Group 1 - Outside Classroom

"Y-Yes, Natsu-chan," squeaked Shiori, following her friend's lead away from the creepy megane. As she was lead away, she turned her head just in time to see Masoto walk straight into an elementary school girl, knocking her to the floor. Natsumi, ever the motherly figure, was already doting over her. Shiori's instincts sensed there was something off about the young girl's character. There was just something...she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her dark eyes settled on Natsumi's worried expression for the girl. Maybe she was just being paranoid this time. She flashed Masato an obligatory glare. "Clumsy," she scolded curtly.

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Group 1 - Outside Classroom

When Masato had turned around, he didn't expect to run into a tiny road bump. He was tall enough that he simply looked right over the small girl's head. Once he felt her bump into him, he realized what he'd done and looked down. There the munchkin sat on the floor, wearing an elementary schooler uniform.

He didn't consider himself an overly sharp person. But the angry look the kid gave him was startling. Masato blinked, making sure the hawk-like glare he'd just received wasn't a hallucination. He felt suddenly like he was on trial.

When his eyes opened, there was no trace of the expression any longer, and she'd begun to pout. Her eyes grew watery and innocent; she balled up her hands tiny hands and rubbed them as if on the verge of tears. The girl was a talented little actress, to be sure, but there was no way Masato didn't catch her sudden change of tone earlier. At the moment, however, he wasn't sure how to respond. The accompanying girls from his glass began to gather around the tripped elementary student. It was natural for them to respond that way, especially Natsumi. Masato decided it was best to just forget about it, but he still couldn't help but feel an inkling of suspicion towards the little girl.

"Hmmm. Even if she got surprisingly mad, it was my fault anyways. I should just apologize."

Masato stepped back, scratching the back of his head lazily. His apology was lazy as always.
"Oops. My bad! Did I hurt you?"
Despite sounding sincere, the way his eyes narrowed as he smiled warmly at the girl was inappropriately

He winced at the kid's performance and Shiori's glare, which was of an entirely different nature than the kid's angry stare. Although it was careless of him, Masato could only respond with a brief, uncomfortable chuckle towards her.
"I'm really sorry, y'know. She's so small, I didn't notice her at all." He turned back to the girl. There was a strange suspicion in his eyes, his chin slightly raised as he looked down at her, but her sad look was starting to worm its way through his defenses.

"Uh... kid, even though we had a collision here, you can still go to your tennis club, right?" He laughed again, a bit more nervously that time. Something was restraining his character, like he was starting to consider if the girl really was hurt after all. His slim but tough hands clenched together in front of him, gesturing as apologetically as he could.

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FUKKATSU

| Group 1 - Outside Classroom |

As Shiori stepped bacl, Ryuji leaned forward, like he was trying to carefully inspect her reaction. He looked towards Natsumi too, an intensely interested look on his face. It wasn't the kind of "interested" one would normally associate a boy gazing at a pretty girl with though. It was the kind of "interested" a scientist might have with a potentially incredible discovery. "You... are moé," he observed casually, apparently referring to both of the girls, content with his firm conclusion. Thankfully for their person space, he finally drew away from them. Yes! These girls were moé. Not entirely yet, of course, but they had great potential! Ryuji would certainly have to nurture this grand discovery. This little trip could even be that opportunity!

Unfortunately, before he could even begin talking about, things kind of just went along without him. Suddenly, a little girl had happened upon their group, and Masato had done her the great disservice of knocking her down. She looked absolutely pitiful on the ground as she lamented the situation. In a completely different tone than everyone else, Ryuji suddenly declared, "Yes!" He slithered over towards Masato, and then clasped a hand upon the other boy's shoulder. "An adorable little girl with a pitiful reaction, and the older brother-like figure who will comfort her. This is moé," he began, giving his classmate a thumbs up. "You're doing it wrong, though. Being more sympathetic would have a greater effect." And everyone wonders why Ryuji is friendless!

