[SS] Who Trusts The Weather Report, Anyways?

August 18, 15:43

For what had promised to be a quiet, relaxing day... Tsuru felt like his hopes and dreams had been dashed. Come on! Wasn't there supposed to be a supercomputer dedicated to preventing this exact scenario!? Or what, did some powerful Esper decide that this was the PERFECT DAY to cause an inconvenience for others? It was nearly enough to make Tsuru cry, as the rain continued to beat down on his small back.

The worst part wasn't really that he was getting wet without a raincoat or an umbrella. The worst part wasn't that his nice, laid back afternoon had been interrupted, and now he had to fight his way through a downpour to shelter. No, the worst of it was the origami paper he'd brought with him... The way the rain had cruelly destroyed it, with no hope of recovery. The way he'd have to purchase more, and how much of a pain it had been the last time. That was the part that really crushed Tsuru and caused him to sink into despair.

The excessively small boy cut a pitiful figure, as he bravely faced the wind and rain. It wasn't very characteristic of him, but he didn't have much of a choice- While it would be much easier to walk with the wind at his back... It would be nearly impossible to stop, and who knew where he'd end up? And then having to figure out where he was and how to get back... As the middle schooler was wont to do, he weighed his options, and took the one which seemed like the least effort. That is to say, facing the wind for a short time, until he could find shelter.

That said, as his relaxation had involved finding a place away from the buildings which would usually obscure his view of the sky... There was not much shelter to be found nearby. The boy had, at the very least, made it outside the grassy park and to the main road, but there was still a ways to go before safety. Mostly everyone else was long gone, being not as weak in body as Tsuru. As for what reason the few stragglers who remained had... Tsuru was not really of a mind to care about that.

He was of a mind, however, to wonder, 'If I were to just... lay down right here, would someone maybe be called to pick me up?' There was a lot to consider. Would he even be noticed? The rain was obscuring visibility by quite a bit. Would anyone care? He didn't know what kinds of people were still out, or how they were thinking. Did they even have phones, and would they be willing to use them in this kind of weather? You get the point. Anyways, he was so entrapped in his plan to get someone else to do the work for him... He didn't even notice until it was too late, that he slipped in a puddle and was headed for the ground, where a nasty bruise awaited him.

"...Haaaaa." sighed as he walked through the street with the downpour plunging into the asphalt and concrete jungle that was academy city. Damion Koyoko didn't hate the rain, rather he found it quite pleasant. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't prepare for the weather when it is announced. Academy City's forecasting went to absolute shit for whatever reason, only recently have they been wrong. It used to be many months ago that their track record was practically 100%. Now... as the weather was not 'slightly cloudy' or 'sunny', it has quite plummeted. It was down right soaking. Koyoko usually prepares proper clothing or prepares an umbrella as to avoid using his ability.

Koyoko usually used his highly pressured bubble to make the water essentially bounce right off and create a dry dome around him. It certainly was handy, but some problems with it was that it gave him a headache using it too long as it required some form of concentration. Also, their would be little moisture in the bubble, so the air he breathed felt dry and it was a bit discomforting as, again, he loved the rain. So he found himself standing under a bus stop bench, the small roof keeping him protected, but his hair and shoulders were already somewhat drenched.

"How hard can it be to tell whether or not we should bring a piece of fabric on a stick with us for a couple hours...The news can somehow locate every negative event that happens around the world but can't seem read the weather worth shit..." That's is why he partly hated watching the news. They always focused on the drama of life and just overall liked to scare people, then talk about something cute for a moment to break the pattern, before returning to your regular mental breakdown schedule the next minute.

*SPLASH*

Koyoko hadn't noticed till the last second that a young boy was struggling to commute through this exact weather. He was roughly 15 meters away, and was rather small and weak judging by appearance. The fact that he was struggling just walking through the rain was proof of that as it is. Koyoko stared at him for a moment, seeing that he was not getting up, perhaps knocking themselves out or just physically incapable of moving anymore.

"...I don't see his parents..." Koyoko muttered, seeing no adult was in sight, or at least any who cared to notice the poor child. Who the hell lets a kid like this just wander the city? In this weather at that? It doesn't matter how good judgement or Anti-skill was, this kid was quite literally a target for others to abuse.

