[It's an average day for Karamatsu Matsuno. One of those days where he and his brothers spent several long hours of their morning just sitting around in the den not really doing much of anything. Nothing productive, that's for sure. Once their daily nothing quota had been filled, they split off to do their own thing. Karamatsu had been planning on heading to the roof to practice with his guitar as usual, but something stopped him today.
Maybe he'd go fishing instead.
He struck out for town, thinking about the events of that morning as he made his way, hands pushed into his jacket pockets. He thinks about how he and his brothers talked about things over breakfast, and about how- when he started to talk about an interesting dream he'd had that night- Osomatsu talked over him and said something about trying his hand at Pachinko today. Jyushimatsu asked Todomatsu to pass the soy sauce. Soon, what Karamatsu said was forgotten and they continued as normal. He said nothing and kept eating, listening to the others chat away.
It was normal. That's just how things went, and soon Karamatsu forgot just as quickly as his brothers did. He never paid mind to the way it was just a little bit harder to keep smiling each time it happened, but it wasn't noticeable enough to be an issue.
He finds himself stopping near the bridge that crosses the canal splitting the two sides of the city, leaning against the edge of the railing so he can watch people walking in and out of a nearby string of stores. Nobody looked his way as they passed, even though he'd been this way so many times that even complete strangers seemed familiar sometimes.]
[Truly, shopping for new sandals should not be such an ordeal.
This is a new part of town for Aya, explored on the advice of a recent customer for the flower shop. And it wasn't that the expedition itself had been troublesome. She found the area and the shoe store along the strip of shops by the canal just fine. She'd even found a few other stores she wanted to come back to on a day she had more time to kill. No, the problem with her excursion was that the selection at this particular shop was far too amazing and the prices just a little too high, limiting her budget to one pair.
This was the heart of her dilemma. After weighing all the options for comfort, style, versatility and being flattering on her feet, she had it down to two, and there she was stuck. Pity Sakura wasn't around to tote on these shopping adventures anymore; she really would have liked her friend's opinion right about then.
Never let it be said Aya was lacking in resourcefulness, however. No friend on site? No problem: make a new one! She frowns and scans the streets for someone to tug over. Most of them are en route to somewhere else, of course-- better not to flag down one of them. They'll be wanting to get to where they're going. She sees someone hanging out on the bridge though... he doesn't look busy. Bonus: leather jacket and shades! Aya hastily drops the shoes and hurries over, and she has to stop herself from just grabbing his arm and starting to tug him over preemptively. Instead, she tucks a bit of hair behind her ear and flashes a hopeful smile.]
Excuse me! Are you busy? I just need a cool person's opinion on something, won't take a minute! Will you help me?
[Well she's definitely in luck, because Karamatsu is never busy, nor does he ever really know where he's going. One thing he isn't used to, however, is having strangers come up and talk to him first, particularly not other girls. Especially not girls like Aya, who are so far out of Karamatsu's league that they might as well be on another planet. It's for this reason that he doesn't realize she's even talking to him until she says the one word that gets his attention.]
...Cool?
[He echoes, reaching up to pull his glasses down just enough so he can peer at her over the top of them, as if doing so would make her disappear and turn out to be some sort of daydream he'd imagined up. But there she is, smiling up at him so sweetly that he can feel his heart clenching in his chest. He actually has to pause to find his voice, something that doesn't happen often with Karamatsu.
Just like that he's back in action, pushing his glasses back into place as he mirrors her grin with one of his own, his other hand moving to brush his bangs out of his eyes.]
Well, you've asked the right person. Whatever help you need, I will assist you, my dear.
[He could cry, he could really cry. Has one of his Karamatsu girls finally arrived? He wishes someone was around to pinch him, but he doesn't want to wake up either.]
[Something about him is weirdly cute, Aya thinks. She can't quite describe what it is. An air about him that he isn't quite as above-it-all as his appearance first suggests. She likes it; it makes him more approachable. He's personable, too, not seeming to have any reservations about offering help even to a stranger. Aya beams more broadly.]
Perfect! It's just over here, at the shoe store...
[With a bounce in her step, Aya leads him back from the bridge, her twin plaits bobbing and swishing to the beat of her stride. The two pairs of shoes are right where she left them; Aya quickly kicks off her owned pair and slides her feet into one of each sandal she's agonizing over. Then she turns around and clasps her hands behind her.]
[Aya would probably be the first to call Karamatsu approachable. It's more common that people are trying to get as far away from him as possible, or trying to distract his attention so they can ditch him while he's not looking. Usually not hard when he gets wrapped up in one of his trademark, painful speeches about something or other.
