Ingenious!

[ichinosekotomi]

Date: April 24, 2003 Thursday
Time: 12:05 PM.

There. It was finished. Kotomi proudly observed her work, on the carefully worded English test she had completed. Taking extra care with the spelling, Kotomi mouthed the words to herself, again, cautiously considering the pronunciation.

"That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet."

Part of the test required students to explain the meaning behind the phrase, and answer it in English. The answer was quite simple. For the brainy Ichinose that was. Kotomi had decided that the phrase meant that what mattered was the rose, as itself, and not the name given to it. Kotomi had no idea how well her fellow, seldom-seen classmates had fared, but quite frankly, Kotomi was surprised how calm she remained in the presence of these strangers. Indeed, they seemed like strangers to Kotomi, who rarely came to class, except for tests such as this one. If she were being honest, Kotomi was unsure how she managed to tear herself away from her beloved books this time, to venture over to the classroom and sit the test. She reminded herself, that staying in the library, avoiding the people, and the test, would be going back on her promise to mother and father, to be a good student. Good students did not shirk from their duties and avoid tests to read books instead. Besides, two weeks was long enough to be away from class, and Kotomi made sure to attend class, at least once a month, test or not.

So engrossed was Kotomi with proof-reading her completed test, that she failed to keep track of time, as it slowly ticked away, whilst other students handed in their papers, before taking a quick power nap. It was only until the slightly raised voice of one of her classmates, a studious-looking male, broke her concentration. That, of course was the only other way, besides calling her "Kotomi-chan" , to grab her attention. Raising one's voice.

"Excuse me, Ichinose-san? It's lunchtime now. You should hand in your test if it's finished." He informed, clutching at his own finished test papers. Kotomi was looking up at him with a half-glazed look, before she took note of the time. Yes. Lunchtime. It was correct.

"Oh. Thank you." She chirped, bowing her head thankfully. Sorting her papers neatly, she placed them carefully atop the teacher's desk, and spirited herself out of the classroom, and, as planned, down the hall, and across to the library. She had yet to finish a rather interesting book on advanced neuro-chemistry, that was completely in German. She was looking forward to reading more about it, for it was both in a foreign language, and she was learning something new about Chemistry. She also looked forward to eating lunch. She was pleased with how her pickled vegetables turned out today, and was eager to give them a try. So, with a smile, Kotomi trotted off down the hall, anticipating the fresh, new pages, and her upcoming meal. In her cheery trot, Kotomi collided with something. Or rather, someone. Landing on her back, Kotomi's now teary eyes glanced straight up at the ceiling.

[Kichiro Haru]

So far today the starfish had been given out at a rather consistent rate. Most people were still kind of looking at him weird when he gave them out, but more and more people were starting to actually take them, which was good. Admittedly, Kyou, Tomoyo, and Fuko had a lot more luck in giving them out than he did. Probably because he was a guy; people would gladly accept gifts from unknown cute girls, but those same people would think random boys giving them gifts was just creepy. Well, at least he could give out some of the starfish, and in a few case use his status as a senior to get some of the underclassmen to take some. Whether or not this would actually bring people to the wedding was a different question.

Outside of that, most of the day so far had been rather uninteresting. Classes were going fine and well, and he was doing all right in all of them like normal. There was an exam one period, but it wasn’t anything that big of a deal. When lunchtime came around though, it was right back to the starfish. He didn’t have much time to eat through it all, so he had relied on bringing bread from home or something to snack on during the time. After all, with those crowds there was no way he could get his food, eat, and give out starfish. And so with that, there he was in the hall fumbling around with his bread and carrying a small bag of starfish around, roaming the halls for anyone who he could give them out to.

As he wandered around, he failed to notice a girl approaching him just as he turned a corner. Before he could react, the two of them collided, and the girl was sent down to the ground. For once he kept his own footing, just stumbling a little bit. Getting himself straightened, Kichiro was about to get down and help the girl, he noticed the book she had. It was….in German. Whatever it was about he didn’t know, but the cover image suggested something scientific. Who would be carrying around such a……it couldn’t be, could it?

Looking up towards the girl, he found himself facing the familiar face of Kotomi Ichinose. He hadn’t seen her in a while, and this just had to be the way the two of them reunited, didn’t it? From the looks of it she was starting to tear up, and Kichiro was rather quick to put down that bag of starfish and get to helping her. Whether or not he had feelings for her didn’t matter; he would still consider her a friend. A very, very odd friend, but a friend nonetheless.

”K-Kotomi, are you okay?! I didn’t mean to do that, are you hurt, do you need help getting up?!”

