(no subject)
((Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Sora's player and I began a log. It's taken us quite a while to finish it, but here it is at last! As the first sentence says, it's supposed to take place the day before Taichi's birthday. On a second note, we started this before we'd gotten a Piyomon, so Sora-player is playing Piyomon here.))
It had gotten down to the day before Taichi's birthday, and Sora still hadn't picked something out for him. It certainly was proving more difficult to find something nice for him after the stunt he had pulled on White Day. How was she going to top that??
She had a few ideas though, or at least a place to start, but Sora decided to just spend the day looking around, and share her ideas with Mina. Not to mention that the girl was finally in Japan, and they still hadn't had a chance to spend time together! She hoped maybe she would have a few good ideas too.
After emailing directions on how to get to her place, she and Piyomon sat ready and waiting as Sora adjusted the clasp on the digimon's cloak.
"I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to go do things, Sora. It gets pretty boring around here, even with your rabbit to watch," said Piyomon.
"I'm sorry," Sora apologized. "I wish we had more time to spend doing things like this."
Bakumon had been left home that day. Mina felt somewhat guilty for it, closing the door on those wide, blue (and somewhat indignant) eyes. In the end, however, it would make life easier; there would be no sense in him causing issues on her first visit to meet another Chosen. Bakumon had the tendency to be a catalyst, and Mina didn't want that. Not today. It was important to make a good impression. (Not to mention that she suspected that he wouldn't be comfortable anyway in a group of shopping-bound females.)
Bit of crumpled paper (where she'd scribbled down the directions) in hand, Mina double-checked to make certain that she was in the right place before tapping at the door. Now if the butterflies in her stomach would just settle down . . .
"I know, you still have school to finish," Piyomon replied, hopping out of her seat and making sure she could still move freely underneath her disguise. "But if you ask me, your cooking has gotten good enough and they should graduate you early!"
Sora laughed, and was about to reply when there was a knock at the door. "Oh, that's probably her!" She stood as well, and answered with a smile. "Um, hello, Mina-san, right?"
Bow here . . . right? Well, if she wasn't, she did anyway. "Mina, yes . . . You are Sora-san?"
Sora returned the bow, although even if Mina didn't, she wouldn't have been offended. She understood it must be hard trying to learn a new culture. Mimi had told her a lot about just how different the U.S.A. was, so she could imagine many other countries were just as unique.
"Yes, and this here is Piyomon!" She gestured towards the bundle of blue fabric fashioned into a robe around something pink and feathery.
Piyomon waved back. "Nice to meet you!"
With a giggle, Sora quickly explained, "Piyomon wanted to help pick out Taichi's present, and I couldn't say no. But this is her disguise." She stepped aside and motioned inside the apartment. "Do you want to come in, or should we just head straight for the tour and shopping?"
Mina blinked past Sora to the feathery robe and attempted to hide a laugh -- though it poked through the corners of her mouth as a smile. "It is it very nice to meet you, Piyomon-san . . . but forgive me, what is it meant to be?" A glance back toward Sora as she followed the invitation to step inside. "Ah! Whatever you would like! Piyomon-san seems ready to go at any moment." More softly, "I am sorry that I did not bring Bakumon, but I am afraid he does not have nearly so effective a disguise."
"Piyomon is just fine, you don't have to be so formal with me," the bird Digimon reassured Mina. "And it's… uh, Sora, what am I disguised as anyway?"
Sora blinked. "It's not really supposed to be anything, I guess. I mean, it's just a cloak. I'm surprised it works, but Taichi's pulled it off in the past, and for some reason, no one seems inclined to ask what you're doing." Then she grinned. "I bet they just think it's a kid playing dress up."
"Oh, ok," Piyomon shrugged. "I'm ready to go, but I'll let you two decide."
"Well how about I show you my place when we get back?" Sora also added, "And if you want, later I can make one for Bakumon so he can come next time?"
That one sparked a laugh. "I would love to try to get him to wear it."
Sora stepped outside, starting to lead the way, and Piyomon followed. "I take it he's not the agreeable type, from what I've heard?"
