People Like Us [Keiko + Possibly Open Later?]

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

OOC: I hope any godplaying I did was okay! >< Please let me know if not!

This is continued from the "Inner Turbulence" thread...

Ryosuke had felt a tad uneasy, walking all the way to the bus station with Keiko and no exchange between the two of them. At some point during the wait for the bus, as the sky had gotten dark enough to reveal a whole host of lovely stars up above, feeling chilly himself, Ryosuke had glanced down to Keiko, noticed she too seemed quite cold, and finally offered his school jacket.

By the time they'd gotten back into Miura City's core and where the main shops were, he was grateful that the bus deposited them only a short walk from where he planned on taking Keiko. Even though it wasn't all that late in the year and they had left the waterside, the night had really turned out to be freezing, and Ryosuke shivered slightly leading the way to the okonomiyaki place.

In fact, the place he was going with Keiko was a very simple one. A small wooden building, traditional sliding door for an entrance, and a small line of tables across from the main kitchen area. The place was special in that its service allowed visitors to make their own okonomiyaki. With each of the tables, there was a flat stove built into the surface, where diners could pour their okonomiyaki batter mixes and chosen ingredients onto the top, shape it into pizza form, and voila! Cook their very own okonomiyaki. The place offered Eastern Japan's equivalent of okonomiyaki, monjya, as well.

Ryosuke stepped inside the small building and sighed. The temperature was a lot nicer now.....nice and warm as the few customers inside were busy at work cooking their own Japanese pizzas at their tables, the warmth from the stoves reaching all the way to the front entrance.

"Irasshaimase!"

The blonde Yankee nodded to a middle-aged woman who had spoken, then raised two fingers to signal just two people, and followed her over to a table at another corner of the room. Ryosuke gestured quickly behind him for Keiko to follow.

The table was nice enough, a bit off on its own from the other guests, and with a wide window looking out onto a tiny Zen garden which had been set up in the backyard area of the shop. It took a moment for Ryosuke to realize that the woman must have assumed he and Keiko were on a date of some sort, because not only had she given them a rather private area to talk, but she winked warmly at him after handing them menus, chopsticks, and the traditional hand cloth to wash up with.

Ryosuke just returned the gesture with a smile. Keiko did look like she was with him, what with her wearing his jacket and all, and though he didn't want either of them to be uncomfortable, he was grateful for the privacy, at least. He was sure they'd both be more embarrassed being out in the open, where everyone could see them (and presumably assume they were a pair) and hear everything they had to say. As much as he was actually looking forward to spending this evening with Keiko, he didn't think their conversation would be the type to call fun, or one that other people ought to hear.

So he would make the most of everything. For Keiko and his sakes both.

Ryosuke took the seat closest to the wall and sighed, shifting a little once he was seated. Then, eager to busy himself with something, he picked up the washcloth and rubbed his hands on it, looking to see how Keiko was feeling about everything.

"Ah, uh....the jacket." Ryosuke nodded to his school coat. "You can keep it if you're still cold. Anyway, hope this place is okay....The okonomiyaki isn't already premade here, but the fun part is picking out what ingredients you want on it and making it yourself." He smiled. "I mean, uh, if you're nervous about the stove being too hot, I can make it for us too."

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: The Godmodding was fine. I'm sorry about the ending, I didn't know how to end the post so it's all awkward and stuff XD



Keiko pulled the jacket offered to her tighter around her, the sleeves were rolled up, but they still managed to cover her hands. She nimbly followed Ryosuke once they left the bus, making their way to the okonomiyaki shop.

As soon as she walked into the shop, she was met with a blast of warmth from the surroundings, not enough to make her want to take off the jacket, but just right. She nodded at the lady who greeted them as soon as they walked in, and blinked when Ryosuke lifted up two fingers. The woman who owned the place seemed to understand, and before Keiko knew what was happening, was gestured by Ryosuke to follow the woman towards the back.

The woman led them towards a table, right near a Zen garden outside a window… Keiko felt her face burn as she realized what the woman was doing. She numbly accepted the chopsticks, menu and washcloth before watching Ryosuke take a seat. Feeling even more awkward now than when they were on the beach, Keiko slipped into the seat on the other side of the table, pushing the sleeves of the jacket up some more so she could rub her hands against her cloth. She was keeping her gaze down, trying to take note of the stove and how interesting it was…

"Ah, uh....the jacket." She looked up, her blush still on her face, "You can keep it if you're still cold. She nodded, grateful that she didn’t have to take off the jacket, she still felt a little cold, despite the warmth of the place.

“Anyway, hope this place is okay....”

Keiko felt a smile appear on her face, her blush now dissipating, “It’s fine,” she glanced around, the Zen garden was surrounded by foliage and even a waterfall in the corner. She turned back to the table, picking up the menu and running her eyes over the choices. “I guess…”

“The okonomiyaki isn't already premade here, but the fun part is picking out what ingredients you want on it and making it yourself." He smiled. "I mean, uh, if you're nervous about the stove being too hot, I can make it for us too."

“Oh,” Keiko bit her lip. Maybe it would be better if Ryosuke made it for them both. She could watch him make it, and then, if they wanted more, she could try her hand at making it. But that would make this seem more like a date. And it wasn’t.

He offered his jacket because she was cold, and she was a girl, and he was known for thinking about girls and their feelings and even though he had eight girlfriends at one point, he treated them the same. The location was perfect because they might talk some more, and the conversation wasn’t meant for anyone else to hear. …Especially if there was going to be another scene like at the beach. Ryosuke had a reputation to maintain, he wasn’t a crybaby, and if she burst into tears, they would assume Ryosuke caused it.

She could feel his eyes on her, and she looked up, “The stove’s not too hot. But uh…” Keiko tapped a finger against her menu, “I’ve never really made my own okonomiyaki before. Dad always did it for us…” She laid her menu down, a gentle smile on her lips. “It feels like it’s been years since I was in this sort of shop. Since… junior high?”

Keiko picked up her chopsticks, taking them out of their sleeve and resting them on top.

“What about you?”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

[OOC: Haha, it's okay! Mine isn't so great either, but it's just because I don't wanna have Ryosuke dictate what they're going to eat without Keiko's approval!!]

