[color=#FFF83B]"Nee-chan? Why didn't you battle him?"[/color] Lumia's question was late and delayed, but she hadn't gotten a chance to ask before Rui had retreated back to her classroom. Lessons would resume soon, though, and a couple of Rui's classmates had returned as well. So, instead of answering her verbally, Rui began to scratch her pencil against some notepaper, scribbling down her response. [color=#ffbae8]"Got a feel for this deck. Can't win. Needs more cards."[/color] Rui made sure to hold Lumia in front of the paper so she could see. The girl in the card crossed her arms. [color=#FFF83B]"Do you think so? That other girl seemed to struggle against you, though..."[/color] she replied in turn. Rui wrote down her answer again. [color=#ffbae8]"She had a starter deck too. Haruto won't."[/color] she wrote. Rui looked up at the clock hanging in her classroom, nibbling on the back of her pencil. [color=#ffbae8]"I'll battle to win"[/color] she continued to scribble, [color=#ffbae8]"and I'm going to the card shop after school. He won't get away with hurting Sora."[/color] Lumia scratched her cheek, shifting nervously within the confines of her card. She looked like she had something to say. [color=#ffbae8]"What's wrong?"[/color] Rui asked her in writing. [color=#FFF83B]"Well, your deck... it's not actually..."[/color] Lumia slowly tried getting to the point, but she shook her head before finishing the thought. After letting out a deep breath, Lumia gave Rui her most cheerful smile. [color=#FFF83B]"Nevermind. I'm just a little impatient to get our revenge, y'know?"[/color] Rui's own expression softened after hearing those words. She wanted to thank Lumia, but the bell rang. Time was up. Rui quickly folded up the notepaper she scribbled on and put it away in her bag so she could dispose of it later. For now, she'd focus on her lessons. Then after that...[hr][center][i]~After school~[/i][/center] Rui leaned back against the entrance of the school. She took out her phone to text Sora. [color=#ffbae8]"I'm going to buy some cards. It's near the station, right? If you want to"[/color] was as far as she got before noticing the murmurs of students nearby. She thought she heard her name, so Rui perked up her ears and listened in. "...had a fight." "No way! With Haruto?" Rui narrowed her eyes. What were they on about, she wondered? Rui stood up and left the table, sure, but neither of them raised their voices. Unless... [color=#ffbae8]"Good evening. Were you talking about me?"[/color] she asked of the duo of juniors. "Oh! Senpai?" one of them reacted with surprise, not having seen Rui standing just a little ways away. "Oh... right, you're Kadomori-kun's older sister," the other murmured. [color=#ffbae8]"You were talking about Sora?"[/color] she asked the two of them. One nodded and explained how rumor has it Sora got into a fight with Haruto during lunch break, but never got sent to the student guidance counselor. Rui's face turned into a frown. [color=#ffbae8]"Don't joke about that. Sora would never,"[/color] she defended his honor, even though it slowly dawned on her why he might've done so. In the back of her head she was already cursing that idiot for making a scene at school, but cursing herself more for not keeping an eye on Haruto. [color=#ffbae8]"Don't spread any more nasty rumours about my brother. If he steps out of line, I'll scold him for it myself."[/color] she warned the two first years. Rui made her way out of the school gates and opened her phone again. She edited her in-progress message. [color=#ffbae8]"I'm going to buy some cards. Try to stay out of trouble, okay? I'll see if I can't pick something up for you, too."[/color] Rui pocketed her phone when the message had been sent, then pulled up her scarf a little. She'd been on-edge all day and this new information only made the chill of the wind bite harder. Lumia had been quiet for a while, too, but maybe she didn't have something to say in the first place. Rui's eyes drifted to the sky. The weather had been nice for most of the day, but a bank of clouds was rolling in. [color=#ffbae8][i]'Well, I guess the weather will suit me soon...'[/i][/color] she thought to herself. Hopefully it didn't rain... if it did, she would be stuck inside that shop until the weather passed or she was forced to leave. She couldn't imagine what her parents would think if she came home drenched. [color=#ffbae8]"Oh, right... mom would want to know if I'm back late,"[/color] Rui mused to herself out loud. She sent her mother a text. Her phone would buzz periodically after that, almost like clockwork. Endless questions about where she was, what she was doing and telling her to come home as soon as possible. Well, that was what she was assuming in any case. Rui ignored it and kept walking.