Description: After coming together once more after spending so much time apart, Roberto and Yurika find that they are wanting different things out of Roberto's life.
For all of the things he said about wanting to build a friendship with Yurika, he's had trouble following through on it. It was something he wasn't proud of even if it was mostly because of his hectic school, practice, and work schedule.
Yes... Work. Sure he'd make more money doing Saturday Night Fights and Neo League fights he felt like keeping a low profile and after Southtown became a warzone, he felt a need to get away from fighting for awhile. Just long enough that he could sort out a few issues.
He texted an invitation to the musician to meet him at the Pao Pao to pick up a bite to eat after class. The soccer star, while he felt bad about not being that good at keeping in contact with her, he hoped that he wouldn't regret reaching out to her now.
Yurika Kirishima has been keeping just as busy as Roberto, maybe more maybe less but they've both certainly been out of contact for some time- Has she given up on keeping tabs on the young man though?
Oh no. No, of course not. Some things simply never change.
She's long since graduated, having become part of the Seijyun admin but she hadn't told Roberto that yet; this more evident when she arrives at the Pao Pao cafe clad not in her usual light-blue arrite, but a black dress with puffed shoulders, and operalength gloves, almost looking like a nun without the habit: It's almost too fitting for her really. And she's punctual! Arriving with a shoulderbag on hand, she doesn't look around at all, she simply steps into the cafe and walks straight to the fighter/goalie/student as if she had known exactly where he was. And greets him with a small smile, "Miura.. It's been some time."
It's seriously creepy how she does that whole not needing to look for him thing. It has to make one wonder how he keeps attracting these stalkers. On the up side, she's not as overt about it as say Gabriel. That's neither here nor there.
The striker/goalie rises to greet Yurika. "Indeed. I suppose it's my fault. It's just things have been so insane lately." Wait is he talking about the war or his work schedule? It would apply to both.
He then steps behind his company to pull a chair for her. Notable difference in behavior between his treatment of her before they mutually agreed to be more civil towards each other and after. Also, Roberto wouldn't do something like that for Natsu. Mainly because he didn't want to tick off his best friend, Shoma and he had a feeling that Natsu herself would object to a gesture like that. He could be wrong though.
Yurika could and would easily assume that Roberto was speaking about both; after all she recalls the hard time he may have had with Ichiro's freaking out and ending up having a bounty put on him for his capture. When Roberto stands and greets, she gives a curtsey in return. She actually seems a bit surprised by the gesture, but she nods her head, "Thank you," and takes a seat.
"Well I certainly don't blame you, I'm sure many of us have been extremely busy over the past few months. The reconstruction project, thankfully, is coming to and end so hopefully I'll have more time to persue more personal matters.. You look like you've been eating well at least," she adds with a light giggle. "Dare I ask how you've been otherwise?"
Should he tell the truth, or the half truth? Well let's cross out the things that he won't be talking about. Let's see. Ichiro's freaking out, blowing up part of the school, and Roberto's subsequent Heroic BSOD? Off the table. Hell anything related to the war is definitely off the table. And considering the soccer player hasn't been doing fighting events lately, that can be considered as a topic that won't be discussed. Which leaves athletics and school. He probably won't open himself to any possible wisecracks about his job.
"I've been alright. The work load at school has picked up but it's definitely worth it."
"Hmn, I see," Yurika replies, looking Roberto straight in the.. Um. Visor. Being one who reads people well using their eyes, the boy has always been a challenge for obvious reasons. Naturally she eventually found his buttons in a different way, but it seems she won't be doing that today. Maybe.
"Is it? I always found the everyday academic life to be so.. Beneath you, Roberto. Why do you waste your time doing such mundane things when you're capable of so much greater? Is it just to be an example to your little siblings? That's a bit much, isn't it?" she looks to the waiter, ordering a glass of water and a garden salad.
If there's one thing Roberto was expecting from talking to Yurika, that was not it. Beneath him? And mundane things? He could only imagine the shock if she said that to him when they weren't on mutually happy terms. Especially since she wasn't likely to say anything was beneath him during those days.
