Small Town Run [Kenichi/Mirai]

‘Shit…’ Maybe that wasn’t the question to ask. How else do you get to know someone?! She was not interested at all in something as stupid as his favorite color, food, or where he wanted to vacation. Those answers would provide no depth into who someone is. Who remembers answers to weak questions anyway?

Mirai listened to this answer he came up with. She found it… cartoonish in a way. Was it her bleak outlook on the world or was Kenichi more of an idiot? With what Yuuto had implied in the past, it was probably her bleak outlook. Maybe she could learn a thing or two by observing this young man. She had to learn something outside of manga, at least that was another thing that Yuuto implied…

Mirai was not expecting the turn-around. Okay, so now she had to answer, right? "Um, I..." Mirai froze and thought for a moment. She walked right into this. Honesty was key... right? "Strength, skill, ambition, safety and security... loyalty, trust, and a mindset for something more than, as you put it... clashing fists." Well, that was her rather blunt and honest answer. That'd do... right? Or did she come off strong?

"I think anyone would welcome those traits in a man. I find nothing wrong with that answer, truth be told. I think most women would want that in a man, I imagine."

Kenichi nodded his head fervently, finding little wrong with her answer. After all, his experiences had always told him that women valued strength and security in a man. The average woman wanted to be protected and cared for, and though he didn't think Mirai was average at all - at least not with a roundhouse kick like earlier - he assumed she wanted that sort of insurance in a partner. He reflected on Sabre for a moment and wondered what her ideal type of man was, and then he reflected on what type of ideal woman Vanyel liked. So many questions, so few answers. Anyway...

"Do you like the idea of feeling protected?" He asked innocently.

Okay, so her answer wasn’t insane, no matter how blunt it may have come off. Mirai let out a light sigh of relief, barely audible. Before she had a chance to truly comment on it, after getting lost in her own paranoid thoughts about what to ask next, Kenichi came out with something new. She had not thought much about that, at least not… in this sense? She looked confused for a moment…

“I guess that would be a yes,” Mirai said, but that answer bothered her. Kenichi just made it clear that being protected was practically basic, fundamental, something every woman out there wanted. Was that true? It at least wasn’t in the Soul Society. Most women she knew wanted to deal with everything themselves and held more masculine traits than feminine. “I hate feeling so unsafe in this world…”

"Eh? Unsafe? With roundhouse kicks like those? I'm actually shocked!"

If anything, Kenichi could imagine a few men feeling unsafe around her based on her ability to send them to the hospital. Even so, after reflecting on it for a few moments, his thought cycles back to the idea of feeling protected and the security that came with a strong man.

Even if he valued strength and zeal in a woman, he recognized the pride he felt in protecting the women he valued. Of course, the women in his life could probably protect themselves, but still... men always would enjoy the sense of accomplishment accompanied by protecting their lady. It was simply common instinct.

"Then again... I suppose, where you come from, maybe you're not strong enough to handle everything that comes your way. In that sense, wanting to feel safe and secure makes a lot of sense. When I think about it, with all the strength and capability I have, I'd probably adore the thought of living up to that standard. It'd be something to keep me on my toes, and it'd probably come natural since I like protecting others anyway!"

Voicing his genuine thoughts on the matter, he continued to speak freely and without restraint.

‘Why is he so… shiny?’ Mirai asked herself as Kenichi went on. The man’s energy came off so pure that she almost felt dirty next to him. There were very few people that made her feel that way, and two of them she discovered were faking it. She wouldn’t be deceived again, so she wondered how genuine his words were.

Mirai tightened her arm on her bag, a light pink color coming to her face. “With what you just said…” Mirai spoke up, tilting her head slightly, feigning some curiosity. “It actually sounds like you’re attracted to me, Kenichi.” It may have been blunt and a little awkward, but it didn’t feel like a lie. He just said he would “adore” living up to her standards for a man. The implication there was very clear.

"Eh?"

Kenichi blinked somewhat dumbfoundedly as he tilted his head. Did he mean to imply that? No, not intentionally so, but the way she presented the question caught him off guard. Truth be told, she was a gorgeous woman, martially sound, and she shared his fascination for reading manga.

In his book, those were winning features, but he recognized that dragging her into the current mess his life had devolved into... would've been far too overwhelming for someone who wanted to feel... safe. For someone he only met twice, he would've felt horrible dragging her into any of that. There were so many things to address that he felt like he'd be a red flag.

"Huh... well, I think you're a very attractive woman. I can't deny that. You kick cool, you look pretty, and you enjoy manga just like me. We've only met each other twice, but I think you're super fun to be around, too."

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, he chuckled, reflecting on his words a second time.

"Sorry if I said anything out of line, though. I'm sort... of an idiot when it comes to expressing my honest thoughts. Must sound weird coming from someone you've only met twice, huh?"

“You didn’t say anything out of line,” Mirai raised an eyebrow at that comment. Was she coming off weird again? Mirai really could not get this balance between being fake an truthful to people. If she acted more ‘like herself,’ she made others feel awkward. Maybe if she explained further, he would understand what she meant?

“I said you were attracted to me, not in love with me. From what I’ve read, there is a big difference between being attracted to someone, liking them, loving them, and being in love with them. There are many layers and complex emotions that come with attraction and what level a person is at with them. It takes some time to figure out things like the difference between basic attraction, love, and lu-..."

Mirai was rambling on and on and on again, reciting whatever came to her mind from different books she had read. It didn't sound "natural," but like she was pulling something from a school book on romantic attraction and saying the summarized version. Realizing that, she stopped and sighed. "Sorry... I should shut up."

"Phew, well that's a relief..."

Kenichi started nodding along and jotting down imaginary notes in his head at her explanation until she paused. From a glance, he assumed she had perhaps grown a little too self-conscious about her explanation. All in all, he thought she explained herself fairly well. He never really studied the art of attraction or romance. He assumed that was something someone simply felt. An unexplainable thing that couldn't be taught, mysterious as it was unpredictable. He politely patted her on the shoulder as he shook his head, flashing a bright and reassuring smile.

"Your explanations make a lot of sense, so don't feel bad. Love and attraction are pretty layered from my experience. You never know if someone's attracted to you until they tell you outright. And then, when you get there, you wonder about love and how it applies to the person you're attracted to. In short, it can get pretty complicated really quickly. At the very least, you're knowledgable about it... and about what you want, so that's two pluses for the price of one!"

‘Two pluses for the price of…’ Mirai snorted and her hand quickly slapped over her mouth to try and stop it, but she couldn’t fight the laughter that came. She giggled and giggled, until finally it was a full blown laugh. Mirai could not remember the last time she laughed like this. She even ended up with her hands on her stomach, as those laughing pains started. He was such a goofy guy…

“You know, you’re pretty weird,” Mirai said, finally able to stop laughing at him. It may have come off a bit rude, but Mirai wasn’t one to care too much about that kind of thing. It was funny to her. “I have maybe an hour before I have to head back to the Soul Society, since my job here is done… Would you like to check out this book store up the street? I was on my way there when you showed up.”