At one point, Koyoko sighed as he stood up and walked over to the boy, crouching down to check on him. He was breathing, so there may be little need to punch his chest out to get his heart to restart by the off chance he had a heart attack. He did have a nasty bruise on his arm and a scratch on his head however from the fall. "Oi...You okay?" Koyoko asked, but before he may get an answer, he was already grabbing the kid in his arms, and looked around. Still no parents. Figures. Koyoko looked to see the lights of a diner, bright and warm in appearance. Probably a good place to bring the boy, his body was absolutely cold. If he remained outside or by the bus stop he might get sick. So Koyoko began walking toward the diner. If he is actually sick I should call an ambulance or take him to a clinic...if not and he has parents who are too dumb to watch him, I should let anti-skill take care of him. He thought, but his first priority was at least getting him somewhere much more comfortable, and where he can probably get something in him to keep him warm.

Tsuru was laying fairly still on the cold, hard ground. He didn't care anymore. It was too much work to keep struggling through in this weather. Besides, the rain was starting to feel quite relaxing on his back. And it wasn't nearly so cold any more... Or maybe he was just getting hypothermia. Either way, the young boy no longer saw any reason to move before the rain let up. He'd just lay here until he became one with the ground...

Or so he thought, until he was quite rudely plucked from the ground. "Eh... Wha..." He mumbled in a manner that made him seem only partially conscious. What was going on...? Oh well. Tsuru didn't really care that much. Even if he struggled, he wouldn't be put down. Besides, wasn't this what he wanted? A free ride out of the rain? He hung limply from the others' arms as he was carried off.

If the hostess at the diner was surprised at all to see a high schooler toting what looked to be a grade schooler dressed as a middle schooler, she didn't show it. "Welcome!" She would quickly grabbed two menus, and guide the boys to an empty table- One of few, as most were occupied by others who sought refuge from the storm. "Your server will be with you momentarily."

Koyoko looked around the diner as it seemed that the staff was too busy with other customers to worry about the child. Most likely because everyone was in here for the same reason, to get away from the storm. Though he would think they would give some sort of concern to a small boy who is quite literally passed out in his arms. Then again...with certain similar features they might've mistaken them as siblings or something of the like and thought it was less concerning with that idea in their head. Still, he wasn't in any serious condition so he just shrugged and went to a booth, laying the boy down on one of the cushions and sat down as they were handed the menus.

"Yeah yeah, before you do that please get the kid a hot glass of milk first." He rather rudely asked the waiter to get a drink for the kid, though with the storm going on and the boy absolutely drenched, it can be understandable why he might be frustrated. In reality, he just wanted to hurry this up so that he can give the kid to someone who may actually care for him better. "And uhh...just tea for me." Koyoko said as he looked over the menu, since he actually eaten here very often, if not at all.

In the mean time, the delinquent would look at the boy seeing he might be shivering with cold water soaking his clothes and the lack of warmth inside the diner at the moment. Koyoko would decide to simply grab his thick coat and lay it over his shoulders for now so he could be warm enough, to at least talk without stuttering too much. "You're lucky I picked you up at all. While I'm not entirely inhuman, I hate dealing with kids in general. But since the lack of adults were around I felt I had no choice. But before I get to that, care to explain why you were wondering in the streets without your parents or a legal guardian...I mean I that you might have privileges to wander freely to a degree, but it looked like you didn't even try to contact someone to pick you up." He sighed, as the waitress would soon come to bring them the drinks. "Order something. It's on me." Koyoko simply stated.

"Hot milk and a tea, okay."

The hostess scurried off to take care of their order. She didn't seem all that perturbed by the rudeness. One could surmise that she was well used to this type of behavior. Of course, given the unusual amount of business, who knew when their drinks would actually arrive.

Now that he was out of the rain, Tsuru seemed quite a bit more attentive. Ah... Thank you." He said quietly. He didn't even know if he'd been heard. With a small, frail body like his... The unexpected weather had clearly taken a bit of a toll on him. He was shivering from head to toe, his clothes were soaked, and his precious origami paper had been all but ruined! So much of his rare spending money, wasted... All because of some fluke of the weather that wasn't reported!

If he was in a slightly healthier state, he might have realized something wrong with this. After all, this was Academy City, where the weather was predicted perfectly by the supercomputer satellite, Tree Diagram. When it came to Academy City, such flukes simply did not happen! Yet, somehow it had. But in his current state, Hakusho Tsuru was in absolutely no condition to consider the ramifications of this.

"You're lucky I picked you up at all. While I'm not entirely inhuman, I hate dealing with kids in general. But since the lack of adults were around I felt I had no choice. But before I get to that, care to explain why you were wondering in the streets without your parents or a legal guardian...I mean I that you might have privileges to wander freely to a degree, but it looked like you didn't even try to contact someone to pick you up. Order something. It's on me."

