A Note... {Shun, Closed}

[Ohkara Minamaru]

Giggling lightly, pleased with the boy’s answer, she’d in turn begin to lead him out of the forest and towards the bustling city streets of Central. The nearer they drew, the more the sounds of the busy city grew. Sounds of cars, both wheeled and hovering, tones of phones and all kinds of electronics, and the sounds of people as they rushed through their day, doing whatever it was normal working-folk did.

Shun’s sudden statement, however, would make Ohkara stop, and turn to him. Her look turned to one of genuine concern, her brow raising in question, ”You feel bad?” she asked, her tone one of caring wonder. What was it the boy could possibly feel bad for? Had he done something Ohkara wasn’t aware of?

”Feel bad for what, hun?” she asked, giving his held hand a gentle squeeze, and offering him a light smile, ”You can tell me. Whatever’s on your mind. I’ll listen,” she reassured him.

There was no doubt that Ohkara cared about this boy and his feelings. The fact that he felt bad for anything made her feel a bit uneasy; however that was something she didn’t show. She beamed with confidence. Confidence in every word she said. She did want to know what was bothering him. He could indeed talk to her about anything, without any worry of being judged, or looked down on. The woman radiated a unique sympathy, and it was something that was easily picked up on. She was content being the diary- the stone pillar to help support her friends when they were in need.

[Shun]

Shun starts to laugh nervously as he walks with Ohkara...

"Aha.. haha... R-remember that one time... When I.. umm.." He licks his lips and audibly gulps... "K-kissed you??"

He keeps replaying the recollections in his mind as his heart shudders and flutters.. it washes over him with an influx of sentimental things, a Rush that brings out memories of bliss and curiosity.. He can't help the ear to ear to grin that parts his face as he venture with her.

He just could't resist the urge to smile tremendously. His hair sits unkempt over his head as he runs his hand through it nervously, and he feels just about the most awkward ever at this point, because he has to try and think of something else to say, but he hears no complaints and in turn, provides no other words... This way, it means Shun gets to run his fingers through his hair a lot more, and that's a win as far as he's concerned for now. At one point, as he massages his fingers through his hair, tracing his fingertips across his bunny ears more than is entirely necessary, Shun lets out a little groan and rubs his stomach, and he has to start thinking about what kind of noodles he wants.

He isn't sure if the warmth in his cheeks is from the sun or from the nervousness he felt right then and there.. By and by, he's running over his time's with Ohkara scene by scene as if he's seeing a play, his mind handing-off even the most minor subtle elements of their time spent together inside his head.

Shun's grin marginally flounders, "Ohkara.. What are you going to do tomorrow?"

[Ohkara Minamaru]

”When you kissed me?” Ohkara asked, a bit taken-back by the statement. Of course she remembered. It was during their first real time spent together; when the two of them were at the beach. There had been a wager placed- whomever knocked the other out of the ring drawn in the sand was declared the victor; the loser was to buy dinner for them both. Shun had kissed her in an attempt to catch her off guard; however Ohkara’s promiscuity had proven too much. In retaliation she’d kissed the small boy back, even slipping him the tongue. If memory served her correctly, she’d blown the boy’s mind in that moment. Something she thought was absolutely adorable.

”Oh that?” she asked him, waving a dismissive hand, ”Remember what I said when you did that? Something like: Remember, if you’re willing to pay dirty, your opponent is probably willing to do the same,” she laughed, then winked at the boy, ”There’s really no reason to worry about something like that, kiddo. So long as you don’t have any hard feelings about how I reacted…” she said, running a hand through the back of her forest-green hair. Sure, it had been brash to simply French-kiss the boy, but surely, he’d been asking for it. So long as he didn’t regret it, neither would she.

Eventually, the topic would shift, and Ohkara would raise a brow, ”Tomorrow?” she echoed, giving the boy a light shrug, ”Honestly, I don’t have any plans…” a pause as the two would finally push through the tree-line and land at an intersection of road in the outskirts of Central City, ”Why?” she asked with obvious curiosity, ”Do you have plans?”

