew his reputation, of him having eight girlfriends at one point, of him being the right hand man to the head of Karasumori High, Azuma Wataru.

She shuddered, how could Atsushi ever be friends with them? She didn’t understand, nor did she want to.

Taking a deep breath, Keiko resumed her walk, her grip on the stick tightening as she moved closer to the Yankee on the ground. The boy seemed to be sleeping, his eyes closed, and the sun’s rays making his face appear an orangey-yellow. Her footsteps slowed as she reached him, from her angle, his face was almost angelic, as if the dark clothes and the bleached hair and the skulls weren’t an issue. His chest rose and fell with steady breathing, and Keiko found herself rooted to the spot, the waves crashing softly to her left, not reaching both of them, but getting there. She didn’t have a doubt that within the hour, the Yankee before her would be covering in water.

She thought for only a minute that maybe she should open her mouth, make herself known to the blond in front of her, but stopped, instead, her eyes glancing down to her hands.

Keiko bit her lip, knowing this was probably a stupid move on her part, she didn’t like Yankees, didn’t want to associate them, even though they seemed to show up when she least expected it, and slowly raised her stick.

With a deep breath, she gave the delinquent in front of her a poke with her stick. Once, twice, a third time before finally stopping. If he didn’t respond after three pokes, she was safe.

…Hopefully.


ooc: I hope this was okay, Marysa.

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

ooc: Keiko's outfit is cute! ^^v Ryosuke's just boring--he's in his school uniform~ *poke poke* XD And this post was really well-done, so thank you for hopping in! And hope I gave enough to work with!

Despite that inner turmoil within himself, Ryosuke felt almost relaxed on the beach. Just lying there, under the sun's caring warmth, seeing nothing, hearing only the powerful roar of the ocean waves.....

He'd never been one for nature. His life had started in the city and, in many ways--he felt--remained there, but something about this moment, something about knowing that in many ways, nature dictated how one's life would go, what fate people end up with, made things feel better. Even though he felt like his heart and soul were being tortured by everything going on in his real life, in the end, if things were meant to be, they were meant to be, right? You can't change destiny.

Ryosuke hadn't even realized that he'd dozed off until he felt the small jabs in his side. At first, he thought they were the product of an odd dream, Yuuta telling the team that they'd decided to do only a four man competition and that Ryosuke was out for being a lazy good-for-nothing, at which point he'd begun poking him out of the circle of his Tumbling teammates with one of the female gymnastic team's batons. And then the blonde Yankee's mind made the connection that the urking feeling of being poked had not been the result of him suddenly being back at Karasumori and back with his friends, but on the beach with....

Ryosuke opened his eyes.

A girl.

Ryosuke didn't know her well, he wasn't even sure he knew her name, but he did know she was in the same year at Karasumori. A friend of Kaneko's too, if he wasn't mistaken.

The Yankee wondered what she was doing in these parts, so far from the school. She probably lived nearby, he guessed, though why she'd taken to poking him randomly....

He looked up at her, not entirely sure what to say. He was a bit groggy, he was more than a bit grumpy, and he'd begun to lost his edge with girls in general. He wasn't entirely sure there was anything he could say that would make the situation easier.
And then again, he wasn't entirely sure why she'd been poking him either. He'd fallen asleep, sure, but....

There was a loud roar of disapproval from the incoming ocean waves as they sloshed over the sand, only just missing his shoes, and then Ryosuke got it.
The tide was coming in. She'd probably wanted to wake him up before he got swept off--not that he particularly minded, at this point.

Pushing his elbows down into the sand, Ryosuke hoisted himself up a bit and blinked back the last remnants of an incomplete nap, squinting at the new arrival against the still-blinding sun behind her.

"Thanks....assuming you woke me up because of the tide coming in." He paused. Headache... "For some reason, I think I'd know you better if you always went around poking people....with sticks..."

The sounds of the ocean, the caw of a bird in the distance. Still, it felt too silent. Ryosuke looked down at the golden sand wondering if he looked as much like a pathetic wretch to this girl as he felt, then grabbed his bag and forced himself to his feet, brushing sand from his pants in the process. Truth be told, he could go off and find another part of the beach to rest on, but the girl from his year--assuming it really had been her intention to help--had been right in waking him up to escape the incoming tide. Much as he might like to just allow it to sweep him away, he knew things couldn't be that easy. Shouldn't be that easy.
He didn't want to, but he'd have to try again tomorrow. And it was better he get back to the center of town--at least--and find something else to consume his time. Hopefully he wouldn't run into that gang again....the one from the Arcade. Though, not that he particularly minded if they beat him to a pulp either.....

"Uhhh....again," Ryosuke spoke suddenly, slinging his schoolbag over his shoulder. It felt really odd, being awkward around a girl. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt that way. "Thanks...Sorry if I took your stretch of beach or something. And..." He hesitated. "Name's Ryosuke. We're in the same year...Guess I'll see you in school then."

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Welcome! I am... not entirely pleased with how I ended this


He moved.

He moved.

Keiko stepped back a bit as the boy opened his eyes, looking up at her before his attention was distracted by the crashing waves near by. She kept a weary eye on him as he hoisted himself up into a sitting position, "Thanks....assuming you woke me up because of the tide coming in." He paused. "For some reason, I think I'd know you better if you always went around poking people....with sticks..."

Keiko felt herself blink, a bit surprised at the reaction she was getting. It didn’t make sense. She just poked a Yankee with a stick. A stick. And he was thanking her for it? This was one weird guy. Her upper lip twitched, but she moved back some more as the blond got to his feet, grabbing his bag along the way, brushing off stray pieces of sand that stuck to his pants.

Her grip on the stick tightened, ready in case he tried something. She could see him finish up brushing off his pants, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Uhhh....again," the boy spoke up suddenly; Keiko looked towards the sea, for some reason feeling really awkward, but not knowing why. "Thanks...Sorry if I took your stretch of beach or something. And..." He hesitated. "Name's Ryosuke. We're in the same year...Guess I'll see you in school then."

