Avery’s comment about his looks in the hopes of gaining some kind of response had completely flown over Kyouhei’s head, but he was willing to ignore that for now. After all, it had been quite some time since the two had last seen each other, meaning a catch up between them was long overdue.
There was a rare, brief flash of concern across his expression. So, Kyouhei’s being here was more of an escape than anything else? In a certain way, Avery could relate. His own parents were fine in terms of treatment, but the weight of responsibility and breaking in to the business world like his father wanted was a burden he didn’t want to bother with, so promising to do well at university while away from his watchful eye was a decent enough compromise.
And lucky him, just look who this path had led him to.
“But that means you’re staying here, right? In the city?” Avery actually felt somewhat hopeful to keep him around, which was most definitely the reasoning behind the sudden rapid-fire question round; babbling on in his excitement. “So am I! I live not even fifteen minutes from here. Where is it that you study? Have you been here long? What’s your work? You’ll have to let me visit sometime!”
Kyouhei let himself grimace - had that been too open? He did have the tendency to overshare and then back off at the speed of light, so maybe just casually letting the conversation redirect was for the best.
“I’m probably a semi-permanent resident of Ouvara-Danon, yeah.” He laughed, lightly, and folding his arms over his stomach to weigh himself into the chair.
“I’m taking classes at Ouvara U, for majors in Botany and Geology. I have plenty of time and money, so I figured… might as well do what I really enjoy, right? And I don’t think jobs in those fields are oversaturated yet, so…”
The brunet let himself smile, slow and wide and genuine. Every time he was able to consider his existing freedom, it made him glow, inwardly. All warm, like sitting in sunbeams.
“No rush, n’ all. I’m just rooming in the dorms for now, and I work as a barista pretty close to the college. Hey-” Kyou leaned forward, buzzing slightly with energy. “That’s so cool that you live close by! I’m down for visiting each other, I could use some company from an old face… as much as I love new people,” the words tasted sour in his mouth with sarcasm, “familiarity is better.
“What about you? Taking any classes, any romance in your life, or honest work?”