[even if, realistically, seeing a hometown by way of photos taped to the windows is the closest they might get to actually visiting, it is kinda nice to keep the idea of tearing up Tokyo together somewhere in the realm of "maybe a possibility." like a little what if to think about when he can't sleep, or if the station's putting them through the wringer and he needs something good to focus on.]

[he wouldn't really blame his friends for how things turned out, though. you put the weight of universal construct on a bunch of barely teenagers a bit lacking in the tools to be emotionally supportive or upfront with each other, and they're bound to find ways to ... you know. struggle with the emotionally supportive and upfront with each other thing. hell, Rose had been several hours late to her own date, and she hadn't even told the other girl she intended it to be a date.]

[and, you don't know what you're missing from spontaneous acts like this one if you've never really had them — and now that he does know, Dave might be leaning toward selfishly eating this up a bit, despite himself. he even manages to bite back the urge to try to say thanks again — because if doing something like this for him makes Ryuji happy, then ... it's pretty much a win-win on all angles, isn't it?]

[so ... eating up the attention it is. he'll share the cupcake, though.]

Yeah, that's fine. [he goes ahead and flops down on one of the towels.]

I can tell you more about the park itself, if you want. I guess I better say more about the hootin' nannies, too.