A table for two but considered for one. That's what she thought.

The place was noisy with all the people here, which is unlikely. Sometime at noon where they have lunch it would get loud and crazy, but now is afternoon and shouldn't there be an aftermath after all those noise? All she expected was to drop by an isolated kind of cafe at these times. Now she's here, stuck in the crowded cafe where a lot of things are bothering her. There were several clinks and clanks that come from glassware. Countless footsteps bang the floors, with screeching squeaks that come in and out. Every babbling mouth had to giggle and gossip their way out of anti-social things. To top that off, the doors swinging back and forth that follows the undeniable creak that should be fixed right now.

As if there was no time for peace in this place. Akira had to look somewhere else for another quiet location.

Though her order is a small, typical bunch. A short cup of mocha latte, with a few croissants served on a tiny plate. That was the only thing she could afford - since her paycheck won't arrive in a few days and abruptly delay everything. She wanted some black coffee instead of this cheap mocha latte, that luckily gave away some simple and plain croissants for free. She wanted cake. It's just that she can't afford it. Now she's stuck with having to finish the cheap, cheap meal.

She can't compensate all the problems she has. Delayed paycheck and noisy places should be enough, if it weren't for being asked repeatedly if she had saved that empty seat in front of her. "Yes, a friend of mine." A decent, yet obvious lie, of course - because she just had to take the table for herself. She has no friends. Who would want to make friends with someone all wrapped up in these bandages?

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She sucked up merely a quarter of her drink, flickering her eyes to the man in front of her. Who was this guy? Surely someone she wouldn't know as she won't familiarize herself with complete strangers, that badly includes people at school. It was bad for her to start the talk, but she didn't, now it's worse since she has to continue it. Ugh, socializing like this is hard.

Coldly ignoring his 'hello', she would be kind enough to hear out his following statements. It wouldn't hurt to do so, but this guy is too annoying if he'll start babbling his way to get information out of Akira. She slurped her drink once more, thinking how to answer the question. Maybe she'll go sulking on this one. "I don't know - it's not that I familiarize anyone from school at all." She confessed, because there's literally no time for her to get to know anyone at school. It's also weird for someone bandaged to stare and glance at the students in or out of campus. But she's staring at this guy now; He was clearly studying her all just because of her bandages. Who was to blame for all these, anyway?

Sure enough that she could be passive to the fact this.. guy knows who she is, would be great to confirm if he knows the name. It's awkward if they weren't from the same school. So she'll just agree with this, nonetheless.

The next question came in. That sounded, maybe concerning, taunting or something else. Are-you-alright question is something she would want to avoid. Yet she's stuck in this conversation, and in the middle of her meal. "I am. Why would I be here if I'm completely injured? At least I'm fixed now." Bluntly speaking, she didn't want to talk so long. But this guy is forcing her. True, she just came from medics in order to be hugged by a new set of bandages for all the light and heavy bruises. It's not that much of a big deal. At all.

It was probably the last question. Whew, she thought, hoping to get over this already. She scrunched up to chew on the croissants, eventually gulping it in. "Hey, I have these bandages for a reason, buddy." A pure, unstoppable grimace was shown on her. That last word 'buddy' was something she would never say again. Ever.

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She crumpled her face, putting one brow down, her eyes shifting left and right. Was it that boring to her? Was it even boring in the first place? Of course not.. right? "...No." her tone gave an uneasy feeling that she wasn't sure of her answer. She hasn't done anything to befriend someone, which is most likely not boring. And then having no friends is.. well, she wouldn't say it that way. It's just, probably not suitable for her. Yeah, that's it.

What's not it was being healthy. Not the fact she wasn't before getting hurt, but the situation that caught her up into these new set of bandages. It will sound rough if she were to say it, then follow a huge doubt over his head. "It's not. It's not healthy." She took a bite on her food, the plain crust and classic vanilla filling giving her delight on her tongue. Maybe the cheap, and free food wasn't this bad after all. It should be worth it now that she's brought herself here to eat something entirely different, but not this conversation. She's sure as hell that she would escape this. "..the situation I was in, it wasn't healthy." she quickly added, slightly muffled in her voice with a few bits of croissant piling her mouth. Man, this croissant tastes good, she thought, eating the rest of what's left.