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

I just realized I forgot to include the very important day-of-the-week in the date field (which I put in the subject with every post, except for the first one since that'd change the thread title). I'll be including it from now on.

Group 1 - Hallway - After School - Partly Cloudy, slight breeze

"Ah, no, that's impossible. They were barely letting me in in the first place, no way they'll let me play with an injury."
> Saying injury, she motioned to her limp-looking wrist.
> The girl turns her face away and seemed to murmur an addendum.
"... I also hate losing."
> She turns to Natsumi and adopts a seemingly forced, brave face.
"I-I'm okay. I think it'll be fine if I let it rest for a while."
> Hearing Shiori, she giggles a bit, though clearly trying to hide it.
> Finally, she hears Ryuji, and an extremely confused--with a tinge of curiosity--expression forms on her face.
"... What does moé mean?"
> She poses the question to everyone.

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Group 1 - Hallway

Shiori scowled at Masato. Hopefully he wasn't such a klutz all the time. Nonetheless, the girl seemed to be healthy enough. Her sharp eyes scanned the younger girl's injured wrist. It didn't seem to be swelling.

Then Ryuji spoke. Moé...moé...what was that again? Wasn't it French for something? Shiori paused for a moment, when she recalled the definition she was looking for. Her brother used that word describing some of the manga that she had confiscated from that one time when he was supposed to be studying. The serious schoolgirl's face reddened as she gritted her teeth. Her eyes narrowed into angry slivers. It was a reflexive action. Shiori's head rammed into Ryuji's side with the ferocity of a raging rhino. "Don't teach little kids strange things!"

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Group 1 - Hallway

Masato looked at the limp wrist. It didn't seem injured, but he had little idea of how frail the kid was. If anything, she looked like someone who found a light bruise unbearable. Sensing that, Masato couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Well, when you bumped into me, you must have walked into my 'misfortune field.'" Masato chuckled. "Not like it's my fault or anything, but I'd feel bad if someone got hurt because of me. What's your name?"
He smiled warmly at the girl, despite being aware of her strange change in attitude earlier. Unfortunately, at that moment, Ryuji decided to get overly familiar. Masato didn't exactly cringe at the other boy putting his hand on his shoulder, but he didn't like getting buddy-buddy with someone he didn't know well. "Argh, he's too close..."

He made some odd remarks, about things such as "moe," and how Masato was an older brother figure. The way Masato approached his hobbies meant that he always had more understanding of the vernacular involved in them than others who just entered hobbies half-heartedly. Still, to say he was "proud" that he understood Ryuji might have been only partially accurate. He did his best to respond normally.

"I know, I'm trying." Masato muttered. "Excuse me for being a younger brother and not an older one."

As the little girl touched upon a difficult and rather disturbing question, the two were unceremoniously separated by Shiori, with her vicious ramming attack.

"I see you know how to use your head."
A corny smirk, aimed at Shiori.

It was enough to make Masato wince, and it occurred to him that he'd fallen in with a rather strange group of people. At least Natsumi was relatively normal.

"Well, that is..." Masato struggled with the words, although it was only natural, dealing with a meaning even the word's users couldn't agree on. "How do I put it... it's kind of like..."

In a rather strange and immature gesture, Masato moved his hands upwards, like a "fire." He did his best to approximate the noise as well. "It's a feeling kind of like that, you know?"

Although unskilled with children, he imagined that being a bit childish himself would help her to understand, although Masato still suspected the girl was far smarter than she looked. In a way, perhaps he was trying to test her.

