Self-improvement for the nation

[acidhexagon]

Who: Minoru, Chloe, open.
Where: School, gym.
When: Thursday, April 27th
What: A first approach.


Maybe he didn't stand out because he didn't seem to be competitive about it. He didn't aim for anything like the best, but rather, to last longer, to get the most out of his exercise.

The boy in question just finished several rounds at a weight-lifting machine. He was cyclical, doing leg press and lats and deltoids without bothering to talk to much of anyone. For someone who had been doing all this work, though, he had a way of looking clean, always wiping himself with his towel and keeping his uniform as prim as it could be, given the circumstances.

Eventually, he stopped, and in a rare case for this particular student, who had always been good at blending in the background, he decided to go observe what others were up to... And that is where it would be very easy to notice him, not because he stands out, but because of his way of staring, like he's actually paying attention to what you're doing.

Comments

[acidhexagon]

"Not in particular, no," the boy replied, his eyes following the swaying punching bag as if briefly hypnotized by it, down to shaking his head slightly to take his mind off of it when turning to address Chloe.

"Suzuki Minoru, 3rd Year," he introduced himself, bowing his head. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance. I'm just impressed by your strength. It's inspiring to see someone pushing their limits," he continued, "Gives the school a good image, if anything, though I am personally impressed by your Judo form."

He straightened up, a light blush on his cheeks. "Oh. Wait. That sounded blunt. I'm not hitting on you or anything." He took a hand to his lips, and said, mostly to himself: "That'd be improper." Before adding, with an honest smile, "I just like displays of talent."

Funny. The word 'talent' came out of his mouth but it sounded almost as if he were going to say 'violence' instead.

[fassade]

A third year, eh? There seemed to be a lot of them floating around lately. This one in particular she hadn't even really seen around the school. To be fair though, she didn't pay too much attention to things like that. Suzuki... nope. Definitely didn't ring any bells. Inwardly, she wondered why he was even talking to her. Not only was she not used to receiving compliments, but never from someone who had only just introduced themselves. As he mentioned the school, Chloe could feel a bitterness that joined the burning in her chest. It was unfortunate that her chosen way of letting off steam apparently gave the school a good image; this school closing would be like Christmas come early for her.

Chloe realized the boy was blushing. Her head tilted very slightly. Why was he-- wait, what? Chloe had never thought that he was hitting on her simply because it had never been a concern for her. No one had ever hit on her, and no one ever would. The German was more than okay with this fact. Improper was right. Though her face held only the piercingly calm mask she always wore, inwardly she wondered just what this guy wanted.

"Not talent." She said bluntly. "Just letting off some steam."

The boy would learn very quickly that Chloe was a person of few words. If she could get away with it, she could have a conversation composed entirely out of grunts and nods. She figured she should probably introduce herself though. The German politely bowed her head as well.

"Chloe Abendroth, 1st year."

Yep. 1st year. Most were surprised by this fact considering she was 5'10' and absolutely terrifying. Most thought her to be at least a 3rd year. She also didn't bother introducing herself surname first. Most people didn't call her by either her given or surname anyway. When she heard the whispers, it was always 'Gaijin', 'Foreigner', and 'Savage'. There were others, but those were the main ones. This school rarely treated her like an actual person, and she had grown used to it.