Once more, Keiko found herself blinking, mostly in confusion this time, rather than surprise. This guy, this delinquent, wasn’t like the others. Sure, his clothes and bag were covered in skulls; she could see his ring on his left hand even had one, but… he seemed a bit… off? She frowned, letting the grip on her stick loosen. This guy was suddenly on first name basis with her.

Turning back to the guy, Ryosuke, she sized him up. For some reason, being near him didn’t feel like a threat. He was just so… She didn’t know what exactly he looked like, down? Depressed? Awkward? She glanced down at her stick, tapping it against the sand. “Um…” She kept her head down, feeling silly for even speaking up, “This isn’t my ‘stretch of beach’ or anything. I was just walking around.” She peeked upwards, through her bangs, “You don’t have to leave. And um…” She turned her gaze towards the water once more, “my name’s Keiko. You’re in Atsushi-kun’s club, right?”

Keiko bit the inside of her mouth, knowing she should probably shut up, but her lips kept moving, “Is everything alright?” Sneaking a look over to Ryosuke, she felt her cheeks start to burn, her stick still tapping against the sand. “I know we don’t really know each other very well…” She shrugged, “But you look like you have something you want to get off your chest.” She stopped tapping her stick, noticing for the first time that she ended up making small dents in the sand. She took a deep breath, breathing in the salty air, “So… are you okay?”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

OOC: Why? Don't feel bad! I thought it was just fine!


Keiko seemed unsure of things. “Um…This isn’t my ‘stretch of beach’ or anything. I was just walking around.” She returned his gaze again. “You don’t have to leave. And um…my name’s Keiko. You’re in Atsushi-kun’s club, right?”

Ryosuke shrugged, though he was almost positive his mind was made up. "Yeah, I guess I don't..." He hesitated. "It might be better for both of us, though. I'm sure you've got better things to do and I should probably get home. Anyway, nice to meet you. You are Kaneko's friend then...I thought so. And yeah, I'm in the same club..."

Another pause.

"Well then..." He tried to smile her way, something that ended up becoming little more than a half-hearted grin, then started off in the direction of the main road again. It was a long walk back to the bus station.

“Is everything alright?”

The sound of Keiko's voice was unexpected, only just audible over the roaring of the ocean waves. Ryosuke stopped short in his tracks, slowly sliding his hands into his pockets. It seemed the rather emo-nature that had descended over him in recent days was obvious to everyone now, not just himself. He'd tried to hide it. Of course he had, no one liked spending time with a depressed person and even he was kind of embarrassed to admit it, but he could see he was heading downhill still, not up.

“I know we don’t really know each other very well…” A small pause. "But you look like you have something you want to get off your chest.”

Ryosuke hesitated for a moment. He didn't know Keiko well, though he knew Kaneko, bickering and nosy though he might be, was a pretty well-rounded guy. He likely wouldn't be friends with just any girl. And judging by Keiko's appearance and how he remembered her from classes, she'd always seemed the brainy, kind of thoughtful but quiet type. Hearing her words, he almost felt tempted to give in, just pour his heart and soul out to her, to anyone. Wouldn't it be easier that way? Wouldn't it be easier to just explain it all at once, do as Keiko said--get it all off his chest--, maybe finally go back to being his carefree self?

But no....he couldn't do that. The thing about Kaoru....maybe. Maybe Keiko could help him there--she was a girl, after all. Maybe she would know what he was doing wrong. But the issue with Mizusawa and Hino. No. No way. Keiko surely knew the both of them, and it wouldn't do to blab their story now. Gossip was gossip. That was one type of gossip he just <i>couldn't</i> give away....

About the recent brawl in the arcade too....Another thing weighing on his mind. But another thing he couldn't really just talk about with anyone. He really didn't know why he'd been chased and harassed. And no matter how much that weighed on his mind, it wasn't like he could just tell someone else and expect them to understand. They would think he was a liar. They would think he was just like all the other Yankees out there--street scum that had gotten in one brawl too many. He hadn't told his family, because he knew how they would react to such a thing. Keiko would probably run if she heard it, and for some reason, he suddenly wanted her to stick around. He.....

Ryosuke turned on the spot so that he was facing the ocean and his classmate once again. She actually looked concerned.

“So… are you okay?”

The Yankee thought carefully before responding, his mind whirring again, and took a deep breath of his own, inhaling the brisk sea breeze. "Do you ever get the feeling....you're doing something really wrong? Something that's leading you the wrong way in life and you can't escape? Or...or...." This wasn't like him; he couldn't believe he was saying these things. "...or that you're all alone?"

[Suzuki Keiko]

It was after her mouth stopped moving that she mentally hit herself. What was she thinking? No, this guy, Ryosuke, was perfectly fine, he didn’t have any problems, and if he did, it wasn’t like he was going to pour out his soul to her. He barely knew her! She barely knew him!

Keiko was two steps away from blowing off her concern, about to wave it off as nothing when she heard him take a deep breath. "Do you ever get the feeling....” She stopped herself, his voice catching her off guard, “you're doing something really wrong? Something that's leading you the wrong way in life and you can't escape? Or...or...."

She found herself looking down, suddenly feeling extremely out of place on the beach, as if she was in over her head. She didn’t know what was going on with this guy, but if he was only able to find solace in a deserted beach, miles away from town…

"...or that you're all alone?"

Keiko gulped, keeping her head down. Because really? Yeah. She did. After that whole fiasco with those delinquents, her personality already the way it was, she found herself alone more often than not. The only exception was Atsushi, but even then, with his club, he was always either busy or hanging out with his friends, leaving no time for her. Sure, Keiko could go out and befriend someone, that girl, Mari, seemed intent on making them best friends, or maybe that’s how she was with everyone, but it all seemed so… awkward. She couldn’t help but think she also kept Atsushi at a distance.

