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He presses an index against his temple, as if making himself aware that he was still tangible. This isn’t a dream.

Once he was sure, he pulled her along- smiling brightly.

"Let’s find a konbini and sober up a little then," he offers- his hand incessantly hanging off her side.

"Sounds like a perfect plan!" Kuon agreed, humming in delight as she followed along.

This time, she was humming the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Once the two of them got some snacks and a few bottles of water, and settled down somewhere quiet (as quiet as Shibuya could be at night), Ichinose was happy to dig into one of the few custard-filled melonpan she got herself. It was nice... nice and cozy, out here.

Maruki didn’t get snacks, contrary to popular belief. He has no idea what he just bought...what even is this drink? Not like it even matters, but now that he's sitting next to her, the cloudy haze of his past decisions...still loud enough for his ears, but that was just for him.

He groans as he leans back on the bench. Staring up at the sky, he listlessly fiddles with his can while trying to take in the quiet of this place.

It's getting to him at this point.

He tilts his head to glance at Kuon. "How's the melon pan?"

"Mm! Here, try," she encouraged, leaning her shoulder against his as she held up the melon pan she was already eating so he could take a bite as well. He didn't mind, right?

Leaning against his shoulder...okay, no big deal. He straightens up a little out of instinct before glancing down at the snack.

"Don't mind if I do." He leans forward, one hand sort of cradling her hand just so it didn't seem like she was outright feeding him. That would be...too strange and desperate, wouldn't it? Shit, he doesn't even know. If he leans any more, he will end up falling into her lap.

"Mhmm...that's....custard! My tastebuds are not betraying me...totally," he takes one more quick nibble. "Thank you."

"I couldn't resist! Usually I just enjoy a melon pan as-is, but this sounded tasty," she agreed, letting him have a few bites before taking it back and finishing it with a few bites of her own. She had a couple more, though, so she triumphantly chuckled and pulled out the next one.

"Hehehe... planktonic," she snickered, still tickled by that. "We are definitely planktonic."

"Aha-! Infinite snacks it is~ goodness, how much did you get?" He blinks at the sheer number- chuckling lightly. "Don't think I will be able to stomach anything more though...too much sake." Should've watched yourself and kept count. He wonders how much of his drinking habit must have spooked Shibusawa to leave him alone in the izakaya like that.

We are definitely planktonic.

He sputters into a laugh, now comfortable with the bench and being Ichinose's headrest. "...wait, that sounds like something I would say. Oh no."

"Then again...planktons do stick together for survival. Past me might have just been a genius."

"A genius, drunk as a skunk, the line is pretty fine at the end of the day," she teased, munching on her snacks. "I always eat to soak up the booze. Food and water! Fuel up my body to handle the filtration process."

Ever practical, at least. But it does help that she only drank about three cups of sake and had plenty of sushi already.

"Are you having fun?"

"Hm? No, definitely- that's what you should do. Once I am home, I will probably make myself some of the soup I made back in that mornin," he nods along as he closes his eyes for a bit. If only to let his eyelids rest. "...I thought I ate enough sushi to counter the sake, turns out I always underestimate myself and my judgement with a bottle."

This time, he laughs weakly. Something almost like a scoff, as if he shouldn't find the joke funny at all.

He looks down at her, watching her hair gleam under the streetlight. Like a cat's fur, some of which is entangled between them. Maruki eased up as he tucked the can he had bought between his legs before brushing some of her hair forward, fixing it so that it rested easily on her shoulders.

Anything to focus on the noise. Anything to focus on her.

"Hm?" He blinks at her question. "...mhm, yeah," he answers- not sure himself as he fiddles with the ends of her hair.

"The quiet would have been...too quiet if we went home right away, to be honest."

"You can invite me over to cause a little ruckus on those quiet nights, you know," she smiled at him as he tucked her hair. It was soft and intimate... was he sure that he was purely platonic?

Nah... there was that other woman he held a torch for. But it must be awfully lonely - and it didn't have to be, while he waited.

"We can chat the night away or pick up a movie. It does get too quiet and monotonous otherwise."

"Oh, I mean- I don't want to bother you just because I have the sudden urge to stay awake at 3 am," he rolls his eyes fondly at her offer anyway. He doesn't know if he can look her in the eye without melting into a fit of blatant appreciation for every gesture she's thrown his way.

"Which...now, I am wondering. Do you have trouble sleeping by any chance, or were you just going to offer to stay up for me? I definitely don't want to trouble you with that."

