Post by Souji Seta on Mar 25, 2009 16:29:37 GMT -5
This thread is for Souji and Rise.
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It was a beautiful day outside, the weather having decided to take a break from the rain for a while. It seemed to be so rare these days to have a weekend that was so nice, and Rise welcomed the fresh october air. The gentle breeze, the cool air, the nice sun, and she was spending it all at Okina Station.
To make it even better, she was there with one of her favorite friends, Souji. She'd called him the night before, asking if he wanted to go shopping with her, and he agreed without a second thought. It was great to be able to spend some time with one of the coolest people she knew, and just relax instead of fight shadows and rescue people (thought they were still working on that... Well, you can't just work all day with no play!).
The idol walked with a slight skip in her step, beaming over at her senpai. "Thanks so much for coming out with me! 'Bout time you get away from Yosuke-senpai. You two are together too much these days -- it never leaves room for me to hang out!"
She grinned at him. She heard a few rumors around school about the two boys, but never had they officially "came out" or anything. Still, Rise had decided not to bring up the subject unless Souji had actually chose to talk about it. It wasn't as if they seemed to hide anything however, with the looks they shot each other at lunch, and how they were always at each others' side.
"Hey, we should get, like, best friend forever charms or something~" the teen giggled as she teased Souji, looking into the shops they passed with some interest.
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Souji rubbed the back of his neck, grinning despite himself. Rise's enthusiasm was infectious that way and he found himself unable to turn down her request. Besides, maybe the ex-idol could give him some help in the fashion department. One could only wear so much grey before people (like one's boyfriend, for instance) started complaining about it.
"Don't mention it, Rise -- s'about time I got away from the guy a little bit. You know Yosuke," he chuckled, blushing just slightly. Yeah, Rise probably had an inkling -- she wasn't very good at keeping things she knew secret, though that was just part of her charm.
Souji stifled a laugh, eying his bubbly friend skeptically, "Best friend forever charms? Maybe that's what you should buy for Naoto." A smirk suddenly replaced his previously dubious expression, though even that was tinted with playful suspicion.
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"Yeah, if you guys keep hanging out, I'm gonna have to start assuming things," she winked at Souji innocently, though with a knowing grin. Rise wouldn't mind if the two were in a relationship anyway -- actually, the idol thought it would be pretty cute. Hey, maybe that meant they could go on group dates or something!
She laughed at his next words, placing a hand on her hip as she walked, "Oh nice, I'm sure Naoto-kun would love a best friend forever charm. She would never take it seriously."
Rise grinned, looking through the windows they passed for something that could possibly peak her interest. There wasn't much, really. Just clothes and jewelry, but she was sure Souji wouldn't want to go into those kinds of places. Well, that was until she happened to spot a particularly amazing pair of black boots in one of the windows.
"Whoa!" the idol gasped, stopping in her tracks to stare at the shoes. Her eyes were practically sparkling as she bounced up, placing her hands on the glass, and staring into the store. "Um, is it okay if we stop in here, senpai?"
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He laughed slightly, stretching out his arms with a touch of embarrassment. Ah well -- it was quite obvious she'd heard something. But there were worse things than one of his best friends knowing about something so minor as who he was seeing. Even if it was their mutual male friend.
"You might have a point," he grinned, giving her a casual little shove, surprised when she stopped walking. It hadn't been that hard a shove, had it? He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong when she beat him to it.
"Whoa!"
To be quite honest, Souji was thinking the same thing. Not that he would ever buy them for himself or anything...just from an objective point of view. They were black and big and looked like they would hurt if you kicked with them. Souji looked down at his scuffed brown loafers. He could do with an upgrade.
"Why not?"
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Rise beamed at her friend, quickly grabbed his hand, then dragged him into the shoe store. She grinned, running over to the boots and holding them up to study them. A small smile, then she looked over to her senpai sheepishly, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed to have made him go into the store in the first place.
"Um," the idol grinned, biting her lip. She looked down at his feet to find the particularly old pair of loafers however, and smiled, "Dude, we need to buy you some new shoes too, huh? I'm sure we can find an awesome pair for you~"
She sat down the boots she had picked out, and began to scurvy the store for something Souji may like. It was hard, since she wasn't really sure what his style was, and if he wanted any particular color. Still, she had fun walking around looking, and had the extra cash to help him buy something nice~
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He grinned sheepishly, shrugging -- it wasn't really like him to care all that much about how he looked. Sure, he had money to spend on himself should he so choose -- and he was a fan of window shopping -- but when it came down to it, he always bought the same things. Button down shirts in grey, white, and black. Or a polo, if he was feeling festive (again, grey, white, or black).
Still.
As long as they were black...
"I guess we could," he blushed, "I haven't really gone shoe shopping in a while...obviously." He glanced back down at his shoes, chuckling, "So go easy on me and my feet, yeah?"
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Rise clicked her tongue, brushing her fingers over a display of men's shoes as Souji spoke. Grey, black, black, grey, grey, grey, brown... Ugh, so boring!
