Reiko Touyama had been carefully working, molding, sculpting molds of koi. She'd never really scuplted before- but she put a lot of effort in. Her medium of choice is paper and pencils and crayons and prismacolors and paints.
Then she began to experiment with chocolates. She learned a few tricks to minimize air bubbles, and let the chocolates fall from the mold easier!-- but that came with multiple poor looking choclate koi.
Oh, and chocolate flowers. She made some of those molds too.
What she ended up with was in a long box she'd wrapped up and was holding flat.
She'd called Haru Zinoro earlier in the day, to see if he'd like to meet, that- she had something for him!
So thusly, She was sitting by the koi pond in the botanical gardens waiting patiently as she bit her lip- a bit. She'd hope that, she put enough effort into this- but she had! Lots of effort!
As it turned out, Haru was indeed free! Well, after school, anyway. Saturday was a half-day, so it's a little easier to have free time. Once he's out of school, he makes arrangements for the flower-arranging club, promising to meet them Monday. Then he heads for the Botannical Gardens. It's a place he's always liked anyway; he's for a thing for flowers and plants, so it makes sense.
Haru sees Reiko once he gets close enough, and smiles. He moves so he approaches from directly behind where she's sitting, hoping to surprise Reiko a little. Should he manage that, he'll pipe up quietly, "Peek-a-boo." He doesn't want to scare her too badly. Either way he chuckles, and then sits down next to her. "It's good to see you again," he replies.
Reiko Touyama blushes a bit as she bites her lip when she jumps, eep! Luckily, it's not an outright scared jump-- the kind that'd get him slapped or something thrown at him. "Ah--!" she blinks and bites her lip again. Whoops! "Haru-kun!" she beams a bit. "Hi--hi! Schools been hectic starting out and---I've been practicing the chocolate making things. Like I said." she blushes a little.
Um..
She offers the box. "Here...!" she says.
The box is about a foot by 3/4 of a foot rectangle. It seems to be a foil wrapped simple box without anything holding the top down. The foil is a pleasent metallic orange.
"Open it, it's okay!" she says with a smile!
Inside, is a lovely drawn scene of a koi pond-- except, instead of drawing koi, she cut koi-shaped holes into a piece of raised cardboard--- foil covered the small impressions- and inserted the chocolate koi she's made into the impressions!
Likewise, there are various water plants and flowers on the 'bank', that are also chocolate. There's about twenty pieces in total. The sculpting isn't perfect--- nothing like what Haru bought her for White Day, but it does look good for someone's first few attempts at this kind of thing.
"W--what do you think?" she asks.
"It has been," Haru agrees. "Clubs aren't any better, either. The Flower-Arranging Club is wanting to learn to weave foilage and braid lily grass. I'm afraid these techniques may be a little too advanced for us." He chuckles. At the mention that she's been practicing chocolate-making, his brows raise. "Oh?" He seems a bit surprised.
And then he's offered a box. Encouraged to open it, he does, and then pauses at what he sees in the box. He blinks. "You... made all these?" he asks, his voice quiet. And now he seems even MORE surprised! "They're very good! This must have taken a long time," he notes, looking back up to her with a smile.
Reiko Touyama grins. "They did!" she says. "I.. um. Sculpted tiny koi and flowers.... then I took those and made molds of them." she says softly. "Um.. the chocolate is just these... metled chips, though." she admits sheepishly. "Nothing fancy." she says. "Um-- they're not filled either, just chocolate!"
"I made them for you! So--- enjoy them!" she beams a bit.
"It took a bit, yes, but it was worth it and you seem to like them." she smiles.
"I never sculpted before. It was nice to learn something new!" she says. "It didn't feel like-- drawing on material, like I thought it might, but I got the hang of it." she says gently.
She looks down to the koi pond with a blush. "This is my favorite place in the city." she says. "My grandpa used to take me here when I was smaller, because I was sad my mom and dad were never really around." she says softly. "So I look a lot at the fish and remember that!" she says softly.
"Chocolate, my dear Reiko-chan, is one thing that doesn't require 'fancy' to be 'good'," Haru replies, with a chuckle. "Besides, you made these. I just bought the ones I gave you." He winks. It was true, the koi had cost more because he asked for a custom order, but still, he personally hadn't made them. "They're very pretty. You did very well on them, for a first time. Naturally gifted."
Reiko begins to talk about the koi pond and being brought by her grandfather. Remembering the koi? "That must be why you like koi so much," he comments quietly. It makes sense. As for enjoying the chocolates? "Ha, they almost look to pretty to eat!" he chuckles. Nonetheless, he picks up one of the flowers, and pulls a petal from it. He places the chocolate petal in his mouth, but instead of just starting to chew, he waits for the chocolate to melt. That's always the best way to taste chocolate after all. And when the chocolate starts to melt? He smiles.
He then pulls a second petal off the same flower. But instead of eating that himself, he holds it out to Reiko. Not out to her hand. He offers the chocolate petal to her mouth directly, with an impish smile.