And then there was that thing with Watanabe. It seemed as though Keiko couldn’t get away from Yankees. They were everywhere, even when she least expected it. She didn’t know what she did to make Watanabe hate her, maybe by just existing? For sitting the wrong way? For daring to look at her???

Slowly, Keiko lifted her head, looking at the blond in the eye. “Yeah. Yeah, I have.” A breeze decided to drift by, her hair waving around widely, her hand coming up to hook a stray strand behind her ear. She turned her attention back to the sea, the tide not exactly in yet, and settled down onto the sand. Her knees hitched up, her arms wrapped around them. She glanced up at Ryosuke, the sun bright against his face. “If you want,” she began, turning away from him, back to the ocean, her stick now lying on the ground next to her, “you can talk to me.” She felt her lip twitch, though she was sure he couldn’t see it, “I promise not to poke you this time.”

She kept her eyes focused on the waves just a few feet away, a pair of seagulls were fighting over a fish in the distance, the water unearthing crabs from their hiding places, the breeze mussing up her hair even more.

Keiko was sure by now, maybe he was done making fun of her, he was done sprouting nonsense and he would leave well enough alone and she would find herself by herself with no Yankee in sight. She took a deep breath, her eyes closing themselves as another breeze flew by, grains of sand moving around her shoes, and Keiko waited for the sound of footsteps, to signal to her that Ryosuke was leaving.


oooc: I keep getting the feeling that I’m not leaving enough for you to work with and that my posts keep getting shorter D:

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

It took a moment, again, only the sounds of the ocean reminding Ryosuke that time was still passing between them, and finally Keiko responded. “Yeah. Yeah, I have.”

She settled down into the sand, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear, her back to him now. After a moment, she turned his way again, placing the stick she'd been carrying down onto the sand beside her.

“If you want, you can talk to me. I promise not to poke you this time.”

Ryosuke looked at the area beside the girl, Keiko, where she'd laid her stick, as if the sand would give him some advice on whether to take the proffered spot or not. He weighed his options carefully. Hadn't he already said so much? Maybe it was enough.

Yet he seemed to have gotten Keiko onto some kind of unpleasant train of thought. He'd tried to be attentive to his former girlfriends' needs in the past, and he'd always thought he'd done pretty okay, as difficult to understand as girls could sometimes be, but Kaoru had done something to him that made him more attentive than ever. Like he could just see when things were wrong, things he hadn't noticed in the past.
That had been Kaoru's work--Kaoru, the first girl he'd ever really seriously loved. More than like a female friend or a girlfriend. He was sure he loved her. And now, looking at Keiko, he could see there was something wrong with her too. He didn't know her well enough to really even make a guess of what that was, but given that it had been his words that seemed to have caused this....

With a sigh, Ryosuke lowered his schoolbag back onto the ground and took a seat by Keiko in the sand, waiting patiently for what she had to say. If there was something she wanted to say. She'd offered for him to talk, not herself.

The Yankee turned his attention to the stick lying in the sand. It was like a metaphor for his life, in a way. Among all the little grains of sand going on with their business, blending easily with the crowd and causing no trouble, he was like the gangly, awkward stick. Something foreign, something difficult, something causing trouble for the rest of the world, who was suddenly looking at him as though he didn't belong. And maybe he didn't. He'd felt similar sort of feelings, though to a much less depressing degree, when he'd first come to Miura City in middle school.

Lifting the object up in his hands, Ryosuke looked over at Keiko. Her eyes were closed.....did she really want him to talk? Did she want to talk? Again, maybe there was nothing more he could say. There was so much on his mind, and yet even though he could tell Keiko seemed to have serious troubles of her own, he actually felt that much better, just sitting with her and.....well, they only seemed to be caught up in their own thoughts right now, lost to their thinking, but having someone who didn't know so much about him.....it felt kind of good.

"We're....kind of pathetic, huh? The lonely ones. It's not like...we're really lonely, cuz there's gotta be people out there who are concerned about us. We just can't accept it. I mean....I..."

He broke off. He didn't know Keiko's story, but he knew his feeling of loneliness was probably mostly of his own making. His inability to share his inner turmoil with anyone, his inability to stop it from weighing down on him and affecting his actions and reactions... If he was lonely for a reason, it was because of himself, wasn't it? And yet, there didn't seem to be much he could do the change that.

He decided to try a different course. "So....are you okay?" He twirled the stick in his hands, momentarily considering poking her back with it if only to see if he could get her to smile, but refrained. He didn't know her well enough yet. With his luck, she'd call harassment on him like he'd thought Kaoru was going to.

OOC: Not at all! I really like your responses--they give me a chance to really think! And I feel bad for Keiko! >< I forgot her situation with the Yankees, poor thing!!!

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Sorry this took so long D:


She heard a sigh, before the sounds of something hitting the sand with a thud and next of someone taking a seat beside her. Her eyes remained shut, for fear of seeing Ryosuke next to her? She didn’t really know. Keiko never thought he would take her up on her offer, and now she didn’t want to know if he did.

Many thoughts were swirling around in her head, why he agreed to indulge in her silly question, her proposition, what she was getting herself into. For some strange reason, she kept running into Yankees, something she never wanted to do in the first place and since her first… problem with them, laying low was working to keep her out of trouble. Now trouble seemed to be finding her.

"We're....kind of pathetic, huh?”

Slowly, she opened her eyes, daring to take a peek at the delinquent beside her.

…He was holding her stick.

”The lonely ones. It's not like...we're really lonely, cuz there's gotta be people out there who are concerned about us. We just can't accept it. I mean....I..."

Keiko blinked, taking in the scene next to her. Here was this… really awkward looking delinquent, pouring out his soul… While holding her stick. For only a moment, she thought maybe he would take revenge on her for earlier, and poke her with the stick, but he only held it on his hands. There were worse things he could do to her, poking her back with her stick wasn’t all that bad, not really.

