Complete Private I flew all over the sea to see you!

[Chako]

To say Lisa was happy when seeing the plane tickets was an understatement.

She had talked with her mom about it. Seeing if they could go abroad to the US on their next vacations. She specifically said she wanted to see the show of an artist she was a huge fan of in person, but... Well, that was easier said than done. Their finances were not dire, but they were never in a great spot.

And yet, here she was. In a Chinatown! How did her mom manage to get the money for this was completely beyond Lisa, but she made sure to thank her mom over and over and over again for it.

She wondered how Ruby... No, how Yuhan would feel when she saw her. Would she even recognize Lisa? It's not like Lisa warned her that she was coming, and Yuhan shouldn't know much more about Lisa other than she not having functional legs and liking the harp... Well, she was bringing her harp with her, inside a proper harp bag of course, today though, as she wanted an autograph, after all... Maybe that would make her recognizable? Like, how many harp-playing girls are there going around to Yuhan's concerts on a wheelchair? There can't be many.

She didn't know if they would even get an opportunity to talk though, or if Yuhan would want to talk to her outside of Arcia, but... Hey, Lisa was already here, so she wanted to try! Who knows when will be the next time she comes to the US anyways!?

Of course, plenty of sightseeing with her mom was still scheduled for this vacation trip, but today was a pretty free day!

And well, here she was! On special seats for people with disabilities, sitting right next to her mom. They chit-chatted a bit, and Lisa explained a bit of what a Chinese opera was like to her mom, since her mom had never seen one before... Though well, Lisa had only seen a few of Yuhan's performances online, so it's not like she was an expert on it either.

When she heard that the performance was about to start though, Lisa glued her eyes to the stage.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

The performance Yuhan was going to take part was one tailored for all ages. It was tough to get younger people into Chinese opera without the initial aversion, and instead of applying some heavy or adult drama, something that was easier to digest, or simply fun to watch seemed the best option.

As such, the performance of five artists had begun. One that represented the Monkey King, three that represented the demons the Monkey King had to defeat, and finally, Yuhan represented the princess and the 'narrator' of the story, where everything would occur in her point of view.

The Monkey and the demons wielded spears 'fought' against each other in harmonical moves, that seemed more as if they were dancing with each other than actually fighting— While Yuhan, the princess, guided the flow of the 'battlefield' with her spear that had a banner beautifully swaying along with her movements, and a fan on her other hand which she used to gesture where the public had to watch.

With the performance going, it had moments where the Monkey King seemed at a loss, but his nimbleness and quick thinking was enough for him to overcome the enemies, using tricks and his energetic way to be to bring them down.

Yuhan's gaze hovered on the crowd, intently in a way that felt like she was exchanging eye contact with every single person that were watching them...

... Which was when her eyes met with @Chako's.

On her, the gaze lingered a fraction of second longer. The harp case, the wheel chair, the face of a foreigner. Her smile grew a half inch longer, pushing away the thoughts of a coincidence to confirm it later.

...

...

...

Eventually, the performance would come to an end, and after a respectful and grateful greeting to the crowd, the artists left the stage. Most of them to the back stage, but Yuhan decided to go for its edge. Thankfully, being a niche artist meant the crowd didn't immediately swarm her, and while she did greet some of them, her intention was clear.

Even if she had her opera outfit still on, face covered with thick make up and all, she wanted to talk to the little girl... And as soon as she opened her way to the girl, with the uncertainty before the coincidence, it almost looked like Yuhan was timid when approaching.

"Hello, thank you very much for coming to watch us." She smiled, bowing.

 

[Chako]

Lisa's eyes were basically shining throughout the entire performance. Watching each artist's movements, the way they talked and sang... It was a completely different experience to see this in person when compared to a metube video!

She was really really glad she was able to come. Lisa was surely going to give her mom lots and lots more thanks later for the chance of being able to come here.

And then... Lisa's eyes met with Yuhan's... Was it just her impression, or had Yuhan recognized her? It felt like Yuhan was staring directly at her...

Well, she had no way of asking, and it's not like Yuhan would stop the play even if she had recognized Lisa, so the thought was shelved as the play continued.

Until it eventually ended, and Lisa clapped her hands as strongly as she could. She could also hear her mom talk about how this was pretty good and that she was glad they came, "Right, right!? It was amazing!" Lisa told her mom.

And then... Something seriously out of her expectations happened. Yuhan didn't leave to the backroom like the other artists, but instead came... Came right at her!? Oh god! Is this really happening!?

