Hanaka smiled at the doll man. 'His name is Jin' she reminded herself absently. "Jin, why don't you come with me to the beach? It's really pretty out, and this is the perfect time too, everything's so nice in the summer time! All the flowers are blooming, and animals all about! Please come?" She asked.
Jin looked at the kind girl who had found him and helped him when he had thought no one would. Part of him was glad, part regretted his survival, but then, emotions still seemed distant, too distant to relate to as 'glad' and 'regret'.
"...All righ'," he said. His voice was dull, lifeless, but it was all Hanaka needed.
"Good, good!" she chorused, and began to flit about, picking up things they might want and putting them in a basket. She packed a lavish lunch, humming softly to herself. 'Miwako said he used to talk so fast no one could understand him through his accent and speed. But now his words are so slow, though the accent is still thick enough. Still, he's perfectly understandable. I wonder what he was like before this mess.' She thought, glancing occasionally at Jin, who had busied himself with his thoughts; lord knew what they were.
Finished, she closed up the large picnic basket. "I already asked Runaku to come, he said he'd meet us outside the village. Come on!" she picked it up and soon saw it was a bit heavier than she could manage to carry the entire distance. "Ack, I need to learn to pack lighter!" she said, laughing. Jin took the basket from her, carrying it easily. "Thanks!" Hanaka exclaimed, beaming at Jin.
"Too 'eavy fer ya'. I dun' min'," he replied, speaking still in that depressing monotone. However, Hanaka was glad still, that the strange man had taken the picnic basket himself. It seemed he was starting to come at least a little closer to grips with reality. At least he seemed thoughtful. In his own way, perhaps, but still...
Hanaka waved. "Hey Runaku! Over here!" she called, smiling prettily at the handsome boy. Runaku grinned, loping over easily. He noticed the basket Jin was carrying and laughed.
"She conned you into carrying her load? She always packs a lot more than we need! You should have made her take some stuff out!" Runaku said to Jin.
Hanaka blushed furiously. "You can be so mean sometimes Runaku!" she pouted.
"And you can be so silly sometimes! Besides, you know I'm just joking with you," Runaku grinned at Hanaka and she practically melted.
"Ok Runaku, whatever you say," Hanaka replied, and to this Runaku only laughed more, long sky blue tresses wafting gently around his face in the slight breeze.
Not long after, they reached the site Hanaka wanted to have their picnic at. Jin set down the basket and Hanaka unpacked it, loading up plates of food for the three of them. Runaku and Hanaka carried on a light easy banter as Jin sat quietly, listening, eating slowly. He watched the waves come slowly to shore, the way they gently lapped the beach. He stood and walked over, sitting down where the water could lick at his feet, though the rest of him remained safe.
At first Hanaka and Runaku had looked up, surprised at his motion, but assured he wasn't going to try to kill himself, they continued. "I think I'm going to go gather some wildflowers. Why don't you try to talk to him, Runaku?" Hanaka said, rising.
Runaku nodded. "I can try." He stood as well, walking to the shore where Jin sat, as Hanaka went off into the field, picking bright flowers with long stems.
Runaku sat next to Jin, sighing softly, at the sight of the sea. "Isn't it nice? What's great is when the waves are good and I go surfing. It's so freeing, you know?"
Jin stared ahead at the landscape. Finally, he replied. "I di'. Once. I can' be free an'more. A' firs', I tried." Jin sighed, dropping his head in his hands. "But it's na' use."
Runaku looked at Jin, worry etched in his face, but Jin was spared Runaku's glance, as his eyes were closed and pressed into his hands. "Just what happened? You want to tell me? It might just help. Who knows?"
"Ya'd hate ma' fer it. God knows I do," Jin said, shaking his head.
"I swear I won't. I'll be completely objective if you want."
"Ev'n then ya'll hate ma'."
Runaku was at a loss. Should he press any further? Or leave the issue alone? "Could you tell me about your past then? Who, what you were before you came here. Where you lived. Stuff like that."
Jin shook his head. "Tha's na' wha' ya' wanna know tho', is it?" He sighed. "Ya' still wanna know wha' it was tha' happened. So I guess I'll tell ya'. Who'om I ta' deny ma' hosts?
"I know ya' know it has ta' do wi' a fren' o' mine. Former fren', I suppo'..." Jin trailed off, regretfully. He began telling his sad story to Runaku, explaining who Touya was, what he remembered doing to him, when he found out about what happened, his search, the meeting with Koenma, and then his wandering till he landed on their island. Runaku listened raptly, and neither he nor Jin noticed when Hanaka came and sat next to them quietly with an armload of flowers which she began braiding together by the stems.
When Jin finally finished, he stood with a sigh. "Ya' won' wan' ma' aroun' now. 'Specially not wi' her." He gestured to Hanaka as he spun and began to walk away.