She watched as he twirled the stick in his hands, "So....are you okay?"

She tilted her head, feeling her shoulders shrug. She never intended on telling anyone her problems, her parents were too busy, her sisters could careless, not even Atsushi knew of her disdain for Yankees, though she guessed he might have figured it out at some point.

Keiko poked at the sand in front of her, picking some up with her thumb and index finger, letting the sand fall back onto the ground. “Depends on what you mean by okay, I guess.” Her fingers picked some up more sand, her eyes watching as the grains made their way back to the rest of the sand.

When there was no more sand in between her fingers, she let her hand fall, “Atsushi-kun is probably my only friend. He’s really nice, too nice, almost.” She let herself glance at Ryosuke, “You’re lucky to have so many friends.” She thought back at what he said before, “Did something happen?” She paused again, letting her head dip lower as another breeze flew by. “Or is it something you can’t talk about? I understand…if that’s the case.”


ooc: I will be honest. I don't really like this post XD;

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

ooc: It's okay!!! ^0^/ But don't feel bad about your posts! I've liked them so far!!! T____T (Actually, mine is kind of bad this time around--no, okay, it's really bad! I hope I've given enough to work with! ><)

Keiko seemed about as adamant to respond about her own issues as much as Ryosuke himself had. She shrugged a little, tilting her head to one side. And then, as if bored, or maybe not entirely sure what to do now that the two of them were sitting here, watching the tide come in, each waiting to hear the other's problems, she started playing with the sand. "Depends on what you mean by okay, I guess.” Her voice sounded soft.

Ryosuke hesitated, then nodded. That was a logical answer. People often said they were "okay" when friends or acquaintances asked how they were doing, even if okay was the farthest thing from the truth. To Ryosuke, it suddenly seemed almost funny how easily and how often words got twisted like that.

“Atsushi-kun is probably my only friend. He’s really nice, too nice, almost.”

Keiko's words struck a chord with Ryosuke, though a happier one. He imagined the glasses-wearing baldy in his mind then, thought about his classmate's constant bickering with Nippori, how he'd been one of the first people on the team to actually teach Ryosuke rhythmic gymnastics, even if the blonde Yankee had, at first, argued with him all the time because of the pain. Kaneko was a crazy little guy and not the kind of person Ryosuke had ever imagined having as a friend, but thinking about him now, he did appreciate him. A lot.

And he did think of him as a friend. While he wouldn't so far as to say the little guy was "too nice", he knew little baldy had his heart in the right place. Ryosuke smiled at the thought.

“You’re lucky to have so many friends.”

The former-Yankee felt Keiko looking his way and turned his head to meet her gaze, blinking his eyes against an oncoming rush of wind.

He thought about her words. Many friends. He did have "many friends." At least, people he liked to think he was friends with. The Tumbling Team, for instance.....there was true friendship there. Even if some of the team didn't like him as much--and by how he was acting now, he could understand if that really was the case--he loved them all. He'd never loved people the way he loved them, with the exception, perhaps, being his little sister and Kaoru and....well, few others. There was just something about the bond with that team that was completely irreplaceable. But now......even though that was all true, Ryosuke felt alone. Maybe he was lucky to have those friends, but he was at a point now where he couldn't even go to those "many friends" for help. He just couldn't go to them. He couldn't tell them anything.

Ryosuke opened his mouth to relay just that, that "many friends" didn't always mean you had someone to talk to, someone to confide in, or the feeling that you--in actuality--did even have many friends at all, when Keiko spoke again.

“Did something happen? Or is it something you can’t talk about? I understand…if that’s the case.”

A long pause. The sound of the ocean. A seagull flying over head.

The sky seemed to be getting darker. Night would fall soon. Ryosuke could already feel the temperature changing.

This was it, though, wasn't it? Hearing Keiko's words, though he barely knew her, that urge to let everything out, spill all his secrets, was stronger than ever. Ryosuke lowered the stick to the ground, back where it had laid earlier, and ground his hands into fists, trying to understand why he was here, sitting on this beach with Keiko-chan, a girl he didn't really know but was slowly beginning to appreciate more and more, wondering why everything seemed so bad and at the same time hating the knowledge that it was all very bad, between the toll it was taking on him, as well as on his friendships and probably others as well. The fact that the past few months of what should have been a good few months for him, a good few months spent with good friends during his final year of high school, had become one large, twisted nightmare, and there was no visible way out, and--

---suddenly the words were tumbling out of him.

"Two of my close guy friends......I walked in on them....while they were together. I've been holding it inside since, I promised not to tell anyone. And it's okay, I've.....I've come to accept what kind of monster I was to have been disgusted by the whole thing, I've come to accept that they're still just normal guys, and I treasure them and......I've held onto their secrets for so long, I feel like I might as well have been one of them in that room, the night I walked in. I owe it to them. And then........then Kaoru....."

It was like he was saying it all out loud, for himself, not for anyone else, and now there were tears in his eyes, and he wasn't entirely sure where they'd come from, or when, and briefly wondered if it was suddenly raining out, but there was no rain falling.....

"....I.....I don't understand what's wrong. I love her so much, more than anyone I've ever dated, ever met. I just......I know she's the right one, but she thinks I'm the most disgusting thing on the planet. She hates me completely, but I don't know why. I just.....I just wanna understand why...I want to be able to make her happy.....and....and...."

Ryosuke stifled a sob and lifted an arm to wipe a tear away. He felt his face grow warm. He was suddenly embarrassed to be seen like this, to have allowed himself to fall to pieces in front of this girl, who probably wanted to have nothing to do with him in his normal condition, let alone this huge, crying sap version. But it felt good. Damn if it didn't feel good.

And it was over. It was.....over. Just like that. Months and months after having held that all inside, Ryosuke had just spilled it all out all at once, to someone he didn't even really know.

