An Evening Stroll [Nakamura]
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Post by Okazaki Tomoya on Jul 7, 2019 22:52:44 GMT -6
May 3, 2003 6:30pmHe looked up towards the sky to gauge the time as best he could. Though he had a watch, he rarely ever seemed to use it - for what use was tracking time to someone who never properly utilized it? He wasn't like other students, busy juggling between clubs and academics. None of that held any relevance to him anymore. The sky was getting darker. The sun was sinking. Objectively speaking, it was a beautiful sunset. One of the few perks of his leisurely lifestyle was seeing this sight on a daily basis. Or it would be. Unfortunately this sight held no value for him. Despite the astounding array of colors that painted the sky, he couldn't really perceive them as most others would. To him it was just the sky. Whether it grey and cloudy, clear and blue, or charcoal black with an array of shimmering stars...to him, it was all the same. Just the sky. Something to stare at every once in a while when he was bored. Something to glance at if he needed to know the time. Something he could safely curse if he had nothing else to distract him from his daily life.
It was probably time to start heading home. Though he was considered a delinquent by many, he did not have the courage to roam freely in the middle of the night. Even if he did, the dark streets and corners were hardly inviting - especially to a high school boy. Though he never ran into any trouble on his nocturnal trips back to his home, it was the one time of day he felt slightly unsettled. It's why he usually found himself at Sunohara's. He didn't want to face his father, and the best way to avoid that was to only show up when he was certain to be asleep. He was fortunate in that the walk from the dormitories to his house wasn't too far. Not only that, but he had become quite familiar with route and knew it was a quiet path. With that said, he had a gut feeling that if he threw caution to the wind completely and roamed around the town aimless he could easily end up lying in a ditch the next day. Though he experienced life in shades of grey, he certainly had no wish to cease living all together. He had several hours before that became a concern, so towards the dormitories he headed.
He had left a bit later then usual, but because there were a few others around him, walking the same path, he felt no concern. It was strange, then, that he felt the distinct sensation of being watched. It was a small itch in the back of his mind. An instinct that refused to go away. While a normal person might give more attention to this sensation, Tomoya chose to immediately dismiss it - for being watched wasn't an uncommon occurrence for the boy. Being the center of rumors meant there was almost always someone, somewhere talking about him. But it was still strange. Usually at this time of day nobody cared about who was walking around. Not only that, but he usually only drew attention at school. Out in public...he should just be a person just like anyone else. Oh well. He was just too lazy to care. Let them watch. What did he have to lose?
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Post by Nakamura Hanako on Jul 8, 2019 1:41:26 GMT -6
The sky was turning from blue to pink as the sun neared the horizon. It was becoming windy and clouds began to flow around the color of the clouds became orange and pinkish. The cloud cover brought different colors to the sky, consisting of blue, white, pink, orange and purple.
Hanako looked up at the sunset with a small smile, holding her hands against her chest — she had always loved looking at the sunset. There was just something so amazing about how, despite it being something that happened every single day without fail, there was a sort of ethereal beauty to it. It made her feel happy. Not the kind of happy that it made feel like there was this bubbling inside of her, but a calm kind of happy.
But, of course, the beauty had to end. The sky eventually turned an inky black color, cold and uninviting. It reminded Hanako of something out of a horror movie. Even with the shimmering stars, it seemed dark and ominous. She couldn't help but feel as if there was a gang leader or a murderer just waiting to jump out of the shadows and grab her. It would be easy, after all. She was weak in matters of physical strength, so overpowering her would likely be child's play.
She turned around, prepared to walk home. But...which way was it? Was she supposed to turn left or right? Up or down? Her eyes widened in worry, and she anxiously bit her lip while digging her fingernails into her palms until she'd left little half-moon marks there. But she hardly even noticed the pain that it caused. She was more focused on the fact that she was lot.
Hanako didn't even understand how she had gotten lost. She had lived in the same building for her entire life, after all. You'd think she'd know her way around! But..., she did have a horrible sense of direction and got lost rather easily. And she hadn't really been paying attention to where she was walking, so that was probably another reason for her being completely and hopelessly lost.
