week three | dates

[showhost]

You worked up your courage and asked someone out on a date! Good job!





Now you have to hope the producers are kind re: where they send you.

Comments

[titlecard]

[ ... See, even knowing what he now knows of Akechi, getting a compliment from him still feels like a badge of honour (even if Mark is, essentially, cheating, but it's not like he can help it).

So he smiles, and sits back to watch.

And looks away at the idea that he just seems to have a knack for things. ]

I guess I'm just lucky. [ small shrug, looking back up at Akechi. ] I mean, this is only our second time going out, right? We got two things you're great at, too.

[ But alright... his turn. Using the same ball this time and everything!

It's a spare for him as well, knocking half and then the other half of the pins over. Turning back to retrieve his drink, still absolutely no worse for the wear, ] I'm just happy if I can keep pace with you.

[flaweddetective]

Ha. I'm not good at bowling but I understand it which, I can admit, does give me an edge.

[At Mark's remark Akechi offers what is truly a genuine smile. A little pleased, a little embarrassed. People, at this point, know what he's like so... Any sort of praise is a bit of surprise. Who would like him when he's not pretending to be someone else?]

I'd be quite pleased to have someone be able to keep up with me. And you really do meet my expectations over and over again. We would have been exceptional rivals.

[Rival is the closest he can get to saying friend right now.]

[titlecard]

[ ... Akechi has a nice smile. It's so different from that night after the match ceremony— It's really, really nice.

Mark sets his drink down to lean back, reciprocate it. He wants to tread this line very carefully, but he also wants to keep the mood up — it's such a good mood — so... ]

That kind of sounds like it's the thing that's important to you. [ Rivals is an odd word, but there's a way Akechi is saying it that has Mark thinking it's not in the traditional sense. Or it's just Akechi's love language, or whatever. ] I mean... this is fun, and I like trying to keep up with you. So, who knows. Maybe a rivalry could still happen.

[ Positive framing... thinking about the future, people being able to change...

... but also it's just nice to be able to make someone else happy, so Mark will thrive on that, too. ]