Wince. (This seemed to be the common expression when talking about Bakumon.) "I . . . am afraid not." In and out! She trailed Sora back out again, tugging the door shut behind her. "Do you lock this . . . ?"
"Ah!" Sora rushed back to lock the door behind her, clearly embarrassed. "Yes, I do. Thank you!" What if someone broke in while she was gone??
"Sora, you've been a little scatter brained lately, ever since Wednesday!"
"Piyomon, let's see you come up with a good idea for Taichi's gift after what he did for me!" Sora tried not to blush and turned back to heading towards the shopping district.. She also wasn't quite sure whether to go with this change of topic for Mina's sake (she seemed sort of embarrassed about her digimon?), or to try to find even yet another better thing to talk about. "So… how do you like Japan, so far?"
"Ah . . ." Mina gave a knowing smile, first towards the bundle that was Piyomon, then towards Sora, tipping her head slightly to one side. "The rose petals. So romantic, your Taichi-san! And he seems so silly sometimes when he replies . . ." Talk about Japan could wait for the moment.
As for the door, for all she knew, it was cultural not to lock it.
"You know, it really surprised me too." Sora mused as they made their way out of the apartment complex and down the street. "We were headed towards the soccer fields, and Taichi's so into sports… I mean, I am too, but I honestly expected at that point that we'd just have a match for old time's sake, and maybe he'd give me some chocolate."
"Boys can be surprising." Mina watched after a passerby's face with quick, tentative flicks of the eyes to see what they made of Piyomon, but interestingly enough, it was just as Sora had said -- no response or indication that they thought anything was unusual. Amazing. "Outside, they want to hide what they feel, but inside, they have romance and gentleness even like a woman." Of course, most of Mina's opinion came from romance novels and fairy tales, but . . .
Piyomon had indeed managed to blend in, but it was also because she was being quiet for the moment. She had a knack for it by now, and especially if it kept small children from finding reason to poke at her in wonder. She kept close to Sora though, and nodded at Mina's assessment.
"You have a point. Boys are so hung up on the image of being tough that you get blindsided by their romantic side." Smiling, Sora occasionally glanced back to her digimon, but also watched along the walkway for shops that might stick out as a place Taichi would shop at. "So I really wasn't expecting to get chocolates and a ring from him too."
Her eyes fell across a videogame store, and she paused at the entrance. "I'm not really sure what games he plays, but I'm pretty sure Taichi likes them..."
"Ah, yes, you mentioned the ring! May I see?" A glance upward toward the video game store. "It sounds like a very good start. Perhaps I can find something for Bakumon as well . . . so he will stop putting the honey in the shampoo of others." See that? It's a sweatdrop. Oh, yes. But that's another subject entirely.
"Oh, sure!" Sora held out her hand for Mina to see. It was a simple red ring, but it was still pretty. "At least this time he didn't make a silly comment like the time with my barrettes."
"Bakumon sounds like having a little brother," Piyomon chirped from the ground as Sora tried to hold back her own sweatdrop.
She held open the door for the other two then followed them inside. "Now, if I were a guy, what game would I want…"
"Bakumon is . . . at times worse than a little brother." Mina examined the ring, smiling wryly. "And yet, of course, what would I do without him? -- This is beautiful, Sora-san."
Now a video game store was something that Mina hadn't been into often. Video games were considered more of a frivolous commodity by her father, who had the tendency to believe that most games should be in some way educational -- and hand-to-eye coordination didn't count. For a moment she simply stared. "This . . . is . . . big." Quirk.
Immediately her eyes were drawn to the graphics on a nearby stand of a new rpg game, but . . . not for her! They weren't here for her. Eyes away, Mina . . . good. "You mentioned that he does like sports. They do make these games for sports, I think?"
Sora had been into one before, but she didn't really ever own anything more than a small handheld game. Her hobbies, when she wasn't playing soccer, tended to be drawing or tennis. She glanced over at Mina's wide-eyed expression and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, there's so many here… So maybe I should ask a clerk."
