[Minako] Keep a Sharp Eye Out

[Ringo Shiro]

Ringo never thought he'd get back into daily kendo exercises with this. Considering what he discovered down there, he now needs to train in order to stand a chance. Ringo looked at the sky, hardly believe that the city was in lock down...and the things he saw the other day. He took a deep breathe and placed down his bag and opened one of the long bags he brought with him as he slowly raised his bokken.

He started with a few forms of the kata he learned from his teachers. Simple, easy but fast and efficient movements. As much force he can inflict on his enemies with kendo swings he doesn't have that luxury since the enemies he'll be fighting are much more durable than normal human foes. Ringo took a deep breathe after finishing a few quickly swings at an invisible opponent.

Ringo stood up and lowered his wooden sword before hearing a noise. It was similar to a twack. Not exactly the twack one would hear by a shinai coming into contact with kendo armor but a twack from a racket coming into contact with a tennis ball. He looked over to see someone practicing tennis by herself...now Ringo feels like he is interrupting. He lightly waved hello with his free hand.

"Hello." He looked around. Isn't tennis normally done with two people? "Practicing?" Granted one can say one can practice tennis with a wall but how accurate is that? It's like practicing kendo against a stick figure with no armor.

[Nanasawa Minako]

"Uha," the girl grunted as she hit the ball against the wall. Practice had been cancelled by the captain again. With the quarantine, the others felt less and less motivated to practice since it didn't feel like there would be any competition this year even though it was months away. However, there were all types of weird rumors about and it didn't seem like the ban around the city would ever be lifted. Honestly, the teenage girl felt a bit distraught about the whole thing but she didn't want her skills to slip one bit. The city couldn't be sealed off forever and the moment the quarantine was over she would be competing again.

So when they all took off to go have sweets at the local cafe, Mina stuck around the school to practice. It wasn't as easy practicing alone but it was something she had to do. She was determined to stay in shape and on point.

About twenty minutes into it, she noticed someone looking at her on the other side of the gate. For a moment, she continued to practice her back handed swing until he spoke up. He shouted hello as he approached her then asked if she was practicing. The girl caught the ball as it bounced back towards her. She stared at the stranger for a moment. His clothing said he was kendo? She blinked as she looked behind him then back at him. If he was practicing, why did he decide to talk to her? "Uh, yeah?" she answered as she took a few steps towards the mesh metal gate. She stared at him for a long moment before she realized what the issue was.

"Oh! The sound of the ball against the wall was disturbing you, right? Uh, sorry? I'll do something else..."

She could practice serving and such though that would be tiring with one person. Oh well.

[Ringo Shiro]

"Uh, yeah?" The girl noticed Ringo's presence as she caught the ball she was practicing with and started to walk up to the metal gate. "Oh! The sound of the ball against the wall was disturbing you, right? Uh, sorry? I'll do something else..." Ringo shook his head lightly to signal everything is alright.

"No, its fine, I was just checking what the noise was." With what Ringo discovered in the tunnels, he has to be cautious of every noise. Ringo looked around once more to see if she was with anyone. Just like the first time he checked no one. "I should be apologizing since I interrupted your practice because I got a little shakey due to some noise." Ringo said, scratching the back of his head. "You practicing by yourself?" He might as well confirm if she was alone. Practicing by herself must be tiring and lonely if that was the case. "I didn't think there'd still be sports events going on due to the city's current situation."

[Nanasawa Minako]

He apologized for interrupting her practice and she shrugged. It wasn't really a big deal. She could easily stop and start something like working on a swing. If she were in a middle of a game and some boy wanted to talk to her, it would have been a different story since she would have just ignored him. "Sorry," she apologized with a bow. She supposed the noise of her whacking a ball into a fence was rather loud. Minako was just used to it all but someone else probably wouldn't be. He obviously wasn't.

He didn't leave. He kept staring at Minako, which was a little weird. He asked if she was practicing by herself and she nodded. Minako was used to it since her last year in middle school was full of solo practices. "With the quarantine, the city is can't really host many things. Even so, it's smart to keep practicing since quarantines can't last forever," she replied bluntly. Her arm wrapped around her waist as the other hand rested down, holding the racket. "You're wearing kendo gear, right? Shouldn't you be at a dojo?"

[Ringo Shiro]

"Sorry," The girl once more said, bowing politely. "With the quarantine, the city is can't really host many things. Even so, it's smart to keep practicing since quarantines can't last forever," That was one way of looking at things. At least she wasn't curious about it...she wouldn't have to have seen what he had to see. "You're wearing kendo gear, right? Shouldn't you be at a dojo?" Ringo arched an eyebrow and looked down at his hands. Come to think of it he should've placed his kotes and bokken away.

