2025-09-15: Fashion Talk
- Log: Fashion Talk
- Cast: Kazusa Motojima, Ann Takamaki, Kazuhiro Motojima
- Where: Shujin Academy, Aoyama-Itchome, Tokyo
- OOC Date: September 15, 2025
- IC Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 (After School)
- Summary: It's after school, and Kazusa and Ann are both still at Shujin for their own reasons. They cross paths, though, and get to talking modeling, dieting, yoga, and /fashion/. Kzusa's brother Kazuhiro makes an appearance midway through the conversation, and at the end... a pact is made.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Classes and clubs have finished for the day, and one Kazusa Motojima... is still hanging around. Sure, she's got her practice in Rhythmic Gymnastics, but she's not over in the Practice building right now, she's in the classroom building--and on the first floor, no less.
She's of average height, with long straight black hair, and often-frowning dark purple eyes. She's in her uniform, with several silver bracelets on each wrist, and leaned against a wall. Her backpack is under her, and she's disinteretedly checking her nails.
Her eyes flick up to track the passage of the few students still left in the school, looking at them with an intensity that would dissuade many from approaching her.
One might wonder: what's she doing hanging around the classrooms for the first-year students?
She huffs and folds her arms, fingers drumming lightly. "Come on," she mutters under her breath.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Ann Takamaki has traditions. They kept her sane - as much as they could - during the bad years at Shujin. And when even they couldn't help, she still clung onto them. In the end...
She learned: you need to take any port in the storm you can find.
So, Ann still keeps to her little traditions. And one of them? Once (or twice (or thrice (or however many she damn pleases thank you!))) a week, after school, she stops by the -special- vending machine at the school for a little pick-me-up treat in the form of a soda only sold at that particular machine--
"Oh! Shiruko! Oh, oshiruko~!"
Yeah. That.
This would be Ann Takamaki, maneuvering through the dwindling crowds of departing students as she emerges from the courtyard underpass into the first year student floor bearing her spoils of victory in the form of a well-chilled can of Oh! Shiruko on her way to that sweet, sweet freedom from her scholastic jailers. The little jingle she sings (that she probably just made up on her own let's be real) fills the air, growing closer and closer to Kazusa the closer and closer Ann gets to that brief release from the academy that is 'the exit'.
"Makes you wanna say -- oh!"
And this is also Ann, turning the corner just in time to see someone... waiting there? As blonde-haired and blue-eyed as ever, Ann certainly stands out in the (largely) strict homogenization that is Shujin Academy; the little bits she's added to her untucked summer uniform like the gold, four leaf clover necklace she wears, or the sweater tied loosely around her hips by the sleeves, probably are just adding on to the pile.
She pauses, brows briefly furrowed. Isn't that... she swears she's seen this girl in Ryuji's class. What's she doing, skulking around the first years? ...
Ultimately, Ann just shrugs one shoulder and continues moving on a second later, that can of Oh! Shiruko held like a precious treasure between both of her hands as she walks past, intent on just offering a simple, "Hey," as she goes.
Weird, but. Who is Ann to judge? Probably, she's just waiting for a friend.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Small comforts can, indeed, be powerful things. Kazusa, if you were to listen to her (or to the rumors about her), might seem like she doesn't need small comforts--not since her family is so well off. The Motojima Corporation, which vears her family's name, is respnosible for producing many fine things like home electronics and video games.
But apparently it can't save her in this moment from the mundanity of boredom. Or waiting, as the case may be.
But Kazusa looks when she hears singing, and she smirks a little at that song. "Oh, hey. Takamaki-san, right?" The blonde hair and blue eyes do tent to stand out around here, so it's not a hard guess to make, even if they haven't really spoken before.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Oh, hey. Takamaki-san, right?
Honestly, it was - initially - just going to be a simple greeting on Ann's part. Before, she might've said nothing at all and continued on her way -- but lately, since everything with Kamoshida, it's been a little easier to open up and be more sociable.
So, even though she's intent to keep walking past, her sweet carbonated spoils in hand, when Kazusa follows up? Ann pauses, glancing over her shoulder. "Huh?" she begins, those sky blue eyes blinking. And then-- "Oh! Yeah. That's me. And you're..."
A second passes, as platinum brows scrunch up vaguely. Pink lips purse. She -thinks-. "Mmmmotojima-san, yeah?"
