Explorers Embark! [Erina]

[Okazaki Tomoya]

He was restless. His foot impatiently tapped the pavement below him as he leaned on the front gates of the school. Though he seemed unperturbed, he struggled to ignore the side-way glances people were giving him, no doubt gossiping at what, or who, he was waiting for. It gave him an uncomfortable feeling. It wasn't so much that people were talking about him - that was almost a daily occurrence - but the possible effect it may have on his soon-to-be company. The attention uncharacteristically gnawed at him, constantly coming into his thoughts time and time again. Though ordinarily he would have been perfectly content to ignore it, a reliable solution he depended on quite often, this time it didn't work. It didn't seem...sufficient. He wasn't just worried about himself anymore.

"You have to, okay?" Those words. Those damn words. They were like shackles. Regardless of his doubts, those words seemed to drag him around like a rag doll. So would that make him the puppet and her the puppet-master? Since when was he so content to be pulled around?! He let out a long sigh, letting out some of his tension with the release of his breath. When did life become so complicated? When had he begun to agonize over every small, insignificant event? He glanced back towards the school and thought he could make out the bouncing form of her figure in the distance. Surrounded by other girls her age, most likely her friends or classmates. He felt an inexplicable knot in his stomach and looked away, his mind reaching for an escape. And then he had it. Technically speaking...she had never stated a meeting place. There was no reason he had to wait for her at the gate. If anything, it was suspicious and the source of the attention. If he moved away he would be free. He could just meet her there! Otherwise people might assume they were going out or something. Apart from being ridiculous, it would be dangerous. With that thought, he pushed off the wall he had been leaning on and started down the hill, ruminating once more over his predicament.

Why did he have to make up a club? He could have said ,quite literally, anything else. Piano practice. Part-time job. Riding a bike. Anything. But he had made up a club. To begin with, he disliked clubs. Perhaps not as much as his blonde acquaintance, but ever since the Basketball club...the fallout had soured the entire experience for him. He didn't want to be a part of something halfheartedly. Yet now he had managed to convince a naive freshman that he was part of the very thing he was trying to avoid. Not a Napping Club or a Literature club. But an Explorers club. Of all things. Didn't she know that clubs couldn't leave the school unless they had special permission for special occasions? He had said his comment in jest but it seemed, yet again, sarcasm wasn't a trait the girl was familiar with. What were they even going to do? Window shopping? Sit down at a nice restaurant? That almost sounded like a da-. He suddenly stopped as he realized the implications of this "club". Was that it then? Would they just be going on a series of dates disguised as "club activities"? That didn't sound so bad...except that it was the worst possible scenario. Aside from being extremely manipulative, it was sketchy and, quite frankly, desperate. For once, he was seriously worried Sunohara's idiocy may have somehow rubbed off on him in a permanent way. It was imperative he put an end this club. Barring that...find another member so that nobody could come to such an obvious conclusion. But given his distaste for clubs...eliminating it was the only feasible answer.

[Yasuda Erina]

She was restless. Her feet tapped absently at the floor as she sat at her desk, eyeing the slowly ticking clock at the front of the classroom. Though she'd been in Hikarizaka for a little over a month, there was still so much she hadn't had the chance to see, and the prospect of exploring it all with a friend was far more appealing than Japanese literature. The feeling of excitement possessed her, constantly coming into her thoughts time and time again. Trying to focus on classwork wasn't possible, so the girl simply gave up, instead entertaining herself with the day's possibilities. Where could they go?

She had told him she wanted to explore the shopping district... Were there any good snacks there? Okazaki would know, right? Oh, but she'd have to ask him what he wanted to do too! It was only fair. Was he the president of the club? If he was the only member, then he'd have to be, wouldn't he? The president's opinion on the outing had to be considered!

When the school day finally came to a close, Erina resisted the urge to immediately dash out the door, though it was still impossible to hide her enthusiasm. Students trickled into the hallway in groups, and she bounced over to her own friends, grinning as she joined them in their chatter. Kohaku, Mayu, Suzume, and others exchanged both greetings and goodbyes as some discussed their plans for the weekend and others hurried off to club meetings and other commitments. Normally, Erina would have been among those leaving, but volleyball wasn't meeting that day. No, today was for the exploration club!

"We're dooone~!" she cheered, swinging her schoolbag upward. "Weekend, weekend~" She hummed her little tune as she skipped down the hall beside Suzume, the only one among them not already engaged in a conversation.