Sora flagged down an employee and asked a few questions before they were pointed towards a shelf against a wall that had many various games. Most of them looked the same, though there were different versions for each sport. The only thing many had going for them as a difference was graphics, or the system they were played on, or the teams they sported. Sora sweatdropped again. "They're all… identical…"
Trailing after Sora and trying not to get too distracted, Mina followed the clerk. She deadpanned at the wall, blinking slowly. "I suppose that a boy would know the difference . . . Do you know what kind of system that he has?"
There was a moment where Sora was quiet, and then she frowned. Then she crossed her arms, as if lost in thought, before she finally sighed. "A few years ago, I could have told you. We've known each other since we were kids, and I guess as we got older I didn't really pay attention to that sort of thing… I guess this probably isn't gonna work, is it?"
"Why don't you just tell him that you'll take him to pick one out, Sora?" Piyomon whispered, looking at one of the boxes.
"It *is* always nice to be able to surprise someone with a gift . . ." Mina murmured for Piyomon's benefit, eyes flickering in bewilderment over the collection of boxes. "I can understand how Sora-san might want something solid in her hands to give to Taichi-san." Her fingertips ran over the glossy box covers. "Ah . . . I wish I knew even how to begin . . . I suppose that we could ask that clerk again? Or if this is no longer appealing to you, perhaps something else . . . ? We know at least that he likes the sports, particularly soccer. Perhaps something else for soccer -- even particularly for the game?"
Sora simply nodded at Mina's reply to Piyomon, a smile replacing the frown that was there moments before. She wanted to find something that would make his birthday special. "Good idea. Let's go somewhere else," she finally decided. Arms uncrossed, she nodded towards the front of the store.
Outside, there were a couple of shops she was familiar with, and she pointed out a place that she and Taichi always used to get their gear at as kids. "That place over there has really good quality gear." she began hesitantly, "But those are all things he could get himself anyway. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a look. Maybe get him something themed for his favorite team?"
Even if they didn't stay, this was definitely a store that Mina would have to return to later to explore -- though perhaps not the sports section. That was just a little bewildering. Nodding agreeably, Mina headed towards the exit, dipping around a preteen absorbed in a display with a quick deep nod and an apology. Ah, those fantasy games over there looked -- no! She must focus!
"Does he have anything that is worn now?" she queried to Sora. "Perhaps a replacement from the team that you have mentioned?"
It didn't go unnoticed that Mina's eyes kept straying towards all the shiny objects in the game store. "Do you like video games, Mina?" Piyomon asked as they made their way towards the sporting supply shop.
Sora smiled at Piyomon's question, and thought over Mina's as well. "I guess he could use a new bag. His old one has certainly seen better days!" She laughed and held open the door for both of them as they entered the store. It smelled slightly of leather due to all the shoes, gloves, soccer and baseballs, and reminded her of many games from her youth.
Mina dipped her head a bit as though she'd been caught, fingers rubbing briefly against her elbow. "I have not played . . . but I have always heard such good things, and . . ." She ducked her head a little further. "The pictures are pretty. I have a weakness for beauty." All right, yes, she was curious. "And the stories behind the pictures . . ." They'd reminded her of the ink drawings in her battered copy of The Arabian Nights -- maidens and sword-bearing heroes on search of adventure in faraway lands . . .
But quickly, the subject at hand. "A bag, then, yes, maybe . . ." It seemed a bit less personal to her, though; weren't gifts supposed to strike towards the heart of the person to whom they were given? It was a bit more difficult to make a bag personal, but . . . She paused, surveying a rack of baseball bats. "What if you put his name on it? Or his initials?"
Personalize it? "Mina, that's great! Hmm. It wouldn't be too hard to sew a patch on with his letters. Do you mind if we stop at a fabric store on the way back?" Sora felt relieved, wondering why she didn't ask the girl for help sooner. She was very good at coming up with ideas.
Piyomon tilted her head at Mina's reaction, and then shook it. Was she embarrassed? "There's nothing wrong with that! If you want to do something, why don't you do it?"