Before she could really answer, he was already giving out his hand to help her out and slowly pulling her up.

”So how’ve been Kotomi-chan? I-It’s been awhile hasn’t it?” he replied nervously.

[/blockquote]

[ichinosekotomi]

The initial bump, followed by her rather sudden descent to the ground had disorientated Kotomi a little. It was not good to land hard on ones back at that angle. Kotomi knew it could damage the coccyx, leading to back problems in later life, but she didn't have very much time to think, or worry about it. A helping hand, coming from whomever she had collided with soon moved into her vision, which was blurred slightly, by the presence of tears. Wiping them away, Kotomi, though shaken, held out her own, taking the hand, as heard her name called out, by such a familiar voice. Soon her eye level met with the soul she had bumped into. A very, very familiar face.

She had collided with Kichiro, who appeared to be doling out those small starfish carvings made by that curious little girl whom the studious girl had met in the library. Haru was a very kind boy, and Kotomi considered him to be a friend. She had not seen him in some time, so this accidental knocking turned out to be quite the pleasant surprise. Dusting her back off, Kotomi, smiling broadly, recovered her doubly-challenging book, and bowed neatly at the waist.

"Good afternoon to you Haru-kun." Kotomi greeted cheerfully. She apparently had mentally dismissed his concerns in the moment, but was quick to answer his next query.

"I've been very well. Today, I finished my English test. I think my explanation of Shakespear's famous phrase about the rose was particularly good. I hope I extrapolated on the weight of linking a name with an object, and taking meaning from the name well enough." She continued, leaving a deathly silence in the air afterward. Did she not make it clear enough to Kichiro? Perhaps his class had not sat an English test today. Yes. That was probably it. Brandishing the foreign neuro-chemistry textbook, Kotomi pointed towards the German-covered cover. She was eager to share her knowledge with her friend, and was sure that the book would make for an interesting read for both of them. So, Kotomi decided that she would let Kichiro join in on delving this read, which she was very eager to delve into herself.

"This is a book about human neuro-chemistry. It's written in German by Johan Kornhuber. I was about to read it over lunch," She began, flipping the book over, still keeping her finger pointing, "would you like to join me Haru-kun? The summary says that he raises some very interesting points about dementia, the way forward on making more accurate diagnoses of the disease, as well as alluding to the effects medicinal cannabis has on it."

Kotomi stood there, silently pointing to the textbook. She had hoped that her explanation of the book's contents was enough to sell it to Kichiro. She enjoyed sharing her knowledge, and lunchtime with a friend. One who was most definitely not a bully. Kichiro was very much the opposite, though Kotomi noticed he did have a slight stutter. Did he have some form of a tic disorder? Or perhaps he was simply suffering from a form of social anxiety, often caused by being around people that frightened another, or made another feel uncomfortable. Kotomi knew she wasn't a very scary person, so it was likely that Kichiro felt uncomfortable around her, which saddened her. Why would he have reason to feel uncomfortable? Was she awkward to be with? Was Kichiro unnerved by her vast vocabulary or knowledge? Or perhaps... Did he like her? There were many possible explanations, the latter most of which raised the heat in Kotomi's face. Kichiro was not a pervert, despite what people said. Though the idea of him thinking about Kotomi in that way made her blush slightly. It was natural of course. Boys did grow fond of pretty, or smart girls. Regardless of the possibilities, her offer still stood, and Kotomi was still eager to spend time teaching her friend something new.

[Kichiro Haru]

After wiping away the tears, Kotomi accepted his offer of help as he pulled her up off the floor. It had been a while since he had seen the girl, but this was definitely not the way he had wanted to meet up with her again. Hopefully she wouldn’t run off thinking he was a bully or something, and of course that she wasn’t upset about him bumping into her and knocking her onto the ground. However, she seemed to be fine with it all, and even cheerfully responded to him with a slight bow and good afternoon. Well, that was a close call was all that he had to say. At least she wasn’t mad at him…

Next of course was Kotomi being….Kotomi. In response to his question about how it had been, she went into an entire description of what she had been doing, or at least about her English test. He just stood there quietly, smiling lightly while having no idea what it was that she was talking about. Well, he did to a degree, but he didn’t feel like going into a big thought process over it. Over these last few days school work hadn’t been a big concern for him; it was those dang starfishes that was getting to him. Oh well, he had good enough grades he could afford a slight slippage till this whole thing with Fuko was over with. Of course, thinking of all this left a bit of an awkward silence between them.

”I’m sure you did well on the test Kotomi. So anyway….what’s that a book on?”