Tsuru was rather surprised when a thick coat was dropped over his soaked body. Considering that it was supposed to be bright and sunny, what kind of person would have such a thing on them! That said, there was a table between him and his rescuer, and Tsuru could not see anything above his waist.

"Sorry to... Achoo... trouble you like this"

Tsuru tried to sit up. He didn't try very hard, but he did try. That said... It was very comfortable here on this bench, with a thick coat draped over him. Maybe... Maybe he'd just stay like this until the drinks came.

"I'm... Tsuru. Thanks for, err, saving me, nii-chan"

Koyoko would sigh as he waited for the drinks to arrive. They may not be getting them as soon as he thought, but it shouldn't be too hard to fill up a glass and walking back with it. He would momentarily reach to his pocket for what appears to be a small box of cigarettes, but then took notice that, despite there isn't exactly a sign stating it, the law prohibited smoking in a public establishment, let alone when all the doors and windows are sealed. Not that it mattered to him since he was level 1, his body has learned to passively filter the air he breathed, unfortunately, not enough a good reason to be an exception to smoking indoors, not by a long shot. "Haaa..." Regardless of his ability, he knew better than to smoke indoors, especially around a kid. He just felt fairly frustrated at the moment.

"I'm... Tsuru. Thanks for, err, saving me, nii-chan"


He would then turn to the boy who was absent mindedly shifted a bit in his seat to get comfortable, clinging to the coat a bit as it kept him warm and dried him ever so slightly. The boy was fairly skinny and small, so perhaps the word 'saving' wasn't that much of an exaggeration when it came to his health. He seemed fairly underdeveloped, being more brittle than the usual child doesn't bode well, but it seems he isn't one to be reckless or hyper. However, walking in the rain was obviously a bad idea to begin with.

"Don't mention it. I only brought you somewhere warm. I could at least do that..." He sighed, as he put his arms along the booth chair, putting his head back to relax. Without the coat he was wearing a simple white collared shirt as he stared blankly outside. "...So why were you wandering the storm? Why didn't you go to the nearest building to wait it out...you're soaked to the bone, you must have been out there a while." He asked, as he would turn his head lazily to look to see where the waitress went.

"Nnngh...."

Cold and wet, tucked under a jacket much larger than himself... Hakusho Tsuru cuts a pitiful sight. Who knows what would have come of him had this utter stranger not taken the time to help.

"...So why were you wandering the storm? Why didn't you go to the nearest building to wait it out...you're soaked to the bone, you must have been out there a while."

It's a fair question, for someone who doesn't know anything about Tsuru's circumstances. That is to say... "Ahhh... I, err, was out in... the open, watching the, ah, clouds" The boy's statement is punctuated with a sneeze, though he tried his best to not get it on his borrowed blanket.

"I was born with... A weak constitution... So when... The storm started suddenly like that... Uuuuuh.... I, err... Struggled to err, get back to shelter. It... Took a while..."

Left unspoken was the fact that this weather was totally unexpected. Tree Diagram's predictions were perfect! It was supposed to be sunny with some clouds to watch! Tsuru almost felt like crying! Why did this happen to him! Quietly, he assumed that it was the work of a weather-controlling Esper... After all, Tree Diagram was perfect!

Interrupting Tsuru's silent curse towards the imagined Esper who had ruined his precious paper, was the server bringing the drinks they had ordered. "Apologies for the wait. One hot milk and a tea, correct?"

"Ahh... I, err, was out in... the open, watching the, ah, clouds...I was born with... A weak constitution... So when... The storm started suddenly like that... Uuuuuh.... I, err... Struggled to err, get back to shelter. It... Took a while..." The boy explained about why he was caught out in the rain. It seemed he was simply watching the clouds, doing nothing in particular. Perhaps he was at a nearby park, laying in the grass hoping to bask in the sun.

Koyoko sighed, this hasn't been the first incident in which the supposed 'Super Computer' known as the Tree Diagram has gotten the weather wrong. With a nearly perfect record, it's baffling some people on how it's predictions have been off as of late. Koyoko didn't know how the whole thing worked, given it was launched into space. Maybe they updated it and it's having issues. Someone changed the wrong wire. There was a million ways to completely botch the expensive piece of floating metal and electricity. Though, he couldn't imagine the personnel managing the Tree Diagram were that stupid as to make a mistake. It was truly a mystery.

"Apologies for the wait. One hot milk and a tea, correct?"