Does she not know the significance of that family name? She loves games -- though who knows when it comes to their inner workings. If she's aware, it doesn't seem to make much nevermind as she wonders,
"Waiting for someone?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa is used to being sociable. Having a famous family name kind of does a lot of the work for you, in a way, though there are certainly plenty of people who don't appreciate her brand of sociability. She's a known talent on the Rhythmic Gymnastics team, but she's also called Demon Queen behind her back.
arches an eyebrow as it takes Ann a moment to come up with her name. But she smiles as Ann gets there. "Kazusa Motojima, yes," she confirms. Now that she's having a proper conversation with someone (or at least starting to) she stands up straighter, pushing some hair behind her shoulder.
But Ann asks if she's waiting for someone. "Oh, just--"
And right then a first-year boy sticks his head out of the classroom door Kazusa has been waiting next to. "Hey, sorry about that--" He's average height--thought still much taller than Kazusa as a result, with short brown hair that's currently a bit messy.
"Whoa-- nice." This newcomer looks Ann up and down for a moment. "Blonde ahir, blue eyes... you're that girl they say is the model, aren't you? Didn't think I'd get to meet you myself."
Enter one Kazuhiro Motojima, first year and member of the Bastketball team, though it'd be fair not to be known--he's only been here a few months, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Rumors. Ann knows all about those. She's kept abreast of rumors around the school - largely as a self-preservation instinct, when those rumors were largely tilted at -her-. Eventually, she reached a point where she came to terms with who she was, and learned not to give a good god damn what anyone thinks or says about her. But she still hears things.
Like everything that was - is - going on with Yoshizawa. Or the situation with Okumura foods. Or...
'The Demon Queen of Shujin.'
It's a menacing title. But Ann's made it personal policy -not- to judge people based on the reputations others weave for them. There's no judgment there, as Kazusa straightens and starts to answer that question--
Whoa-- nice.
Someone else makes themselves known.
This person? This person Ann -really- doesn't know. But she does know that tone, and the way he's sizing her up. A frown on pink lips, she shoulders her satchel a bit closer and gives him one of those guarded, 'can I help you?' kind of looks. Didn't think I'd get to meet you myself, he says.
"Uh. Yeah. My name's Ann," she says simply, at first. "Ann Takamaki." Her her left hand lifting to hook her thumb under the strap of her bag, her right holds that precious can of Oh! Shiruko dangling at her side as she turns more fully to face them both.
"I mean. We go to the same school. Odds are good you'd see me eventually. That's, like. One of those probability things." She's not -exactly- sure that's how probability works, but it -sounds- right, while also downplaying how super awesome it is to meet her. Forgive her, Kawakami-sensei! She'd learn math better if it wasn't so boring...!!
Blue eyes slide sidelong, Kazusa's way, questioning. "Are you two friends, orrr...?"
No, she definitely doesn't know. She knows rumors, not family trees!
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Some of the rumors and whispers aboutr Yoshizawa may have, in fact, come from Kazusa herself. She's on the team, after all, and has been keeping a close eye on the girl who's supposed to be an Olympic prospect.
As for the newcomer, it's not the best look, is it? But he plows on, seemingly oblivious to the tension. He looks at her as she speaks of probabilities ad then smiles. "Well, see you, sure, but aren't you a second year?" He's got his own bag that he's just now shouldering himself. "I'm Kazuhiro Motohima."
Kazusa audibly sighs and rolls her eyes. "Took you long enough." She reaches out to jab Kazuhiro in the side with a finger. "And stop being weird. Sheesh."
Kazuhiro seems to laugh this off, though. "Sorry If I came on a little strong."
The other girl just scoffs and shakes her head. "Sorry, that dweeb is my brother. My brother who kept me waiting. What were you even doing in there?"
"Well I lost something, so I had to look--"
Kazusa cuts him off. "Whatever, I don't care. Now you're going to have to wait." She looks to Ann and gives her a smile that is... at least mostly pleasant, if still tinged with annoyance. "I was going to ask you about your modeling work. Do you have specific brands you work with, or is it just based on who hires you for a particular job?"
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Kazuhiro Motojima.
"Oh! You're Motojima-san's little brother, huh?"