Reiko Touyama beams. "I should get better with practice." she says. Oh she's called Reiko-chan again- this makes her blush. She'll never, ever, ever get tired of hearing this from Haru. Nope. It's silly , it's the smaller things that make Reiko happy! Now if only her parents would realize that.
She watches him eat it--- she watches how he likes it-- to melt? Well of course!---
Reiko just kind of unelegantly shoves chocolate into her mouth and chews it. She doesn't even take a piece though--- Haru hasn't offered her a pi---
Haru IS offering her a piece! Of his chocolate, only, in a manner that suggests he wants her to eat it from his hand? Oh my, if she wasn't already kind of blushing- she most certainly is now!
She meeps. "Oh...!" she says as she sort of leans forward and--- nip! the chocolate piece gts grabbed by her lips and she eases back. "Hehe--" she blushes. "Are you feeding the koi girl?~" she asks.
Then she realizes what she just said around the chocolate piece. Did she just ask if she's feeding the koi girl!?
Haru chuckles at the way she delicately takes the chocolate flower petal from his hand. He's honestly not coming off as trying to be flirty or sensual or anything. If anything else, it's more a teasing sort of smile he's got, his nose scrunched up in a mischievous ways.
Oh, but even he pinks a little at the question. He raises a hand, a finger scratching sheepishly at his cheek. Though the smile still remains. "I know we're not supposed to feed the koi, but sometimes they're just so adorable I can't help it." And there HE goes, blushing.
Reiko Touyama doesn't seem to mind it, in any event, whatever Haru-kun is doing. She seems to be enjoying herself--- and that's all that matters, doesn't it? Ohh yes, she's enjoying being the target of this msichievousness.
But before she can blush over the silly thing she just said, Haru, perhaps, says something even a little sillier and more emabrassing and really- it /is/.
"Oh! You can feed the koi, you just need to ask~" she says a little smile.
This time, she doesn't even horribly blush! (Mainly, because she already still is a little.) but she does smile lopsidedly.
"I'm glad you like them, Haru." she says with a blush as she bites her lip. "Lots of stuff has happened as of late. Some good. Some bad. Nothing too horrible though that wasn't fixed." she smiles wide.
"So the fact you like the chocolate is a good thing." she grins. "I worked hard on it!" she says. Then she steals a chocolate koi and she less elegantly bites it's tail off. Poor, poor chocolate koi.
Then she kind of bites her lip. "Hrmmm....." she thinks.
Then she sort of retreat inwards as she grows blushedly quiet suddenly.
Haru chuckles at the mention of 'just ask to feed the koi'. "That's a relief," he says quietly. "The fines for illegal koi-feeding might be brutal!" He places a hand upon his chest, as if he's deeply affected by shock! He is, however, kidding, as in the next moment he's chuckling again. This turns into a laugh when Reiko pinches one of the chocolate koi. He finds this funny.
Her words of things having happened get a nod. "That's life for you," he reasons. Looking to the chocolate koi pond scene in the box, he notes, "Just like if some of these flowers were made of mud... or, or tripe, and you didn't know which was which. When you pick one up, you won't know 'till you bite into it whether it's delicious or foul." He is steadfastly REFUSING to make a 'life is like a box of chocolates' reference, even if that's more or less what he's trying to imply.
He notes her silence and tilts his head in her direction. "Is something wrong?" he inquires quietly.
Reiko Touyama makes a face. "Maybe for an april fool's day prank!" she says with pursed lips. "Put disgusting things in chocolate... or... like hot sauce! or hot peppers!" she says with a short giggle. "I'll need to remember that for next year!" she says as she smirks. "Though I know what you're actually saying..." she says with a soft series of nods.
"Just a smack in the face with a tail." the orange haired girl says with a wink.
She kind of nrgs and crosses her arms. "Actually the opposite. Everything..."
"Is really great!" she says with another short blush, as she taps two finges together in front of herself, unfurling her arms.
Deep breath deep breath, she told herself she can do this.
"Would you maybe um..."
"Like to... go out. On like..."
"A proper date?" she asks softly. "Somewhere nice! Like. Maybe a dance! or a resturant!" she says as she bites her lip after.
"I mean. It'd be fun... wouldn't it?" she asks with a meek smile.
"Well, there is a restaurant that does that," Haru replies. "It's a 'roulette' type challenge. Six takoyaki, one with wasabi. It's a game-- if you get the one with the wasabi, you're 'dead', and they put the white triangle headband on you." A chuckle. "You need six people for that, though, otherwise it gets too easy. Though. I guess if there aren't that many, you can go more than one round per order."
Hearing that things are great, though, gets a smile. "That's good to hear. With all the nonsense going on, when things AREN'T falling to pieces, it's good." Though he pauses, blinking when she... invites him out on a date? A moment later, though, the surprise clears, and he laughs, amused. "How did you know what I was going to ask?" he teases. "I was totally going to just seague from 'feeding the koi' to 'can I take you to a nice place to feed you'."
