<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/a/ac/Taro03.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Taro Ikeda (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=257738.msg12730054#msg12730054)<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Cafeteria<br/><strong>Time:</strong>Flashback - a few days before school starts, breakfast time<br/><strong>With:</strong>Shizuma + Open<br/><hr/>"You are far to generous, Shizuma-san. But you are right, I am in the martial arts club, and I intend to stay there this year." Taro cut what remained of his apple in half and offered one part to Shizuma. Setting his own half aside for the moment, he pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket and cleaned his knife, while he continued: "I practice Kendo and Aikido. I'd say I am better at Aikido. There I can hold myself against most people in a competition. But I'm hardly a super fighter, or martial arts genius."<br/><br/>A one-sided, small grin tugged at his lips and he chuckled. "Not that I care too much about competitions these days. I am into it mostly for the mental discipline. If anyone had told me four or five years ago that I would one day say that I would have laughed them off, but it's true."<br/><br/>Taro put knife and handkerchief into their usual pockets, before he replied: "I'm in 2-3." He began to munch down his last piece of apple, thinking about the logistics of the coming school year. Being in the same homeroom as Shizuma would have been convenient, but they could still spend time together.<br/><br/>"But we can still make time to do homework together or have breakfast again, if you like." Taro offered a smile. So far, his encounter with Shizuma had been a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions and widely different conversation topics, but he did like that girl.<br/><br/>"While I live in town," he explained, "I spend a lot of time here at the school. I get here early, to use the track, and I stay after classes and clubs, to do my homework. I don't think many people even realize I don't live in the dorms, because I always arrive early and leave late. Plus, I even come here during vacations, like today, and on weekends, to use the track and the gym. You'll hardly notice that I live off campus."<br/><br/>He finished his tea and tilted his head towards the cafeteria door. "Speaking of the school grounds,  if you like I can show you around a bit, and you can tell me what they taught you at your last school. I am curious if they covered everything we did last year. Best to look into it, before school starts next week, right?"