Unfortunate Introduction [Arakan]

The girl was quick to accept Fuyuhiko's apology, which came as a relief to the teen. He couldn't help but chuckle softly at the "you look like you just got into a fight with a drugged-up homeless person and lost miserably" simile. Yeah, he definitely didn't look that great. The thought of Kouji being a drugged-up homeless person was an amusing mental image, and who knew if there was any truth to it, but it hadn't been just a random act of violence against him. Fuyuhiko deserved it, or so he constantly told himself. He shouldn't have stood up to his classmate, especially when he knew Kouji had a wild temperament and a history of violence. Instead of getting into it all, Fuyuhiko simply scoffed, nodded, and said, "Well, it wasn't as exciting as all that."

While the teenage girl retrieved the crashed bike, Fuyuhiko limped across the narrow street to pick up the rest of his belongings with groans of agony. Without ceremony, he slipped the digivice into his pocket and returned to the stranger. She said that she'd push his bike if he could walk on his own, clearly not wanting him to get back on after taking such a tumble. "Yeah, I can walk," he assured while returning to his place beside her on the sidewalk. The girl then suggested they go somewhere so he could get patched up. That was probably a good idea. Though there was no urgency for first aid, there also was no need to risk infection by waiting to tend to it. The girl even went so far to say that he could pay her back by allowing her to help. "I guess that's fine," he said, a faint smile lingering on his lips as they made their way down the street.

She was very kind, and she was cute. Fuyuhiko swallowed hard and tore his eyes from her, looking down at his injured palms instead. His left palm was the most cut up, and his right elbow actively bled -- albeit, the flow was slow, but Fuyuhiko was leaving a very obvious trail of blood droplets on the sidewalk as he walked. He wondered how he must've fallen to sustain such injuries, but his mind ultimately began to wander. He started to daydream about doing epic flips off the back of the bike, landing in the classic "superhero pose" with one knee and one fist on the ground, and moving at the speed of sound to stop the bike from crashing into the teenage girl as she screamed and cried like a damsel in distress. Then he'd scoop her up in his large, muscular arms and-- Fuyuhiko felt his face heat up and he instantly snapped back to reality.

"Um, I'm Fuyuhiko, by the way," he said after taking a moment to compose himself. "I'd shake your hand, but..." he lifted up one of his hands to show the red cuts on his palm, silently explaining that his new-found injuries would hurt if he touched anything in his current state. There was a brief moment of silence, but Fuyuhiko didn't stay quiet long enough for the girl to say much other than her name, if she so chose to introduce herself. "I think I've seen you at school," he said suddenly in an attempt to distance himself as much from his daydream as possible. No need to make things awkward. Just relax and act normal. "You attend the Shibuya Campuses, don't you?" He couldn't remember having any classes with her, but he could've sworn he'd seen her in the hallways.

The girl introduced herself as Arakan and hesitantly confessed that she did go to school at the Shibuya Campuses. Fuyuhiko noticed her resistance to talk about the subject at hand, and he honestly couldn't blame her. While he didn't know her story and didn't know if they had anything else in common, he too despised school. He struggled to find meaning in what his teachers told him to do, mostly because writing essays and studying for tests weren't exactly his idea of fun. If he had a say in it -- that is, if his parents didn't have such a strong influence over his life -- he'd most likely stop going to high school altogether. That would be nice. Regardless of his own life story, Fuyuhiko wasn't about to pry and question Arakan about hers. It wasn't his place to ask and, in all honesty, he was somewhat relieved at the fact that she didn't want to talk about school. He didn't really want to either; he was just trying to make small talk.

When Arakan suggested they find a pharmacy or convenient store, making sure to mention that he shouldn't cross the street in his current condition, Fuyuhiko nodded in agreement. "Yeah, some water, antibiotic ointment, and gauze should do the trick," he said. His parents didn't need to be doctors for him to know how to tend to bike injuries, but it certainly helped in a pinch. Perhaps that was part of the reason why he wasn't as concerned about his well-being as Arakan. He knew his injuries weren't that severe and could easily be tended to by a couple of teen. "There's no need for a hospital," he laughed, finding humor in the idea of going to the ER just for a couple of cuts. The spot where he hit the back of his head did ache like a monster, though; but because there was no blood flow, he was confident it was just sore from the impact rather than something more serious.

