"Hmm... like practicing iaijutsu on your own?" she said, for a more martial comparison.

"But, if you like, we can try to practice it more together in the coming days, Doji-san? Finding a bit of peace and quiet in this miai seems like a rarity. Oh," Hyeon-ju put her hands together as she just had an idea, "you should try to perform it with someone you like - the one you want to pick."

Ichika nodded with that smile of hers. With the question she visibly paused a little, fiddling with her index with her thumb a little. "O-oh, uh.. yea, that'd be nice," she laughed a little awkwardly. "Though, I'd love to practice some more with you Utaku-san. Would be nice to get the practice in and help teach a little yea? Maybe I'll find out I can be a good teacher, yea?" she chuckled.

"Of course, of course. I'd love to as well, Doji-san," she nodded, giving Ichika a rare but friendly smile.

"But... well, have you found anyone you want to share the tea ceremony with?" Hyeon-ju asked a bit more pointed now, clearly interested to hear how her roommate's efforts were going.

"Y-" she shook her head, "N-" she shook her head again, furrowing her brow as she brought a hand up to her chin. For a moment she looked pensive, her usual smile faded a little by little into a neutral expression that was a rare sight in turn. After a moment she looked up, a soft-momentary-sigh,"It's complicated?"

Hyeon-ju responded to that with an exasperated sigh herself, then a small smile. "Tell me about it. Miai aren't as easy as we might think, right? I can offer an ear for you, if you wish."

"I don't want t-" she paused, held up a hand and then waved the thought away. Shaking her head inwardly at herself. With a little nod she looked to Hyeon-ju, a soft smile.

"Maybe.. we should return to the room?" she said, glancing about to make a mental note of what she had to clean up first before making that foray.

Glancing around, she nodded. "Yes, that is probably best." Would be bad to chat about delicate matters here where anyone could come through.

"Allow me to help you tidy up."

"Of course! Thank you!" she said with a little smile, between the two of them it was short work. Not a lot needed tidying up and with a few directions she'd prepared for herself relayed they were back into the room nearly before they knew it.

Walking into the center of their room Ichika took a pause, glanced to her locker and then with a little point, "Do you mind if I change while we talk then, Utaku-san?" she asked, with a tilt of her head.

"Not at all, Doji-san. Go ahead."

She herself took a seat on one of the chairs in the room, picking up her Kami-pet to check on it and give it some play-time. It was easy enough to do while still talking.

"Dressing up for a date, perhaps?" Hyeon-ju asked with an almost teasing tone.

Ichika glanced down a little, a soft chuckle and shook her head. "No," she did, however, glance toward the table where there was a flower arrangement sitting. Twisting her bottom lip she shook her head, walking over toward her locker and opening it up.

"I'd go in the kimono if I was," she glanced to Hyeon-ju with a soft smile, shaking her head. "So, dressing down for the rest of the day," she said, putting her hands around her back she closed her eye's as she did the guesswork with feeling with her hands.

"I see... it is pretty warm out today, so I can understand why you're dressing down." She was curious about what Ichika considered dressing down.

And she still wanted to put her in something more modern.

"I'll be going out later with Matsu Chiyoko-san tonight, but I should be back by the usual hour." Hyeon-ju often took late excursions, but was always back in time to be able to rise early in the morning fully rested. She hoped the mention of going out would make Ichika spill some on what she was doing in the miai.

"I might not be back till later myself, Tsuruchi Hayato-san is taking me out to a Crab sake house later, but I might meet with Nakauchi Mumei-san before that too," she said twisting her bottom lip as she thought a little. Getting the obi undone she saw it away and then started working on the layers. Each one carefully tended to as she removed them and placed them into their special spot in her locker.

"Tsuruchi-san and I spoke about it some day near.." she laughed, "well, about a week ago?" she shook her head a little. "Wow.. I never really stopped to remember how long it's been since then. Anyway.. I wanted to go see one and I heard about it but never went myself. Tsuruchi-san had offered to take me there to see it and I happily accepted but we didn't make a plan till recently. I just wanna see what it's like, yea? I don't really drink though so hopefully my taking it easy with drinking won't be too much of a problem," she added with a soft laugh.

"Crab sake house?" she looked up and put the Kami-pet aside. That did sound like something Hayato would like, but what little she had heard of the place made it seem so... so... low-brow.

"Well... if it's with Tsuruchi-san, it should be fine, I guess. He seems rather nice, and I've had a good time when I've met with him. He's a smoker, but is otherwise funny and very... relaxed?"

"He's nice to hang around with!" she said, glancing over with a smile. "We kept running into one another in the Silver Star, that department store? He actually helped me pick out a few outfits and I did the same for him. It was fun!" she said, a happy little cheer as she kept working at the layers.

"I-" she twisted her bottom lip, the thought causing her to fumble with her clothing a little. "I should say.. I don't think he's going to be the match for me, yea? But he's a nice friend to hang out with. I trust him," she said, a little sheepishly and with a small chuckle.

"Ah, I see..." she wouldn't share that particular bith with Hayato later. "... I agree. He's... not going to be the match for me either, simply because of politics, but I greatly enjoy his company and spending time with him. But I'm glad you've found a friend in him."

The older woman watched Ichika with a curious glance. "But who do you think is the match for you then?"

"For me," she seemed to start, a pause. Thinking for the moment as she finished a whole layer of clothing, getting her down to her underwear which was white and conservative.

Ichika stopped there for a moment. Looking over to Hyeon-ju she seemed to think, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know, honestly. There's.. there's someone I like, and then people who like me... one of them would be.. he's a man of Status," she admits, sighing lightly as she glanced toward the roses on the table.

"A man of status...?" Hyeon-ju considered the words.

And then she kind of had a worst-case scenario in her mind. "... Please don't tell me it's Daigotsu Shokomaru, Doji-san." The Utaku nearly wanted to plead.

"Daigotsu Shokomaru-sama is the one who sent those, mmm," she nodded, but glanced down a little. Sighing softly she wrapped her arms around herself a little tighter.

Hyeon-ju straightened in the chair, folding her hands neatly before her.

"To be honest, Doji-san, I don't think he deserves someone like you. He has, from all accounts I've heard, more interested in chasing after Crab girls for a fling, which I find despicable behaviour during a miai when we are expected to maintain decorum." Her tone was a little harsh, though it was not directed at Ichika. "His skill in the miai has not impressed either, and I find him frankly distasteful."

The Utaku's nose wrinkled slightly as if she had smelled something foul for a brief moment.

"What about Daigotsu Ryuu-san, or Kuchiki Satoru-san? Surely, those are men who would treat you right as their spouse and partner, no? Even Tsuruchi-san would be a much better choice in that regard. All three of them, really."

"Daigotsu Ryuu-san.." she said, sheepishly, "is the other who is interested in me, yea," she said, glancing back toward the locker but leaving it for now. Coming over to Hyeon-ju she got down and sat on the floor with her legs crossed, looking up to her.

"I don't think Kuchiki Satoru-san is all that interested, and.. well, I don't know, he seems nice?" she said, glancing away for a moment. For a robot. With a slight inward chuckle she waved her hand slightly at the thought, but let the smile fade quickly when she returned to the moment. "I- I don't know what to say about Daigotsu Shokomaru-sama.. my family would be proud to hear I married so highly. More than that, he's nice to me or well.. he tries to be, I can see that but yea.."

"Neither of them are- I don't think I.." she shook her head, inhaled and then exhaled. "There's someone else I.. like- a lot but," she twisted her bottom lip. Looking to the ground by Hyeon-ju's feet. Ichika shook her head, "It isn't- it's not going to work out."