Koyoko took his Tea and nodded to the waitress in thanks. Guess it wasn't too much to worry about, as right now the main worry was to keep the frail boy as warm as possible. "Thank you." Seems the kid was born relatively weaker then normal kids. He didn't explain the details, but Koyoko could use his imagination. "Must be rough...Order something hot for yourself. Anything you want. Uhhh...just make two of whatever he orders. I don't really care what I eat at the moment." Koyoko decided to be lazy and just rolled the dice on the child's decision. Perhaps his taste would be better than most.

Once the waiter got their order and left, Koyoko drank his tea slowly, letting out a sigh of relief, looking over toward Tsuru. "My names Koyoko...How far is your home from here?" He asked. Given the numerous schools and educational facilities that reside in Academy city, this kid could be from anywhere. It was best to get an idea how far the boy actually is from home, and make a decision about how to get him there. He could call Judgement for help, since this was in their line of work, helping the everyday citizen in peril. Otherwise, he could just walk him there.

Tsuru sipped at his milk, grateful for the warmth which spread through his body. He had somehow managed to sit up. All things considered, doing so was not as easy as it may sound. Between his weakness, wetness, the coat draped over him, and his lack of desire to sit up... It was a bit of a chore. But he made it, and the warm drink meant his efforts had not gone unrewarded.

"Must be rough...Order something hot for yourself. Anything you want. Uhhh...just make two of whatever he orders. I don't really care what I eat at the moment."

Tsuru was not nearly so petty as to take advantage of another's kindness! Nor was he particularly hungry. He looked over the menu, but all he really cared about was the prices. He wasn't a picky eater, nor did he eat a lot, so something small and cheap was just what he needed. If his savior had more of an appetite, he would have the chance to speak up and amend his statement.

"I'll have, err... Grilled Cheese"

The server repeated his order just to be sure. She also gave a quick glance to the older boy, in case he had changed his mind, before running their orders to the kitchen.

"My names Koyoko...How far is your home from here?"

""Ahh... The Sakugawa dorms... are in District Seven, so... Not that far"

Did the older boy know of Sakugawa? There were a lot of schools in academy city, and Sakugawa wasn't particularly prestigious or anything. In fact, it was somewhat of the opposite. Well, Tsuru could always give more detailed directions if they were needed.

"I'll have, err... Grilled Cheese"

Koyoko saw that Tsuru took little time to decide what he wanted, but seemed to ask for something rather lite and small. Though the grilled cheese came with a side of fries, it was still nothing close to a full meal. However, he didn't seem to mind the choice as he didn't feel that malnourished. This also helps keeping the cost down, as he wasn't in any real position to spend money on other people.

"Ahh... The Sakugawa dorms... are in District Seven, so... Not that far"

District Seven. It made sense when he thought about it. While Academy city has schools and educational facilities throughout it's many sections, District seven has a much higher concentration of them, with a certain windowless building hanging over them like a hawk looking over a forest. It wasn't too far as well, so if he really did walk around primarily on foot, having such a weak body at that, it's obvious he wouldn't go far from home unless he had the money to take public transportation.

"I see...Not too far then. Guess the trip back will be easier then expected and not too out of the way..." He muttered as he drank his tea and sighed with relief. "So...Why academy city?" A random question was thrown at him. "Not to be rude or demanding, but usually whoever comes here has a reason to be here. Whether it be theirs or someone else's. So what's your story?" Koyoko tilted his head slightly, looking down on the boy a bit, before staring out the window again.

It was an unexpected question. Tsuru froze, unsure of how to answer it. He really would prefer to change the subject. After all, his family situation... Even if Koyoko had saved him, that wasn't really any of his business! But beyond that, Hakusho Tsuru simply did not want to admit that he was so weak, his only family had abandoned him... And to a sovereign city-state at that! It was yet another reminder of how weak Tsuru was... As if he needed such a thing.

"Emmm... Err...." He hems and haws as he tries to put his feelings into words without appearing rude. "I'm sorry, but... I'd rather not talk about it." Hopefully, his savior would take the hint and leave the subject alone. The discomfort felt by the diminutive middle schooler is palpable as he stares deeply into his half-empty mug of hot milk. Clearly this question has served no purpose beyond creating an unnecessarily awkward atmosphere.

Koyoko would wait patiently for an answer. It seems the boy was struggling to find the words. Perhaps be had multiple reasons, was uncertain, or didn't want to say in general. He was a rather timid creature afterall, so expecting anything would be wishful thinking. But he was curious regardless.

"I'm sorry, but...I'd rather not talk about it."

