Another chance - Ranna and Kappei

[Nan-Yo]

The rain just kept pouring down so Ranna was forced to get back under the umbrella as soon as she climbed off of the train. That was probably the bad part, but the good part was the torrent refused to let up and as a result there wasn't a single student doing anything sexual in public... at least not outside on the street. What they did inside any of the establishments was probably a different story though.

"I was thinking of buying us some Somen noodles? Or are you more interested in Sushi?" Kappei asked her. They were both of partially Japanese descent but that wasn't why he was asking her about Japanese dishes. No, he really was feeling like eating some Somen noodles right now. With the rain pouring down like it did, sitting in that noodles shop on campus and eating a large bowl of soup would be absolutely delicious. Besides, was there anyone that actually didn't like noodles? But if not noodles then at least some Sushi right? While not really what he wanted to eat right now you could never go wrong with some fatty tuna and some nice fluffy rice.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

It just felt weird to be standing so close to him like this.  Ranna would have felt slightly strange doing it with just about anyone.  But she was more conscious of it as boy and 'girl', and as a date, fake or not.  She did her best to minimize contact and stay dry at the same time, but otherwise quietly walked alongside him, hoping to get out of the rain quickly, and have a little more distance.

She decided to take advantage of the situation.  But really, she also just did not want to think about food in the first place.  "If you want to pretend I'm your girlfriend, treat me like it in this case, impress me."  If this was not easy for her, she was going to make at least some of it harder for him too.  Make him guess, with the implication of nothing too simple/cheap.

[Nan-Yo]

"You want to be treated like a princess?" Kappei chuckled. Her sudden suggestion had caught him a bit off guard but it didn't actually pose much of a problem at least as far as money was concerned. The only thing that was a bit concerning here was her reason for making the suggestion in the first place. Did she just want to see how committed he was to making this work? Or did she have something else in mind? He only had himself to blame though, he should have never asked her what she wanted to eat... Asking your date where they wanted to go just made you look like you had a weak character.

"Yeah, I guess having more people notice us really would be better." It wasn't wrong. The whole plan hinged on people actually becoming aware of that she was now exclusively hanging out with one guy, so making their date more noticeable was a good idea. The weakness of this strategy though was that this would also put more pressure on them to actually look like they were having a date. So Ranna would actually have to at least look like she was having a good time even if she didn't.

"Okay, then I know just the place!" he smiled and lead her down the main street, passing noodle-shops and various boutiques until they arrived in front of long grey stone building that was beautifully decorated with brown wooden trellises and small rose bushes. In front of the door there was a medium sized wooden sign that simply read Providence.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Well, 'princess' was not the way Ranna would have put it.  She just wanted to avoid having to pick, and not let him pick something too cheap/easy.  But at this point it was not worth trying to clarify that.  She would let him have that assumption.  Perhaps she could get a little bit of enjoyment out of this, if she ignored the context.

She realized after the fact, this probably meant they would go somewhere at least somewhat fancier than she would have preferred.  She was not a big fan of such places under any circumstance, less so, an occasion like this.  Though she was mildly amused at the thought of what some other 'couples' might do in such a place.  It was the first time in this whole situation she kind of wanted to see others do it, just to snub the atmosphere she assumed this place would have.

The look of the place so far reinforced her thoughts on the likely atmosphere.  "...I was going to ask why a place like this would be on campus, but I guess it makes sense with some of the families here."  There were many other schools where she imagined this would appeal to no one.  But so many elite families sent their children here, it may have been more surprising not to have such places.

[Nan-Yo]

The food-places, boutiques and other establishments found in the recreation zone were all top notch. Naturally this was because the clientele. While not every student in the academy was rich, they were all the elite... be it their family connections or simply because they had been recommended. Even Ranna and her sister Reiko were no different. Why exactly had they been allowed to join the academy? Their parents were exactly important people were they? However not only were both sisters were remarkably beautiful, their grades had been excellent as well.

"You're not familiar with the recreation zone yet are you?" He asked her as they walked up to the doors and pushed them open. "I'll show you around later if you wish."