"Well..." Ringo laughed nervously in the fact that he forgot to take these off. "I don't really belong to a dojo...well, not anymore." Ringo started to take off the kotes. "I did kendo, even got as far as 2-dan but I retired to pursue my current studies." Ringo placed the kotes in his arm. "However, a situation has caused me to go back to the sport. Besides, not like I'd retire for long. I owe a lot to it...well more my kendo teacher but that's a story for another time."

[Nanasawa Minako]

He hadn't noticed he was still in her gear? Minako tilted her head. She noticed any time she had her racket in her hands. It felt natural to carry it but she was still conscious of it. The teen girl supposed she hadn't trained enough with it to the point it became one with her body. Kendo was supposed to be more hardcore than tennis, however. The sword was supposed to become an extension of one's body. It was pretty amazing if it were true, but if he were just absent minded and forgot he was holding the weapon then it was really funny.

Minako didn't giggle since she wasn't sure what was true. She just nodded at his explanation. Next year was going to be way more serious when it came to studying but she was sure she would still have time for tennis. It was really important. The last thing he said made her raise a brow. "Situation?" she repeated without really expecting an answer. She was a stranger girl so she wasn't owed on. It was still rather odd to think he quit for school but something drew him back if it wasn't a dojo.

People did things for different reasons.

He claimed it was all a story for another time. It was a little funny that he talked like an old man but he was probably just a year or two older than her. Still, Minako nodded respectfully. "Okay." She looked back at her ball then at him. "Uh, you don't have to stop practicing. My team left, so if anyone should stop it's me."

[Ringo Shiro]

"Situation?" Ringo did nothing more than nod and didn't clarify anymore. It was better for civilians if they didn't know about the horrors within that tunnel. Then again who was Ringo to talk since a few days ago he could've easily lived out his days just like the girl in front of him oblivious to what is going on with the lock down. "Uh, you don't have to stop practicing. My team left, so if anyone should stop it's me." Ringo shrugged.

"Remember, I'm not part of a team or dojo anymore. You are actually still part of a team....well...even if your team has left." Ringo looked around to see if there was a door. "I'll be right back..." Ringo dashed off as he placed the kotes inside the bag and the bokken away and carrying his bags back. He slid on back as he looked at the girl as he placed the bag down.

"Kendo you can practice on your own just fine...but I'd imagine it get tiring practicing tennis by yourself." Ringo smiled. "I have plenty of time any today anyhow." Ringo then realized something. "I don't think a bokken would make for a good tennis racket replacement." He began to ponder in thought. It would waste too much time to go try and buy a tennis racket...not to mention he blew enough money on the sword in his closet.

[Nanasawa Minako]

His voice started to trail when he noticed she was completely alone even though he was still trying to make it sounds like she was a part of a team. The truth of the matter was Minako was more an extra member rather than a part of the team. She frowned for a moment at the thought but didn't voice anything. It was her own problem and he seeemed to have his problems.

The male said he would be back and she nodded. Mina gave a slight waved as he rushed away. The girl sighed as she turned to the ball in her hand. "I suppose I could go home," she said absently. It was much too early to go home but if she was causing problems then it was smart to leave.

She walked back to bag with the intentions of leaving with the boy came through the gate. Mina moaned as she stood up and looked at him as he suggested she needed someone to play with for practicing. The girl blinked a few times. "Uh..." It was nice to practice with others but if he was inexperienced then this was going to turn bad fast. He was deteremined and even started to talk about using his sword as a tennis racket. "That sounds very bad. The stress from a ball might cause it to break. I have a second one but... I'm not sure you should be playing? Have you played tennis before?"

[Ringo Shiro]

"Uh..."Yeah that was more or less Ringo's reaction to his own idea. "That sounds very bad. The stress from a ball might cause it to break. I have a second one but... I'm not sure you should be playing? Have you played tennis before?" Ringo slightly nodded in agreement. However if the girl was willing to let him borrow a racket then he should be fine. He knew Tennis was an intensive sport that required focus but so was kendo. It's just that the difference is, instead of deflecting strikes from a shinai, he would be deflecting tennis balls!...okay Ringo was really oversimplifying it.

"I have some experience." And by experience Ringo means he watched his high school tennis team played. "...well...that is if you're going to let me borrow the second racket." Granted a tennis racket is much lighter than a shinai or a bokken so there was the issue of Ringo having to control his swing. However, this can be a new experience and besides he could learn something new right? Ringo then realized something he neglected.

"I'm Ringo Shiro, nice to meet you." Ringo presented a pleasant smile over to the girl. Might as well get to know each others name if they're going to play tennis together right? Hopefully it won't end too painfully though.