"No more class~"

---

Suzume

Seeing Erina so giddy wasn't unusual in the slightest, but she still seemed to be glowing a little more than usual. At least, that was what Suzume thought.

"You seem happy," she observed as the girls made their way down the hall. She gave her energetic classmate a light smile, encouraging her to elaborate on the matter though she usually didn't need the nudge. Erina didn't typically require any pushing to divulge the feelings she wore so openly. This usually worked out well for them since Suzume wasn't the pushing type.

"I am!" Erina chirped, nodding vigorously. "I'm going exploring today!" The smile on her face was infectious, and Suzume returned it, but her brow pulled inward to form a questioning look.

"Oh... you mean with that senior from before?"

The events of the past Monday returned to the front of her mind, and she considered the scene she had come across. Erina asking that third year to meet her... It had almost certainly sounded like a date, but the girl had denied it when she had gently broached the subject afterward. What was it she had said? Something like, "No, silly, Okazaki-sempai isn't even romantic enough for a date!" If not a date, though, what else would it be? And that name... She was sure it was the same one...

"Yeah~! Do you want to come too?"

"Ah, no, it's just..."

There was a pause as they exited the school building, and she shifted her gaze uncomfortably as Erina's bright eyes watched her expectantly. It's just I'm sure I heard my brother say that name before...

"You said his name was Okazaki, right?"

"Mmhmm~"

"I just thought I'd heard of him before. Maybe it was someone else." Her expression remained puzzled, but she didn't question any further. Erina wanted to know everyone. It wasn't so farfetched to think she'd manage to befriend a third year boy like that, was it? Maybe not. It was probably nothing.

Still, the name lingered in her mind, and no matter how many times she tried to reason that it was a misunderstanding or that she had misremembered the information, it nagged at the back of her thoughts.

---

Suzume had heard of Okazaki?

"I've heard of you, Okazaki." The image of the cruel-faced teacher from the prior week briefly flashed through her thoughts, and her smile faltered for a moment. Okazaki was so nice! Even if he did do some things he wasn't supposed to... why would that teacher say such mean things? Everyone should join the exploration club and see how nice he was!

"You should come next time, Suzume-chan~!" Erina perked up. "You grew up here, so I bet you know lots of really, really fun places too!" She flashed the girl her best smile then turned to address one of the others walking among their group. However, as she did, a glimpse of navy hair caught her eye, and she did a double-take.

That was Okazaki, wasn't it? But why was he leaving without her? Her head snapped back and forth between her friends and the upperclassman's quickly retreating figure, scrambling to choose a course of action. Maybe he was meeting her at the shopping district, like she had suggested? But would she be able to find him there?

"Ah, I have to goooo," she squealed, waving her hands frantically. "Bye, Suzume-chan~! Mayu-chan, Kohaku-chan..." Hastily, she addressed each of her friends with a quick farewell before turning and bolting toward the school gates. Okazaki had already made it partway down the hill. How did he walk so fast?

"Oka..." she opened her mouth to call him, but stopped as she drew nearer, conserving her breath. He was fast, but her years of athletic practice hadn't been for nothing. She caught up to the boy quickly, grabbing at the back of his shirt as she slowed to a walk behind him.

"Okazaki-sempai! Where are you going?" She paused for a moment to catch her breath, smiling. "Did you forget already~?"

[Okazaki Tomoya]

"Gah!"

He exclaimed, surprised, a familiar voice and accompanying tug drawing his attention behind him.

"Okazaki-sempai! Where are you going? Did you forget already~?"

There it was. That mischievous grin that could only spell more trouble and headache for him. That nosy naïveté that poked, prodded, and made him dance in the most uncomfortable and unnatural ways. Love was in the air! Wait what? Though psychosis may have been a logical diagnosis, in truth the boy had simply been pulled too suddenly from his own thoughts by the very subject of his thoughts. Shortly before the girl had caught up to him, the boy had drifted back into his own world. Specifically back to the part where his current activities could be misinterpreted as a sketchy way to land a date. While at first he worried about the immediate problem and implications, his mind began to drift to far away possibilities. "What if's" began to line up one after the other and before he knew it, he had floated into a daydream. One in which these "dates" actually had great success. Though illogical, he followed the path quite far, until she was suddenly standing right beside him. But this was no longer a dream. It was reality. It took a while for him to compose himself, but when he was finally able to fully grasp the reality before him and interpret her words, he responded.