Ryosuke watched Keiko carefully to see how she felt about the whole thing and couldn't help smiling for real seeing the blush on her face. She'd.......noticed the same thing he had, that their waitress thought they were an item. He at least felt better in that they both felt a little awkward about it. He just hoped poor Keiko didn't think this was all part of some master plan of his to make her his new "Miss Tuesday" or "Friday-chan".

Those had been Kaoru's exact words to him some time back. It had really made him re-think things, made him maybe even a little ashamed of himself. There hadn't been any "Weekday-chans" since her words. Come to think of it, there hadn't been any girls at all in the recent weeks. Ryosuke just hadn't had the willpower to make the effort. Life had become so much harder and he'd lost all enthusiasm to. He was reminded of an ad for depression he'd seen on TV, "If you're experiencing a loss of interest in your usual hobbies or activities, please see a doctor immediately. You may be suffering from..."

Keiko's words cut into his thoughts. “The stove’s not too hot. But uh…I’ve never really made my own okonomiyaki before. Dad always did it for us…”

Ryosuke nodded. Keiko was suddenly smiling again, looking evidently lost in a good memory of her own.

“It feels like it’s been years since I was in this sort of shop. Since… junior high?” She took her chopsticks and rested .... “What about you?”

Ryosuke laughed slightly. "Uh....I don't know, I guess I've come here a lot, but usually by myself or with Wataru or Nippori." He shrugged. "It's not really new for me, I guess, but I'm glad it's got some good memories attached for you. Kind of....." He gestured out the window at the Zen garden, deciding that maybe now was the best time to make light of the obvious. "Kind of awkward, though....people always assuming a girl and a guy have to be dating to hang out together, huh?" He laughed again.

As if hearing his words, the waitress suddenly returned to their table, a small machine in hand which she would use to take the orders. Ryosuke realized they hadn't even glanced at the menu yet--just been talking. He raised a hand to signal that they hadn't made their decisions--not even drink-wise--but the older woman came over anyway.

"Sorry,but..." Ryosuke finally said out loud, frowning slightly. "...we haven't actually picked out anything yet...."

"It's all right, dears. Considering it's couple's night..."

Ryosuke raised an eyebrow.

"...we've made a special something free of charge for the two of you and will bring that out in a bit for an appetizer."

Now Ryosuke burst out laughing, and their waitress for the evening drew back a little. Suddenly she was the one with a raised eyebrow. She didn't seem to think their supposed "couple-dom" was all that amusing. Finally, as if unsure of what she ought to say afterwards, the woman said in a small voice, "I suppose I should come back later then...? When you've finished ordering, that is....."

Ryosuke wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as the lady moved back off for the kitchen. He hoped she wouldn't go and exact some small revenge on them, spit in their "free-of-charge" special dish or something.

"Sorry about that," he finally managed, fanning himself with the nearly untouched menu. "I think all that sadness from earlier's turned into plain stupidity. But for some reason I couldn't really contain myself with that one..." He took a deep breath then handed the menu over to Keiko, trying to regain his composure. "Why don't you pick out the ingredients for the okonomiyaki? I'm pretty good with everything, even the super spicy stuff, if you're into that kind of thing. You can just tell the waitress when she comes back."

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: I'm sorry this took forever D: Work was crazy all weekend.



"Uh....I don't know, I guess I've come here a lot, but usually by myself or with Wataru or Nippori." He shrugged.

Keiko’s smile fell. That was right; Ryosuke was friends with the infamous Azuma Wataru. Sometime amidst the beach and the bus ride over, that little fact had slipped her mind.

"It's not really new for me, I guess, but I'm glad it's got some good memories attached for you. Kind of....." He gestured out the window at the Zen garden, deciding that maybe now was the best time to make light of the obvious. "Kind of awkward, though....people always assuming a girl and a guy have to be dating to hang out together, huh?" He laughed again. Keiko let a small chuckle escape her lips, and hoped Ryosuke couldn’t tell how fake it was. She never found out, as soon after he finished talking, the waitress returned.

Keiko kept her head down, already feeling uneasy that the others thought the two were on a date, but now moreso that she was slowly getting involved with delinquents. Sure, Ryosuke was fine, but Keiko wasn’t sure how she would fair if she ever encountered Azuma Wataru.

Ryosuke broke out into laughter, her head snapped up, more surprised at the randomness, and saw that the waitress didn’t like the fact she was getting laughed at, speaking in a small voice, "I suppose I should come back later then...? When you've finished ordering, that is....." With that, the waitress took off, but Keiko focused her attention back on the blond in front of her. What was so funny?

He rubbed his eyes, "Sorry about that," he finally managed, fanning himself with the nearly untouched menu. "I think all that sadness from earlier's turned into plain stupidity. But for some reason I couldn't really contain myself with that one..."

“Ah…” Keiko bit her lip, wondering for a brief moment if she should mention she had zoned out for a second there, when Ryosuke spoke up again, holding out the menu in his hand.

"Why don't you pick out the ingredients for the okonomiyaki? I'm pretty good with everything, even the super spicy stuff, if you're into that kind of thing. You can just tell the waitress when she comes back."

She nodded her head, taking the menu, and let her eyes skim over the choices, there were so many to choose from… She glanced up only once, “Are you sure it’s okay?”

Keiko dipped her head, hiding her face behind the menu. “Uh… I guess…” She tilted her head; she could practically feel the sense of impatience resonating from herself as she tried to pick out something as easy as ingredients. She lowered the menu, suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm despite the atmosphere. Pushing the sleeves of the jackets up a bit, she leaned forward, just a tad, before catching Ryosuke’s eye.

“Is shrimp and cheese okay?”

Turning her head to where the waitress had gone, Keiko half expected the woman to show up again. Was it possible that Ryosuke had scared her off with his laughing? She fidgeted in her seat, “Do… do you think we scared off the waitress? Earlier, she came back and we didn’t even get to discuss what we wanted to eat…”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

"Mhm..."

Ryosuke watched Keiko closely as she studied the menu. Despite the embarrassing exchanges they'd had so far, he found he really appreciated her. Quite a bit so, and they had only just met. He knew so little about her. But watching her sweet face carefully examining the menu, he started wondering how she felt about everything, if she was only doing this out of charity or some other necessity, not because she wanted to. He wondered if maybe he was only making things more difficult for her by goofing off now or bringing her here in the first place.....he didn't want to do that to her. Not someone like her. She seemed to have too good a heart for that.