Her eyes snagged onto a male walking in front of her. She gasped, as she recognized his dark blue hair. That was her upperclassmen, Okazaki Tomoya! He was really tall, and probably strong as well. Perhaps she could walk with him. It would certainly make her feel a whole lot safer. But what if he said no? Okazaki-Sempai was a delinquent, wasn't he? Delinquents were cruel, and he might just make fun of her for asking. Or worse, he would hurt her himself...!
Hanako shook those thoughts out of her head. No, those were mean! She hardly knew Okazaki, and it was cruel to assume that he would hurt her only based on what she had others say. She hated when people assumed things about her, after all. It would be hypocritical for her to do it to someone else. She could trust him. Well, hopefully.
"Okazaki-Senpai," she approached the upperclassman, her voice coming out soft and hesitant. "I-I'm Nakumara Hanako. I was wondering if I could walk with you. I can't find my way home, you see, and I'm beginning to get frightened..."
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Post by Okazaki Tomoya on Jul 8, 2019 22:28:00 GMT -6
Had his instincts not already clued him in to a potential observer, he may very well have missed the soft voice that suddenly came from behind him.
"Okazaki-Senpai"
He flinched with surprise, before he realized the voice that usually referred to him as such was distinctly different from the one he was hearing now. Given his unpopular status, it was rare anyone referred to him as "Senpai". That means the title was spreading, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.
Turning around, he was met with an unfamiliar face.
A friend of Yasuda? No...that doesn't seem to be the case.
It was then he noticed her uniform, and pieced together that they must both attend Hikarizaka. His reputation had preceded him once again if she had known his name from the rumours alone.
"I-I'm Nakumara Hanako. I was wondering if I could walk with you. I can't find my way home, you see, and I'm beginning to get frightened..."
He gave the girl a skeptical look. While the request wasn't of any significance, the way in which she had phrased the question felt...off. Anyone else would have simply asked for an escort due to the approaching darkness, but she had phrased the explanation as if she was genuinely lost. Was she new to this area? A tourist? Impossible - they went to the same school after all. And what was with the "beginning to get frightened" part of the explanation? Either she was afraid or she wasn't afraid. For that matter, what kind of person outright admits their true feelings like that to a stranger?
His attention shifted towards her body language, trying to determine if there was some sort of angle to this whole exchange. Was she trying to sell him something? Play a prank of some sort? Maybe interview him as part of some Newspaper Club? Try as he might, he couldn't discern any ulterior motives from her. She seemed genuine enough, even if she wasn't very convincing about it, and after a few more moments of pondering he decided to give in. What's the worst that could happen? He had nothing better to do anyhow.
"Alright."
With the slightest of nods, he turned back towards the setting sun and began to walk.
"Just let me know when something looks familiar."
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Post by Nakamura Hanako on Jul 8, 2019 23:08:06 GMT -6
Hanako smiled in relief at Okazaki's words, falling into step beside him. Although she'd tried her best not to be judgmental at all, she had still been expecting him to decline and keep going on his way. It was a relief that he hadn't. Hanako probably would have had a panic attack if she was left alone. She had panic attacks a lot when she didn't take her medicine. Speaking of which, she should really start taking it on a daily basis. The last time she took it was about...two weeks ago, maybe? Or perhaps it was three. She couldn't quite reme —
Her thoughts were abruptly caught off as she realized that she hadn't thanked Okazaki. Her eyes widened, and a small gasp emitted from her mouth. Oh no! How could she have been so rude. He had been kind enough to let her walk with him, and she didn't even have thank him! He must think she's so rude.
"Ah, thank you for letting me walk with you. I really appreciate it." she turned to her upperclassman with a small smile. Perhaps she was being a bit too grateful. After all, there were very few people who would have said the thanks with as much earnestness and gratefulness as she had. But after spending the majority of her life being bullied and ridiculed, any kind gestures felt like the world to her.
