[Wordlessly, she moves a hand up to rest on his shoulder, her face full of concern. She's not sure if she needs to say more than that - it seems to her like they have a way to communicate so much of what they're feeling without putting words to it.]
[She'd known they were friends, of course, and that was cause for enough concern; that clarification makes her heart drop like a stone. There's clear sympathy in her voice as she looks his way.]
[ He smiles then, surprising though it may be: crooked and bittersweet. He'll start them back on the path to the kitchen. ]
... we know. We don't have much time left, but ... we're going to make the most of it. [ A focused breath, in and out. ] And I'm going to focus on keeping her safe and doing whatever I can to support her. When the end comes...
[ A soft sound, not quite a laugh, not quite a huff of breath. ]
[There's no way to make this easier for him, she thinks. She's stalled in her steps enough that she's following after him rather than walking side by side, but as concerned as she still looks... She tries to offer him a smile in return.]
[ He smiles in earnest, shaking his head. ] I don't know about me. But Rise? She's one of the bravest people I've ever met. I've always been amazed by her strength.
[ Even if he hadn't said it, his feelings would be obvious. The powerful fondness in his voice, the look in his eyes when he talks about her, would be unmistakable. ]
... Yu kinda rubs the back of his hand below his nose, the gesture somewhere between bashful and pleased, and it does nothing to hide his little smile. ]
Now that's a long story. [ He laughs as he takes them into the inn's kitchen, and he'll break off to look for ice and a towel to put it in. The inn is quaint, but the kitchen itself is modern, to deal with modern consumers, of course. ]
We actually had similar situations. I moved here a couple months before she did. When she got to Inaba, there was a... situation going on. [ what a word. ] My friends and I had reason to believe her safety might be at risk, so we went to warn her. That was actually the first time we ever spoke.
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What happened to you?
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I went to see Majima-san.
[ which. should be fairly self-explanatory. ]
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[She sighs.]
Does it hurt?
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[ ... ]
I was going to try and get some ice.
[ yes. yes it does hurt. ]
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[She's! Very concerned.]
You want to go do that now?
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[ HE CUT OFF! HIS FUCKING! FINGIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yu may have nightmares about that moment for the rest of his life.
But he'll nod, huffing a sigh. ]
Yeah. [ He'll motion with his head for her to join him. ]
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[Off they go to find some ice!]
Can I ask you something?
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Yeah, anything. What's up?
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It's a complex question, and he gives it the thought it deserves. ]
There hasn't been reason to worry for her safety, so far. Of course I'd like her to win, but...
[ ...
soft, an obvious admission: ]
The hardest part has been thinking about what will happen once the game is over.
[ They'll never see each other again.
He knows that. ]
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[Wordlessly, she moves a hand up to rest on his shoulder, her face full of concern. She's not sure if she needs to say more than that - it seems to her like they have a way to communicate so much of what they're feeling without putting words to it.]
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Yu pauses, looking at her, his mouth working on words he wants to say but doesn't know how. ]
Zoe, I...
[ He makes a soft sound and looks down, away. Pauses to briefly shut his eyes.
In the end he shakes his head and simply says, ]
I love her.
[ And that's that. ]
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[She'd known they were friends, of course, and that was cause for enough concern; that clarification makes her heart drop like a stone. There's clear sympathy in her voice as she looks his way.]
Oh, Yu...
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... we know. We don't have much time left, but ... we're going to make the most of it. [ A focused breath, in and out. ] And I'm going to focus on keeping her safe and doing whatever I can to support her. When the end comes...
[ A soft sound, not quite a laugh, not quite a huff of breath. ]
Well, we'll deal with that when it comes.
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Both of you are really brave.
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[ Even if he hadn't said it, his feelings would be obvious. The powerful fondness in his voice, the look in his eyes when he talks about her, would be unmistakable. ]
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She's also super cute. Can't forget that.
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... Yu kinda rubs the back of his hand below his nose, the gesture somewhere between bashful and pleased, and it does nothing to hide his little smile. ]
She's the cutest.
[ :') he loves you rise ]
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We actually had similar situations. I moved here a couple months before she did. When she got to Inaba, there was a... situation going on. [ what a word. ] My friends and I had reason to believe her safety might be at risk, so we went to warn her. That was actually the first time we ever spoke.
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Can I ask what the situation was?
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Still, it doesn't cover the way he kinda tugs his mouth to one side. ]
A serial murder case, actually.
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...Oh my god. Are you okay?
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I'm fine. We solved the case, and the culprit is in prison now.
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can't believe i'm going to get arrested for premeditated murder
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