"I guess....." The blonde Yankee closed his eyes and blinked back more tears, taking a deep breath of the ocean air to bring himself back to his senses and regain his composure, along with whatever sense of pride he had left. "........just, everything piled up after those two things. People turning on me, me distancing myself from everyone else, from my "many friends." I just couldn't feel happy......and...."

He stopped short in his words. He decided to refrain from mentioning the recent attacks, like the one at the Arcade. By now, Keiko probably thought he'd completely lost it, and she didn't need to know that she was spending her afternoon alongside a "wanted man," in addition. Even if it was partly why he'd become such a wreck.....

Ryosuke took another moment to attempt calming down and forced a teary-eyed smile onto his face. Even though he was embarrassed, this was one thing about girls that he really treasured. A lot of girls would probably laugh at him, but he'd also learned that there were just as many girls out there who didn't mind a guy who cried. He tried to make a point of not crying in front of his dates or any other females, but now, when he really couldn't help it, even though he felt a little ashamed, he felt okay too. He felt like Keiko understood, at least a little. "Take a good look, Keiko-chan.......I.....I usually don't get this emotional in public, so this will probably be the last time you see me crying like a baby." He forced an uneasy laugh.

"It just......it feels good to....to have let it go. To tell someone...."

A pause. He grabbed the stick again.

"Thanks."

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: No XD You gave more than enough to work with! I hope the ending sounds alright >>



They just sat there, not saying anything for a long while, the only sounds coming from a seagull in the sky and the waves in the ocean. Another breeze flew by, bringing in a chill. The sun was already starting its trek behind the horizon.

Keiko watched as Ryosuke laid the stick down, his hands balling up into fists. With the stick no longer in his hands, she felt a little better, no revenge poking, if he was even thinking that. Still, she warily watched his hands, not exactly expecting anything at this point. Ryosuke had gone quiet, and Keiko was at a loss at what to do. She opened her mouth, not really knowing what to say.

That was when Ryosuke finally spoke, the words spilling out of him.

"Two of my close guy friends......I walked in on them....while they were together. I've been holding it inside since, I promised not to tell anyone. And it's okay, I've.....I've come to accept what kind of monster I was to have been disgusted by the whole thing, I've come to accept that they're still just normal guys, and I treasure them and......I've held onto their secrets for so long, I feel like I might as well have been one of them in that room, the night I walked in. I owe it to them. And then........then Kaoru....."

Keiko watched, stunned as Ryosuke poured out his soul to her, all these secrets… She didn’t know Yankees could have so much pent up inside, to the point where they were… crying?

Ryosuke was crying, tears falling down his face as he continued to talk, ”....I.....I don't understand what's wrong. I love her so much, more than anyone I've ever dated, ever met. I just......I know she's the right one, but she thinks I'm the most disgusting thing on the planet. She hates me completely, but I don't know why. I just.....I just wanna understand why...I want to be able to make her happy.....and....and...."

She was frozen, that was all there was to it. She couldn’t do anything as he reached up to rub away a stray tear, "I guess....." The blonde Yankee closed his eyes and blinked back more tears, taking a deep breath of the ocean air to bring himself back to his senses and regain his composure, along with whatever sense of pride he had left. "........just, everything piled up after those two things. People turning on me, me distancing myself from everyone else, from my ‘many friends’. I just couldn't feel happy......and...."

Ryosuke turned to look at her, a grin on his face, though; the tears streaming down his face lessened the effect. "Take a good look, Keiko-chan.......I.....I usually don't get this emotional in public, so this will probably be the last time you see me crying like a baby." He forced an uneasy laugh.

She bit her lip, taking note of the ‘-chan’ he added to her name, letting it pass, searching her brain to come up with something to say, anything, but ultimately coming up with nothing. Keiko raised a hand, moving it forward when Ryosuke spoke again.

"It just......it feels good to....to have let it go. To tell someone...." There was another moment where none of them said anything and then, "Thanks."

Keiko took a deep breath, her mind processing what she just heard. Ryosuke had walked in one something he shouldn’t have, kept it a secret from everyone, and then had problems with a girl he really loved. Her gaze dropped. Thinking about it that way, the problems didn’t seem so bad, but at his over all reaction…

Her eyes looked back up, Ryosuke was playing with the stick again, as if he thought he was like the stick itself, and somehow they were meant to be outcasts all on their own…

Her heart went out to him. It was weird, caring about a Yankee when before, she wanted nothing to do with him… She gulped, realizing her hand was still in the air. She lowered it, facing back to the ocean. The sun was setting, casting orange and red, and the clouds swirling in pink.

Keiko didn’t know what to say to all this new information. If she said anything, it could very well be thrown back at her, and maybe he didn’t want to hear anything, maybe he just wanted someone to listen to his troubles and keep it at that.

She took another deep breath, “Okay.” Giving her head a nod, ignoring her beating heart, she turned back to Ryosuke, feeling very silly about what she was about to do, but the blond looked like he needed this. She moved forward, taking Ryosuke in her arms, hugging him close. She stayed still for just a moment, before bringing up a hand and resting it against his back. Keiko bit her lip, but continued on, patting Ryosuke’s back. She didn’t stop, even as she opened her mouth, her voice soft against the wind.

“It’s alright, just let it out…” She paused, daring to say even more, “And… you’re welcome.”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

OOC: Oh good! XD But the ending sounds just fine! I loved the post! Hahaha, poor Keiko....got stuck with the big crybaby! ><

Truth be told, Ryosuke had been almost afraid to see Keiko's reaction. He'd never confided much of anything to anyone before, let alone the whole story of his life for the past few months or so. He was aware that he hadn't told the whole thing, that there was still a sizable chunk he'd left out, that he couldn't bring himself to say......All in all, Keiko had heard about troubles with friends and a girl he liked, which probably made him just seem pathetic and pitiable. But for now, for this moment, he didn't care. The two were heavy weights on his chest, especially after what he'd been through in relation to both, and now that someone else knew....understood.....

