week four | dates

[marriagebroker]

Get dressed up, go on the town, this is your last week for romance!

Comments

[irreversal]

[ wait, her attempt to encourage him to go into the bbr... ]

You see... what?

1/2

[ordimame]

It's nothing! You've just given me some things to think about, that's all.

[is working]

[ordimame]

[more seriously, though. . .]

But that's still a pretty big leap for me, you know? I'm not a prude, and I'm not disinterested, but. . . I don't even know if Rom would be.

[kind of assumes he wouldn't b/c of [redacted] actually]

. . . but that doesn't really matter to me. I'm happy for the chance to get to know him better like we are; that's all.

[irreversal]

[ Her turn to nudge shoulders with him. ]

Still, it's an opportunity to have some privacy, yeah? Intimacy doesn't have to mean sex, anyway. Plus it's all about communication, which—

[ She gives him a knowing look, considering... well, both of their professions, really. ]

I think you both can handle it.

[ordimame]

[. . . pfffft. he can't help but grin a li'l at that]

I'm not worried about that part.

[linking his hands behind his head as he nestles himself up against the edge of the pool]

. . . thanks for the counsel, Doctor Ieiri.

[HE TEASES]

[irreversal]

Geh. That's the last advice I'll offer you, alright?

[ Shoko sighs, relaxing a bit into the water again. ]

You should say it more like you respect and also fear me a bit, just like Shindou did last week.

[ordimame]

Good. You're not on duty right now.

[she deserves a BREAK]

And of course I respect you! But I don't think you're that scary.

[he has not Seen (TM) yet]

[irreversal]

[ Quirks a brow at him... ]

Hoh? Then you should ask Shindou about that, too. He always seems a little intimidated by me, heh...

[ordimame]

. . . something tells me you enjoy that a little bit too much. . .

[irreversal]

Am I...? It's just that you don't know what these hands are capable of, Mame-chan...

[ ??? ]

[ordimame]

[. . . . . . . okay now he's a little scared]

H-- hey. What does that even mean???

[irreversal]

Who knows...?

[ Shoko knows. But Shoko also sinks down further and tips her head back against the edge of the pool, closing her eyes with a very... enigmatic smile. ]

[ordimame]

. . . Shoko? Hey, Shoko? What does that mean. Seriously, what does that mean??

[is she just going to leave him hanging like this???]

[irreversal]

Oi, I'm trying to relax, here...

[ waves a hand at him... ]

Maybe I'll tell you one of these days before we leave.

[ordimame]

[. . . well he GUESSES if he learns before he leaves. . .]

If you say so. . .

[irreversal]

. . .Hey, Makoto.

Are you going home with Shindou after this?

[ordimame]

[. . . eh??]

[sitting up a bit, surprise washing across his expression before it fades into a lopsided, wistful smile]

Well. . . no. I have work to get back to, and so does he.

[a small shake of his head]

But we plan on collaborating on some future projects, so we'll see each other again. And it's not like we won't make time to just hang out! I want to help him with his work as an exorcist, even though I'll be pretty. . . limited in what I can do.

1/2

[irreversal]

[ ... wait a second ]

[irreversal]

[ She grabs him by the shoulder. ]

Makoto. Can you drive? Do you have a driver's license? If so—

Come work with me instead.~

[ not her attempting to poach Edamura from his own boyfriend— ]

[ordimame]

[HELP—]

— I can't! I never learned. . .

[USELESS BEAN]

. . . but I can still come help you, too! My schedule is pretty flexible, so long as I'm not on a job.

[irreversal]

[ when will she ever meet a useful man... tch. ]

Ehhh, forget about it!

But working with Shindou, huh...? That sounds like a good fit for both of you.

[ordimame]

[keep hoping Shoko. . .]

[. . . but he does perk up a bit at that]

Really? Does it? . . . for me, especially?

[IN ALL OF HIS NORMAL MAN. . . NESS]

[irreversal]

[ The way he perked up... cute. ]

I mean, you might have to get used to all the supernatural stuff, and you'll probably end up seeing some horrifying things, but... there's a lot of marketing involved with being a content creator, right?

I bet you'd have an easy time selling Shindou's services and merch, hehe...

[ordimame]

[please compare this to how he flat out told Rom on week two that he would never do a job involving spirits]

. . . he did say he needed help in the "gathering funds" department, and I am pretty good at that. . .

[SHE KNOWS WHY]

. . . but I want to help him with the rest of it, too! Even the things that are more-- [. . .] -- dangerous.

[the things he knows Rom is going to keep far, far away from him, normie as he is]

[irreversal]

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . ]






Tch. What the hell...? I'm jealous...

[ Playfully. It's good, that Makoto's willing to step so far out of his comfort zone now, when he'd been so bewildered by everything their first week here. Look at him now... ]