1073/Breaking in the New Boyfriend

Breaking in the New Boyfriend
Date of Scene:	02 February 2024
Location:	Sports Pavilion
Synopsis:	Coco brings Cho with her to meet Yuuto. Cho gets in an early ambush and drinks all the tea on her roommate's new relationship.
Cast of Characters:	Yuuto Shiraishi, Cho Konishi, Coco Kiumi

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Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Soon after Yuuto and Coco started dating, Yuuto made sure to share his school schedule with the mermaid princess so they could plan their dates for when they have the time off. On Thursdays, he has track practice with the Track and Field club. Practice is supposed to be ending shortly, and there's still a few students that are milling around the edge of the track, putting away equipment and speaking idly on their plans for the evening.

Yuuto is not seen with this group. In fact, he's not seen anywhere near the track at the moment. Standing at the edge of the track where it leads up to the locker rooms, the Club Sponsor is standing, glancing at one of the stopwatches he has on a lanyard. Marking down a time, he frowns slightly and lifts his head, looking out towards a gate that has remained open for the time being.

Cho Konishi has posed:
"HI! You're Shiraishi-san, right?" AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS A GIRL DANGLING UPSIDE DOWN FROM ONE OF THE POLE VAULT BARS WHEN HE PASSED UNDER IT!

Why? Why ever would Cho do that?

Because her roommate had a booooooooooy friiiiiiiiend! And what wanted to know who he was! What better way than jump scaring him by dangling upside down from a pole vault pole when he was... well... doing whatever it was he did? Like a reasonable person!

Wait, no, that other thing.

"... I really hope you are, because ummm... I actually got my skirt stuck on the pole getting up here so fast and if you're not him I've probably already missed my chance for a surprise meeting. Hi! I'm Cho Konishi! Coco's roommate!" She held out her hand to him.

Just gonna dangle there upside down for the time being.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco is walking towards the track field, approaching the gate that is by now in her sight, walking to where Yuuto is waiting for them. At this moment, the blonde girl is going over in her mind about a redacted version of how they met that excludes mentioning he is Steam Sentinel Propel, as well as how their date went, just in case Cho wants a more detailed summary.

Still, the whole thing feels rather off to a good start to her. After all, she has already told Cho Yuuto is aware of her secret, so there is no need for the pinkette to feel anxious over her risking to die, and he isn't a rulebreaker, so she doesn't see any reason for them not to get along from the start.

They have decided for all three of them to meet at their destination, so Coco is expecting her boyfriend and roommate to be there in front of each other waiting for her if both of them got there earlier. She is certainly not expecting her roommate to be dangling upside down from a pole vault bar. It is with an eyebrow raised that she questions her roommate "Are you all right, Cho? Do you need help getting down?" For now, she is leaving aside the questions of why she is up there to begin with.

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
So where is Yuuto, anyway?

As the others are setting up, Yuuto is finally visible. He's in the midsts of a run. His legs pumping, arms moving as he's at the end of his strive. A glance at his watch. One hour, eighteen minutes. He's ahead of his pace for a sixteen kilometer run. He's excited, totally going to set a new personal best!

Dressed in the workout clothes for Radiant Heart, a tight orange compression shirt fits his torso comfortably and tight, showing off the lean and sculpted physique beneath. A pair of blue sweat pants are over his legs, running shoes on his feet.

Hitting the main track, his feet crush into the red clay as he picks up the pace. Just has to get past the exercise area, run past the coach and get his time marked. He's got this...

That is until a sudden roommate ambush.

'HI! You're Shiraishi-san, right?'

A solid /yelp/ rises from Yuuto as he finds his run suddenly stopped as he loses all rhythm in the suprise greeting, his legs tangling into each other and sends him tumbling. He manages to get his hands down to control his fall as he slides along the ground, coming to a half after several feet. "Ow." he manages as he rolls over with a groan and sits up.

