"Do you mind if I take your... ahh..."
 
I have to eat my words because I almost forgot who it was I was speaking to.  Suddenly, something nudges my hand and I realize it must be her.  I awkwardly place my hand on her waist.
 
"This is okay," she says flatly.  What an odd girl.  I never would have wished such a thing upon myself, but here I am, relying on the Tezuka girl to help me find my way back to school.  It's strange.  This is the first time I've ever gotten lost in town.  
 
Lately I just don't know what's gotten into me.  Things have been weighing on my mind and I haven't been quite myself ever since Hanako met Hisao.  It's been a little bit lonely for me this last little while.  The two of them spend so much time alone together and I hardly see either of them anymore.  
 
I follow Rin, clutching just a little of her shirt fabric, both of us completely silent.  She reminds me a bit of how Hanako used to be when the two of us met.  Hanako was so different back then - minutes at a time would pass in silence between us, even though I tried to keep the conversation lively.  Sometimes I wonder if the whole reason Hanako started being more talkative around me was just because she felt the need to remind me that she was still there.  Or maybe she just liked not being stared at.
 
None of this seems to be the case with Rin.  She's quite open about her disability.  But what really bothers me is that I can never quite tell whether or not she's being serious with the things that she says.  I also have on good authority that she's quite a talented painter, but that her paintings are every bit as abstract and non-obvious as she herself is.  I really do wish it could have been anyone but her that discovered me.  Yuuko, maybe.  Hisao.  Hanako.  I wonder where they are.
 
"Rin?"
 
She stops walking.
 
"Yeah?"
 
"We just took another right turn.  Are you sure this is the way?"
 
"The way where?"
 
I try to suppress my exasperated expression.  I wish someone could tell me whether or not she's grinning at my expense, but from what I hear Rin is every bit as impenetrable to sighted people as she is to me.
 
"We're heading back to campus, aren't we?  I told you I was lost."
 
A silent moment passes before she speaks up.  I think she must have made some kind of nonverbal gesture, but we remain standing in the street.
 
"Rin, aren't we heading back?" I ask again.
 
"It's not late yet, is it?" she replies.  "It's still not very dark out.  I wasn't done what I was doing when I ran into you and I thought you just wanted to come along while I did what I was doing."
 
I can't help smiling a bit at the thought.  Tezuka thought I wanted to spend time with her?  
 
"Well, what are we doing?" I ask, humouring her.
 
Again, what must be a nonverbal response.  She clears her throat.
 
"I come out here sometimes to look at people.  You know.  The people in the town.  Don't you ever do that?"
 
I chuckle.  "No, Rin, I'm afraid I don't 'look at' people when I come into town."
 
"Uh," she says, and we take another right.  We must have circled this block a few times, as I don't recall taking any left turns.
 
"I can tell you about them, if you want," she says.  "You know.  It's neat watching people."
 
The idea amuses me a little, I must admit.  I give a conciliatory shrug, the kind I imagine she's been making this whole time.  I suppose we'll get home eventually.  But after all, a little company might be nice for a change.  Even if it's such strange company as this.