The noodle-shop was close-by, and anyone with a keen nose could smell the wonderful scent that wafted by as they stood there. Sure, there was plenty of other sense-stimulating things around the city, but to a hungry stomach, the aroma radiating from the noodle-shop would rise above all. No doubt they were close.

Pressing on with Shun’s hand in her’s, Ohkara would lead the two towards the source of the intoxicating smell, which grew more and more apparent as they neared it. Much like their first dinner together, this noodle-shop was a small, hole-in-the-wall establishment. One that might be easily missed had one not been looking specifically for it. A stand, more so than a restaurant, much so nostalgic of the first place the two had eaten at. With slotted cloth for a door, and simply a bar-like counter with stool for seating, it was indeed an older spot- the wooden stained with time. The staff, however would be younger in appearance, and greet the two with big smiles, quick to hand them a menu as they cared for their few other guests.

[Shun]

His heart drops to his stomach as she acknowledges that moment. He can't help but wonder if maybe he had come on too strong. He curses himself silently. Shun's heart is hammering in his chest as the butterflies in his stomach pick up and he sighs shakedly. "S-so.. you arent mad at that? I realize that most girls would just smack someone for that.. aha.."

The boy takes in the scenery on the way to the food stand, noticing the difference in the people even since they arrived. More and more leaves litter the sidewalks and streets, less and less green colours the trees as the reds, oranges and browns start to take its place.

"Im sorry Ohkara... If it seems that I am.. well.. weird." He looks ahead, "I really miss you and all and its been ages. So.. forgive me if I seem all over the place, I couldnt help myself then and.. well, it seems very much the same way now.." He says before swallowing the lump in his throat. He feels more vulnerable than he thinks he ever has, Ohkara just gives off this aura of soothing.

Shun cuts off, suddenly hyperaware of his surroundings, "Ah! yes! there it is, lets get some nice ramen and just talk about whatever!"

As they get up to the servers, Shun puts up two fingers,

"I'd like the standard chicken flavor with two packets of Soysauce please!"

[Ohkara Minamaru]

It was indeed interesting how the boy was acting, but Ohkara had no issues with it. She was just glad to be in his company again. His words of the kiss, and how he couldn’t help himself around her furthered her suspicions of a possible crush; however, she’d brush that off for the time being. There would be more time for teasing in the future.

”Oh no, don’t even worry about it,” she told him with another dismissive wave. Her eyes scanned the boy and she smiled, ”It really has been forever, hasn’t it?” she said quietly, her tone trailing off to thought.

As the two pushed through the cloth entry of the restaurant, Shun was quick to make his order. Ohkara let out a giggle, quickly covering her mouth with a hand as she watched him, then much in the same manner rose a hand with two fingers:

”And I’ll have two bowls of your spicy beef!~ Go heavy on the beef, please!” 

Pushing forwards, she’d take a seat at one of the many stools that lined the counter. Placing her elbows on the countertop, she’d rest her head in her hands and let out a content sigh, ”I hope they hurry with the food…” she said with a smile, ”The longer we sit here, the hungrier I’m gonna get!~”

[Shun]

Shun sits on the stool, bringing one foot up to perch on the seat and looks at the people preparing their noodles, waiting to be served. He places his hand on his face, imagining words to say to Ohkara. He takes a few deep breaths, breathing in Ohkara's comforting scent, focusing on the noodles being prepared in front of him, and he blushes a bit. Ohkara is always so caring, so painfully understanding of people, no matter how stupid Shun acts. His mind flashes back to them sparing even though he'd made a fool of himself.

"So Ohkara... are you... seeing anyone?"

The boy asks and looks up to admire the artistic work of this stand. He observed the stall sign which was dangling from the top, a couple of screws that apparently were not pounded in accurately.