The inside of the restaurant was even better looking than the outside. A soft warm glow from multiple lamps were illuminating multiple balconies and plateaus where small low armchairs stood around small low tables. The floor was a brown mahogany wood and walls were covered by a tasteful looking golden wallpaper. There weren't that many guests inside, even this place suffering a bit because of the weather outside. One thing that became immediately apparent though was that nobody was doing anything sexual. This restaurant was a place where customers were asked to leave if they acted too amorous.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna was previously aware of it, but had no reason to go here until now, and just felt weird about going to a place that felt like it was off campus, even if it wasn’t.  Her chaperone had not felt the need to explain it in detail so far either, though she vaguely mentioned it once or twice and might have still planned to elaborate more later, before that process ended.  “We’ll see.  I’m not inclined to wander around in this rain, though.”

The inside did not surprise her, but she still felt it both did and did not fit in a place like this at the same time.  ”Doesn’t look that romantic to me.”  She was not serious, of course, still using her campus specific definition of ‘romantic’.  She suspected there could be rules here about that sort of thing for people like them, but would also not be surprised if certain people could bend or ignore those rules.  “It doesn’t feel right to be here without a reservation.  Or wearing the uniform.”  Granted the girls’ uniform was still better than something more formal, but it still felt weird here to just be wearing that.

[Nan-Yo]

"You are right... normally we would definitely have to make a reservation... but I'm kind of hedging my bets on that they'll make an exception because of the weather" Kappei confessed, giving Ranna a sheepish grin. The selling point of this place was that it was high-class, different from other places on the campus. Because the whole campus was high-class however what truly set this place apart was it's exclusivity... and in a place where you could get or do pretty much anything you wanted at anytime, it meant what was now the ordinary that was the extraordinary. This was a place where people could get away from the sexual deviance that was seen everywhere else on campus.

Smiling as one of the hosts of the place greeted them Kappei gave him a short bow of the head and handed him a card that showed that he was gold member of the restaurant. Being a gold member gave him a lot of perks, one of them being able to get pushed into the front of the waiting line when booking tables. "If there's an empty table for two... you would be a lifesaver if I could book it."

Considering that more than 70 percent of the tables were empty right now it might seem a silly thing to say, but a place like this was reliant on it's good name. Strictly following the rules and not double book was key to why people came back... but on days like these, turning away a customer, let alone a gold member was not good business either. Kappei really hated to put the guy on the spot like this, but Ranna had asked him to impress her.

The host gave him a nod, and waved for the vice-general manager to come over. Exchanging a few hushed words he turned back to Kappei and returned the smile. "Yes, you are in luck... if you will please come with us sir?" He turned to Ranna "my lady?"

Turning around he started leading them to a table, expecting them to follow him.

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

This was not exactly how Ranna had wanted to be impressed.  She had just been taking about the food itself, had not really wanted anything so elaborate.  But it was too late to back out now, this was her fault for not being specific enough.  Though she was not sure how much help it would have been to be more specific.

’My lady’?  Hopefully they weren’t going to over do it too much.  She silently followed, imaging other annoyances, were they going to pull out her chair (only her chair)?  Were they going to be elaborate, with more silverware than she would have any idea what to do with?  They were certainly going to be treated like a couple, but how far were they going to over do treating her like a girl?  These were people who would not been informed of her either.

[Nan-Yo]

Showing them to a table on top of one of the balconies, the host pulled out Ranna's chair for and then did the same for Kappei once she had sat down. Bringing them a menu each, the host walked away and left them decide what they wanted to order. It wasn't just the establishment itself, but the food itself was rather fancy. Consisting of only seafood dishes, something that was immediately noticeable was that there were no prices. This of course was because such a thing would detract from the general feel of the place.

"Anything on the menu that catches your eye?" Kappei asked Ranna. On one hand it would give her a better impression of him if he just ordered whatever he wanted for both of them but on the other hand since he wasn't actually trying to seduce her for real and this was all just make believe, she would probably be happier if he got her input on what she wanted to eat. "You're not allergic to anything on the menu right?"

 

OOC: I sent you a link to where you can read the menu. Please take a look at it.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna paged through it, her though her glazed over, not really having any sense of what to pick.  This was not the sort of place she had experience eating at.  “Not allergic to anything, as far as I know.”  That would have almost made it easier, but now he wanted to know if she preferred anything here.  Nothing stood out as especially better than anything else.  With a little more reluctance this time, she insisted on the original plan, as she looked up from the menu.  “You apparently visit this place often enough, like I said before, impress me.”  This was one thing she just had to just trust him with at the moment, she actually trusted him more than herself in this one matter.