There was yet another one of their many pauses after he'd uttered his word of thanks, but it was okay. Ryosuke knew he'd said a lot, too much, maybe. He wouldn't have been surprised if Keiko really thought he was something pathetic....In fact, he found for the time being he couldn't quite look at her. He'd said his piece, but it dawned on him now that he'd just conveyed all his troubles to someone who probably had troubles of her own. She'd already shown that she had her own deep concerns, and here he was just giving a damn about himself. And yet, then again, hadn't that been part of his problem all along too? Him only giving a damn about himself? Maybe things wouldn't seem so bad if he wasn't so self-pitying....

Yet Ryosuke didn't feel uneasy about the ensuing silence. The sound of the ocean waves hadn't changed in terms of their lulling, seagulls were still calling, and really, it did signify that he could mope and cry and whine and hate life all he wanted, but it was going to continue on without him, whether he decided to continue with it or not.

“Okay.”

Keiko's first words after the whole thing. Ryosuke actually found himself looking up. He was surprised when the girl suddenly came his way, pulling him into a close hug and resting one reassuring hand on his back.

Ryosuke confessed himself stunned, and his eyes widened. Unexpecting of that reaction, he'd remained in the same pose as he'd been in previously, just curled up on the sand, one arm raised to hide the stupid moisture on his face. And yet, when Keiko pulled him close, he found he had to return the gesture. What she was doing for him.......when she didn't even know him, when she probably had her own things to worry about....

“It’s alright, just let it out…”

Ryosuke rested his head on Keiko's shoulder and allowed the rest of his tears to fall. By now, he wasn't sure he could have stemmed them anyway.

“And… you’re welcome.”

Truth be told, the blonde Yankee wasn't sure for how long they remained like that, but he didn't care to count the seconds or the minutes, he didn't care about anything right now except for the fact that all had been said and done, that someone was showing him the kind of compassion and patience he wasn't entirely sure he deserved but certainly wanted. And needed.

Ryosuke took one more deep breath, still drawn into the hug, then sighed. "I'm really sorry to.....um...." He hesitated. His voice still sounded a bit rough, but he had been crying after all. Embarrassing as it was, he couldn't deny he had. "...I know everyone has problems, so...........yeah."

He drew back slightly, not entirely eager to break the hug, but aware that Keiko had probably only done it out of the kindness of her heart, not for any other reasons. "I promise I'm not crying anymore. God, if my friends saw me, I'd never hear the end of it." He laughed a little, sucking in another great amount of the ocean air. "I seem to cry about.....stupid stuff a lot, but....please don't tell anyone that. I'm sure they'd find out sooner or later anyway."

It was getting dark out already. The sun was disappearing.

"I'm just really sorry to be so pathetic. I mean, what the hell, guys aren't supposed to cry. I'm such a loser...." He paused. "And....well, even though I feel ten times better about all that, I'm...."

Another pause.

"Is there anything I can do to....repay you? For...you know, for everything you just did?" Ryosuke bit his lip. "I know that sounds stupid but I'm serious. I don't like burdening other people with my problems and I don't even know you and you just sat there and...." Ryosuke took another deep breath. "Damn, I'm just sounding dumber and dumber."

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Crap post is crap, but I tried moving the thread along AND giving Ryosuke something to repay Keiko with. So XD; I hope it's alright.



They remained that way for who knows how long, Keiko hugging Ryosuke, calmly patting him on the back while he only returned to embrace. It was almost as much of a soothing gesture for her as it was for him, when he sighed. Keiko stopped her patting; waiting in case there was anything else he wanted to say.

"I'm really sorry to.....um...." He hesitated. His voice still sounded a bit rough, but he had been crying after all. Embarrassing as it was, he couldn't deny he had. "...I know everyone has problems, so...........yeah." He began to move back, and Keiko let him, "I promise I'm not crying anymore. God, if my friends saw me, I'd never hear the end of it." At that, he laughed, the sound still a little raw but she paid it no mind. "I seem to cry about.....stupid stuff a lot, but....please don't tell anyone that. I'm sure they'd find out sooner or later anyway."

Keiko frowned, staring at the dyed hair before her. “If it’s serious enough to cry about, then it’s not stupid.” She looked away, mentally smacking herself. Saying anything right now would probably have the opposite enough, but she couldn’t stop herself.

"I'm just really sorry to be so pathetic. I mean, what the hell, guys aren't supposed to cry. I'm such a loser...." He paused. "And....well, even though I feel ten times better about all that, I'm...."

She shook her head, ready to say something along the lines that crying is natural, everyone does it, that sometimes she would wake up to find her older sister holding a picture of her late husband, her son in her lap, and every time, Keiko would roll over and let her sister have her private moment. There were times where she herself would cry herself to sleep back in her first year of high school, unable to take the bullying, but the next day she would feel much better.

"Is there anything I can do to....repay you? For...you know, for everything you just did?" Keiko felt herself stiffen, not expecting… well, that. She removed her arms from Ryosuke, giving them space. "I know that sounds stupid but I'm serious. I don't like burdening other people with my problems and I don't even know you and you just sat there and...." Ryosuke took another deep breath. "Damn, I'm just sounding dumber and dumber."

She raised her hands, “Oh, no, that’s okay. I uh… I just hugged you. You don’t need to repay me for that. Um,” she tried to smile, “it’s no big deal. Anytime you need someone to listen to your problems, I don’t mind.” She reached into her pocket, taking out a handkerchief and handing it over, “Here.”

Keiko turned away, her cheeks flushed, though they were hidden, the sky already turning dark. It was getting hard to see anything at the moment. She fidgeted with her sleeve, suddenly feeling awkward now that the Yankee was done telling her his problems. “Um, it’s getting dark out. Won’t your parents be worried if you’re out so late?”