Karamatsu follows Aya over to the shop, still marveling over his unbelievable luck. Luck that he doesn't usually have. But he just needs to play it cool...maybe then nothing will happen to make this go awry.
His interest is not at all feigned when she shows him the shoes, a hand lifting to rest thoughtfully against his chin. Or maybe he's...posing? Probably both.]
My...you have a rather keen eye for fashion. I dare say that both pairs look absolutely stunning on you.
[In all honesty, it would be easy to just pick one or the other to appease her. They're both equally nice pairs of shoes...but Karamatsu knows that isn't quite going to do.
He tips his head to the side slightly, raising a brow behind those shades of his.]
Actually...how about I purchase the second pair for you?
[It's said before he can stop himself or even rethink that offer. How much are the shoes? Does he even have enough to buy them? Surely, he must...even if he has to give up every last cent on his person.]
[Aya's expression quickly shifts from good humor to horrified shock. Wow, that escalated fast! Where did that come from? Maybe he means well, but it's way too much. These are expensive shoes, and they're perfect strangers.]
No, that's okay! I didn't mean it like that at all... I was just looking for a quick opinion.
[Karamatsu just shakes his head, seemingly unphased by how much the shoes may or may not be.]
I know- but I think those shoes would be put to far better use in your possession! Then their beauty will not go to waste as they languish in the window of this shop.
[Sweet, sort of. It's mostly just really awkward that he didn't take the hint the first time. Aya feels rather horrible now. If she'd had any idea something like this was going to happen, she wouldn't have asked him.]
[That's Karamatsu for you. When in the presence of a pretty young girl (a prospective Karamatsu girl, if you will) his usual tendency to not be very perceptive about things gets even worse, meaning that he isn't really picking up on her discomfort. All he can think about is assisting her in not only what she'd asked of him, but by also doing her a service in making her day.
At least, that had been the plan.
It's her expression that finally stops him though, since that's not the face of someone whose thrilled by his generosity.]
[Was something the matter? How was anyone this clueless? Aya isn't even paying attention to the shoes anymore. She plucks one pair up and sets the other aside: done deal she's getting this one.]
No, everything is fine. I wanted this pair after all! Thanks for your help!
[12:53 Sunday afternoon: Aya emerges from the subway exit and walks for the bridge. The strip of stores nearby is abuzz with activity, much like it was the last time she visited.
It's just a friendly lunch together as far as she's concerned, though she knows how it will probably look to anyone who sees them. Aya doesn't care. Besides, with the exception of that one awkward moment, he really seemed rather sweet and well-mannered. Even that awkward moment was more an attempt to be nice taken too far too fast; Aya thought he meant well.
She's wearing the new sandals she bought here-- it seemed only appropriate-- with a knee-length sundress and a denim jacket over it. And a straw hat to shield her face from the sun. Besides, the ribbon on it matched the dress.
She keeps her eyes peeled for him as she steps onto the bridge, purse slung over one shoulder.]
[Though he intended to initially, Karamatsu hadn't told his brothers about Aya. Maybe he just wanted to be sure this wasn't some kind of fluke, first. It was still very likely that she might just end up standing him up after everything, even though his hopes right now are pretty high. It's easy to slip away, at least; none of the others even notice the door open when he leaves.
Karamatsu spots Aya from a distance, but at first he almost mistakes her for someone else. She is, for lack of a better word, adorable. In that brief moment of seeing her, he's actually a bit nervous to approach.
But with a quick silent pep-talk and a few deep breaths, he's quickly making his way over to her, all decked out in his shades and leather jacket as he had been before.]
[Uh oh... snap decision time. Another gesture that would be utterly sweet and gentlemanly were they in a more intimate relationship, but that makes her uncomfortable this early.
She holds up her hand with a smile.]
I don't think I'm ready for that kind of chivalry yet.
[She hopes to communicate with that answer that she finds it a charming gesture but one she can't accept with their current status. It's rare to find someone who acts so proper in the first place; she'd hate to discourage him from it altogether.]
[Karamatsu might be surprised to learn that Aya is actually rather bold. She perhaps simply has a different idea about the nature of their outing, and doesn't want to lead him on into thinking this is a romantic date, though she could be open to that in the future. He is pretty cute, in a dorky kind of way that Aya finds charming, and he gets instant points for respecting her choice-- and without any apparent loss of confidence on his part. Aya has to admit that's attractive.