Just to look up at the girl upside down staring at him. "Uh... yes... yes I am..." he manages, trying to put his thoughts together. Setting a record personal best?

Not happening today! "Uh. Hi!" he finally manages, as Cho points out that she's Coco's roommate. "Hello, Cho-san." he offers as he manages to catch his thoughts and get them into some semblance of order.

Before he can say anything else, there's a glance at his watch. It's not glowing at him in warning so it's pretty safe to assume that Cho is not a youma sent to scare the heck outta him and collect those feelings.

And that's when Coco arrives, and he looks up at her as he dusts off his knees, blowing out a breath. "Hey, Coco-chan." comes the offer to his girlfriend as he works on pushing himself back up to his feet.

His coach, noticing the wipeout, writed down a few notes, shaking his head as he walks off towards the offices. Yuuto frowns a little and rubs a hand over his face. "I'll get it next time." he promises himself. And returns his focus to the two women.

Cho Konishi has posed:
In retrospect, maybe dangling upside down in front of a person when they're RUNNING like that is a bad idea. She cringed when he just... wiped out?

Oh. Ohhh that wasn't good at all. "Uhhhh, yes, a little help would be good, please. Eh... heh... oops."

Of course, once her skirt was unsnagged she'd grip the bar and do a quick little flip off it, landing on her feet with a little bend to her knees. Woo!

And then gave a little wave to Yuuto. "I, uhhh. Sorry. It seemed like a good idea at the time," she said sheepishly. "Wuwu suggested it." No. No he did not.

He would have, though. If he was here.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Cho said, putting her hands together and bowing her head. "I didn't mean to trip you up like that."

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I thought you knew following Wuwu's suggestions is a bad idea", Coco comments, remembering all the times Cho got snnoyed by the mythicsl monkey's antics.

As she reaches up to where the pole is holding her friend's skirt hostage and frees it, Coco trusts the pinkette will be able to deal with the rest. Unless she wants help with the next step too, in which case the mermaid is there to catch her on the way down.

Whatever the case, once Cho is safely on the ground, Coco turns to extends the startled boy a hand when she finds him on the ground after the surprise Cho has reserved him. "Hey, Yuuto", she smiles, appreciating how he makes even the tracksuit look good. "This turned out to be quite the dynamic first meeting", Coco adds with levity, helping him up if he accepts her hand.

She gives him a kiss on the cheek, and then confirms what the two of them already know. "Cho, this is my boyfriend Yuuto. Yuuto, my roommate and friend Cho. I think the two of you will get along."

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Shaking his head, Yuuto handles wiping out with grace as he finishes dusting himself off and turns politely when Coco goes to assist Cho with her skirt. No need to observe any of that between the two girls.

"It's all good, Konishi-san!" he offers to Cho politetly as he works his legs to to make sure that everything is working as it should. The wipeout wasn't so bad as to cause any kind of real injury, though he has hints of a road-rash on his hands where he fell and skid into the ground.

When Coco returns to him and offers her hand to him, he slips his own into hers as he moves to get to his feet. "Hello, Coco-chan." he offers in response to his girlfriend's quip and returns her kiss when she places hers.

And now that everyone is grounded and there is no more jumpscares, he gives a polite bow of his head to Cho, greeting her again. A pause and a realization. "Was there supposed to be a dinner or something? Sensei wanted me to test my long distance run today - there's a meet coming up and I'm getting practice in!" he explains to the two. "I'm sorry if I forgot."

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi gave a sheepish grin to Coco. "Yeah... yeah. It really is a bad idea. But, well. Sometimes you just wanna... make bad choices, you know?" she asked, rubbing the back of her head. "And well. That's.... kind of my thing." Poor choices.

Of course. Then Coco was KISSING A BOY! Her eyes just went wide as saucers and practically shimmered. "Eeeeeee..." she whispered, staring at the two of them. "Oh my gosh it's a mermaid princess romance... it's like a movie..."

