As Tsuneko and Yuudai passed into the Downtown Marketplace, it appeared like all of Kirigakure had convened in this one area of town to enjoy this rare day of sunshine. She subconsciously lowered her lilac gaze; between her small figure and downcast gaze, the girl did not draw the attention of many of the passersby. It was exactly as she preferred it. Crowds, by some undefined instinct, made her nervous; if asked, she may have attributed it to the feeling of being trapped, of not being able to maneuver or escape easily from any adverse situation that might arise, but even that was not very accurate, as being on both the thin and short side, she often was able to duck in and around people as a child might. Today, however, was different, as she was not on her own this time.

Slightly leading the way through the crowds, at one point, Tsuneko worried that she might get separated from her companion; impulsively, she reached for Yuudai’s hand and would take it, not as a lover with fingers entwined, but more practically, as a friend might, to keep him with her as they made their way through. Arriving at a small stand, populated, but not nearly as crowded as the little cafes and such were, as people tried to find their way into air-conditioning and out of the uncommonly hot weather, she stopped, giving up on finding a similar building where any seating would be available. Turning to Yuudai, she looked up at him, squinting slightly in the bright sunlight, and asked, “I don’t think we’re going to find anywhere out of the heat here. What do you think? Do you want to just get something here and head back to my apartment, or something?” The offer was made without any sort of connotation; it was simply the first place that occurred to her.

[Continued from Here]

Crowds, he disliked them - maybe even hated. Not the people themselves, but rather concept and atmosphere brought about from them. Not the atmosphere of people enjoying themselves, but rather ignoring others and often times pushing them out of their paths. Instinctively, Yuudai moved a bit closer to Tsuneko, as she offered something familiar compared to the rest of the crowd, people who he hasn't ever spoken to before. Maybe it was also the fact he found quiet a few similarities between himself and Tsuneko that he felt comfortable in her presence.

At one point, he was unaware of Tsuneko grabbing on to his hand, though when he realized, he almost stiffened. It was odd for someone to blatantly grab him like that, especially in public. The only time he could recall such things happening were in spars, where contact was inevitable, or when his mother often wanted to drag him outside to help with getting supplies. There was a tint of redness on his face, not due to the heat, but could easily be passed off as such. Upon Tsuneko's inquiry of where to go, Yuudai only really wanted one thing. Well, two, but only one he would want to voice. The other, would be to spend more time with her, something he still found odd, though the inner turmoil was absent. "Let's do that. Just getting out of the heat is what I want." The colour on his cheeks still hadn't faded completely. He really did not care where they would go, and the idea of heading to her apartment he took it as just a way to avoid the heat.

Under stress by being surrounded by all of the people, Tsuneko had impulsively grabbed his hand, and as he did not pull away, she did not notice Yuudai's discomfort with it. Although it may have seemed a bit absurd had she had to explain it, the crowd had made the girl feel mildly threatened, and so she had acted as she felt necessary to avoid the danger, even if it was only the danger of being seperated. The contact not stemming from any sort of intimacy, once they had gotten past the worst of the masses and reached the stand, she released his hand as casually as she had reached for it. When she had looked up at him to question their next move, Tsuneko had noticed the flush on his face but never considered it to be more than a result of the warmth and the sun beating down; she would not have doubted that she probably had a pink tinge herself.

Yuudai accepted her plan, expressing his desire to get out of the heat, and she nodded in response, deciding to save any conversation for after that goal had been met. Her having already positioned themselves in the line on the assumption that he would agree, it only took a few minutes for them to reach the seller. Purchasing a large bottle of water, a smaller one of orange juice, and a banana from his supply of various bottled and canned beverages and fresh fruit, she stepped to the side, allowing Yuudai to make his selection. Her's was a bit odd, but every item served a purpose. Holding the water in her left hand, banana in her right, and the juice tucked neatly between her left forearm and her body, she waited for Yuudai to either make his purchase or indicate that he wasn't going to buy anything, for whatever reason. After he did one of these things, Tsuneko led the way through the village to her apartment.

