yogen | npc contact.3

I guess?

[ There's nothing crunchy in his riceballs so the question is a little left field, as is the hand being held out to him.

... ]

Sorry.

[ A mumbled apology as he moves past, declining the request to hold hands, that's kind of weird. ]

But "feeble," huh? Was Hikaru not doing well, living there? [ It's a suggestion that seems to surprise him, for a multitude of reasons. ]

Hm? I want your food, Ito-kun. I don't give my hand in marriage to just anyone... you aren't that perceptive, are you?

( let him think about that, well komaeda liked hikaru because they were roommates. )

You could say they were a breath of fresh air, but they seem weak. Like someone we could break in half if we didn't care for them.

( he's still holding out his hands because he wants his lunchbox or whatever he has. )

I think they lived well, until you took them from us.

Sorry.

[ A little firmer this time, holding his wrapped lunch a little closer to himself, on the opposite side Komaeda chooses to walk in. ]

It's not like I "took" them, anyways... Hikaru offered. Said they wanted to keep an eye on me in case something happened.

[ Which is something he has to shrug about, because it's not like his soul had been shattered and scrambled and scotch taped back together, liable to fall apart again at any given moment and possess anybody within range. ]

Apologetic... you make me feel like such a bully, Ito-kun!

( hm, well that's difficult. he'll draw his hands back, thinking of another way to take his food instead. )

They said you two were friends, so I can understand the sentiment of wanting to watch over someone you like.

( too careless, someone's a bit too reckless, and that's why there's that person who will take care of them until they're better; until he's better in hikaru's eyes. who knows narumi better than hikaru at this rate? he pauses, bringing a hand to his chin to rub thoughtfully. )

Are they staying with you now?

( since he knows their at home life isn't the best. )

[ He sort of nods because yeah... this is bully behavior. He's very familiar with it. ]

Yeah. They have the keys to my apartment, and I told them they'd always have a place there, if they want.

[ Not a safe place to be, as much as he wishes it were, but... a place nonetheless. ]

( wow... komaeda a bully, that's kind of exciting! )

Okay... I guess I'll permit you their life, but you have to take care of them too, Ito-kun!

( that said, he looks at the other curious. )

...Have you stayed in the hospital a lot?

[ It's a question that catches him by surprise, and not a good one. A suspicious one, one with a flash of fear, a flash of anger, a tighter grip on his lunch. ]

...I used to. But not since coming here, so... I'll be around to take care of them, if that's what you're worried about. At least until graduation.

Did death cure your ailments, Ito-kun? Or did you die on that table...

( he asks, curious himself, but when he looks up at the other, he tries to search for any visible scars — his skull, the pressure on the brain, such a sensitive organ. his arms cross when he looks forward again, walking to the steps, and he goes down them one by one, but sometimes he might try to hop down two. )

...Until graduation.

( his words turn into silence, and he nods, yeah, it's graduation where all the third years have that chance. )

What? No... what? That's not how I died...

[ Not on the table, and whatever was wrong with him, he...

...

Anyways, he embraces the silence and lets it hang between them. ]

How did you die, Ito-kun? ...Did they give you a time frame?

( it's not like komaeda's unfamiliar with the words he saw in the hospital, problems with the brain and all, his own deteriorating. that's probably why the conversation comes naturally to him. )

I won't tell anyone, hmm... I stayed in the hospital a lot myself.

...it wasn't like that. I wasn't sick... physically... I was locked up "for my own safety."

[ The quotes are audible in his voice only, but they're still there, words he's echoing but not in agreement to. ]

I can't remember how I died, though. I think... somebody was trying to kill me. Or maybe I did it myself. It could have happened either way.

An individual with psychiatric disorders?

( when he says locked up for his safety, komaeda's brain moves to that, someone locked up because of the way his brain worked. the whole story could have been learned within his heart, but it's the hospital and the issues he finds himself able to understand, everything else is asinine. )

Hm... You aren't a lucky one to remember your past deaths, though, maybe ignorance is bliss.

( he'll push the doors open so that they can walk outside towards the dormitory. )

[ Narumi makes a bit of a face, but does not deny that assessment. ]

Thanks. What good would it do to know, though...? Nothing matters after you die, and it's a long time coming, anyways.