"Oh! Right! Are we getting dinner? Dinner sounds good! You have to tell me EVERYTHING! I mean, Coco told me some things but I wanna know more things! Are you a prince? A maaaaagic prince? Eeeeee! I heard you helped her fight off the bad guys, did you like, jump in with a dramatic one liner? Throw something? Princess carry her out of danger? Tell me all about iiiiit!" And she was practically hopping with excitement.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Well, Coco, had been given his timetable and all precisely so she could visit him here, so they are the ones a little early, if anything. "You are fine, we just came here before things ended", Coco replies as Yuuto pull back after the soft kiss he has given.

"Yes, but they tend to be your poor choices, not Wuwu", she quips back. "At least, this is not as bad as the time you sped through the city carrying me", Coco reminds her, sure Cho too still remembers the event well. Not like Coco hadn't accepted doing it for the way back despite the consequences.

"To me, this feels better than a movie", she says with a shine in her eyes. "This is quite real, after all. Though, that matter has to be brushed aside as Cho starts swarming Yuuto with questions. "Cho, remember to breathe. Nobody here is disappearing", she lighly reminds her friend. And better not to make Yuuto feel exhausted on their first encounter.

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
"Oh, so you're Coco-chan's shoulder devil." Yuuto offers with a hint of playful amusement as he watches Cho's reactions and he smirks slightly at the way she almost seems more excited than Coco about getting kissed.

That is probably a lie, though.

And there's a barrage of questions. "I should probably shower and change if we're getting dinner, I've been running for the last hour." he starts with the easiest question first. Then he's being asked if he's a magic prince. His eyes blink a few times in confusion.

And he shakes his head ruefully. "No, nothing like that." he murmurs, glancing down, his cheeks darkening. "I was late to the concert and when I got there, it was already in trouble. I just... I guess I missed enough of the song I wasn't enthrealled and all I did was run around and distract the villain. Coco-chan was the real hero. Her song was so strong and uplifting and sweet... I just couldn't help but to say yes when she suggested we go on a date."

"And she took me to the gardens and we were walking around. And there was this plant she showed me that she said reminded me of her..." he chuckles. "...it was called a lipstick plant, so I asked if that means she wanted to kiss me... so we did."

But then, he's turning the tables as he keeps his hand in Coco's, their fingers loosely linked together. "What movie would you say it was, Coco?" he asks her playfully, but to Cho he adds.

"So how long have you two known each other? Is she a good roommate? She doesn't snore right?" That one is asked teasingly, but it's important to know, for reasons! Just in case. "What do you like most about living with her?"

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi just gave the most innocent of smiles she could. Coco was entirely right, of course. "What? Noooo! I'm more like her... uhhhh... encouraging friend. Maaaaybe the monkey on her back. Definitely a bad influence, though. Oh. Ohhhhh! Coco, you asked HIM out?! Oh my gosh, you're so badass!" she shrieked, flailing her hands a little bit. Ohhhhh.

"Her songs are the best, aren't they? They're so nice and warm and make you feel like you can do anything!"

And then she gave another squeak at the lipstick plant, gasping. "Ohhhhh. Ohhhhh that was smooth. Way to go." It was unclear which of them she meant by that.

"We've been roommates for about... ummmm... six... months? I think? since I started coming here. She's an AMAZING roommate. She has little otters that come by sometimes. And she hasn't lit Wuwu on fire, so she has a high tolerance. As for snoring, well... she's in another room, so at least no louder than Wuwu. But I don't know if mermaids can snore. Too magical. And... well... as for living with her?"

"... She's comforting. She's like this warm, lovely presence that always has my back. She doesn't really ask for much and like... she's a great swimming buddy, and she's encouraging, supporting, she's friendly, honest. Sweet as a button. Generous, a lovely singing voice. And if I ever get corrupted by dark energy I know her song could bring me back. So there's like... a many awesome things about her. It's hard to pick one. Which is your favorite thing about her? Also, do you live in the dorms? Do you have a roommate? Ohhh! We should all get sushi together!"