Hell even the little corners that were shaved with the hand had evident defects that apparently attracted people of all kinds to the stall, it was altogether made not for the use of a customer, for the use of another person yet by the cook himself.

The little subtle elements were painstakingly taken care of while the cuts and designs that were pursuing each other in a way were done by means of a huge number of styles, influencing Shun to think about whether the people who made this stand could be the artists that had done this!

However in the meantime, it was appearing on the rushed lines that the littler better subtle elements within the art were precisely depicted and taken care of, with each and every detail gradually cut out utilizing a little blade.

Whatever is left of the stall could just be said to be a transcending house with numerous segments in it, from the extensive open porch that apparently could be pushed out from a lower bit of wood to the tables inside sufficiently giving space... However.. intriguing enough, there was a sign outside saying that they offered soysauce. So, Shun was specifically happy to be getting that today with his ramen.

[Ohkara Minamaru]

Once more Ohkara rose a brow to the boy’s words, ”S-seeing anyone?” she asked curiously. To her it was an interesting question; one that had been posed a few times recently. Still, she was unsure on how to answer such a thing, ”Well… Not technically, I guess…” she said, a tone of unsurity to her voice. Sure she’d gone on a date with Ethan, but she still was pretty sure things weren’t official between them. He was simply out to have fun.

”How about you?” she asked with piqued curiosity. The boy had matured since the last time she’d seen him; there was no doubt that something such as dating wouldn’t be out of the question. In her eyes, Shun was certainly a catch. He was sweet, kind, and handsome; not to mention talented in many ways. Surely he had plenty of girls begging to be his girlfriend.

In terms of his daily life, he was still somewhat of a mystery to her. Sure the two spent time together in the past, but she had never been one to pry. In fact, the first time she met him, on the beach with Ethan and a robot man named Zero, was about as far into his history as she’d ever gotten. Then he was so childish, with curiosity for everything, seemingly new to the Earth. Of course, he’d grew a lot since then, and Ohkara was sure it had all been for the better. It seemed he’d found himself, and now he didn’t seem like such a fish-out-of-water.

As the two conversed, their noodles would be set in front of them, “We’ll bring out your second bowl once you finish this one, miss,” the waitress told her with a bow, placing a set of chop-sticks on each of the bowl’s rims. The noodles were cooked to perfection, the meat and veggies floating atop. The scent was intoxicating, and Ohkara couldn’t help but put her nose to it and take a whiff, ”It smells delicious!” she exclaimed.

Turning to Shun, the waitress placed his packets of soysauce near his bowl and smiled, “If there is anything else we can get you, please don’t hesitate to ask!” she told them with another bow, then turned back to help with the kitchen work.

[Shun]

The stool that Shun sat upon creaked and groaned under his weight as the bunny boy constantly shifted on it, attempted to find a comfortable position. As he done so, various people moved around the fix up the ramen and tend to him and Ohkara. That soysauce was going to make a fine addition to dinner. Shun's tongue darted out of his mouth and ran the length of his lips at the thought of the delicious ramen.

Moments went by as the the boy relaxed, seated on the edge of the stool. A number of thoughts and images flashed through his mind. He began to picture what Ohkara and him would be like together, how they acted, how the behaved. He saw children smiling and laughing as they chased each other around the buildings and alleyways. He saw other thing and them eating their meals, content and happy with their simplistic lives.

But he realized that all of those images, all of those thought were just his with a new coat of paint. The thoughts made him feel sombre, and a sigh drifted between from between his lips as the bowls were presented in front of him. He felt happy if a scenario like that played out. He missed the days that he was hanging with Ohkara, though, he never really had any intention on dating her.. The thought would run itself across his mind now.

The boy was so deep in his thought that he hadn't even noticed the bowl in front of him yet. His head turned to see Ohkara lifting her chopsticks and that snapped him back to reality..

He begins to eat the ramen..