[Nan-Yo]

Kappei just nodded. This might have just been a fake date but that didn't mean he could simply treat her like a friend and not a girl. He only had himself to blame, after all Ranna had even outright asked him to treat her like his girlfriend.

"Not that often no... but I'm not a stranger to this place no. I mean it is... nice?" He told her, referring to the food as well as the atmosphere. A place where you could just have a relaxing dinner while sometimes enjoying some small talk... Kappei had always considered himself having some fairly simple interests and one of them was just spending time with girls trying to see if he could make them smile. Ranna had not smiled even once. Waiting silent for a couple of minutes more another host, this one female, finally arrived to take their orders.

"Have you decided what on your orders yet?" The young woman asked as she put a small tray of bread down on their table. Her hair was a light brown in color matching her eyes and worn in a high ponytail. She was a little older than them and had decided to stay on campus and work at this restaurant after she had graduated. A lot of students after finishing their academics chose to remain and work in the recreation zone their reasons varying. In the case of this young woman it was because she had wanted to stay and keep an eye on her younger brother until he also graduated.

"We'll both have your Liberty Farms Duck... and your famous banana-split ice cream as dessert." Kappei told the host and she jotted it down. Normally if he would have ordered an alcoholic beverage too, but since Ranna was so young and he wasn't actually trying to seduce her he had already decided against it. "And Freedoms Raspberry to drink."

"I'll tell the chef. I will be out shortly with your drinks." The woman told them and left. She was a beautiful woman in her own right and the black pencil skirt and white blouse coupled with a black necktie gave her a really professional look. Kappei could appreciate women like that, Reiko herself had seemed to become that sort of woman herself, a far cry from the type of girl she had been when she first arrived. Yes she had always been a model student, but she had always lacked that inner confidence... and her little sister was the same that she had been back then.

Opinionated and strong-headed Ranna didn't exactly mince words... when she didn't flat out tell you what was on her mind, she made it known through sarcasm. But this was all bluster of course, constantly asking him to make all the decisions for them it as pretty obvious. She really had been incredibly lucky that she had not ended up with the same type of homeroom teacher that her older sister had... then again, that guy was probably a one of a kind... hopefully.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna had not had much to smile about in all this so far.  She had first been annoyed by her stubborn idiot classmates, and she was not thrilled with this idea or confident it would work as Kappei claimed.  Also that Reiko had been involved in setting all this up.  She was not as suspicious of her ‘pretend boyfriend’ at the moment, but she knew exactly what her sister was hoping would happen here.  Her only annoyance at the moment with Kappei was his not believing the curse, the whole reason they were in this situation to begin with.

 

Semi-paranoid, but seem-justified, she had to wonder if that older girl was one of Reiko’s friends.  She did not necessarily think Reiko, Kappei and the woman were all in some conspiracy together.  But the two women were not out of the question.  It was paranoia in a sense, but she had also learned long ago not to underestimate how far her sister would go.

 

His order sounded promising enough, she assumed, though she would wait to actually judge it.  ”I guess, if you’re used to it.  But if you are Reiko’s friend, you should already know I’m not used to things so fancy.”  Neither she or Reiko got here due to family wealth/power.  That was another aspect she was still getting used to.  A significant number of he students were from such families, the best families all over the world sent their children here.  Though the campus itself was usually more modest in decoration/look.  Outside of the occasional souvenir some of those students brought, only the Student Council building supposedly showed off wealth/power in such a way.  She had never been inside, or seen the outside, and had no desire to see it.  But she had heard it was an impressive sight, meant to show off the power of its occupants.  “I’ve never been in a restaurant like this.”  That had not been a regret either, she preferred things not to be too formal.  The fact she had not had to dress up for it was a relief though.

[Nan-Yo]

"Don't worry about it so much." Kappei told her, thinking it was silly of Ranna to have asked him to impress her only to be this concerned about trying something new. Apparently Ranna had never even gone on a date before according to her older sister. She was a tomboy that despite her looks preferred to hang out with boys and actually used to have short hair when she was younger. If this was true then claiming that you were actually a boy could simply be because she just wanted to act like she always had...