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FUKKATSU

| Group 1 - Hallway |

Before Ryuji could aptly respond to the little girl's downright heretical question, Shiori was quicker to react to what he had said originally. "UWAAH!" was all he could scream out when the tsundere girl rammed him. The boy was suddenly relieved of the confines of gravity, and promptly flew towards the opposite wall from the apparent force. He collided with it like a sack of potatoes, then fell towards the ground with just about much force, finally ending his journey when he rolled back over towards the group, apparently unconscious. It was all such a show, that one had to wonder if he had done it all intentionally, or if all his leisure time had really left him that susceptible to physical harm. Then, just within a few seconds, the boy was getting back up, starting off on his knees. He looked towards Shiori, adjusted his glasses (which had miraculously stayed on), then suddenly gave her a thumbs up. "Nice hit," he complimented in poorly pronounced English, completely deadpan. That much he expected from the tsundere role

Ryuji then stood up entirely, dusted himself off, cleared his throat, and turned back to speak to the younger girl as if that ridiculous scene hadn't just transpired. He also seemed to be oblivious to the blood that was now running down his face. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be too serious. "What is moe, you ask?" he said initially, "Moe is moe! It lies within the hearts of men!!! It permeates our world like a life-giving energy source! No! It is the source of life itself! It calms the oceans! Flattens mountains! Summons the rain!" he preached passionately, apparently unable to take Masato's approach in using a simpler explanation. In fact, he really didn't explain the meaning at all. "A moe-less world wouldn't be a world at all!" He looked towards the other boy again. "You understand that much, yes?"

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

Inspecting the little girl's wrist with a careful eye, Natsumi reached out to touch it lightly with delicate fingers. "May I? My little brother plays baseball, so I'm pretty good with sprains." There was an unmistakeably motherly air about the second year, but it was temepered by her youth. "I'm sure that it's not so bad that your coach won't let you play..."

The smile on her face was supplanted by an expression that was probably only a few steps below abject horror as her best friend did her best impression of two billy goats fighting, using Ryuji's ribs as the other goat. "Shiori-chan!" The little girl was released as Natsumi stood up, her attention taken by his best friend's act of violence. There probably would have been a lecture if Ryuji's quick recovery hadn't distracted her.

Mostly because his face was bleeding.

"Kanzato-san!" In a flurry of motion there was quite suddenly a white embroidered hankerchief being thrust into Ryuji's face. "You're bleeding!"

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Group 1 - Hallway - After School - Partly Cloudy

> The girl makes the face of a skeptic.
"So... it's an explosion that's the source of everything?"
> The girl takes Masato's visual motion and Ryuji's words, and combines them.
"Moé is slang for the big bang?"
> Her face says clearly that she is not convinced at all.

> She seems scowl a bit when Natsumi cut in and contradicted her.
> Being let go, she quickly folds her arms across.
"... Anyways, what're the all of you doing? Don't you have club activities?"

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Group 1 - Hallway

Masato seemed to be baffled by the question of what "moe" was. Therefore, he didn't blame the girl for coming to such a conclusion; it was quite logical, even.

"Er, that's not exactly it. That's something that's kind of difficult to put in words, you know..." Masato intoned in an unintentionally plummy voice. He could only scratch his head. "Anyway, it's all right, little lady. Not like you need to know what it means, heh..." It wasn't anything particularly inappropriate. But somehow, he still felt it was better left for the near-adults to understand, rather than the semi-innocent girl.

At the girl's comment about the clubs, Masato suddenly suppressed a double-take. He wiped his brow subtly, as if he was brushing aside his brown hair, and laughed with a tiny air of discomfort.
"Ahah, weeell, it can't be helped if we're not busy, right?"

He didn't want to tell anyone he was skipping a track practice session.
"None of us had anything urgent to do after class, so we were going downtown. It's great that you're in a club already, um...."

Masato bent a bit at the waist to lean down towards the little girl, smiling with typical charisma.

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself." He gracefully segued into a bow, though he was otherwise casual as always. "Inoue Masato. What's yours?"

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 - Hallway

Ryuji not only took the hit, but was sent spiraling like a pinball on crack. Shiori huffed through her nostrils; he had it coming. Her sharp eyes turned to Masato in confusion as he tried to explain something awfully complicated; she wondered if he even knew what he was talking about. Then again, it was better if this girl remained confused about such a topic.