... She may have adopted the role of Coco's cheerleader.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"The one and only, and unreplaceable", Coco smirks at Yuuto's title for Cho. She would agree with the assessment Cho's excitement besting hers over the kiss. She was the one who got the experience it, as well as the one who said, it feels better than the romance movie Cho has referenced.

"I will miss that shirt later", she throws in a little flirting before the dinner. "Though it did a good job hugging you while I wasn't here." She totally doesn't have any shame or reservations about comments like that.

And Coco just smiles when Yuuto summarises their first date. "I couldn't help it", she replies as Cho commends her over asking me out. "You should listen to him talk about his passion. It's like he transmits you that same energy that motivates him. I couldn't just let go without at least trying, you know?" she beams intensely as she gives her side of the events. "And he is just as much of an attentive listener as he is a talker."

Despite being a mermaid herself, she isn't suddenly an expert over movies of that kind, so she deflects the answer off to Yuuto herself. "I wouldn't know that, but I am sure you do. Why don't you try pairing our experience with a movie?", she challenges him, lightly squeezing his hand.

And Coco turns warm inside as Cho compliments her with high praise. It's great to know how much she means to her. "Though, you are just as special of a friend to me, Cho", she smiles at the pinkette. "You have always had my back despite how absurd or problematic the situation has been. And I wouldn't be where I am today without you."

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Listening while Cho gives Coco the best and most glowing roommate review /ever/, Yuuto can only give his girlfriend a grin. "You totally sound like you deserve a Prince," he offers to Coco playfully. And she can probably tell he's on the verge of selling himself short.

But apparently the conversation turns and Yuuto has no choice but to keep up as she flirts with him about his shirt and he blushes. "It's helps me with controlling my breathing when running." he explains. "I can't take too deep of a breath, so I maxamize the use of my lungs? Or something like that one. Keep coming out to practice and you'll see it more." he teases.

"And of course, I hope you'll make a meet or two. I mean, it'd be nice to have someone cheer for me." he admits quietly, before shaking his head. "I live in the boys dorm. No roommate at the moment, so it's pretty open for me." he explains.

And then it's back on him again. He considers the question for a moment, and finally makes a decision.

"Serendipity." That's his movie choice. "It's about a couple that meet by chance and spend their relationship looking for signs that they are meant to be. They do all these experiments, and when one fails, it seems their relationship is doomed to fail as well. They meet other people and when it seems that their life is about to go in seperate paths - they meet again. And through a series of events, they find out that their last experiment was actually a success and they fell in love all over again."

It may not be the best choice, but he really has not seen many romantic movies. So he may not quite grasp the concept of what she's looking for. But at least he got the happy ever part down?

But he can't help but to grin a little as the pair of them praise each other over how awesome the other is. That's perfectly fine for him.

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi gasped, her hands covering her mouth at Coco's just... well. Forwardness. It seemed Mermaids just did it differently. Wow... And, frankly? Seeing her friend so... happy? It warmed her heart. "Passionate people ARE the best kind of people, I can't say I'm surprised," Cho said warmly.

And the praise from the mermaid brought a bit of a rosy red to her own cheeks as well. "Hee. Well, I guess we just bring out the best in each other. Oh, by the way. I'm Cure Wukong. I... don't know if she told you that. But there, now you know. I always call her my Tripitaka, cause she's kind of the like... purifying... smart, clever person to my brute force. Also, she can throw *stages*. How cool is *that?*"

However, his movie of choice made her pause. "Can... you uhhh... actually do that? I mean, scientific tests to see if you belong together? I didn't think that was really a possible... I mean, it's cool if you can! I just kind of assumed it was a like... it just happened if it happened, you know?" she asked, idly poking her fingers together.

"The shirt thing sounds useful. Training your lungs and all that. Is that why you can uhhh... run... so well... I really am sorry about doing that. I probably should have thought before doing it. I'm still kind of... not... always the best at thinking things through sometimes." All the time.

