[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220130/6cba50f669c9afaf20534dd8285a1367.png[/img][/center] [hr][hr][indent] Asshole. She had half a mind to shove him off the swing. Fortunately, Shiori wasn't the type to get all blushy and flustered so easily, so he would be safe from eating old chips and dirt. For now. The way he kept it up, though, she'd definitely be giving him a good whack sooner than later. Maybe he was into that or something? Then again, he could just be an asshole in general. It explained the constant scowling, at least. But with a cigarette in hand, all was well in the world with her. As he started talking, Shiori couldn't help but be just a little surprised. She didn't take him for the talkative type. Maybe he was just bored. She wasn't exactly interesting company so she couldn't entirely blame him. She did, however, give something resembling a chuckle as he let his opinion on the park be known. [color=pink]"Of course there's kids. How else do you think people end up getting trapped here? Kids are expensive and this place is relatively cheap to live in so long as you're not looking at any of the bigger places up in the Sakuraba Community,"[/color] She answered first and foremost. [color=pink]"They probably go to the nicer park that's over by the station, though. This one pretty much got abandoned after some kind of fire happened. Not sure what's the story behind it, but it did a number on the grass. Probably spooked parents that actually care about their kids, so most people avoid it. Though that's why I like it. Nice and quiet and calm."[/color] And it was a great place to smoke without getting interrupted. But that went without saying. His next question was a little harder to answer, if only because she didn't like admitting she was a friendless loser. Though she supposed he had guessed that by now. [color=pink]"Not anymore, no,"[/color] She admitted that much. [color=pink]"My former best friend turned into a real bitch so we stopped hanging out last year. And most people don't like hanging out with a violent delinquent."[/color] Did she really come off as lonely? She thought she was fine being alone. Most people were annoying to be around, anyway, so she generally had an easier time alone. The more she thought about it, though, the less she wanted to admit that she didn't really like talking about it. She did, however, recognize this was a good chance as any to have an actual conversation. [color=pink]"What about you?"[/color] She ended up asking, against her better judgment. [color=pink]"Got friends back home waiting for you? A girlfriend patiently waiting by the phone for you to call tonight?"[/color] [/indent][hr][center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220130/30723a37b2f7f9cded4f0d43ed032e23.png[/img][/center][hr][indent] Ichika was glad Sakaguchi didn't seem to judge her too much for it. She had played before though, just mostly during gym class. While she wasn't familiar with the terminology and the like, she did have the skill to play. And so long as she knew how to play, everything else would probably just fall into place. And she got past tryouts so she didn't even need to worry! Whatever she needed to know she could learn, anyway; fake it 'til you make it and all that good stuff. Once Sakaguchi asked about her old school, Ichika nodded. [color=coral]"I attended Kokusai Koko last year--that is, the the Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School,"[/color] She beamed with pride, though she did deflate a touch. [color=coral]"It was...hard. I mean, there are a lot of expectations and the like, so you had to be on top of your game like [i]all[/i] the time. And if you weren't good enough, you'd end up getting swallowed by the crowd, chewed up, and spat out."[/color] She paused. [color=coral]"...I think I managed fine, but Mama worried anyway."[/color] She sighed. [color=coral]"I don't think she thought I could handle it, though. So...here I am!"[/color] She perked back up. [color=coral]"So, now it's your turn. What [i]is[/i] this school like?"[/color] [/indent][hr][indent] [/indent][hr]