Yumeko sighed at him, fists on her hips, and joined him on the old bench. At the other end of the clearing, in the light of the bonfires, people kept partying, but it was quiet so close to the river.
"Alright, don't make me torture it out of you. I'd love to talk all night with you, but Ken will be looking for me pretty soon. So... Is it about Rika?"
Hiroshi shrugged. "No... Yeah. Kind of." Quietly; "I liked her but... I don't miss her. It was the same with Nanako. They were nice, they were cute, but..." Even more quietly, so the water gurgled over his words, almost covering them. "I think I'm still in love with your cousin."
Yumeko watched him for a few seconds, sitting with his head bowed, hands clenched together.
Then she bopped him on the back of the head.
"No you're not, stupid. You know what you've got? You've got a case of 'my perfect little suburbian life is the most boring thing and girls who fit in there only make it worse,' and since she's a hot ninja chick and she's never going to come back and make you deal with the real her, she's perfect to pine for."
Hiroshi spluttered. Yumeko got up, dusted off her jeans, and dragged him up on his feet.
"Come on, Sanae brought her goth friends. I'll introduce you."
"But they're all weirdoes!"
Yumeko snorted at him. "Yeah, and you know what they're not going to be? Boring. Come on, take a chance."
99. Solitude
"No, I'm not," the boy lied, badly.
Yumeko sighed at him, fists on her hips, and joined him on the old bench. At the other end of the clearing, in the light of the bonfires, people kept partying, but it was quiet so close to the river.
"Alright, don't make me torture it out of you. I'd love to talk all night with you, but Ken will be looking for me pretty soon. So... Is it about Rika?"
Hiroshi shrugged. "No... Yeah. Kind of." Quietly; "I liked her but... I don't miss her. It was the same with Nanako. They were nice, they were cute, but..." Even more quietly, so the water gurgled over his words, almost covering them. "I think I'm still in love with your cousin."
Yumeko watched him for a few seconds, sitting with his head bowed, hands clenched together.
Then she bopped him on the back of the head.
"No you're not, stupid. You know what you've got? You've got a case of 'my perfect little suburbian life is the most boring thing and girls who fit in there only make it worse,' and since she's a hot ninja chick and she's never going to come back and make you deal with the real her, she's perfect to pine for."
Hiroshi spluttered. Yumeko got up, dusted off her jeans, and dragged him up on his feet.
"Come on, Sanae brought her goth friends. I'll introduce you."
"But they're all weirdoes!"
Yumeko snorted at him. "Yeah, and you know what they're not going to be? Boring. Come on, take a chance."
He licked his dry lips, hesitated.
Let her pull him to his feet.
"...I really did like your cousin, you know?"
"I know. Now stop hiding behind her and go."