"Ah...how could I forget?"

He gave her a halfhearted smile. While his tone had been positive, in truth it had been bothering him from the day it had been announced. The actual exploring wasn't an issue...they had basically done that during the Founder's Festival and there hadn't been any problems...it had been sort of fun actually. But this time it was under a false pretense. What's more, it wasn't a form of repayment anymore. Either he'd have to run a gambit of this club till the end, or come clean and fully explain himself. Starting from why he lied and what he actually spent all of his free time doing. And that wasn't a conversation he was ready to have.

"So...what did you want to see?"

At the very least, perhaps her chatter could keep him distracted until they got there. As for his daydream? It was alright...except he was nearly always hungry. Like a vacuum, her mouth would suck up all the food around her at all times, and usually that included his share as well. While he knew love took sacrifices, he hoped going hungry for the rest of his life wouldn't be a prerequisite to a relationship. She also went on to become a world famous Volleyball player which was just...bizarre. Was that even possible? Were they paid well? Did people watch? Ah...so many pointless questions. Perhaps she was having a greater effect on him then he realized.

[Yasuda Erina]

---

~ Erina's Theme ~

---

His reassuring answer made her smile, and she released the back of his shirt to fall into step beside him. Was her guess right then? Had he been planning to meet her at the shopping district? Still, it would have been difficult to find each other without an agreed meeting place... Maybe more people would come exploring if Okazaki organized things better!

"I want to see everything, of course!" the girl exclaimed, swinging her schoolbag higher.

"That's ambitious."

"Like... um... The places with the best food!"

"Less ambitious."

She counted off a finger with her free hand as she listed the suggestion, ignoring Okazaki's comment. That was first on the list when exploring any new place, wasn't it? Ah, did Hikarizaka have any kind of special dishes? She'd never thought to ask about something like that!

"And fun places~" She counted off another finger, grinning up at her upperclassman for confirmation though she didn't wait for it before continuing. "Oh, and interesting places! Like places that are really pretty or that grant wishes or that have a story or... or..."

She trailed off, grasping for the words to best describe her point, then suddenly perked up, eyes alight as she chattered on. "In my old town, there was a weird statue in the park and no one knew what it was, but one of my classmates on the track team thought it looked like a person running so she told her team and some of them jogged to it as part of their training on the weekend! And since they had a really good season, everyone said it was good luck and even I started jogging there sometimes!"

The memory made her heart warm, and the girl's large, eager grin softened into something gentler. She had visited some of her old friends during Golden Week not that long ago, but in Hikarizaka they still felt so far away. Thinking of them brought a feeling of comfort.

"So if there are places like that, we definitely need to go, okay? Pleeeeaaaase~"

And just like that, the excitable child was back again.

[Okazaki Tomoya]

"And fun places~"

He resisted the urge to sigh. She had seemed so excited about the idea - was this all she had in mind? Granted, he hadn't expected much else...but that didn't make the task any less daunting. What was he supposed to show her that she hadn't already seen? What would she find fun? He was probably overthinking it. If the Founder's Festival was any indication, they would be walking into every single store.

"Oh, and interesting places! Like places that are really pretty or that grant wishes or that have a story or... or..."

Oh? His eyebrow perked up as he curiously considered her. This seemed new. A story? Had she always been into those type of things? He quietly listened to her tale, and though it made little sense to him why a random statue was worth jogging to, he could tell the memory was special to her. He could tell by her smile. Usually she grinned so wide and free any sane person would actively avoid her lest they be dragged into something they would later regret. Tomoya was never considered to be very sane, thus the likely outcome for his current predicament. However this smile was different. Before he could recall the last time he had seen it or why it left such an impression on him she had already snapped back to her usual self.

"So if there are places like that, we definitely need to go, okay? Pleeeeaaaase~"

And just like that she had placed him in another dilemma. Random statues that were off the beaten trail? How was he supposed to know about those? Of course, he knew what she really meant, but that didn't make the prospect any easier. He took a moment to remember what he could about the area and if there was anything in particular worth visiting. No luck. This time he did sigh.

"Well...I'll see what I can do. I'm not sure what will be fun and interesting for you, but this will definitely be the place for food."