Her answer; a book in German about neuro-chemistry……huh? Seriously, he could fully understand why people did not believe a person like her existed. Not only was neuro-chemistry a subject most people here probably would not get into, adding reading about it in a foreign language just would have blown their minds. Of course, science wasn’t his personal expertise (he liked social science better), but he wasn’t going to say no to her suggestion about sitting with her for lunch. It had been a while since he had talked with her, and he was sure this would be a good chance to ask her about one of the starfish.

However, he noticed that she was blushing about something. What was that about, why was she blushing? As someone who stuttered and blushed a lot himself, there was about only one thing that he could think of related to that….she liked him? Crap…..

”Uh, sure, I’ll be glad to hang out with you but, uhm, do you mind if we do something other than read that book? It’s been a while so maybe we could just talk and catch up?” he replied, hoping this was a nice way to get things started. Hopefully he could get through this situation: he had never talked to a girl that liked him (or at least not one who liked him enough to blush in his presence)…

[/blockquote]

[ichinosekotomi]

"Oh..." Kotomi silently uttered, replacing her award-winning smile with a look of gloom. Books, knowledge, it was her world. Her own safe, happy little book-filled dimension within this one. She wanted, dearly to share as much of that knowledge with everyone. It seemed Kichiro was not quite as enthusiastic about reading the book with her. That was perfectly understandable. German was quite a difficult language to grasp. It was, apparently easier to learn for native English speakers. That was likely just another urban myth. Besides, Kichiro didn't completely reject the idea of spending time with her. Talking... Catching up... Kotomi had been cooped up in her corner of the library for the past few weeks, studying like a thing possessed. As quickly as it had vanished, Kotomi's warm smile returned.

"That sounds like a nice idea Haru-kun." Kotomi agreed, lowering the book. It was a small wonder her arm wasn't numb from holding it up. The textbook was rather thick and heavy. It looked even more massive in Kotomi's delicate hands. Kotomi produced her rounded bento box now, no longer brandishing the large book.

"Are you eating well Kichiro-kun? Last time I saw you, was without your own lunch. You can share some of my lunch if you like." Kotomi suggested, worried about her friend's intake. Did he look thinner? No. Paler? Was his complexion dull? No. Obviously he was eating. She was being a tad overprotective of her friend. After losing her good friend Tomoya all those years ago, Kotomi dreading losing Kichiro too. That, perhaps was giving her reason to worry. She was working hard, so there was no way he would be taken away from her too, would there?

Without so much as a word, Kotomi, refusing to wait still for an answer, began walking toward the stairwell, assuming Kichiro would follow. She had suggested sharing lunch with the boy, and it seemed he was more than willing to join her, thus she did not break her stride, or look back to see if he was following. Turning her thoughts to another, simpler book, Kotomi had already decided in her head a suitable book that Kichiro would be able to get his mind around. Astronomy. More specifically a book Kotomi though contained some of the most beautiful pictures in the universe. It showed both the chaotic state of everything, and the beauty, the life it spawned. She was excited to share it with her friend over lunch. Books were the quickest way to rid Kotomi of her fears and anxieties, today was no exception. The library was but a few more flights of stairs away.

[Kichiro Haru]

Kichiro’s mood turned sour the instant that Kotomi’s turned gloomy. Did he say something wrong to her? Did something he say to her cause her mood to switch so quickly from happy to sad like this? Oh crap….was it because he said he wasn’t interested in reading that book of hers? Well, books were everything to Kotomi so rejecting it was like rejecting her, wasn’t it? Crap, he really screwed up this time didn’t he? He really should apologize to her about it. He could suck up reading a foreign book for a bit if it was really that important. However, Kotomi’s mood soon turned back to a happier one, leaving Kichiro rather confused. Apparently it wasn’t that big of a deal after all.

”Uhm, okay then….do you want me to carry that for you?” he replied, noticing how big the textbook was. Only Kotomi would be carrying such a thick book around with her like it was nothing. It was soon replaced by a bento box, however, and Kotomi (being the big worrier that she was) had to ask if he was eating well. Well, he had parents who could cook, and the cafeteria here wouldn’t let them starve…

”Yeah, I’ve been eating rather well. I have been a little bit more tired lately. Been working with a couple of friends on a project recently that’s kept me running around this place a lot.” he replied, laughing a little so Kotomi wouldn’t get so worried. She always seemed to get worried easily for some reason; maybe that was just her personality? He wasn’t going to pry into that though; he was already prying enough into the lives of other people.

As conversation continued, Kotomi began to move. Kichiro was a little bit off-put by the abruptness, but was quick to follow up right behind her. He would most likely just buy his own lunch or something; he didn’t want to be a burden on Kotomi. Besides, it was her food and he had no right to barge in on it, even if she was offering it.

