battering | ic contact;

[ Ooph, she stopped so suddenly, Yata accidentally bumps into her. sheepish, ]

Sorry... Mm, I think we were getting close before, let's just go back. [ NOT EVEN GOING TO QUESTION HOW SHE LOST FLOWERS it makes perfect sense to him. ]

[ Just. Tugs at the back of her dress for a moment before quietly following. She's never going to try that trick ever again, that was so lame... ]

[ Spoilers: she is lame. I mean--

Yata looks around when they're back on the path and he jogs on ahead, taking only a couple of seconds before he shouts, ]

Kou-chan! Over here!

[ At least she's not Yata.

Following! ] Did you find it?

[ voila, there was was a good sized area of land with a multitude of different flowers growing in it. ]

Kinda nice, huh?

Yeah... [ It's nothing like the palace gardens, but it's been a while since she's seen this many colors. You know what, she's going to start looking around and picking flowers. Like an actual Disney princess. ]

Misaki! [ Follow her!! ]

[ He does so!! Yata starts picking out some red and pink flowers that he thinks look nice... and some yellow ones... he's going to make the crown for Kougyoku, okay. ]

Let's take a picture here too before we go back, Kou-chan.

[ Yata the flower crown-making gangsta... Kougyoku spins around to face him and claps her hands together, or at least that's what it looks like. ]

I'd love to! [ She approaches him and wonders if they can bring their tablets with them after the war. The pictures she liked the most were there. ] Oh, I should teach you how to make one...

[ Flower crowns, that is. ]

[ He holds up the small bouquet he's gathered so far. He'll make the best frickin flower crowns. ]

I'm ready, Kou-sensei!

Kou... sensei. [ what does that mean ]

[ Oh, right. ] It's the word for teacher.

Oh. [ she's gonna turn into a weaboo one of these days ]

I like that. Maybe I should make you call me teacher from now on! [ hairflip ]

No way, you're either Kou-chan or bunnygirl. [ tugs on her bangs ]

[ she turns her head away from Yata after some delay. she looks upset, but she doesn't tell him to stop. ]

I'm not... A-anyway, pay attention! ... We need a place to sit. [ There aren't any benches, so she smooths her skirt before sitting on the ground. Are there better places to sit? Either way, she begins teaching him! ]

[ the ground is as good a place as any, and Yata sits across from her so he could watch her hands and follow along.

he didn't miss that look, though. ]

Did I say something bad before?

No. [ She's just shy. ] It's nothing.

[ Her hands stop working. It looks like her mind his preoccupied with another matter. ]

Um, but... What did you mean earlier? That Tatara said the same thing.

I asked him what was bothering him after you told me you were worried that he seemed distracted. He just suddenly hugged me and said he wasn't ready to tell me yet, it was kinda weird.

[ His focus is on his own work, trying to keep his flower crown going from from what he'd seen her do so far. ]

That's... [ That confirms it. Tatara definitely knows he isn't alive, or won't be. ] Maybe it's an adult thing?

[ But what she wants to say is, maybe you're not strong enough. She resumes working on her own crown, hoping it will distract her from her own thoughts. ]

Hey, I'm an adult too! [ He puffs his cheeks out, though he's not really upset. Yata leans in a little to see her work. ]

But yeah, I guess... it's fine, I trust him.

[ chuckle ] Yeah. Me too.

[ She trusted him too. ]

Here, I'll show you how to close it.

[ The crown she means. After she demonstrates, she places the crown on Yata's head. ]

And done!

[ Aah, he laughs. He felt ridiculous knowing there was a flower crown on his head. He closes his own and returns the gesture, placing the flowers on Kougyoku's head. ]

Heh, that wasn't so bad. Let's get the picture!

Yeah!

[ Are you really okay with getting photographic evidence of a flower crown on your head, Yata... Kougyoku takes her tablet out and holds it away from her as she sits next to her friend. She wants to take it this time! She even leans her head on Yata's—look, she just wants them to be in the frame together, okay. ]

Smile!

[ Shut up, it was about not forgetting any of these simple, silly moments. It's a little too much having her so close, but Yata pushes that out of his thoughts and smiles.

once she's taken it, ] I wanna see!

[ She looks at the picture, then laughs before showing it to him. ]

You look silly.

[ But with a picture like this, it's hard to believe she was crying moments ago. ]

You better keep it safe! You're the only person allowed to see it, alright?!

[ Because like hell did he want the other guys seeing embarrassing pictures of him. Totsuka having pictures of him in cat ears was bad enough. ]

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