She smirked grimly, a light chuckle for this guy's un-pitiful frown. "Icchiki. Icchiki Akira." she downed the whole latte in one go. Taking another croissant from the plate, she chewed onto it. A brief pause for her to finish her chewing, she continued, "You've seen me? Hah." She laughed subtly. Her arm resting on the table, she drew a little close to Martin. "Good thing you've never seen what happened to the 'unhealthy situation'." Akira somewhat warned him, because if he saw the doubtful event, he'd never confront her in the first place. Or so she thinks

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She fixed herself after saying a long line of sentences. She huffed and puffed rather loudly, relieving her anxiety. She needed to get out of this. Right here, right now. This is going to be tiring for her, she's already dragged herself to the hospital to get treated, since nobody actually cared at all. If she were to share that piece of information she could be doubted already. And Martin here is pretty much looking skeptical about her, which is a usual reaction she'd receive. Not many would take her as someone simpler than what she faces now. The problems are already here laid in front of her. Mostly Martin, maybe, but then the 'situation' mentioned earlier. Like I said, this is going to be tiring.

"Nothing." Her face perked back up to the usual, expressionless and dull-looking face of hers. It's plain, despite the chance it can elaborate itself with every bandage glued to her face. Where on earth would he see Akira? A hallway sulking and groveling all the regrets could be one. Maybe the streets if he ever saw her dragging her injured body by chance. The hospital? I think that's more of stalking than coincidentally seeing Akira somewhere in. It can be most likely the school, she's been everywhere somehow, like the gloomy girl she is. It is highly rare for anyone, including Martin to see her smile completely instead of the previous subtle chuckles and laughter. She's described as gloomy, and will ultimately stay the way she is up to now.

&Her head nodding, expressing a few serious tones or two. For sure, he'll freak out seeing her getting hurt, in any way possible, and other things if he's interested in it. The pause for the moment of silent was momentarily long, as if snapping all the chatter in the cafe's atmosphere. He'll change the topic. The silence is getting awkward, or something, she thought.

Aaand she was correct. Nothing better than changing the whole subject.
 "I have no time for such." Another true statement by this girl, because where on earth would she find a cosmetics club or something of the like? She can keep her make-up skills to herself, and generously run away. That's what she needed to do right now. And she's still stuck with the talk that would seem to take forever. Is this how they make friends?

She'll keep that question in her mind.

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She didn't understand what was the big deal of talking to someone. If it starts big with all the endless chit-chat, those conversations will eventually end soon once they run out of topics and ideas. They'd probably leave, to the fact they can't speak of anything anymore. They can also drag them along to another person, to try hard on finding what to talk about, which is tiring for her. And probably the last choice is to talk to someone else. Three choices, endless possibilities alongside outcomes, look very... boring. If they're trying that hard to start the talk, can't they just leave it be? It's not that anyone like Akira would be here out for doing such. Looks pretty tiring for me, she pondered.

Questions were something she wouldn't bother answering, as long as they won't respond with another. That, exactly, is what Martin here is doing right now. He may not be a try-hard with this yet, but she's sure enough that he'll run out of them one day. Just maybe not today. She sighed, "I would consider it as a full-time..." her eyes looking away, leaning against the chair unsatisfied. Her job pretty much stops anything from her studies, and it's not much of a trouble. She got a scholarship sealed, which no one actually found out yet, and her grades are decent with it's constant numbers piling up the report card. "..I'm a make-up artist." Once a laugh will come out on that guy's mouth, she'll definitely leave. Just because she's injured doesn't mean she applied make up to look like so. These are real wounds, and real pain. Though he should understand that, anyway.

Just when she was thinking of escape, something stopped her. Caught her full attention, for real. It's a free treat - basically free food! Anything she wants, from her anticipated black coffee to a sweet slice of cake--well, maybe something too bitter and sweet isn't much of a good combination, but the cake would do. "...cake." she blurted, sounding desperate for cake. Down to specifics, she's answer right away with 'strawberry short cake', or 'black forest'. A lot of people would disregard her as someone who hates sweet things, but this girl loves them. Cake is, honestly, life to her. As if it gives her energy, moreover that sweet sensation pouring in your mouth. It's nice to eat something sweet once in a while, now Akira sits here, glued to her chair for some cake.