"...Fair enough. It's your life afterall." He simply replied back to the boy as he waited for their food. Koyoko would wondered if he should reveal that he is an esper, a student under...or rather former student under the power curriculum. Last time he revealed that to someone, on an ill temper at that, he got shot. Skillout really love to pick on the weak ones. However, before he could really come to a decision their food had arrived, the waitress handing them their plates. They got it fairly quickly due to the fact Grilled Cheese was fairly quick to make.

Koyoko would be distracted by a small dispenser for straws right by all the bottles of ketchup, mustard and tobasco sauces. He grabbed some for no particular reason and ripped them open. He'd merely tear one end of it open and leave a large wrapper with a hole in it. He did this only twice. "I have a couple reasons for being here, but the one that really matters is being in the power curriculum. I can control air to a degree..." He explained in a monotoned voice as he tapped his fingers on the table and suddenly the straw wrappers would begin to stand straight up. He was controlling the air inside the paper, like he had a finger in each and using them as puppets. The wrappers would look like they were walking and twirling as they moved along the table. Koyoko didn't reveal a smile at just how nostalgic the action actually was. When he was younger, he always played with his powers, and he liked making things move without actually doing anything. The wrappers at this point would look like they are dancing around eachother, still standing upward. "In my case...i control air, like the air trapped inside the wrappers."

The small, wet boy was grateful that the matter wasn't pressed. He silently hoped the food would come soon, to give him an excuse to avoid this horribly awkward conversation. Well, with how crowded the restaurant is... It would be a surprise if it came this quickly. He returned to his mug of milk as he awaited the next inevitably awkward query from his savior.

Surprisingly, the expected question never came. Koyoko instead... Grabbed some straw wrappers and opened them? Honestly, Tsuru didn't have a clue what he was thinking, and considered it more than a little wasteful. At least, he did until the older boy began to speak.

"I have a couple reasons for being here, but the one that really matters is being in the power curriculum. I can control air to a degree..."

Not that Tsuru had asked, or even displayed the slightest interest.

"In my case...i control air, like the air trapped inside the wrappers."

As could be expected from anyone who was not a level 0, Koyoko's power was far more impressive than that of Hakusho Tsuru. Air was everywhere after all, so unlike the paper user, Koyoko would not have to specially prepare in order to use his power. How nice that must be, Tsuru mused. Surely Koyoko was a reasonably powerful esper with an ability like that... Perhaps a level 3? Maybe even a level four, depending on the scale. Higher than a useless person like Tsuru, for sure. Even though those paper straw wrappers were made of, well, paper, it wasn't as though Tsuru could manipulate them as well as this air user!

My power... Is to control paper..."

For obvious reasons, Tsuru doesn't bother with a demonstration. Nor does he bother to explain further.

Koyoko didn't really care for his reaction that much, only to prove his point to the boy that he was indeed one of the oh-so powerful experts. Or at least that's how some people dramatize them as. The boy seemed not so amused, only to simply acknowledge that the man in front of him wasn't just a mere student at this point.

He let the straw wrappers fall to the table, as if the dancers were given a permission to have a rest, while Koyoko took a ketchup bottle and put some on the side of the plate for his french fries before putting it back. He was getting a bit hungry himself.

"My power... Is to control paper..."

Koyoko stopped for a moment as the boy mentioned his own power. A rather pitiful sounding power at that. It's not that he would make fun of the boy for not having the luck to get something far more interesting, but this could explain a few things. Controlling paper could easily be something people use to mock the person with said power, and it's definitely not something to gloat about either.

"Controlling paper...show me." Koyoko asked him to show him rather than question the power itself. Perhaps he's not that high of a level to do anything mind boggling, but if he had to guess, he can shape paper to his will. Like folding it into an origami without any effort, or create works of art simply with office supplied sheets of paper.

"Controlling paper...show me."

If Hakusho Tsuru were a person with a more powerful personality, his response would probably be less meek. Something like, "Is that any way to ask someone to do something, even if you did save their life!?" However, as should be obvious by now, that kind of attitude simply does not exist in Hakusho Tsuru. As such, instead of complaining about his savior's attitude, he merely holds his hand near the paper straw wrappers. There is a short pause as the small boy fumbles through the requisite calculations, before a single wrapper begins to lift up a bit and fold itself in half. It drops back down to the table, and a second wrapper does the same. This repeats for each of the empty straw wrappers which Koyoko had used.

Looking closely at the fallen wrappers, they aren't folded perfectly in half- most are folded at slight angles, and at a point up to an inch away from the midpoint. This is not intentional, of course. Tsuru just hasn't mastered the calculations needed to fold paper- And some days, he doubts he ever will. That said, he is not likely to admit this to a stranger, and there is no proof that he did not do so intentionally. Or so he tells himself, as he takes a large bite of his sandwich in order to have an excuse not to talk.

