synergetic | Lunch Date

Yukimura ascends the staircase to the south wing roof once the lunch bell rings. As expected, Marui jumped at the chance to be a model for him and Flayn. Yukimura shared that bit of news in art class, where they were then able to confirm a date and time for Marui to pose for them.

The other piece of good news he saved; art project discussion belonged in art class, but he didn't want to exacerbate the extra attention Flayn was receiving from talking to him (tempting as it was to actually do what Yanagi suggested as a solution). Besides that, if she was as delighted at her wish being granted as she was at its being floated, that was something Yukimura wanted to enjoy privately. His own misstep the prior morning was his, and at the same time, it wasn't something they couldn't have recovered from. It was the attention from the other students that made Flayn uncomfortable and put an end to their banter. Yukimura would remove that factor from the equation this time.

A heavy door seals the top of the staircase from the rooftop outside it. On reaching the top, he takes a peek outside to confirm two things: that he was the first there, and that the light sprinkle of rain last period hadn't left the space too wet for eating lunch.

What he sees instead brightens his anticipation, and with a small smile, he waits quietly for Flayn to find him at the top of the stairs.

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Oh, she's given him the wrong impression.

"This is a good surprise, I promise!" she said quickly, her smile widening without any of that silly embarrassment muting it.

"I didn't think I'd be enough to-- I mean, I'm sure everyone wants time with the champion tennis captain," she said, a little shyness sneaking back in when she spoke of his accolades. "Thinking you'd go to such trouble but I'm so excited already! Oh! We must practice together beforehand, mustn't we?"

Relief. It's silly that it's what he feels after she assures him she does, in fact, want to after all.

"We really should. I might have invited a rather ambitious challenge for our opponents."

Flayn absolutely cannot help a squeal of delight and she claps her hands together.

"Oh, how sweet, how sweet!" she exclaimed, scooting closer so as not to miss a single syllable of what he said. "You are so thoughtful to think of everything, and-- well, that sounds a little silly when I say it, but it is true!"

Yukimura is not prepared for this influx of praise and elation. It feels out of place it's so... over the top. If it were anyone else, he'd think it was hamming.

"I really didn't do that much," he says, but the light flush of his face and the size of his smile betrays his pleasure. Ever so slightly, the direction of his sitting pivots towards her. "Then, when are you available to practice? Is today after club activities okay?"

If he had a chance to see her play for himself, he wouldn't even need to trouble Marui.

"Today is absolutely perfect," she said earnestly, and suddenly, it really was. Instead of being an ordinary lunch period, they were here, in this hidden little garden paradise, and instead of going straight home, there would be extra tennis!

And everybody liked Yukimura, and he was busy, not just with the tennis club. He did say this was his committee's project, their entire surroundings had been on his to-do list...

Yes, if he said he didn't do much, he was probably just being polite, she thought. It was a little cute, because he really didn't need to be polite... He seemed to be trying it to make himself seem... well, she wasn't sure how he wanted to come across yet, but whatever it was, she already liked him very much!

"That's great. Come to the men's courts after club and show me your tennis. I look forward to seeing it."

Honestly, he expects Flayn to be a liability on the court. Marui's had nothing but positive things to say about her growth and potential, but against the comparative experience and proven skill of their opponents, she'll be at a natural disadvantage. One simply couldn't go from novice to playing at Sanada's and Fujimiya's level in a couple of weeks. But it's made her so happy... surely they can still figure out a way to overcome the combined strength of Rikkai's vice captains. They'll just have to be a little more clever.

"On another subject... forgive me if this is too forward, but I wanted to invite you to share more of your experience with a hospital stay, if it's something you wanted to share. I didn't mean to derail the conversation yesterday morning when it came up. I'm sorry."

Edited 2024-03-14 02:07 (UTC)

"...There is no need to apologize for that, and you did us both a favor, I think," Flayn said quickly. But it was... tempting, in another way.

"I do not wish to invite negativity. It was only a product of that moment, and entirely contrary to this one, where we have much more exciting things to talk of."

She sensed a certain pitilessness from Yukimura, completely different from Kudou-sensei's lack of sensitivity, and there was something... appealing, about the possibility of talking about such things in a neutral manner. Father couldn't ever take it that way. What was reality for her was hell for him, and she could respect that, even if it was difficult to live with.

"Though, I... I may take you up on it if such a need for it arises."

She's right, of course, and he respects that desire to keep the conversation on happier things. He can't deny he's more than a little curious with that being a point they have in common, but it's not even slightly his business, and at least half his own fault for making it an even less happy subject than it already was.

"Of course. Count on me to listen, if the time ever comes."

It's a little unfair to not provide her with an off ramp after raising that. Something happier...

"Do you have a favorite flower?"

"I do love forget-me-nots," she said, happy to latch on to that. She smiled.

"Are you looking for flowers to add to the campus? This little garden is already the kind of ambitious project most can only dream of. You have such a talent for accomplishment!"

"Not at the moment," Yukimura smiles back with just a little amusement. "They're a nice flower for color variety, though. Not many flowers have blue blossoms."

"That is why you do not forget them!" she said matter-of-factly. "Green is a living color, and therefore calming, but blue is too! I'd like to see an entire ocean of forget-me-nots someday..."

The dreamy look on her face snapped off, as the bell rang.

"Oh, what a bother, I was enjoying..." Flayn met Yukimura's eyes on accident and blushed.

"I-I mean, I was enjoying... anticipating! You did not mention who we were playing against!"

Yukimura echoes her sentiment; the lunch period went by impossibly fast. It was nice to be able to simply sit and talk with a cute girl with no whispering, no staring, no withdrawing. Nice to be able to talk to a cute girl at all.

Collecting the remains of his lunch, he stands and waits for Flayn with a secret-keeper's smile.

"Ah, did you not want it to be a surprise? Okay: Sanada-Fujimiya pair."

"Not if I am to prepare properly and aggressively!" Flayn exclaimed, packing her things up with more speed than rhyme or reason. "I believe you want to win, do you not?"

Yukimura blinks in surprise, not having really expected her to be so invested in victory... for his sake? That's what it sounds like. It's a touching gesture, and his smile is as much pleased as it is confident.

"You understand well. Let's work hard after practice today. I look forward to seeing you then."

Lunch Date

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