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Another day, another chance to get away from his brother. Things were technically going smooth with them, of course, but Hina-nii was settling in to this life a lot better than him. He even seemed to be getting along with the family better. He always was the better at making friends. But Katsuo wasn't about to let all that get to him. Instead, he would avoid the situation periodically, not so much to let off steam as to do something interesting. Katsuo was finding their new life incredibly boring, after all, so there was no real envy of his brother.

This particular day, Katsuo decided to wander around near the river where he and Kaede had sat in a tree and thrown rocks. It was peaceful out here, and it was fast becoming his relaxing spot, a place to be completely alone, no twin to share everything with, and he was growing to like that feeling.

After wandering around, he picked a tree with a nice base and sat with his back against it. The grass was patchy in this area, being close to the water, but the dirt was still soft. He picked up a stone and tossed it into the river, smiling as he enjoyed his new favorite passtime.

Katsuo looked up, a little startled. Now this was new. "N-no, I guess not," he stuttered. He wasn't used to being the one asked that sort of question, he was always the one asking it.

"Takenaga Katsuo," he replied. This girl was cute, so his initial instinct was to start flirting immediately, but he remembered Kaede and agreeing to try and be more honest. Katsuo fidgeted for a moment, not really sure of which road to take, but he couldn't let it take long to decide, or she'd start thinking he was weird.

"Why would such a pretty girl come sit with a guy like me?" he asked her plaintively. All his confidence flooded back and he was back to his old self, even though the act required he seem less so. Sorry, Kaede, he apologized to his friend in his head. I'm just not ready for that big a leap yet.

Not that this was exactly lying to himself, as the girl really was attractive. And this time, he was pretty sure she was a girl this time. He wasn't about to make that mistake again.

She's good, Katsuo thought to himself. Either that or she's just a natural.

Katsuo scolded himself for immediately coming to that conclusion and tried to put all thoughts of the game from his mind. He smiled sheepishly, not wanting to make her think his head would swell from such a compliment. Should he have actually thought about it, he would have realized he didn't agree with her that he could be anything similar to nice.

But she certainly was. "There's plenty of room." He motioned to the large area around them. "But I'm glad you came to sit with me."

"I do." Katsuo smiled and leaned back. "Breeze is perfect here too." It really was. He closed is eyes and listened to it rustle through the trees, smiling. "Started coming here after I met a very unique new friend," he mused, finding himself being strangely honest, even though he hadn't intended it. "He's a really weird one," Katsuo laughed out loud. "Wears a pink kimono and everything. Thought he was a girl, first time I saw him."

Katsuo stared at her for a moment. "You know him?" Well, it's not like the area was too filled with people, so a chance meeting with a friend of a friend was possible, but how random. "It's a small world, I guess." He laughed.

If Chiharu knew Kaede, then maybe Katsuo should just be himself. Maybe he already was, without knowing it. He thought about it a moment. What was it with some people, bringing out the regular guy in him? "I guess I should count myself lucky," he said after a long pause of silence. "I keep meeting the nicest people." He smiled lazily as he continued to gaze at the water. He didn't want to make eye contact yet, since he had said something like that.