As she started rolling up the sleeves of his jacket over her arms, Ryosuke recognized that she was about to look his way again and quickly averted his gaze. He didn't need to scare her into thinking he was the type of Yankee-creeper Kaoru thought he was, even if that wasn't true.

“Is shrimp and cheese okay?”

Ryosuke smiled. "Sure, I'm not really all that picky with food." He thumbed through the menu really quickly to see if there was anything else they might want to add in to their order, then brushed it aside near all the okonomiyaki sauces and spices on the table. Keiko didn't have to worry about paying--they could always add more to their order if they felt like it. He wasn't sure how long they planned to stay here in the shop, but he supposed if they were really hungry, it wouldn't be all that much trouble to add to the tab.

The Yankee patted the pocket of his school pants to make sure he had the money. His wallet was there--last time he'd checked, some time during the day, he'd had at least 1500 Yen. That was enough to buy them at least two pizzas already, and considering he hadn't spent anything else during the day, really, he figured they would be okay.

Keiko suddenly looked worried. Ryosuke caught her glancing off in the direction their waitress had disappeared to moments before. “Do… do you think we scared off the waitress? Earlier, she came back and we didn’t even get to discuss what we wanted to eat…”

"I don't know, but I couldn't help it, sorry...." He bit his lower lip, pondering whether maybe he had scared the older woman and ought to apologize. He liked this place a lot--he didn't want them to think badly of him or Keiko. "I guess it's better than me bursting into tears though...Oh--"

At the end of his words, the old waitress had re-appeared in their section of the room, her electronic order-taking machine in one hand, a tray of something else in the other. She looked a bit apprehensive coming over now, but Ryosuke cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure. No more laughing, not right now...

"This is the.....special order," the woman said softly, setting aside her little machine to lower first one plate, then another, onto the table in between Ryosuke and Keiko. The blonde Yankee glanced at the food quickly and felt his eyes widen in surprise. They....really hadn't been kidding. The special dish was actually two special dishes: one was a kind of salad with fancy looking lettuce and cabbage leaves, along with fresh-looking fish slices, small strips of some kind of bacon-like meat, and then a litter of chopped vegetables. (The most prominent of the veggies were the two large carrot pieces which had been cut into heart shapes.)

The second dish was sweeter in appearance, a kind of milky-looking pudding in which the creators had somehow managed to design the image of a couple holding hands in the surface, kind of like the coffee art that had become popular in Tokyo when Ryosuke was a little younger. He felt his whole face flush at the sight and couldn't help murmuring under his breath, "God, you weren't kidding, huh?"

"Are you ready to make an order then?" The older woman pulled out her order machine again and stood a little impatiently by the table, watching the two guests closely. Ryosuke opted not to say anything more about what he and Keiko obviously couldn't get past this woman about this being a casual outing, not a date, and cleared his throat, trying to maintain whatever composure he had left.

"Uh yeah.....we'd like the shrimp and cheese pizza. Please. And..." He looked at the menu, then Keiko, wondering about drinks, then just decided they could always make up for that later. He could still see the chef's fancy lovey-dovey food art from the corner of his eye, and he felt a bit uneasy. "Uhhh, I guess we'll just have water for now. Thanks."

The old woman jotted everything down into the machine, which had begun to hum, as if happy to have orders to take. "And you know how to make the pizza and how everything works?"

Ryosuke nodded.

"Okay, shrimp-cheese pizza and two waters. They will be ready soon!" The woman was finally smiling and hurried for the kitchen again. Ryosuke waited until she'd disappeared from sight once more before turning to look again at the plates now in front of him and Keiko. The image of the couple standing hand in hand in their pudding was probably even more embarrassing than the heart carrots. He couldn't ever remember anything like this happening at this place before, even with other couples he'd seen around. Was this some new type of campaign?

"Oh God....I'm....really sorry." He wiped a hand across his forehead--they hadn't even turned on the stove yet, but he seemed to be sweating a bit. "I've come here a lot, but this has never happened."

[Suzuki Keiko]

"I don't know, but I couldn't help it, sorry...." Ryosuke looked apologetic, "I guess it's better than me bursting into tears though...Oh--"

Keiko nodded; probably anything was better than either of them crying at the old woman… who was making her way over to their table. She had a tray in her hand and the electronic machine in the other. Ryosuke shifted in his seat and Keiko bit her lip to stop from laughing herself. He obviously didn’t want to set the woman back any further.

"This is the.....special order," the woman said softly, setting aside her little machine to lower first one plate, then another, onto the table in between Ryosuke and Keiko. The special order was a… very decorated salad, clearly made for a couple with a carrot-made heart in the center, and a pudding dish. Keiko felt her eyes widen as she realized there was an… image of a couple in the pudding. She continued to stare at it, not quite sure why she couldn’t stop looking at it as she saw Ryosuke face the woman again.

"Uh yeah.....we'd like the shrimp and cheese pizza. Please. And... Uhhh, I guess we'll just have water for now. Thanks."

She finally lifted her head, just in time to see the waitress smile and walk off. Had she zoned off again while distracted by the… food art? This was really embarrassing. Keiko lifted a hand to rub her nose, and also to hide the blush covering her face. She glanced across the table at Ryosuke, who was wiping his forehead, "Oh God....I'm....really sorry. I've come here a lot, but this has never happened."

Shaking her head, she lowered her hand, “Ah… It’s really… okay, I guess.” She nervously looked around the room. They were really in an isolated area of the place, sans the window peering out to the Zen garden. A light chuckle left her lips, “It always happens like this, you know? You try and do something with a friend and people will assume it’s something completely different.” She faced Ryosuke again, a smile on her face, her blush fading, “As long as we know this isn’t a date, then what anyone else thinks doesn’t matter, right?”

Keiko picked up her napkin, placing it on her lap, “And really, some people should just… mind their own business.” She lowered her head, her eyes staring at the stove in front of her, “They probably assumed… because I’m wearing your jacket.” The material suddenly fell heavy on her shoulders, and she slowly began to tug off the jacket, “It’s getting a little hot in here anyway, and…” She peered up from under her bangs, “you can have it back.” She eased out of the jacket, folding it a bit before handing it over.