Similarly tucking the piece of fruit as she had the orange juice, the girl flipped open the medical kit she had strapped to her right thigh, retrieved the key that she had tucked in with her supplies for safekeeping, and unlocked the door, doing this balancing act with practiced ease. Letting them both in to the cool, air-conditioned room, she set the solitary key on a little table by the door and moved to set her purchases down on a small dining table. The most noticeable feature of the studio apartment was its lack of decoration. She had lived here since returning to Kirigakure months ago but had not made any steps to make the furnished apartment seem any more personal; she was unwilling to put down roots here as she intended on moving back into the Kaguya Temple once its reconstruction was complete. Although the apartment was small, clearly intended for just a single resident, it did not seem cramped for it was kept perfectly neat. The only personnel effects left 'out', per se, were a few thick medical books with Konohagakure authors and a snapshot of a brown haired boy with light green eyes lying frameless on her bedside table. After she had set her things down, Tsuneko turned to address Yuudai. "Well... Here we are," she said unnecessarily. Hospitably, she gestured for him to join her at the table, him having his choice of one of the four chairs pushed in around it.

When his hand was released, Yuudai felt a slight tingle, which probably was nothing. It was probably the heat getting to him. Speaking of which, even with his continued circulation of chakra within his body, Yuudai was just starting to feel a bit light headed from the weather. He really needed to get indoors, to someplace that was relatively cool in temperature. He had no hesitation about what he wanted, especially once he saw the object encased in ice. Picking up the bottle of water, the largest in stock, he looked at the fruits, trying to spot something that would sooth him for a bit. An apple would certainly do the trick. Quickly after purchasing his chosen items, holding his apple within the grasp of his right hand and the water bottle in his left hand, Yuudai turned around to follow her to her apartment.

As Tsunkeo was opening the door, he was tempted to offer holding her items, but after seeing her balance the objects with ease, he realized they were shinobi and that one would not lose balance so easily. Walking inside of the apartment, Yuudai really wouldn't care much for how her apartment looked, though he would store it within his memory, as it would give him a glance at her personality. It was small, suitable enough for a single person to live in. Easily surmising that she chose to live alone or that their were reasons for choosing such a living situation - most likely family matters. Though he would not comment on such thoughts. His train of thought was also interrupted by a blast of cold air, courtesy of the air-conditioning system within her apartment. Relishing in the coldness, with his natural resistance to most cold weathers, Yuudai certainly felt relaxed. Though that feeling was certainly replaced by something else. Yuudai felt that he should not be here, or at least not be here after a training session. Training and the weather would certainly make him sweat a lot, and given that he had not washed off earlier, as he would have needed to go back home and would have had to decline Tsuneko's invitation, he certainly felt out of place. A quick glance at the objects within the apartment told him one of three things. Either Tsuneko had recently moved in - the lack of boxes shot that idea down. Or she was moving out - again the boxes. The third option seemed the most viable, she didn't own many personal belongings. He was hesitant to accept Tsuneko's gesture to join her at the table, given how he had not cleaned up, though joined her at the table a split second after the passing thought. He sat down on the chair that was closest to him. He really could not produce a comment towards the apartment. It wasn't as if there was nothing positive to say about it, he just couldn't find anything to say about the place. "Thank you for inviting me." Putting the objects he had recently purchased on the table he sat at, Yuudai turned to face Tsuneko when he spoke, a relieved expression on his face. His guard was down, the walls he had built within were transparent. After spending time outdoors, facing this weather, it was bliss to be in an air-conditioned apartment.


OOC||Not sure about the layout of the apartment, so I'll give you the freedom to choose whatever is located near him and what is in his direct line of sight.

