Riverbend

Meira nodded. "So I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to act. Caretaker expect me to be.. Something." She gestured. "But I don't think I'm upset. Just weird. That's not normal right?" Meira hums thoughtfully before going back to her meal. Maybe she didn't like Corona after all? No that's not right. She likes Corona but. Then why the detachment? Indifference to Corona's death?

Noriko chirped back to Hayato. "Yeah! He never told me his name but he was a fancy prince lookin' guy with purple hair. Straight outta Harajuku, like holy shit!" She bounced. Actually, she kind of remembers seeing someone like that while in the static... mmmmm nevermind, nothing of the sort. "Akioooo, do you play soccer?" The true priority.

Noriko bounces on her feet, almost forgetting that she was holding a mug and nearly toppling it all over. She saved herself though, and made sure to straighten right back up before Hayato noticed. "Yeah! I'm trying to find people to play soccer with me because it gets so boring." She pauses, then gasps with a shocked look on her face. "Do you know where the grape-man is? He said I can talk to him if I need help with things!" Oh Noriko.

Noriko sipped her hot chocolate and cooed at the taste. Perfect. "Uhhhhm, I haven't gotten out lately, no! I came back outside a few days ago, but I think I missed a lot!" She took another sip and pouted. "Again!" She's been dead for nearly a year now, c'mon!

"Thank you!" she chirped at Hayato, before turning her attention to Akio. ...Nope, she kept glancing back to Hayato. Seems that she was smart enough to know not to talk about UG stuff to him, remembering Akio's explanation earlier on. "I found it while wandering around a few days ago, when it was dark and the trees were all buzzy with the wind!" If there was something she was skilled at in speaking, it was being vague but convincingly genuine.

She produced the right amount of coins that she found in the static, and put them on the counter. "I'm excited! I like the drinks you make, Hayato," she said, remembering the first time they met fondly. Polite conversation seemed to be the winner for now. She glanced over to Akio looking awkward, and responded by reaching into her pocket and giving him a cool pin that she found in the static. Looks like it's Zantetsu. Weird.

Noriko paused. Perhaps she was doing that thing her brother told her about when she was being Too Excited around people who didn't know how to take it. She straightened up and calmed down- though at the same time, she looked somewhat like her spirits been crushed. Just slightly. "I remembered your cafe and was passing by, so I wanted to say hi!" she said, smiling with less than 100 watts of power. "Can I get a hot chocolate, then?" May as well order. She shuffled in her (mostly) empty pockets.

Noriko stares wide eyed at Akio, her cheeks puffed. "Youuu! You need to go to bed, Akichou! You look like that time I accidentally stayed up for 12 hours practicing soccer outside and then I didn't sleep because of it!" She shook her head at the silly boy and grinned up to Hayato. "Can I! Can I get a- wait!" Her eyes widened even more at Hayato. "Don't you remember me? I can't order if you don't remember me! We bonded over having brothers! I thought we were friends, Hayatoko!"

A familiar green eyed young girl nudged open the door to Riverbend. Geez, seems like she missed another of those game thingies! She'd been running around in the static forever, and she sure as hell was thirsty. She brightened at the sight of Akio, and even moreso at the sight of Hayato. Rushing over to the counter, she beamed up at the both of them with more energy than either most likely had. "Good evening!!! Hi! Do you remember me?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Cheer looks... just sad. He had expected this conversation to go a completely different way. "I'm sorry, Hayato. I can't... tell you that." And with that, tears in his eyes, he turns and leaves Riverbend for the last time that week.

Cheer stands up, knocking the cup off the table in his anger. It shatters on the floor of the cafe. "You're an asshole, Hayato. You care about Akio and it's so fucking clear on your face but you're a god damn asshole! He's yelling at Hayato's back now. "I know exactly what happened with him when he was fucking gone- and I know how much it hurts him just to be around you anymore!!"

He starts to get angry, clenching his fists. "Look- there are some things you just- you just don't know about, okay? You don't know what he's been through, okay?" Cheer takes a deep breath. "He needs this- I need this."

Cheer listens, and then nods. "That's exactly it, though. Now Akio won't be able to tell himself that I'm not serious, that I don't mean it. Even on his worst days... now there's something real, something solid there to remind him of that. Words... aren't enough. Especially from someone like me. And I do want to be with him forever- for the rest of our... lives. However long that may be." He sighs, taking a big gulp of coffee. "Do you really think that's... unreasonable?"

Cheer looks down at his cup. It's clear that despite Hayato's reaction- he's trying to take this seriously. "Yeah - uh, I just figured I didn't want to... waste any time in making him.." He blushes further. "He.. he doesn't always believe that he's worth loving so I, just- He has to know. Every second of every day, that he's important." He looks back up at Hayato, tears brimming in his eyes. "Isn't that how you feel, too, Hayato-nii?" He's dead serious. Jesus.

He takes the coffee gratefully and sips at it before trying to get to the point. "I... I just know this will be hard news for him to break, and you and I rarely get to have one on one conversations, and I wanted to tell you that... well... Is it all right if I call you Hayato-nii?" His cheeks go red. " ... proposed."

He points over at a table. The shop is empty, Shibuya as a whole is uncharacteristically quiet. Assuming Hayato follows him over, Cheer sits down across from him and gives a soft smile. "So... I have some news for you..."

He's so tempted to knock on the counter one more time, looking directly into Hayato's eyes but he doesn't. He just smiles. "Can we... sit down and talk?"