Lisa's mom also seemed to be a bit surprised at it, she did know that Yuhan was the artist that Lisa really liked that was performing here, but being greeted directly after the play ended was completely out of their expectations.

Lisa's mouth went wide agape when Yuhan gave her a bow. She struggled to get any words out, "T-t-thank you very much for the play, m-miss Yuhan! I-it was beautiful!" Was it okay for her to say Yuhan's name out loud like that when she had a stage name? Lisa didn't know, she was a bit too flabbergasted to properly think about it, "A-and for coming to greet us too! I-I'm really happy that we could come see your play today!"

Lisa's mom giggled and started ruffling her daughter's head, "If you stutter so much, miss Yuhan will think you have seen a ghost." Lisa started blushing a bit at her mom's words, "Thank you very much for the play. Lisa wouldn't stop talking about you back home, you know? I can now see her praises weren't unwarranted." She smiled.

As for Lisa, while she was calmed down a bit by her mom's touch, she was still panicking a bit inside. She wanted to talk more, she wanted to ask for an autograph, she wanted to give a big hug to Yuhan, and she didn't know if this was the time nor place for any of that! She didn't even know if Yuhan was free now to go do something!

She did know she was happy about being recognized amidst this big crowd though. That alone was enough to keep the huge smile on her face even while she still panicked inside.

She should try saying something though, so she went with what was the most pressing matter in her head, "D-do you have some time after this? T-t-t-to do... Uhn... Something?" Lisa had 0 plans in her head, but... Well, they could figure something out, right!?

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan's smile grew wider when the girl was exactly who she was expecting. @Chako would do the same, stutter uncontrollably when met with a situation that would make her sheepish, and the name reveal was the cherry on the top of the cake. She returned the smile to her mother as well. "Thank you very much, I can't express my gratitude enough for these kind words."

Her gaze then returned to Lisa, and she knew she couldn't just blurt everything out right away, so she played along with it for a moment—

"Even if I didn't, I can't let such a cute fan by herself after this, right? Don't worry, I have plenty of time, I just need to change clothes." She opened her arms, spinning briefly to give them a good look on the whole outfit. "This is surprisingly heavy." Yuhan added a quick explanation to why she had to change.

Not only that, but if she kept all that make up on her face and they decided to eat or drink something, a disaster could occur if she spilled some on her face by accident.

 

[Chako]

"M-m-mom is just stating the obvious! A-anyone with eyes would be able to tell that you're amazing!" Lisa intervened.

Her mom just giggled at that, "Right, right. Nothing but the obvious."

Lisa wanted to complain to her mom for giggling in response to her words, but she figured this was not the time, so she just pouted a bit.

"Oh, right. Those do look heavy." Lisa nodded. She could feel herself both blushing and smiling a lot when being referred to as 'such a cute fan' and how miss Yuhan couldn't simply leave her alone like that, "So, I guess we can meet outside and go.... Eat something?" Lisa suggested. She didn't know if miss Yuhan was hungry. She didn't know if she herself was hungry, in fact. But it felt like a valid idea? Hopefully?

... Why am I so nervous!? It's not like this is my first time meeting Ruby! Well, I guess it is outside of Arcia, b-but still! Come on!

... And it was only after thinking this far that Lisa realized something obvious she had forgotten to ask first, so she turned towards her mom, "Uhn... W-w-w-we can go out to do something with miss Yuhan, right...?"

Lisa's mom smiled and ruffled her daughter's hair, "Of course we can. We came all the way here to the US for that, right?"

Chako blushed heavily in response, "M-mom!" Like, come on! Don't say that out loud!

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan's cheeks flushed slightly at the little girl's hearty compliment. For most of part, Yuhan was quite composed when receiving kind words, but those were one of the most genuine she could hear.

"Of course we can eat something~" Yuhan giggled at Lisa's request, but when her mother mentioned 'coming all the way here to the US', the dots started connecting in Yuhan's mind, and suddenly she reminded herself that the girl in front of her was a foreigner. She took a trip to another country only to see her?

Her lips parted briefly, in a mix of surprise upon the realization, but soon they closed, perking up happily.

"I think I've just met my number 1 fan. It is wonderful to meet you, Lisa!" She smirked, waving briefly as a gesture she would come back soon...

---

When Yuhan finally returned, she no longer had the bulky and fancy outfit on her. It was also easier to see her true face, now that she had a less theatrical and heavy makeup on her face.