That caused Sora to laugh. "You know, if I had time between Tennis, school, and the rest of my hobbies and life, I'd probably give it a shot too." She grinned. "I don't know much about a lot of the games in there, but I like Tetris, and I have it on my phone." She continued looking around the store, picking up a soccer ball and bouncing it in her hand as she thought. "If you ever try it sometime, let me know if it's any fun?"
It was difficult to answer Piyomon. Mina found herself groping for words. How to explain without sounding too frumpy, too old-fashioned, or too cliché? "Mm . . . if my father knew, he would say that I should be spending more time with my studies. Fairy stories do not earn one a good position . . ."
In the end, she'd sounded like all three. Shaking her head quickly, embarrassed, she clung to the positives. "That is fine to stop. I am glad that you have found something that pleases you. Taichi-san will surely love it."
Sora spent a moment looking over the merchandise, and then finally picked a nice looking bag with plenty of room for gear, and extra pockets on the outside. It was trimmed with the accents of one of the popular soccer teams, one she'd heard Taichi talk about on many occasions. The ball was returned to the shelf; she didn't really need one, even though she sometimes missed kicking one around. Hitching the bag over her shoulder, she turned to the two, "Taichi will be glad you helped as well. Thanks so much for your help!"
There was a moment as Piyomon watched Mina, thinking it over, and she seemed to not know what to say in response to Mina's reply. Sora however, called back over her shoulder as she approached the register, "Studies are important, but there isn't anything wrong with having fun. But don't worry about it." She smiled as she paid the cashier. Sometime, perhaps, she'd need help with her friends to show Mina-san that there wasn't anything wrong with having hobbies. "I'm sure your father just cares because he has your future in mind." She nodded towards the door. "So. shall we go?"
"He does," was the immediate reply. "I do understand his concerns. Becoming too distracted *can* harm my studies." She smiled. "But I am not perfectly well-behaved, do not worry. I have a certain affection for novels, and am far too fond of movies to become perfect." A nod in response to heading out, and this time it was she who moved ahead to get the door for them all, casting another look back across the street. "If Bakumon gives me a turn, perhaps I will try . . ." If she bought it for him, perhaps she wouldn't feel nearly so guilty.
It had gotten down to the day before Taichi's birthday, and Sora still hadn't picked something out for him. It certainly was proving more difficult to find something nice for him after the stunt he had pulled on White Day. How was she going to top that??
She had a few ideas though, or at least a place to start, but Sora decided to just spend the day looking around, and share her ideas with Mina. Not to mention that the girl was finally in Japan, and they still hadn't had a chance to spend time together! She hoped maybe she would have a few good ideas too.
After emailing directions on how to get to her place, she and Piyomon sat ready and waiting as Sora adjusted the clasp on the digimon's cloak.
"I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to go do things, Sora. It gets pretty boring around here, even with your rabbit to watch," said Piyomon.
"I'm sorry," Sora apologized. "I wish we had more time to spend doing things like this."
Bakumon had been left home that day. Mina felt somewhat guilty for it, closing the door on those wide, blue (and somewhat indignant) eyes. In the end, however, it would make life easier; there would be no sense in him causing issues on her first visit to meet another Chosen. Bakumon had the tendency to be a catalyst, and Mina didn't want that. Not today. It was important to make a good impression. (Not to mention that she suspected that he wouldn't be comfortable anyway in a group of shopping-bound females.)
Bit of crumpled paper (where she'd scribbled down the directions) in hand, Mina double-checked to make certain that she was in the right place before tapping at the door. Now if the butterflies in her stomach would just settle down . . .
"I know, you still have school to finish," Piyomon replied, hopping out of her seat and making sure she could still move freely underneath her disguise. "But if you ask me, your cooking has gotten good enough and they should graduate you early!"
Sora laughed, and was about to reply when there was a knock at the door. "Oh, that's probably her!" She stood as well, and answered with a smile. "Um, hello, Mina-san, right?"
Bow here . . . right? Well, if she wasn't, she did anyway. "Mina, yes . . . You are Sora-san?"