When Ryuji went off on his monologue, Shiori promptly tuned him out, not even offering a look of apology when Natsumi tended to his now bleeding nose. Instead, she caught the scowl the young girl put up when Natsumi graciously checked her injury. Ah...so it was for attention after all. Well, she was a child, so it wasn't unforgivable.

The girl changed topics, and Shiori followed along. "No clubs," she replied curtly with her trademark grimace. Masato had introduced himself and asked for the girl's name; it was probably a good idea to do the same if they were to properly converse with her. "I'm Uehara."

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-- Sketch Blog -- My Art Thread -- DeviantArt --

| Group 1 - Hallway |

Ryuji reacted with a bit of surprise when Natsumi suddenly began tending to him, miraculously falling silent for a bit. He always made others uncomfortable with how close he liked to get, but physical contact was apparently something else entirely for him. "Ah..." he began, "I'm fine, really." Naturally, he said this while still muffled by the girl's handkerchief, trying to speak normally in spite of it. Of course, being who he was, this lapse didn't last very long. "Such injuries are nothing when one is in pursuit of moé," he remarked matter-of-factly, still paying no mind to the cloth on his face, and attempting to adjust his glasses for the usual effect. "Nonetheless, thank you for your concern."

Unfortunately for him (or perhaps fortunately for the others), the discussion of moé had already run its course, and the others were already talking about something else. Masato had done the job of answering her question for them, and had opened the way for the overdue introductions. "I am Kanzato Ryuji... but you may call me oniichan," he chimed in after the others, having not learned his lesson from moments before.

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

Group 1 - Hallway - After School - Partly Cloudy

> Pouting, the girl puffs up like a blowfish.
"You're just a high schooler! Don't treat me like a kid."
> Apparently the girl resents Masato for treating her like a kid.
> She deflates.
"... Nn? I am Yamaki Hinake."
> Her hands meet her hips, and she swaggers triumphantly as she declares her identity.

> Hinake crosses her arms again.
"Got nothing today, huh? ... Downtown, you say? To the Pacific Mall?"
> Apparently, she has already gotten over her injury, as she is smirking slightly.

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Group 1 - Hallway

"No, don't call him that," she deflected as soon as Ryuji asked the smaller girl to call him "oniichan", waving her hand in a fanning motion. Were they turning into a manzai duo? Shiori was starting to feel like the straight man. She turned back to the other girl, her sharp brown-black eyes piercing holes into everything they turned to. "Yes. We're going down there. Why?"

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Group 1 - Hallway

As expected, the girl was slowly shedding her cutesy exterior. Her arm didn't even look hurt at all. When Masato called her "little," the diminutive kid seemed to rebel against reality, puffing up in a way that made him suppress a laugh. She was sure to hate him, but he seemed intent on not taking her seriously at all, though he was catching onto her sharper qualities.

"'Little Lady' is no good? Okay, Yamaki Ojou-san..."

Something about the name sparked through his mind. The smile suddenly dropped from Masato's face. He wasn't about to overreact, not this time. At least that was what he believed, for he'd come to the realization that he'd not noticed the familiarity of her surname immediately, and it blasted him like a small grenade.

"-Wait, Yamaki?" Masato stepped a bit closer to Hinake, forgetting his boundaries in his surprise. "You mean that Yamaki? As in this school?"

The thought occurred to him that she was the daughter of the principal of their high school. He'd heard about the principal's daughter, but he'd always been under the impression that the girl mentioned was someone closer to their age.
Fanciful delusions went through his mind. How much did the girl see walking around his school's halls? Perhaps she would have noticed a certain student playing hookie, or skipping out on his track practice. He didn't expect to be bothered, as Masato had reasons to go unnoticed. Still, his mind began to spin with wild fantasies, like the possibility the girl could know about his truancy, and drop a few careless words around her father. Perhaps he'd listen to her. Perhaps he'd write off what his daughter said as a misunderstanding, and yet entertain the idea just barely enough in his head... just enough to get Masato in serious trouble if he heard anything from his teacher or coach!