Ann, blithely ignoring talk about seeing her around and what grade she's in, latches onto the first pivotable topic she finds like an old hand at this sort of thing. It's so smooth and nonchalant that it -must- just come to her as naturally as breathing.
just ask morgana he'll tell you all about it (once you get over the hurdle of talking to a cat)
The interplay with siblings, at least, goes -some- distance at easing those reflexive walls Ann pulls up, enough so that her stance eases a little and she offers a little smile. "Don't worry about it," she says to both apologies, like water off a duck's back. She waves a hand dismissively. "I can deal with weirdos just fine!"
--
how does she manage to take something that sounds so rude on its face and spin into something so harmlessly positive??
This is the power of Ann Takamaki. And also, tone of voice.
Still, the interplay between siblings continues; as Kazusa cuts off Kazuhiro, Ann's head tilts thoughtfully, platinum twintails bobbing with the motion. She's never had anything like a sibling relationship, really -- and come to think of it, most of her friends are only children too, and Makoto's relationship with her sister seems........ complicated.
Maybe this is just how siblings are. As an outsider looking in, it feels like... ... how she and Ryuji interact.
...
oh god no--
"H-huh?" Ann, thankfully, is stirred from the cusp of horrifying revelations on Found Family by Kazusa. Asked that question, she blinks.
"Oh!" she begins as her thoughts finally catch up with her. "Uh. A little of column A, a little of column B, I guess?" Ann scratches her cheek as she contemplates. "The modeling is kinda like a side gig for me, so I don't have any formal contracts per se. I do have a couple brands I have a longer working relationship with -- like, they enjoy your work, so they bring you back for another campaign, that kinda thing, y'know? But otherwise it's just whoever's got a job and gets in contact for a photoshoot. Or, if they need someone to fill in for another model. It's so much more freeing. The whole brand ambassador thing? On a whole other level."
Well. For a 'side gig,' she seems to have a lot of knowledge on the subject. One could easily get the impression they're just scratching the surface.
"Oh! Why d'you ask? Are you looking to get into it?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"That's me!" Kazuhiro says of being Kazusa's brother, wearing an easy grin. If he notices the pivot he doesn't seem to comment on it. (Kazusa notices but she actually agrees with the pivot so also says nothing.)
Ann says not to worry, and that she can handle weirdos just fine. Kazuhiro blinks for a moment... and then smiles. "Right on, that's awesome! You must be pretty talented, then."
Kazusa just shoots her little brother a look through narrowed eyes, with a little snort of disgust. Maybe not even her brother is spared the "Demon Queen's" wrath? Though... she hsan't gone off on him, at least.
But Ann has an answer, and Kazusa, at least, seems a little interested in what she has to say. (Kazuhiro starts out listening but seems to tune out after a moment.)
Can you imagine what it must be like to be responsible for carrying the name of an entire brand? Or, daresay, an entire company? There's definitely nothing to be tied up with the idea of legacy or anything else, is there?
"So you're free to work with whoever you want, then," observes Kazusa. "That must have its own advantages, not being tied down to one specific thing."
At Ann's question, though, Kazusa laughs, a bit hautily, and shakes her head. "I wouldn't have the time. Between training, homework, and all of my other obligations, I just wouldn't have any room. Well, unless someone wanted to have me model athletic wear, I suppose." Kazusa shrugs, as of an endorsement deal wouldn't be a major thing. "I was just curious. I like keeping up on what's happening with fashion."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Kazuhiro Motojima seems a young man content to live in his own world.
Honestly, Ann can respect that. Plugging out and shrugging off the slings and arrows of the world took a lot of doing on her part.
For now, though, it's the elder Motojima who has her attention, what with the question on a particular area of expertise for the half-Japanese Second Year. As Kazusa speaks on the advantages, Ann beams a little eye-squinting beam of a grin, pointing the other girl's way.
"Mhm!" she declares, cheerily. "You get it. It's so much more flexible, if you can manage to get to that point! And then I can help shoots out who need it, or just pursue projects that look interesting!"
It's -- definitely not the kind of freedom someone struggling to get into the field would be able to enjoy, that's for sure. But then... everything about the way Ann talks about this just screams of someone who's been a part of it in some form or another for a -long- time.