”Anyway, I’ll be fine just buying my own lunch in the cafeteria. I’ve been eating there a lot more often.”

All of a sudden, Kichiro remembered that he still had that bag of starfish with her. Stopping for a moment, he dug around a bit before pulling out one of Fuko’s hand crafted gifts. He didn’t know if Kotomi had gotten one or not, but he figured it would be a good enough time as any to ask about it. With it secure, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

”Oh Kotomi, I meant to give you this before I forget. That friend I’ve been helping is a girl named Fuko, and she’s trying to give these starfish out to everyone so they’ll congratulate her sister on her wedding day. Do you mind taking one of these and come to the wedding? It’s a starfish by the way; it’s a little odd choice for a wedding gift don’t you think?” he added, laughing a little bit to hope it kept Kotomi calm. Besides, it was an odd gift, wasn’t it?

[/blockquote]

[ichinosekotomi]

"Oh. Thank you very much Haru-kun." Kotomi replied, passing the thick, weighty textbook over to her friend. She listened intently as he explained to her how tired he was as of late. Excersise was good, but overdoing it could be more detrimental to someone's health. Still, at least he was eating well, and as it seemed, was going to purchase his lunch in the cafeteria.

Then, a hand toucher her shoulder. She turned to find Kichiro offering a small, wooden carving. She accepted it, with her free hand, and began to study it intently. She'd blanked out, and had already compiled a mental list of possible starfish species the carving could be. It could even be a sea star, or sea urchin, as many people simply assumed, by the star-shape of the creature, that it was a star fish.

"A starfish? Could it be Patiria miniata? No, no, Oreaster reticulatus... Both members of the Velatida order of sea stars under the class Asteroidea Thick-bodied, large-disced. Also known as the red cushion sea star." Kotomi explained, forgetting the nature behind the gift for but a moment as she gave a lengthy anaylsis of the species. A wedding invitation wasn't it? Ah, she remembered the young girl Fuko, paying her a visit before. She had let it slip her mind, and had placed the wood carving Fuko had given her in her bedroom. Kichiro had refreshShe would have to be with many, many people. Many strangers. Perhaps some bad people. Would the wedding be far away? What would she wear? All burning questions. One stuck out from the crowd. Kichiro... her memory with a new carving. She slid the library doors open, letting the papery scent of the many books waft towards them. It was a very welcome, comfortable smell. She had barely entered the large room, when she had turned to face her friend, a smile on her face.

"Thank you Haru-kun, but I already have one. Fuko-chan has already given me one of these, and I think it would be unfair to everyone else if I took another." She cheerfully explained. Fuko seemed like a nice young girl. She was very friendly, if somewhat curious. She seemed to refer to herself in third-person. A curious idiosyncratic trait of the freshman. What was it she called Kotomi again? Ghost girl? Giggling to herself, Kotomi strolled over to her usual spot, and pulled out her cushion, which she'd carefully placed on the bookshelf. Sadly, there was only one, so one of them would be sitting on the floor. Before it slipped her mind, Kotomi, trying to keep a brave face on, turned to face Kichiro.

"Will you be there Haru-kun?" Kotomi asked, nervously. Her mind would certainlly be at ease if she knew her friend was attending this wedding. A familiar face amongst a sea of unfamiliar ones. She would have been comfortable if her old friend Tomoya were there, but where he had gone to was, sadly, a mystery to the bookish Ichinose. Kichiro, on the other hand, was very much here. Even if he was not an invited guest, could she take him as one of her own guests?

[Kichiro Haru]

”No problem Kotomi…” Kichiro said as he took a hold of the book. It was rather heavy, and he wondered how Kotomi was able to carry the entire thing. She was definitely stronger than she looked, that was for sure. Settling it under his arm, Kichiro worked to offer Kotomi the starfish that Fuko had made. Not surprisingly, the first thing that Kotomi did was begin to analyze and try and figure what kind of starfish it was. Kichiro just sighed and waited out the entire thing. It wasn’t surprising that was the first thing that she would do. Wanting to free her from this loop, he stepped in.

”I don’t think it’s meant to be a specific type of starfish Kotomi. But I’m sure the girl who made them would love to meet you and discuss such things.” he stated, adding that second half to ensure Kotomi’s mood would not be knocked down by his statement. Not that the was lying though; he was afraid of the sort of conversation that would arise should Kotomi and Fuko meet. He wondered how long the two could go on about starfish for. With Kotomi’s knowledge of them, it would probably be quite a while……and they were both rather airheaded so it would probably be interesting to watch to.