And with a full mouth he says, "Well.. There have been.. some.. but I am honestly feeling unsure.. And to be more honest, I was always feeling myself thinking of you more than ever and.. more than like.." He looks down at his bowl. "Than like a friend I guess.."

[Ohkara Minamaru]

Ohkara was already happily slurping down her noodles as Shun picked up his chopsticks and began to eat himself. She smiled happily, eyeing the boy as he ate. Obviously, there was something on his mind. Ohkara was a very intuitive person, picking up on things with ease; this was no exception. She could see in the boy’s movements, his gaze, and the small sigh that seemed to escape his lips. Something was up.

It was then he spoke, and his words caught the green-haired woman off guard. Her chopsticks fell from her fingers, sticking straight into the mass of noodles inside her bowl, and her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. She eyed him curiously, cocking her head to the side, ”M-m-m-more” she stammered, echoing his words, ”T-t-than a friend?”

Even with her own suspicions, this hadn’t been something she was expecting. Shun was indeed crushing on her, and in fact he’d even thought of dating her? What exactly was going through the boy’s mind? Had she done something to lead him to these thoughts? Honestly, she didn’t know. She’d never exactly thought of dating the bunny-boy; he was much younger than her, then again, so was Ethan, and that hadn’t stopped her from going on a date with him…

”W-what do you mean?” she asked, her gaze glued to him, ”Y-you want to go on a date with me?” her tone wasn’t one of hysterics; instead it radiated only her kindness, and a bit of surprise. Obviously, she hadn’t expected this in the slightest.

[Shun]

"Is..isnt that what we are doing.. n-now?" The boy said in an anxious tone of voice. His face is flushed red but remains neutral as he stirs his noodles.Shun sighed once more, he was confused on his feelings for Ohkara back then.. This wasn't the only time he was confused by the things shun made him feel. He'd had other close girl friends before, but his feelings toward Ohkara felt different, more intense.

Her friendship was more important to him than any other friendship he'd ever had before.Truthfully he'd never even considered before that he was physically attracted to Ohkara, but whenever she'd hug him, it felt different, in a good way, and he started to crave the rare times when she'd show any type of physical affection toward the bunny.

Shun pursed his lips and said, "We need to make more time for each other, you know?" He starts to chow on the noodles again. His face still colored red. With a half full mouth he continues, "I was worried that not only did you probably not like me in that way, but you would also think I was disgusting if I told you how I really felt. I swore that I would keep my feelings to myself, But I couldn't hold it and.. Suddenly I knew I had to tell you.. You are my best friend... and.. Best friends don't keep secrets from each other."

'I'll never regret meeting Ohkara, or telling her how I really felt about her. She helped me become more confident and discover who I am, and I'll always be thankful for that.' The boy thought in his mind..

[Ohkara Minamaru]

”W-well, I guess…” she said in response to the boy’s first question. Technically speaking, this was a date. Just enjoying each other’s company, a walk through the forest, a wonderful meal… Still, Ohkara hadn’t thought about it until the boy stated such a thing. Was this really a date though? Had she been asked a few minutes ago, she’d have denied it, but now… She didn’t really know…

The boy’s next words brought forth an even brighter shade to Ohkara’s cheeks, and her hand rose to her mouth, letting out a light giggle, ”W-well, you’re not wrong…” she said in regards to the comment on spending more time together. She did truly enjoy the bunny-boy’s company. It was true that they didn’t spend enough time with one another.

With his next words, she dropped her hand, and reached over to gently ruffle the boy’s hair, ”Oh Shun, I could never find you disgusting,” she told him with a smile. Of course, this was the truth. She adored the boy, he was sweet, kind, and cute. There was nothing disgusting about him.

Dropping her hand from the boy’s head, she brought her hand to her chest, caressing it with the other. Her body swayed lightly on the stool and she smiled to herself, ”I guess I had my hunches, but I never would have guessed you’d confess so openly to me…” she told him.