"Oh senpai, what you need is some color! You wear way too many dull shades for such an exciting guy," she frowned slightly at him, putting a slim finger to her chin, "Like, how about pink~!"
A smile lit her features as she bounded further down the isle until she came to the more fun selection of boy apparel. Finally, some variety! Of course, most of it was the cliche boy colors like blue's and reds, maybe some dull, ugly green here and there. It wasn't until she caught sight of some amazing orange sneakers when her hazel eyes lit up, snatching the shoes up instantly and holding them high for the older student to see.
"Perfect! You look like a orange kind of guy, hmm?" she grinned, approaching Souji's side again, handing him a box that she guessed could be his shoe size, "Yosuke-kun wears a lot of that color, doesn't he? You'll match!"
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Souji swallowed.
Those shoes weren't just orange. They were...orange.
He was most definitely not an 'orange kind of guy'.
"Yeah, Yosuke does like orange...in fact, I think you're getting him and I confused...," he trailed off, staring at the shoes. They looked like they'd burn his feet if he so much as tried to take a step. Reaching out, he grabbed a pair of drab black leather shoes with plain string laces.
"I was thinking more something like these," he smiled, holding them up, "Very...classic."
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"Please, senpai," Rise waved her hand at him dismissively, "Any longer and people are going to think you're not happy. Like, you're always in mourning or something, and doing scary self harm things. 'Put a smile on your face, and make the world a better place~'"
She pushed the box closer to his chest as she hummed the fun American tune. The idol then swiped the ugly black shoes from his grip, throwing them over her shoulder lightly. Must keep him focused on the task at hand!
"C',mon, these will look totally fab!" A grin, and she added, "Pretty please? With a cherry on top? Sprinkles?"
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He sighed, his eyelids lowering out of bemusement as he took the box (against his will, mind) from Rise, "Black doesn't necessarily mean mourning -- it goes with everything. Sophisticated."
Still, he couldn't help but smile a little at her sing-song attitude. You just didn't meet many people like Rise, in the country or the city. And besides, the shoes were nice...he just wasn't so sure about whether or not they were nice on him.
"Fine, just don't give me diabetes," he relented, flashing her a crooked smile. Sitting down on one of the many small benches scattered around the shop, he began unlacing his shoes, still speaking to his friend while remaining focused on his task, "So, I heard Hajime is taking you to that dance." A rebuke was on the tip of his tongue, but he abstained from expressing it. They were having a good time and if he were to bring up exactly how much he hated the bastard, well, shoe shopping would probably come to a speedy end, "Got any idea what you're going as?"
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Rise grinned when her friend finally submitted himself to trying on the shoes. In all honesty, she didn't think they were the prettiest things, and his feet would probably look like giant pumpkins, but she figured it was still fun to pester him for the laughs. 'Enjoy life and be able to laugh at yourself' was her motto, and the idol only wanted to share the philosophy.
Her head snapped up though when the upcoming school events were brought up.
"Oh, yeah," the idol smiled sheepishly at mention of the dance, sitting down on her own bench to try on the shoes that she saw when window shopping, "Well Haji-kun doesn't seem so fond of costumes right now. I keep trying to pester him into cool ideas, but he doesn't approve of anything. Ugh, it's not fun. I swear it's some kind of superiority complex of his."
She tugged at the boots further, laughing slightly as she watched her senpai putting on his own pair of sneakers. Oh, those were hot. Literally; an orange from one thousand suns hot. "Do you have a date yet, senpai?"
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Souji stared dubiously at he shoes. It was as if Yosuke had been melted down and Souji'd had to wade through the sticky result.
Yes, Souji thought to himself, definitely not an orange person.
"For once, I think I agree with him," Souji chuckled as he continued to look over the shoes, trying desperately to find some merit in them, lest he permanently be labeled boring by his bubbly friend, "I never could really get into the whole "dressing wild", thing." Obviously, he added mentally.
"And, uh, a date?" Souji felt himself getting a little hot under the collar. He hadn't technically asked him yet, but he was sure that Yosuke would say yes if given the opportunity. Still...it was nerve wracking, just letting all your chips fall -- even if the person you were tipping your hand to happened to be your very kind, very worldly idol friend.
"Haven't asked him yet," he muttered quietly, taking off the shoes quickly. They were just as bad as he'd thought.
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"You boys are no fun at all," Rise said teasingly, a smile on her lips. "It's a party; you gotta dress up, silly."
She glanced up at the boy across her, stifling a giggle at the bright orange shoes. The look on Souji's face was precious -- a quizzical frown on his face as he studied the glowing sneakers at his feet.
Rise was admiring her own boots when a word from her senpai's next sentence caught her attention.
He?
Well, he could simply mean as friends or something, but with the flustered look and the fact that he was distracting himself with removing the shoes, she knew that wasn't the case. While Rise could be airheaded at times, the idol wasn't that slow to the hint.
A gentle smile tugged at her mouth, and her eyes traveled up to the older male again as he discarded the attire she'd picked out. He still looked a bit embarrassed, and the girl couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him. She was sure it wasn't easy to admit those kinds of things to friends.