She shifted in her seat, peering over at the salad first. And then, without a second thought, picked up one carrot, offering it to Ryosuke before taking the second carrot for herself. She then turned her attention to the pudding. “It seems like such a waste, giving us this special order…” Keiko lifted her half of the carrot heart, poking it into the pudding, right where the couple was holding hands. When she lifted it, that part of the picture had become distorted, and she felt a little bad for ruining the piece of art…

But who in their right mind thought this was a good idea when they were going to just eat it soon enough?

Keiko looked up at Ryosuke, “Want to make our own picture? Let’s see what we can create before the waitress comes back.”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

“Ah… It’s really… okay, I guess.” Keiko laughed nervously, and Ryosuke found he was reminded of all the very first dates he'd gone on, when he was much younger. The nervous laughter--he'd done it too, when he'd first spent time with the opposite sex. He.....damn, he felt really bad if Keiko thought he was purposely trying to make it feel like a date. And now that he thought about it......He looked at the girl carefully. Did she maybe think he'd secretly planned the whole "couples' special" thing and was just pretending he hadn't? Oh God, he hoped not.....Ryosuke felt his face flush.

“It always happens like this, you know? You try and do something with a friend and people will assume it’s something completely different.” Keiko was smiling. No sign that she thought any of what he'd just worried about at all. Good good. "As long as we know this isn’t a date, then what anyone else thinks doesn’t matter, right?”

Ryosuke nodded his head. "Uh, yeah."

“And really, some people should just… mind their own business. They probably assumed… because I’m wearing your jacket.”

Ryosuke did a double blink. Yeah, he'd thought the same. And it did sort of look that way, seeing her in his jacket. He hadn't intended for it to look that way, only wanted to be considerate, but now maybe he wondered if he'd only instigated things by proposing all this stuff to begin with. He should have held up three fingers at the door and made the waitress lead him and Keiko to a normal table with a normal ordering system, just so the two of them didn't have to spend the rest of this meal feeling as though they had to be careful about how they addressed each other, looked at each other, every little thing they did....

Keiko suddenly pulled his jacket off. “It’s getting a little hot in here anyway, and…you can have it back.” She folded the jacket up neatly, then handed it over. Ryosuke nodded his head and murmured a small thanks before setting it down on top of his school bag on the floor.

He turned back in time to see Keiko reaching for the heart carrots, then accepted his half from her with another small thank you before lowering it onto his plate.

“It seems like such a waste, giving us this special order…”

Ryosuke watched somewhat absentmindedly as one carrot dunk later, the image of the couple in the pudding had become little more than a fancy squiggle in a yummy-looking dessert.

“Want to make our own picture? Let’s see what we can create before the waitress comes back.”

Ryosuke glanced back at Keiko and actually grinned. She looked fairly amused--he was glad she at least seemed to be enjoying herself now and hoped she wasn't putting on false pretenses just for his sake. She'd already handed him back his jacket, and he half wondered if it was because she really was warm in it or because it really had just dawned on her that it made her look like she was his girlfriend.

"You're....serious about that, huh?" Chuckling a little, Ryosuke looked into the now muddled pudding goop, then grabbed his awaiting pair of chopsticks to fiddle around with the thing. He wasn't sure he wanted to dip his carrot in something presumably that sweet. So instead he used his chopstick like an artist's brush or a pencil, tracing lines in the fine gel-like substance until he'd spelled out something that made him laugh out loud. "Look, look." He pushed the bowl closer to Keiko for her to see.

His design?

ちがう！(；)

Ryosuke laughed, then hurriedly scribbled the drawing out. "Can't have the waitress seeing that when she comes back...." He pulled his single chopstick out and set it aside, gesturing to the bowl again with a nod of his head. "Okay, your turn." Now he finally opted for the salad, taking his carrot piece and crunching on it while waiting to see what Keiko would do.

Though, it just dawned on him. Why they were here...

Sure they were here to enjoy themselves and just relax a bit after everything, but......he'd intended on trying to hlp Keiko, if he could. She'd spent the better half of the evening hearing him out, consoling him about his problems, and he'd brought her here to see if he could do the same for her. When they'd spoken on the beach, there were certain things she'd said that had pointed to her having her own serious problems, problems that he guessed were also weighing on her mind, the way she'd referred to them.

She looked so happy now, he didn't really want to bring up anything depressing, but he didn't want them to reach the end of the meal and he either not remembering or not having the guts to ask....

"Uhhh, Keiko-chan..." Ryosuke picked up his chopsticks again and rolled them between his palms, eager to give himself something to do. "Was there.....something you wanted to talk about?"

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: I actually really like this post XD



"You're....serious about that, huh?" Despite saying otherwise, Ryosuke indulged in her little game, instead taking his chopsticks and doodling a bit. He quickly finished, moving the bowl closer to Keiko was he was done, a smile on his face, "Look, look." Keiko leaned forward, a giggle escaping her lips as she read what he wrote.

Yes, yes, indeed.

Ryosuke laughed at the little inside joke between them, quickly scribbling out the pudding. "Can't have the waitress seeing that when she comes back...." He took his chopstick back, gesturing at the bowl, "Okay, your turn."

Keiko gave a little hum as she pondered what to draw. The carrot in her hand was a good start to this game, and she lifted it to her mouth, taking a bite of the pudding, instantly wincing at the sweetness. Who in their right mind would eat the rest of it? It was enough to put a diabetic into a coma…

She put her carrot aside, picking up her own chopstick. What could she write before the waitress came back…? She glanced up, sneaking a peek at Ryosuke, and was caught off guard by the expression on his face. Just a few seconds before, he was laughing and having fun, but now…

"Uhhh, Keiko-chan..." Ryosuke picked up his chopsticks again and rolled them between his palms, eager to give himself something to do. "Was there.....something you wanted to talk about?"

Blinking slowly, she placed her chopstick down, straightening her back as she sat up. She opened her mouth, about to say something when the waitress appeared, their food stuffs coming with her. The woman gave it over, her eyes glossing over to the two, as if noting the fact that Keiko wasn’t wearing Ryosuke’s jacket anymore, but didn’t say a thing, only nodding her head and a “Have a good day,” before taking off again.

Keiko made no move towards the food, even after the stove was turned on. She gulped, suddenly not feeling very hungry anymore. Yeah, there was something she wanted to talk about. The only ones who knew about her situation were her family. Not even Atsushi knew. She made sure he didn’t know.

