Two days had passed as Kimura was out shopping with Naoki, they went to a local trading card shop as they were looking at booster packs. Naoki was muttering to himself as he squats down to look down at the cards lower. Kimura sighs as he notices the TV, looking up at it as the news is on.
"Breaking News! A Tarnished was found on the southwest side of Valor City, please be careful when travelling on Route 41 and tunnels 22 and 28. In other news, the mysterious "Hex Scourge" Gang has struck again, a whole apartment building was set aflame last night as first responders were able to save some people, however there were some…casualties during this horrific event…More coming on channel 28."
These things are getting more and more out of hand…
He then felt a tap on his shoulder as he looked over to see Naoki holding three separate boxes of booster packs. Kimura's eyes widened at it as he stepped back a bit shocked. T-Three?!? I thought we were here for one! Kimura regained his composure as he stood firmly again.
"N-Naoki…I thought we were here for one." He chuckled.
"Well…yeah, but I thought three would be better than our chances." Naoki responded.
"Do you realize how much one box is?"
"Well yeah, but I'm not paying, you're paying." He yawned.
"I…"
Shit…I did say I was gonna pay for it…
Kimura was stuck between a hard place and a rock, sighing as he pulled his wallet out. Moments later they walked out of the store as Naoki held a paper bag with his boxes inside it, Kimura sighed knowing that it'll dent into his allowance for the next week. Naoki and Kimura then began to walk back to the academy since it was a couple of streets down.
"Do you have any plans for the festival?" Kimura asked Naoki.
"No…I might just sleep through it." He calmly replied.
"You?" Naoki asked.
"I…I don't really know for sure."
"That's not like you to be unsure."
"I know, but I've only been to a festival like once in my life, so…" he makes a gesture moving his hands up and down.
"Not like I've been in any either." Naoki yawned again.
They both crossed the crosswalk as they were slowly getting towards the academy bit by bit. It wasn't like they both had anything important to go to, so they took their time, using it to talk to each other and get to know each other better.
"Why'd you have me buy so many booster card boxes by the way?"
"Oh, well…I just wanted to have the new booster packs and see what's inside."
"That was it?"
"Yeah. I could have paid for it, but you were tagging along."
"Huuh…"
"It's okay though, just think of it like…uhm…" Naoki forgot the word.
"Like a trade?" Kimura tells him.
"Yeah, like a trade."
"Man…" Kimura shrugs, "well I better hope you hold up your end. Those things weren't cheap." He tells Naoki.
While they walked, Naoki looked up as he stopped in-front of a shop, Kimura continued walking for a few seconds before stopping and looking back at Naoki. Kimura tilted his head a little bit confused as he walked towards Naoki, normally Naoki doesn't stop for anything, so this had to have caught his eye.
"What is it?"
He looks over and looks up at the sign above the shop, Heilsu's Ice Cream it read, Kimura and Naoki looked at each other as they both entered the shop without asking about it.
***
Meanwhile, Asuka was in the girls' dormitories at Haven academy, temporarily staying there until her transfer paper arrived. She looks through a cookbook as a hand reaches out slightly tapping her shoulder as Asuka jumps a bit out of fear and quickly turns around.
Ayameko was there with a deadpan stare; her eyes didn't seem to shift away from Asuka as her eyes squinted at her. Asuka had vivid flashbacks of her own experience in Kyoushou Academy's Girl dorm as she quickly bolted to the side as her back hit something solid.
"Woah, aren't you a little jumpy." A new voice spoke.
Asuka turned as she looked up, seeing a girl in sportswear with her hands on her hips. Asuka looks at both her sides seeing that she was practically trapped in, both exits were blocked off as she tries to hop over the counter to the other side, but before she could she was stopped by the female student in sportswear.
"Woah, calm down, we're not gonna do anything to you." She reassured Asuka.
"Leo, you told me this would be fun, this is just boring…" Ayameko sighs.
"No, I told you that it would be fun to talk with the new girl, not scare her beyond belief." Leo shakes her head.
"Sorry about that, normally she's…quite depressing actually." Leo thoroughly thinks about it.
"Hey!" Ayameko pouted a bit.
"I'm just sensitive to the sun asshole."
"P-Please…D-Don't hit me…" Asuka quivers a bit.
"Woah woah, dial it back a bit, we're not here to fight you." Leo again reassures Asuka.
"Well not yet…" Ayameko mutters off to the side, crossing her arms.
"Not anytime soon, am I right Ayameko." She glares over at Ayameko's direction.
"I…" Ayameko was a little surprised but also a bit startled, "Sure, whatever, fuck this I'm heading back to my room…fuckin' stupid ass…" She storms off heading upstairs.
Leo sighs as Leo leans against the counter looking at Asuka as she stands up a bit, her body still visibly shaking. She didn't want to mention anything as Leo just waited for the loud stomping above them to dissipate.
"So, you're the Kyoushou student everyone's been talking about in the dorms."
"I-I am…h-how did…"
"Ayameko told me." She cuts her off, "you have some real tough nerves to show up multiple times…" Leo showcased some passive aggressiveness.
It was unlike Leo to be so passive aggressive, however it was completely validated since Asuka was from Kyoushou Academy, an academy being well known to house gang-affiliated students. Asuka noticed her change in tone, looking down a bit towards the table in front of her.