1170/Bento A Go Go

Bento A Go Go
Date of Scene:	23 February 2024
Location:	Cafeteria Plaza
Synopsis:	Chiyo runs into Kukai while at the konbini. They talk awhile, reveal their magical nature, and make plans for later!
Cast of Characters:	Chiyo Sakai, Kukai Soma

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Chiyo Sakai has posed:
There was still a good chunk of time for lunch, but those who had come right away to the cafeteria were already making their way out to spend the rest of the free time doing whatever it was they wanted. Chiyo was among some of the ones heading for the door having already visited with friends for awhile, as well as thoroughly embarassed herself by clambering half up on the table in an attempt to try to grab Hitomi before she fell into Katsumi and his dog, Kobo. She hadn't managed it, but she had managed to potentially flash half the cafeteria due to it and now that she had parted ways her hands were stead-fastly tugging down on the hem of her skirt while she steals nervous, embarassed glances along the rows of tables she passes by in her hurry to the door.

It's quite possible no one had seen of course. The collision with Katsumi and his seeing eye dog was likely eye catching enough, and she had only been trying to help. Yet the worry is there, in the back of her mind, and now that she was walking out she was just... concerned. Embarassed. And in a hurry to get to the club rooms so she risks one last glance over her shoulder toward the table her friends were at as she starts out the doors not watching where she was going this time herself.

Kukai Soma has posed:
And in classic fashion, the girl runs straight into a cute boy as he takes the turn and enters into the cafeteria. They're both going fast enough that it's a pretty rough collision, and it's enough of a bump to send the girl stumbling towards a nasty fall. Kukai was on his way in from some study time, and he has a binder of papers in his arm, and his backpack over his shoulder. He's a very athletic and sturdy kid, and the bump doesn't phase him, but as he sees the girl begin to fall, he drops the binder and backpack in an instant.

All of the kids in the area turn their heads to watch as Kukai closes the distance with the ease of a pro-athlete, dropping to a knee and catching her. She ends up in his arms, laying back against them, with him looking down at her. Instead of laughter at her fall, the kids all begin immediatly gasping and gossiping about the catch, and the two of them. Teeangers, you know? He holds her tight, furrowing his brow. "Are you okay, miss?," he asks, leaning down a bit before he recognizes her. "Oh! Sakai-chan! Are you okay? Ugh, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Hit? Bah what's a hit to Chiyo? She was built tough and strong and sturdy and she was completely off balance due to her odd hands-on-skirt posture mixed with not looking where she was going. A little squeak escapes her as air rushes out of her lungs and she careens backwards with a sudden squeeze of her eyes shutting to brace for impact!

An impact that comes in a decidedly different form as Kukai catches her. Remembering to breathe she sucks in a quick breath feeling her heart racing from the sudden surge of adrenaline from the unexpected impact and near-crash.

"S-Soma-kun! Sorry, I wasn't watching either, I..." The whispered voices of the kids causes her to pause as she realizes the position they were in. Didn't she once think similar things having seen Minako be caught by ... who was it again? It certainly hadn't been the romantic collision like in manga at the time.

"Sorry," she utters quietly, her voice far more timid here at school than she had been at the konbini, or would be at her shop. "I'm fine. I just need to get out of here," she lets out in a quick rush of words as she tries not to redden further. "I kind of embarassed myself earlier and this is probably not helping either now thank you for catching me though."

Kukai Soma has posed:
He blinks at that and nods. The boy slowly rises, bringing her back to her feet with his arms around her. It's like she weighs nothing, and the strength in his strong shoulders and arms is CLEARLY seen by the girls observing the scene, if the tittering is noted. "It's fine. Nothing to be sorry for. One sec." He crouchs to scoop up his dropped things, and he rises back to his feet.

"Aw, you already ate? ...Embarassed yourself?" He glances about at the other students and considers for a moment, before the boy flashes her a smile. "Well, let's get out of here, then. Mind chilling on the grass outside the cafeteria with me, then? I made a bento this morning and I was just gonna eat it alone, but...some company would be nice? No pressure, though. Seriously."