He'd just go with the flow. Whatever special place she was looking for they'd likely stumble upon by accident and things would somehow work out on there own. He wasn't usually one to believe in fate or luck, but Yasuda had the ability to see color in anything. Things that seemed banal and uninteresting to him fascinated her to a degree that was alien to him. He honestly had no idea what she was looking for. He understood the idea behind her request, but the execution was a mystery. He didn't have any places like that. After all...he hated this city.

[Yasuda Erina]

"Well... I'll see what I can do."

"Yaaaay~"

Erina clapped her hands together and grinned, completely missing the middle portion of her companion's sentence until the mention of food pricked at her ears and called her attention once more.

"... but this will definitely be the place for food."

Definitely? Then... maybe there really was some kind of special dish in Hikarizaka? What could it be? What would suit a town like this?

"What kind of food? Does Hikarizaka have a special dish?" she asked, her voice hopeful. Even as she spoke, the possibilities ran through her mind. Would it be a meal or maybe a dessert? A meat dish? Noodles? A soup? Something traditional or something exotic? Ah, but in a small town like this, it would probably be something more simple, right?

"Oh, oh! Wait, don't tell me yet! I want to guess what food would match Hikarizaka, okay~?"

The girl giggled, amused by the idea, and raised a finger to her chin, tapping it thoughtfully. Hikarizaka seemed like a small and cozy town. Maybe something warm and comforting... Something that reminded someone of home? Or... something cute! Hikarizaka was small and cute and nice!

"Ummmm... Hikarizaka is an oyako donburi! In a really cute bowl~"

The thought made her smile (Not that she wasn't already!). It would be almost too cute to eat! Oh, but if it was the bowl that was cute, maybe it would be okay since the bowl wasn't the part being eaten... Ah, but just the bowl by itself seemed less cute somehow. It just made sense that a full bowl was more appealing than an empty one, didn't it? Yes, Hikarizaka was a warm, cute bowl of oyakodon!

[Okazaki Tomoya]

"What kind of food? Does Hikarizaka have a special dish?"

Nope.

"Oh, oh! Wait, don't tell me yet! I want to guess what food would match Hikarizaka, okay~?"

There she went again. He hadn't even agreed but he could tell by the look of concentration on her face she was long gone. Well whatever. It was probably for the best. He wasn't feeling quite like his usual self. He felt uncomfortable. In fact, he had been feeling uncomfortable since they met. But why? Yasuda had the type of personality to put anyone at ease. He had discovered this from their very first meeting and had yet to be proven wrong. Yet...he still felt tense. Like he couldn't act as naturally as he always had and had to wear a mask of some kind. One in which he was an eager busybody who had nothing better to do than explore a place he didn't even like. Then realization dawned on him. It wasn't because she was making him act...but rather that her personality influenced him to view things differently. The crucial difference between the two of them: The barrier that firmly separated them and placed them in two entirely different worlds. He hated this town. She loved it. What he found boring and dull, she found exciting and fun. Thinking back to the story she had just told, it had seemed so colorful. A "weird statue" she had put it. Objectively, it had been a completely uninteresting and pointless story...yet for some reason he could still recall it quite vividly. He realized, with dismay, that had it been him, he would have never told a story like that. It wouldn't have been worth telling. The statue would have been grey...just like everything else..

"Ummmm... Hikarizaka is an oyako donburi! In a really cute bowl~"

Her sudden exclamation snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Why a cute bowl?!"

And just like that he felt at ease once more. Inspiration followed soon after. That was it. That was how he would survive this ordeal. Despite feigning to show her the town...he would simply let her discover it on her own. Though he had claimed to make this "club"...really it would be her doing the exploring and him simply following along. He reasoned it was for her own safety as well, as the first time he had asked her to follow him she had run into a pole. It seemed a bit shameful to push the responsibility of leader on to her but...what else could he do? He had no idea what she enjoyed. While it was true he had spent a lot of time exploring the town with Sunohara in the past, the mood had been completely different - usually Sunohara was just as bored as him and they simply walked around because they had nothing better to do. It wasn't like they found joy in it - it simply helped pass the time. This girl though...this girl seemed to relish it. All of the small and meaningless things. He almost envied her.

"Well anyways...where do you want to go? You're the newcomer here so you should be doing the exploring. I'll just be here to make sure you don't get lost."

[Yasuda Erina]

"Why a cute bowl?!"