Sora returned the bow, although even if Mina didn't, she wouldn't have been offended. She understood it must be hard trying to learn a new culture. Mimi had told her a lot about just how different the U.S.A. was, so she could imagine many other countries were just as unique.
"Yes, and this here is Piyomon!" She gestured towards the bundle of blue fabric fashioned into a robe around something pink and feathery.
Piyomon waved back. "Nice to meet you!"
With a giggle, Sora quickly explained, "Piyomon wanted to help pick out Taichi's present, and I couldn't say no. But this is her disguise." She stepped aside and motioned inside the apartment. "Do you want to come in, or should we just head straight for the tour and shopping?"
Mina blinked past Sora to the feathery robe and attempted to hide a laugh -- though it poked through the corners of her mouth as a smile. "It is it very nice to meet you, Piyomon-san . . . but forgive me, what is it meant to be?" A glance back toward Sora as she followed the invitation to step inside. "Ah! Whatever you would like! Piyomon-san seems ready to go at any moment." More softly, "I am sorry that I did not bring Bakumon, but I am afraid he does not have nearly so effective a disguise."
"Piyomon is just fine, you don't have to be so formal with me," the bird Digimon reassured Mina. "And it's… uh, Sora, what am I disguised as anyway?"
Sora blinked. "It's not really supposed to be anything, I guess. I mean, it's just a cloak. I'm surprised it works, but Taichi's pulled it off in the past, and for some reason, no one seems inclined to ask what you're doing." Then she grinned. "I bet they just think it's a kid playing dress up."
"Oh, ok," Piyomon shrugged. "I'm ready to go, but I'll let you two decide."
"Well how about I show you my place when we get back?" Sora also added, "And if you want, later I can make one for Bakumon so he can come next time?"
That one sparked a laugh. "I would love to try to get him to wear it."
Sora stepped outside, starting to lead the way, and Piyomon followed. "I take it he's not the agreeable type, from what I've heard?"
Wince. (This seemed to be the common expression when talking about Bakumon.) "I . . . am afraid not." In and out! She trailed Sora back out again, tugging the door shut behind her. "Do you lock this . . . ?"
"Ah!" Sora rushed back to lock the door behind her, clearly embarrassed. "Yes, I do. Thank you!" What if someone broke in while she was gone??
"Sora, you've been a little scatter brained lately, ever since Wednesday!"
"Piyomon, let's see you come up with a good idea for Taichi's gift after what he did for me!" Sora tried not to blush and turned back to heading towards the shopping district.. She also wasn't quite sure whether to go with this change of topic for Mina's sake (she seemed sort of embarrassed about her digimon?), or to try to find even yet another better thing to talk about. "So… how do you like Japan, so far?"
"Ah . . ." Mina gave a knowing smile, first towards the bundle that was Piyomon, then towards Sora, tipping her head slightly to one side. "The rose petals. So romantic, your Taichi-san! And he seems so silly sometimes when he replies . . ." Talk about Japan could wait for the moment.
As for the door, for all she knew, it was cultural not to lock it.
"You know, it really surprised me too." Sora mused as they made their way out of the apartment complex and down the street. "We were headed towards the soccer fields, and Taichi's so into sports… I mean, I am too, but I honestly expected at that point that we'd just have a match for old time's sake, and maybe he'd give me some chocolate."
"Boys can be surprising." Mina watched after a passerby's face with quick, tentative flicks of the eyes to see what they made of Piyomon, but interestingly enough, it was just as Sora had said -- no response or indication that they thought anything was unusual. Amazing. "Outside, they want to hide what they feel, but inside, they have romance and gentleness even like a woman." Of course, most of Mina's opinion came from romance novels and fairy tales, but . . .
Piyomon had indeed managed to blend in, but it was also because she was being quiet for the moment. She had a knack for it by now, and especially if it kept small children from finding reason to poke at her in wonder. She kept close to Sora though, and nodded at Mina's assessment.
"You have a point. Boys are so hung up on the image of being tough that you get blindsided by their romantic side." Smiling, Sora occasionally glanced back to her digimon, but also watched along the walkway for shops that might stick out as a place Taichi would shop at. "So I really wasn't expecting to get chocolates and a ring from him too."
