2025-07-19: Extra Credit
- Log: 2025-07-19 Extra Credit
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Kasumi Yoshizawa
- Where: Shujin Academy, Tokyo
- OOC Date: July 19, 2025
- IC Date: June 12, 2012
- Summary: While training on the running track at Shujin Academy, Ren checks in with Kasumi about if there's been any trouble in her life recently. Considering his motivation for this is researching mafioso Junya Kaneshiro, he has to be a /bit/ circumspect--but just as importantly, Kasumi has a gymnastics meet coming up! Now she just needs to win...
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Two weeks. That's the deadline Makoto gave Ren and his friends to find enough information on the leader of a local mafia boss to be able to change his heart. Considering this is a man who's evaded detection by the police for quite some time now, it might not be enough time.
Even so, it's something they have to do. This gang is one that's been preying on students, including students at their school. Even without Makoto leaning on them to get it done, it's something they agree should be done.
So that's why Ren is with Kasumi today. The pretext is training together, as they previously agreed on, but it's a way for them to talk without alarming her in case she doesn't know anything. Right now, they're running laps, each of them in their Shujin gym jerseys. None of the other clubs are using the track field right now, so it's a convenient day and time for both of them regardless. Ren is not exactly welcome among most of the students of their school.
Right now, they're focused on endurance. Ren wants to build that back up again. Speed is important, but it doesn't mean anything if you collapse halfway through a routine--or a chase. As they jog, Ren glances over at the redhead at his side.
"Thanks again for doing this with me," he says. "I'm sure your regime with your club is a lot higher level." He won't apologize for 'dragging her down' or anything like that--it would just feel bad for both of them--but he can at least express his gratitude. And he knows an even better way of expressing that gratitude is... "When do you have a meet next? I'd like to see you perform sometime."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
For Kasumi, she's here today because she made a promise with Ren to help him improve his physical stamina! And of course she's going to try and keep that promise. That said, her motivations are not entirely selfless. Helping to train Ren lets her take her mind off other matters, if only for a short time. Though she's not entirely aware of this herself as it's hard to see the truth of the matter when you're caught up in the middle of it.
All she knows is that as she runs laps with Ren, she's feeling lighter on her feet. Like she can run faster and for longer than usual. But she just passes it off as the training being less strenuous than normal for her, which Ren himself points out. At his thanks, Kasumi turns her head to smile at him, "No problem! Even when you're doing more advanced training, it's important to continue working on the basics. So this helps me out too! Plus it's more fun to train with someone else than it is to train alone." Something she's been doing a lot more lately since...
For a moment it seems that a shadow was about to fall over Kasumi, but Ren's suggestion seems to brighten her again as she grins, "I'd like that! Let's see..." She looks off into the distance as she thinks, "Mmm, the next one is in a couple of weeks. It's not a big one, but if you're going to come watch, Senpai, then I'll have to do my best!" She pumps a fist in determination!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren smiles as Kasumi points out maintaining the basics is still important. He'd neglected that too after his arrest, along with everything else; it's good to have a reminder. "True. I'm glad to hear that, then."
And she's right that it's more fun to train with someone else than alone--but that, too, is her helping him out rather than the other way around. (Or so it seems to him. There is that moment when Kasumi's expression almost darkens... but it's there and gone in a flash, so quickly that Ren can only wonder about it.)
A couple of weeks, huh... "That soon?" Well, hopefully by that point, they'll have at least progressed to the next stage of their investigation and aren't getting expelled. "If I can make it, I'll be there," he assures her. "I've got... a project I've been assigned, and it's due in a couple weeks too. If I can't get an extension, anyway."
All technically true.
"But I definitely want to," he adds firmly, which is fully true, not just technically. "I'm gonna have to step it up on my side to make sure I can go." He pauses. "Uh, just to be sure, it is local, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Kasumi lets out a brief giggle as Ren asks if it is a local event. Though she gets where his concern comes from. Of course it wouldn't be easy for someone to travel just to watch a gymnastics event. Especially if it's one of the big ones that can take place overseas. But thankfully, "Yes, it's just a small, local competition. Of course I'm still going to try my hardest to win!" Especially as her last couple of performances have not gained the results she wishes for.
Or that others are expecting of her.
But she doesn't want to put pressure on Ren, saying, "It's fine if you can't make it though. Completing your assignments is important too!" Kasumi tilts her head a little as she thinks. She hadn't heard of any big projects that needed finishing at this time of the school year. But then she is a year behind Ren, so perhaps the second years work on a different schedule?
With a tilted head she looks at Ren, "What's the project about?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Great," Ren says, smiling anew. If it's a local event, then travel shouldn't be an issue. Expenses aside, he can't risk straying that far from the city of his exile. "Then I'll do my best to come so I can see you win."
Kasumi's kind enough to reassure him that it's okay if he can't make it, though. That is reassuring. Ren knows this is something he can't blow off for a variety of reasons.