He was surprised then to find that Kotomi had already received a starfish from Fuko, and that surprised showed on his face. It quickly went away though; it was okay that she had already gotten one from the girl. That was perfectly fine; it was Fuko’s job after all, and there had to have been a few people who accepted one before him and the girls started helping her. He did have to wonder how those two met though; Kotomi never left the library, and Fuko never went in as far as he knew. It wasn’t that important though. He took the starfish back and put it in the bag.

”That’s all right, though I don’t think Fuko would have minded at all. She’s a one girl factory when it comes to these things. So I guess I don’t have to go into the whole spiel about the wedding and stuff then. “

Time saved, Kichiro noticed that they had arrived at the library. Since Kotomi wasn’t looking, he had to give her a look that said “really?” He had wanted to try and talk with her without a book being in the way, and the first thing she did was come to the library. She really needed to get out more; even he wasn’t locked up studying all the time! He simply followed her to her spot as she pulled out her cushion. Before he could say anything though, she looked up at him and asking if he would be at the wedding. While she was trying to hide it, Kichiro could see she was frightened and nervous. Not surprising at all though since she could barely get away speaking with one person, let alone be in an entire crowd.

”Yeah, I’m going to be there. I’m helping with setting everything up so I hope I would be invited,”

”Though knowing Kyou and Fuko, I probably won’t be….”

Looking around at their surroundings, Kichiro decided he was going to be the aggressive one for once. While he could be a bit of a pushover sometimes, he could have his moments. Though in this case, just about anyone could be more aggressive than Kotomi. But more importantly, he wanted to try and see if he could get her out of this and eating in the cafeteria or at least somewhere other than her. Taking a deep breath, Kichiro grabbed onto her shoulder again.

”Kotomi-chan, why don’t we try eating in the cafeteria today, or at least outside? You really need to work on getting out of this place and work with some crowds. Come on, just get up and follow me, kay?”

[/blockquote]

[ichinosekotomi]

Kotomi was very happy that she was invited to see two people, who loved each other very much, come together forever. It hurt her deeply to think that she could have someone who loved her liked that, to be snatched away from her. She was a good girl, wasn't she? Study was her top priority, she was kind to everyone she met, and wary of those who might do her harm.

So it would be fine with Fuko-chan, to allow Kotomi to have two starfish? That was a nice gesture from the freshman student, who seemingly churned out the carvings at an alarming rate. Kotomi would have to get Fuko something nice to say thank you, perhaps a book on marine life, or a pet starfish, considering how much the girl adored them. Before she could ask him to relay her thanks, Kichiro then delivered another piece of good news. He would be attending the wedding after all. This made Kotomi smile ever wider, and without a trace of her forced expression left.

"I'm glad." Kotomi said, with her hushed voice. She beamed, plopping herself down onto the soft pillow.She had barely managed to flick open the lid from her lunch-filled bento, than had Kichiro reached forth, and placed his hand on her shoulder once again.

Go? Outside? But what about the book? Besides, there would be many people in the cafeteria. All strangers. Potential friends. After all, people said strangers could be friends you just hadn't met yet. That said, it would be impossible for her to lose someone else close to her again. It would likely push the guilt-ridden girl over the edge, and she would probably end up retreating from society altogether in fear. That way, she would never have to lose anyone close to her ever again. Such thoughts were not on Kotomi's mind right now however. She was apprehensive, to say the least, about venturing outside of her proverbial fortress of solitude. But, Kichiro was there, he was with her. Just like a good friend. He'd protect her from the bad people.

Kotomi managed a wordless expression, a light nod of the head, and, tucking her cushion back into place, pocketed her bento again, following the boy outside the library. Almost as quickly had the two entered, now they were departing, presumably to the school cafeteria.

"Haru-kun. Are there any of your friends in the cafeteria?" She inquired, tugging at his sleeve as she followed behind the young teen. She would much rather meet Haru's friends than total strangers. After all, if they were his friends, then it was likely they were nice enough people too. Why should he have any reason to associate himself with bullies? Fuko-chan, for example, was a very friendly girl, and since Kichiro was helping her, then the two must've been at the very least, good acquaintances, and thus far, the only one of Haru's friends Kotomi had met. If Fuko was anything to go by, as to indicating Haru's choice of friends, then Kotomi was very much looking forward to meeting them as well.

[Fujibayashi Ryou]

OC: Barging in. I hope I'm welcome.

"Now, where was it..."

Fujibayashi Ryou was a very responsible student.