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Post by Okazaki Tomoya on Jul 9, 2019 0:12:41 GMT -6
Truly a strange girl. They had barely made any progress and she was already thanking him for agreeing to her request.
"Well, you should probably wait until you make it safely back home before thanking me. You said you were lost right?"
He felt the need to ask, as if to confirm he had truly heard her correctly the first time. He could clearly see her uniform, so the thought of her being lost still confused him, but he simply shrugged it off. Maybe she was a transfer student. Or maybe she hadn't managed to make any friends in her short time being here. At a glance, he couldn't discern why that would be the case. She seemed kind enough, soft spoken, gentle. All positive traits when it came to girls. Regardless, he hoped she wouldn't have to rely on complete strangers anymore.
It was then he realized he had no idea if they were heading in the right direction. He had simply assumed she would direct him towards where she lived...but if she was truly lost, would she even know? He was forced to stop and glance back towards her.
"So...where do you live anyway?"
Hopefully she wasn't completely lost and would give him something to work with. Otherwise, this was going to turn into a much longer night then he was originally anticipating.
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Post by Nakamura Hanako on Jul 9, 2019 1:07:30 GMT -6
"Oh, um..." Hanako blinked, trying to remember. She definitely knew this. She had to know this. She'd lived here her entire life, after all. But then again, she had never truly payed attention to what her address was. She also hardly ever went out alone, and she'd never gone this far before.
"I live near Furukawa Bread," she said finally. Furukawa Bread was a bakery, located in front of a park. Hanako lived about two houses down from there, and she knew it was where Furukawa Nagisa, another one of her upperclassmen, lived. She knew that because she had seen Furukawa walk in and out of the house many times before. Besides, there was nobody else in Hikarizaka with the surname Furawaka. Not that she knew of, at least. '
Oh, her thoughts were wandering again. Oops. She turned back to Okazaki. It had suddenly occured to her that he perhaps didn't know where Furukawa Bread was. Hopefully he did, because that was the best answer she could give him. But she still had to ask, just to make sure. If he didn't... oh well. There was really nothing she could do about it. "Do you know where that is, Senpai?"
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Post by Okazaki Tomoya on Jul 20, 2019 23:56:23 GMT -6
"Oh, um..."
He had to resist the urge to sigh. Did she genuinely forget where her home was? Or was she just too nervous to freely speak with him? Either way, it didn't look like he was going to get a satisfactory answer. Hearing a commotion in the distance, he looked up, past her small frame, and saw a group of men slowly making their way towards them, scowls on their face, challenging any who dared glance their way. With the hour growing late and most stores closing their doors, the rougher members of town were beginning to roam the streets. He clicked his tongue, his annoyance only growing as the situation escalated. While he wasn't afraid of anyone in this town - regardless of age or status - he couldn't say the same for the girl. After all, if she didn't even know where her home was then it was likely she wasn't prepared for the trouble that would come their way if they stayed here any longer.
"Do you know where that is, Senpai?"
Tomoya blinked, suddenly aware that she had been talking to him this whole time and he hadn't heard a word of it. He gave a noncommittal answer, his expression blank, as he felt both unable to admit that he had not heard her, as well as eager to be anywhere else.
"Well, just let me know if anything looks familiar."
He began to walk again, away from the approaching men, towards the residential district.
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Post by Nakamura Hanako on Jul 21, 2019 11:06:06 GMT -6
"Well, just let me know if anything looks familiar."
Hanako nodded her head at these words. They didn't exactly answer her question, so she assumed that he didn't know where it was. Or perhaps he just hadn't heard her. He seemed to be paying attention to something else when she spoke. She briefly considered repeating what she had said, but decided against it. She didn't actually know if he hadn't heard her.
Her gaze traveled to where Okazaki had been looking. She saw a group of young men, all either young adults or teenagers. They were walking with scowls on their faces, hands shoved in the pockets of their jeans. Some of them walked tall and proud, while others slumped their shoulders and glared at the grounds. Delinquents.
