Long Time No See, Shortie[Hiroe, Hiroi]

"Sure... you could say something like that. Or rather, that is my intention at least. To be her friend, that is. My name is Hiroe.... funny as that might sound."

To say Hiroe was perplexed would have been an understatement of the century. Following the man to the door, Hiroe would blink confusedly again. Those thoughts of throwing her off an empire state building felt almost sinful now. Of course, could she truly be blamed for thinking she would be the type to take? The old man was unfazed, leaning down to greet and smile at the pouty brat below. What sort of connection did these two have? She wondered. There were more questions than there were answers, and since she wasn't in the deductive mood, she respectfully returned the old man's gaze with a pleasant, somewhat bashful smile.

"Hehe, your faith in her must be really unshakable. She's been a thorn in my side for most of the day. If you don't mind me asking, gramps... how do you two know each other? I take it she's been here many times before, yeah?"

"Hiroi dear? Oh! She's been a helpful hand for a while now," The old man began, recollecting the two's first meeting. "I remember when she first stopped by, attempting to steal some candy. Of course, I caught her, but she seemed strangely attracted to my shop, stopping by numerous times in an attempt to coerce me into allowing her to take some. That's when we came to a deal that she'd help me around the shop in exchange for free candy. Strange, isn't it?"

Hiroi grunted more, displeased with the retelling of how she was when a Danava, a creature obsessed with eating anything that appeared appetizing. Nonetheless, the old man continued.

"She's been a great help for a while before, one day, she stopped coming by. Guessing by her change of hair color, she's become even more a delinquent!"

In shock, the old man shook his head in disdain, but that prompted Hiroi to rise up, her face red and her cheeks puffed with annoyance.

"I'm not a delinquent, old man!" She started before huffing and folding her arms. It's clear that she feels bad about something, maybe the fact she stopped visiting without any warning, but the old man paid her no mind with a gravely chuckle.

"But, when you get as old as me, time's just a number, and I'm so glad she's doing well and making friends."

Their first meeting began with an attempt to steal this man's candy? On one hand, given her little experience with the woman overall, she couldn't quite declare that was common behavior, at least not so boldly. Given her experience, today, though? It definitely tracked. Overwhelmingly so. The next part was what threw her for a loop. An exchange? In return for candy, she helped the man with cleaning his shop.

It was strange, yes, but certainly not for any reason he thought of. Hiroe just hadn't viewed her as that type. After all, her only experiences with Hiroi was today and the time she threatened her life. There wasn't really much to gauge given the lack of personal contact with one another. Could one of her reasons for avoiding this place have been what happened after her and Kimitsuki's clash? Maybe. In any case, it was honestly pretty endearing to see him interacting with her like this; it was though her company had proved something of a comfort to the old man, considering how playfully he interacted with her. Chuckling softly at the spectacle, Hiroe smiled warmly at the two of them.

"Nah, she's definitely a little delinquent. She tricked me blind in a trade of candy and soda. Even now, I don't know what she thinks of me, but she at least acknowledges that I exist, so that's progress. I think... maybe just maybe, it was out of her hands. The reason she stopped visiting, that is. But only she could ever answer that better than I could."

Well, hearing the unfair trade Hiroi had duped Hiroe into, the old man shook his head and gave the youngster a look that put the white haired delinquent in the spotlight. To say the least, a quick harsh wording had Hiroi reeling, but Hiroi would only come back with some words of her own.

"She shouldn't have been so easily dupable! Besides, this candy... It's for her, you see?!"

Thrusting the bag forward, it had been tied together at some point into a pretty bag, a skill Hiroi picked up from helping the old man. However, revealing her true intents put a disturbing amount of red on the woman's cheeks, and with her pout and avoiding eyes, she'd come off as a rather childish character. The old man simply chuckled, understanding the rough edges of Hiroi and knowing that things between the two will be just alright.

"Ah, I see. Well, Hiroi, it seems you two have some words to share. Either way, I'm a bit tired, so I'll return into my shop and get some rest." The old man would look to Hiroe after and simply nod his head. "Return whenever you wish. A friend of Hiroi is always welcomed."

He'd return into his shop, leaving the two to their own devices, but that didn't stop Hiroi from finding herself completely embarrassed. So embarrassed, she refused to say anything.

Hiroe blinked in dumbfounded confusion at Hiroi's revelation. Part of her genuinely believed Hiroi's admission was a ploy orchestrated to shift the old man's opinion in her favor, another quietly wanted to believe the possible act of kindness was true. Her expression remained dumbfounded as she turned to the old man with a nod and a bow.

A small, albeit sheepish, smile formed across her lips as the man retired into his shop. He seemed a kind-hearted spirit by nature. Of course, his departure left her standing a few meters apart from the flustered Hiroi in a potentially awkward spot. What was she to do now? Hiroe glanced over the neatly wrapped bag of candy as she inched a little closer, moving to stand in front of Hiroi. A soft cough was offered as Hiroe scratched the back of her head.

"Huh... so you were buying candy for me this whole time? Hehehe, thank you. That was actually pretty sweet of you."

"Shut up," Hiroi grumbled, tossing the bag at Hiroe. The woman catching or dropping it doesn't matter to the annoyed woman.

"I'm going home," She started, turning away from this annoying situation. Hiroi only took a few steps though before stopping, turning her head to side-eye the other woman. Despite her annoyed glare, it's easy to tell that her anger is surface level at best. Silent for the first few seconds, she'd scoff before turning and getting back to walking.

"You can come if you want. Just try and not ruin the mood this time."

Despite Hiroi's indifference, the bag landed safely into Hiroe's hands. A warm smile lined her lips as she softly placed it within her robe. There was no particular desire to indulge in the candy right now, her attention focused wholly on the unexpected display of acceptance Hiroi was presenting. It was a far cry from the bratty personality displayed earlier, difficult and unresponsive as she was. But Hiroe wasn't going to push her luck here. After all, part of her genuinely wanted to get on Hiroi's good side. Hopefully, she could build off of this success moving forward. For now, she was content with ending her day spending it with Hiroi.

"Fine. Deal. There isn't much else to occupy my day, anyway. I'll be on my best behavior, your highness."

Following that playfully mocking reply, Hiroe would follow after the woman. Curious to see where the rest of the day would take them.