It's No Fun When Alone [Eri, Shiro]

What was she doing here? Eri didn't really know. On paper it seemed like it was a good idea to do and try it out, she never got to do this from that golden box she called a home that she grew up in. This was meant to be fun but she didn't get what people found so enjoyable about going out drinking. Well, that wasn't right. Her eyes were keen enough to notice that everyone else here had at least someone they were with but her?

No, she was drinking alone by herself. That's probably where all the fun came out with these things. Doing it with people and sharing those experiences but she was only person here that would remember this had even happened.

With an exaggerated sigh and leaning forward to rest herself on the counter and order another drink, she didn't waste much time in drinking it away. Why didn't she have any friends, huh? It's not like she didn't have people she talked to but for some reason they always felt distant or something happened that threw a wrench in the nice little thing they had going.

Probably because she was a noble, sometimes she hated it and while she hated it there wasn't a chance that she could just cut ties with it completely. She was meant to be the head of the family at some point, you know? Eri ought to enjoy the freedom she had while it was here.

Even if it was alone.

Stirred from her state, she took a peek at the guy next to her. He was also alone, should she ask if he wanted to hang out? Eri gave him a couple of look overs. He was kind of cute, a little bit too scruffy though she thought. Also lanky, she did wonder how buff he might be underneath his clothes. Not too old though, he was probably young which was subjective when it was working with souls but Eri worked off looks here when she judged people.

Wait, he was looking at her. That was kinda weird. A few extra glances from her made sure, how's he going to look at her like that and just not talk to her. Now she definitely did have to talk to him for that.

"Can I help you?"

It was probably not the best start since she sounded unimpressed. Her tone was often something she didn't have a lot of awareness of and it was the same for this case as well.

Her expression gave a small cringe at his response. Yikes, she just wanted to know why he was looking at her and he hit her with that. That was kinda creepy. Eri took another sip to try and forget that just happened before he spoke and she was forced to look back at him. The event that just occurred had happened was still in her head but it was less prominent after the burn of her drink.

"Um. Yeah. I'm from the academy. I'm Eri Kasumioji. What's your name?"

She expected that he'd immediately figure out who she was. Right? She was a big deal she thought. Heiress to the Kasumioji, related to the Tsunayashiro, super hot and really popular without a doubt. So she didn't really explain anything else due to the idea of it being enough that she had said by just giving him her name to figure it out with.

"Shiro. Why don't you have a last name? That's kind of weird you know."

There was the assumption that he came from somewhere that didn't use surnames, like they weren't worth having since it wasn't a noble lineage but she thought most of the commoners she knew still had a surname. It came off a little weird for her that he just wouldn't have one. That meant she wanted to know why. It did also mean she was judging him a bit more.

Another drink her way as well and she kept looking at him. She thought she was doing quite well, he was still talking to her right? That was a good job in her book.

"So anyway, why are you hanging around here by yourself? Are you a loner or something?"

"Well yeah, but it's still a family name you know..."

It occurred to her when she said it where he might have specific reasons, she didn't think it was insensitive of herself though. Just a mistake, it wasn't like she actually could put together that he might've had a specific event that made him abandon a family name. The idea of abandoning one's family name over troubles or past experiences wasn't something she would do herself, so why would others?

"Pfft. Of course I'm not, well I am... but I actually was going to meet a friend here but she felt sick and didn't want to come so just me."

A blatant lie is what that was. How else was she supposed to protect her pride right now? Just admit that she was sitting here like some loser all alone? No way. Lying was way easier and made her look less pathetic. Score.

"If you want to start a barfight though, that guy over there looks kind of scrawny. I think you could take him or it'd be pretty even unless he had a couple of tricks to pull."