WHO: Kozue and Tom WHAT: Post-Dungeon discussion WHEN: After dungeon WHERE: Room of Kozue WHY: Because Tom got a text message
Tom stood outside the door to Kozue's dorm. Feeling slightly nervous, and not entirely because it was also Kiriko's room. During the time they were in Paradise saving Kozue Tom had realized how important she was to him as a friend. She actually cared, she had taken the time to get to know him, and back when he was trying to push everyone away she was the only one who refused to let him push. She had saved his life, at least twice, and helped him to understand his issues enough to get beyond them.
In short Tom had realized that Kozue was his best friend. An odd thought for him, having never expected to have enough friends to identify one of them as a "best friend," but that was how it worked out. But in the dungeon Tom had that Kozue's ability to make friends didn't just extend to him, but to everyone on the team. Everyone cared and loved Kozue Kondo deeply it seemed. So while Kozue was Tom's best friend, it seemed clear to him that it was unlikely he was hers. Not that this troubled him a great deal. He was happy to have just a close friend, and it was good to know so many people cared about her. Certainly she would be closer to other people, people who could express their feelings, people who she didn't sometimes think were "kind of nuts."
So when her dungeon ended he thought it best to give her space. He would seek her out once she'd had time to rest, and get through the full parade of well wishers and friends that would undoubtedly come to see her. That is until Kozue herself sent him a number of rather insistant texts telling him she wished to talk right now. So here Tom stood outside her door. Half wondering if he should have tried to bring Max along.
Finally he took a deep breath, reached up and knocked.