Hanako had never really seen a delinquent before. Well, Okazaki was technically a delinquent, but he didn't act like one. He seemed nice enough, and he didn't start fights at school or try intimidate and threaten others. He seemed like a relatively normal teenage boy. She had heard from upperclassmen that he was late all the time, but that seemed to be the worst thing that he had done.
"Senpai," she said suddenly, "why do people consider you a delinquent?" It was a strange question no doubt, one that had seemingly come out of nowhere, but she couldn't help but ask. She was curious.
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Post by Okazaki Tomoya on Aug 8, 2019 23:30:47 GMT -6
He blinked as his eyes briefly widened with surprise. Unable to immediately formulate a response, he let the question stew in the air for a time.
Why do people consider you a delinquent?
It was a simple question, yet one he had never heard anyone ask him before. In a way, the question was valid - the title never made much sense when compared to *actual* delinquents. But the truth was obvious enough - it was likely due to a combination of rumors, his generally antisocial attitude, and his general disregard for his future, but she should know that already...shouldn't she? He looked towards the girl again, appraising her fully for the first time. While her body language was unassuming enough, her eyes had a clearness to them he rarely saw in others. As if her words held no subtext, no hidden meaning, and no other way to interpret them other then literally.
"You're..."
He hesitated. She was what? Abnormal? Unusual? Strange? And he wasn't? What right would he have to highlight that fact about her?
"...are you always this blunt?"
He finished lamely. The straightforward nature of her question had thrown him off his pace, and though his body language did not betray any obvious signs, his speech was clearly struggling from the effort to recover and respond.
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Post by Nakamura Hanako on Aug 9, 2019 3:03:44 GMT -6
Hanako looked up at her upperclassmen, patiently awaiting his response. He was silent for awhile, and he seemed a bit...shocked? Yes, that was right. Shocked. Even with her difficulty understanding facial expressions, she noticed the way his eyes widened for just a moment.
This caused her to worry. Had she accidentally said something wrong? Was Okazaki-senpai somehow offended by her question? She should have known that something like this would happen. She always said the wrong things and freaked people out. This was just another one of those moments. God, she was such a —
She was scratching herself.
Hanako hadn't realized it until now, but she was scratching her wrists...again. It was something that she always did when she was anxious, and something that she couldn't help. She honestly hadn't noticed until the burning pain settled in, and when she looked down she noticed red scratch marks on her skin. It hurt, but it distracted her from the overwhelming panic and anxiety, so she didn't quite mind.
"You're..."
Hanako looked up at him. Had he noticed her scratching herself? She really hoped not...it was so embarrassing, whether she could control it or not. Besides, he didn't know she couldn't help doing it, and any explanation would likely be seen as an excuse.
"Are you always this blunt?"
Oh. Hanako relaxed, her body relaxing. So he hadn't noticed. Well, either that or he was simply choosing to ignore it. Either way, she was thankful. He just wanted to know if she was always this blunt. The words didn't seem to be malicious or rude, but she couldn't help but wonder if he was implying that she was too blunt and it was annoying.
"Yes." She nodded. "Why do you ask? Is it annoying?"
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Post by Okazaki Tomoya on Aug 18, 2019 23:57:59 GMT -6
He looked from building to building, not even sure what he was supposed to be looking out for. If only he had been paying better attention before. With nothing of note to distract him, he had no choice but to continue the conversation.
"Not annoying..."
He found himself thinking out loud.
"I guess...it's refreshing?"
He admitted honestly. It was odd, he usually didn't share so openly with people he had met just moments prior, but something about her mannerisms, speech patterns, and tone of voice managed to simultaneously throw him off his pace while setting him at ease. It was bizarre, to say the least. He couldn't help but wonder at what it was, specifically, that made her so strange compared to others like her. Freshmen these days are all so strange...
"So what were you doing out so late anyway? Most people go home after class, especially if they don't know how to get around town."