"Just do your best and enjoy the things you like". There wasn't really anything more he could say about that so he just sat there in silence again until the young woman came back out with their drinks and placed them in front of them. A consummate professional she didn't disturb their atmosphere and left again after she had placed the drinks on the table.

"Reiko said you were accepted into the academy on a scholarship? That's really impressive." Always speaking fondly of her sister, Reiko bragged not only about how cute Ranna was but also about her intelligence. If she actually got in on a scholarship though then she would have to be really smart.

 

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna was not so worried about all the formality.  It was strange though, unfamiliar, potentially slightly suffocating.  It was just more relaxing not to have to deal with that sort of thing.  The only slight worry she had was the suspicion over the staff, which she hoped was just paranoia.  "I'm only worried about things worth being worried about.  I'm telling you why I don't feel the same about this place, at least for now."  It was probably paranoia, but Reiko had given her reasons in the past to not be able to completely ignore that possibility.  Her guard was unlikely to completely drop while they were here.

After coming back, the woman still gave no hint of anything suspicious so far, but it was still too early to dismiss that concern.  The interesting thing would be what, if anything, unusual she had to say if Kappei was not around.  "I just did what she did.  We aren't some ultra rich or powerful family, neither of us were too much trouble for other schools either.  If that had been the case, I would have been using the arena option, instead of being here.  Probably would have scared off those boys too."  When compared to society as a whole, what she did may have been impressive.  It was fairly ordinary here though.  She did not let it go to her head.  "I suppose, you have the family connections, then?"  If he was really impressed, not just trying to flatter her, that seemed the most likely explanation.  He did not come off as one of the troublemakers either.

[Nan-Yo]

It seemed that Ranna still didn't fully understand what this academy was. It was a place for not just the elite, but the elite of the world. Even with over fifteen thousand students studying here it was still a place that only a select few of everyone in the world could ever dream of attending. If you didn't have the connections or wealth then there was really only one way you could join the school... and that was through merit and recommendation. Neither Ranna or her sister had any remarkable magical powers, and despite being remarkable beauties this only left the possibility of their scholasticism proves.

"You're right, I'm nobody special." Kappei told her in wry amusement. "I didn't get into this school because of my own hard work. It was all thanks to my old man being important." A high ranking general in the United States and a decorated soldier, Kappei's father was somebody truly worthy respect. But he was also a husband that had been unable to stop his wife from leaving him and abandoning their family.

"My standing in this place is not all that great though... in retrospect I really should have worked harder and studied more." It was the truth, his grades were a bit above average at this school and he doubted he would have ever been able to join if not because of who his father was. While a lot of people at the academy were really smart, the majority of them still wasn't attending because of their intelligence. Being able to join because of something like that really was remarkable seeing as most students were accepted because of connections, fame, political power or magical power. Being accepted because of your intelligence really was more rare than Ranna believed.

"Just make sure to do really well on the entrance test and you will have more options moving forward." After the initial two weeks grace period where freshmen were forced to have a chaperon, they all had to take an exam spanning a wide range of subjects to see what level of learning they were at. Even if they failed miserably at it, students wouldn't be kicked out... but their standings would plummet. This was even more true for the few students that had managed to get into the school because of their grades.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna was aware of how impressive it was on a large scale.  The fact that anyone else in the school who got there academically was essentially the same was what kept her humble.  Sure, he was praising her for it, but she was essentially average on campus, as far as she was concerned. Those who did brag about that sort of thing mainly bragged about it in the (encouraged) context, of looking down on outsiders.  Considering yourself one of the best in the world in some fashion, in a sense it was true, but Ranna had not embraced that side of the ‘school spirit’.

Ranna was not that worried about the exams, though she was not being careless either.  One advantage to being a social outcast, and (almost) celibate, was that she had extra time to study.  Prior to this it had taken up a fair deal of her time she was not in class/doing homework/talking to her chaperone.  She was reasonably confident she would not get penalized from her grades.  “You aren’t telling me anything Reiko has not repeated told me.”  Reiko had not told her everything, but that was one point she made clear.

She shifted back to his background.  Not the connection she expected, but it did not surprise her either.  ”Hm yes, not just the wealthy and the politicians.  Have to make sure to include the military in our new world order.”  The average student was not told all the details, but the Student Council was bluntly honest about that point.  The elite of the world, educated together, molded into a separate culture of sorts.  The long term goal was that the world would eventually be run by alumni of the academy.  What the goal after that was was not completely clear.  Just that the world would be united under better leadership.  The process had already started, though it would still take some years to get enough people in place before ‘outsiders’ were pushed out.

