[b]Kotori Shirohane - Warakuma Central Shrine | Wednesday, July 13 2015[/b]

Having finally spoken, Kotori glanced up at Rui, who was still standing beside her with his gaze focused off in the distance. He seemed to muse over her words for a moment - which gave Kotori just enough time to wonder just how the others, such as Leiko or Chiaki, managed to effortlessly keep a conversation going when she was already all out of ideas what to talk about. Hence, her aforementioned suggestion - which doubtlessly would be a preferable outcome to the inevitable awkward silence that would otherwise follow.

As such, Kotori wasn't surprised when Rui agreed to her words. At least, not before he spoke on. As he casually suggested she accompany him, Kotori blinked in surprise. She repeated the words in her mind - but no, she wasn't somehow misunderstanding. [color=green]"Eh?"[/color] was the most eloquent response she could manage at such a short notice as she looked back at Rui. She had expected him to either agree with her and perhaps ask her to let him know when the others arrived. Or perhaps refuse to go alone, without the company of the others; even if it meant standing around at the designated meeting place longer yet.

Thusly unprepared, Kotori quickly glanced about in the vain hope that perhaps someone else would happen to arrive just in time - but alas, it was not to be. [color=green]"Uhm..."[/color] she said, her eyes finding an apparently most interesting spot on the ground before her feet. Her mind was rapidly going through the options - they were already at the meeting point, yet it was already past the time. Shouldn't she stay here? After all, if she were late, she'd probably appreciate it if the others waited for her. Yet at the same time, she'd probably feel even worse if they had to wait around doing nothing because of her. Still, that wouldn't bother her too much, seeing as it was a pleasant evening and even just the atmosphere was quite enjoyable.

Realising that she wasn't coming to any kind of conclusion very quickly - and that she was leaving Rui waiting for an answer for what felt like ages, despite just being a scant few moments in reality - Kotori finally just made a quick decision. [color=green]"I-if that is fine with, uhm, y-you, then..."[/color] she practically mumbled from the start, leaving any others word to be drowned out by the surrounding summer festival noises. Realising as much when she, if only for the briefest of moments, glanced back at Rui before returning her bespectacled gaze back to the ground, she added an empathetic nod - or at least, her attempt at one, given that all that could be seen of it was the barest of movements.

Kotori's mind, meanwhile, was rather jumbled mess as she somehow simultaneously tried to think of how to keep an eye on the meeting place and her phone for when the others showed up, what stands she might want to look at - she'd tried to memorise the festival layout the day before, but it was sort of hard to recall the details - and how to keep a conversation going so as to avoid long stretches of uncomfortable silence.

With her eyes darting about and her fingers idly picking at the cloth of her skirt, now that she wasn't actively keeping her nervous habit in check, Kotori finally managed to come up with a brilliant solution - or at least, it seemed to be one in her mind at that moment: [color=green]"Is... is there anything y-you, uhm, would like to look at, Shi-shinchi-san...?"[/color] Kotori asked, her voice fading about as quickly as her confidence in the supposed brilliance of just asking Rui about the very topic on her mind.

Even as she briefly glanced back at him, Kotori mentally berated herself for the rather apparent lack of confidence she must be exuding; having been thrown for a loop by even just a small unexpectedness such as another's slightly belated arrival.