"Ehhh? Why can't it be a cute bowl?" the girl protested lightly at her companion's interjection before continuing with a smile. "Hikarizaka is cute, of course!" Okazaki didn't appear to be listening though, and Erina opened her mouth to further elaborate on the town's oyakodon-inspiring charm but was interrupted as her upperclassman spoke again.

"Well anyways... where do you want to go? You're the newcomer here so you should be doing the exploring. I'll just be here to make sure you don't get lost."

Okazaki... wasn't going to lead? For a brief moment, the freshman was disappointed, and her smile faded into a thoughtful expression. She had been excited to have a friend to show her around and had spent the end of class wondering just where Okazaki would take her... Was he not going to show her anything after all? However, as she let his words sink in, a small realization began to take shape, gradually spreading through her until her head perked up, excitement dawning on her face. This was an exploration club, right? But Okazaki lived here, so there was nothing new for him to explore. She had been thinking of their outing all wrong. Today wasn't a day for him to show her around like a tour guide. It was a day for her to have an adventure like an explorer!

"Let's look for it!" the girl blurted out in her enthusiasm, stopping to spin round and face her "chaperone." "Let's look for the Hikarizaka oyakodon! The one with the super cutest bowl~"

Eager to begin her quest, she grabbed at Okazaki's sleeve and picked up her pace, pulling him in the direction of the shopping district while humming a made-up tune.

"Oyakodoooon~ Oyakodooooon~ We're gonna find yooou~"

[Okazaki Tomoya]

It couldn't be cute because nothing about Hikarizaka was cute. While certain areas were more pleasant then others, he wasn't sure he could describe any of it as 'cute'. Of course, that wasn't why he asked in the first place. Even when he was paying attention to her every word and replying to her as rationally as possible, she still managed to transport the conversation to an unknown location. It began with an innocent question. Then suddenly the entire town had been summarized as one dish ("In a really cute bowl!"). Now that dish existed somewhere in the town and it needed to be sought out. What? How? Why? Her conclusions spawned nothing but questions. He was beginning to believe she was incapable of making sense when excited. But then how could she be so popular? Long established friends may be forgiving but he had doubts that new acquaintances could keep up with this inconsistency. Were her new friends just really boring? What did that say about him? Par for the course, he simply let it go. It wasn't worth the headache. He also had no better alternative to suggest. He had given her the lead and was now facing the consequences. Logic be damned.

He wondered if this was how it felt to walk a dog. Holding a leash so they never strayed too far, but ultimately being led on by the dog and it's curious nose. To the human leading them, often times their actions made little sense. Why stop to sniff that spot? Why pee here? Why bark over there? Why stop here? Why run there and pull at your leash? And yet the ritual continues day after day. Dog leads man. Man shepherds dog. Both perfectly content with there strange ritual of walking sans communication.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't walking a dog. He was being dragged forward by a girl half his size, singing along to a made up song without a care in the world. The dragging was bad enough but did she really have to sing?! He could already feel the curious glances of those around him seer into his back. Attention always made him uncomfortable when he was with the girl. He couldn't care less what others thought of him, but he didn't want that effecting her as well. If she didn't always attract attention to herself like a lighthouse he wouldn't have had to try so hard, but unfortunately she had a penchant for just that. It made things interesting at least. Desperate times; desperate measures. All at once he found himself diving down the rabbit hole he had been avoiding for so long.

"If you sing that loudly it's going to get away. You have to act natural if you want to track it down. Follow your instincts. Use your senses. If you're singing you'll never hear the distinct sound it makes."

[Yasuda Erina]

"Oyakodon is hidiiiin-"

"If you sing that loudly it's going to get away."

The brunette came to an abrupt halt, surprised and confused by the senior's sudden warning. She turned to give him a questioning look, ready to inquire further, but for once, he had managed to gain the upperhand in the conversation.

"You have to act natural if you want to track it down. Follow your instincts. Use your senses. If you're singing you'll never hear the distinct sound it makes."

The orders caught her off guard, and Erina reacted on impulse. Act natural? How did she do that? Was she not acting natural already?! The girl went rigid, her posture taking on an ironically unnatural form at Okazaki's instruction as she strained her senses to take in more than they did. Would she hear it? The adorable chirps of the fabled Hikarizaka Oyako Donburi? A sound that was surely, most definitely the cutest- Oh, but... Oyakodon didn't make a sound, did it?

