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[Aw come on, you could at least pretend to be scared!!

When she returns, he grins, giving an enthusiastic fist pump into the air.]

Alright! Our first stop isn't far from the cabins, so let's go Tsumiki-chan! Make sure not to get distracted, because you're only spending time with me, okay?

[He turns and takes a few steps away from her cabin, but holds out his hand to her as well before getting too far away.]

I'm pretty much the most selfish person you'll ever meet, so don't even think about ditching me~

[Mikan takes his offered hand--was this going to be Their Thing now?--and hesitates slightly. Not because she doesn't want to go with him, but more because she has curiosities she's not sure she should bring up.]

Is that... Um, I mean, I sh-shouldn't ask, really, but um... Is that something you're worried about? Being left behind? [She knows he mentioned Akamatsu-san, who she knows is here, but maybe he's feeling lonely?

Or maybe she's on the crash course towards a yandere route WHO KNOWS]

[Everyone is very lucky he is not a yandare. Despite claiming he'll go so far as to strangle people to get them to notice him..........

But that question actually has him pausing, catching him a little off guard.]

Huh? Why would you ask that?

[He doesn't sound angry or offended, just genuinely very curious. And his very gentle tug on her hand should reinforce with her that he's not upset as he starts to leisurely walk in the direction towards their first destination.

She isn't wrong. He honestly is really...really lonely. Has he been letting that slip...? He thought he was doing a pretty good job of hiding that.]

[Despite his reassuring little hand tug, she panics a little anyway even as she follows him]

Um! I-I'm sorry for n-noticing um, i-it's not like you don't do a good job of h-hiding it or anything, it's just, um... It's just... A feeling I have? I-I'm really good at reading peoples' faces...

And, um, maybe-- [Here she hesitates, looking at their clasped hands. After a moment she lets out a soft sigh] Maybe because... I know how it feels, so I can see it better. Because I feel the same way. There's all sort of people here, and everyone's willing to, um, share tie and their, um, b-bodies-- [No Mikan GET THROUGH THIS you have a point to make!] But! But. It's still really...lonely. Um, no one I know is here, so I've been... feeling really alone too...

But! But you have your classmates here, right? [She assumes he's classmates with them anyhow, for all she knows he's from a totally different class like she is!] And, um w-we're friends now too! So... I mean a least... I don't have any intentions of abandoning you or anything. You and the others... You're all I have right now. [The only SHSL students she can relate to, even if their timelines are probably different.] But even if you weren't, I wouldn't abandon you! [JUST. GOTTA MAKE THAT CLEAR TOO.]

[He's not surprised to hear that she knows how it feels. She's a small, meek, frightened little rabbit. The kind who'd easily be taken advantage of...it's easy to see, he picked up on it the first time they even met. So he can imagine that's exactly what happens to her a lot, which would of course make you lonely. It's not the same kind of loneliness as what he's feeling, but it makes it easier to see it. Probably makes it all that more pronounced in what he's doing, forcing her to pay attention to him like this.

Though it's funny...maybe if it were some of his other classmates, that last part would be right too. But Shuichi and Kaede just manage to make him feel that much lonelier and isolated, in the end, even if they are his dearest friends.

He doesn't let his chipper facade fade however, even if she managed to find a crack in it. Instead he just smiles back at her again.]

Nishishi~ It makes me really happy to hear that you won't abandon me, Tsumiki-chan~ Loyal members are important for any good evil organization! Plus, I'd hate to have to send you to Siberia just because of something like that, y'know?

[He's not really confirming what she's saying, but he's not denying it either, and faces forward again to start walking with a little more exuberance in his step.]

Are you hungry? Lunch is our first stop! You can't perform a good initiation on an empty stomach, so we'll fill our bellies until they burst, okay?

[They're not close enough where she feels like she can press for an answer or acknowledgement, so she'll let it go. Besides, his lack of confirmation is sort of one in its own right, isn't it?

So she lets it go, just giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before she nods] Mm! It's important to eat healthy meals so you can keep your energy up!

[That means eat your fucking vegetables, kokichi] A-although, overeating could be a problem, so... [So maybe not to the point where they have to be rolled out do a chorus of katamari damacy music]

Well we're having sushi, so it'll be a perfectly healthy meal~ It's going to be fun and part of the initiation too, so I hope you're ready.