Koyoko stared at Tsuru as he waited for him to do something. Though his ability was to control mere paper, he honestly wanted something out of his troubles, whether it was money or just satisfying his mere curiosity. And the kid definitely didn't look like some rich prodigy so he can scratch one of the two options off the list. Tsuru was the weakest of the weak based on his appearance. A weak body and weak ability, and it was obvious his self esteem was low, but he couldn't help but want to see his ability himself.

In the end, the boy did show the innocent (manipulative) man what he was capable of. When it was revealed, Koyoko was not all impressed, and honestly thought the whole 'I control paper' thing was a form of joke due to the fact he showed his ability off with paper as well. However, that would soon be discredited as the paper would suddenly bend without being touched or breathed on. Why is the universe so cruel as to leave a weak boy with one of the weakest abilities ever...It's like saying you got a new car, but when you actually get it, it's rusted over, missing tires and the battery is dead.." Koyoko pitied the boy in his head, though to be quite frank, he was lucky in a sense. There are plenty more level 0's out there who had wished they had gotten something from the power curriculum, but ended up with jack shit.

"Hmmm...I guess they truly can make a power out of literally anything...I really hope no one is able to manipulate time..." How bothersome would that be? A time stopping esper or otherwise traveling to the past and manipulating the present. Hell, who's to say it didn't already happen? But conspiracy theories are mere conspiracies. "Do you practice at all? Try to work to improve that skill or just deemed it a waste of time."

"Do you practice at all? Try to work to improve that skill or just deemed it a waste of time."

Once upon a time, Tsuru had practiced. He'd practiced as if it would make a difference. It hadn't. But even so, there were some things even he was not willing to give up on.

"In... The past... But even if a person... as weak as me practices, they'll still be weak... All I have to show for it..."

Tsuru reached for his origami paper to demonstrate the difference between the origami he could do with his hands, and the mockery he could do with his powers. However, he had forgotten one essential detail...

The paper dissolved in his hands. It was barely recognizable for what it was. He stared at it forlornly, as if it was his own self that had dissolved into nothing more than mush.

"In... The past... But even if a person... as weak as me practices, they'll still be weak... All I have to show for it..."

Koyoko wasn't sure how to react as he leaned back into the booth cushion trying to think of what to say at this point. He looked visibly depressed at the soaked and deformed piece of paper that was soaked by the rain. This was, in a way, his junior and this would be the part where the senior gives life changing advice to grant the young male a broader range of thinking and understanding of him and the world around him. But what does he tell him? Try harder? Don't be lazy?

"Hmmmm...So instead of actually trying to improve yourself, you gave up and limited yourself by saying 'I can't do it' thus seeing no point to improve your abilities." Tsuru would not be the only one feeling such sorrows. Many espers who strive to become better through hard work and determination never reach their next level of potential. Level 3's were already considered elite due to their own rarity, and most espers were stuck at 2 and below. Tsuru was smarter than he looked and upon seeing these facts, probably believed working hard would not effect his chances of obtaining level 2.

"....So? If you deemed that you're at your limit as an esper, why are you still weak?" Koyoko asked what could be a rather confusing question. Weak from Tsuru's lack of power in his ability, or was it something else? "You could barely walk through heavy rain...But if you gave up on trying to improve your abilities, wouldn't the next logical thing is to improve yourself intelligently and physically? But I don't exactly see any of that, you sound like you're just self loathing yourself because you just got unlucky..." Koyoko pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration at Tsuru's sight. This kid was almost exactly like him in terms of thinking his own existence was a bunch of crap left on the side of the road. No one would turn to look at him, nor would he achieve anything. Eventually the senior slammed his hand on the table. "Trust me, you do NOT want to end up like some idiot delinquent who dropped out of the power curriculum, working 9-5 jobs to be barely able to afford his apartment and necessities." Tsuru may pick up that this example was oddly detailed, Koyoko's pride not allowing himself to say simply 'don't be like me'.

"OKAY! It's decided, you are going to start exercising, studying AND practicing your esper ability starting now. Okay? Great~!" The complete stranger seemed to be making decisions for Tsuru almost giving him little word or say in it. Isn't this a commitment too much for both of them?! "Good talk~. I'll do my best to whip you into shape in no time!!" The man's smirk was not at all comforting. "..You got a big life ahead of you kid, and it's not all rainbows and sunshine, if you don't start now, you'll always be left behind. I'll help you learn not to rely on others.~"

"Hmmmm...So instead of actually trying to improve yourself, you gave up and limited yourself by saying 'I can't do it' thus seeing no point to improve your abilities."