It was unlikely; maybe even a ridiculously convoluted series of coincidences would be necessary for it to come back and affect him. But with Masato, those unlikely coincidences were likely enough to seem anything but that.

"That's ridiculous! You're just imagining things. This little kid wouldn't blackmail me. She couldn't... could she?" Masato smiled calmly, but behind his exterior, things were on alert status. He'd already far surpassed overreacting. "No good... this kid is no good."

Somehow, for reasons Masato couldn't explain, he felt like the child in front of him was tied inexorably to his ever-present cloud of misfortune.

"Well... it's really cool meeting someone so important." Masato laughed, scratching his ear and hoping Hinake didn't pick up on any of his involuntary nervous tells. He was doing his best to stay relaxed, after all.
"But you're right. To be honest, since I didn't have anything else to do today, I decided to go to the Pacific Mall. Of course, a couple of hangers-on emerged, and well..."

Masato jokingly jabbed a thumb towards Shiori and in the general direction of the others. There was a slight pause in his voice before he looked carefully at Hinake again.

"...Oh, your arm looks okay. Shouldn't you be heading along to tennis after all?"

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FUKKATSU

> A cattish smile appears.
"Oh, well, I like to know, so I have stories to tell my dad on the train home."
> A seemingly sincere smile.
> Hinake once more puffs up at Masato right away, however, hearing his interjection.
"That's not what I meant! I was talking about that talk about how I 'don't need to know'.... I'm not some kid, y'know! I can handle the truth."

> Hinake places her hands to her hips, puffing up again, hearing Masato figure out her relations.
"Fumu! Indeed, I am that very Yamaki. What is it, mister? Suddenly feeling a bit light of head?"
> Despite her words, the girl makes no reaction to his statement about her importance, or how it was cool to meet her.
> In fact, it doesn't seem to impress her. Apparently she sees through Masato.

> She pauses for a few moments.
"Okay~! I have decided. I don't need to play tennis today. Rather, you can treat me to some ice cream, which will probably make me completely forget this entire incident and conversation~ I happily accept your invitation to come along."
> Hinake smiles.

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Group 1 - Hallway

"I'm Hachirou Natsumi." She added after she finished getting the blood off of Ryuji's face. The stained handkerchief was neatly folded and put into one of the sidepockets of her bag so that she could wash it when she got home.

Once that was taken care of, Natsumi's attention was finally drawn back to Hinake, who didn't seem like the upset little girl she'd started out acting like. 'How strange...' She tried to understand the change. She tilted her head to the side and quite nearly zoned out before the obvious answer hit her. 'Ah! She must be trying to be strong so we don't feel sorry for her!' Why else would a helpless little girl suddenly be so brazen?

"Um... I don't mind if Hinake-chan comes along with us. After we check out the theater I'll take her to the ice cream shop so she can have some ice cream. I wanted to pick up something sweet to have after dinner anyways." She smiled, completely oblivious to the fact that the devious child was attempting blackmail.

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| Group 1 - Hallway |

Ryuji adjusted his glasses as he carefully looked over Hinake. Intriguing. He would've never expected the girl to be someone so important... not that it was the aspect of the young girl he was most intrigued with. Perhaps the tsundere was right. Perhaps it wasn't "oniichan" that she should be calling him. "Thus, the loli ojou-san has joined our ranks," the young man remarked, observantly. Although he said this more to himself, the volume was still sufficient enough for everyone to have heard him, and he was clearly unashamed. He looked towards Masato, his indifferent face looking directly into the other boy's. This encounter had affirmed the existence of a harem dynamic to him, and he was now sure that this person was their leading man. Unfortunately, he hardly seemed useless enough for the role at this point. "You're doing it wrong," he told Masato again in a completely flat tone, and making it entirely unclear as to what exactly he was talking about.

