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Yosuke kicked my butt a little.

[That makes him smile a little more broadly.]

I'd been relaxing into a routine here... but I wasn't thinking as hard as I should about Chie's feelings... or his... or yours.

I was going to catch you up on things after he talked to me... but I thought I should straighten things out with Chie first.

[He glances down, flushing, and scratches the back of his head.]

... It didn't go exactly how I expected.

[That makes her smile, too. Yosuke is a good friend, to all of them. Maybe better than they deserve, but definitely what they needed. At least in Rise and Souji's case.]

I guess you were kind of in a hurry to move on and get back to something normalish? Or Okayish, at least.

[She can't say she'd blame him, even if she doesn't know what he's dealing with.]

It didn't?

....Oh.

...........Oh.

[Rise's cheeks warm a little as well.]

It... kinda makes me feel better to know you had a plan to talk to me and you weren't just going to put it off indefinitely. I definitely didn't need to know what Chie sounds like in bed, though.

[Feeling better enough to rib, that's something.]

If it hadn't been for Yosuke, I don't know when I would have made that plan. So, don't let me off too easily.

[He's steadily getting redder as they continue on this subject.]

We'd been careful to be quiet since Yosuke overheard once, but... we lost track, this time.

Yosuke's really lookin' out for me lately.

[She smiles fondly. Maybe she can find a way to thank him for this, too, without him getting too embarrassed.]

I see.

[Not a great look, but he's being honest and she needs that from him. She nibbles more of a cookie, waiting to see if he has more he needs to say.]

For me, too.

[He sighs, and munches on the rest of his cookie. he knows it isn't a great answer, but it's all the answer he has.]

We're lucky to have him.

[She finishes her own cookie and smiles.]

He'd probably lose it if we tried to tell him that, though.

[That little bit of levity aside, they still have some stuff to talk through.]

Someone very helpful told me that for her, she often slips into habits and things she doesn't realize she's doing. That this place has changed her in ways she forgets to be aware of, especially around new arrivals. That helped me be a little less angry.

Yosuke told me you're collecting girlfriends. Well, not in those words. Apparently that's something kind of common, here.

[She doesn't really have a point or a plan, she's just saying what's on her mind.]

Ah...

[And she hits him with it directly. That's...

Well, he really wouldn't expect anything less. Rise's always been someone who could jump in the deep end of a conversation, and he appreciates that, even when it does, well, this to him.]

I learned about it from someone - her name's Megumi - that I met in the last world, after we arrived here... mm, and after she shot me down.

[He chuckles, a little weakly, and looks away in momentary embarrassment.]

But it's true. In Inaba, I never felt like I could choose... so when someone explained I might not have to... I asked out Chie, and Hifumi-san. And...

[He turns even redder.]

There are... some people I've moonlaced with... that I should probably have a conversation with. One of them, for sure.

[Better to just get through it, right? Rise didn't really intend to fluster Souji, but it's definitely a result she's going to enjoy. She slowly lowers her chin onto her palm to watch him fight through this.

A very mean, vindictive part of her is somewhat happy that someone actually turned Souji down. It's not a large part, and she hates herself for it a little, but it's there.]

So that's what it was, then.

[She bites her lip and looks away. It's in line with what Yosuke told her, so that scans at least. It doesn't... feel great, though, to know that she could put Souji first the way she did and he didn't do the same for her.

But, she reminds herself, this does mean she can do the same thing he is doing, right? She could have choices and not be locked in to one boy. She holds onto that excitement she felt, learning that over the last few days.

Wait, hold on.]

Hifumi-san?

... That's right. I'm not her only boyfriend. It sounded like she was already thinking about this kind of thing when I'd asked her out.

She's got - a really unique perspective?

[He's not sure what he's trying to explain, exactly, because he doesn't know what about it being Hifumi surprised Rise, and when he realizes that, he falls silent.]

Edited 2019-09-12 04:20 (UTC)

[Rise actually... starts giggling. Laughing behind her hand so much a little color rises into her face.]

She sure does...

[Rise calms her giggles enough so she can breathe and actually explain herself.]

Hifumi-san found me and took me out to tea, after I stormed out. She gave me a lot of good advice and we had a really nice conversation. I wonder if she knew...

[If she did, Hifumi is a greater actress than Rise thought.]

Ah-

[No, there's no help for it, he'll go bright red as he thinks about it. Even when he has nothing to fear from the truth, thinking about - how embarrassing that could have been, and how he'll have to mention it to Hifumi when he sees her next - but thinking about that, strangely, steadies him again, and he sighs.]

I'm glad you had her support. She's - mm. She's smart, and she takes good care of people.

