[OPEN] The End of the Beginning

Sayuri is conscious that this is her last year of school. There is a well-paid if meaningless position waiting for her in her father's publishing company once she leaves school, and there is little else Sayuri knows how to do or is willing to do. She is open to new ideas, but knows her father will likely disapprove.

As such, she made up her mind to attend the ball even if she had nobody to go with. Even if she couldn't even dance, she was determined to make the most of her final year, starting with this ball. She is wearing an elegant black silk ballgown with white lace trim, similar to her normal "casual" dress but far more grandiose - and expensive. Her hair, which usually fell over one eye, had been brushed back away from her forehead, revealing both crimson eyes.

She wheels herself into the venue and looks around for a few moments, unsure exactly what to do with herself. Not many others seem to have arrived yet. In the end Sayuri wheels herself off to the side, out of the way of the main dancefloor, and silently watches the other students arrive.

In comes myself.

With nothing to do, I go get a can of orange drank and move around, looking for a place to sit.

A little time passes after finding a spot and I notice a girl who hasn't moved from the same spot since I came here, regardless of her look of waiting for somebody.

With an inhale I speak.

*Pthheh* "Waiting for somebody?"

"Hmm?"

Sayuri notices a boy she does not recognize approach her and ask if she's waiting for someone. "No. I'm not waiting for anyone."

She probably came her to watch her friends. Poor thing...

Hm, I was never that great at dancing myself so I'll keep her company for a bit.

The dancing hasn't even really started up yet anyway. People are still just arriving and only a few are up already.

"You didn't come with anybody?"

"No. I couldn't think of anyone to ask."

I lean further back in my chair.

"Heh, me neither."

As the chair meets the point at which it cannot bend anymore it makes a pretty loud squeeking noise, causing me to jump a little and sit hunched over with my arms resting on my legs.

Smooooth.

"Careful you don't fall out." I'm speaking from experience there. Sayuri looks back at the sheer number of times she found herself falling out of her wheelchair over the past three months alone, due to her determination to escape the confines of her wheelchair. A lot of experience.

"Heh he~h,-I wont."

After pausing for a little bit I speak.

"My name is Taketa Ryuu."

"Sayuri Motozaki." Sayuri bows slightly. "Please to make your acquaintance, Taketa-san."

I push back the hair from my face before speaking further.

"I haven't seen you around school. New here or is it just coincidence?"

"It's coincidence. I've been at this school for a while now."

"I'm surprised I haven't seen you around ever."

"I've been going here since the start of High School."

She seem's like a nice girl too. Why isn't she more popular?

...

And why can't I think of anything to say to her?

Instead of speaking much more I let myself feel the warm air around me. In a cocoon of musical sound.

Damn, she must be one of those people that only speak the language 'Endofconversation...-ish.'

"Well, I've only been here a few months, so I suppose if we weren't in the same classes, it's reasonable that we wouldn't have run into each other."

"Hm, I suppose."

Eh, I'm going to go get some food for myself.

I stand.

"Well, it was nice talking to you."