Her smile grew wide when she finally approached the mother and daughter again.

"Sorry for taking so long, I'm ready whenever you are~"

She looked around.

"We don't even need to go too far. This area has plenty of tasty food, and fun places to visit too."

 

[Chako]

Lisa beamed as miss Yuhan said they could go eat something together. She was ready to jump out in joy and give miss Yuhan an enormous hug for that!

Only... That wasn't really possible outside of Arcia, and that realization made her smile a bit dimmer, if only a bit.

Then, she blushed a bit when she was referred to as miss Yuhan's #1 fan, but... "I-isn't that obvious!?" As if she would let anyone take her spot as miss Yuhan's #1 fan!

... Well, Lisa would begrudgingly accept it if Bao decided to claim that title, but otherwise, she would lose to no one!

Either way, she smiled and waved at miss Yuhan as she left to get changed.

---

Once outside, they didn't have to wait long for miss Yuhan to come back... Or at least, Lisa didn't feel like it was long. Hard to be sure when she was as excited as she was now.

And well, Lisa instantly beamed as soon as she saw miss Yuhan again, "You took no time at all!" She waved her hand to her as she approached.

And she silently cursed her stupid legs that didn't let her go ahead and jump into miss Yuhan's hug.

"Right, right!? Then how about we-" Lisa was about to try suggesting something, but-

Her mom coughed, "Lisa... Aren't you forgetting something?"

Lisa blinked a few times while looking at her mom, trying to think of what she could mean... And she came up with nothing, "I am?"

"... You really won't get it if I don't say it out loud?" There was a slight disapproval in her tone, but it didn't seem like she was very serious right now...

"... Sorry?" Lisa didn't know what else to say.

Her mom sighed, "Are you really planning on letting miss Yuhan know me as 'her #1 fan's mom' for this whole trip?"

It took Lisa a few more seconds to connected the dots, "A-a-a-a-a-ah! S-s-s-sorry about that!" She said to both her mom and miss Yuhan, "M-mom, you already know her, but this is miss Yuhan. The artist I told you about back home.

"Miss Yuhan, that's my mom, Sophia Evans. Uhn... I hope you can... Be friends?" Was that how you were supposed to introduce people? Lisa had no idea.

Her mom giggled, "Sure, sure. If miss Yuhan will have me." she offered a handshake.

"N-no fair! You can't steal miss Yuhan's first touch like that! Me first!" First touch? Did that even make sense!? Lisa really had no idea, but she opened her arms wide, basically begging for a hug. The thought of trying to suggest a place to go to completely forgotten by now.

Meanwhile, her mom went from giggling to laughing out loud. Which Lisa promptly ignored.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

A laughter escaped Yuhan's lips at the interaction between mother and child that unfolded in front of her, and as the formalities were finally made, Yuhan cleared her throat and smiled warmly to the mother. "It is nice to meet you, Sophia. Thank you for bringing Lisa to watch my performance. I didn't expect to have a fan, and a very big fan at that, somewhere that isn't here or China."

Of course, she did have fans from other countries, but they were generally fans of her online works, that weren't niche. The little girl in front of her was a completely different case, however. She actually liked the niche she was mostly involved in.

Handshaking the mother, another giggle came from Yuhan, raising an eyebrow at the mention of a 'first touch'. "Well, a first hug will compensate, won't it?" She said, noticing how much she wanted it.

And in reality, Yuhan wanted it as well. It was the first time she has met an online friend from another country in person.

Kneeling and closing the distance, Yuhan hugged her fan, her dear friend, tightly. "It is wonderful to finally meet you, Chako." She whispered in Lisa's ear while hugging her, giving a gentle squeeze before leaning away and ruffling her hair as she usually did in Terrasphere.

Though, she noticed it may have looked a bit funny for the mother, so she quickly returned her attention to the woman. "She is probably the most adorable fan I've met." She chuckled.

 

[Chako]

"The pleasure is all mine." Sophia replied while shaking miss Yuhan's hand, "And she wasn't the only one who enjoyed the performance anyways." She smiled.

Meanwhile, Chako was fuming with jealousy that was very obviously visible on her face. Come on, mom! At least take your hand back!!! Though it's not like Lisa could do anything about it.