The room they had entered was more or less split in half. On the right side was a neatly-made bed, bedside table, dresser, and closet, on the left side was the door to the bathroom, a little kitchenette, and the dining table they were seated at; the window on the wall opposite the door provided the natural light for the apartment. Yuudai's choice of the nearest chair put him facing the tidy kitchenette, and she took the seat across from him; the other two chairs at the basic, four-sided table remaining empty. Her choice of sitting at the table was not really due to any formality so much as the fact that the studio lacked any other seating besides her bed. Normally out and busy, she didn't often entertain guests and hadn't seen a need in furnishing the apartment further than what had been provided. Along the same casual thinking, she did not take much notice of her guest's post-training appearance or anything that came along with it. Tsuneko was both a medic and a kunoichi, and sweaty bodies was at the bottom of the list of less than wonderful things that came along with it. Besides, she had been training herself today, even though the heat had not affected her as strongly as it apparently had Yuudai. As the day had gotten later, the temperature had risen, and it had appeared to be rather draining on the shinobi, understandable from what she knew of the Aisu clan.

His words were as formal as ever, but he seemed more at ease; whether that was from him getting used to her or just from him getting out of the sun, she couldn't say, though she'd have guessed it was more likely to be the latter. Either way, she responded to his thanks with, "My pleasure," as it was. She often came off as a solitary person because she was uncomfortable in large groups and normally was very busy with missions and training, as she had been today. Had it not been for that rope being rotted away, the girl probably would have continued her training and not have bothered to pursue her interest in Yuudai. She couldn't say yet if she was glad for having invited him yet or not, but his company so far had made her day more interesting, at the least.

With the thought of seeing if he warranted such interest, Tsuneko pushed aside the slight awkwardness that accompanied trying to begin a conversation with someone new and said, with a subconscious glance around her apartment, "It's still a little weird. Living alone." Her words sounded almost like her musing outloud. Looking back to him, she asked, "What about yourself? Do you live on your own or with family?" There was a brief moment before she realized that had he lost family members in the fire, as she had her aunt and uncle, he might not have made peace with it yet, despite the passing of months. 'Idiot,' she called herself for her potentially insensitive query. "I'm sorry. The Aisu clan being so numerous, I'm not sure who is really related to whom." As in many clans, particularly larger ones, there can be many cousins who are scarcely related. Subtly in the tone of her comment, it was clear that she saw their numbers as being a positive. Although, it did not take a huge amount of members to seem numerous when compared to the Kaguya clan, as she subconsciously did. As an afterthought, she mentioned, I actually worked with a Strafe Aisu one day during the rebuild."

Perhaps it was nerves, trying not to cause offense, bring up bad memories, or something along such lines that could explain the kind of rambling words that came out; she had noticed that she seemed to have an odd knack for unintentionally bringing up less than pleasant topics for people and didn't really want to stray into that today. Loosening the cap on her water bottle, she took a large drink out of it, the first step to satisfying her thirst while awaiting his reply.

Seating himself, Yuudai took a quick glance around the apartment. From his initial survey to this one, nothing seemed any different. The apartment seemed spotless - almost bordering the territory of it being a show room. The lack of personal belonging did not help him much in further getting to know Tsuneko. She seemed like an fascinating mystery, just waiting to be solved. From what he could construe - based off almost nothing - she probably had more guarded walls than he had himself. Yuudai knew not many people could analyze him, but this girl was probably a mystery he would have a difficult time solving.

Taking a quick look out the window, Yuudai once again turned his attention directly ahead of him, where Tsuneko - still no clue on a family name - sat. His usually impassive facial features vanished, only to be replaced by a contented expression. He began to take in the girls physical appearance, not that he hadn't before, but this time took an actual look. Tsuneko, whom he assumed to be around his age, though probably a year or two younger, still leaned more towards a childish look; almost doll like. He knew, eventually, that she would have to grow out of such a look, as a result of growing older, though the beauty would most likely remain. 'No time for such thoughts.' Shaking himself out of that mindset, Yuudai just realized she was beginning to speak. How much time had past while he just thought about her?