Edited 2025-06-26 23:37 (UTC)

"I don't have trouble falling asleep, but I do forget to fall asleep, sometimes," she chuckled, wiping some custard off of the corner of her mouth with her thumb and sucking it. "I get sucked into writing code or reading up on something and time flies. Then I end up sleeping in through the morning. Honestly? Not so bad in the summer - it means I doze right through the hottest part of the day."

Sad, fussy man. And how should he be sad when he's been so wonderful all of the time?

"Let's be nocturnal together until it cools off!"

Oh, she likes the custard one, hm? Next time when he stocks up on the snacks, it would be good to keep an eye on that one.

"Haha! I relate to that too," he follows up as he looks onward, recalling a faint memory. "Back when...things were somehow simpler but, overwhelmingly complex- given everything that transpired, which only makes sense now." Staying up for nights on end to work on his thesis, his life and hard work- compiled in nearly 300 pages.

That said, Ichinose's suggestion makes him stifle another laugh. "Sure. A little bit of enabling hasn't hurt anyone, and not like we have any day jobs to maintain." He looks around. There would be fewer people to worry about as well. "But-! I am still encouraging us to follow a healthy diet. Breakfast in mornings-! Lunch...dinner...I have already invited you to all of them, most of the time."

He hums as he runs his fingers through her hair, gently so. The texture was quite nice.

"It's been a while since I have watched a movie though," he excitedly backs up. Still enthusiastic about her offer. "Not...well ever since..."

Ahh, hasn't done it since the fiance. She could be sympathetic, but... well, it didn't seem very practical, or very honest. She didn't really care what this ex fiance might've done or not.

"Well, that means you have a nice backlog to catch up on, even more perfect," she proposed, watching as Takuto got sucked into stroking her hair.

Oh, very seduceable indeed. He wasn't lying.

She decided to reach up and pet at his hair, too, pleasantly surprised by the feel of the curls. So different from her straight hair.

"What genres do you like? I bounce between documentaries and science fiction, but really, I enjoy just about anything. Even horror movies, though I used to get mocked for not being 'girly' when admitting that."

Hm, is she...touching his hair? He pauses his petting for a bit, feeling the slight pleasantness of her fingers as he stays quiet. He started this first, he will just linger for a little more longer before pulling away.

"Oh no, that's just unfair. Cause it sure isn't 'manly,' I am always terrified of them. Especially if they are actually good. Otherwise its just another comedy."

Which he also liked to watch but most jokes in movies nowadays never hit the same spot anymore.

"...I like romance movies," he blushes a little out of embarrassment. He watched so many of them with Rumi...it always felt like he connected with her whenever he watched one back home or here. "That and documentaries. There are some really fascinating ones out there."

"I am not surprised about the science fiction one though." He teases with a grin- feeling his fingers shake a little. Ugh, why did he say that earlier? He shared too much, didn't he?

As he pulled away, Kuon's arm settled and rested on the back of the bench behind him, listening as he chatted. Romance movies - that makes sense, he seems soft about them. And documentaries as well!

Though after a moment, she noticed the shaking in his fingers. Romance movies. Hmm.

"I think I can see why romantic movies are fun. They're very... comfortable, with happy endings. Or at least hopeful ones. Out of the romantic movies I've seen, I like the romantic comedies," she explained calmly, hoping it would ease his shakiness.

"I'll pick a few of my favorite movies. I'm sure you'll like how they pick at the brain, make you think."

"Right? Romantic comedies can be...really silly but the payback is almost always positive." The smile fights its way onto his lips. He always found it a little strange when other teachers didn't say the same. Some admitting romance was dead when they clearly were already married or they were like Ms Chuono who, for whatever reason, was really curious about his particular tastes.

At the mention of her saying she would recommend him movies as well, ones they can watch together- he was delighted by the idea. "Romance movies...horror movies...I am really not that picky. I think anything can be very enjoyable with the right company."

Edited 2025-06-27 10:37 (UTC)

Like you. He didn't say. Because at some point he could tell that Kuon was watching him and with the way he was swimming in his own emotions, drowning under its sudden onslaught as he palms his face; it only made him slightly twitchy.

"Ah- I am sorry to cut the conversation short, I may- I need to clear my mind a little," he waves his hand a little before grabbing the silly can that he bought and sets it aside. He pats his pockets a little, finding his trusty box of cigarettes as he straightens up with his fingers wrapped around it. "Must be the alcohol again."