[Now there's a sight to see, Souji Seta red in the face. Rise strangely doesn't feel a harsh pang of jealousy in regards to Hifumi. Just a small, itching one. The shock factor has passed, and Rise has already coped with the idea that her romance hopes and dreams don't all have to rest on Souji.

Still... she wants what Chie and Hifumi have.]

Mmhmm, she's very insightful. Kinda what I'd imagine having a big sister is like. Don't tell her I said that.

I try not to go into too much detail about anyone's conversations. Your secrets are safe with me.

That sounds like you.

[Nibbles a cookie.]

So you're really all-in on the whole sharing thing. Hifumi-san explained it some to me, but I want to know what it's like from your perspective.

Well -

[He stops, not because he feels uncertain, but because it's all so big to put into words.]

There's two sides to it?

I fall for people pretty easily. I've never been embarrassed about that part - everyone's so interesting, and I want to get to know them better, and sometimes with girls or -

[No, he's not ready to say 'some boys' out loud yet. He hasn't said it even to himself. Or the short list of boys he's slept with.]

It feels really natural to let it go further. If there's a way to let myself do that, without tricking anyone, or hurting them - then, that feels right to me. Better than closing people out. Making a choice that hurts someone - that might even hurt me, if it keeps me from being close with someone I care about.

[The next part is harder. Maybe in part because some of it he doesn't really think about in so many words, to keep himself from hurting about it.]

When I started dating in middle school - I was always the transfer student, and sometimes people like that - I was somebody it was easy to confess to. Even though those relationships almost never get very serious or last very long, people are afraid of being rejected, so somebody they don't have a long history with - it's easier not to get scared.

When those girls outgrew me and had the confidence to go after the crushes they had before - I never felt jealous. It was nice to see them go after what they wanted. But... that didn't mean I never felt sad things had to end.

This way... that part might not have to happen as much.

[And even Ai and Ayane fit that pattern, more or less. Souji's used to being training wheels - he likes it, he's good at it. But he doesn't like being outgrown. If those girls could keep him, and still go after who they wanted most...

Is that selfish? Or greedy? He's not sure.]

There are other reasons too, but it just makes sense to me. I don't care about anyone less just because I care about other people.

[She nods as she listens, some of that making more intuitive sense than other things. The first and the last part, mostly. That bit in the middle... gives her a funny feeling in her chest and she can't quite put her finger on why or what it is.]

Mmm. [How does she even address those things he's saying about himself, there? Is it even her place to do so?]

If you keep adding more people onto the list you're going to run out of time to sleep.

[She teases lightly. That's a safer route. Start with that.]

I don't like hearing you talk about yourself like a consolation prize, senpai.

I'm doing my best not to overbook. But... I don't think I've hit my limit yet either.

[He keeps his voice light as he says it. It's certainly true - but he can't deny that he wants her, specifically, to know it.

Right now, when he's still recovering from the consequences of his own careless behavior, isn't the right time to ask her out - he's not even considering that - but he does want her to know that... there's room in his life for her.]

That's not quite how I see myself. But either way, I want to be free to care about more people, and I don't want them to have to choose, either, if they don't want to.

Is that so?

[She doesn't necessarily pick up on the fact that he's specifically telling her the option is there, should she choose to take it, but it is information she's glad to have. Both for selfish reasons, and so that she doesn't worry that Souji's going to overdo it.]

You have a habit of constantly keeping yourself busy. Girlfriends or otherwise.

[How many part-time jobs did he have back home? Anyway.]

Right, like how you said you couldn't choose between us girls back home. You don't want anyone else to feel like that.

[She thinks she understands that, and it's fair.]

With no school and no job, I have more time than I've ever had before. It's almost scary.

[He says it while sounding very content.]

Yes you sound very concerned about it.

[He walked right into that sass, in her defense.]

I like keeping busy.

[Pun unintentional.]

[She smiles behind her hand.]

You would, wouldn't you?

[And slowly returns to something slightly serious.]

Thank you for being honest with me, even if Yosuke-senpai had to kick your butt to do it. I hope you'll keep telling me stuff, so I don't get surprised again. I would rather hear about it if you get a new girlfriend than run into her unexpectedly, you know?

[Yes that means she's planning to move back in.]

I try not to need to learn the same lesson twice. I'll tell you.

[He hesitates for only a moment.]

... I'm going to ask Xion if she'd like to date. She's from a very different world, though, so I might have to explain what dating means, first.

Good enough for me.

[Wait a second. She knows that name...]

Oh yes! I've met her! She's a sweetie. [A beat] How old is she?

[She doesn't wanna accuse you of anything, senpai, but uh...]

That's a surprisingly complicated question, but... sixteen.

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