Yuudai wouldn't call his current living situation anything except for normal, as that is what he felt normal should or at least as close to normal as it gets, due to the absence of a particular figure; one that he had lacked his entire life. After her apology - which he thought was unnecessary; the apology - and mentioning of Strafe, Yuudai answered her first inquiry, "I live with my mom. It's been just the two of us for as long as I can remember. I ne---" He forced himself to stop. Yuudai had never revealed much about his family - particularly details of his father - though members of the Aisu clan certainly knew of the details. He had just begun to feel so comfortable in this situation - just being around Tsuneko - that he had almost let it out. It was not that he didn't trust her, but moreso the fact that they had just met not too long ago. Quickly, after taking a small sip of water, he decided to add in an after thought, "I always wondered what it would be like to live by myself, maybe in a few years I'll try it out." That would certainly, hopefully, distract her from his previous slip. Her mentioning of Strafe brought up that awkward scene in the steam baths where Isamu attempted to get them to spar; in the steam baths. That was a moment he really did not want to bring about.

Wanting to get to know of Tsuneko a little more, but weary of bringing up not too pleasant memories, Yuudai spoke hesitantly, "Seeing as how we met, and now I'm here, I think we missed certain a certain step. You know, basic information." Well, that was a bit awkward if Yuudai had any say in it. Then again, he lacked the social skills that most others had, but seeing as how Tsuneko was somewhat similar to himself, he rationalized she would somehow understand him.

Although at their ages it was generally accepted that one would be living with one's parents, that was not always the case. The draw to the violent profession of being a shinobi tended to run in families, and as a result, it was not rare for a young student or shinobi to be orphaned and some chose, like she did after the fire, to live on their own or with other teenagers. For youths raised and sent out to kill, it was not a hard argument to make that they were capable of looking out for themselves, and the village had voiced no protests to her decision.

Despite her choice, she considered Yuudai to be quite fortunate to have his mother waiting at home. Although her father had loved her mother and her very much, enough to walk away from his family when they refused to accept his young bride due to her bloodline, she had never been very close to him due to frequent missions that kept him out of the village for extended periods of time. Tsuneko had sensed that Yuudai was about to say something about his father - naturally, for she had asked about his parents - before he cut himself off. The young man quickly made another remark, which she assumed was to cover up his unfinished sentence, and, despite her curiosity being sparked, she showed no outward signs of having noticed the redirect. She had done the same thing before and respected his right to privacy; everyone had their secrets to keep and their burdens to bear.

As Yuudai hesitantly brought the conversation back to her, she knew that she had a decision to make. He did not voice a particular question; she could claim ignorance to what he was speaking of and maintain the charade for a bit longer, but she saw no real reason to. After all, with the estrangement from her paternal grandparents, she had claim to no other surname; she had been known as 'Kaguya, Tsuneko' since beginning at the academy, far before she would have dreamed that times would necissitate her using the Shikotsumyaku in public. The habitual defensive measure of not announcing her clan ties to everyone that she met was becoming less and less effective, anyways, as she became better known in Kirigakure due to her progression as a kunoichi and as a medic.

"Basic information?" she had echoed as though not immediately realizing what he spoke of, giving her a brief moment to make her decision. "Oh, I see that I put you at a bit of a disadvantage by not introducing myself properly. I'm of the Kaguya clan: Tsuneko Kaguya." She made herself appear rather amiable as she filled in her family name, incling her head slightly as she spoke her full name, but inside she was wary. From what little she now knew about the young man sitting across from her, he would probably not react adversely to learning of her clan ties, but she could not help the worries that came along with her voicing it. Her male cousins had often ran into trouble for their bloodline, and she suspected that she only avoided the same altercations by keeping her head down and purposefully not drawing attention to herself, something that was becoming increasingly difficult to do. A brief, natural pause in the conversation would follow her words allowing her to assess any reaction he had, hopefully without seeming to do so.

Then she asked, "Is there any other 'basic information' that I've left out?" She used his choice of words again, opening herself up for questions, should he choose to ask them. He had brought up the topic, and she was, perhaps a little masochistically, intrigued as to what he would want to know about her; whether or not she'd answer his queries forthrightly or not depended largely upon where and how he chose to tread.