And she's prepared to use that experience to the benefit of providing Kazusa advice on exactly -how- to break in -- but that primed explanation ends up being wholly unnecessary. Kazusa denies the possibility of modeling -- while being -very- casual about the possibility of getting a brand deal with an athletic company.
"Busy, huh," Ann surmises -- but something about the nonchalance of that shrugged thought reminds her of something: didn't she see Kazusa somewhere else? ... OH RIGHT THE PALACE
Ann's eyes widen. "Oh yeah! You're on the gymnastics team!" she suddenly blurts, as if it were some great revelation. Look -- it is to her! There was a lot going on that day! Between the principal and the vice principal and the TANK and Ren getting MURDERED by CHALK -- some things take a while to catch back up to her!! But she remembers -- that cognitive Kazusa. And the things she said to Yoshizawa... huh.
Well -- Principal Kobayakawa's cognitions were completely off-base on a lot of things, weren't they? She's not going to make assumptions based on that creep's thoughts on how his school works.
So instead: Ann -pushes past- with a laugh and and off-handed, "N-no wonder you're so busy!" before focusing on that last comment instead:
"--Right! Keeping up with the latest trends is soooo much fun. And then getting in some hands-on shopping to find the perfect ensemble...!" Oh yeah. This is in Ann's blood. Speaking of which:
"You should totally check out the upcoming Tokyo Fashion Week. Lots of exciting stuff coming for the new fall collections. I can't wait!"
Ann ought to know -- her parents have been at the forefront of Tokyo's fashion weeks for years, now.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazuhiro will tell some of his friends tomorrow that he actually got to talk to Ann Takamaki in person. Which is technically true, even if Kazusa is currently carrying most of the conversation.
"I bet they love having someone who can come in on a moment's notice, too--"
"Like a pinch hitter!" chimes in Kazuhiro. Okay, maybe he was paying more attention than it seemed.
Kazuhiro pauses mid-thought and just turns to stare at Kazuhiro. Arms cross. "... Really?"
Kazuhiro looks to his sister. "What? That's when the call in a substitute--"
"Ugh. Forget it," says Kazusa with a disgusted snort.
She won't begrudge Ann her success, anyway. It's not like she didn't get certain advantages, either. She's about to respond to 'Busy' when Ann suddenly seems to remember-- Kazusa takes it in stride, with a smile. "I am," she says, cool and confident. "I've been on Shujin's Rhythmic Gymnastics team since middle school."
Sadly, Kazusa has no idea what a Palace is (aside from the ordinary kind) or a Cognition (in any sense), but the things she said to Yoshizawa... well, what the Cognition said was different in degree but not in kind to how Kazusa acts. But Ann might not know that unless she's watched the team practice, or she's talked to Kasumi.
"I'm sure you must be busy as well, considering all the work you've put into your modeling." But the comment about shopping actually gets a smile with a little bit of warmth to it. "Good coordination is so important, don't you think?"
And there might be a little bit more warmth at the next suggestion. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything." With an almost conspiratorial tone she leans in just a little. "Are you... involved with that at all, by any chance? You don't have to spill anything that's secret, but I have to know."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Kazuhiro is here with timely baseball analogies! They are, in fact, on point.
He's just not with his target audience, judging by how Ann kind of scratches her cheek with her index finger and looks painfully bemused. Behold:
"Um. Y-yeah? Maybe? ... Is that a... err... basketball thing??"
The Tragedy of the Baseball Enthusiast in One Act
Thankfully, -Ann- seems to be able to shrug off her EMBARRASSING lack of knowledge or care about Japan's favorite pastime -incredibly easily-. What a trooper! It's with a cheerful shrug and a blithe "sorry, eheh~" that she returns her attention to Kazusa, hands clasped behind her back. Really -- the only sport Ann was ever actually interested in was volleyball, and that was only ever because it was Shiho's passion.
Which might make her knowledge about the gymnastics team to anyone who actually knows her -sort of sus- but, thankfully -- there's no one here who does! Hurray, lack of connections!(??) So instead, her brilliant wave off successful, she remarks, "Huh! That's some serious commitment." It reminds her of Shiho, in a way she just pushes right past because some memories are just too painful right now: "I've never been much of the athletics type personally, ha ha..."