"Ooh, 'he', huh?" a small giggle, hoping to lighten his spirits, "Good luck, senpai. I'm sure whoever he is will say yes to you. I mean, this is Souji-kun we're talking about."
She got up then, sat her things down, and walked forward to give her friend a tight hug, "I'm glad you could come out to me. And don't worry, I don't mind at all what your preference are."
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Souji winced when he saw Rise stop in her tracks. Here it comes.
But it never did come. Souji blinked up at his smiling friend while she happily offered him luck. It wasn't too long before a smile started tugging at his lips too.
Souji looked down at his black socks, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck as he started to protest, "Come on, I'm not some Casanov-." The fact that he'd been looking down had left him ill prepared for Rise's sudden hug around his waist. Nor her sincere and touching sentiment.
Still, sincere and touching as it may have been, it was a matter of seconds before Souji turned beet red, "T-thank you, Rise, but it's no big deal, really..." Souji trailed off, wrapping his arms around her awkwardly. He was grateful as hell to have her as a friend, but more than a touch embarrassed about them hugging like this in the middle of a crowded mall.
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Rise laughed, hugging her friend even tighter for a few more seconds before finally letting go, "Aww, but you looked like it was a big deal. I mean, I bet it's tough admitting that stuff to people."
She smiled warmly, stepping back a little to give the boy his space back, "Now we can totally talk about boy troubles together." There was some truth to that suggestion! "And go shopping every weekend." Senpai probably wouldn't like that, actually. "Ohh, and sleepovers!" Pushing it.
A grin spread across the idols face as she winked at him playfully.
"Just kidding," she laughed as she laced her fingers behind her back, "But we do still need to do some shopping. I mean..." Rise eyed Souji's still grey-toned clothing with a small smile, "Well, I still think you need some color, hmm?"
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Souji blushed even more awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head while he looked down at his short little friend. She was sweet at hell, but damn, she could be embarrassing.
And, apparently, she'd already had a lot of thought about having a gay friend. Boy troubles...? Souji paused, smiling a little. There was nothing wrong with that, as far as he could see. Weekend shopping excursions? Well, maybe not every weekend, but...sleepovers? Souji's smiled had weakened considerably.
But Rise's playful grin quickly relaxed his nerves and he promptly returned it.
"Black is a color," Souji replied, crossing his arms, though it was hard to strike much of an intimidating presence when he was smiling so widely. Damn that infectious Kujikawa happiness, "...but what did you have in mind?"
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A pair of viridian eyes blinked at them.
The ponytailed teen was also by chance at Okina Station. Following the endorsement of his fellow 3-1 classmate and just in time for the incoming Mount Yasogami outing, he decided to drop by for things that he would need to purchase.
Or by chance, see...
"Sou-kun? Kujikawa-san?" Leon was startled to see two of his comrades in the same place as he is. There, he stood with both hands tucked in his gray jacket's pockets, and some feet away from where the couple was.
Kujikawa-san just hugged Sou-kun...
"Oh no."
He frantically looked around to check if a certain, other ponytailed person whom he also know is in the area too.
The blond can still remember that fiasco he had with Kujikawa-san at the school library weeks ago. Just to escape his pursuers, He too, had to hug her just to shoo them away. Then, other certain ponytail person noticed it as he came stomping at them, as if he was angry at just what he laid his eyes on.
And well....
The result of it was kind of humiliating, out of his own 'overreaction'...
But he did hope that HE was not here.
For Sou-kun's sake.
...If he saw was really what it is, that is. He decided to slowly back away, and leave the area.
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"Black is a shade, senpai," Rise chided playfully, "And it's not very pretty alone."
The idol flashed a smile up at her friend before kicking off the boots she was trying on and putting them in her arms. "Maybe we could get you a scarf or something! Winter is coming up soon, and you'll be needing one."
It was true; obviously putting his only color into the shoes he wore wasn't going to work very well. Scarfs were much more fashionable, and it was easy to fit your color in with them! Souji would look so handsome in one too.
She was about to tug him towards the cash register so they could pay and leave, when she heard her name being said somewhere in the shop. She figured it was probably another fan pointing her out, but turned her head to the sound anyway. The idol looked over her shoulder, scanning the area briefly, before spotting a familiar blonde boy staring over at them. She smiled slightly when she recognized him as Leon. It was a little awkward seeing him after the incident in the library a few weeks ago, but was friendly regardless.
"Oh, Leo-kun! You're shoe shopping too?" The idol grinned at him, tugging on Souji's sleeve to follow her over to their fellow student. "You look like you're searching for someone, senpai. Is something wrong?"
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Souji rolled his eyes, letting out a breath -- he couldn't fight the slight smile tugging at hi mouth, however. It was Rise -- you didn't just get to become a top idol on looks alone. Being able to charm even the soberest of boys was a required skill as well.