( a hand raises to his chin, slowly stroking the area in thought considering his own problems. would he had suffered the same fate not too long after? he shrugs, dropping his hands down to his sides as they finally make it to the dormitory, and he pushes the doors open: )

You said it yourself, we're dead and nothing matter, so there's no need to hide it.

( though now that he thinks about it! )

Don't be such a pessimist, you and him are the same... fruit bowl?

What?

[ He stops short of the door, but after a moment he steps through. What does that mean, fruit bowl? ]

Fruit bowl.

( it's what he's saying, take it literal is what komaeda wants as he brings narumi to the dormitory kitchen. moving to the sink, he proceeds to watch his hands first, because no one wants people touching food with dirty hands. )

Or are you allergic?

Kiwis and cantaloupe.

[ In terms of fruit. Anyways, Narumi goes ahead and sits down on the stool at the counter and unwraps his onigiri, these are conveniently wrapped in plastic wrap so you don't have to touch them with dirty hands, especially when you meant to eat them in a classroom instead of across campus in a dormitory (what would be the point? if he lived on campus, he'd just come back to make lunch and not bother bringing it) ]

( kiwis and cantaloupe. the way he can eat what i can't, sighs... good taste, king, good taste.

komaeda dries off his hands with a counter towel, making sure that his hands are completely clean before walking over to the freezer to pull out a tray, and on it is a literal bowl with another bowl inside, and ice settled between it. it takes a few good taps on the side to wedge it out, but the bowl comes off the top half, and then the bottom to show an actual bowl of ice that he sits right side up on the tray. the two bowls he used are tossed into the sink, and if narumi squints, he can see that the ice has a few cut up fruits between that looks like strawberries? very thin and small slices. )

Are you lactose intolerant?

( anyway, can't make fruit bowls in the classroom. )

I can have a little bit, but otherwise it makes my stomach hurt. Why?

[ What kind of lunch is he...? frozen strawberry slices? surely there was a less complicated way to do that ]

You're smart, just watch.

( he's going to search for some kiwis and cantaloupe, they might have that, i hope they do because he's going to start cutting them into portions before he pours in the milk. he's making something like this because i rolled a d20 on how bad he'd be fucking this up, and he got a sixteen, so it'll say he puts in pepper, and peppermint for the added flavor because so it has a kick. i'm so sad, make komaeda make his horrible foods, because this is so... )

So what did you want to talk about? This is our time together.

( that komaeda has an idea he didn't really want to talk because he never brought that up at the start. )

[ STOP he said he was allergic to kiwi and cantaloupe, don't do this to him and also... okay so he didn't even need to put in pepper bc kiwi and milk is very bitter, I learned this the hard way ruining so many strawberry kiwi smoothies over the summer, Komaeda can eat this himself. ]

Uh.

[ Correct, he did not want to talk. But he can be polite, until the end of the lunch hour. ]

How have you been?

( oh, i forgot, uhm... the opposite of kiwi and cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew. STOP I FORGOT FIX IT HE CAN EAT IT NOW. there it's better, it's been retconned because my dumb ass has dementia, there you go narumi. )

...Hm! I've been fine, a little stressed out because finals are coming... what if I fail?

( jk, he's going to pass because it's komaeda, he's a smart kid, but he can make conversation to. )

It'd suck.

[ Honeydew and milk would maybe be okay if blended into a smoothie, but that and watermelon and pepper...

Narumi looks away from the culinary atrocity and takes another bite from his gratefully normal onigiri. ]

You just have to do your best, I guess.

[ The concept of failing is a strange one to him, never having problems with pen-and-paper exams. ]

Come on... try it! Try it!

( it rolled a 16 so that means it'll be good!! trust komaeda's bad taste buds, i promise you. he'll slide the bowl to narumi because he's interested in his thoughts. )

...Yeah, I hope everyone else can make it! I don't really have to deal with those problems.

( "but he just said," yeah, and he changed everything. )

Sorry, I'm lactose intolerant.

[ And he has his own lunch. But he also didn't wash his hands, so he does not touch the bowl of ice to slide it back to Komaeda. ]

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