Gone is the bright, happy girl full of enthusiasm for his company. He can't blame her. By all measures, going quiet, scooting away, and focusing on work was the smart thing to do. Even so, he can't deny just a tiny bit of heartache and frustration watching her restore the distance that had been between them, and interpreting it as much psychologically as he does physically.
That was it, then, huh? It was over depressingly fast. Just when he was thinking maybe...
He turns his own sketchbook to a new page, abandoning the portrait he'd started in favor of a still life of the cabinet by the window. Light filters in from outside, reminding everyone of the warm, sunny day they're missing while trapped inside doing schoolwork.
The minutes pass by. And as he sits there, having withdrawn back into his own artwork and solitude, he glances at Flayn out of the corner of his eye, and it occurs to him that he's being disgustingly self-absorbed again. Here he is, so tangled up in being sad over her withdrawal because of what it meant for him that he's given barely any consideration to what she must be experiencing right now as the new person. She hadn't been at all prepared for that gesture to draw the attention that it did, had she? Is she afraid for her prospects at other friendships now?
For a moment, he's reminded of Jackal, and of the experiences he's shared of being a foreigner trying to live and integrate into such an insular society. Rikkaidai was thankfully more inclusive than most places, but that didn't necessarily make it easy, only easier. And he's reminded of Nami's assessment of Flayn as reported to her father that day he told them about the mixed doubles opportunity.
"She's a pure-hearted fighter that wants friends and common interests to share with them... Most likely, Marui-kun was only kind enough to see her loneliness..."
What is he doing...?
His anger turns towards himself, and he tears a blank page from his pad, scribbling a note down at the bottom and spending the remainder of the class drawing on it.
When the bell rings, he folds the paper in half twice, creases it against the table, and discreetly slides it halfway under Flayn's sketch pad as he stands. He smiles politely.
"I'll see you later, Von Aegir-san."
On unfolding the note, Flayn will find an intricate drawing of a rose that he's added some yellow coloring to in the shaded areas. The note at the bottom reads:
Come to the rooftop of the south wing for lunch tomorrow. There's something I want to show you.
no subject
That was it, then, huh? It was over depressingly fast. Just when he was thinking maybe...
He turns his own sketchbook to a new page, abandoning the portrait he'd started in favor of a still life of the cabinet by the window. Light filters in from outside, reminding everyone of the warm, sunny day they're missing while trapped inside doing schoolwork.
The minutes pass by. And as he sits there, having withdrawn back into his own artwork and solitude, he glances at Flayn out of the corner of his eye, and it occurs to him that he's being disgustingly self-absorbed again. Here he is, so tangled up in being sad over her withdrawal because of what it meant for him that he's given barely any consideration to what she must be experiencing right now as the new person. She hadn't been at all prepared for that gesture to draw the attention that it did, had she? Is she afraid for her prospects at other friendships now?
For a moment, he's reminded of Jackal, and of the experiences he's shared of being a foreigner trying to live and integrate into such an insular society. Rikkaidai was thankfully more inclusive than most places, but that didn't necessarily make it easy, only easier. And he's reminded of Nami's assessment of Flayn as reported to her father that day he told them about the mixed doubles opportunity.
"She's a pure-hearted fighter that wants friends and common interests to share with them... Most likely, Marui-kun was only kind enough to see her loneliness..."
What is he doing...?
His anger turns towards himself, and he tears a blank page from his pad, scribbling a note down at the bottom and spending the remainder of the class drawing on it.
When the bell rings, he folds the paper in half twice, creases it against the table, and discreetly slides it halfway under Flayn's sketch pad as he stands. He smiles politely.
"I'll see you later, Von Aegir-san."
On unfolding the note, Flayn will find an intricate drawing of a rose that he's added some yellow coloring to in the shaded areas. The note at the bottom reads:
Come to the rooftop of the south wing for lunch tomorrow. There's something I want to show you.