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

Rui was quick to agree with Kotori's suggestion of heading back - something she glad for simply because, as he turned to lead the way through the slowly growing crowd, she would have some time to calm down the heat that she could practically feel radiating from her face. As they walked with only the many sounds of the ongoing festival about them to accompany them, Kotori's thoughts drifted to what she'd just said to Rui - but as she caught herself thinking upon such things, she quickly shook her head and instead decided that there would be a time for that later, when she was alone. For now, she was at a festival, and so she ought to enjoy it - as Rui had suggested just a little while earlier yet. As such, she looked forward to meeting the others and to go around the festival together.

Unfortunately, this plan had one minor hitch. Namely, the fact that when they arrived at the meeting point, they found themselves in much the same situation as they'd been in when they had originally gone for their walk through the festival: they seemed to be all alone. Looking around, Kotori couldn't find any traces of the fellow investigation team members that she'd hoped to see - and for whom she'd already been trying to craft some excuse as for why they'd already gone on ahead rather than waiting for their arrival. Slight confusion and slighter yet worry crept into Kotori's mind as she glanced over to Rui - but even he didn't seem to know where the others were.

Not having thought of this possibility, Kotori was a little lost for what to do - at least until she remembered that she still had her phone with her. Quickly digging it out of her handbag, she checked it for any messages to indicate that the others had similarly decided to head out without them or that they'd been delayed - but to no avail. She was just about to start mustering the courage to ask Rui for his thoughts on the matter when her phone suddenly played a tone and buzzed in her hand. Kotori almost jumped at the unexpected notification of a received message and only barely managed to suppress a surprised cry - evidently, she wasn't exactly the most avid user of her phone nor particularly used to actually receiving messages or calls.

With a barely audible muttering to herself, Kotori quickly inspected the source of her surprise - and found only yet more surprise when she saw that it was from Shizuka. Apparently, she couldn't make it after all, but still wished her all the best at the festival. Kotori might have wondered at the odd phrasing were it not for the fact that another message arrived just then - followed in very short order by several more. Were she not more preoccupied with her surprise, Kotori may have wondered about the exact timing when, one by one, everyone else turned out to have some unforeseen commitment that unfortunately precluded their participation in the festival.

[color=green]"Oh..."[/color] Kotori couldn't help but feel a little dejected - this did put quite a damper on the whole plan of going around the festival with everyone when just two turned out to have turned up. Glancing over to the other half of said two, Kotori saw that Rui no doubt too had found out that no one else was going to be showing up - and probably was a little disappointed with his situation, too. Not only had he already taken the time to go around the festival once with her, but now he wouldn't even get to see the girls in their yukatas - which Kotori had little doubt at least some of them would have worn.

Kotori only felt a little more guilty when she realised that, rather than anything he'd probably been hoping to for, Rui had instead just been laden with the sudden revelation of her own personal problems with no forewarning - in fact, she wouldn't have been surprised at this point if he was just annoyed with the whole situation and wanted to just go home; even if she could find no traces of frustration in the furtive glances she stole at his face.

[color=green]"Uhm..."[/color] Kotori started, realising only then that she didn't really know what she wanted to say and took a moment to adjust her glasses despite her gaze being fixed on some non-descript patch of ground before her. [color=green]"I... uhm, it doesn't seem like, well, the others are coming, so..."[/color] Kotori's voice trailed off at that point when she failed to find any way to say what she wanted. Of course, she could fully understand if Rui had had enough of the festival and wanted to go home - but at the same time, she found it strangely difficult to actually say that outright and instead, with a nervous glance his way, waited to see what his response would be.