Though her expression instantly changed to a gleeful one as they hugged, "I'm very happy to finally meet you properly, Ruby!" she whispered back... Or well, she at least meant to whisper it, but it was actually a bit loud, and very easy for her mom to hear... Though her mom said nothing in response. She did know that her daughter had met miss Yuhan while gaming, after all.

If anything, Lisa just didn't like hearing miss Yuhan refer to it as 'finally meeting', because it made it seem like their meetings in Arcia weren't real or didn't count, which... Just didn't feel right with Lisa. But she didn't let this get in the way of her happy mood either way.

Besides, a much more immediate worry came to her mind once they separated the hug and miss Yuhan started ruffling her hair, like, C-come on! D-d-d-d-d-don't make me start purring in front of mom!!!

Except... No purring came. Lisa was just staring at miss Yuhan wide-eyed for a few seconds while trying to process that... R-right, right! I'm not in Arcia! Pretty much the only good thing about my Earth body is that I don't start purring when receiving hair ruffles...

"Well, she certainly is quite adorable." Sophia nodded in agreement, which finally took Lisa's attention back to the conversation.

"M-mooom! S-stop embarrassing me like that!" It's not like it wasn't embarrassing to be referred to as adorable by miss Yuhan, but it was extra embarrassing when it was her mom doing it, "A-a-anyways!" Lisa tried changing the topic away from that, "Y-you just didn't expect to have your #1 fan away from here and China simply because you didn't know me well enough!

"S-so..." Lisa blushed a lot and started fidgeting quite a bit, "We should get to know each other better... Like... Uhn... At a family restaurant?" Lisa barely manage to suggest.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan smirked when noticing @Chako's reaction. Even if she didn't purr, the blushing and the overall expression she had on her face made it clear what was going on in her mind. It almost made Yuhan feel like teasing her, but Lisa's mom already did a pretty good job at it, and she didn't want to make the little girl feel uncomfortable.

"There is nothing embarrassing about the truth." Yuhan reassured, then chuckled. "You are right, but it is time to change that." She winked, then turning to look at Lisa's mother.

"A family restaurant sounds perfect for this. I know a good one nearby, it is usually quiet around this time, so it should be a good place to have a talk." With a smile, she gestured for the two of them to follow her.

They would need to step out of the China Town, but the walk wouldn't take long. A couple streets away with some chit chatting to distract would make the time fly until their eyes would finally catch the sight of the modest sized family restaurant.

When they got there, Yuhan opened the door to the daughter and the mother, and a waiter cheerfully greeted them. "Welcome! A table for three? I have the right one for you." He gestured as he guided them to a table by the corner of the restaurant, right next to a window.

 

[Chako]

Lisa was dying of embarrassment with miss Yuhan comment... She didn't know how to react to that.

Luckily enough, the family restaurant idea worked out, so... "Let's go!" Lisa said with a big smile.

Although, as her mom started pushing her wheelchair, Lisa just felt like being a bit bold... So, she whispered to her mom, "Can we get a bit closer to miss Yuhan?" as she was walking a bit ahead to lead them.

Her mom smiled, then nodded to her daughter's request... And when they got close enough... Lisa meekly went ahead and grabbed miss Yuhan's hand with hers, "I... I hope that's okay...?" It wasn't exactly walking while holding hands, but... It reminded her of the first time they met in Arcia... It was a very nostalgic feeling, and also a very happy one.

And like that, they were able to move the rest of the way there... And luckily enough, it wasn't too far away.

After her mom positioned her on the table, and Lisa asked for something light to eat, she started thinking of something to say... Why is it so hard to make small talk!? Come on, Lisa, think! Think of something!

And uhn... Well, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, "How is Bao doing, by the way? Do you live with her?" She hoped it didn't feel like she was prying too much into miss Yuhan's personal space...

And then she realized she might be confusing her mom quite a bit with that, so she quickly followed up, "Ah, Bao is miss Yuhan's little sister! We also met each other in-game! And uhn... I think she's around my age? Probably?"

Her mom just smiled and ruffled her daughter's hair in response, "I'm not gonna get mad at you for talking about the people you've gotten to know in-game. You don't need to be so tense."

Lisa... Blinked a few times at that, then tried taking a deep breath... When did my shoulders get his stiff? She thought as she realized her current situation... Mom really knows me best. Lisa smiled a bit, "Thanks mom."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

When Yuhan felt her hand being touched, her gaze fell to Lisa, and a smile grew on her lips. "Of course it is okay." She squeezed her hand softly, glancing up to the girl's mother and chuckling. Yuhan was sure there was a lot Lisa wanted to talk about that was too hard to talk in front of her mother, but Yuhan paid no mind to it.