And as she stared across the table, it really struck her that she was with someone she probably would never ever associate with. Yet here she was, sitting in an okonomiyaki shop with a delinquent. She gulped, thinking back to her first year at Karasumori High. One little bump and her world had turned into hell.

She leaned forward, taking the bowl of pudding closer as she carefully drew the characters. When she was done, she pushed the dish towards Ryosuke, lowering her head to keep herself from seeing his expression.

Drawn about as neatly as one could in pudding was…

ヤンキー

She took a deep breath, “I don’t usually…” A cough bubbled up in her throat, “I had some… trouble in my first year…” As if suddenly embarrassed, she reached for the pudding, muddling up what she wrote. She gulped, “It… it made me… It’s hard to interact with others. Especially with Yankees.”

Finally, she lifted her head, her eyes still downcast, “I hate them; Yankees. They always think its fun to mess with me.” Lifting up a hand, she let it run through her hair, “Not… Not that I hate you. I got to know you, and I think you’re a really decent guy, Ryosuke-kun. It’s just… other Yankees. I can’t stand them.”

Her hand dropped to her lap and she sighed, “I’m… sorry, this is really ruining the mood.”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

OOC: Awww, I'm glad! ^0^

Ryosuke watched Keiko fiddle with the pudding-covered carrot, then take a bite and seem to gag. He raised an eyebrow, then leaned closer and looked back into the cool gel, wondering if maybe their waitress really had gone ahead and left some "extra special flavors" in there for them because of his games earlier.

As if aware of his concerns, the woman appeared at their table again, quickly depositing their order before them and turning on the stove before hurrying back off to the kitchen with a "Have a good day!" that sounded a bit too forced and a smile on her face. Ryosuke just watched her go, wondering if he ought to have asked what kind of pudding she'd served them. Or what that smirk was about, he thought bitterly.

Feeling a bit of warmth on his face as the stove began to heat up, Ryosuke turned back towards the center of their table, just in time to see Keiko lean forward and begin drawing in the pudding bowl again. He squinted, trying to make out what she was creating, but seconds later, she pushed the bowl towards him. Whatever it was, it was for him.

One look, and the blonde felt something twist in his gut at the word Keiko had formed in the pudding bowl.

"Yankee."

It was funny, seeing that word, hearing it....It never had any good connotations, of course (nobody believed that Yankees could be "good" people), and even though Ryosuke had come to consider himself as something of an Ex-Yankee, he knew his ties with the term still existed, still made him a little uneasy. There were too many places he couldn't go without getting the cold or nervous looks, too many people in town who saw him for who he may once have been, not who he was now. He could argue against it, oh yes, insist that not all guys with dyed hair and somewhat.....cool attitudes were bad kids, but who was there to believe him?

More than that, seeing the word, knowing now that it was the reason for whatever was bothering Keiko so much, he felt really cold inside, even despite the heat of the stove as it warmed up.
He stole a glance at the word again as if to double check he hadn't misread it.

He hadn't.

Keiko looked as though she was trying to compose herself. “I don’t usually…I had some… trouble in my first year…”

Ryosuke watched the term he knew all too well meld with the rest of the pudding as Keiko swiped it away. And yet even when she was done, he could still see the traces where parts of the word had been, as if the food itself was mocking him, telling him, Once a Yankee, always a Yankee--you can't hide what you once were.

“It… it made me… It’s hard to interact with others. Especially with Yankees.”

Ryosuke looked up just in time to see Keiko lift her own head, though she seemed unable to meet his eye. A rather deep sadness seemed to have settled upon her face, her otherwise sweet, pretty features distorted by what he'd dared to ask her.

“I hate them; Yankees. They always think its fun to mess with me.”

Ryosuke lowered his eyes now. He was sure she had every right to hate Yankees, just like evidently Kaoru did. And of course she had that right to, when people like Akabane were out there, ruining things for everyone else. Hell, he'd heard of worse crimes Yankees had done with schoolgirls, and....well, if something like that had happened....Either way, guys had no right hurting girls, physically, emotionally, you name it. That was something Ryosuke had always been pretty dead-set about in his beliefs, though he doubted anyone would believe him if he said it, especially in consideration of the fact that he'd once dated more than 5 girls at a time. Nobody would ever call a player (and a player Yankee, at that) compassionate.

He looked back up at Keiko, his face set.

“Not… Not that I hate you. I got to know you, and I think you’re a really decent guy, Ryosuke-kun. It’s just… other Yankees. I can’t stand them.” There was a pause, then the poor girl sighed. “I’m… sorry, this is really ruining the mood.”

Ryosuke shook his head quickly. "I think I understand. Anyway, I asked....I'm sorry." He looked down at his hands. He hadn't realized it, but he'd been so tense that he was clinging firmly to the edge of his seat. "I don't know what those Yankees did to you, and I won't ask you if you don't want to tell me."

He took a deep breath.

"I know it will sound like a paradox or something but there's....good Yankees too. I mean, you know Wataru, right? He acts tough, but he's really a mushy guy." Ryosuke recalled plenty of memories of scenes Wataru would otherwise never have let anyone else see, things that happened in the confines of his or a close friend's home, and couldn't help laughing a little. "He's really good with Nippori's brothers, for one thing, and he likes--" He stopped himself just in time. He knew he shouldn't give away Wataru's love interest just like that. "--a girl in school. A lot. And he turns to complete mush when he sees her."

Ryosuke reached out to pick up a nearby soup spoon and dipped it into the pudding, lifting some of the soft substance up and flipping the spoon upside down to make the goop tumble back into its bowl with a soft glop.

"Like that." He chuckled nervously, setting the spoon down as he became serious again. "I mean, he's probably a much better guy than I am. At least he's been faithful to one person...."

His voice broke off.

"Uhh....Keiko-chan? Do the Yankees who bother you...do they go to our school? Ahh...actually, no, it doesn't matter where they go. Do you know their names?"

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: I don't know if you want them to start cooking or not...



"I think I understand. Anyway, I asked....I'm sorry."

Keiko kept her gaze down, already dreading her words.

"I don't know what those Yankees did to you, and I won't ask you if you don't want to tell me." He took a deep breath. She glanced up at that, did he have more to say?