Daichi peeks out from his backpack and covers his mouth, amused by the circumstances before he vanishes back into his hidey-hole. "Some fresh air and friendly company to cool your cheeks? Plus, I'll even share one of my little octopus sausages if you're lucky!" His smile is very friendly and playful, as if he's trying to calm her and make her smile.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai lifts a hand to press over her eyes a moment with thumb and forefinger rubbing her temples. Just for a half moment, then her hand drops away again. Raised up to her feet again, she mumbles another quiet thanks before looking past him to the exit.

Did she already eat? Looking back to Kukai she smiles sheepishly. "Yeah, I was eating with some friends but kind of... I'll explain later," she utters not sure if she really wanted to or not. The suggestion of outside, on the grass, earns a bit of a perplexed expression.

"Ah, sure we can... You know it's still cold out though? I mean we can go yes," she agrees with a chuckle. "If you're sure. Otherwise I think I know some empty rooms."

Kukai Soma has posed:
He glances outside and then offers a lopsided grin. "...An empty room sounds better, actually. Got ahead of myself with the grass, thing. Sure, sure. Lead the way." He tucks his binder under his arm. The label reads something about the soccer club. He makes a sweeping gesture for her to take the lead, and then falls in beside her to follow.

"I've had my share of embarassing situations. You can tell me what happened if you want to. I promise I won't laugh."

Kukai smiles and waves to some other students in passing. He seems to already be growing in popularity, even though he's one of the new kids. It makes sense, though. He's charming, handsome and very outgoing. A born extrovert. But Kukai doesn't give any of the girls looking his way more then the same polite and friendly greeting he does any of the boys (Much to some clear dissapointment). Nope, he focuses on walking with and talking to Chiyo.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai is just a bit relieved that outside is going to be on hold for now. When it was warmer out, and the sun was shining, that would be exactly where she'd want to be. For now she leads the way to the Manga Club Room which as expected was pretty empty this time of day. The shelves here are lined with series of manga, well worn and well taken care of as well. Stepping inside she nods toward the chairs and tables that were neatly arranged.

"I was going to come here anyway. I wnated to see if any of the new manga had come in. ... We do have a picnic blanket in the cupboard if you want to pretend we're outside enjoying the sun," she suggests.

"As for my embarassment, I kind of... Maybe flashed the cafeteria." There's a little grimace as she speaks, reaching up again to rub at her face. "One of the new girls got up too quick and tripped over Katsumi-kun's seeing eye dog, and I kind of tried to catch her. Ended up halfway over the table and I'm wearing a skirt today."

Kukai Soma has posed:
He slings his backpack off and sets the binder down, too. "Oh, an indoor picnic! Fun. Sure." He finds the blanket and lays it out for them, pushing back any stuff that needs it beforehand. As she explains what happened, the boy winces and nods. "Aw, wow. I'm sorry that happened. I can't imagine how embarassed you must be."

Daichi comes flying out at this point and waves to Chiyo. The mascot lands on one of the manga shelves and begins pacing and taking in the various titles. "I wouldn't worry too much, though. If it's any consolation, I'm sure the 'catch' will spread a lot more gossip then your flash. Only the idiots will talk about the 'flash', and you shouldn't worry about their opinions, anyway."

He kneels and sets his bento out. He pops the lid off, revealing rice and little octopus sausages, as well as little rolls of egg and a few other things. It looks very tasty! "Not that that info will make you feel instantly better, of course. And, I guess the 'catch' could be pretty embarassing, too, but...for that one, at least, it all depends on how you look at it!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai helps to move some of the tables nudging them aside with gentle pushes until there's a good open spot on the floor at the front of the classroom. The light through the windows was bright at least, even if it was still cold outside. With the blanket set down she sinks down to kneel swinging her bag to the side to rest next to her.

It's while Daichi explores the manga that she undoes the flap of her bag and reaches inside to pull out a few wrapped treats that she nudges toward Kukai out of habit. There was always something sweet inside her bag to hand out.