It was clear to her now that her mother was aware of their previous online meetings, even if she was unsure if she knew where those online meetings were. Still, she decided to leave the pace to the little girl, she would only let slip as far as Lisa did.

"Bao is at home today, she would be even more surprised than me to know that you've come here to pay a visit. But she is doing well, and well, she is fourteen, so maybe she is?" Yuhan tilted her head, pondering.

Her smile grew further. "If you have time, feel free to visit us. It isn't every day that she receives a friend at home." She clasped her hands, casting a glance at the mother, in case she would allow it, or if she had time.

Soon a waiter approached, and Yuhan flipped over the menu to order portions of fries, onion rings, and salad along with a jar of orange juice.

 

[Chako]

Lisa smiled as Ruby accepted the hand holding... It really wasn't much, but it really meant a lot to her. To be able to still be in Earth, yet feel something she had only ever felt in Arcia before... It was a very precious feeling.

"Oh, so you do live together!" Lisa clapped her hands once. She didn't know if miss Yuhan lived alone or with her family, since it felt like she shouldn't pry too much, but it was nice to hear that Bao was nearby too.

"Wait, we are the same age!" Lisa exclaimed, "What are the chances!?"

Lisa's mom just ruffled her daughter's hair a bit more, "Don't be too loud, Lisa. You'll bother the other customers."

"R-right... Sorry..." She looked down for a second, but then she immediately perked up again when hearing miss Yuhan's suggestion, "W-wait, we can!? For real!?" Lisa never thought she'd be allowed to go this much into miss Yuhan's personal space.

However... She followed miss Yuhan's gaze and noticed that it was not falling on Lisa, but rather, "Mooooom... We can go, right?"

Sophia seemed to be a bit troubled at the idea... So Lisa tried pressing it a bit more, "Pleaaase...? I-I really trust miss Yuhan! A-and I'd love to see Bao in person, a-a-a-and... Pleaase? We came all the way here already..."

Lisa's mom sighed, "Alright, my reckless little child." she kissed Lisa's cheek, "Just for you, and because miss Yuhan does seem to be a pretty nice person."

Lisa was a bit embarrassed by being treated like a small child, but... "Thanks mom! You're the best!" She hugged her mom anyways and did not complain about the treatment.

Then came the time to order food, and... Lisa ended up just passing the menu to her mom, who ordered two salads, rice, and whatever seemed to be the least greasy meat available.

Once that was taken care of, Lisa turned back to miss Yuhan, then asked something that suddenly came to her mind, "Say, what made you interested in opera?

"I got interested in the harp myself because dad liked to play the piano for me all the time, so... Well, I ended up falling in love with classic music, and then ended up choosing an instrument that I'd be able to play even when I was in the hospital." Lisa commented... Hoping that miss Yuhan wouldn't be troubled about hearing stuff like how she went to the hospital with some frequency, to the point it even impacted her choice of instrument...

To Lisa this was just part of her life, after all... And she really didn't want to make miss Yuhan pity her or anything. Or rather... Lisa really hated being pitied.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan's expressions softened at the interaction between the daughter and the mother. The worries of the mother were clear, and Yuhan tried to reassure— "Of course the invitation is for you as well, Mrs. Sophia." She remarked. "Even because I may need help, how will I be able to watch over two reckless teens~" Yuhan teased with a giggle.

Her attention then switched back to Lisa as soon as she slipped the curious question, and even offered some of her story in it.

Listened attentively, Yuhan could only smile at the story. "Harp is a beautiful instrument... It is easy to learn... But to play so well, it is very difficult." She pondered. "It is very uncommon too, to see one. I think you've made a wonderful and unique choice. You should try a lyre someday as well."

Rewinding her memories, Yuhan thought about her question a bit further before finally answering— "I've always loved music and theatre. And when I lived in China, I always had to participate in the activities of my family's Temple. The festivals were wonderful, but most of the year was strict and complicated... Opera though..."

Yuhan held back for a moment to choose her words well. "Opera does have a whole different world. It is music and theatre alike, much like a ballet. I just love it a lot."

 

[Chako]

Lisa blushed a bit at miss Yuhan's comment, "I'm not that hard to take care of!" well, at least in behavior... Moving around, especially when visiting homes that weren't adapted to wheelchairs, was a different story.