"In any case, shall we be leaving then?"

_________________

"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

Group 1 - Hallway

What a dangerous person, noted Shiori as she peered warily at the young Yamaki. Natsumi was playing right into the girl's trap; Shiori would have to be extra careful to protect Natsumi now. Still, it was Natsumi, and Shiori couldn't possibly go against her will. "If Natsu-chan says you can come, it's fine," Shiori huffed. "Just don't get in the way." She gave a nod to Ryuji, despite her distaste for his very being. "Yes, let's get going."

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Group 1 - Hallway

Masato was grinning and seemingly relaxed as everyone introduced themselves to Hinake, but inside he was wary of her. The girl had revealed her true self to him the moment he knocked her down, but only now was it becoming fully apparent what kind of little gremlin he'd stumbled upon. Being the younger child himself, he found himself at a loss as he watched her childishly cute, yet vaguely sinister pose as she proudly confirmed his suspicion. He'd done a shoddy job of disguising himself, but at least Masato had felt confident enough to hide his nervousness; yet he was as transparent as glass to the scary girl.
"Talking to her father on the train" was the absolute last thing he wanted to hear.
"Well... crap."

He wasn't sure how to regard the child, so he decided to act normally. Remembering how he acted towards the children at festivals at their shrine, the unskilled Masato could only play along with her game. There was no point in being nervous or worried anymore. He'd simply have to relax and take her demands in stride. Straightening up, Masato searched his pocket. A paltry number of bills and coins brushed his fingers. He glanced awkwardly down towards his pocketed hand, then gave a crooked smile to the others.

His saved money from the summer, the pocket change he set aside for extra food after school, was about to be devoured by a greedy little girl exploiting him for delicious ice cream. All things considered, it wasn't the worst thing that could happen, but it was still a tragedy.
"Goodbye! Beef bowl with extra sauce and scallions!"

He chuckled in a friendly way.
"Well, thankfully, I've got a pretty good amount of money on hand. So why don't I make it my treat?"
He smiled to Natsume. Despite his appearances, he was a bit old fashioned, and Masato definitely felt inclined to pay for the girl too, since he had the money. If he was going to spend on others, he might as well go all out. Shiori and Ryuji, well... perhaps he could cover them as well. Shiori didn't seem to him like the ice cream eating type. The girl with the ponytail was diminutive and at all times seemed tense and on the verge of getting mad; Masato had never felt intimidated of someone shorter than himself before, and wasn't about to start, but he felt if anyone could impress him that way, Natsume's tough little friend was the one. Still, she did seem suspiciously fond of Natsume's cookie earlier, despite her hesitation.

"Haha, I wont take no for an answer! Let's go, shall we?"

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 - Hallway - After School - Partly Cloudy

> Natsumi receives a delicate smile.
"Thank you, Hachirou-san!"
> The girl nods to everyone agreeing to departing.
> Masato also receives a smile, much like the one Natsumi got.
"And thanks for treating me, Inoue-kun."
> Somehow, this smile seems less delicate.
> Hinake comfortably took an even stride at the head of the group as they headed to the nearby subway station, destined for the Pacific Mall downtown.
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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Basement Floor 1/Subway Station - After School - Low-strength Winds

The trip there was about 15 minutes long. The subway ran pretty often, so it didn't take long to get on one either. It was something of a student rush hour period though, so Masato was forced to stand the whole time. Arriving at their destination, they got off at the subway station that was incorporated into the Pacific Mall's basement floor, along with a shopping arcade of sorts. Looking at the map Eri provided, it would seem that the cinema was on the second floor of three tucked away in a hallway set off to the side, buried deep within and out of sight. Plainly in sight was a pair of escalators that'd bring them to the ground floor, though with some searching, an elevator lift could be found. There was a map of the mall, in case anywhere else needed finding.