Her eyes fell across a videogame store, and she paused at the entrance. "I'm not really sure what games he plays, but I'm pretty sure Taichi likes them..."
"Ah, yes, you mentioned the ring! May I see?" A glance upward toward the video game store. "It sounds like a very good start. Perhaps I can find something for Bakumon as well . . . so he will stop putting the honey in the shampoo of others." See that? It's a sweatdrop. Oh, yes. But that's another subject entirely.
"Oh, sure!" Sora held out her hand for Mina to see. It was a simple red ring, but it was still pretty. "At least this time he didn't make a silly comment like the time with my barrettes."
"Bakumon sounds like having a little brother," Piyomon chirped from the ground as Sora tried to hold back her own sweatdrop.
She held open the door for the other two then followed them inside. "Now, if I were a guy, what game would I want…"
"Bakumon is . . . at times worse than a little brother." Mina examined the ring, smiling wryly. "And yet, of course, what would I do without him? -- This is beautiful, Sora-san."
Now a video game store was something that Mina hadn't been into often. Video games were considered more of a frivolous commodity by her father, who had the tendency to believe that most games should be in some way educational -- and hand-to-eye coordination didn't count. For a moment she simply stared. "This . . . is . . . big." Quirk.
Immediately her eyes were drawn to the graphics on a nearby stand of a new rpg game, but . . . not for her! They weren't here for her. Eyes away, Mina . . . good. "You mentioned that he does like sports. They do make these games for sports, I think?"
Sora had been into one before, but she didn't really ever own anything more than a small handheld game. Her hobbies, when she wasn't playing soccer, tended to be drawing or tennis. She glanced over at Mina's wide-eyed expression and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, there's so many here… So maybe I should ask a clerk."
Sora flagged down an employee and asked a few questions before they were pointed towards a shelf against a wall that had many various games. Most of them looked the same, though there were different versions for each sport. The only thing many had going for them as a difference was graphics, or the system they were played on, or the teams they sported. Sora sweatdropped again. "They're all… identical…"
Trailing after Sora and trying not to get too distracted, Mina followed the clerk. She deadpanned at the wall, blinking slowly. "I suppose that a boy would know the difference . . . Do you know what kind of system that he has?"
There was a moment where Sora was quiet, and then she frowned. Then she crossed her arms, as if lost in thought, before she finally sighed. "A few years ago, I could have told you. We've known each other since we were kids, and I guess as we got older I didn't really pay attention to that sort of thing… I guess this probably isn't gonna work, is it?"
"Why don't you just tell him that you'll take him to pick one out, Sora?" Piyomon whispered, looking at one of the boxes.
"It *is* always nice to be able to surprise someone with a gift . . ." Mina murmured for Piyomon's benefit, eyes flickering in bewilderment over the collection of boxes. "I can understand how Sora-san might want something solid in her hands to give to Taichi-san." Her fingertips ran over the glossy box covers. "Ah . . . I wish I knew even how to begin . . . I suppose that we could ask that clerk again? Or if this is no longer appealing to you, perhaps something else . . . ? We know at least that he likes the sports, particularly soccer. Perhaps something else for soccer -- even particularly for the game?"
Sora simply nodded at Mina's reply to Piyomon, a smile replacing the frown that was there moments before. She wanted to find something that would make his birthday special. "Good idea. Let's go somewhere else," she finally decided. Arms uncrossed, she nodded towards the front of the store.
Outside, there were a couple of shops she was familiar with, and she pointed out a place that she and Taichi always used to get their gear at as kids. "That place over there has really good quality gear." she began hesitantly, "But those are all things he could get himself anyway. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a look. Maybe get him something themed for his favorite team?"
Even if they didn't stay, this was definitely a store that Mina would have to return to later to explore -- though perhaps not the sports section. That was just a little bewildering. Nodding agreeably, Mina headed towards the exit, dipping around a preteen absorbed in a display with a quick deep nod and an apology. Ah, those fantasy games over there looked -- no! She must focus!