"I know it will sound like a paradox or something but there's....good Yankees too. I mean, you know Wataru, right? He acts tough, but he's really a mushy guy." Keiko frowned, Azuma Wataru? The feared red-haired demon that struck fear into anyone who dared to cross him? That same guy? "He's really good with Nippori's brothers, for one thing, and he likes--" He broke off, and Keiko lifted her head some more, he likes what?

"--a girl in school. A lot. And he turns to complete mush when he sees her."

…Really?

Ryosuke took the spoon in the sickening sweet pudding, lifting it up and letting the goop drop back into its bowl, "Like that." He chuckled nervously, setting the spoon down as he became serious again. "I mean, he's probably a much better guy than I am. At least he's been faithful to one person...."

Keiko felt herself shrug a bit, “If… you say so…” She sighed, wondering how the topic went from… pudding to Azuma Wataru. Sure, he wasn’t one of the delinquents who caused trouble for her, but his reputation was just as bad, maybe worse, as if he did do all the things they did to her, on a subconscious level. If that made any sense.

She let her head lower again, just as Ryosuke’s voice broke through her thoughts.

"Uhh....Keiko-chan? Do the Yankees who bother you...do they go to our school? Ahh...actually, no, it doesn't matter where they go. Do you know their names?"

She shook her head, unsure if the blond saw her action or not. “They… they were expelled… some time after um…” Her face flushed and her fingers twisted around each other, “Well… they were expelled.” She didn’t need to mention she got into a fight with them, one that nearly would have turned into something worse had a teacher not stopped them. “I don’t know what happened to them, and… I never bothered to learn their names.”

She lifted her head once more, her eyes hard, “Even if I knew their names, I wouldn’t use them. They were… a bunch of scumbags.”

Pointing at the ingredients laid out, Keiko nodded in that direction, “I haven’t run into them since, I like to think they fell off a dock or something. Maybe they can’t swim. Shouldn’t we start making our food now?”

She shifted a bit in her chair, taking a sip of her water, the sweetness of the pudding still in her mouth, “I usually don’t… tell people about what happened. Atsushi-kun doesn’t even know.” She set her glass down, “Then again… he never asked.” A smile slipped onto her face, “Thanks Ryosuke-kun, for listening to me.”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

OOC: Hahaha, I think it's okay! I can start that! XD We've been so distracted with the letters and Facebook lately, we're so bad! XDD But I'm happy to get back to writing this~

Ryosuke was becoming more and more worried as the seconds passed, not entirely sure if he'd been able to reach through to Keiko, at least even a little. He was sure that if he knew that much, he would feel somewhat better.

But Keiko shook her head in response to his question and Ryosuke felt his heart sink a little. He wasn't sure what he'd planned on doing if he had gotten the names of the people who'd bothered her, but not knowing at all felt much worse.

“They… they were expelled… some time after um…” Keiko looked a little embarrassed.

Ryosuke glanced down at his own hands. He'd weaved his fingers into each other, sort of nervously squeezing tight as Keiko spoke, her face flushed. It was obvious she didn't really want to talk about this either, and he felt bad for having asked at all, even if his intentions had been good.

“Well… they were expelled.” There was a pause, then, " I don’t know what happened to them, and… I never bothered to learn their names.”

Another pause.

Ryosuke glanced up just in time to meet the girl's gaze, and this time there was something different in her eyes, a kind of fierce determination he hadn't seen earlier.

“Even if I knew their names, I wouldn’t use them. They were… a bunch of scumbags. I haven’t run into them since, I like to think they fell off a dock or something. Maybe they can’t swim. Shouldn’t we start making our food now?”

It took Ryosuke a moment to realize that the conversation had shifted back to their food, following Keiko's gestures at the awaiting meal, and he nodded suddenly, taking up the bowl of okonomiyaki ingredients, then reaching across the end of the table to grab the cooking supplies. He'd been so into her story that he'd nearly forgotten there was anything waiting for them at all.

Keiko lifted her glass of water to take a sip while Ryosuke set to work pouring oil on the long-since heated stove. The soft liquid hissed upon hitting the hot surface, and he set to work mixing the okonomiyaki batter to pour over the oil to cook. Keiko began to speak again while he worked.

“I usually don’t… tell people about what happened. Atsushi-kun doesn’t even know.” A soft clink as she set her glass back down on the table. Ryosuke finally finished mixing the pizza batter and began pouring it over the stove.

“Then again… he never asked. Thanks Ryosuke-kun, for listening to me.”

The blonde Yankee didn't bother looking up, merely shaking his head. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."
His eyes trained down on the large splotch of batter on the stove in front of them, he pretended he was focused on his work, cool and calm and collected to everything Keiko had just told him........

But he wasn't. He wasn't at all.

He'd had these thoughts already, they were merely remnants from earlier being recycled in his mind, but he just couldn't bring himself to accept everything. So those Yankees had been expelled--that was a given. Had they gotten arrested, detained? He couldn't imagine them having just been allowed to walk free, especially if they'd harassed a girl....He wasn't even sure what he could say to Keiko. Sure he'd listened, but the point was that she felt a little better having gotten that out, not worse.

He chanced a glance at his sort of unintentional "date" to see if he could glean any of her feelings, only to realize that the bottom half of their pizza had begun to burn, he'd been pressing it down into the stove with the spatulas so hard.

"Ah, sorry about that." Ryosuke flipped the pizza over quickly--it would be done soon anyway, this kind was so thin. The heat of the stove was warm on his face, though he wondered if maybe he was slightly flushed as well, albeit for different reasons. He just felt so bad... "If you, you know...if you ever need to talk to someone again...I'm here." He cleared his throat, lifting the pizza from the now steaming stove and depositing it over onto the nearest clean and empty plate for them to enjoy.

Ryosuke set the two cooking spatulas down next to his hand towel, searching for a change of topic that might ease the situation for the both of them. "So.....how long have you known Kaneko?"

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: This... I don't know how it ended up the way it did XD I half wanted to make her get up and leave but didn't.



The blond got to work making their pizza, Keiko watching the ingredients pool together in the middle of the stove. Ryosuke shook his head, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

As silly as it seemed, just telling someone of her past… made Keiko feel better. She finally lifted her eyes to look at the boy across from her. He was busy watching the pizza, letting her eyes free to roam over his features. Most sane people would be turned off by his dyed golden locks, his crazy obsession with skulls… everything about him seemed to scream Yankee.