So he had finally gotten a full name, though it wasn't particularly what he had wanted to know, but it was still a step forward. Based off what he could recall of the Kaguya clan, in a historical aspect, he vaguely remembered certain details about the attack on Kirigakure; however long ago that was. There was an initial response from Yuudai, though that was mainly due to actually gaining a full name. Yuudai's opinion about Tsuneko would not change based on a history that she had no control over. He deemed it as unjust for one to be judged based on historical events that one did not partake in.

A tilt of a smile appeared, as Yuudai realized that he could ask her what he wanted to know. "That wasn't exactly what I was asking for. Though it is a pleasure to meet you Tsuneko Kaguya." Yuudai felt like adding in the greeting - not technically a greeting - since he finally got a full name out of her, but that was not his objective when he meant 'basic information'. He knew he should have phrased it differently, but there really wasn't any other way he knew how to ask. Trying a different approach, "What I meant to ask was that I wish to know more about you." Though he did not phrase it as a question, the meaning was crystal clear; he wanted to get to know her more, not the shinobi, but the person. Gulping down more water, in an attempt to faintly distract himself, Yuudai knew what he wanted, the underlying message was clearly written. He just hoped he hadn't pushed Tsuneko into an uncomfortable position where she would begin to push him away. He hadn't really connected much with others around his age, but with Tsuneko, Yuudai felt a small tug that wanted for him to get closer. After putting down the water bottle, Yuudai quickly tried to mend the situation, as a droplet of water tricked down to his chin, "Of course, you don't need to say anything if you don't want to. I just wanted to get to know you better." Basically stating the same thing over again, Yuudai's face flushed ever so slightly. Tilting his face downwards so that he wouldn't have to watch Tsuneko's reaction; though mostly due to embarrassing himself. Yuudai contemplated if he had just ruined the progress he had made; to whatever the relationship between him and Tsuneko was currently at.

Yuudai did not seem to mind her Kaguya blood nor did he seem to particularly care about her name at all, atleast not as pertained to whatever he wished to know about her. Some people would be offended by the lack of interest, the dismissal of something that she had thought to be of enough importance to hide as being almost irrelevant, she, however, did not mind a bit; in fact, she preferred it. Her affiliation with the clan and family matters had shaped much of the young woman she was today, determining a large portion of how she interacted with people, and them with her, and her outlook on the world. For it to not matter, to not even play into her worth in his eyes, was a new idea to her, one that she rather liked.

However, the Tsuneko that had dealt for years with that not being the case whispered words of caution to the girl sitting across from Yuudai today. His expressions were often as subtle as the words that he spoke. He never seemed to say quite what he meant, but that could be because what he meant to do was not say anything specific, purposefully being a bit vague... but to what purpose? Even now, when she essentially asked him to ask her something, he spoke of wanting to know her better but did not begin by bringing up what aspect of her that interested him so. He repeated himself, offering that she need say nothing at all, if she preferred. While normally she would have appreciated the offer, though she would not have felt obligated anyways to be forthright with him about anything she'd prefer to keep private, it was odd to make such an 'out' for her without having asked a question that she might have preferred to dodge.

'Is there something going on that I'm not noticing...or is he just polite and a little shy?' A little puzzled, her pale brows had drawn together slightly as she considered Yuudai. She fluctuated a bit between her suspicion and her attraction to him; she wanted to believe that the color on his cheeks was from the embarrassment of not being able to word his interests rather than the shameful flush of an imperfectly practiced liar. Still uncertain of what he was trying to learn from her - did he want Tsuneko the kunoichi or Tsuneko the girl? Or just Tsuneko, whomever that person was - she decided to just start talking.

"Well, I recently turned fifteen and was promoted to Special Jounin. My main focus is Medical Ninjutsu, I've been following the staff around at the Kiri Hospital for years.. Maybe the higher ups decided that they needed a medic to patch Squad Three up; with Heavy Assault comes heavy casualties, I guess.. Those years in the hospital may be why I like to keep things pretty neat." The fastidiousness was a way to keep from wasting time having to clean up messes or search for things within her room; she didn't really recognize that it was more the time saving aspect that inspired the neatness more than some great desire for cleanliness. Without really meaning to, she had used one of the possible reasons for her placement in the squad to downplay her own combat potential; there is a saying about old habits. She did not say a whole lot, but then, she wasn't one who habitually spoke of oneself; it was more of offering him some bits of information about herself to see what he actually wanted to know.