"Ehhhh? Food doesn't talk, Okazaki-sempai!" Erina proclaimed, her frame relaxing as some semblance of sense made its way back into her thoughts. Had he been tricking her again like at the festival? Ah! Now that she thought of it, she still hadn't tricked him back like she'd said she would! Could she get a chance today? But she still hadn't come up with anything... Maybe if she just kept talking she'd think of something eventually? How did Okazaki think of tricks so easily?

"But... But I still heard the oyakodon!" Erina hastily added, though her lie was as transparent as her poker face. "And it was really, really cute and sounded like... like... 'Pyuuuuu~'" She waved her arms in front of her as she emitted her nonsense sound in a high-pitched hum.

"And it was definitely, totally this way~!" she concluded, pointing down a street as they neared the shopping distrcit.

[Okazaki Tomoya]

"Ehhhh? Food doesn't talk, Okazaki-sempai!"

Damn. Of course, he never explicitly said that it spoke. Only that it made a distinct sound. But how could he bring that up naturally while also retaining it's vagueness so as to avoid any accountability? Fortunately, he didn't need to think long on the issue.

"But... But I still heard the oyakodon!"

All at once, she had his full attention. He looked at her with renewed interest, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He could tell from her uncertain words that she had stepped into a world she was wholly unfamiliar with. Oh how the tables had turned.

"And it was really, really cute and sounded like... like...'Pyuuuuu~'"

Eyebrow raised, he frowned with discontent. It was an expression of both bewilderment and disappointment. An ironically serious reaction to her antics. In truth, he was trying not to laugh at her 'reenactment' of the sound. The first time they had met, her unusual reactions had caught him off guard and he had allowed himself to laugh prematurely, ending the game before it had even started. He was determined not to let her win so easily this time around.

"And it was definitely, totally this way~!"

He didn't say a word. He allowed the silence to hang in the air, opting to show rather than tell. When she expectantly looked at him with eyes full of success, his frown spoke only of failure and discontent. He gave her no ground to recover. He waited until the silence had gone on for far too long to be natural. He waited until her gaze went through all the possible phases - confident, hopeful, pleading, and finally, desperate. He waited until the very last moment, the moment before her need to break the silence was likely to overwhelm her, before finally granting her wish.

"Amazing. You even know where it's coming from? Truly amazing. Lead the way!"

Not only did he sound completely genuine, but his expression was one of glowing approval - as if she had truly exceeded his expectations. Did this transition make any sense? Of course not. However, as long as things were seemingly going her way, he was certain she wouldn't question it.

[Yasuda Erina]

Okazaki was... really quiet.

Erina stood frozen in place, arm still raised and finger pointed. Her blatant lie had been accompanied by the brightest smile she could muster, but Okazaki's eyes bore into her, causing the girl to tense up. The corners of her lips twitched under the boy's unrelenting gaze, and sweat began to prickle at her forehead. Ah, he was really good at this! But of course he would be! He was her senior! Her sempai in tricks! Should she give up? But he still hadn't said anything! Why wasn't Okazaki saying anything?!

Desperate for any form of feedback, the girl began to tremble. The combined pressure of awkward silence and Okazaki's disapproving eyes chipped away at her confidence with each passing second until she stood before him in a state of comically agonized distress. He knew she was making things up didn't he? Yes, of course he knew! Food didn't talk! She had just said so! She was a trick failu-

"Amazing. You even know where it's coming from? Truly amazing. Lead the way!"

"E-Ehh?"

Okazaki's abrupt change in disposition caused the girl to start, so caught off-guard she wore her surprise openly on her face. As she realized her own mistake, however, she hastily attempted to correct her expression to one of complete certainty, though this only served to make her look even more conspicuous.

"Yes! It's... ah... Let's go!" she sputtered out the words, taking a few awkward, uncertain steps in the direction she had indicated. She... hadn't planned out this far. What did she do now? Unable to formulate a plan in her mind, her mouth began running in it's place in a high and anxious tone.

"It's so cute! Eheh~ Pyuuuuuu~! Pyuuuu~! It's definitely the cutest oyakodon of them all! I'm suuuuper excited! Aren't you, Okazaki-sempai? Eheh. Eheheheheh..."