> The group arrives at the Pacific Mall.
> Hinake energetically skips ahead of everyone, spinning around to face them all.
"So, where shall we head off to first?"
> You find your mind pre-occupied with the idea of the cinema, but...:

• Cinema
• Ice Cream
• Toilet break!
• "Oh, look at the stuff they've got on display at that shop...."

So, generally, when the group collectively has to make one choice for everyone, we'll go by the first person who posts a choice. However, if anyone disagrees, then they can just RP that, and it'll become a vote of majority rules (y'know, what you'd do in real life with a bunch of friends). In the case of a tie, I'll probably break the tie, or else you guys can just RP that however you think fits your characters....

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Basement Floor 1/Subway Station

Shiori was a chivalrous sort of girl; though the subway they rode on was crowded, she managed to find some seats, which she promptly gave up to Natsumi and Hinake. Whether or not this was a good idea was made clear once the train began to move. The hand handles were just barely beyond the girl's reach. She hopped to grab hold of one, just managing to hold on if she stood on her toes. This was not the best position for balance, however. Despite her efforts, and any potential help from the others, the train jolted forward and Shiori was sent ricocheting from random businessmen to the everyday office lady to the ever present blob of students. She was swallowed by an ameoba of human beings, and wouldn't be seen again until they had reached the Pacific Mall stop.

Shiori pushed and shoved her way through the mob, managing to catch up with the others just as they got off the subway. Huffing and panting in exhaustion from the ordeal, she trailed along just ahead of Ryuji, not quite tired enough to let the guy get his hands on her best friend. When they reached the map of the mall and Hinake asked where to go next, Shiori eyed the square that represented the ice cream shop. Ice cream...no, she wasn't a child. They were here for the cinema, not to indulge in sweets. Then again, after that experience on the train, ice cream sounded wonderful...no! She was an adult now; she had to set a good example for her brother, and it was bad to get into the habit of eating sweets all the time. She eyed the map, gazing longingly at the spot where the creamery was.

...but once in a while was fine...

Shiori shook her head, then huffed through her nostrils. She had to be vigilant in resisting her sweet fetish; it was simply far too childish. "L-Let's go to the cinema first!"

_________________

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Group 1 - Pacific Mall: Basement Floor 1/Subway Station

Ryuji, in spite of all his bizarre behavior, was still a gentleman. Unfortunately for him, before he could offer Shiori the seat he had wrested control of from an unsuspecting middle school student, she had become lost to the crowd. He had then promptly blamed Masato for it, and remarked that his classmate was "doing it wrong" again. Although he had attempted to fish for the girl (and instructed the other boy to do the same, since it was his "natural duty" as "the protagonist"), Ryuji had not been successful in that act. There were just some concentrations of mass that even he couldn't slither through. Before the ride was over, he was also kicked in the shin by an angry middle school student.

After the group piled out, Ryuji trailed behind the rest, trying to make an extra measure to confirm they hadn't lost anyone. After all, it would be rather unfortunate if a member of the harem couldn't take part in the first activity. Speaking of... the boy adjusted his glasses. Suddenly, the guy who was behind them all just a few seconds ago was now hovering over them uncomfortably again. "The cinema first? I disagree," he remarked, his face serious. "We. Must. Have. Ice cream." In spite of his stern expression, those who knew Ryuji well enough by now could guess what he was probably imagining. Cute girls eating ice cream? This can only be a recipe for moé. Everything else would be second.

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"A pistol is a tool to save people. It's not a weapon for murder." "Then save me by killing them!" "That's kinda contradictory..."
My Characters' Endings

Group 1 - Pacific Mall

He'd roped himself into something rotten again. Perhaps the dream had set him off balance. Perhaps he'd been overworking himself. In either case, Masato had just sworn over his hard-earned summer money simply to feed a few classmates, an otaku all too eager to share his knowledge, and a selfish, blackmailing little girl.