[Nan-Yo]

Kappei covered his mouth to stop himself from chuckling. A new world order was it? Well, that was certainly what a lot of new students started to believe after having attended the academy for a few days. The school council practically made it their school slogan 'a new society ruled by a better class of people'. It was ridiculous though of course and would never actually happen. The people attending the academy would no doubt have their fair share of power in the future, but the only way for something like a secret society ruling the world would work was if there was some sort of higher being brainwashing everyone at the school. Having spent several years at the academy himself the idea seemed beyond ridiculous to him, it was downright ludicrous.

"I don't really feel like ruling the world though?" He told her jokingly. "I'll leave all the important decisions to my wife in the future anyway." That last part had a grain of truth in it though. He knew the importance of hard work and he had both dreams and goals he wanted to achieve... but if he ever we got married he wanted the same for his wife. That and if she shouldered half the responsibility then he would only have to shoulder the other half.

"That's my dream you see. I want to have a beautiful wife, lots of children and a happy marriage." He allowed himself to chuckle this time. It was one of his dreams of course but not something he had in mind for the immidiate future.

"I guess your sister has the same hope for you too Ranna... not marriage I mean, but that you find your dream and become happy." Getting a good score on the entrance test really would make achieving your dreams easier... and even if only half of what Reiko had said about Ranna was true, then she shouldn't have any trouble doing so.

Having told him more about her wonderful little sister than she had about herself, Kappei believed it was possible that he even knew things about her that she had forgotten herself. Reiko had actually won some sort scollistic award or something... but Ranna apparently was special. Remarkably bright she was good at everything she did but because she lived in such a small town she didn't believe it made her special just because she was better than her classmates. Apparently she had just chalked it up to her being a big fish in a small pond. 

Before Ranna was able to remark on any of what Kappei had just said, the female host as well as two waiters walked out and brought the food to their table. Placing the main dish and utensils carefully in front of them they gave a slight bow. "We hope you will enjoy your stay. If you need to order anything more to drink, please don't hesitate to wave a waiter over. We are here to serve you." The host assured them, then sketched them another bow and left.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna quietly waited for the food to be set down.  She considered asking Kappei whether he thought this woman might be one of Reiko’s friends.  But more likely than not, he would not know, and just think she was being paranoid, not understanding why she would be so suspicious.  She had other things to say as she slowly began eating.

She had been somewhat sarcastic about the whole ‘new world order’, but that seemed to be the genuine goal.  The goal of those in charge. The more powerful families here seemed to be after that eventually, at least.  It did seem like they would at least attempt something eventually, how successful it would be, and if so what the result would be, she had no idea.  She was too far from those circles, and it was not like she had asked Detta about that sort of stuff while they were having sex, they did not really talk at all.  She did not really care either, if it failed, she was too insignificant to be caught up in it.  If it succeeded, there would be at least some small benefit from being a student here.  More likely, she would just have better job options after graduation, from a school like this, and/or connections if she somehow stopped being an outcast.

”We’re just cogs in the machine.  Maybe middle-management, if we are lucky.  Its the already powerful families who would rule.”   If those plans somehow succeeded, that seemed the most likely place people like them would end up anyway.  She did not seriously believe in it, but it was better to play along, be the ‘good student’, speaking out too loudly against it would just likely put her in the arena, or some other trouble.

”You want your wife to tell you what to do, go marry Reiko.”  Not that she seriously wanted this guy she barely knew to marry her sister.  But it was more appealing than her being involved with him, and it would give him what he wanted.  “I know what Reiko wants for me, she has told me herself.  To be the little sister she always wanted.  Speaking of which, I told her to back up my story next time you talked to her, we’ll see if she does.”  Maybe that would get him to finally believe.  If not, and he insisted on sticking to this plan, he would see it for himself eventually.

[Nan-Yo]

Kappei shook his head. He supposed Reiko probably bossed her little sister around, but that was only normal. Ranna's older sister wasn't really that strong a girl when you got down to it. He was sure she would become a wonderful mother and wife, but she wasn't somebody that could handle the burden of being in charge. Ironically Ranna herself was probably exactly the type of girl he wanted as a wife.