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Being a make-up artist does consume almost all her time for school, so it would be clear enough that people would rarely see her there. She's constantly keeping secrets of a good status in her studies, as if escaping school, but at least the faculty is informed about this before hand. The reasons why are clearly limited. It is a hard thing to achieve such form of job, and promptly relies on her mother, and her mother alone. She did bring Akira to the career (yet details are vague nonetheless), supposedly introducing the whole form of art and beauty. It's a small reason why. Because of that she cannot defend herself for it.

Her eye looking away and trying to avoid the question, she seemed to have trouble in this conversation. She needed to get out right away, after the cake; For the meantime she had to explain the whole career she has owned through luck. "..I don't know, but it's not that I can't tell. It's vague." she folded her bruised arms, furrowing eyebrows in a pissed kind of way, and slowly let out a 'hmph'. It honestly wasn't her fault for this kind of life. Usually it's her parents to blame. From the bruises to this big job, they're surely one to drag Akira into everything. She just wants to eat away the pain, since she hasn't ate in about a day already. It's typical to have someone bruised and not able to eat properly, which is fine for her. She has suffered something much worse anyway.

Speaking of which, she wouldn't dare to suffer poor earnings at the moment. At least Martin here is kind enough to treat her to some delicious cake, and anything would pretty much do. She didn't have to be specific with her request, as cake is cake, and nothing changes it regardless of the various selection of flavors. Her stomach wasn't grumbling, yet she spares space in it for cake. She should eat properly, so might as well start off big so she'll eat normally on the following days. The plate of delectable goodness was served. She could drool over it anytime now. She immediately took a bite, although not showing any satisfaction on her dull face, it would seem like it somehow. "It's good.." she murmured to herself, the tone of her voice showing the satisfaction here. She gulped one piece down. "..Any cake would do, actually. I'm fine with any flavor you'd throw at me." She continued eating the slice of cake.

She was in for another slice. Anytime. Maybe just one last slice, or two. She looked so laid back and happy in the inside of eating some cake in a while. She wouldn't eat a bunch, then again eating would be an addiction for her - just for cakes, that is. Just simply chewing the free treat should be good to supply her hunger. Akira wouldn't chew on this conversation; He should leave her be and enjoy her own comfort food. But if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have this. So she had to speak up in return. "Mm, probably. Asides from models and other clients for make-up, I can do face-paint as well." She took one more bite on the cake. "I wouldn't do costumes, though - just make-up and face-paint. That's all."

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Nothing was better than cake for Akira. Simply put she likes it, and can take some home either way possible. If it weren't for Martin here, she wouldn't be this satisfied for today. But she won't thank him for this, despite he offered it in the first place, that's for sure. She doesn't feel quite comfortable with saying a simple 'thank you' since she's never done that. Slightly nodding her head, hopefully he'd get the message that she's trying to thank him for all of this. He's pretty sweet, maybe like every other person if Akira were to socialize more like this. Probably she doesn't have a good way of complimenting. Just sarcasm and cold-hearted sentences.

It was like she was in a daze for a second. The whole slice of cake surely became a hypnosis object or something. Maybe the flavors were too much to keep her this enthralled under the bandages and straight faces. It's sweet, in a sense, both the cake and Martin. It was late for her to realize how good friends can be, acquaintances even. Just as late from escaping this temporary trance all due to the cake. The cake was a lie.

She snapped out of it for a while after, thinking that she had skipped some of his words. Or maybe he snapped back right in time. "...Yeah." she nodded. Though scholarships won't hold her to the very end, she still tries to give more time in her studies. But she ends up working anyway. "..If I can.." subtly adding in these three words, her voice sounds soft in order for no one to hear that phrase.

Something was odd. Was he leaving? She had come up with a few questions or two, now that she's met Martin Kingsley. What was he like? Did he have a job? What was his position in school? Everything seemed to become a late reaction to he senses. She held up a hand, saying 'wait' through body language. "Well, yeah. Your welcome. But I have a few questions as well." She finished her whole meal in a few sips and crunches. The whole table was empty. But there's still space for conversation. Just keep it casual. "Are you....a magician of some sort?" Bad assumption, it could've been. From his looks and how he acts, it was guaranteed that he could be one somehow.

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