[Okazaki Tomoya]

He knew he had her in his clutches. In fact, his plan had probably worked too well. She looked like she was going to fall apart any minute. Had he been a more merciful human being he would have ended this charade and allowed the day to continue as normal. Unfortunately for the underclassmen, this was not the case. He also felt the need for a little retribution, given the title she had chosen for him: Sempai. He didn't think he ever acted like one towards her. Perhaps he should give it a try. Sempai were supposed to deceive their kouhai right? As a sort of...rite of passage? Yeah. That's probably how that worked.

"I'm thrilled."

Completely neutral in tone, he ensured it would be impossible to tell if he was being sarcastic or genuine. He didn't give her time to dwell on it.

"However I can't help but wonder about the sound you're hearing. I've never heard oyakodon make that noise before. Are you sure it's not the wind?"

He gave her a moment to realize her unintentional pun before continuing, preventing her from recovering. Reversing tactics entirely, he dove headlong into the fantasy they had spontaneously come up with together.

"Perhaps you heard the cries of a baby Oyakodon? Oh no! That means it must be separated from it's parents! That's not good. If we don't do something quickly, something terrible could happen."

As if suddenly inspired, he placed fist in palm with eyes alight and excitedly spoke up.

"I've got it! If we ask around the area I'm sure we can sort this out. Here hold this."

He passed her his bag to hold while he rummaged through for some supplies. Though it was mostly for show (he never used it for school), he did carry a few things with him. Simply put, a bag with some weight was more comfortable to carry then an empty one. He removed a notepad, a pen, and a plain sheet of paper.

"Turn around for me."

He was intentionally moving too fast. If she didn't have time to think about what was going on she was more likely to simply go along with it until it was too late. He placed the notepad with paper on top of her head and began writing something down. After a few moments he handed her his work in exchange for his bag. It read: "Help! Looking for Parents!"

"With this sign we should be safe. Show this to people on the street and we'll find the Oyakodon in no time. If anyone asks any questions just tell them what you told me: That it's really cute and makes a 'Pyuu' sound. Got it? Good. Now go! We don't have much time."

He urged her along with a gentle push. A gentle push of doom.

[Yasuda Erina]

"I'm thrilled."

"Yea-"

"However I can't help but wonder about the sound you're hearing. I've never heard oyakodon make that noise before. Are you sure it's not the wind?"

"E-ehh?!"

"Perhaps you heard the cries of a baby Oyakodon? Oh no! That means it must be separated from it's parents! That's not good. If we don't do something quickly, something terrible could happen."

This... This was all happening too fast! The anxiety building within the young girl spiked with each new statement Okazaki hurled at her, and she scrambled to follow the conversation she had heedlessly initiated. Her poor attempt to conceal her expression had now fallen through completely, and she stared at her companion with open bewilderment and panic.

"I've got it! If we ask around the area I'm sure we can sort this out. Here hold this."

Erina instinctively gripped the schoolbag as it was handed to her then turned when she was asked, too flustered to question Okazaki's actions. He was... writing something? What was he writing?! What were they even doing? It was something about... finding the oyakodon's parents...?

"With this sign we should be safe. Show this to people on the street and we'll find the Oyakodon in no time. If anyone asks any questions just tell them what you told me: That it's really cute and makes a 'Pyuu' sound. Got it? Good. Now go! We don't have much time."

The makeshift poster was pushed into her hands and she dazedly accepted it, staring uncomprehendingly at its message as she was nudged along the street. She was baffled by the conversation that had just transpired, but the sense of urgency in it had come through, and though her confusion made her hesitant, she stepped forward.

All she had to do was show the poster to someone, right? That wouldn't be too difficult, would it? There was even a lady right over there! She'd just show her then turn right back around and tell Okazaki it was all a trick and she'd win! Or... something like that?

Doubt and second thoughts had slowly begun to creep into her mind, but she had already come too far to back down. Without even realizing it, the girl had already significantly closed the distance between herself and the woman on the street, who had taken notice. Ah, she was watching her so expectantly! No, it was too late to turn around now! But... But why was she even doing this again?

"Ah... Excuse me!" Erina exclaimed, deciding to face the awkward situation head on. The words had come out unnecessarily loudly, but she pressed on, determined. "Please look at this!"

She was almost done, right? This... No, this wasn't hard at all! Her voice had picked up the slightest hint of confidence again, and she hurriedly held up her sign at eye level. If she just finished this silly little thing, she could finish her trick! She wouldn't let Okazaki win! She wouldn't-

"Um... Are you... lost?"