"Reiko thinks you are okay just the way you are Ranna." Nobody would have bragged non-stop about their sister for the past years if they actually wanted to change them right? From what he understood, it was just that Reiko wanted to bond with her sister more and have an even better connection. She wanted to be a big sister that Ranna could look up to and talk with about love.

"She told me you used to do gymnastics together back before the academy. Do you have any intention of joining the club and continue practicing here?" Kappei had picked up a fork and knife and started to cut into the tender meat of the duck. It smelled delicious. While it wasn't what he had felt like eating today, now that he had the food in front of himself he was going to savor it. Sticking a piece of meat into his mouth he chewed the food slowly.

Kappei had no way of knowing of course... but as a six year old boy Ranna had always looked up to his sister and said he wanted to be just like her. So he had started doing gymnastics. However being a boy and seeing as how boys and girls did their practices in different locations he had stopped after less than a month. When he had received the curse however his sister Reiko had talked him into practicing again and Ranna had ended up doing so as a girl ever since.

 

 

OOC: If you don't like the part about the gymnastics, I will change it or remove it.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna had a much better idea of what Reiko wanted for her.  That much she was sure of, even if what he said and thought was true, there was still everything Reiko told her, insisted she do.  Maybe Reiko was happy about what she currently was, but she would be even happier with something else.  She had always wanted a bond between sisters.  Prior to the curse she just expressed it in ways like wishing their parents had another child.  She did not hate having a brother, but wanted a sister much more.  The curse changed everything though.  After that it was one thing after another to convince Ranna to embrace femininity, that this body was her real one.  It was fate, she liked to say, just as she had over the phone call.  And with their parents largely gone, Reiko took it upon herself to teach her ‘sister’ how to be a girl.

”Gymnastics, swimming, among others, anything that might make me wear something that would make me more conscious of this body.  She replaced all my clothes too.”  Some of it was fairly gender neutral, but much more of it was clearly girls’ clothing.  Reiko went all out.  Tried to get her to make friends with some of the local girls as well.  But unlike here, everyone already knew them, so it was the same sort of trouble she had with girls in her class.  “I have not decided about joining anything here yet.”  It was encouraged of course.  For the next four years her social life was entirely with students here, that was the most effective way to meet people outside of classes.  But for Ranna it carried extra complications, more so if it was normally a gender segregated team/club.

Childhood motivations were the past, the relationship between her and Reiko had shifted considerably.  Not hostile, but tense, friction from Ranna’s so far futile attempt to escape Reiko’s attempts to make their relationship into a different sort of sibling bond.  Ranna did not hate Reiko but she was frustrated by her sister’s obsessions.  She did not feel like elaborating on such aspects of what for her was a distant past.

[Nan-Yo]

"It might be a good idea to join a club or two though." Kappei explained and took another sip of his non-alcoholic drink. "I'll keep close and make sure nobody tries hitting on you, but making some friends could help you spread the word that you aren't available." Also, joining the female gymnastics club would be even more beneficial since Reiko was still captain of it. While she had certainly tried to adapt and embrace part of what the school had to offer, her gymnastic club activities had been her sanctuary. What the members did on their free time was up to them of course, but since taking over the club she had ruled it with an iron fist and forbidden any sexual activities during practice or competition. Even more so than say the cheerleader club, the female gymnastics club had become something of almost a burlesque tease show. With sex being so easy to get, watching girls do gymnastics in leotards and knowing that they wouldn't provide any sexual favors to people during the show, provided the audience with something that they pretty much couldn't get elsewhere at the academy...

"Your sister said you were really good at gymnastics and diving. Kinda makes me wish I could see you in a leotard or a swimsuit" As soon as the words came out of his mouth Kappei immediately regretted his words. He hadn't meant anything sexual of course but his words could certainly be misunderstood that way. "That didn't come out right... no, what I meant was... all of Reiko's bragging really did get me curious you know?"

Kappei put some more food into his mouth as he mulled things over again. The plan to protect Ranna wouldn't change whether she was cursed or not, but his lack of reaction to it seemed to bother her quite a bit. He supposed this actually supported the idea that she was actually a boy though. Proving that she was saying was true was actually more difficult than she seemed to think. Even if she had nude pics of herself as a male child, how could he know for sure that it was actually her in the photos? Even if say she could turn back and forth between being a boy and a girl, how did this prove that it was a curse or that she was even a boy? Magic followed its own rules, but it allowed for wondrous almost unimaginable things. Who could say that what she claimed to be a curse wasn't transformation magic? Or that even if she was cursed that it wasn't the other way around and she was cursed to turn into a boy? He sighed and looked up from his own plate again and noticed that she had hardly touched her dinner. "You're not that hungry?"