"It is a chemical depressant, after all," Ichinose hummed, though if her tone came across as judgmental... well, it wasn't intentional. "I can pour your sake for you, next time. Make sure you're only having enough to have fun. Or cut you off - whichever way you'd like me to help, really."

She didn't mind him getting his cigarettes out, didn't mind the smell. It was a foible of his, but he'd seen so many of hers, after all. It was only fair. She kept nibbling on her snack.

But if silence is what he wanted, he could have it. She didn't mind - she was still here, enjoying the closeness, the companionship of the one person who even bothered trying to see things from her perspective.

Best enjoy it while I can, she thought, before he finally gets rubbed the wrong way by my heartlessness and leaves.

Look at him...getting pitied over by things he should have control over. He wasn't a child anymore, nor a irresponsible college student who didn't know better. Alcohol was his weakness, this...ugly side that only reared its head when he felt like a hand could force its way into his chest and rip out his heart with force. He felt too self-conscious and fidgety with each of his actions and well, despite everything he could tell Ichinose honed on details the way he did.

It was strange, being on the other side of the lens. Not unflattering, not off-putting but strange for a man like him when he's spent the better half of his life wondering whether he was even worthy of wishing again. Not when he had such an important goal to follow through.

That said, she didn't tell him to go away yet. Even with the cigarette box in his hand. She had to have known about this vice of his too by now so...

"...you don't mind if I-?"

"Of course not, Takuto," she assured. She didn't mind the smoking, didn't mind the way he easily overdid his alcohol.

She didn't mind the way his heart always hurt him.

All of those foibles were minuscule compared to the merits. The kindness, his intelligence, his alignment in morals. Even when somber, he was good company.

Kuon might be incapable of being a good girlfriend for anyone, but surely she can at least be a good friend. ...Right?

"We're relaxing right now, after all."

The reassurance made him stall for a moment, picking the pieces of his heart that cracked and broke apart in such vulnerable moments. The type that made his chest warm and pull a melancholic lilt on his lips.

"Yeah...we are," he nods in agreement as he relaxed back on the bench, thankful for this moment. He didn't want to rush to one of those smoking booths and smoke there all alone.

She was good company.

"Thank you," he says softly as he opens the package and pulls out a cigarette from the front. There, right on the front was a large smoking warning and Takuto always looked at it whenever he pulled one out. If only to remind himself not to overdo it.

Edited 2025-06-27 12:11 (UTC)

In sheer methodical fashion, he placed the cigarette between his lips, one side hanging off as he pocketed the box and pulled out his lighter. It was a simple metallic one with a small star sticker that had started to fade out from the sides. Its bright colors discolored as he clicked the trigger, allowing its flickering flame to dance away and burn the end of said cancerogenic agent.

For her sake, he did look away so that the fumes didn't go directly to her direction.

One heave then another exhale, cigarette firmly balanced on fingers.

For any other smoker, they would have offered the courtesy of one but he could tell from one glance that just because she didn't mind it, doesn't mean that she wanted to do it.

Probably better that way.

After some silence, once his shoulders had properly relaxed and his breath smelled like ash, he spoke again.

"Despite everything, your words are still...really loud in my mind. It makes me nervous," He chuckles in between puffs.

Supposedly, tobacco helped calm the nerves. While it wasn't the most pleasant smell, it also wasn't a smell that bothered her, even with how pungent it was. No, it was such a natural part of so many people's scent that really, it hardly stood out.

But the way the lighter illuminated his face from the shadow, the way the grey smoke curled and floated away from him, it strangely felt as picturesque as an actor in a movie being filmed by a professional. Which was just a little funny to imagine - Takuto Maruki, somber would-be world savior, fighting the despair of not having succeeded just yet...

At his comment, Kuon's head tilted in surprise.

"Oh? Which words are loud? Or just all of them in general."

It's not an appealing sight. Not in his eyes. It's not just tobacco after all, it's the alcohol, the fresh mess of his clothes and the eye circles that feel too prominent when he isn't smiling.

"It's easy for me to tune out the noise when I am alone," he admits as he searches for the right words to answer her question. "But with others...like you- I just think I am at a loss for words. It's not fair that I can't give you an answer for your troubles with the heart. I see it, I try to see your point of view too but then I see you...like this. And I want to make it better for you..."

Heartless. That foible which he could never hold against her.

Those were the words that were too loud. Not her encouraging him. Not her gushing over tiny little things. It was when he could tell that she was hurting (she has to) or when she sat next to him like this and all he wanted to do was make her feel better.

"Before you made EMMA, did you mourn the person you wished to be in everyone's eyes?"

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