As they continued down the side of the road, Fuyuhiko kept an eye out for a store that would sell the items necessary for first aid, but the search was proving somewhat difficult. Cat Street was known for its beautiful graffiti, entertainment, and attractions. While arcades, bookstores, and coffee shops lined the streets, a proper convenient store proved more difficult to locate. That was fine by Fuyuhiko. The delay allowed him time to get to know Arakan. "So, what were you doing before I almost ran into you?" he asked, half expecting her to tell him to mind his own business or change the subject again. It didn't really matter to him what they talked about, he just wanted to chat.

Fuyuhiko nodded on occasion while Arakan spoke, making sure to let her know that he was listening and understanding what she was saying. She claimed to have been job hunting, a topic which normally didn't make Fuyuhiko feel such dread, but the moment she mentioned a resume, he felt his shoulders stiffen and his jaw clench. He should've been working on his resume too; or, at the very least, looking at colleges. Better yet, both. But the idea of growing up made him sick to his stomach. It wasn't the fact that he would have to one day find a stable job, one that he might not actually enjoy, or the fact that he'd have to learn how to provide for himself and take responsibility for his actions. No, it was instead the uncertainty of what he should be doing in life.

He was relieved when Arakan changed the subject by asking why he was in such a hurry anyway. And, in that very moment, his relief was replaced by mild humiliation. In reality, he had no idea why he was going so fast other than he was lost in thought and didn't realize his speed until he was almost on top of her. But he couldn't just say that. It'd make him appear negligent, even if it was the truth. He briefly considered fabricating a lie to make it seem like he actually was in a hurry or being chased by someone, just as Arakan had joked, but he decided against it. "No, it wasn't anything like that," he chuckled wryly, "Just eager to get to the arcade." He eyed Arakan as he said this, carefully watching to see how she'd react to hearing his truthful, albeit brief, explanation.

Fuyuhiko nodded twice in confirmation when Arakan asked about the arcade. Without a moment's hesitation, she immediately turned the mood of the conversation around and scolded him, telling him to be more careful and that not everyone would be so nice as she was. A reddish hue dusted Fuyuhiko's cheeks as he chuckled and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he mumbled while looking up toward the sky, avoiding eye contact. She had a point. What she said wasn't exactly humorous either, but the lengths this girl was going to in order to make sure he was alright was kind of... cute? Maybe that wasn't the word he was looking for, but the fact remained that he hid his nervousness and embarrassment with laughter and an averted gaze.

After some time and well after Fuyuhiko had calmed himself, the two found a convenient store on the side of the street. Before the teens had even stopped walking, Arakan asked if he wanted to stay outside with his bike or if he wanted to lock it up and go inside with her. For some reason, Fuyuhiko thought she would stay outside with his bicycle while he went in to buy the supplies. It probably had something to do with the fact that he didn't want her spending her own money on first aid supplies for an accident she was not responsible for. It wasn't fair to her. At the same time, it wasn't fair to assume she'd watch his belongings either.

"I'll just lock it up," he said, reaching down and grabbing the handles of his bike before navigating it to a nearby sign. In a matter of seconds, he had wrapped a short bungee cord type chain around the mid-section of the bike and the metal pole. The two ends of the cable snapped together, securing the bike in place. Fuyuhiko gave it a tug to ensure it wouldn't go anywhere before turning around and following Arakan into the store. As they made their way to the nearest isle, Fuyuhiko pressed his left hand against his right elbow, doing his best to prevent his blood from hitting the floor. This didn't last long, however, as he quickly uncovered his elbow to scour the shelved for items.

It didn't take long for the teens to find what they were looking for, even if Fuyuhiko was a bit difficult when it came to ointments. He took a while examining each box, reading the ingredients diligently before making his decision. Although there wasn't any need to purchase a bottle of water -- after all, there were plenty free water fountains along Cat Street -- Fuyuhiko still insisted they buy one, citing a couple reasons, though his number one reason was that he had the money to spare, so why not? He stepped into line behind and glanced back to make sure Arakan was still with him. "I bet this isn't how you expected to spend your day, huh?" he jested, his tone conveying as much. Fuyuhiko was clearly just trying to help keep the conversation going while keeping the mood light; whether or not Arakan was in the mood to play along was entirely up to her.