Edited May 17, 2022 by Nan-Yo

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Being under Reiko’s supervision was not the last thing Ranna wanted, but it was pretty unappealing.  It made all this just feel a little more preplanned.  That or Reiko was putting ideas in Kappei’s head that he seemed not to understand the full context of.  A lack of understanding that seemed sometimes genuine, sometimes stubbornness.  “One of the reasons for coming here was supposed to be freedom from my dear sister…”

She was skeptical about either of them being able to stop anything.  This was so counter the school culture, she found it had to believe it was allowed or tolerated.  It also did not sound like something Reiko would have actually cared to stop.  She basically admitted on their phone conversation that she had overcome initial reluctance and embraced that aspect of the school culture.  Ranna did not really want to see it for herself, but it was starting to sound inevitable.  Reiko also was not exactly against Ranna having sex, just not rushing her into doing it the way it was done here.

She said nothing about the swimsuit or leotard comment.  That line had actually managed to sound less sexual, and more like Reiko was speaking through him.  Which of those was actually worse was another question.  “What that isn’t the point of these places, to eat as slowly as possible?”  Ranna asked, half sarcastically.  There was nothing wrong with the food itself, the conversation had just distracted her, and she was slightly serious about the question, under the impression it was not good to rush, not wanting to waste food, she began eating faster.

[Nan-Yo]

The point of eating out wasn't to eat as slowly as possible, it was to enjoy yourself... or that was at least how Kappei saw it though. Talking with the young girl however just reminded him of how difficult it was for a guy to really understand the thought process of women. How would joining the same academy that her sister was attending allow Ranna to get away from her? The way she was talking and randomly complaining he was pretty sure now that it was just how Ranna was and that she was just being a rebellious teenager. Nobody really liked it when they were told what to do after all... so he would just leave it at that.

"No, I was just worried that the food wasn't to your liking" It wasn't that he had wanted her to eat faster, it was just that she had simply been sitting there picking at he food. To him at least it had seemed as if she had no interest in eating at all. Maybe she had just been too engrossed with the conversation? But did that mean that she was actually enjoying herself right now? He hoped this was the case.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Ranna was not normally one to want take too much time to eat.  She wouldn’t stuff everything down her mouth as fast as possible, but she preferred not to sit at a table especially long either.  It just wasn’t how she had eaten, she and Reiko both tended to have simple short meals, it was the same when their parents were actually around too.  Anything longer was usually special occasions, not more than a few times a year.

”There isn’t anything wrong with the food, but sitting around and eating is not my idea of a fun time.”  She was not wowed by the food, but she could not complain about it either.  She was prioritizing eating it now.  Not fast enough to look too out of place, but fast enough not to draw out their time here especially longer.  The sooner they were done, the sooner the question of if she had any reason to be suspicious of the girl working would also be resolved.

Rebellious teenager was something that at least fairly accurately described her.  Though within reason.  It was mostly Reiko she was, often futilely, rebelling against.  It was too dangerous to be a rebel on a larger scale. 

[Nan-Yo]

"I'm sorry you haven't been able to enjoy yourself." Dinner could be enjoyable but did anyone actually considering eating fun? Ranna had asked him to impress her and now she was complaining again... teenage girls sure could be a hassle couldn't they? "I'm a guy though... so I don't know what girls find fun."

He had already finished more than half of his plate already, the succulent bird meat melting in his mouth. If eating started feeling like a chore then you were doing something wrong. Ranna had told him that the food was fine, but was that really how she felt? Girls liked sweet things though so maybe the dessert would be more to her liking. After dinner he would walk her back to her dorm and make sure that she got there safe and soundly. This would also allow for people to see that she was going out with somebody. Once she had accepted that going on dates with him wasn't much of a problem, he would tell her about his idea that they should get engaged. He hadn't been lying when he had told her about how a guy could keep a girl all to himself simply by being around her... but making in more official would be even more effective.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Nan-Yo