"Current events," he replies, the lie coming smoothly--because once again, it's not really a lie. "There's apparently been a rise in crime in Shibuya lately, and I'm studying it for... I guess you'd call it extra credit."
Which might help explain why Kasumi hasn't heard about it at all, the two of them being in different years notwithstanding. "Speaking of which, you haven't heard of anything like that among your friends or clubmates, have you? People getting offered suspiciously easy jobs for lots of money while walking around on Central Street? Stuff like that?" he adds. "That's apparently a scam, so if you have, make sure to warn them to steer clear."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Kasumi looks concerned as Ren explains the subject of the project, "Crime rising in Shibuya?" She hadn't heard anything about that herself. And as one who lives and travels in the area, it's of course worrying. She looks down a little as they jog, "I hadn't heard... Hopefully the police will catch the criminals."
Kasumi looks up at Ren again with a smile and admiration twinkling in her eyes, "Still, studying local crime events for an extra credit assignment? That's incredible, Senpai!" It reminds Kasumi of someone she's met before. She wonders if Ren might too be considering work in law enforcement. Though then again, there were those rumours floating around about him...
Kasumi gets distracted from those thoughts as she thinks on Ren's question, "Mmmm... Suspicious jobs?" ... "Well, now that you mention it... A stranger approached me recently outside Shibuya Station while I was on my way back from training. Asked if I wanted to get paid doing some extra running. I turned him down since I'm busy enough as it is with school and gymnastics."
Kasumi raises a hand to her mouth in surprise, "You don't mean something like that, do you!? I thought he was trying to scout me for a race!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"...Sorry to bring up something so troubling," Ren says, seeing her gaze drop as they lean into a curve on the track. "Hopefully that just means it hasn't affected you at all."
Hopefully the police will catch the criminals. Ren makes a neutral noise. He doesn't disagree with her, but he's not exactly the biggest fan of the cops, nor does he have any faith in their abilities. Well, he is waiting on Maya to contact her police connection to see if they know anything about this... but he's got a back-up option in case that doesn't pan out, so it's not like he has any faith in that, either.
But she bounces back soon enough, eyes all but sparkling as she smiles up at him. He smiles back. "Thanks," he says graciously, and leaves it at that. Whatever Kasumi doesn't ask, he doesn't have to respond to.
That smile fades as she recounts a recent incident. "I don't know for sure, but it sounds like it could've been," he replies, serious. "Hopefully it was innocent, but... what did the man look like?"
Either way, he's very glad Kasumi didn't take that guy up on it, even if it was just because she's too busy. That guy may or may not be part of the mafia, but turning him down means it's likelier Kasumi will turn down other, similar propositions.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"After all the stuff that happened with Kamoshida-sensei, and now this... It feels like the world is a more dangerous place than I realized." It's a little scary... But it'll be fine, right? It's just a few criminals here and there. They'll get caught in time. And Kasumi has enough to worry about.
Still, she'd like to help if she could! But as Ren asks what the guy she spoke with looked like, her brow scrunches up a little, "Mmmm... Tall... Dark hair. Casual street clothes?" She gives a shrug and apologetic smile, "Sorry, not much help is it? I wasn't paying much attention to what he looked like. I just wanted to end the conversation and get home." But she nods firmly, "If someone approaches me again, I'll make sure to study them closely!"
She pauses in thought for a moment though, before asking, "Though, uhhhh... How does that help you project? You're not going to try and track them down, are you!?" She looks at Ren in concern.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
That's definitely true. Ren looks away briefly. He learned that the hard way himself. If Kasumi can learn that lesson without anything bad happening to her... maybe it's a good thing he brought it up after all.
Still, he says, "I think as long as you're careful, you'll be fine. You already turned that one guy down. Just make a habit of it." He listens to her description. ...As she says, it's too generic to be of much use. Still, it's better than nothing. "Thanks. Hopefully that won't happen, though. Next time, it might be someone who refuses to take no for an answer. I'd rather you stay safe."
Kasumi asks a very valid question, though. Ren pauses for a split second. He is, but he's sure not going to tell her that. "Knowing what he looks like means that if other people I ask give me a similar description, it's probably the same guy," he replies, thinking fast. "Plus, I can give better warnings that way, too."
This is not a 'no.'
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"It DID seem a little suspicious..." Kasumi looks a little concerned that she had a brief run-in with a potential criminal and she didn't even realize it. But she nods along quickly with Ren's words, "Hopefully it won't... But if it does, I'll make sure to run away! I doubt they'd be able to keep up with me." She may not be an A class runner, but she still tries hard to stay physically fit. And that shows in her confident grin.
Ren does provide a very logical response to Kasumi's question, "Ah, that makes sense! I'll make sure to warn the others in my club too. I know some of them take the train home from practice as well."