Her mom giggled at that, "Of course you aren't. You would never be the kind of girl to wake me up at 2am to ask for help with your homework that you completely forgot to do until right before the day it was due, right?"

"M-moooooom!" It's not like it Lisa hadn't done it, but her mom didn't need to say that out loud!

Besides, "I-I haven't done that in months, okay!?" It was months, right? It had to have been at least a few months since the last time...

Sophia just continued giggling, "Right, right. Only a few months since the last time..."

Lisa pouted a bit, but made no comment, and instead decided to move on to the music talk, "Ah, I think learning a new instrument could be nice one day, but I'm pretty happy with the harp!" and she didn't want her mom to pay her any more music classes if she could help it... But that was not something she'd say out loud in front of her mom.

Either way, she couldn't help smiling when being complimented about it, "I can play something for you, mom and Bao later, then!" Well, her mom already knew all her songs, but she never seemed to mind hearing them again, so it was not a problem!

Then, miss Yuhan explained a bit more and... Well, Lisa couldn't help opening her mouth agape at that, "O-oh! You lived in China!? You traveled so far away!" and Bao had gone with her too!?

Granted, it wasn't hard to know miss Yuhan was of Chinese descent when looking at her, but Lisa thought she had been born in the US already!

She wondered what could have caused the whole family to leave China, but... She felt that might be a bit too personal, so she decided to not ask.

Instead, she focused on the opera answer! "I could see that! Your performance was so lovely! A-and like... Well, dancing by itself feels so wonderful, but dancing to the tune of a song is extra special, isn't it!? I just love it so much when I have the chance to do it in-game!" Lisa started leaning forward a bit on her wheelchair due to the excitement.

"Mmmm... I'd love to see you dance one day." Her mom commented.

"Absolutely not!" Lisa instantly replied.

Her mom sighed and put the palm of her hand on her cheek, "You're really way too shy with the games you play. You never let me in on the fun... Maybe I should try asking miss Yuhan for its name later though." She winked with a playful grin.

"M-miss Yuhan is not sharing that!" Lisa's voice was getting a bit too loud and... Kinda angry too.

"Lisa..." Her mom's tone wasn't playful anymore.

And yet Lisa seemed to be about to open her mouth to start shouting something.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Are you sure~? You are a handful!" Yuhan teased Lisa further, but soon her expressions softened with a warm smile. "It is worth every second though" Yuhan glanced at her mother, who she was sure that would agree with her.

"Yes, I was born in China, I've only moved to U.S. around six years ago." She remarked, trying to count how long it has been— Then, she giggled at the girl's compliment, that made her ruffle her hair a bit. "You really flatter me, don't you?"

Yuhan's eyes became sharper at the slowly escalating argument between mother and daughter, and even if it wasn't the case, Ruby decided to step in— "She is still learning, Mrs. Sophia. But when she is ready, I will try to convince her to show it to you." She raised an index up to her lips, with a mischievous smile crossing them.

"But for now, the choreography is a secret, so I can't tell you about the game we play~" Yuhan tried to ease the situation with a playful tone and a promise— one that she actually intended to keep.

It was also the time for the orders to come, with the waiter carefully placing their food and drinks over the table.

 

[Chako]

Lisa couldn't quite deny the fact that she was a handful. What's up with miss Yuhan being the one who first started teaching her to move her legs properly, never mind dancing too.

Didn't stop her from pouting for a bit though... Even if she then started smiling when miss Yuhan said it was worth every second.

"That it is." her mom agreed.

"... Thanks." Lisa could only meekly mutter in response.

Lisa's smile got bigger when her hair was ruffled... It sure was nice not purring from it, but it also just felt nice in general.

Though the smile didn't last long once she started arguing with her mom...

And then miss Yuhan suddenly talked about convincing her to show a dance to her mom!? "M-miss Yuhan!" D-did she forget the thing of people dying in Arcia!? W-what's she thinking!?

Though then she talked about how the choreography was a secret for now... For now... The words echoed in Lisa's head... She couldn't talk to mom about Terrasphere, but also couldn't simply pretend today didn't happen at all...

Lisa was at a loss on what to do now... Or in the future.

While Lisa was lost trying to think of an escape though, her mom sighed, then put a hand on Lisa's head and gently stroke it, "If you get this defensive about your hobbies, I'm gonna start thinking you're doing something bad..."

Well, that's because I am... Lisa shrunk on her wheelchair.