As such, even with her duties as class representative (which everybody, seemingly, had pushed on her, but it was not something she minded too much...) and her once-in-a-while fortunetelling sessions, she still found time to study, unlike much of the student population, who were either too smart (or at least they thought they were) or too lazy (at least these ones were sincere) or both. Studying came with lots of things to do; things to memorize, things to read, things to master. After all, it was supposed to be the main activity in a school, although many highschoolers would probably disagree.

It was so, that it was perfectly normal for the younger Fujibayashi to drop by the library from time to time; this school had a good enough library for references on the things professors like to drone on about. For that, the girl was eternally thankful; when she had been in junior high, it had been a little harder to find sources for the lessons in class, and she had to muster up the courage to just ask the teacher where she could get them. Here, it was just a simple task of finding the appropriate book... although sometimes that took time... and she was, to be honest with herself, getting hungry...

"Let's see... oof."

She had been slowly, without her knowing, getting nearer and nearer the pair, who were busy talking. Turning around, her first impulse was to say sorry, but it was...

"Kichiro-san?"

Yes, it was Kichiro Haru... and he didn't seem to be looking for books, like her. Rather, he seemed to be engaged in conversation with... somebody she wasn't completely familiar with, but she was supposedly a third-year. How strange... she should be rather familiar with most of her batchmates now. Or was she a transfer student?

And what was she... doing with Kichiro-san? She was carrying a rather thick book... and she couldn't understand the writing... it looked like English, but, different... she seemed almost intimidating. She felt herself fill up with questions, but then, it wasn't her place to ask... and why was she concerned, suddenly, with who Kichiro-san was, anyway? She felt a bit of a flush rise in her face, at the thought.

Ugh, she forgot what the book she had been looking for was. What subject was it... sheesh. Momentary distractions... she touched her face with her palm. Now, what should she do...

"Um... hi."

Nice choice of words, as always.

[Kichiro Haru]

Kichiro stood there quiet for a moment until he could get some kind of response from Kotomi. He was starting to think that maybe he had gone too far to try and get her out more. Maybe the better idea would have been to just hang out in the library for now. After all, that was Kotomi’s safety spot. Then again, even he didn’t like the idea of being stuck in the library for the rest of the year, and Kotomi really needed to get outside more. Whether or not he had feelings for her was irrelevant, although he had a feeling that there would be rumors about it (great, just what he needed with those rumors about him and Ryou….). He was her friend, and she obviously needed to open up more.

He relaxed, however, when she nodded her head and put her stuff away. With a sigh of relief, the two of them were heading out of the library and back to the hallway. Glancing over at his sleeve, he found that Kotomi was sticking to it like glue. Well, at least she was outside of the library…

”Hmm, I’m guessing the Fujibayashis would be there, and probably Tomoyo unless they’re busy giving out starfish…” Kichiro responded, inquisitively staring up at the ceiling as he thought if there was any other reason they wouldn’t be around.

In doing so, he found himself bumping yet again into a person (he really wasn’t having a good day). As he was about to apologize, he found his voice frozen as the other person called out his name in a very familiar voice: Ryou Fujibayashi.

”O-oh, sorry Ryou…” he replied, face blushing a little after running into her. On the bright side, he didn’t knock anyone down. Just caused the two of them mutually blushing it seemed…

And then came an awkward silence between the two, with Kichiro looking around for something to say after running into her. Eventually he remembered that he was still walking around with Kotomi. Yeah, that would be a good way to break out of the awkwardness.

”Hi. Oh, this here is Kotomi Ichinose, a friend of mine. We were on our way to lunch. Kotomi, this is Ryou Fujibayashi.” There, introductions done, hopefully that would kick things off. Still, he was starting to feel a bit flustered standing with two girls like this, especially one he had a crush on and the other there were rumors about him being with her. Yeah, this was going to be fun…..

[/blockquote]

[ichinosekotomi]

Fujibayashis? Tomoyo? All of these people were Haru's friends? He certainlly had a lot of them, Fuko, and Kotomi herself included. None of the names Haru mentioned sounded familiar to Kotomi. It was understandable, considering how little Kotomi had interacted with the rest of the student body in the past few years. All the while, was she cooping herself up in the library to avoid more pain, and more loss. Before the girl could ask if they were going to meet any of Haru's aforementioned friends, someone else had collided with Haru, and was quick to notice.

Today, it seemed, Kichiro was making it a habit of bumping into girls. First he bumped into Kotomi, and now this new girl, whom he referred to as Ryou. They appeared to know each other. Were they friends? Maybe more... Perhaps, boyfriend and girlfriend? At the very least, the two appeared to know each other both by name, and by face.