"Scarf?" Souji repeated, brow furrowed. He had a scarf. He'd had the same one since he was ten and it kept him plenty warm -- why would he need a new one? "I have a sca-"
Rise wasn't paying attention to him, her mind already made up as she dragged him over to the counter. My, she was giddy today. Maybe the rush of being told a very big, very scandalous, very strange secret about her senpai had rejuvenated the girl. And, in keeping with that energy, Rise suddenly turned again. Souji only got a moment for an exasperated sigh before being promptly tugged from line, forced to stumble after her until they came face to face with...Leon Mikage?
He knew Leon, yes, but he was really more a friend of this asshole third year Souji had the misfortune of running into a few times. Still, he smiled at the boy and lifted his head in a short wave, "Senpai."
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Leon didn't seem to have much to say.
Rise was a little peeved at this. He could have at least said hello, or acknowledge them in some way, but no. Her senpai seemed too busy shifting his eyes back and forth, looking for who-knows-what. Not the kind of interaction she was going for.
'Douche,' Rise thought, all while still keeping the pleasant smile on her face.
Quickly grabbing Souji's sleeve again, the smaller girl began tugging him towards the exit. "Anyway," a childish huff, "We don't have time for chitter-chatter, right Souji-kun? Let's get out of here. We still have to find you a nice scarf to wear~"
Quick. Leave before the creepy older student tried to rape her again... And yes, a hug counted enough as rape, especially when it was coming from this blonde guy that she barely knew.
She would not forgive it.
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Souji furrowed his brow at the older student before them -- that annoying third year certainly did have strange taste in friends. It was as if Leon had been struck by a distant force, frozen completely. Distantly, in the back of his mind, he heard his boyfriend cackling.
Well that was strange.
"Uh, yeah, that's right," he nodded, inching away along with Rise, "Did you have any place in mind?" Souji lowered his voice considerably, just in case there was a possibility Leon could still hear them, "Somewhere with less creepers this time, yeah?"
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"Definitely," Rise sighed, exiting the building with her friend, and finally away from Leon. "Seriously, what was his deal? You can't just show up and like... be a freak. I mean, come on."
It was probably childish, but that kind of thing got on her nerves sometimes. Why would someone just walk into a shoe shop out of the blue, stare, then be a stiff when they tried to chat? He ruined a good time by just kinda showing up for no good reason.
Pushing the angry thoughts aside, the idol linked her arm around Souji's, forcing a grin to her face. Ah well, you can't let one thing ruin the whole day. She proceeded to drag him to another store just a few blocks away. A small accessory shop, though a very nice one, with lots of jewelry, hats, and scarfs. It was a good place to start, Rise thought.
Hopefully her senpai wouldn't mind the fact that it was purple, perfumed, and girly. Well, it didn't really matter either way, since Rise was going to make him try some things on anyway. Just because it looked like a girl store, didn't mean it was.
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Souji had to laugh at Rise's high pitched huffing -- half because she managed to make frustration cute, and half because he agreed with every word. "'Come on', indeed," he repeated dryly, winking at her playfully while they linked arms. His leisurely pace was instantly forced to quicken once Rise had a hold of him, her eyes rapidly scanning the various shops and boutiques they hurried by. Souji blinked hard, wondering what the hurry was -- they were just looking for a scarf, right?
"Oh," Souji murmured while they passed a game store (probably the only shop on the block catering to someone with a penis), "Hey, Rise, think we could stop-" Souji's voice died as Rise's pace slowed to a stop in front of their destination. It was very...purple. Souji's eyelids lowered slightly, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "...here. Let's stop here."
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"Oh? I'm glad you approve, senpai~" Rise giggled lightly, stepping further into the shop. "I didn't think you'd be so eager to go into one of these kinds of stores."
The idol smiled, abandoning her friend for a minute to look through the merchandise. She started by picking up all kinds of accessories and holding them up. Her brows lowered, trying to find something suitable... Orange was out of the question now. What other color could she put on Souji to make him look redicu-
Her eyes landed on something totally random, but somehow relevant at the same time. Rise wasn't exactly sure why.
On a coat hanger sort of display was a long snake-like stuffed animal. Or maybe it was an eel. Further observation as she walked over to it proved the latter guess right -- an eel, with the fin-like thingies on it's tail. Whatever it was, it was adorable. Light blue in color, and big black eyes. She instantly snatched it up, hopping over to her senpai and wrapping it around his neck like a scarf.
"This. Senpai, I am totally buying you this. Isn't it cute?"
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Souji couldn't help but laugh wryly, rolling his eyes. If there was one thing he enjoyed about Rise's company (and there was more than one, but that was besides the point), it was the subtle way she wouldn't take his shit. Souji liked it that way. He never knew that hanging out with someone so intensely feminine would be like chilling with one of the guys.
Of course, then she had to go and do something like this. Why did this place even carry stuffed animals?
"I...," Souji looked skeptically at the stuffed serpentine...thing. At first he thought it was a snake, but no, Rise wasn't that insensitive. Taking a closer look, Souji's eyes widened slightly before a small smile broke out across his usually stoic face.
Souji Seta had a thing for eels, you see.
Uncoiling the eel from his neck, he couldn't help but grin at the black button eyes that had been carefully sewn in. "Where'd you find this? It's...," Adorable? Sweet? Cuddly? Insert Emasculating Adjective Here? "...not a scarf."
