watching her curiously.
"Where did you go? We were already here when you came out of the locker room." His brow furrows in confusion and worry.
She blinks a few times and glances away momentarily. Her gaze soon returns to his face as she speaks softly. "Oh, um, I was looking for my stuff, but I couldn't find it anywhere..." She frowns softly.
He frowns as well. "Are you okay?"
She nods, a small smile appearing on her lips. "Yea, I'm fine, don't worry." She gives a small laugh before rubbing her arm nervously. "...Do you wanna go inside now?"
He nods and offers her a smile. "Of course!" he replies cheerfully.
As they make their way into the theater, she lets out a quiet gasp, eyes widening as her mouth drops open at the sight in front of her.
There's a crowd surrounding something. A large banner hangs above them with pictures, words, and messages of encouragement for the people that have won nationals. A big crowd gathers around the banner as they talk and scream, cheering loudly for whoever won. The cheers, though loud, are mixed with shouts of support. There's a lot of yelling, though, which causes Ria to flinch and hide herself behind Hiroto. She doesn't like crowds.She prefers to be alone.
The brunette looks up at him and he notices the look of fear that had taken over her features. He frowns lightly and turns around to face her, placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "It's alright. Don't worry," he whispers to her.
"I hate crowds, Hiroto," she mumbles quietly. "If I see too many people or loud noises, I start to feel...weird. And then I feel like crying."
He nods and rubs soothing circles on her back. "That's perfectly normal. If it makes you feel better, we can always leave."
She shakes her head and pulls away from him slightly before she looks at the crowd that surrounds the banner with an uneasy look. She swallows deeply and closes her eyes tightly as she shakes her head. "N-no. No, I'll stay. Please don't leave me alone," she pleads, gripping the fabric of his shirt.
His eyes soften as he nods his head in understanding. "Okay." He pauses for a brief moment before he says, "Let's go sit somewhere near the back. We can sit next to one another."
She nods her head and allows him to lead her through the crowd, though she hesitates slightly before she steps into the crowd. As they move further into the crowdshe squeezes his hand comfortingly and continues to follow after him. He smiles softly and gently squeezes her hand back before glancing at her, noting how pale she looked. He frowns slightly as he pulls her closer to him, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders, and resting his chin upon her head.
She sighs softly before relaxing as she rests her head onto his shoulder. He smirks slightly at her action before he starts to guide her toward a different aisle, towards a seat in the back. They stop at the end of said aisle, facing the screen in front of them, and stand there. Once again, Ria rests her head against his chest as she watches the screen.
A smile appears on her lips as she gazes up at him. "How come you're so tall?" she whispers quietly, causing his eyes to widen slightly.
He releases a nervous breath and purses his lips. He glances down at her for a split second before shrugging his shoulders, feigning ignorance. "Dunno," he replies, shaking his head slightly. "But, thank God you're short because then I wouldn't have to hold you like this, right?"
"You're a pig."
He chuckles lightly and runs his hand through her soft hair. "And you're very pretty. So, don't forget that."