At the mention of parents, Keiko thought of hers. She didn’t exactly tell her parents where she was going, then again, her little sister never told them either, but Keiko was in her third year of high school. She had a job, her parents could very well believe she was there, and not at a beach far from town, with a delinquent she would probably never normally associate with, listening to his problems like it was nothing.

Keiko poked the sand, daring to look at the guy next to her, when her stomach let out a growl. She felt her cheeks start to heat up, quickly looking away from Ryosuke, “Ah, sorry. Ah, sorry.”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

OOC: It's not a crap post! Mine was really bad! And is this time too!!! But about the hanky..... ^^;; When should he return it?

“If it’s serious enough to cry about, then it’s not stupid.”

That's what Keiko had said. But the more Ryosuke thought about the issues on hand, even though they weighed on him so much, the more stupid he felt. People were dying, sick, without a home.....he was crying about things that maybe--in many ways--had been his fault. Or partly so, anyway. And yet, maybe that's why he was so teary-eyed? He was so pathetic...? Even for a Yankee and what he'd seen and been through, he was crying now? Thinking about everything, despite how it weighed down on him, despite how recent events had even come close to making a claim on his and friends' lives, he couldn't help feeling ashamed. This was nothing compared to that day when he'd gotten tangled with Yakuza, when Wataru had almost been killed. This was nothing compared to when Satoshi had almost died of a heart attack during Tumbling practice. Was he only thinking these things now because Keiko had been trying to come up with an excuse for him? Or was this what he'd been crying about all along, the sad truth?

As Keiko pulled away from him, Ryosuke realized she looked a little uneasy. He felt he'd seen the look on former girlfriends and wondered if maybe it was best he just stood up and got the hell out of here. It didn't seem fair to just ditch Keiko either, but considering how much of a strain he'd put on her, how he was so overcome by embarrassment all of a sudden, despite the sense of relief he felt in having conveyed everything to someone.......Ryosuke had become pretty keen on girls' feelings when he was with them. Maybe he didn't always understand where they'd come from or why, but he'd become rather accustomed to the swell of emotions girls could have. Maybe because he also had his own moods and emotions, but primarily, he hoped, because he cared. And when he made a girl feel uneasy.......

Keiko was trying to smile. “Oh, no, that’s okay. I uh… I just hugged you. You don’t need to repay me for that. Um...it’s no big deal. Anytime you need someone to listen to your problems, I don’t mind.”

Ryosuke shook his head as Keiko went fishing in a pocket for something. "No, I'm not normally--"

“Here.” The girl was suddenly handing something his way, something dainty looking.

A....hankerchief? Ryosuke didn't protest, just accepted the offer and took the delicate thing into his hands, studying it for a moment. It felt like something out of a European Medieval-based manga, not reality. He wasn't even sure what to do with a token like this....he didn't really want to wipe his face on it and ruin it for her.... "Thanks again...."

Keiko still seemed awkward. Ryosuke felt further uncomfortable too. Even though he was indebted to her for what she had done, he really didn't like this sensation. When he made girls uncomfortable, even if it wasn't often, he tended to get uncomfortable too. He never tried to push a girl beyond her boundaries.....

“Um, it’s getting dark out. Won’t your parents be worried if you’re out so late?”

At her words, Ryosuke looked at the sky. Night time was approaching. It seemed as though now that Ryosuke had gotten everything out, the sun had decided it was no longer needed. It was taking itself--and all its warmth--away with it. Ryosuke didn't think that it was coincidental that the mention of his family came around about the same time he noticed the temperature had suddenly dropped.

The Yankee sighed, then shrugged. "Worried I'd bring someone 'unpleasant' home or that I might shame their name, I suppose. I'm out late a lot. I'd be surprised if they started caring suddenly..." He hesitated. His words had sounded a bit cold, and he didn't want Keiko to think it was because of her. It wasn't. It wasn't even his whole family that "hated" him. Naomi didn't.....just good ol' Mom and Dad.

There was a growling sound--someone's empty stomach?--and Ryosuke looked down at his own belly as if it would dictate whether it had made the noise without him knowing or not, and then Keiko suddenly spoke up.

“Ah, sorry. Ah, sorry.” Her face had gone red, and she was suddenly looking away.

Ryosuke felt himself blush a little too. "Hah....it's okay. My family might not worry about me, but yours probably will worry about you, right? And sounds like you're hungry too..." He thought for a moment, wondering what he could do for Keiko to make up for things. It...well, it seemed like she'd needed some consolation of her own, by what she'd said to him earlier, but now that it was getting colder, he wondered if maybe they ought to move elsewhere or just go home.

"Uhh...I'll understand if you don't want to, but..." Ryosuke cleared his throat. He hoped she didn't think this was a date or anything. "...do you want to go out to eat? I mean, I guess there's stuff we haven't said to each other yet, but sitting out here to do it...I don't want either of us to get sick or anything."

He paused. "Oh, and I'd pay for the meal, so....don't worry about that."

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Sorry for the lateness and the shortness of this post.



"Hah....it's okay. My family might not worry about me, but yours probably will worry about you, right? And sounds like you're hungry too..."

She smiled at his concern, “Oh, Dad is always working late. Mom is probably with Riku, anyway. Hn… I guess I could always just text them, let them know I’ll be out a little late. They’d probably think I was at work or something” Keiko poked at the sand, “The last time I ate was… this morning?” She looked up; the stars were starting to come out. “No, I had some bread after school.”

"Uhh...I'll understand if you don't want to, but..." Ryosuke cleared his throat. Keiko turned her head, blinking at the blond. "...do you want to go out to eat? I mean, I guess there's stuff we haven't said to each other yet, but sitting out here to do it...I don't want either of us to get sick or anything."

She looked down, her stomach making noise again. He… he didn’t mean it as a date, right? No, because they had just met, Ryosuke had just cried his eyes out, telling her things she probably would have never known about had she just stayed home that day.