"Maybe. It's not like many know me to begin with outside of the shop. Maybe no one did notice. I'm just worried." A little smile is flashed. "Thanks for the save though."

Kukai Soma has posed:
"Aw. You seem cool. People should know you." He smiles as treats are nudged his way. He takes one and unwraps it, before setting it in his bento. He takes one of the eggs and one of the sausages and puts them on the wrapper, then, pushing it back to her. He begins to eat as they talk.

So, I know you were taking a break from work before because of what happened. Are you back to it now? Or still taking it easy?," he asks curiously.

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai looks to the offered sausage and egg with a bit of a grin. It was rare someone offered HER food. She was always the one bringing snacks and treats to share. Part of it was to help promote the shop, of course, but it was also a holdover from when she was too shy to easily make friends in school. Something she'd grown out of quite a bit in the past year.

"I haven't transformed since then, but I did take the time suggested to rest. I guess I should see if everything is still working all right. Besides," she remarks with a sigh as she lifts her head to glance out at the windows. "I should get back to patrolling soon. There's another healer around, but usually I'm the one that they would come to so I could cook up some healing snacks. It's not as good as a full on healer, though." Still she was sometimes needed and she worried that she wasn't able to help if there were still issues with her powers.

The little sausage is picked up to pop into her mouth with a smile. "Thanks. What about you? Have you been off exploring lately?"

Kukai Soma has posed:
The boy watches her with a small smile as he works on his own meal. He pulls out a boxed drink and pops in the straw, sipping on it a bit. "You're a healer? That's cool. Sounds very useful! And yeah, a bit. I jo-"

"Hey! Do you have any sports manga? This shelf is all romantic junk!," pipes up Daichi, and Kukai offers an apologetic laugh. "Daichi! Find it yourself!" The fairy grumbles and hops to another shelf.

"A bit, yeah. Mostly the few blocks around the school as I ease into it. Being away from home isn't new to me, since I spent the school years in a dorm in middle school and such, and flew home during breaks. But the size of the city is super mind-boggling to me. I don't even know where to really start!"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Not really a healer. I was just all we had for awhile," Chiyo explains with a little chuckle at the thought. "I'm Culinary Guardian Daifuku. I fight, but I can also cook things while changed that will purify and heal to some extent." Her gaze slips back over toward the complaining Daichi and she gestures off to a shelf stating, "There, but don't expect it not to include romance as well in the sports section. Just to warn you," she remarks with amusement. "There's more girls in manga club than you'd expect."

A light nod is given while her attention returns to Kukai listening to the explanation. "Easiest way is to try to get a map to familiarize yourself, probably. I grew up here so it's easier for me--but even I find the city from the rooftops to look different." Another look is cast to the windows, then back to Kukai. "Oh, and then there's 'The Shed' which is a safe spot for those of us to gather so we can help each other out. I'll have to show you sometime. There's a trick to getting into it."

Kukai Soma has posed:
Daichi flies over to the shelf as it's pointed out, and begins rifling through the titles. Kukai grins as he watches him, before turning back towards Chiyo. "Well, that sounds like a really cool collection of powers. Mine are all sports-related, so...mostly about going fast and dealing damage and stuff like that. But I haven't unlocked my full form yet. It'll happen someday, though."

He leans back against a chair as he takes a break from eating his bento, holding one of the girl's tasty treats in his hand. He takes a bite of it and makes a pleased sound. "Ugh, so good. Seriously. And, well, mabye you can show me some of the cool places around town to hang out when we have a free day, along with the shed?"

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
Chiyo Sakai leans one hand down on the ground so her legs can slide to the side just a bit rather than have her full weight on them. The other hand reaches down for the egg he'd also offered to take carefully. Given the potential mess she just takes it and the wrapper that the mochi treat had originally been on to take a nibble.