”Dating is complicated… And I’m not exactly ready for serious commitment- at least not in the terms of a relationship…” she told him honestly, glancing up at him shyly, ”I consider you one of my best friends too, you know?” she told him. Staying true to her feelings, her tone only displayed her real emotions. She was flattered and happy, but there was also a certain curiosity to her.

”I mean… What I’m trying to say is… I want us to stay friends no matter what, but if winning my heart is something you’re really after, I won’t turn you down.” In senses, this was the same offer she’d given to Ethar when he’d confessed his feelings to her. Sure, she was a free bird now, but if something was to happen, she wouldn’t fight it. She’d never been opposed to the ideal of a relationship; it was simply just not something she actively sought.

”I’ll tell you what…” she told him, slowly pulling her chopsticks from her bowl and twirling them between her fingers, ”I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for in a partner, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be wooed,” stopping the chopsticks, she pushed them into her bowl and rose a bite of noodles to her mouth, ”So long as you promise we’ll stay friends, you can pursue me all you want, and we can do stuff like this together whenever,” she said with a smile, taking the bit she’d grabbed, ” How’s that for a deal?”

[Shun]

The boys face began to flush a full red. He plays it off as he finishes his noodles and puts his hand to his jaw and smiles with one chop stick still in his mouth.


"Ah.. I guess I see where you're coming from.. I wish I could be more like you.." Not an ounce of that statement was false. Sighing, Shun leans back in the stool. He's been staring blankly at the empty bowl for about a minute now, like a blank word document. There’s a little voice in shun's head. Not a sarcastic one, but one that’s more of just himself, a voice that can’t speak. JUST LEAVE it screams in his head, and he adheres to it, and give the best smile he can to Ohkara.

He stands there awkwardly for a moment. He wish he could read her mind, see what she’s thinking. Knowing predictable dialogue is so much different than guessing and ruining a moment. And like a real, living, human ball of faults and imperfections, he lets silence drag on for far too long of an uncomfortable time.

"Man.. I feel a bit under the weather." He’s rubbing his eyes with his fingers, trying to ward off a headache. "Ohkara, lets hang out later okay? I need to.. sleep and think.. Th-thank you for the fun time~" the boy says as he press his hand against his chest, feeling his racing heart beating under bone and muscle. He feels so fragile like this and audibly gulps as he smiles.

He waves at her and pays for his ramen and walks off.

---

Exit thread. Zeni <3

[Ohkara Minamaru]

”Aww, that’s so sweet,” Ohkara cooed, smiling kindly to him; however inwardly, she was glad that he wasn’t. There were things about herself that she didn’t like; things she hid from others. And she was far too good at hiding her emotions. Sure, it often played to her advantage, but it was even more-so a taxing thing to hold negativity in the way she did.

The two were silent for a bit, and in the silence, Ohkara took it upon herself to finish the noodles that had been brought to her. Pushing the bowl forward on the counter top, she let out a light sigh. It wasn’t hard to see the atmosphere had shifted. And soon, Shun’s words confirmed such suspicions.

”O-oh…” Ohkara said, glancing to the boy. She picked up on something deep within him. Had she upset him? She was unsure… She’d never been very good at things like this, and in them her normal exponential reading of others seemed to fade completely. She too wished Shun would just say what was on his mind, but in many ways, it reminded her of herself. It seemed those bad habits she had were rubbing off on him…

”It was a pleasure, Shun,” she told him honestly, smiling to him brightly, ”I hope you get to feeling better, hun~” Watching as the boy headed off, she let out a sigh and shifted uncomfortably on her stool, hoping she hadn’t hurt his feelings.

Soon, her second bowl of noodles would come, and she’d begin eating it slowly. Simply left alone with her own thoughts. Hopefully she’d see the boy again soon, but for some reason she couldn’t shake a feeling that that might not be the case…

(Exit. PL, please. Heavy weights were worn.)

[Ethan Snow]

An Additional 4670PL awarded to Ohkara.

5800Z awarded to mister Shun.

Enjoy.