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It was a beautiful day outside, the weather having decided to take a break from the rain for a while. It seemed to be so rare these days to have a weekend that was so nice, and Rise welcomed the fresh october air. The gentle breeze, the cool air, the nice sun, and she was spending it all at Okina Station.
To make it even better, she was there with one of her favorite friends, Souji. She'd called him the night before, asking if he wanted to go shopping with her, and he agreed without a second thought. It was great to be able to spend some time with one of the coolest people she knew, and just relax instead of fight shadows and rescue people (thought they were still working on that... Well, you can't just work all day with no play!).
The idol walked with a slight skip in her step, beaming over at her senpai. "Thanks so much for coming out with me! 'Bout time you get away from Yosuke-senpai. You two are together too much these days -- it never leaves room for me to hang out!"
She grinned at him. She heard a few rumors around school about the two boys, but never had they officially "came out" or anything. Still, Rise had decided not to bring up the subject unless Souji had actually chose to talk about it. It wasn't as if they seemed to hide anything however, with the looks they shot each other at lunch, and how they were always at each others' side.
"Hey, we should get, like, best friend forever charms or something~" the teen giggled as she teased Souji, looking into the shops they passed with some interest.
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Souji rubbed the back of his neck, grinning despite himself. Rise's enthusiasm was infectious that way and he found himself unable to turn down her request. Besides, maybe the ex-idol could give him some help in the fashion department. One could only wear so much grey before people (like one's boyfriend, for instance) started complaining about it.
"Don't mention it, Rise -- s'about time I got away from the guy a little bit. You know Yosuke," he chuckled, blushing just slightly. Yeah, Rise probably had an inkling -- she wasn't very good at keeping things she knew secret, though that was just part of her charm.
Souji stifled a laugh, eying his bubbly friend skeptically, "Best friend forever charms? Maybe that's what you should buy for Naoto." A smirk suddenly replaced his previously dubious expression, though even that was tinted with playful suspicion.
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"Yeah, if you guys keep hanging out, I'm gonna have to start assuming things," she winked at Souji innocently, though with a knowing grin. Rise wouldn't mind if the two were in a relationship anyway -- actually, the idol thought it would be pretty cute. Hey, maybe that meant they could go on group dates or something!
She laughed at his next words, placing a hand on her hip as she walked, "Oh nice, I'm sure Naoto-kun would love a best friend forever charm. She would never take it seriously."
Rise grinned, looking through the windows they passed for something that could possibly peak her interest. There wasn't much, really. Just clothes and jewelry, but she was sure Souji wouldn't want to go into those kinds of places. Well, that was until she happened to spot a particularly amazing pair of black boots in one of the windows.
"Whoa!" the idol gasped, stopping in her tracks to stare at the shoes. Her eyes were practically sparkling as she bounced up, placing her hands on the glass, and staring into the store. "Um, is it okay if we stop in here, senpai?"
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He laughed slightly, stretching out his arms with a touch of embarrassment. Ah well -- it was quite obvious she'd heard something. But there were worse things than one of his best friends knowing about something so minor as who he was seeing. Even if it was their mutual male friend.
"You might have a point," he grinned, giving her a casual little shove, surprised when she stopped walking. It hadn't been that hard a shove, had it? He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong when she beat him to it.
"Whoa!"
To be quite honest, Souji was thinking the same thing. Not that he would ever buy them for himself or anything...just from an objective point of view. They were black and big and looked like they would hurt if you kicked with them. Souji looked down at his scuffed brown loafers. He could do with an upgrade.
"Why not?"
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Rise beamed at her friend, quickly grabbed his hand, then dragged him into the shoe store. She grinned, running over to the boots and holding them up to study them. A small smile, then she looked over to her senpai sheepishly, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed to have made him go into the store in the first place.
"Um," the idol grinned, biting her lip. She looked down at his feet to find the particularly old pair of loafers however, and smiled, "Dude, we need to buy you some new shoes too, huh? I'm sure we can find an awesome pair for you~"
She sat down the boots she had picked out, and began to scurvy the store for something Souji may like. It was hard, since she wasn't really sure what his style was, and if he wanted any particular color. Still, she had fun walking around looking, and had the extra cash to help him buy something nice~
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He grinned sheepishly, shrugging -- it wasn't really like him to care all that much about how he looked. Sure, he had money to spend on himself should he so choose -- and he was a fan of window shopping -- but when it came down to it, he always bought the same things. Button down shirts in grey, white, and black. Or a polo, if he was feeling festive (again, grey, white, or black).
Still.
As long as they were black...
"I guess we could," he blushed, "I haven't really gone shoe shopping in a while...obviously." He glanced back down at his shoes, chuckling, "So go easy on me and my feet, yeah?"
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Rise clicked her tongue, brushing her fingers over a display of men's shoes as Souji spoke. Grey, black, black, grey, grey, grey, brown... Ugh, so boring!
"Oh senpai, what you need is some color! You wear way too many dull shades for such an exciting guy," she frowned slightly at him, putting a slim finger to her chin, "Like, how about pink~!"