But it didn’t scare Keiko.

She felt safe, in this little corner of the restaurant, where the waitress believed they were a couple, next to a Zen Garden that was simply beautiful.

It was weird, but not unpleasant.

"Ah, sorry about that." She blinked, realizing just a bit too late that he was referring to the pizza on the stove. In fact, now he was staring hard at the pizza, as if demanding it to cook faster. "If you, you know...if you ever need to talk to someone again...I'm here." He cleared his throat, lifting the pizza from the now steaming stove and depositing it over onto the nearest clean and empty plate for them to enjoy.

She nodded, picking up her chopsticks. The food was steaming on the plate, and she leaned forward, taking a piece, hovering a hand under it as she blew against the food.

"So.....how long have you known Kaneko?"

She paused, slowly lowering her chopsticks, “Oh… At the beginning of the school year, he was at the library and helped me out.” Glancing down at her piece of pizza in her chopsticks, Keiko let herself take a bite. “Mmm, this is good.” She swallowed her food, a smile on her lips. “He was really sweet.”

Reaching to take another piece of pizza, she looked up, “What about you? How do you know Atsushi-kun? I know that Azuma is in his club…” Her gaze dropped again, but she quickly shook off the earlier feeling.

Keiko reached for another plate, putting some of their special dish salad on it and taking a bite, “I guess I haven’t seen him around lately. He’s been busy with practice and everything. But I promised I would go to his next competition.”

She put some more pieces of their pizza on her plate, “This may be a bit silly, but I don’t really pay much attention to people at school…” She tapped her chopsticks against her palm, “I even avoided Atsushi-kun’s classroom once I found Azuma was in it…”

Keiko let out a small laugh, “I’m sorry, you were trying to find a happier topic and I ruined it…” She put her chopsticks down, her food left untouched. “I’m not used to talking this much…”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

OOC: NOOOO!!! Hahaha, did Ryosuke scare Keiko??? But even though this post is progressing kind of slowly, I love it!!! ^0^

“Oh… At the beginning of the school year, he was at the library and helped me out.”

Ryosuke was cutting himself a piece from the pizza and was happy to see that Keiko seemed to be enjoying it. No surprise that she'd met Kaneko at a library, either. Then a smile graced her lips.

“He was really sweet.”

Ryosuke felt like laughing. He couldn't imagine Kaneko's interactions with a girl. He'd only ever been around the other boy when he was with other guys--the Tumbling team, the Yankees.....He'd always known him to be rather annoying, nitpicky, quick to point out others' faults. But a good friend. Yes, in the end, weird as it felt for Ryosuke to even think about it, Kaneko had indeed become a good friend. They fought, they bickered, but at the end of the day, he knew they appreciated each other. At least, he appreciated four eyes, more than he might even pretend.

“What about you? How do you know Atsushi-kun? I know that Azuma is in his club…”

Ryosuke blinked to find Keiko was looking at him. "Ah....I'm in the club with him and Wataru. Tumbling. He's in my class, but we only....really became friends after I joined the club."

“I guess I haven’t seen him around lately. He’s been busy with practice and everything. But I promised I would go to his next competition.” Keiko set to work adding a bit more food to her plate, and Ryosuke realized he hadn't even touched his own. Quickly putting his hands together and murmuring a soft, "Itadakimasu," he took some of the salad and began to munch on that.

“This may be a bit silly, but I don’t really pay much attention to people at school…I even avoided Atsushi-kun’s classroom once I found Azuma was in it…”

The blonde Yankee pondered her words and knew she had to be telling the truth. He'd recognized her from his year, but even then, when they'd met on the beach, he'd known very very little about her. He'd hardly seen her around school, definitely not in his classroom, and he could only remember hearing about her occasionally from other girls in the class or seeing her during assemblies or the like. There'd been their 3rd year photo session too, for the school yearbook, and he recalled having seen her in another line to get her photo taken. But that being said, that had been the extent of his knowledge about her. In a way, it was a bit ironic and funny that they were sitting here now, sharing okonomiyaki and talking relatively comfortably alone together as though they'd known each other for far longer than they had.

"Wataru's intimidating." Ryosuke wasn't going to lie. He remembered one of the first days back to school--he and Wataru, and even Nippori--had had a mess of a fight, then come to school with their usual "Who gives a sh*t?" attitude. Ryosuke even remembered smoking then, charging past other high schoolers who he hadn't given a damn about, moving into the classroom and picking a fight with some of the Tumbling team members.........somehow, thinking about those memories, he almost didn't recognize himself. And yet he hadn't felt that he'd changed so much, even if he had. It was sort of surreal. But all the same, he could understand Keiko's insistance on avoiding her friend's class. Even if he and Wataru didn't do enough "scaring", Akabane had been there early on, and he'd made life hell for most everyone. "We all were," he finally added, his gaze lowered at the freshly cooked pizza.

Keiko didn't seem too defeated by what had been said. Instead, she laughed slightly, lowering her chopsticks as she spoke. “I’m sorry, you were trying to find a happier topic and I ruined it…I’m not used to talking this much…”

Ryosuke shrugged. "It's really not a big deal--I guess it's better to get out all the bad feelings, right? Anyway, you're not lying..." He fiddled with his own chopsticks again, looking at his untouched piece of pizza. Feeling a little antsy, he busied himself putting some of the okonomiyaki sauce and spices over the top so he could finally eat it. "We're better, all of us....Wataru, Kiyama, Nippori. I hope I am too. But even if it doesn't feel like I changed much, Kaneko's club, the Tumbling team.......it did it for us. Maybe I don't even recognize who I used to be. And Wataru definitely. Wataru.....maybe he's the one who helped the rest of us....change..."

He took a bite out of the pizza, now beginning to cool after how long it had just been sitting there, but didn't think it was too bad. He'd cooked better, he thought, but it could have been worse.....

"Are you enjoying everything?"

Ryosuke practically jumped out of his seat. Somehow, their waitress had subtly found her way back to their table, an otherwise calm smile on her face (though Ryosuke was beginning to wonder how much of all this was just her way of taking an equally subtle revenge for earlier), and he quickly nodded. He wondered how much of their conversation she'd overheard. He and Keiko had both been so into it, apparently neither of them had noticed the older woman lurking nearby.