Kasumi gives Ren a look of admiration, "You're so very thoughtful, Senpai! It's not your job or responsibility, yet you're trying to help keep everyone safe." She frowns a little, "It's really not fair that there are all those awful rumours about you spreading through the school. They're clearly wrong."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Yeah, it would be terrible to interact with a criminal and never realize it, huh?
Ren grins back at her, though. "It'd be hard to keep up with you if you were really that determined, yeah," he replies. She's someone who caught a balloon the instant after a child accidentally released it, after all; her agility is nothing to sneeze at. Between that and the fact that she'd be approached in a public place, it ought to be easy for her to get away. That's reassuring for both of them.
"Good thinking," he replies. 'They wouldn't listen to me if I said it,' he doesn't say--but then Kasumi brings that up on her own, if from a different angle. His eyes soften as he smiles back at her. She really is very sweet, and it feels good to be appreciated for what he's trying to do.
"...Thanks for believing in me." Some of those rumors are really outrageous, but they do stem from the fact that he was found guilty of a serious crime in court. It doesn't matter that he's actually innocent; they only know what they've heard, and he's not going to force anyone to give him more of a chance. That's too exhausting anyway. Because-- "They are, and it sucks, but if I've got friends like you in my corner, it's not such a big deal."
He pauses, then adds in concern, "Nobody gives you trouble for training with me, do they?" He wouldn't tell her to stop, but if she is getting trouble, maybe they shouldn't be doing this at school where people will see her hanging out with him.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Kasumi goes just a light tinge of red in embarrassment at Ren's thanks. But she just grins through it, "Of course! You've helped me too, so it's natural that I believe in you! Don't worry, I'll always be on your side." Things were a little rough for Kasumi to begin with, but she feels like things have been a little better since she's been confiding in Ren.
That said, not everything is going perfectly. And as Ren asks her if anyone is giving her trouble, her expression grows a little more uncertain as she turns her head to look back to the track as they run, "Ah... Well. No, not really... I guess they're all more focused on my performance lately. I'm still having trouble breaking out of this slump... And people are noticing."
Kasumi thinks back on the snippets of conversations she occasionally hears from the other students. And even some of the teachers. Her face darkens a little more...
... But then she puts on a smile, just a little bit forced, "It's understandable though. I'm here on a scholarship, after all. I just need to work harder and I'm sure my performance will get better." She's just a hint of doubt in her voice.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It's natural, huh? It speaks a lot to Kasumi's character that she can say that and mean it--some of them good, some of them less good. Ren chooses to focus on the good parts. "Thanks. Likewise," he says. After all, she's got her own troubles...
Which is what she segues into next. At least her clubmates aren't giving her trouble for associating with him, but if it's because they're giving her trouble about her slump instead, that's no good either. (Especially if maybe they're giving her more trouble about her slump because she hangs out with him, and just aren't saying that.)
Even so, Ren sees that new strain in her smile, hears that hint of doubt in her voice. He won't argue with her on if it's understandable or not--he gets her position--but even so...
"Let's pick up the pace a bit," he suggests. "I feel like I'm comfortable at this speed now, and I want to push my stamina harder."
It might be important to keep up with the basics, but that doesn't mean they can't raise the bar on what the basics are for them.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"Thanks." Kasumi smiles as Ren returns the sentiment of belief. It's nice to have someone on her side that is so supportive. It reminds her of...
Kasumi's thoughts dwell a little on her slump and how the students and teachers see her. She doesn't blame them for it, even if the pressure is a little high. It's just they knows she can do better... She knows it too. After all, she's done it before. So it makes sense for them, and her, to expect more. But for some reason she just cant seem to get her body to work as well as it once did.
'It'll be alright... I just need more practice.'
As if responding to her thought, Ren suggests increasing their pace. Appreciating the enthusiasm, as well as a change of subject, Kasumi smiles at him, "Ohhh? You think you're up for that? Alright then~" And with a sudden burst of acceleration she quickly pulls ahead of Ren.
Looking back over her shoulder, Kasumi laughs, "Let's see if you can keep up!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It's hard when you can't perform the way you want to--the way you know you're capable of. Ren isn't privy to Kasumi's thoughts, but he's had his own frustrations with training in the past. He managed to push through, so he's confident she can as well. She has the drive to succeed, and as his ex-coach told him, that's 90% of the battle there. Whatever's causing her slump, once she addresses that, she'll be just fine.
...Of course, that's a way more complicated matter than Ren could possibly imagine, but since he can't imagine it, he can continue to think it's a simple enough matter. He'll be supporting her either way as best he can.
Like in encouraging her to amp up her training by saying he's ready for the next step too. She seems ready too, but there's a hint of danger in her smile--
Made apparent when she abruptly leaves him in her dust and laughs playfully over her shoulder at him.
"Wha--hey, I said a bit!" Ren calls after her--but he laughs too as he puts on a burst of speed of his own. "Fine, just you watch!"
...
At the end of their joint practice, Ren is bent double, hands on his knees, and heaving for breath...