Then again, at least this time he *chose* to buy them ice cream. His room to complain was barely wider than the space he had between one man's shoulder and the next. Masato kept an eye on the others as he felt a rotund office worker's stomach flatten against his back, and his look visibly sunk. He'd let the girls go onto the train first. At least they could sit, or so he thought, but Shiori opted not to, and became similarly wedged between an uncomfortably warm network of bodies. Natsumi presumably found a seat but amidst all the train riders, it was hard for him to tell. He was most concerned about Hinake. What if they lost her and the kid didn't know the stop to get off at? The way things were going, the blame would largely fall upon Masato first. An angry middle student stepped on Masato's foot, as if to punctuate the thought.

They arrived at the stop closest to the mall, and Masato was all too eager to extricate himself as the people flowed naturally out of the train. A cool breeze fluttered amongst his hair, and with it drifted the familiar outdoor speaker muzak that always played. The familiar tunes reminded Masato of prior visits. A number of store fronts revealed completely empty rooms, with sunlight-faded "for sale" signs, but the area still seemed as lively as it could be.

It was second nature for a young man such as himself to look for his new acquaintances, and one diminutive hanger-on. He then turned his head to reflexively look for the familiar billboards and shop signs he'd used as landmarks as a kid. Since he was relatively tall, his steps took him far, and Masato tended to walk at a respectable speed. He often had to consciously slow down as he tried not to overtake the others. There was always something tense about the way he moved so quickly, but the others, unless they often watched him at track or on the way from school, wouldn't have likely noticed.

His concentration lulled for a moment as he stopped, one part waiting for his associates and one part window shopping. A familiar little reflection skipped by. Masato looked behind him, watching Hinake tread happily by and felt a reflexive urge to tell her to slow down. However, he only managed to look tired.

The original reason he came to the shopping center was the theater. Masato's pocket was heavy with his wallet, filled with his beloved bills and change. Though it was painful, he had made a promise.

"... I agreed to pay for you all, but if you don't want to go to the ice cream place, that's fine with me. Although I think Yamaki-sama might object..." Masato smiled with a hint of sarcasm.

Shiori seemed uncomfortable, and with Natsumi so close by, and Ryuji insisting with odd vehemence that they needed to go get sweets, Masato couldn't help but put two and two together.

A strange image floated through his mind. A reluctant, reddening Shiori, timidly eating a child-size ice cream cone, eyes alert and that angry look still vaguely present in her face. She seemed dead set on hiding her love for the wonderful, cool taste so perfect for the tail end of summer, before something unseen startled her. Nearly jumping out of her hand, the ice cream splurted messily across the corner of her mouth and cheek. Shiori looked sad for a moment, out of character even, before Natsumi appeared, drawing close with a napkin and a motherly look. She winked as her friend dabbed strongly at her cheek, looking all the more innocent and even a bit ashamed. Natsumi doted on her as if to chide her gently for eating so messily, and Shiori's eyes glittered with an apologetic light. The space between the two of them began to diminish, and their faces-

Masato was abruptly jarred back to reality, having overtly spaced out for a moment. And he'd just been thinking about how cute it was.

"Aaanyways, if we go someplace else first, I might change my mind. You'd better start thinking about what flavor you want, girls and boys."

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FUKKATSU

Group 1 - Pacific Mall

It was thanks to Shiori that Natsumi was fortunate enough to have a seat on the train. Probably thanks to that her own ride was very pleasant in comparison to the others. She spent the ride talking to a middle aged housewife about different recipes. By the time the ride ended Natsumi had three new recipes courtesy of the woman and an invitation to visit the sushi restaurant her husband ran for a discounted meal sometime in the future. She disembarked from the train with a smile as she tucked a small notebook into her bag and rejoined the others.

Her eyes wandered towards the clothing shops she was fond of, noticing new skirts on display as well as other items of interest. For a moment she lost her focus on what the others were saying as she looked at a few other shops, only to be brought back to reality once the subject of ice cream was brought up. "Ice cream would be nice after being on a crowded train..." She mused, one finger tapping her chin thoughtfully.

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