".... Eh?"

The young woman was looking her over with uncertainty, and for a moment, Erina's newfound determination faltered. Why was she looking at her like that? What had Okazaki said to do again? What was it she was supposed to say...?!

"Ah... um... um...! It's... They're really cute and go pyuuuuu!"

The desperate words had left her mouth before she could process how ridiculous they sounded, and Erina gave the woman a pleading look which was met by a blank stare. Her cheeks began to grow warm as the full extent of her situation began to sink in. What... What was she saying? How had this happened? Ah, this was so confusing and weird! Okazaki was weird! Weird, weird, weird!

"Okazaki-sempai, why are you making me say weird things?!" the freshman cried out, turning around to flee red-faced from her cringe-worthy encounter and back toward the older boy. The young woman, meanwhile, took the opportunity to slink away from the strange scene.

"You're so weird! Weird, weird, weird, weird, weird!" She flailed her fists at him, punctuating each "weird" with a smack on the chest. "I was trying to trick you and you ruined it! You..."

There was a pause as the pigtailed girl tried to recollect herself, lowering her fists and staring up at him like a pouting child as she searched for the words to say...

"You owe me an oyakodon!"

[Okazaki Tomoya]

He watched her around the corner, curious how her fortitude would hold up in such an unfamiliar situation. Would she actually manage to rope someone into helping her? Impossible...or so he hoped. For if she did manage to convince someone to help he would then be forced to continue to play along or admit the misunderstanding. It could be his loss if she found the type of person who would genuinely try and help her, despite the strange circumstances. As he noted multiple times in the past, she never seemed to get embarrassed or self-conscious in unfamiliar situations. As if to confirm this, she was currently making a bee-line towards a woman across the street. No risk, no reward. Perhaps this would make an adequate substitute for the test he had planned for her so long ago...before she ran into that pole and he had to give her a win by default. He watched with baited breath, listening intently to the exchange.

"Ah... Excuse me! Please look at this!"

Good job Yasuda! He mentally, and overenthusiastically, cheered her on, supporting any choice she made that lined up with his plans.

"Um... Are you... lost?"

The girl didn't seem to know how to respond to that. Was...was that a bit of hesitation? A bit flustered perhaps? Embarrassment?! His memory provided evidence towards the contrary but her body language and speech pattern in the present were undeniable. She was human after all!

"Ah... um... um...! It's... They're really cute and go pyuuuuu!"

He had no choice but to quickly turn from the scene as he struggled to muffle a sudden burst of laughter. Even though he had planned the entire stunt, it had been far funnier then he expected. If her response wasn't enough, the reaction the woman had on her face was priceless. She had followed all of his instructions to the letter! Try as he might, he couldn't return his attention to the scene. He was barely holding it together as it was. Unfortunately his efforts were in vain, for it wasn't long before he suddenly heard his name being shouted out.

"Okazaki-sempai, why are you making me say weird things?!"

He was dying with laughter. Now that the jig was up, he no longer tried to conceal his amusement, laughing full and loud for anyone to hear. Ordinarily he may have minded having his name shouted outloud in public or bringing attention to himself by laughing so fully at seemingly nothing, but he was in such a good mood at the moment it didn't even matter.

"You're so weird! Weird, weird, weird, weird, weird!"

He expressed his joy with revelry; tears streaming freely from his eyes. Though he had just pulled off a successful prank, and was therefore too busy laughing to think on it, he could tell this incident was different then those spent pulling pranks alongside Sunohara. It wasn't simply a funny situation that gave him joy in this moment - there was a warmth to it as well. An incredibly strong feeling that was difficult to describe. Warm. Light. Pure. Maybe a bit fuzzy. Rather then feel pain, her fists only seemed to accentuate that feeling.

"I was trying to trick you and you ruined it! You...you owe me an oyakodon!"

He was still trying to recover as she finished speaking, breathing heavily as if he had run a marathon.

"So...you *were* trying to trick me."

He wasn't sure why she had made the attempt in the first place. Was she finally catching on to this ways? Was she more insightful then she let on? Perhaps he was unwittingly training her in his wily ways. He could be training a dangerous protege. For the time being though, he had no regrets. His deception had more then paid off and he had no trouble going along with her demands. Not only that...but the face she was making made it difficult for him to argue. Perhaps he was going soft.

"But alright. I suppose you've earned it. I know a place down the street, come on."