"I have an interest in Sports Psychology. It applies to both fighting and football, and after my career is over, I could see myself coaching a team. Even when I stop playing, and can't see myself staying away from the sports" The shock wears off and he begins to ask himself why is he defending his own decisions and turns the question around. "Well if I'm capable of more, what would you have me do?"
He pauses to let Yurika order before he orders himself a burger. But this decision, he has no qualms about defending. "I've been keeping myself on a strict diet but I have treat myself every now and then or else I go nuts."
Yurika opens her shoulderbag and shuffles through is as she listens to Roberto, "Well that makes the two of us, not staying away from sports I mean. But I had always thought combat was in your blood as well. So I was even more curious why I hadn't seen you in the circuit.." she says. She frowns, and closes the bag.
"Sports Psychology, I see, so you're looking deeper into the future than I expected as well. I won't judge you for what you decide to or not to eat.. Not unless it's beneficial for me, of course, no need to defend yourself." she teases.
"As for what I'd have you do, it isn't difficult, simply get disgustingly rich now, and then we could have an arranged marriage. It's an ingenius plan, isn't it? But I'm afraid it's too late for that now.." she murmurs, giving a more mysterious smile, "I'm sure you'll do well in your Sports Psychology career, it fits you."
Beneficial? That puts him on high alert... Lots of alerts and red flags are going off for the football(of the non-American variety obviously) phenom. The soccer star attempts to find a response. Something... Anything... Nothing comes. He finds himself requiring a mental reboot especially due to the errors caused by the 'get disgustingly rich now, and then we could have an arranged marriage,' comment.
It takes a few moments for the Star Striker operating system to finally boot up and it's at this point that Roberto realizes that Yurika is fricking nuts, and that he finally has found something to say in response to that.
An unspoken response is that he still planned on playing football and that he ain't dead yet. Another unspoken one is that fighting was always less of a priority than fighting was and that the sport was his true love. And this is what brings us to his spoken response of, "B-b-beneficial?" Pause. "D-d-d-disgustingly rich?" Hmm... The OS must still have some glitches. "Marriage? I don't think a marriage will work out and I'm not even sure your brother would let something like that come to pass." Plus the idea of being related to Kurow... Not that appealing.
Yurika's expression doesn't change, if Roberto's response was anything like she wanted (and it most certainly was) there's no telling on that pale face of hers, simply continuing on as if she were merely speaking about the weather. "You say that as if I haven't thought about it, as if everything that I say or do to you is but a simple whim." she then says, elbows propped ont he table (bad) and she laces her fingers togeather, Gendou Ikari-style, "It's about time you learn that I do nearly everything for a reason, and that I have anticipated a reaction already. I will admit you haven't always played into my plans, meeting you in Thailand was certainly not in my plans I confess, but it always made things interesting for me in the end.. That's why I like you. And that is also why I dislike you, I don't like not knowing things."
"The point is you're wasting your time thinking there's an obstacle, the only one in all of this is you and your distrust of me. If you didn't know about Kurow I'm sure you'd be by my side to this day, wouldn't you?"
"Truth be told, I would still say no." He takes a deep breath. "I want to be able to believe in the fact that my wife will always look out for my interests and in exchange I would always do the same for her. While I truly want a friendship to flourish, there's still a part of me that has trouble getting over your initial treatment of me and there hasn't been enough of an investment in time on either of our ends to get past that. I'm not even thinking about anything beyond friendship until that foundation is built."
In summary, he's saying, 'You're moving too fast.'
There's a long moment of silence after Roberto's words. Her hands lower to the table, continuing to look at Roberto intently, smile still in her features, "Of course you would say that.. I'd be wasting my time saying that I disagree since there's no way I could prove it, so I suppose I'll have to leave it at that.. The bottom line here is, I am not interested in a friendship. If there is anything in this world I do not need, it is friends." a brief pause, "That is, any friend other than Akira. It's astonishing what a person will do for someone they hold so close to their heart. So honestly, I can understand what you're saying. I wish I could at this point make you see things from my point of view but.. I believe at this point I will have to swallow my pride and give this up."
Yurika pushes herself from the table and stands up, her smile growing more gentle, "It was fun while it lasted, Mister Miura, but from this point on we'll be going our own directions without one another."
Log created on 21:32:24 02/08/2010 by Roberto, and last modified on 00:47:23 02/18/2010.