"Yeah, it's good, thanks." He caught sight of their muddled pudding bowl, which was otherwise barely touched, then gestured to that, thinking he could test their waitress. "Sorry about your art, though...."

The woman's face fell slightly at the sight, and though Ryosuke thought he would have felt bad, her tone of voice betrayed her annoyance. "You didn't like it?"

The blonde Yankee felt his troublemaker side picking up a bit. He merely shrugged. "I guess you could say it wasn't really our taste, but thanks anyway."

The waitress didn't seem to have the facial muscles available for smiling, at the moment. Her eyes narrowed, she pulled out the order machine again and scrutinized the boy and girl carefully, as if daring them to not order something else. "Will you be ordering anything else? One pizza is hardly enough for one person, let alone two."

Ryosuke sighed, swallowed the pizza he'd been munching on, and looked to Keiko. It wasn't that he couldn't go for more food....more that he was somewhat uncomfortable with their waitress. He wasn't sure what to make of her. "Anything else you wanted to get? Don't worry about the price or anything...."

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: I'm sooooooo sorry this took forever ): And I wasn't really sure where to take this without Godmodding. If you want me to change anything just let me know.



Ryosuke shrugged. "It's really not a big deal--I guess it's better to get out all the bad feelings, right? Anyway, you're not lying..." He busied himself on putting toppings on his pizza, "We're better, all of us....Wataru, Kiyama, Nippori. I hope I am too. But even if it doesn't feel like I changed much, Kaneko's club, the Tumbling team.......it did it for us. Maybe I don't even recognize who I used to be. And Wataru definitely. Wataru.....maybe he's the one who helped the rest of us....change..." He took a bite of his pizza, Keiko felt her head nod. She might not see Atsushi a lot, but based on the fact that he was still alive and well, having Yankees in his club might not be a bad thing after all…

"Are you enjoying everything?"

Keiko felt herself stiffen, having not realized their waitress came back. Before she had been so obvious, it was a little… startling.

"Yeah, it's good, thanks." Ryosuke seemed to realize what they did to the pudding, giving it a small gesture, "Sorry about your art, though...."

The woman's face fell slightly at the sight, and though Ryosuke thought he would have felt bad, her tone of voice betrayed her annoyance. "You didn't like it?" Keiko tried to keep a straight face, even when Ryosuke responded back, shrugging his shoulder, "I guess you could say it wasn't really our taste, but thanks anyway."

She bit her lip, a giggle in her throat when she figured out what exactly Ryosuke was trying to do. As if the waitress didn’t like them already…

The waitress took out her order machine, eyes narrowed, "Will you be ordering anything else? One pizza is hardly enough for one person, let alone two."

Keiko let the grip on her lip loosen, it wasn’t as if she was full, on the contrary, she was still quite hungry, but the whole situation with the waitress and the weird setup with her thinking this was a date was just… awkward. She looked up as Ryosuke turned his attention her way, "Anything else you wanted to get? Don't worry about the price or anything...."

As if feeling the waitress’ glare, she fidgeted in her seat. In all honesty, Keiko wanted more food, even though they hadn’t really finished their first pizza and salad. And it seemed as if this waitress was prying into their personal business, showing up every few minutes.

Was a little privacy too much to ask?

Keiko took her napkin in hand, rubbing her hands against it, “Actually…”

She paused, trying to form her next words carefully. She glanced down at her phone, an idea popping into her head, “It’s getting a bit late.” Letting a smile on her face, she turned to the waitress, “Could we have some bags for our food?” Not even bothering to wait for a response, she turned back to Ryosuke, “That’s not a problem, is it?”

[Tsukimori Ryosuke]

OOC: Don't feel bad at all! Look how long I took! ^^;; And I didn't think there was any significant god-modding at all!! It feels SOOOOO good to write! >0< Anyway, please let me know if I should add in any more~!

Ryosuke felt like he could read Keiko's mind long before she even answered, and he felt the smallest trace of a grin cross his face. He quickly tried to maintain his composure before it turned into an unintentional--or perhaps intentional--smirk that drove their waitress further up the wall.

Still, Ryosuke allowed Keiko to speak.

“Actually…” She hesitated for a moment. “It’s getting a bit late. Could we have some bags for our food?”

Ryosuke actually felt his face fall a little. He'd been convinced that Keiko was going to have the same response as him, but he couldn't tell, at the moment, whether she was serious or not. Maybe he was the one due for a smirk. He wondered if he'd possibly made Keiko uncomfortable talking about....well....everything they'd just talked about, made her want to go home. He knew the waitress didn't help matters at all, and neither did the "romantic" setting, but if he'd just had a helping hand in ruining the night....
Ryosuke tried to clear his thoughts. He really ha become something of a mess with girls lately. While he'd always prided himself in at least trying to be in tune with them, right now, he was at emotional overload. He was always thinking a mile a minute lately--probably had to do with that "heart of glass" he always felt like he had.

“That’s not a problem, is it?”

Ryosuke caught Keiko's gaze, her smile, and knew he couldn't object. Even if he did want to spend a bit more time with her or at least didn't feel like they'd gotten out everything they wanted to say, if she needed to go home....

"Uh yeah...that's no problem. Don't wanna let the pudding go bad.....uhh, if it hasn't already?"

Ryosuke looked at his belongings on the floor and began to gather them up as if to emphasize to the waitress--who was now standing sort of silent, in open-mouthed surprise--that they really did intend to leave. He slid one arm through his school jacket, simultaneously hoisting his school bag up onto the seat he'd been sitting on, then stopped halfway, realizing they were going to be going outside again. Keiko would probably want it, or at the very least, need it.

"'Scuse me..." Ryosuke leaned past their waitress, offering Keiko his jacket. "Since we're leaving and all..." He moved back for his chair, lifting his schoolbag back over his shoulder, then turned to the waitress, donning the most convincing smile he could muster. "I guess this means the check, then!"

Ryosuke kept the smile on his face and turned to Keiko, winking. He did wonder, though, what she had in mind...

OOC: Sorry to cut this short here! I guess we could just continue on outside or somewhere else, if you want! And this made me wonder if Keiko should become involved in the warehouse thread!!!!!!