Maybe his approach wasn't working as he thought it would. After all, it did sound better in his head than in practice. Slowly, he lifted his head so he could face Tsuneko after she had spoken. The only things he seemed to get out of her were all related to the shinobi world, knowledge that he wasn't seeking, but good to keep in mind. He clearly was failing at it. Maybe a more honest and direct approach would work. Being direct he could work with, as he was no stranger to being blunt, but in this situation; where he wanted to get to know a member of the opposite gender, he had no prior experience in dealing with those issues. The most contact he had with females prior to this occasion, was with members of the Aisu clan, so he never took those in to account.

What information Tsuneko had offered was still nice, though it clearly wasn't what he was wanting by the expression that appeared on his face; bland - almost back to his polite demeanor and a little bit of disappointment. He already knew of her involvement in the Heavy Assault Squad from their walk back to the village earlier. Revealing herself to be specializing in Medical Ninjutsu seemed to be the only progress he made - her medical kit should have given that away - and working in the hospital, along with knowing her rank. Though that was knowledge easily accessible through shinobi records. Taking a slightly deep breath, Yuudai began to rethink. He knew he'd have to speak up fast, to avoid lapsing in to a long silence, though his experience with such a situation was lacking. His eyes slowly slid down to where his water bottle was, the flush on his face disappearing due to the misinterpretation of his request.

Deciding it would be better to reply to her answer, before asking anything further, Yuudai stated what he knew off of personal knowledge. "Your placement on Squad 3 had a little bit to do with 'patching up Squad 3', but that probably is not the entire reason. Besides, the Support-Assault squad would come in to play with the casualties, if needed. One medic alone would not be able to handle numerous casualties." It was not a downplay of Tsuneko's skills in the medical field, but rather facts. After all, it was a simple fact, a single medical ninja would have to have vast chakra reserves to handle numerous casualties, thus his implications of more medical ninja being used for damage control.

"Still not exactly what I was looking for." He mumbled to himself, as he glanced towards the window. Brushing a stray hair out of his peripheral vision, Yuudai then turned his attention back to Tsuneko. "I was thinking more along the lines of how people become friends when I said I wanted to get to know you better." He stated with calmness in his voice, though still a little weary of asking such a question. Maybe, eventually, he would grow out of this, but that was a long shot.

Tsuneko had not meant to suggest that she thought she could single-handedly heal a battlefield full of people; she was not that overly confident in her abilities. She had spoken thinking of healing her squadmates. After all, in a team of four, the loss or incapacitation of even one shinobi could make quite a difference in the outcome, and by the name of the squad, it could be expected that the members would invariably sustain injuries, necissitating a medic to be on hand. Deciding that it wasn't important enough to clarify herself, she simply inclined her head in response to his reply rather than arguing.

It seemed that she had gotten what he wanted wrong, but wasn't ones profession how one often made friends? Even within the broad category of 'shinobi', each ninja tends to specialize in a few areas of their profession which occasionally dictated their experiences and who they interacted with, as it had hers by causing her to spend so much time in the hospital and very little with her peers when she was growing up. Bringing up her specialty was also a bit of a habit because it frequently came up in conversations with other shinobi as it frequently affected mission planning.

A bit of a people-pleaser, Tsuneko cast about for what might fill his request. Fiddling with the cap of the bottle, she offered, "Umm... Well, I don't like crowds or having to wait. On people, I mean; I hate it when people are late. I like to keep busy, but on my days off when I'm not training, I sometimes check in on how the construction's coming on the Kaguya Temple, or I read or, um, go swimming." The more she spoke of herself, the less refined her speech patterns became as she began to feel less certain of herself. It was not that he was pushing her for information; the opposite, giving her an easy 'out' before asking, was what made her want to answer. She glanced up from the now quite fascinating bottlecap with a questioning look; was that what he'd been looking for?