A smile lit her features as she bounded further down the isle until she came to the more fun selection of boy apparel. Finally, some variety! Of course, most of it was the cliche boy colors like blue's and reds, maybe some dull, ugly green here and there. It wasn't until she caught sight of some amazing orange sneakers when her hazel eyes lit up, snatching the shoes up instantly and holding them high for the older student to see.
"Perfect! You look like a orange kind of guy, hmm?" she grinned, approaching Souji's side again, handing him a box that she guessed could be his shoe size, "Yosuke-kun wears a lot of that color, doesn't he? You'll match!"
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Souji swallowed.
Those shoes weren't just orange. They were...orange.
He was most definitely not an 'orange kind of guy'.
"Yeah, Yosuke does like orange...in fact, I think you're getting him and I confused...," he trailed off, staring at the shoes. They looked like they'd burn his feet if he so much as tried to take a step. Reaching out, he grabbed a pair of drab black leather shoes with plain string laces.
"I was thinking more something like these," he smiled, holding them up, "Very...classic."
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"Please, senpai," Rise waved her hand at him dismissively, "Any longer and people are going to think you're not happy. Like, you're always in mourning or something, and doing scary self harm things. 'Put a smile on your face, and make the world a better place~'"
She pushed the box closer to his chest as she hummed the fun American tune. The idol then swiped the ugly black shoes from his grip, throwing them over her shoulder lightly. Must keep him focused on the task at hand!
"C',mon, these will look totally fab!" A grin, and she added, "Pretty please? With a cherry on top? Sprinkles?"
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He sighed, his eyelids lowering out of bemusement as he took the box (against his will, mind) from Rise, "Black doesn't necessarily mean mourning -- it goes with everything. Sophisticated."
Still, he couldn't help but smile a little at her sing-song attitude. You just didn't meet many people like Rise, in the country or the city. And besides, the shoes were nice...he just wasn't so sure about whether or not they were nice on him.
"Fine, just don't give me diabetes," he relented, flashing her a crooked smile. Sitting down on one of the many small benches scattered around the shop, he began unlacing his shoes, still speaking to his friend while remaining focused on his task, "So, I heard Hajime is taking you to that dance." A rebuke was on the tip of his tongue, but he abstained from expressing it. They were having a good time and if he were to bring up exactly how much he hated the bastard, well, shoe shopping would probably come to a speedy end, "Got any idea what you're going as?"
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Rise grinned when her friend finally submitted himself to trying on the shoes. In all honesty, she didn't think they were the prettiest things, and his feet would probably look like giant pumpkins, but she figured it was still fun to pester him for the laughs. 'Enjoy life and be able to laugh at yourself' was her motto, and the idol only wanted to share the philosophy.
Her head snapped up though when the upcoming school events were brought up.
"Oh, yeah," the idol smiled sheepishly at mention of the dance, sitting down on her own bench to try on the shoes that she saw when window shopping, "Well Haji-kun doesn't seem so fond of costumes right now. I keep trying to pester him into cool ideas, but he doesn't approve of anything. Ugh, it's not fun. I swear it's some kind of superiority complex of his."
She tugged at the boots further, laughing slightly as she watched her senpai putting on his own pair of sneakers. Oh, those were hot. Literally; an orange from one thousand suns hot. "Do you have a date yet, senpai?"
---------
Souji stared dubiously at he shoes. It was as if Yosuke had been melted down and Souji'd had to wade through the sticky result.
Yes, Souji thought to himself, definitely not an orange person.
"For once, I think I agree with him," Souji chuckled as he continued to look over the shoes, trying desperately to find some merit in them, lest he permanently be labeled boring by his bubbly friend, "I never could really get into the whole "dressing wild", thing." Obviously, he added mentally.
"And, uh, a date?" Souji felt himself getting a little hot under the collar. He hadn't technically asked him yet, but he was sure that Yosuke would say yes if given the opportunity. Still...it was nerve wracking, just letting all your chips fall -- even if the person you were tipping your hand to happened to be your very kind, very worldly idol friend.
"Haven't asked him yet," he muttered quietly, taking off the shoes quickly. They were just as bad as he'd thought.
-------
"You boys are no fun at all," Rise said teasingly, a smile on her lips. "It's a party; you gotta dress up, silly."
She glanced up at the boy across her, stifling a giggle at the bright orange shoes. The look on Souji's face was precious -- a quizzical frown on his face as he studied the glowing sneakers at his feet.
Rise was admiring her own boots when a word from her senpai's next sentence caught her attention.
He?
Well, he could simply mean as friends or something, but with the flustered look and the fact that he was distracting himself with removing the shoes, she knew that wasn't the case. While Rise could be airheaded at times, the idol wasn't that slow to the hint.
A gentle smile tugged at her mouth, and her eyes traveled up to the older male again as he discarded the attire she'd picked out. He still looked a bit embarrassed, and the girl couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him. She was sure it wasn't easy to admit those kinds of things to friends.
"Ooh, 'he', huh?" a small giggle, hoping to lighten his spirits, "Good luck, senpai. I'm sure whoever he is will say yes to you. I mean, this is Souji-kun we're talking about."