"So, right, head back to your place, you clean up, wipe off all the sweat, then we can go get lunch? I wanna hear all about you! What kind of hobbies do you have? Ohhhh. Have you gone swimming with Coco yet? It's amazing. You get to see a whole new side of the ocean. It's just, wow. Like nothing you've ever experienced before!"

Coco Kiumi has posed:
"I think I already found the Prince I need", Coco winks at him. "He is kind, energetic, and handsome on top. I think that's all I could ever ask, and I am glad to have him just as much he has me."

Which is followed by her nodding along with a pleased expression at his invitation. Don't mind if she does, and the thought of him feeling better if he has her to provide him moral support is nice too. "Consider it done, I will definitely come cheer for you", she promises, her tone making it clear how serious she is.

The subject turns from romances with mermaids to general romances, and despite the surprise she doesn't mind the change, though she would have had a answer to give then. Oh well. "I don't think you need a scientific test to determine whether you can fall in love", she comments, looking at Yuuto endearingly. "If they actually pushed through all those tests, it means they cared for each other all along and they had already passed their test." Then again, she is basing her judgement on Yuuto's summary, so maybe she is missing something she would understand from seeing the whole movie.

Does the visit to her palace counts as them swimming together? They were swimming at the same time as each other, but she would say it doesn't with how much the focus was on letting him explore around. The two of them actually sharing time in the sea as they stay side to side with each other? Of course, to a mermaid that means a lot. Still, the question is to him, and she awaits his answer.

"The stages I throw are those big spheres of white light with the radius of a diameter of a car for two you saw", she clarifies with a small grin.

"I think letting Yuuto go back so he can prepare and we all enjoy our meal is a good plan", she chimes in with an agreement.

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
"Speaking of movies! Did you see the flier in the commons? There's going to be a Cinema Club. I'm going to check it out tomorrow night. Would you like to go?" Yuuto asks of the pair of them. Of course, he means it as a date with Coco, but since it's a group activity, why not invite Cho, so they can all meet more people?

But then, the subject turns to the henshin. Yuuto considers, and Coco will feel his fingers tighten in Coco's. She's the only one that knows so far. Green eyes look from Cho to Coco, getting a read from her and then back to Cho. A decision considered and then made. A little gesture with his arm, the one with the wrist-cuff watch on it. "Gadgets and Gizmos." he comments.

"I guess I should share a bit of a secret then. I was helping Coco-chan because I'm really fast." he explains. "I'm a Steam Sentinel. Go by Propel. As far as I know, I'm the only one of me, though Tinker keeps telling me there are others. We just haven't found them yet."

There, he lets it out and he actually steps closer to Coco, his hand more firmly in hers. "I will do my best to make you a happy Princess, Coco-chan." he teases her, before he considers the weight of tests for romance. "I figure, when you meet someone, you will feel a spark if there's an interest. And I felt that with Coco before she even took me to show me that she was a mermaid princess. I saw a powerful, strong, elegant and beautiful woman standing up to defend those that could not defend themselves and I was immediately smitten with her before she sung her first word to me."

"She did take me to her palace, but I was still in my gear at the time - I suppose, for it to count, I should let her see me in a swimsuit~" he teases Coco. "Though it's still very cold here. It may have to wait. At least until she takes me to her underwater garden. Which is what really got me thinking about sculpting her. It was, you know, just the realization I may never meet another like her again and I wanted to hold onto her with both hands, and try to show her what I see every time I look at her?" He might be a bit smitten.

"Ah!" he finally learns what the stages actually are. "Got it. They looked like a good way to transport yourself." But yes, he clears his throat. "Right, I'll get cleaned up and we can go get some food together." he offers, turning to kiss Coco again lightly. "I'll be back in a few." Grabbing his gym back, he jogs towards the locker room, after getting their answers on the movie - and giving them a moment to talk among themselves.