Reiko Touyama blushes and hurrfs! Because that's a way better seague than awkwardly asking a boy out unelegantly. She is soooooo not very not elegant. She swallows. "Well I'd love to go out somewhere!" she says softly. "Surprise me, then!" she says with wide eyes. "Just let me know how I need to dress!" she beams.
She doesn't have anything super fancy-- she's never needed something fancy. Oh god, she needs to buy something fancy eventually, she figures. Ma--maybe she can drag someone out shopping soon!
"Wait her mind is getting side-tracked. "But-- yes, I would love too!" she says with wide eyes.
Oh god. Her first date. If she was less in control of her emotions she might even be wiggling off the bench! Luckily, she isn't that close yet to loosing her cool for better or worse! She does need to adjust her glasses though.
Haru finds it funny, though, and chuckles at the 'hurrf!' sound. "It's all right. Think of it this way, we were thinking the same thing. That has to mean something." He smirks playfully. The mention of surprising her gets a thoughtful rub of his chin. "What kind of food do you like?" he asks. A pause. "Oh right. I should also ask if you have any food allergies that you know of." That would be unpleasant to find out like that.
To tell the truth, Haru's nervous over the prospect too! Thankfully-- hopefully-- Reiko's hearing is about that of a normal human's, so she probably can't hear his heart hammering double-time. Where would he take her for dinner? What if she didn't like it? What if he made an idiot of himself?! But see, this is why he's got one hand on his chin and the other tucked under his arm, so the shaking can't be easily seen!
Reiko Touyama huhs? "Oh! I'm not allergic to anything!" she says softly. Then what she likes to eat...
She blushes and looks ashamed. And it becomes clear why when she actually says it. "Fish..." she says meekly. "Seafood." she says. "Specfically." she adds. "Sushi is good, most of all..." she admits.
"I know that's kind of silly."
"To care so much about fish!"
"But I also like eating them a lot." she says softly tapping two fingers together meekly, ashamed ashamed.
"Many people are surprised when I say that." she says softly. "But most of those fish would make awful companion fish. Who'd wanna keep a Tuna as a pet!" she says scrunching her nose up. "Who even has a tank that big!" she says.
Hehehehehhe nervous smile.
It occurs to her suddenly that Haru might be nervous too. Hrm what can she say. "Right.. if we were both thinking it then!--- it should happen! No problems!" she says closing her eyes and nodding curtly!
Haru does snicker when she admits to liking seafood. "I can understand that, actually," he notes. "Being so tied to plants, you'd think I'd steer away from eating them. But no, there are plants that are made for eating and plants that aren't made for eating. It's the same for fish. Koi are not a food species, are they? So that makes sense. He's getting some ideas where they can go, though, there's that. Which is good.
However, soon he gets an idea from her words of tuna being a pet. He pulls a smartphone out and starts to search for something. "No, tuna are definitely for eating," he confirms. To prove this, he taps the screen of his smartphone, then turns it to face Reiko. There's a music video playing on it, a song about wanting to eat tuna, sung by an extremely high-pitched, cutesy-sounding voice. "You see?"
Reiko Touyama looks at the video on Haru's screen which is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvWjKDwlb9g
She brings two fingertips to her mouth and begins to laugh loudly, indeed, she finds the song kind of silly with the crude animation.
"That's really funny, Haru..." she smiles some. She giggles some.
She softly. Looks at the box of chocolates she made. Then blinks a bit, oh!
It's getting late suddenly. She stands up softly. "Haru- I should be getting home. It's... a rare chance I might get to see my parents and they might actually be home tonight before I go to bed." she says with a soft smile. "So-- I'm going to get going now!" she says. "I um..."
"I really hope you enjoy the chocolates, Haru." she says softly with a grin.
She softly stands ther e and blushes. "Call me, when you figure out where we're going, okay? And don't worry! I'll really like anywhere you choose to take me!" she beams.
Haru seems pleased at having amused Reiko so. "There's a couple of these kinds of videos out there," he notes, putting the phone away in his pocket once the video is done playing. As she mentions getting late, he nods. "It is," he agrees. Though before she goes, he reaches into the box and takes out one of the chocolate flowers. "For you," he say, soffering it to her. "Not regifting, mind. Just you put a lot of effort into these, and we should be able to share them. I'd suggest not putting it in your hair, though," he teases quietly.
His brows raise when she mentions maybe being able to see her parents. "Oh, that's definitely good," he agrees. "I definitely don't want to keep you from seeing your parents. Thank you, this is lovely!" He puts the top on the box again, so he can transport the remainder, and stands. "Be careful, all right?"
Reiko Touyama is given a chocolate for the road, she blushes a bit. "N--no I understand. Thank you!" she says to Haru with a smile, not at all taking it as a 'regifting'. She thinks it's rather sweet!
She blushes. "R-right!" she says with a beam. "I'll text you tommrow when I get a chance!" she says gently.
"See you again soon Haru-kun!" she says with a grin.
And then off she goes, popping that chocolate into her mouth along the way!