[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/yMYUUW4.png[/img] [h2][u][color=steelblue]K E N I C H I[/color][/u][/h2] [h3][b][i]Dorm Lobby[/i][/b][/h3] [@Feyblue][/center] [hr] "Do [i]take care[/i] of my sister for me, Yoshida-san," Asuka called over one shoulder as she and Kasuke started to head outside. "She can be a bit [i]oblivious[/i] sometimes, so be sure she doesn't wander off with [i]anyone else[/i].~" She gave a slight giggle. "Before I come back, that is," She added. Kenichi turned his head slightly--not entirely looking away from Fumika, because she had just opened her mouth but then stopped--as the smaller, not-quite-so-fluffy girl left. Then the taller, quite-fluffy-indeed girl had his full attention once more. "I've been fine," She responded curtly. There was a pause--what was going on inside that head of hers? Kenichi felt like that kind of response was the kind you gave when things weren't [i]really[/i] fine, but you didn't want to go into all the nitty gritty details right now. "I worked hard in training, but I still lost. My teammates were very nice, though, and didn't get angry with me even when I slowed them down. Well, one of them wasn't actually nice. He was your replacement. He saved me from falling, but then he dropped me on the ground, and during the fight he apparently hurt a bunch of people. I haven't seen him since then, but I think I dislike him. He's very strong, but he's not nearly as cool as Yoshida. ...Oh. That is, he's not as cool as you are." She trailed off completely, pursing her lips and exhaling quietly as her bangs, which had been curling rather wildly out to either side, let out a quiet crackle of static and slowly descended, like curtains being lowered ignominiously on a failed performance to cover the actors and conceal their shame from their silent audience. Her antenna flopped over completely, dangling across the bridge of her nose and twitching slightly with pent-up impotent frustration. Her expression didn't change, save for a slight frown as she reached up to adjust the glasses that her writhing hair had slightly displaced, but something in her eyes as they peeked between curtains of smooth, shiny hair seemed dark and gloomy by comparison. "Sorry," Fumika said quietly at last, her voice slightly tense as she lowered her head ever-so-slightly in what might have been a bow. "I'm very bad at talking, so I'm probably being very boring." "No, you're not. I wouldn't have asked how you've been if I thought you were a boring person." Kenichi said resolutely. He wished he was taller than she was, so that he could reach out and lift up her chin to make her look him in the eyes--[i]Oh dammit that'd probably be way too much why're you suddenly thinking about this you've known the girl literally less than a week[/i]--but with things being as they were, he settled for putting his hands on his hips in a confident stance. So maybe she'd take what he was saying seriously. "But all you've told me so far is that there's some asshole substitute student in our class that I might need to have a chat with." He put his hands back together and cracked his knuckles with a smirk. "Which is good to know. But he's not you, is he?" He crossed one arm over his chest and held the other one up with a wagging finger as he explained in a teacher-like fashion--while his brain screamed [i]IRONY[/i] at him silently. "What about [i]you?[/i] Motome-chan? Like...your life, here at Komei? Did they pair ya up with a roommate? Did you make any more friends in class? Have you and your little sis--who gives me an impression like she puts on a show a lot, by the way, you ever notice that?--have you and your little sis, and your friend Harukaze, been hanging out after school? I mean...how've [i]you[/i] been?" [i]And why am I asking so much oh man she's gonna think I'm a creepy stalker obsessed with her or something like I've been watching her in the showers or some creepy shit like that...but...[/i] He managed to calm his heart beat down as he looked at her, watching her go through her odd little mannerisms that gave away her emotions even though Asuka seemed to think she didn't have any. [i]But I think she's an interesting person. And she doesn't see herself like that, but the only reason she thinks she isn't good at talking to people...is because I bet she doesn't. I've never done Karate before, so I had to ask Kasuke-san about it. I'm realizing that I probably suck at a lot of stuff--schoolwork, being a Hero and a Main Character, talking to girls...But I decided, didn't I? To keep pushing forward, and break those limits. And...I want her to keep walking forward too... I don't want her to think she was wrong for trying.[/i]