Really, Yuudai hadn't thought to far ahead. When he wanted to get to know her, that was all he really wanted. How to proceed from there, he hadn't given much though to. It was nice to get to know a person - especially Tsuneko - but it seemed the information she just provided would have been nice to discover in person, from events and everyday activities. The information about the Kaguya Temple seemed to intrigue him for some reason. Though what happened could not be reversed, so he tried to soak in the information as much as he could. Thinking about it, he realized he hadn't supplied much about himself, besides the need-to-know information whenever Tsuneko had asked anything of him today.

She seemed to be fascinated by the bottle-cap of her water-bottle. His body was beginning to recover from the heat of the sun, but he still felt a little bit dehydrated. As he took large sips of water, he began to wonder what to say next. Yuudai could feel the atmosphere becoming a bit uncomfortable, more to himself probably. Tsuneko seemed more open towards him and her speech pattern changed - as if she was uncertain of what she was saying. Deciding to allow Tsuneko the opportunity to ask the same of him; maybe even feel more confident, and being somewhat satisfied with the information he acquired, Yuudai spoke in a quiet voice, "That's... good to know." A smile appeared on his face, different than before, as it appeared more genuine and gentle. "Is there anything you want to ask me? I believe its only fair if you asked as well."

He wasn't too sure about what to do - there was still dinner to worry about. He did say he would help her with deciding, though he wasn't sure why he said that earlier. He knew his mother wouldn't mind if he didn't come home late, if there was ever a need for that. Though that was an entirely different matter, as dinner would still be a ways away.

ooc|| Sorry for the short post

Finally, Yuudai seemed more or less satisfied with her reply. With the "you don't need to say anything if you don't want to", she had assumed that he had, actually, expected or hoped to get some information out of her. What that was, she'd had no idea and had thrown out random bits of information in an attempt to get some insight. The girl normally would not have bothered, but she wanted him to stay and a little discomfort on her end was a small enough price to pay.

Taking one more big drink out of the bottle, emptying the last of the water into her mouth, she screwed the cap back on it and set the bottle aside; as the conversation had moved on, she no longer needed the distraction. Her lilac eyes flicked over her purchases. Each had their own use. Water had been for simple rehydration; the banana supplied potassium, and orange juice replaced the lost electrolytes. Going for the fruit, she considered his offer as she unpeeled it. Looking back across at him, her expression reflexively mirrored his as she asked, "What do you aspire to? I mean, do you have any particular goals? Dreams of fortune and fame, perhaps?" Perhaps knowing his end goal would tell her about the person he was today. Honestly, she wanted to know a lot about this Yuudai guy that ended up in her apartment, but a slew of questions off the bat was often counterproductive to getting to know someone, so she started with just the one. Taking a bite out of the fruit, she began eating the snack while waiting for his answer.

To say he was distracted would be putting it lightly. He had heard Tsuneko's latest words, though answering them were not at the front of his mind at the moment. He just watched her, though tried to hide the fact as he took a bite out of his apple and then quickly followed it up by taking a drink of his water as she took a bit out of the fruit. Realizing that she would probably be waiting for an answer, he pondered for a bit before relaying his simplest goals.

"Fortune and fame aren't exactly what come to mind when I think of my goals. Rather, I just wish there was a way around all the unnecessary killing that comes around with being in the line of duty. You could say I just want to keep the peace and protect the people close to me. As cliche as that sounds, it is entirely true." There was one other goal he had left out, but he knew he couldn't tell her, or at least not yet. Tsuneko, as comfortable as he was around her, it would certainly not be something he tells someone who he had recently met. Yuudai barely had information on that man, and the only person who would probably know more would be his mother, even then it was a long shot. All he wanted was answers on why he left - both Yuudai and his mother. Deciding to finish his apple, he awaited for Tsuneko for if she had anything to say about it. As an afterthought, he added in, "Decide on what you want for dinner?" It was a minor jest, to play at what he had said prior to entering the village.