seigaku_no_neko | Downtown Tokyo, with Jordan

"You can always borrow some from--" Eiji and Ōishi both cut themselves off at the same time, realizing that they had been talking in unison.

It's a little awkward for a moment. They laugh kind of nervously. "Sorry. That was weird, wasn't it?" Ōishi interjects casually.

Anyway, Jordan probably caught that they were going to offer to lend her some money if she needs it. But Eiji got a glimpse at her wallet and realized that she's probably good to go.

She might still be able to goad them into paying for lunch, however...

Goad? "I think I am good for the train and books..." Jordan just flashes the boys her best, sweetest smile.

"Let's go?" Who needs goading? Just go along and let them do it themselves!

It takes Eiji a minute to figure out that she's not planning on paying for her lunch. In fact, it takes him until he sees his doubles partner counting out extra money from his wallet.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Eiji objects. "I'm paying for hers." He immediately gets out his own wallet and starts counting out coins.

"It's okay, Eiji; you don't need to spend the money." (The hidden implication here is extremely subtle, but Eiji does have a tendency to let money slip through his fingers...)

Eiji picks up on it, though, and rather resents it. He glares at his doubles partner. "I can pay, Ōishi."

"We'll split it," Ōishi concedes, diplomatically.

"Fine," Eiji says, but he's still pouting a little bit.

Hopefully the pout will go away when Jordan gives him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Eiji-san."

Of course, Ōishi will get a peck too.

Both boys blush and give each other rather startled looks. They weren't exactly expecting that.

(All the other members of the team are staring, too. But Eiji and Ōishi try to ignore that.)

As they get up to leave, Eiji attempts to distract from the unexpected kiss he's just received. "Hey, what're you calling me 'Eiji-san' for? Just 'Eiji' is fine."

Ōishi seems to have lost all power of conversation for the moment.

"Oh, okay!" She nods and smiles. "Come on..." They are burning daylight, after all.

Jordan shoulders her pack and starts out: she will wait for them on the street.

She might have to wait a few minutes, since the rest of them still have to pay. And since they've asked to pay "betsu-bestu" (splitting up the check), the shop owner has to figure out what everyone ordered.

Kaidō-- the scary-looking kid with the bandana-- is the first one to finish paying, and comes outside to wait with Jordan. After a few moments, though, it becomes clear that no one else is going to copy his strategy, and the rest of the team is going to stand around the cash register until they've all paid.

So it might be awkward for a couple of minutes. Kaidō's not very good at conversation.

He even scowls slightly. Why does it seem that things like this always happen to him?

Awkward? Not at all, she is humming some j-pop and smiling, all relaxed. "Chill. They will be out soon!"

It's good that it's not awkward for Jordan. But it's still awkward for Kaidō, because he has a way of making things awkward for himself.

He doesn't particularly appreciate being told to "chill," either. But he doesn't say anything... He just hisses. (Yes... hisses.)

But Jordan's right, and the rest of the team appears momentarily.

"So where are we off to now?" Fuji asks, not having heard the conversation about the manga shop.

Good, because Jordan was already pondering teaching Kaidō the real meaning of scary. "I was looking or a good manga store. Ōishi said he knew one."

...of course she expects at least a few of them to take her there. At least Eiji and Ōishi.

After a few minutes of discussion, it's decided that Eiji and Ōishi will take her, and Fuji's going to come too. Somehow Fuji's managed to drag Tezuka along as well, but he doesn't seem particularly interested. Inui and Kawamura will stick around here with the underclassmen.

"Okay, well, it's this way to the station," Ōishi points, leading the way.

Hey, would you look at that. Turns out they're right in the middle of Shinjuku. A couple minutes of walking, and they turn onto one of the most famous streets in Tokyo. Just a few more minutes to the station.

Jordan quickly orients herself, and makes a mental note to drop by the Golden Gai later on; right now, she moves towards the train station, slipping on the earplugs of her music player and selecting an adequate playlist.

Hmm, japanese indie pop.

The four boys seem content to follow her and talk amongst themselves.

"We're going to Ikebukuro," Ōishi tells Jordan, when they get to the ticket machines. It's 150 yen one-way on the Yamanote line, and should only take 9 minutes to get there. (Or Jordan can buy an all-day rail pass for 1000 yen.)

Shinjuku is a huge station, but from there it's just following the bright green signs to the platform. These boys have done this hundreds of times, and it shows.

After a bit of pondering, she goes for the all-day pass. "I've been here a couple times before. But just passing through." Jordan likes the signals: they are clear and simple and make the getting to the train easier.

Hopefully, there will be seats open. But if not... well, that's life.

It's not rush hour, and a lot of people get off at Shinjuku. And since they make it to the platform not long after the last train left, they're first in line to get into the train car. Odds are, there will be at least a couple seats open.

The train arrives a few minutes later. Hey, look at that... there are a few seats open! Take your pick, Jordan.

The boys choose to stand, though. It's only a few stops to Ikebukuro, after all. They continue to talk and joke amongst themselves, like boys do.

Jordan plops down on a seat, stretches a bit and listens to her music and the chatter of the boys.

Most of all, she is enjoying not being in danger here. No secret agencies appearing to hunt her, no giant monsters... just a normal day in a normal city.

As they reach the right stop, she gets up and follows the boys out, joining in the conversation, showing interest in whatever topic they are discussing.

She may not know what they're talking about right away. Before she took off her headphones, she may have caught snippets of something called "Triple Counter" (in English), but the conversation itself probably doesn't make much sense. She probably picked up that it has something to do with tennis, though-- it seems the boys can't stay off that subject for very long.

"C'mon, Fuji, what are they?" Eiji whines, grabbing onto Fuji's shoulder as they walk. (Tezuka and Ōishi walk slightly behind, with Jordan.)

But Fuji just smiles his strange little smile. "Saa..." (Loosely translated, "Hmm, I wonder...")

"I bet they don't even exist. You've probably just been pulling our legs all along."

Tezuka makes a little "hmph" noise, but the other three boys don't seem to hear it.

"I think he just wants you to keep asking, Eiji!" Jordan pipes up, grinning. "Fuji, that's not nice." Fun, but not nice.

"What is Triple Counter anyway? It better be a big deal for you to tease Eiji that way!"

"He's been teasing all of us!" Eiji says, still whining a little. "They're these super-fancy tennis shots that Fuji came up with, but he never uses them..."

"Eiji, don't bore Jordan with all of that," Ōishi cautions. "Besides, it's no use talking about it; Fuji's not going to tell you."

Fuji just chuckles, lightly.

"I bet it does not even exist." Jordan shakes head. "Or it is not worth much..."

"Well, it is worth him teasing you all over it. And nothing more." Now she is tauting Fuji.

"You think so?" Fuji asks, acting like he's somewhere in between teasing back and being genuinely curious.

"I know you are teasing your friends, dangling something they want just out of their reach. It means it is more valuable while your friends do not know..." Jordan shrugs.

"Maybe," Fuji concedes, thoughfully. "Or maybe it just has a different sort of value."

Jordan gives a smirk. "Still. You are enjoying yourself by taunting the others."

Fuji thinks for a moment before saying, "You can't tell me you've never taunted someone before, and enjoyed it."

Because Fuji wouldn't believe you.

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