“I don’t think so.”

> You would have remembered this one for sure, even if he does seem unassuming.

“…The name’s Naoki.”

“Uniform…?”

> You don’t understand the meaning behind his words.

“…It’s probably ‘cause I don’t go to the same school.”

…Say, I just remembered I’ve got somewhere to be, but it’s been good talking to you. Think I’ll try to pick up an issue of Coolest, see what I’ve been missing.

Wouldn’t do to reduce someone to their worst qualities… ‘Course, if that’s the side of them they choose to show, sympathizing becomes a pretty hard ask.

(…?)

[He turns his head, seemingly looking at nothing in particular yet clearly drawn by something.]

(This feeling…)

So, it's personal... Yeahhh, think I'm gonna chalk that one up to insecurity. You seem like the type of gal most people would kill to have working with them.

...Not that I *really* know her or anything.

Wow, sounds like real ray of sunshine. [Said as unenthusiastically as possible.] Kinda hard to imagine anyone having that kind of beef with you… Is she like that with anyone else?

Ah, so it’s like that…

Yeah, I hear some publications are obnoxiously strict. You can kind of bypass some of that with the internet. Blogs and all that.

…Then again, maybe that’d just piss the higher-ups off more. Some folks *hate* their workers getting one over on them. Heh…

Nah, sorry. Friend of mine took it and… I haven’t seen it since.

Didn’t even get the chance to finish it. I read maybe a few pages before it was unceremoniously snatched out of my hands.

…A bit fringe for a pop magazine anyway, ain’t it?

Alas, I’ve never been much of a magazine guy… Used to be into a lot of gaming mags when I was in grade school.

There *was* this one occult magazine I read an issue for. Some guy gave it to me — a real shady fella with long hair and goatee.

Kashima, Naoki. Been mostly doing part-time jobs, prepping for college entrance exams. Typical stuff.

Coolest, you say...? I think I've seen an issue here and there. Never really read one, though.