[Sushi roulette, that is. They're having sushi roulette. Do you like wasabi, Mikan? Hope you do, or hope you're lucky if not! But he's true to his word, the quaint little Japanese-esque shop barely a walk at all from the cabin area, and he quickly tugs her in, giving his last name to the person up front. He'd reserved a table just for them, it seems like, as they're guided to a smaller one near a window and handed menus once they're sitting.]

When the waiter comes back, just give him your drink order. They already know what we're having for lunch, I ordered ahead of time!

[She can't for the life of her imagine what sushi has to do with her initiation and she's a little scared to ask. So she just follows after him in a quiet awe as he handles..Pretty much everything.

She looks at the menu briefly, then around the room, out the window--it's all a little overwhelming, but in a good way. With the waiter she just smiles shyly and orders water, before refocusing her attention on Kokichi.] This, um... Y-you went through so much trouble pl-planning all of this...

Well of course! Every initiation for every member is important, and I always put all of my heart into planning them. How you welcome a member into your organization really shapes how they develop as part of that organization, you know?

[He puts 110% into it!]

Every detail has to be planned, right down to the food we eat. Hey, speaking of food, how well do you handle wasabi?

[An innocent question. Super innocent.]

But, to go to all this trouble for someone like me... [Part of his little organization or not, it's a bit overwhelming. She twists her fingers around each other and stares down at the table.] N-not that I'm ungrateful, I just... Thank you.

[The question about wasabi has her looking up in confusion though.]

Um... As well as anyone...I guess? Oh, once I was made to eat a spoonful of it! [She sort of. Laughs. But it's a pained laugh.] But, I'm hardy! I don't usually eat it with sushi r anything though if I have a choice...

Don't worry about it so much~ It's no trouble at all, really. I'm happy to do it.

[Made to eat a spoonful of it...eugh. Whoever she was friends with before were just the worst kind of people, and he hopes they don't show up here.

More for their sake than hers. He'll show them what a real bully is like.]

Luckily I won't be making you eat a spoonful of wasabi. Well...we will be playing roulette, so I guess I can't promise you won't end up eating a spoonful anyway, aha~

[And with perfect timing, the waiter returns, handing each of them their drinks, giving each of them a plate, and setting a large platter with a good amount of sushi on it in the middle of the table. It's round and is able to spin, so picking their sushi should be easy.]

Have you ever played this before? Though I have a different set of rules for it than most, I think, so it probably doesn't matter if you have in the end.

Edited 2018-01-12 23:22 (UTC)

Roulette...? [Given they'd been talking about wasabi and all, she can guess what the roulette game entails and she casts a slightly nervous look over the sushi platter.]

I-I haven't played before... But I guess you, um, you lose if you eat the sushi that has wasabi in it?

[She's kind of apprehensive, but so far he hasn't done anything to really make her concerned he'll actually hurt her. This is mild compared to anything else she's had to deal with, and if he's paying this much attention to her... Well, she can't complain, right?

She's no Komaeda, but hopefully her luck isn't that terrible.]

Mhm! [He smiles, picking up his plate and showing it to her.]

Normally we'd each get a plate of sushi, and each would have one piece that's just packed full of wasabi, so one "bullet" each. We'd eat our sushi at the same time, waiting until one of us got that piece. The way I play it though...

[He reaches out for the platter in front of them, turning it a little before taking one piece and putting it on his plate.]

We each take turns picking a piece of sushi out of the middle platter, which only contains one bullet. Once all of the sushi's been picked, we go ahead and eat. I think it's a little more fun to see who's luck is better!

[Gesturing to the sushi, he gives her a sweet smile. They can easily have twelve or so pieces each, from the looks of things.]

So now it's your turn to grab one.

I have a classmate who would've been very good at this game... [Probably. Or maybe somehow he'd end up with all twelve pieces of sushi somehow having wasabi in them. It's hard to tell.

Still, she figures the odds are pretty good, so after a moment of deliberation she takes a piece. As they trade off back and forth taking pieces, she hums thoughtfully]

Is there... a penalty for losing? Um, b-besides having a mouthful of wasabi, I guess...

Nope! Not exactly, anyway. [Not that she has to worry about that this time around. He purposefully chose the piece with the wasabi first, giving her no chance to lose.]

We have a day full of games ahead of us! Whoever loses the most games gets the penalty. So even if you lose this one, you could still win all the others and walk away penalty free~ I'll have you know that'll be preeeeetty hard though. I'm a master at games!