"It's bad manners to raise your voice in public though." Her mom pointed out.

"S-sorry..." Lisa meekly muttered.

She realized she had messed up... She shouldn't talk to her mom like that... But Terrasphere really was not something she could ever bring up... Lisa really didn't know what to do right now. She just leaned onto her mom's hand, trying to calm herself down. Letting the usual head strokes do their magic.

And then, the food arrived... For a moment, she had even forgotten they were at a restaurant. But then she remembered, and used the opportunity to lean a bit closer to miss Yuhan and whisper, "Thanks."

As for Sophia... She smiled. Seems like Lisa's whisper wasn't as quiet as she had hoped. But it's not like Lisa had noticed that.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Don't worry, Lisa. I'm sure your mom will understand you want to keep the surprise until it is ready." She winked to the little girl, trying to pretend there was something deeper about it than it simply being some ill behaved action.

At Lisa's worried reaction, Yuhan could only chuckle and smile reassuringly, and as soon as the little girl leaned closer, Yuhan responded— "Of course, leave it to me~ But this means we will need to step up the practice." She said, leaving any elaboration for the future, whenever Sophia wasn't around anymore.

"But for now, let's have a good meal~" She clasped her hands together, looking at the portions of fries and onion rings, and getting ready to fill the cups with the vibrant orange juice that was placed in the center of the table.

"I already know I will really need to hit the gym after this." Yuhan joked, glancing between the two.

"I know you've come here to visit me, but you two really don't have any other plans?" She asked in curiosity. Did they really travel to another country just to meet her?

 

[Chako]

Lisa didn't know how to reply to the surprise thing when there was no surprise in the works, so she just meekly replied, "R-right..." And figured it was a problem for future her to handle.

"W-well, I'm always up for more practice!" At least this one wasn't a lie. Main thing she didn't want to do was being a bother for miss Yuhan when they were both in Arcia, so she avoided asking for help too often... But it would be a lie to say she didn't want to ask for help more often.

Her mom smiled warmly at that, "I'm glad to see you found something you enjoy so much."

To which Lisa pouted a bit, "I still enjoy the harp a lot, you know..."

And suddenly, it was meal time! And there was... A very noticeable difference between what Lisa and her mom asked for when compared to what miss Yuhan did.

... Lisa was actually a tad jealous and kinda wanted to take the fries for herself, but she knew why her mom asked for just a salad and a bit of meat. She had asked her mom to order while already knowing the kind of food they were going to eat in the first place.

... Taking care of one's own health is a real pain. Lisa concluded, even if she understood why she needed it.

Though the hitting the gym suggestion of miss Yuhan made Lisa do a double take at the food she ordered... "Do you like this kind of thing that much?" Was it that tasty? Lisa couldn't remember the last time she ate obviously unhealthy food... Well, at least outside of some sweets here and there, so it was hard for her to think much about their taste other than like... Well, just seeing ads on metube that showed people loving the food of WcDonalds and whatnot.

"Oh! Well... I didn't really plan anything!" Lisa replied honestly, "What about you, mom?"

"I was thinking we could go see some touristic spots, like the Statue of Liberty? Though I figured it wasn't a good idea to plan too much before surprising Lisa with this. What if she had already come up with ideas of her own?" Her mom then giggled, "Though perhaps that worry was for naught."

"H-how was I going to plan for something that I thought was unrealistic!?" Lisa exclaimed before taking a bite of her food... Well, I guess salad doesn't change that much no matter where you go. Not that it was bad, just... More of the usual.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

It was almost possible to see cat ears perking up on Yuhan's head at Lisa's question. At least, that was the usual face and body language she had whenever she did that in-game.

"I like it. It is a bit greasy, yeah. But I hardly eat this kind of stuff, so I try to enjoy every second whenever I get to eat it." She said as she reached for some fries, taking her time to taste and munch them, dipping one or another on ketchup while wearing a very satisfied expression on her face.

"As unrealistic as coming to a different country to watch little me?" Yuhan chuckled a bit, in a very fond way.

"The Statue of Liberty? It is quite a sight, we need to go right after this though. The line is usually pretty long, but we can go to the Battery Park, that is nearby, have a sight of it, and if you guys are up to it we can take a boat there to go to the statue." She suggested, casting a glance at the general direction they had to go. If only there wasn't a bunch of very tall buildings around, they would be able to see the statue from where they were.

"No rush though. Enjoy your food first!" Yuhan said.