"Does he have anything that is worn now?" she queried to Sora. "Perhaps a replacement from the team that you have mentioned?"
It didn't go unnoticed that Mina's eyes kept straying towards all the shiny objects in the game store. "Do you like video games, Mina?" Piyomon asked as they made their way towards the sporting supply shop.
Sora smiled at Piyomon's question, and thought over Mina's as well. "I guess he could use a new bag. His old one has certainly seen better days!" She laughed and held open the door for both of them as they entered the store. It smelled slightly of leather due to all the shoes, gloves, soccer and baseballs, and reminded her of many games from her youth.
Mina dipped her head a bit as though she'd been caught, fingers rubbing briefly against her elbow. "I have not played . . . but I have always heard such good things, and . . ." She ducked her head a little further. "The pictures are pretty. I have a weakness for beauty." All right, yes, she was curious. "And the stories behind the pictures . . ." They'd reminded her of the ink drawings in her battered copy of The Arabian Nights -- maidens and sword-bearing heroes on search of adventure in faraway lands . . .
But quickly, the subject at hand. "A bag, then, yes, maybe . . ." It seemed a bit less personal to her, though; weren't gifts supposed to strike towards the heart of the person to whom they were given? It was a bit more difficult to make a bag personal, but . . . She paused, surveying a rack of baseball bats. "What if you put his name on it? Or his initials?"
Personalize it? "Mina, that's great! Hmm. It wouldn't be too hard to sew a patch on with his letters. Do you mind if we stop at a fabric store on the way back?" Sora felt relieved, wondering why she didn't ask the girl for help sooner. She was very good at coming up with ideas.
Piyomon tilted her head at Mina's reaction, and then shook it. Was she embarrassed? "There's nothing wrong with that! If you want to do something, why don't you do it?"
That caused Sora to laugh. "You know, if I had time between Tennis, school, and the rest of my hobbies and life, I'd probably give it a shot too." She grinned. "I don't know much about a lot of the games in there, but I like Tetris, and I have it on my phone." She continued looking around the store, picking up a soccer ball and bouncing it in her hand as she thought. "If you ever try it sometime, let me know if it's any fun?"
It was difficult to answer Piyomon. Mina found herself groping for words. How to explain without sounding too frumpy, too old-fashioned, or too cliché? "Mm . . . if my father knew, he would say that I should be spending more time with my studies. Fairy stories do not earn one a good position . . ."
In the end, she'd sounded like all three. Shaking her head quickly, embarrassed, she clung to the positives. "That is fine to stop. I am glad that you have found something that pleases you. Taichi-san will surely love it."
Sora spent a moment looking over the merchandise, and then finally picked a nice looking bag with plenty of room for gear, and extra pockets on the outside. It was trimmed with the accents of one of the popular soccer teams, one she'd heard Taichi talk about on many occasions. The ball was returned to the shelf; she didn't really need one, even though she sometimes missed kicking one around. Hitching the bag over her shoulder, she turned to the two, "Taichi will be glad you helped as well. Thanks so much for your help!"
There was a moment as Piyomon watched Mina, thinking it over, and she seemed to not know what to say in response to Mina's reply. Sora however, called back over her shoulder as she approached the register, "Studies are important, but there isn't anything wrong with having fun. But don't worry about it." She smiled as she paid the cashier. Sometime, perhaps, she'd need help with her friends to show Mina-san that there wasn't anything wrong with having hobbies. "I'm sure your father just cares because he has your future in mind." She nodded towards the door. "So. shall we go?"
"He does," was the immediate reply. "I do understand his concerns. Becoming too distracted *can* harm my studies." She smiled. "But I am not perfectly well-behaved, do not worry. I have a certain affection for novels, and am far too fond of movies to become perfect." A nod in response to heading out, and this time it was she who moved ahead to get the door for them all, casting another look back across the street. "If Bakumon gives me a turn, perhaps I will try . . ." If she bought it for him, perhaps she wouldn't feel nearly so guilty.