Is, um... Is that a requirement of being a Supreme Leader? Being good at games? [She smiles a little, not sure she quite believes that, but... It's fun. She's honestly...

She looks down at the sushi for a long moment saying nothing. Her shoulders aren't tense anymore--she's even slouching a little in comfort in her chair.]

I'm... having fun. [It's said in a tone like it's something awe-inspiring she's just discovered.] I'm really-- Really having fun... [They've barely even done anything and her eyes are welling with tears that she rapidly blinks back and wipes at herface with an apologetic smile] I-I'm sorry!

Yeah, of course! It's... [He trails off a little when she says she's having fun in that tone, just sort of tilting his head some curiously. And then she says it again, and there are tears, and she's apologizing...

He picks up his plate, dragging his chair over to her side of the table to sit down next to her, rather than across from her.]

Hey, hey, why are you crying? If you're crying, that makes me think you're not having as much fun as you say you are! And if that's true, that's just no good. What's wrong?

I-I'm c-crying because I'm s-so happy...! [It's probably really a good thing he took the wasabi sushi first.]

Y-you've been spending a l-lot of time with me, and you haven't burned me, or hit me, or s-sat on me or a-anything! You haven't c-called me names, or c-cut my hair... I'm happy, but it's sc-scary too... A-and now I'm making a scene, and you're probably going to get a-angry, I-- I'll stop, I'm sorry!

[She hastily sniffles and grabs for a napkin, wiping at her face frantically.]

[Kokichi reaches up to pull her hand away from her face, trying to tug the napkin free while picking up a clean one with his other hand.]

Awww come on, I'm not going to get angry. [Here, let him dry your face for you? Much less frantically! Almost delicately, trying to do a good job and also not hurt her.]

Is it just scary because you're not used to it, or scary because I'm scary? I promise I don't bite much! And when I do, I'll only suck a little bit of your blood, I won't drain you dry~

[Jokes always help when someone is crying. Especially when they're playing on jokes or lies he's made before.]

So nothing to worry about, right? Especially because I'll never do anything like that to you...okay? No burning, no hitting, no name calling or hair cutting...

[Mikan sniffles but goes still, squeezing her eyes shut as if she doesn't want to see what's coming, but-- Oh. He's being gentle again.]

Scary... Because I'm not used to it. [She can't help but smile and giggle a little at his joke though, the tears slowing to a stop as she calms down.]

Never? [She stares at him rather intently, examining his face through watery eyes before she lowers her gaze and smiles lightly.] ...Mm. I believe you. You're not lying... I can tell looking at your face. I-- Um. Th-thank you...

Nope, never~ Even if it was to fill those kinds of squares or something, I'd let you do that to me instead! That's how serious I am!

[Scouts honor!!! Or leaders honor. Whichever you trust more.]

So that's how you're so good at figuring me out, huh? I've never been good at hiding it from people who can read faces, I've just been lucky to never run into anyone like that. Guess I'll have to enlist your help to practice hiding that kind of stuff from you~

[As for the thank you, he doesn't acknowledge it verbally. Instead, he reaches up to pat her head - gently! - a few times.]

Don't you worry about a thing, Tsumiki-chan.

Eheh... [A sheepish, almost apologetic laugh. Yeah, that's her, Super High School Level Face Reader. Her true identity.

She takes a deep breath and sits up, feeling much better, if still a bit silly for crying like that in the middle of their eating.]

Well, l-let's eat! We can't let it go to waste, right? [She even gives a little fist-pump of determination. Let's go, she's got this!! She'll eat an entire spoonful of wasabi if it'll mean showing even a fraction of the gratitude she feels for him right now]

[There we go, much better.]

Agreed, let's eat!

[With enthusiasm of his own, he picks up one of his normal pieces of sushi, offering it up to her with a grin.]

Cheers?

[She picks up one of her pieces too and touches it to his piece. Some of the rice falls off a bit, but Mikan just giggles and pops it into her mouth.

It's only a second later she remembers the whole wasabi game and freezes, but thankfully this piece is normal. She shakes her head, chews, and swallows]

Ah, safe...!

[Kokichi had paused to watch her reaction for a moment before popping his in his mouth "apprehensively". But, after a few tentative chews...he finishes it off easily.]

Mine was safe too! One down, only a handful more to go!

[The next one is picked up and inspected carefully, as if that'll tell him if it's the bullet or not.]

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