Cho Konishi has posed:
Cho Konishi let out a soft gasp, her eyes going wide. "Eeeee! He's going to--" Then she paused. "Wait... WOULD he become a prince then? Ohhhhh. That'd be cool. That's... how it goes, right? If like, you date a... no, nevermind. It's underwater stuff anyway," she said, shaking her head. "Either way, that sounds great, we could make you banners and stuff, too!" And the fact the guy knew about the mermaid thing and, well... didn't mind? Only made him better. At least, in Cho's eyes.

"Oh, I actually have plans tomorrow. But well, I'm sure you two could have a lot of fun there."

Gadgets and gizmos, huh. A steam sentinel? "I... don't think I have seen any steam sentinels... hmmm... If I see any, though, I'll mention you. Propel... that sounds so cool. I hope we can work together soon. Well, I guess... kinda. If we did, it'd mean we were fighting and that's bad. But... team work is great. Heh... and yeah. She really is. The most elegant mermaid I've ever seen."

... Only mermaid she'd ever seen.

"I can't wait to see the sculpture, though. And yeah.... now... likely isn't a good time to go swimming without magic. Hypothermia is no joking matter. And definitely don't let her go. Sometimes... well, you only meet one person like that. Letting her go would not be a smart thing. Also, uhhhh. Be careful of like... the water thing. And the... ehhh, I'm sure she told you."

She waved when he ran off and then... "Eeeeee!" She practically hug tackled Coco once they were alone! "Oh my gosh you got yourself a magical boyfriend! That's so cooool! It's just like the little mermaid! Minus the... whole... boat thing. And the dog. And he has magic too. And..." Blink. "Well, okay, it's nothing like that but eeeee!" If nothing else, she was encouraging.

Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco did in fact see the flier in the common. She was considering that maybe she ought to stay out of it, but it is Yuuto's invitation that makes her reconsider and actually give her participation. "I am not sure how much I can adlib, but I will do my best. It sounds fun anyway", she confirms her participation to Yuuto.

And she really has nothing to share when the subject becomes revealing their henshin - knowing she was a mermaid automatically meant knowing about her magic heritage - but she says one thing to Cho about Yuuto. "Yes, he was Propel when he helped me, took the attention away from me long enough to let me sing."

The explanation of what he saw in her turns Coco all giddy, and she gives him another kiss on the cheek. Since she had been sharing what she saw in him, it's actually quite nice to hear him do the same for her, especially since she knows he isn't that forward.

"My underwater garden is warm, so I will look forward to seeing you there, and of course, with a swimsuit", she confirms, not minding at all the bonus he chose to add.

Coco nods towards Cho. "It's very possible he will become a prince one day if he becomes my husband. His chances in that regard are quite good", she comments, or maybe reveals would be more apt, because saying that has serious implications for Yuuto. "I will look forward to that, personally."

It's a bit sad Cho won't be there, but nothing to do there. At least they see each other all the time. Perks of being roommates.

"He is being a perfect gentleman and gifting it to me after, so you will actually see his sculpture a lot, Cho", she shares that particular info. He probably doesn't care as much about keeping it when he has the model by his side.

And when they are alone, Coco enthusiastically exclaims "I know, right? This is so great. I really hope we stick to it for the long term, because I don't think I want it to ever end. I feel so happy with him." And now they have a dinner to look forward too, ah, she is so blessed.

Yuuto Shiraishi has posed:
Once the conversation has shifted and he's moved away, Yuuto takes a short time to shadow. It gives him a chance to consider everything. Including the thought that he could end up being Coco's Prince.

And what that could entail. There's no rush. Plenty of time to discuss it. At least that's what he decides.

After cleaning up and coming back out, he's dressed in a comfortable school hoodie matched with blue jeans and a different pair of shoes. "Ready!" he calls out to the pair, his arm slipped in against Coco. "Let's go eat." And with that, an evening of new friendships and discoveries is begun!