She got up then, sat her things down, and walked forward to give her friend a tight hug, "I'm glad you could come out to me. And don't worry, I don't mind at all what your preference are."
--------
Souji winced when he saw Rise stop in her tracks. Here it comes.
But it never did come. Souji blinked up at his smiling friend while she happily offered him luck. It wasn't too long before a smile started tugging at his lips too.
Souji looked down at his black socks, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck as he started to protest, "Come on, I'm not some Casanov-." The fact that he'd been looking down had left him ill prepared for Rise's sudden hug around his waist. Nor her sincere and touching sentiment.
Still, sincere and touching as it may have been, it was a matter of seconds before Souji turned beet red, "T-thank you, Rise, but it's no big deal, really..." Souji trailed off, wrapping his arms around her awkwardly. He was grateful as hell to have her as a friend, but more than a touch embarrassed about them hugging like this in the middle of a crowded mall.
--------
Rise laughed, hugging her friend even tighter for a few more seconds before finally letting go, "Aww, but you looked like it was a big deal. I mean, I bet it's tough admitting that stuff to people."
She smiled warmly, stepping back a little to give the boy his space back, "Now we can totally talk about boy troubles together." There was some truth to that suggestion! "And go shopping every weekend." Senpai probably wouldn't like that, actually. "Ohh, and sleepovers!" Pushing it.
A grin spread across the idols face as she winked at him playfully.
"Just kidding," she laughed as she laced her fingers behind her back, "But we do still need to do some shopping. I mean..." Rise eyed Souji's still grey-toned clothing with a small smile, "Well, I still think you need some color, hmm?"
-------
Souji blushed even more awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head while he looked down at his short little friend. She was sweet at hell, but damn, she could be embarrassing.
And, apparently, she'd already had a lot of thought about having a gay friend. Boy troubles...? Souji paused, smiling a little. There was nothing wrong with that, as far as he could see. Weekend shopping excursions? Well, maybe not every weekend, but...sleepovers? Souji's smiled had weakened considerably.
But Rise's playful grin quickly relaxed his nerves and he promptly returned it.
"Black is a color," Souji replied, crossing his arms, though it was hard to strike much of an intimidating presence when he was smiling so widely. Damn that infectious Kujikawa happiness, "...but what did you have in mind?"
--------
A pair of viridian eyes blinked at them.
The ponytailed teen was also by chance at Okina Station. Following the endorsement of his fellow 3-1 classmate and just in time for the incoming Mount Yasogami outing, he decided to drop by for things that he would need to purchase.
Or by chance, see...
"Sou-kun? Kujikawa-san?" Leon was startled to see two of his comrades in the same place as he is. There, he stood with both hands tucked in his gray jacket's pockets, and some feet away from where the couple was.
Kujikawa-san just hugged Sou-kun...
"Oh no."
He frantically looked around to check if a certain, other ponytailed person whom he also know is in the area too.
The blond can still remember that fiasco he had with Kujikawa-san at the school library weeks ago. Just to escape his pursuers, He too, had to hug her just to shoo them away. Then, other certain ponytail person noticed it as he came stomping at them, as if he was angry at just what he laid his eyes on.
And well....
The result of it was kind of humiliating, out of his own 'overreaction'...
But he did hope that HE was not here.
For Sou-kun's sake.
...If he saw was really what it is, that is. He decided to slowly back away, and leave the area.
-------
"Black is a shade, senpai," Rise chided playfully, "And it's not very pretty alone."
The idol flashed a smile up at her friend before kicking off the boots she was trying on and putting them in her arms. "Maybe we could get you a scarf or something! Winter is coming up soon, and you'll be needing one."
It was true; obviously putting his only color into the shoes he wore wasn't going to work very well. Scarfs were much more fashionable, and it was easy to fit your color in with them! Souji would look so handsome in one too.
She was about to tug him towards the cash register so they could pay and leave, when she heard her name being said somewhere in the shop. She figured it was probably another fan pointing her out, but turned her head to the sound anyway. The idol looked over her shoulder, scanning the area briefly, before spotting a familiar blonde boy staring over at them. She smiled slightly when she recognized him as Leon. It was a little awkward seeing him after the incident in the library a few weeks ago, but was friendly regardless.
"Oh, Leo-kun! You're shoe shopping too?" The idol grinned at him, tugging on Souji's sleeve to follow her over to their fellow student. "You look like you're searching for someone, senpai. Is something wrong?"
--------
Souji rolled his eyes, letting out a breath -- he couldn't fight the slight smile tugging at hi mouth, however. It was Rise -- you didn't just get to become a top idol on looks alone. Being able to charm even the soberest of boys was a required skill as well.
"Scarf?" Souji repeated, brow furrowed. He had a scarf. He'd had the same one since he was ten and it kept him plenty warm -- why would he need a new one? "I have a sca-"
Rise wasn't paying attention to him, her mind already made up as she dragged him over to the counter. My, she was giddy today. Maybe the rush of being told a very big, very scandalous, very strange secret about her senpai had rejuvenated the girl. And, in keeping with that energy, Rise suddenly turned again. Souji only got a moment for an exasperated sigh before being promptly tugged from line, forced to stumble after her until they came face to face with...Leon Mikage?
