NAKAMURA RIKAKO<br/><br/>We set off to the main entrance, Katra leading. Or rather I let her lead, actually. She likes to be allowed to be in charge. Me? I'm a follower by design. You can take in the scenery better if you're not driving.<br/><br/>And speaking of scenery, I found<em>Darsteno-san</em>falling into step beside me. I found his name hard to pronounce so I added a vowel to give it shape.<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"Yes, please, lunch would be optimal. Let's be off."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div>I grinned at him as we walked,<strong>"You talk funny. <em>'Optimal'</em>. I'd never use a word like that. It's..."</strong>I tried to think of a complimentary way of saying he was different,<strong>"...it's not Japanese. I like it. It sounds funny too."</strong><br/><br/>I glanced around me a little at the walls and student artwork. I'd noticed just now that he tended not to look you in the eye much, but to look just past you. A little disconcerting but I thought I'd get used to it.<br/><br/><strong>"You're not Japanese are you? I can tell,"</strong>I said, smiling more,<strong>"Where are you from, and what brings you here?"</strong>