She takes up walking beside him, feeling just a bit happier now than she was before.]
Not really, just running my shop and trying to keep up with math class. What about you?
[He'd gladly talk about himself for as long as Aya would allow, but that has him curious enough to pause, looking over at her out of the corner of his eye.]
It's a flower shop! It's not the cake shop I dreamed of as a kid but... it works for now! Koneko no Sumu Ie... Strange name for a flower shop, isn't it?
[Aya can't help giggling again from Karamatsu's answer. What a curious combination of reassurance, charm and utter silliness this young man evoked. If it were anyone else, she would have sworn she was being teased. Somehow, though, she had the feeling he was being serious, which made it funny. Cute, uplifting, and just too funny.]
Okay, okay... I have a business card in my purse. I'll give it to you at lunch. Now enough about this silly shop! Tell me what you've been up to.
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[It's an average day for Karamatsu Matsuno. One of those days where he and his brothers spent several long hours of their morning just sitting around in the den not really doing much of anything. Nothing productive, that's for sure. Once their daily nothing quota had been filled, they split off to do their own thing. Karamatsu had been planning on heading to the roof to practice with his guitar as usual, but something stopped him today.
Maybe he'd go fishing instead.
He struck out for town, thinking about the events of that morning as he made his way, hands pushed into his jacket pockets. He thinks about how he and his brothers talked about things over breakfast, and about how- when he started to talk about an interesting dream he'd had that night- Osomatsu talked over him and said something about trying his hand at Pachinko today. Jyushimatsu asked Todomatsu to pass the soy sauce. Soon, what Karamatsu said was forgotten and they continued as normal. He said nothing and kept eating, listening to the others chat away.
It was normal. That's just how things went, and soon Karamatsu forgot just as quickly as his brothers did. He never paid mind to the way it was just a little bit harder to keep smiling each time it happened, but it wasn't noticeable enough to be an issue.
He finds himself stopping near the bridge that crosses the canal splitting the two sides of the city, leaning against the edge of the railing so he can watch people walking in and out of a nearby string of stores. Nobody looked his way as they passed, even though he'd been this way so many times that even complete strangers seemed familiar sometimes.]
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This is a new part of town for Aya, explored on the advice of a recent customer for the flower shop. And it wasn't that the expedition itself had been troublesome. She found the area and the shoe store along the strip of shops by the canal just fine. She'd even found a few other stores she wanted to come back to on a day she had more time to kill. No, the problem with her excursion was that the selection at this particular shop was far too amazing and the prices just a little too high, limiting her budget to one pair.
This was the heart of her dilemma. After weighing all the options for comfort, style, versatility and being flattering on her feet, she had it down to two, and there she was stuck. Pity Sakura wasn't around to tote on these shopping adventures anymore; she really would have liked her friend's opinion right about then.
Never let it be said Aya was lacking in resourcefulness, however. No friend on site? No problem: make a new one! She frowns and scans the streets for someone to tug over. Most of them are en route to somewhere else, of course-- better not to flag down one of them. They'll be wanting to get to where they're going. She sees someone hanging out on the bridge though... he doesn't look busy. Bonus: leather jacket and shades! Aya hastily drops the shoes and hurries over, and she has to stop herself from just grabbing his arm and starting to tug him over preemptively. Instead, she tucks a bit of hair behind her ear and flashes a hopeful smile.]
Excuse me! Are you busy? I just need a cool person's opinion on something, won't take a minute! Will you help me?
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...Cool?
[He echoes, reaching up to pull his glasses down just enough so he can peer at her over the top of them, as if doing so would make her disappear and turn out to be some sort of daydream he'd imagined up. But there she is, smiling up at him so sweetly that he can feel his heart clenching in his chest. He actually has to pause to find his voice, something that doesn't happen often with Karamatsu.
Just like that he's back in action, pushing his glasses back into place as he mirrors her grin with one of his own, his other hand moving to brush his bangs out of his eyes.]
Well, you've asked the right person. Whatever help you need, I will assist you, my dear.
[He could cry, he could really cry. Has one of his Karamatsu girls finally arrived? He wishes someone was around to pinch him, but he doesn't want to wake up either.]
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Perfect! It's just over here, at the shoe store...
[With a bounce in her step, Aya leads him back from the bridge, her twin plaits bobbing and swishing to the beat of her stride. The two pairs of shoes are right where she left them; Aya quickly kicks off her owned pair and slides her feet into one of each sandal she's agonizing over. Then she turns around and clasps her hands behind her.]
Which one?
