loveedition | starsand // starnet DM / open post

[ She's never going to get used to that speed... she jumps a bit when there's a knock, and she's fairly quick to head over and... ]

Oh! Hey--

[ Wait a second-- ]

Uh... what's that?

It's-- [He bites his tongue. Right... It's in the bag so that it can be a surprise.

Yuuto holds the bag out to her.]

It's for you. Open it!

Wha--

[ Okay. Well, she's going to open it and... aaah! What a cute coat?! ]

T-This is gorgeous! Wait, this is mine?!

[He's... really relieved! Yuuto doesn't know much about fashion, let alone girls' fashions, so he's happy to hear her call it cute.]

Yes, please! It's yours, um... I wasn't sure if anyone had got you one already, but you can't have too many coats.

[And he hopes that it raises her spirits. So far, all signs point to Ryoko having gotten very stressed.]

I love it. Thank you so so much!

[ And she does pull it out of the bag completely, immediately putting it on! It's so comfy...! ]

Thanks, really!

You're welcome. I'm so glad that you like it.

[He smiles. The pockets are filled with konpeito, but he'll let her figure that out later: It's a secondary surprise, hopefully for a time when she needs a pick-me-up.

Which... May be now. But he's not so dumb as to force a hard conversation on her, especially so soon. Instead, he offers his hand for the start of their walk and a subtle offer to talk:]

I love you, Ryoko. You really are a great person... Okay?

[ She doesn't right away, instead just walking nearby. It might be now... because, she's figuring one thing out. From earlier.

Even if he didn't talk to her, he can tell that she did... can't he. ]

I want to think so.

...[ A brief pause. She has no idea how to approach this... ]

Um... is... Inaba-san's birthday coming up?

[Her answer surprises him. For so long, she's answered that kind of compliment by insisting otherwise. For her to finally accept it makes him feel proud of her.]

... Yeah. Seems so. She didn't give me the date.

Were you worried?

Yeah. I was.

[ That's... all she can really offer on that front. She doesn't really want to move the conversation forward, so... ]

Um... I'm not gonna have to get hot chocolate, am I? I'm not super good with spice...

Thank you... I was able to talk to her too. I think talking to people bit by bit is helping.

[But he won't push either. He does laugh at her concern.]

No, I'll find a place that suits your tastes. The cafes without spice aren't as popular, so I'm sure they'd love for us to visit. Let's go!

Yeah.

[ ...well. If Yuuto's able to talk to her again, then it wasn't a total loss. Something was able to happen. Whether or not it was positive or negative completely... who knows.

So she's gonna follow him to one of the spiceless cafes! Something nice and quiet, which sounds good right now. ]

[Well. As quiet as it can be, when Yuuto is enjoying the snow way too much. Even as they walk, he's having fun sinking into snow piles and tripping over himself.]

There's so much snow now! It's so pretty! [He turns a corner, leading her down one of the side streets and to the secluded cafe,] I heard snow tastes best when you catch it on your tongue. Is that true?

When the alternative is scooping it up and eating it like that, I'd say so. Although you're not really meant to compliment the taste of snow. It's just water, you know? Although, shaved ice is pretty good. Just not in the winter, of course.

[ Oh! Wait-- ]

Have you had a chance to make a snowman?

Eh~ What if you got a bunch of snow in a bowl and put syrup on it? Then can I compliment the taste?

[He shakes his head,] Not yet, no! I wish I'd found more time for it. I got so busy.

Uh... well, I guess so? Although, it's probably not sanitary to eat snow anyway...

[ Frozen sky juice, probably not good for you! ]

Y-Yeah, I suppose. I spent a little time trying it out when I needed a break from knitting.

[yolo.]

Eh~ How's that coming along? Does that mean that you found a stitch you like for Aisaka-san's scarf?

I think so. I should be done with it soon... I think maybe tomorrow, if I just work on it for a while. I don't really have anything else going on, so that should work out.

Aren't your hands going to get sore? Do you need a hand massage, Ryoko?

[Yuuto lifts his own hands and wiggles his fingers.]

I was studying it so I could get payback on Inaba-san, but I can attack you first?

[attack with a massage?]

Payback...

[ She... chuckles and holds up her hands. ]

No, no no, I'm fine. If you're studying it for Inaba-san then you should... not me first.

Hm? Why not?

[He hasn't lowered his hands yet. The threat is still hanging in the air.]

It's not like she's gonna want to be within a mile of me anyway.

Oh. Ahh, right right. Was. Sorry, I misunderstood.

[ So, not positive. Got it. ]

Um... I mean... my hands feel fine?

[ She's flexing her fingers! See? ]

I thought that mine were fine too! Then Inaba-san showed me that I was in so much pain that it didn't register anymore!

May I? [He reaches for her hand.]

[ She recoils, pulling her hand back for a second.

...before, she goes slightly red, and... holds the hand back out. ]

S-Sorry. Go ahead.

[Yuuto gladly takes her hand, checking along her palm for tension. He's real stupid on a normal day, but something loans him enough brain cells to notice her face going red.]

Hm..?

Ah- Are you cold? Does it hurt? Should we go inside..?

Oh. It doesn't hurt, it's... yeah, it's a little cold? Um, we should... get going.

[ Ugh, she was doing fine... she just needs to get out of her own head. ]

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