"Oh, and I'd pay for the meal, so....don't worry about that."

…That definitely sounded like a date. She’d never been on a date before, but her sister always loved it when her boyfriends treated her to all sorts of high class restaurants… Well, Junpei didn’t. He always managed to keep her sister on her toes, and in the end, he got her, where all those past boyfriends barely lasted a week.

Keiko had never been asked out on a date either, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed as if this wasn’t a date offer. Ryosuke honestly just wanted to treat her, to make up for spilling his feelings all over the beach.

She opened her mouth, not really knowing what she would stay when her stomach spoke up again.

Her mouth snapped shut, a blush forming all the way to her ears. She ducked her head, feeling Ryosuke’s eyes on her. Biting her lip, she nodded her head.

“Um, okay.”

Keiko took a deep breath, the salty air making her nose itch. Slowly, she lifted her head, hoping her red face wasn’t so red anymore. Though she highly doubted it. She rubbed her left cheek, “Where… did you have in mind?” She removed her hand from her cheek, rubbing them together as another breeze flew on, this time bringing with it a cold chill. Bringing her hands up to her mouth, she began to blow on them, “Think we can go somewhere for something hot? Like…”

She tilted her head, racking her brain for somewhere nearby where they could get something quick and easy, and cheap, to eat.

Keiko bit her lip, placing her cold hands near her neck, “How about some okonomiyaki? There should be a shop back in town.”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

“Oh, Dad is always working late. Mom is probably with Riku, anyway. Hn… I guess I could always just text them, let them know I’ll be out a little late. They’d probably think I was at work or something” Keiko poked at the sand, “The last time I ate was… this morning?” She looked up; the stars were starting to come out. “No, I had some bread after school.”

Ryosuke bit his bottom lip. She considered bread, after school, a meal? He'd always complained about how his parents left him cold leftovers for dinner, but at least it was something. If she was only eating bread.....

"No wonder you're hungry," he murmured under his breath, his voice lost to the wind. He was suddenly feeling a right side worse for the poor girl. He'd sensed she'd had some issues of her own when they had been talking earlier, but if she'd really been sitting there starving to death while hearing him out........he wasn't sure he could just let that sit. "Do you.....always have just bread after school? I don't know if it's possible or not, but...try to eat when you can, yeah?"

He paused.

"And I mean...you know, if you're ever hungry, I usually have a little bit of extra cash I could lend you for a snack or something. I think I'd feel worse knowing you weren't eating...." He was thinking of his own best friend, Nippori, and how hard the other struggled just to help keep his family living all right. Ryosuke had gone to Nippori's house many times, and though being inside, he never got the impression any of the family was really unhappy, he'd seen for himself that the living circumstances weren't as rich as, say, he or Mizusawa's were. He didn't know Keiko's family's situation at all, and he hoped it wasn't anything like his, but the point was whether she got to eat or not....

Keiko seemed kind of awkward, and Ryosuke heard her stomach rumble again. There was a moment's hesitation, now Keiko was the one who seemed to be regathering her composure, and then she finally nodded.

“Um, okay.”

Ryosuke watched her carefully, his eyes still a bit puffy from his not-so-manly crying-fit moments before, hoping that she really actually wanted to do this, that she'd let him. He probably wouldn't be much of a companion for her--he was likely a sight for a sore eyes by this point--but he was determined to do his best. And anyway....maybe things had been really difficult lately, but by his nature, he loved girls. Maybe he loved them too much, enough so that he'd once dated more than one five or so at a a time, but he was slowly learning to grow past that. The point was that he really did love girls. He wanted to make them happy.

If only Kaoru could understand that above all else.....Ryosuke wanted to make her happiest.

“Where… did you have in mind?” As Keiko brought Ryosuke back to the present, rubbing her hands together against a brisk kind of chill Ryosuke only just realized had come around, he pondered the girl's question. Truth be told, he would probably normally have taken someone sweet (and hungry) like Keiko to Wataru's place. The omurice was hot and filling and delicious, and it was a nice atmosphere just to chat in. Wataru's Mom might nose in on what they were talking about in that very wise, sly way of hers, but she was sure to keep anything overheard to herself. Ryosuke really admired the simple, but beautiful woman for her apparent wisdom and understanding.

Ryosuke loved that whole place in general, in fact. And yet, he hadn't been there in a very long time. He didn't think now was the best time to go, either...

“Think we can go somewhere for something hot? Like…”

Ryosuke looked up. "Like....?"

“How about some okonomiyaki? There should be a shop back in town.”

That sounded nice.

Ryosuke nodded. "I think I know one, somewhere near the shops in the town, but it's a bit far from here. I mean...yeah, the ocean's...." He reached up a hand to scratch the back of his neck. It was kind of odd, sitting and talking with Keiko. He had never been quite so awkward around a girl before, and yet at the same time, he'd never been so relaxed. He had never been able to spill his life story out and actually cry, without fearing being made fun of or more ashamed than he had been. It had been so easy with Keiko.......he wondered how she felt about this whole thing.

"Why don't we, uhh, catch the bus? Please allow me to cover your share of it, and then we can get to the city and find that shop. I like okonomiyaki too. The place I'm thinking of also has monjya, I don't know if you like that? We can try different kinds." He forced a smile, though it came a little more easily this time, then got to his feet again, dusting sand from his school pants.

The wind really had picked up, and the temperature was certainly getting colder. By the time it was late night, it would likely be freezing, especially near the water. Ryosuke was wondering if maybe he ought to offer Keiko his school jacket, then hesitated. If she was noticeably cold, then he'd do it...he didn't want her to think he was coming onto her, first asking her out to eat, then acting like her mother, or something....

Still, he held out his hand to help her to her feet. "Ready?"

[OOC: Should we migrate to the bus in our next post? Or maybe move our post to "The Shops" and start a new one there? Hmmmmmm.... *ponders*]