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Karamatsu follows Aya over to the shop, still marveling over his unbelievable luck. Luck that he doesn't usually have. But he just needs to play it cool...maybe then nothing will happen to make this go awry.
His interest is not at all feigned when she shows him the shoes, a hand lifting to rest thoughtfully against his chin. Or maybe he's...posing? Probably both.]
My...you have a rather keen eye for fashion. I dare say that both pairs look absolutely stunning on you.
[Which is the exact opposite of helpful.]
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[It'd be a lie to say it wasn't appreciated, though. What girl didn't like being complimented? Even if it is a little cheesy.]
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But it's the truth!
[In all honesty, it would be easy to just pick one or the other to appease her. They're both equally nice pairs of shoes...but Karamatsu knows that isn't quite going to do.
He tips his head to the side slightly, raising a brow behind those shades of his.]
Actually...how about I purchase the second pair for you?
[It's said before he can stop himself or even rethink that offer. How much are the shoes? Does he even have enough to buy them? Surely, he must...even if he has to give up every last cent on his person.]
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No, that's okay! I didn't mean it like that at all... I was just looking for a quick opinion.
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I know- but I think those shoes would be put to far better use in your possession! Then their beauty will not go to waste as they languish in the window of this shop.
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[Sweet, sort of. It's mostly just really awkward that he didn't take the hint the first time. Aya feels rather horrible now. If she'd had any idea something like this was going to happen, she wouldn't have asked him.]
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At least, that had been the plan.
It's her expression that finally stops him though, since that's not the face of someone whose thrilled by his generosity.]
Ah...is something the matter?
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No, everything is fine. I wanted this pair after all! Thanks for your help!
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[...]
You're welcome!
[And just like that, he's smiling again, as if that awkward conversation hadn't even taken place.]
If you need anything else, please, don't hesitate to ask! I have quite the eye for fashion, so you've come to the right person for help~
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It's just a friendly lunch together as far as she's concerned, though she knows how it will probably look to anyone who sees them. Aya doesn't care. Besides, with the exception of that one awkward moment, he really seemed rather sweet and well-mannered. Even that awkward moment was more an attempt to be nice taken too far too fast; Aya thought he meant well.
She's wearing the new sandals she bought here-- it seemed only appropriate-- with a knee-length sundress and a denim jacket over it. And a straw hat to shield her face from the sun. Besides, the ribbon on it matched the dress.
She keeps her eyes peeled for him as she steps onto the bridge, purse slung over one shoulder.]
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Karamatsu spots Aya from a distance, but at first he almost mistakes her for someone else. She is, for lack of a better word, adorable. In that brief moment of seeing her, he's actually a bit nervous to approach.
But with a quick silent pep-talk and a few deep breaths, he's quickly making his way over to her, all decked out in his shades and leather jacket as he had been before.]
I hope I did not keep you waiting, my dear.
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He's so formal-- it's kind of cute. Aya giggles warmly.]
Not at all, Matsuno-san. I'm definitely ready to eat, though. Where's this oden place?
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[He says that with a slight nod in the direction that they'll be heading, offering Aya his arm to take.]
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She holds up her hand with a smile.]
I don't think I'm ready for that kind of chivalry yet.
[She hopes to communicate with that answer that she finds it a charming gesture but one she can't accept with their current status. It's rare to find someone who acts so proper in the first place; she'd hate to discourage him from it altogether.]
Lead the way?
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[How strange. Don't women like that sort of thing? Chivalry, and all that. ...ah well. Maybe she's just a little shy, that's all.
Karamatsu lets his arm relax at his side before he gestures for her to follow him, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he walks.]
Have you gotten up to anything interesting while we were apart?
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She takes up walking beside him, feeling just a bit happier now than she was before.]
Not really, just running my shop and trying to keep up with math class. What about you?
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[He'd gladly talk about himself for as long as Aya would allow, but that has him curious enough to pause, looking over at her out of the corner of his eye.]
What kind of shop do you run?
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It's a flower shop! It's not the cake shop I dreamed of as a kid but... it works for now! Koneko no Sumu Ie... Strange name for a flower shop, isn't it?
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Okay, okay... I have a business card in my purse. I'll give it to you at lunch. Now enough about this silly shop! Tell me what you've been up to.
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[Karamatsu takes a hand out of his pocket so he can whip off his sunglasses, staring up into the sky for a long moment.]
...I've done nothing this week.
omg...
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that icon is making me laugh, it's perfect
it's super accurate
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I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR DOING THIS but I'm also not sorry.....
IM
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