Now he was engaging in small talk, another oddity for him to do given how recently they had become acquainted. Oh well. Though indirect, her answer might lead him to a clue as to where she lived - after all, if they kept going at this rate they would effectively just be roaming around town until it got dark out, which would likely make the search even more difficult. Not only that, but the idea of walking around in the middle of the night with a freshman girl in tow didn't sit well with him. Realizing how futile it was to look at random buildings, he glanced towards her once more, making a more concentrated effort to try and read her facial expression.
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Post by Nakamura Hanako on Aug 20, 2019 6:44:33 GMT -6
"Not annoying."
Hanako smiled. So he didn't find it annoying? That was a relief. She was always worried that everything she did annoyed people. She was strange, after all. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. Anyone who spent more than five minutes with her knew that there was something different about her. Or, as most people would say, something "wrong" with her. It made her glad that Okazaki didn't find her to be an annoyance.
"I guess...it's refreshing?"
The petite girl tilted her head curiously, blinking once. He found it refreshing? That was the first time she had ever heard that. Her blunt nature often got her into trouble. She completely agreed, though! She wished everyone would be more blunt. There always seemed to be some kind of hidden message behind the things that people said. It didn't make any sense to her.
In response to Okazaki's question, Hanako blushed in embarrassment. She looked down, gaze focused on her shoes. "Ah, well I've lived her for awhile now..." there was no way she was admitting that she had lived there her entire life, though. That was embarrassing. "but I hardly ever go out. I've only ever been to school and Furukawa Bakery, and that's only because my apartment is really close to it. As for why I decided to go out at nighttime, there are less people around. I get overwhelmed easily when I'm around too many people, so I thought it would be better to go out when most people have already gone back inside."
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Post by Okazaki Tomoya on Sept 7, 2019 18:08:09 GMT -6
While it would have been more prudent to focus on the locations she had just mentioned, he couldn't help but hone in on her reasons for going out at night. Overwhelmed by people. It seemed so silly yet so relatable. While he couldn't say the presence of a crowd overwhelmed him, the amount of undue attention he often received from not conforming to them often forced him out of the social circle entirely. He wasn't sure what the girl's reasons for feeling overwhelmed was, but he could empathize with the desire to be alone. Still...
"You probably shouldn't roam the streets at night. It can be dangerous, especially if you aren't sure where you're going. While there might be fewer people around, the ones you do run into might want to do you harm."
He bit his lip. What right did he have to lecture her? Not was he doing that very thing when he met her, but he made a habit of doing it all the time. The only real difference was that he knew where he was going and probably had more experience in avoiding trouble...but did that really give him the right to forbid her from the act entirely? Without fully knowing her situation, he couldn't help but feel a bit of self-loathing towards his arrogance. After all, he hated when others spoke down to him as if they knew better.
"...well, not like I have any right to be saying that. But still, it's probably safer to stay near your home if you really feel the go out at night."
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Post by Nakamura Hanako on Sept 9, 2019 19:35:11 GMT -6
Hanako listened as the upperclassmen scolded her. He was right. It really was dangerous to be walking around at night. She hadn't really realized it until he said it. Perhaps it was because she'd always thought of Hikarizaka as a safe place. When she'd been a child and actually gone out (she couldn't remember it well, and she only did it because she wasn't old enough to stay home alone), nothing bad had ever happened to her. But that was probably because she was just a kid following her mother around. Now she was a teenage girl, and as much as she hated to admit it, that made her vulnerable to the creeps that walked around. Something really bad could have happened to her.
"You're right." she smiled apologetically, a sheepish expression on her face. "I really shouldn't be going out this late. I'll be more careful next time. But I —"
Okazaki would never learn what she had to say next, because Hanako's gaze had become fixed upon a convenience store. She had seen it before. In fact, she saw it everyday on her way to school. Her gaze lit up. That meant they were close to her house! She could definitely find her way home now.
"I know where my house is from here," she said, turning to face him. "It's alright if you leave me here. I know it was probably annoying to have to drag some annoying underclassmen around, right? I don't want to be a bother anymore."
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