Ryou looked harmless enough, but looks could be decieving. Bad people came in all shapes and sizes, they could look perfectly innocent and inconspicuous on the outside, blending in ell, but inside, they could be horrible, hurtful people. She dared not ask the girl if she was a bad person, for people were very capable of lying to one another. She pulled harder on Kichiro's sleeve, uncertain, keeping a wary eye on Ryou. So hard was she pulling on the material, that she threatened to tear it asunder at the seams. Haru introduced the lavendar-haired girl as one Ryou Fujibayashi, and Kotomi as a friend of his. One of the names Kichiro had mentioned was Fujibayashi. So she was a senior too? Kotomi was obliged to introduce herself to Haru's friend.

"H-hello. My name is Ichinose Kotomi. I am from Class 3A. Please call me Kotomi-chan." Kotomi announced, creeping out from her position behind Kichiro. Still sticking to him like super glue, Kotomi managed a slight bow of the head to Ryou. Kotomi quickly retreated behind her friend, her eyes never leaving the younger Fujibayashi twin. She leaned in towards the male, with hushed tones to confide in him.

"Is she a bad person Haru-kun? She won't bully me will she, Haru-kun?" Kotomi whispered, with so much concern in her voice, one could easily mistake it for fear. She could not go on an inkling that Ryou would be kind to her, she needed the opinion of someone who knew her. Then, Kotomi noticed that both Haru and Ryou had flushed cheeks. Was the temperature really that extreme in here? Did she say something that might have embarrassed the two?

[Fujibayashi Ryou]

She wasn't really very sure how she should react to this.

The situation was about as stunning as it was serendipitous. Ryou had, by now, totally forgotten why she had been in the library in the first place; perhaps her subconscious had decided to put away that concern for now, and remind her of it later, seeing that her conscious was a little more than preoccupied.

First there was Kichiro-kun, who was... she was not exactly sure who he was, to her. They had been through that Haunted House last festival, where they had been both rather scared, though Kichiro-san's presence had been almost... soothing, even if his bravery was paper-thin as they traversed that awful attraction. She... wasn't actually sure how she should face him, should they meet again, so immediately.

She, in idle times, had ended up comparing what she felt for Okazaki-kun, who she could but barely speak to when she went about her duties as class representative, who was confident and self-assured, and Kichiro-kun, who always seemed to be in the same quandary as hers, that it was almost comforting, even if it was uncomfortable... and then she would be even more confused just why she had been comparing the two of them.

Then there was this girl... Kichiro had introduced her as one Ichinose Kotomi... and she likewise repeated her name, in a rather childish fashion. She... seemed to carry a certain moving frailty; it was unlike the actions of anyone she had ever dealt with, before, that it almost made her feel guilty about being shy herself.

That, inadvertently, led to her being almost just as stuttering and unsure as her newly-made acquaintance. "A-anou..." she began, the doubt evident in her gradual enunciation, "M-my name's Fujibayashi. F-Fujibayashi Ryou." she continued, her voice getting breathier by the syllable. "Yes." she affirmed, mostly to herself. That her name was Fujibayashi Ryou.

She was very easily swung into the rhythm of this book-wielding stranger. It was strange... she seemed even less assertive than she was... and yet...

"I'm from Class 3-D." she followed up, remembering that the other girl's introduction included what class she was from. She bowed, seeing as the person who had introduced herself first had done so.

This girl flustered her almost as much as the presence of Kichiro-kun, although perhaps from a very different reason. She was.. not good with dealing with people, though she had to admit most people were nice enough to her... (and if they were not, her sister made sure they were...) and so it was rather startling to see someone who was... well, worse than her when it comes to that. As had been mentioned earlier, she really was unsure of what to do.

"A bully?" she asked, not without a hint of incredulity. She'd... never really been called such, ever... or was she even the slightest bit oppressive, unknowingly? It was almost like when Botan scurried off from her in fright. Ichinose-san had the younger Fujibayashi a little more off-balance than her usual, that she mostly forgot to deny the assumption.

Oh, and Kichiro-san was around, too. A double dilemma. She didn't know if she should be surprised, or awkward, or both. What happens when you combine surprise and awkwardness? She fidgeted, and wondered just how this situation was supposed to work out.