"Sure. I can introduce you to some people too. My cousin seems to be really popular, and knows a ton of people. Plus she's probably one of the stronger mahou around," she adds with a chuckle of amusement. The fact they'd found out they were related still amused her a great deal.

"I'm sure your skills will come in handy. There's always a need for help when something pops up." As for places to hang? That she has to consider. "There's the arcade, the mall, oh and Korma Chamelone. Great place to grab some fusion curry."

Kukai Soma has posed:
"I'd love to make some more friends," he says with a smile. He finishes off the treat she gave him and brushes his fingers back through his auburb hair. "I had a bunch of friends at my last school, so it feels kind of weird to have to make new ones. But, if they're half as charming as you are, it'll be a breeze."

He puts the lid back on his bento box, setting his chopsticks back into their little holder atop it. "Hit me up anytime if you need some extra muscle for a fight. I'd love to help."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"I'm sure it's hard being somewhere new. I'll be happy to help however I can. I was never great at making friends until this past year, myself. I was always a bit too quiet, and soft spoken, I think." That had changed. Boy how it had. Smiling softly she grins again with a nod. "I'll be sure to do that. I do have your phone number after all."

"If you're free after school you should swing by Nounamu Sweets. It's not the most exciting place but I'll be working there for a couple of hours before going on patrol. Plus there's always candy and tea," she explains with a laugh. "Plenty of that."

Kukai Soma has posed:
"If you'll be working I'll definatly make time," Kukai says with a chuckle. He rubs the back of his head a bit as he considers a few things. He sideglances at Daichi, and notes he is currently distracted with a sports manga. Good.

"Hey...and feel free to say no, but...would you wanna try...going out sometime? Just the two of us? Grab some ramen or hit up the arcade or something? Like...a date? I'd love a chance to get to know you better."

He quickly adds a flustered: "It's fine if you don't want to. Don't feel pressured."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"Great! Yeah, swing by. I do have to run around to help out customers and fill orders, but Ojiisan always likes it when I have friends visit. I think he worries about me," Chiyo explains with a fond smile as she thinks of her grandfather. He wasn't over protective, but he did try to look out for her.

The question was completely unexpected.

For a moment she just blinks at Kukai regarding the admittedly cute boy she'd only just begun to know. Her mind works a moment, considering... Before looking to the side. "I... Maybe?" There's a long, awkward pause before she risks speaking again, keeping her voice low so Daichi doesn't tune in. Hopefully.

"I've never dated before. And I do have a crush on someone, and he knows, but he's dating a friend of mine. A guy."

Risking a look back over she offers a soft smile. "Not saying no, I'm just making sure you realize what you might be getting into."

Kukai Soma has posed:
"Hey, what's the potential of high school romance without some possibility for drama sprinkled in, right?," he replies with an easy smile. "And who knows? We could go out a few times and mabye we don't click. But I'm all about taking chances. Pushing myself. It's one of the reasons I got my powers to begin with. The idea of asking you out has made me scared since you gave me your number, but...that's one of the reasons I pushed myself to do it. If we let fear win we don't get anything worthwhile in life."

Daichi glances up briefly, but clearly hasn't clued into the conversation, because he goes back to the manga. Whew.

"We can start easy. You and me getting something to eat after school somewhere off-campus. Mabye taking a walk to the park after to help our food settle. We can talk and get to know eachother and...mabye you'll end up thinking I'm as cute as I find you. Mabye not. But I'd rather risk it then not say anything."

Chiyo Sakai has posed:
"That... That's true. And brave," Chiyo adds quietly with her expression softening a bit over the situation. It had been a rather emotional day for her all around, but this part was rather nice. A quick bobbing nod is given and her hand lifts to sweep a few errant curls behind her ear again. "Okay. I'd like that, then. Yeah."

"We can do that sometime."

Kukai Soma has posed:
That makes his smile a downright beaming one. "Cool. Well, I'll hit you up in text and we can work out the details. And, hey, mabye if we have fun, date #2 can be us patrolling in our henshins or...something. I dunno. Keep it exciting." He finishes off his box of juice.