Was he even being listened to...? He had tried, which was why he was able to say so certainly that it wouldn't help... Even his own father had given up on him... He may have saved Tsuru, but did that give Koyoko the right to make assumptions as to how much Tsuru had tried!? Not that the timid boy could possibly make these feelings known. He just stared at his ruined paper, trembling from the cold water which drenched his clothes.

And yet, the misconception continued. Without knowing a single thing about Tsuru, about his past, his body, his problems... Koyoko continued to spew drivel about how Tsuru hadn't tried hard enough. Soon enough, the boy was trembling from more than just the cold.

Hakusho Tsuru was not a person who was prone to getting angry. After all, what is the point of a weakling getting angry? Nothing will come of it. And as no one is weaker than Tsuru, that leaves it extremely pointless for him to get angry. Tsuru had not even felt anger at Kirikami Naoto, only despair and a wish to have never met him.

The point being, to have made Tsuru get angry within a half hour of saving his life is extremely impressive of Damion Koyoko.

"You think I haven't tried!? It's because I've tried, that I can say that I won't improve!
Do you think I've spent 12 years doing nothing!?" Despite the exclamation marks, Tsuru's voice was not particularly loud. Even when uncharacteristically mad, Hakusho Tsuru would not speak up.

Oh, and hidden in there was a supposedly shocking reveal- That this kid, who didn't look to be more than 8, was twelve years old.

"Even if it's not my power... I have... A frail constitution. Do you think I want to be so weak that I may die if I get caught in a heavy rain!? Don't talk about things you know nothing about as if you know everything!"

By now Tsuru's ranting was starting to attract attention from the other patrons. Realizing this, he sheepishly shrunk back in his seat and made a face like he wanted to disappear.

Koyoko's oddly cheery attitude and misconception seemed to have poked at the child's buttons too many times as the twelve year old boy suddenly exploded with emotion, glaring at him with great anger. His eyes widened slightly and seemed to be taken by surprise. The boy felt greatly misunderstood, and vented out a collection of stress and anxiety built up from over a decade, and only have a handful of times presumably does he ever get to let out those emotions.

Tsuru seemed to give him a death glare, and may even be a bit scared of what might come next, but he didn't seem to care, nor did he show signs of apologising for his words. Why should he? That's what he felt. Even with eyes on the two, Koyoko's gaze didn't pay them no mind, as the eerie silence kept going on for a long time.

"..Pff-....Pfffahahaha!" The man was laughing, after the long and silent pause, what he was seeing was either someone so very sadistic as to laugh at his situation, or is too stupid to realise this was no joke. He laughed and banged his hand once against the counter top, and soon after most of the on lookers seemed to minded their own business, as the situation had grown odd at that point and decided to ignore it, but other still eyes them. "Finally. You actually start talking like you mean it, with energy. The whole time, I was getting annoyed by your whole half-assed replies." Koyoko smirked slightly as he took a sip of his tea and leaned in slightly. Was the whole misconception a way to get him to open up? Or was it him quickly able to roll with the outburst as something positive?

"Feel better, huh? Hope all that yelling didn't give you a headache, but at least now I see what exactly bothers you." Koyoko never really was one to train kids, nor mentor them, but he did believe the worst thing one can do to explain your problems is to be subtle and discreet out of some form of embarrassment or shame. "Listen. I get that you're physically weak, considering you were kissing asphalt out there. Even looking at you now, you look like fragile glass. Maybe you gave it all you got and nothing worked out, maybe you didn't try hard enough and you're just making excuses for yourself. I don't know, I ain't you. But here's your issue. You don't know what you're good at. You're good at something, you just need to find out what. Athleticism? Not working out. Power Curriculum? Might as well be a hobby or something you do when you're bored out of your mind. You make it sound like physical fitness and power is everything. But trust me, the girl's don't get the hots for the fastest runner after elementary school."

Koyoko crossed his legs and leaned back as he seemed to be more motivated to watch over Tsuru then before, knowing that the kid had at least some fire in his dimly warmed heart. "Is there anything you enjoy doing? At school, outside of it? Anything at all?"

Tsuru didn't say anything, mostly due to embarassment. Slowly the other people lost interest and turned away, to the boy's gratitude. He hated being the center of attention more than just about anything else. He sipped at his milk quietly, wishing that he had never left his dorm.

And then Koyoko started laughing. It was if he wanted Tsuru to dislike him. Did he really have to be so loud? Look, people were staring again. And his words showed that he still didn't even get it. He sees what bothers Tsuru? After five minutes of conversation? If he was so perceptive, couldn't he see how much of a nuisance he was being!?