He knew Leon, yes, but he was really more a friend of this asshole third year Souji had the misfortune of running into a few times. Still, he smiled at the boy and lifted his head in a short wave, "Senpai."
-------
Leon didn't seem to have much to say.
Rise was a little peeved at this. He could have at least said hello, or acknowledge them in some way, but no. Her senpai seemed too busy shifting his eyes back and forth, looking for who-knows-what. Not the kind of interaction she was going for.
'Douche,' Rise thought, all while still keeping the pleasant smile on her face.
Quickly grabbing Souji's sleeve again, the smaller girl began tugging him towards the exit. "Anyway," a childish huff, "We don't have time for chitter-chatter, right Souji-kun? Let's get out of here. We still have to find you a nice scarf to wear~"
Quick. Leave before the creepy older student tried to rape her again... And yes, a hug counted enough as rape, especially when it was coming from this blonde guy that she barely knew.
She would not forgive it.
---------
Souji furrowed his brow at the older student before them -- that annoying third year certainly did have strange taste in friends. It was as if Leon had been struck by a distant force, frozen completely. Distantly, in the back of his mind, he heard his boyfriend cackling.
Well that was strange.
"Uh, yeah, that's right," he nodded, inching away along with Rise, "Did you have any place in mind?" Souji lowered his voice considerably, just in case there was a possibility Leon could still hear them, "Somewhere with less creepers this time, yeah?"
---------
"Definitely," Rise sighed, exiting the building with her friend, and finally away from Leon. "Seriously, what was his deal? You can't just show up and like... be a freak. I mean, come on."
It was probably childish, but that kind of thing got on her nerves sometimes. Why would someone just walk into a shoe shop out of the blue, stare, then be a stiff when they tried to chat? He ruined a good time by just kinda showing up for no good reason.
Pushing the angry thoughts aside, the idol linked her arm around Souji's, forcing a grin to her face. Ah well, you can't let one thing ruin the whole day. She proceeded to drag him to another store just a few blocks away. A small accessory shop, though a very nice one, with lots of jewelry, hats, and scarfs. It was a good place to start, Rise thought.
Hopefully her senpai wouldn't mind the fact that it was purple, perfumed, and girly. Well, it didn't really matter either way, since Rise was going to make him try some things on anyway. Just because it looked like a girl store, didn't mean it was.
---------
Souji had to laugh at Rise's high pitched huffing -- half because she managed to make frustration cute, and half because he agreed with every word. "'Come on', indeed," he repeated dryly, winking at her playfully while they linked arms. His leisurely pace was instantly forced to quicken once Rise had a hold of him, her eyes rapidly scanning the various shops and boutiques they hurried by. Souji blinked hard, wondering what the hurry was -- they were just looking for a scarf, right?
"Oh," Souji murmured while they passed a game store (probably the only shop on the block catering to someone with a penis), "Hey, Rise, think we could stop-" Souji's voice died as Rise's pace slowed to a stop in front of their destination. It was very...purple. Souji's eyelids lowered slightly, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "...here. Let's stop here."
--------
"Oh? I'm glad you approve, senpai~" Rise giggled lightly, stepping further into the shop. "I didn't think you'd be so eager to go into one of these kinds of stores."
The idol smiled, abandoning her friend for a minute to look through the merchandise. She started by picking up all kinds of accessories and holding them up. Her brows lowered, trying to find something suitable... Orange was out of the question now. What other color could she put on Souji to make him look redicu-
Her eyes landed on something totally random, but somehow relevant at the same time. Rise wasn't exactly sure why.
On a coat hanger sort of display was a long snake-like stuffed animal. Or maybe it was an eel. Further observation as she walked over to it proved the latter guess right -- an eel, with the fin-like thingies on it's tail. Whatever it was, it was adorable. Light blue in color, and big black eyes. She instantly snatched it up, hopping over to her senpai and wrapping it around his neck like a scarf.
"This. Senpai, I am totally buying you this. Isn't it cute?"
------
Souji couldn't help but laugh wryly, rolling his eyes. If there was one thing he enjoyed about Rise's company (and there was more than one, but that was besides the point), it was the subtle way she wouldn't take his shit. Souji liked it that way. He never knew that hanging out with someone so intensely feminine would be like chilling with one of the guys.
Of course, then she had to go and do something like this. Why did this place even carry stuffed animals?
"I...," Souji looked skeptically at the stuffed serpentine...thing. At first he thought it was a snake, but no, Rise wasn't that insensitive. Taking a closer look, Souji's eyes widened slightly before a small smile broke out across his usually stoic face.
Souji Seta had a thing for eels, you see.
Uncoiling the eel from his neck, he couldn't help but grin at the black button eyes that had been carefully sewn in. "Where'd you find this? It's...," Adorable? Sweet? Cuddly? Insert Emasculating Adjective Here? "...not a scarf."