[Kichiro Haru]

Glancing over at Kotomi, Kichiro tried to gauge what exactly it was that Kotomi was thinking about the girl. She was at least introducing herself to the girl, and was creeping out from behind him to do so. So far, so good. However, that moment of triumph went into retreat as Kotomi retreated back behind him. Well, it was a good start; at least she said something to Ryou. Still, even his good-nature was starting to find a slight annoyance in this behavior, but, more importantly, it was getting to be rather embarrassing. They were still out in the open, so some of the other people in the area were starting to watch them. Furthermore, he also felt a little self-conscious about having Kotomi pressed up right against him like this. About the only good thing about this whole thing was that at least, for once, he seemed to be the one most socially adjusted in this situation….which really wasn’t saying much considering all three of them were rather socially awkward.

In response to Kotomi’s introduction, Ryou was able to stutter out her own introduction and class. To a degree, he was starting to feel like he should do the same, but that wouldn’t be necessary. Still, when everyone else was doing it, you just felt like you had to, right?

”Well, I guess introductions are out of the way then….” Kichiro responded, stating the rather obvious. He really did not have much else to say in the matter, but just felt like he had to say something.

At that moment, Kotomi was whispering to him, asking if Ryou was a bully. Well, there were probably some who would say the OTHER Fujibayashi was a bully, but Ryou was far from being one. She was a rather calm, kind, gentle, slightly socially awkward girl. He could still remember that day at the Haunted House, and the complete fool he made of himself at it. Yet, Ryou didn’t tease him about it, and seemed to be just as afraid of it all as he had been. After dealing with people like Kyou and Fuko all day long, hanging around her was a rather calming experience. Maybe he should hang around her more often (though there was always Kyou to worry about….). But that would be a matter to worry about the other day.

Apparently Ryou had overheard the comment, but seemed more confused than anything else. Well at least he wouldn’t have to deal with an angry Ryou (could she even get angry, or did Kyou inherit all of that?).

”Uhm, no, she’s..she’s not a bully Kotomi. She’s the gentle Fujibayashi….not that there is anything wrong with your sister of course Ryou. She’s perfectly fine, but well, you know how she can get sometimes, but not that it’s a bad thing of course and…….yeah….” he responded, speeding up his speech part way through after realizing that his statement could have been insulting to Ryou and her family….he hated dealing with people….

[/blockquote]

[ichinosekotomi]

Kotomi's mood had shifted once again. This lunchtime was certainly an emotional roller coaster for the bookish Ichinose, who was, as of this precise moment, somewhere between elated, and wary, cycling between the two for the past few minutes like a human revolving door. Ryou Fujibayashi had introduced herself from Class 3-D. Kotomi didn't know anyone from that class, so it was a welcome revelation to meet someone outside her rarely-visited class.

"It's very nice to meet you Ryou-chan. I would be happy if we could become friends." Kotomi pipped, displaying her incredibly quick mood changes, and her willingness to make a new friend. She was getting out of the library. It was what Kichiro had wanted, wasn't it? For her to get out of her own little literary safe haven, and make new friends.

Ryou certainly did not have the air, nor intimidating presence of one who did misdeeds. In fact, she seemed rather taken aback when Kotomi had suggested it. Then, Haru had laid down his own explanation of the younger twin. That confirmed it. Ryou was a nice person. She trusted that Haru wasn't deceiving her, though his explanation of her sister was... Odd. Kotomi blinked as Haru finished his rather rapidly-spoken statement. Ichinose's thought process was still on bullies. Whilst Kichiro had assured her that the Fujibayashi before her was gentle Fujibayashi, his words came out more rapidly as he tried to affirm that the other Fujibayashi was still just as nice, despite having her moments.

"So Ryou-chan's sister is a bully then Haru-kun...?" Kotomi asked, tilting her head in a bizarre fusion of uncertainty, fear, and slight confusion. Haru said there was nothing wrong with her, but he also said she could 'get' a certain way. There were two conflicting stories, and Kotomi was clearly struggling to ascertain which was fact, and which was fiction. Was she, or was she not a bully? If she was, she would try her best not to upset her. If not, then she would like to make friends with her too. People made the assumption that Kotomi was an unsociable girl, when in fact, given the right set of circumstances, she was quite the opposite. Provided one could get her attention, and hold it long enough to speak with the girl until she considered them to be neither a bad person, nor a bully, one could easily become her friend. Tomoya had done it years ago. Haru had done it recently. The odd little girl Fuko was well on the way, and now, hopefully Kotomi could add Ryou to her new list of friends, and possibly, in the future, her sister. If she wasn't a bully, that was. She decided to get it from the horse's mouth. Someone who knew the sister better than Haru.

"Ryou-chan... Is your sister a bully?" Kotomi asked nonchalantly, unaware that she could be offending the young soothsaying Fujibayashi, but ask she had to, completely forgetting about her previous inquiry about the 'other' Fujibayashi she'd directed at Haru.