And here, Ann rubs the back of her head and sticks out her tongue in a little 'what can you do?' kind of gesture. Really, it probably just makes the fact that she's still somehow in good shape some sort of great injustice of nature, but -- what can you do?
"Oohhh, I dunno. Modeling's really kinda a side job for me, y'know?" she says, on the matter of how busy it keeps her. "But I guess the shoots can take up a lot of time. Oh! Like one time the photographer was being so picky about getting a shoot just right and it was one of those things where you had to hold the most awkward pose, like,"
and here she bends one leg and lifts her arms at a strange curve like she was trying to pretend to be a flamingo; she manages three whole seconds of this before she kind of just stumbles back out of it with a slumped-shoulder look of defeat
"and I had to hold it for hours. Ugh. I was so sore the next day. Sometimes I think I should start taking yoga just so I don't have to worry about that..."
... And yoga -would- help her with her Phantom Thief work. Hm. On the other hand: yoga cuts into precious snack time... ...
ah, life is difficult
Still -- there's fashion to talk of! And Ann is giddy as can be -now-, utterly in her element and beaming bright with the bob of her head and an enthusiastically agreeable, "Mhm!" chasing the heels of Kazusa's comments on coordination. "So important. Sometimes finding the perfect look can take me hours. But it's sooooo worth it."
Kazusa leans in. Ann blinks. And as that -conspiratorial- notion changes hands, Ann grins, and leeeeans in as well.
"Welllllll," she says, in hushed tones, "I'm not exactly involved - unless they need more for something, you know? - but my parents are going to be showcasing this fall! I keep trying to get them to spill their guts about what they've got planned" in the rare times she actually gets to speak with them she deigns not to mention "but they're being really tight-lipped about it! So frustrating! But if I find anything juicy out, I'll slide a couple hints your way~."
The struggle, truly, is real.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Ann doesn't get teh analogy, and Kazusa seems to not care about it (regardless if she gets it or not.) Kazuhiro laughs good-naturedly when Ann identifies basketball, though, seemingly unphased. "Oh, no, it's baseball! But I can see how you'd get it confused, since I did try out for the basketball team and all."
Kazusa rolls her eyes. "She probably has no idea who you are," she mutters under her breath.
Kazuhiro looks to Kazusa for a moment, blinking. "... you think so...?" He brightens a moment later. "Well, that's fair, I'm not a firststringer yet, you know?" He seems to be able to shrug off embarrassment almost as well as Ann.
Kazusa just stares, scoffs, and shakes her head, and turns her own attention back to Ann. She smiles at the comment about commitment. "Well, when you're good at something..." she says as a low-key brag. "No?" She says in mock surprise. "But you must keep in great shape for all your modeling work, right?"
She won't question being recognized, since it works in her favor this time around.
"'Just' a side job? When you've got everything set up just the way you want it?" Kazusa asks with playful skepticism. "Tell me another one." But Ann has a story and Kazusa watches, sees the pose, can even relate since she's no stranger to holding difficult poses herself. "Oh my god, you're putting in hours in that pose and the photographer can't make up his mind?" Kazusa shakes her head. "Honestly, it sounds like he didn't have any respect for your time."
Kazuhiro seems like he's about to comment on the funny pose. A shark elbow jab in the side seems to convince him otherwise.
"Honestly, yoga is kind of amazing for opening up your joints, and I use it to stay limber when I'm not training." Kazusa smiles, and it is actually pleasant, for once. "If you want, I can recommend the place I go to. It's this quaint little studio, you'd love it."
Snacks, the bane of any figure-conscious teenage girl.
"It is!" Kazusa says of the time investment. "And sometimes you even have to start planning a day or two in advance, right?" she says with total confidence that Ann will agree with her on that.
Conspiratorial whispers ensue. "How can they hold out on you like that!" complains Kazusa with a (mock?) indignation. But her smile widens when Ann promises to send her hints if she can get anyway. "That would make my whole fashion season," she replies with a delighted tone, barely keeping a happy squeal out of her voice. "If I hear anything juicy, I'll share, but of course, you're in a so much better position for hot fashion gossip than I am, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
She probably has no idea who you are.
... you think so...?
"No way!" Ann Takamaki insists. "You're - uh - Motojima-san's little brother!"
Does regurgitating knowledge you literally just learned mean you know someone?
Well, at the very least, it means you have an idea, so it still counts!