Not that Tsuru would ever put these thoughts to words, no matter how irritated he was.

"Is there anything you enjoy doing? At school, outside of it? Anything at all?"

A slight chord was struck within Tsuru at these last words, however. There was, in fact, something he enjoyed doing. That said, he wasn't really in the mood to respond to Koyoko, especially after his outburst. His eyes, though, were more honest- He was staring blatantly at the half-ruined origami paper which lay on the table.

Koyoko waited for any sort of response, but the way the boy seemed flustered showed that his outburst wasn't intentional, or at least the attention grabbing part. Tsuru never gave the impression that he approved of getting attention, and to be at the center of it all put some sort of pressure on his shoulders.

However, despite the awkward atmosphere being generated by his body like a strange genetic anomaly, Tsuru's silence didn't keep him from giving an answer, as his eyes soon fell on the origami paper on the table. Origami paper was distinct by it's perfectly square shape and having some sort of pattern or color palette on it, though now morphed and hard to make out. The art of making a simple object into something beautiful by merely folding it. Koyoko never really had any interest in such practices, but would be somewhat impressed when someone folds something he's never seen before. He's heard someone had made a large dragon merely out of folding paper before.

"I see...But don't tell me you only fold cranes. is there any other figures you can make?" Koyoko asked, while digging around for something that he may fold. Napkins aren't good enough to fold, but perhaps he can offer a challenge. "Geh...Well maybe you can do this..." He pulled out a slightly crinkled up receipt from the convenience store, which wasn't ideal, but if one were skilled enough, even with a piece of paper with longer and skinnier dimensions,  they could create something. "Are you good with geometry by chance? Or was this something you just picked up on?"

As could be expected, Koyoko did not miss Tsuru's pointed glance towards the paper. Tsuru didn't deign to respond to his highly provocative comment. Of course he could fold more than just cranes. It was, in fact, rather insulting to suggest he could not.

But rather than saying anything, Tsuru just took the receipt he was offered, and looked it over a few times. It wasn't perfect, but... He could work with it. It wasn't even a matter of Koyoko asking him to- He just needed to do it. To ease off the stress of his precious paper being ruined, and his annoyance at his savior's insensitivity.

He lay the receipt on the table, and smoothed it out to remove wrinkles. Wrinkles, huh? Well, it wouldn't look very nice, considering the wrinkles and the text... But...

Tsuru began to fold. It wasn't the fastest, nor was it especially slow. His fingers did not appear deft, but they were steady. Fold, after fold, after fold.

It wasn't long before he placed the final product on the table. Despite the poor quality of the receipt, the origami rabbit seemed surprisingly well made. One could only imagine what he would have made with proper paper.

And yet, despite this, the boy maintained his silence.

Koyoko watched the boy in silence as Tsuru merely took the paper in his hands and began folding without much concentration. Despite it being crinkled and the dimensions far different from a normal origami paper, he slowly bent the paper without much thought. He wasn't going too fast, but his pace was constant, never did he stop to think if he had folded the receipt correctly.

The end product of all this was a slightly misshapen, but a distinct shape of a bunny...or a rabbit. Koyoko wasn't one to tell the difference in this case. He gently picked it up as to not ruin it's shape and looked it over. This was the product of someone who had a lot of practice, and a lot of spare time on his hands. One can't stop but think how long Tsuru has actually done this.

"It's very nice. I'm curious how you got into origami folding as you clearly have a talent for it that even those excelling at it tend to struggle." To be quite honest, Koyoko didn't know where Tsuru was in the skill hierarchy of origami, and somewhat made up the sentence mentioned, but it was give him some more praise as to put him at ease. "There any specific reason?" The man would ask as the waiter would soon walk up and them the bill quietly as to not disturb the conversation.

How he got into it? Tsuru remembered the day fairly well, and the teacher who introduced him to it. Since his power controlled paper, he'd like origami. What a simple thought process... But well, he was right about it, huh? The corners of Tsuru's mouth turned up slightly as he remembered the teacher who had got him interested in origami.

He wondered how that man was doing now. It had been so long ago... Maybe Tsuru should try to find him... But then... It felt like everything lately had just been proof that he shouldn't go places he isn't used to. What would he do if a storm came up while he was looking?

The waiter came and left, leaving the bill, but still Tsuru did not speak. Even he wasn't sure why he was being so stubborn about maintaining his silence... He just was. So he simply sat there, staring at the rabbit as he wished that the rain would go away.