Kazuhiro seems to bounce back with the same rubbery ease as Ann, though, which is good, because she doesn't want to get into a whole thing about basketball - baseball? baseketball?? - and potentially be rude when her mind inevitably wanders. Instead, she turns her attention to Kazusa, who is struck by (mock) surprise by her declaration! Surely, though, Ann -must- do -something- to keep in shape, right? ... R-right??
"Huh? Well, I mean, I guess?" Ann concedes, absent-mindedly. Which, thank god-- "Like... limiting myself to one big dessert day a week!"
...
"Maaaaaybe two if it's been a, like. Super stressful week."
what is this fae creature's metabolism
Navigating away from the cruel realities of Ann's highly improbable dieting ("dieting") routine for staying in shape, the blonde grimaces a little as Kazusa makes her observation on the photographer's lack of respect. "Right? Such an annoying time. But, like. Mm. I dunno. You kinda get used to it. Like you have to get used to the fact that sometimes the magazine or company you're doing a shoot for doesn't decide to pick up the advertising campaign or whatever, and suddenly all that work was kinda for nothing."
Ann's shoulders lift, her free hand returning to the strap of her bag. A thoughtful frown touches pink lips. "... Honestly? I'm probably super lucky it's never been any worse than that."
It's harder and harder to -not- notice the uglier sides of the things she once put on a pedestal, these days. Sometimes she wonders what kind of distorted desires you'd find in the modeling industry. ... Sometimes she hopes she doesn't ever have to.
But now isn't the time for deep thoughts! Now is the time -- for yoga reccs! "H-huh? Seriously?" Ann wonders, sky blue eyes flying wide. "That'd be awesome! I could definitely stand to be a little more flexible." Ostensibly, this is for the sake of modeling.
But in her head, Ann Takamaki just has endless Catwoman Backflips running through her thoughts on repeat.
This, this is a worthy snackrifice...! Probably. Maybe. Sometimes you just wanna curl up with a Haagen-Dazs and not do a downward dog or whatever.
... She swears she's gonna at least try to commit to it!!
Still; Ann is soon dragged out of her daydreaming about being as cool as Catwoman by Kazusa, and the siren song of outfit selection. She nods repeatedly, pointing with her free pointer Kazusa's way, while intoning with no small gravity, "You get it. You specifically get it."
Truly, they have found common ground...!
And with this, Kazusa Motojima and Ann Takamaki seem to come to an accord. And as Kazusa promises to share anything -she- gets on fashion week, well--
Ann thrusts out her hand in offering, her expression sincere. Solemn, even.
"We have a deal, Motojima-san."
That she's more extending her -pinky- in offering rather than her whole hand just underscores the importance of this pact.
After all, there is no way to seal a deal more serious... than the pinky promise.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Ann correctly labels Kazuhiro as Kazusa's little brother. Kazuhiro, for his part, seems to light up. "Hey, yeah! So you do know me!"
Kazusa... facepalms. "Kazuhiro-kun, I just told her that..." she mutters, voice strained with annoyance.
"And then she remembered, see?" Kazuhiro says this with a chipper smile.
Kazusa just rolls her eyes.
She stares at Ann, next, as she reveals her dieting ("dieting") tips. "Ugh, shut up. That's so not fair if that's all you have to do to get a figure like that." It's struggle sometimes, and she even actively exercises!
Still. "Well, that still sucks. I guess it's the same thing when you put in a bunch of training and don't even get selected to represent the team at a meet. All that effort..."
"Seriously!" confirms Kazusa, shaking off the gloomy topic of wasted effort. "I'll get you the address, and oh--I even know a store that sells the cutest yoga clothing. We should go together sometime. It's so hard to get good feedback while shopping, isn't it?"
Backflips are honestly kind of fun to do, Kazusa will not begrudge Ann her thoughts. (At least not those ones. Maybe the ones about having a second big dessert day, because come on, seriously??)
There might actually be a warmer smile from Kazusa that is not also just a little bit condescending as well as Ann recognizes her mutual understanding. "Honestly, it's so nice to talk to someone else who understands."
A pact is offered. Kazusa looks down at the offered finger seriously, then back to Ann and nods once, solemnly.
Kazusa extends her own pinky and hooks it with Ann's. "Deal."