2025-10-04: Order Up
- Log: Order Up
- Cast: Kazusa Motojima, Rin Sasaki
- Where: Coffee Shop, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
- OOC Date: October 04, 2025
- IC Date: Saturday, July 21, 2012 (Afternoon)
- Summary: Coffee shops are meant to be places where one can relax and get some studying or work done. But an order mixup brings Kazusa and Rin into contact for a conversation that turns terse.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
It is Saturday, and that means a half day of classes! But more importantly, that means time for studying. So much studying. Finals are next week, after all. Kazusa and Wakana arrived at the small coffee shop in their neighborhood and claimed a corner table a while ago, with textbooks and notebooks spread out.
The coffee shop is a small joint, cozy and intimate, without all of the corporate presence of a larger chain. It also happens to be trendy, the type of place everyone buzzes about, which is whyKazusa was drawn here. (It is accordingly also a bit on the pricey side but Kazusa doesn't worry about that.)
Kazusa and Wakana are both average height and slender, and wearing their Shujin uniforms. Kazusa has straight black hair, purple eyes, a rather stern demeanor, and several silver bracelets on each wrist. Wakana has short brown hair and brown eyes, and seems a bit more relaxed.
It might be a wonder how these two are studying together peacefully, with those diametric personalities on display.
Right now, though, there is a call for "Motojima-san!" Kazusa gets up and walks briskly over to the pick-up counter. "That's mine," she says, reaching for the cup she sees on the counter. Before the barista can stop her she picks it up and takes a sip, then nearly spits it out. "What the--!? Hey!" she snaps. "I didn't order mine black. This is the wrong drink!"
"I'm sorry, miss," says the barista with a hurried bow and an air that she was perhaps a bit too used to Kazusa's outbursts. "There must have been a mixup, I'll remake it right away."
Kazusa didn't order hers black, but someone did...
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin has only recently arrived. Having received her order, she went to set up at a table along the back wall, near a window, only to take a sip of coffee and discover she had instead been served an affront to the senses.
And so it that she is approaching the counter again only a moment after Kazusa snaps at the barista. She is a thin woman in her late twentys, standing just a little above average height, with a soft, narrow face and pale skin. She is wearing a long, flowing emerald chiffon skirt, a loose white blouse and open low-healed sandals. Styled, wavy black hair frames her face and spills down her back; manicured nails and glittering earrings and a wedding ring. She is carrying a high-quality black leather handbag over one arm, large enough for a laptop and a few other items.
There is an exhaustion in her eyes that makeup cannot quite hide.
Hana-san," she chides the barista by name with a small sigh as she glances sidelong at Kazusa. A hint of bemusement softens her voice a touch, yet the disappointment in her voice remains clear; perhaps this is not the first time this has happened. "No highschooler wants black coffee. And I *certainly* did not want...whatever this is," she continues, looking back at the barista and setting the skim-milk abomination on the counter.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa looks at Rin as she arrives with the other half of the mixed-up orders. There is a sharp, scrutinizing look from Kazusa as she takes in all the details. Hair, clothing, jewelry, and that high-quality bag.
Kazusa's got her own nails painted as well, with a pink ombre.
And she catches that exhaustion.
The Barista bows, "Ahh, my apologies, ma'am. I'll remake yours right away as well." She takes the second cup to later dispose of it, and is now frantically starting work on remaking both orders.
Kazusa crosses her arms, fingertips impatiently tapping at her upper arm. "That was /my/ drink," she declares, in a tone that carries the implicit assertion of 'Everything I drink is stylish and definitely not an abomination.' She snorts softly. "Who gets a plain black coffee? Bo-ring."
She then turns her attention back to the barista, waiting with silent judgement for a moment before glancing back to Rin. In a tone that is trying a little hard to appear casual and disinterested, she asks, "... where id you get that bag?"
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
If Rin notices the scrutinizing look, she does not acknowledge it; aside from the exhaustion in her eyes, it would be very difficult to find fault in her physical appearance or general carriage. After her her comment to the barista, she does not really acknowledge Kazusa at all until the latter speaks.
Rin did not actually verbally declare the returned coffee an abomination, but she did at least speak of it scathingly upon the return, so perhaps little difference. There's a slight pause after the comment about black coffee before Rin responds. "Good coffee speaks for itself -- but the subtle flavors are drowned out with milk or sugar." Her voice is smooth and unbothered, but once more, there's an undercurrent of exhaustion that she can't quite mask. "And the coffee here *is* very good; even if the service is...inconsistant."
The question that breaks the silence a moment later elicits a faint smile from Rin; she recognizes the tone of disaffected interest. She turns then to face Kazusa, who has perhaps made the critical error of getting her talking. "Oh, there's this lovely little shop over in Hibaya -- Tideway; mostly all handcrafted. It's in an underground mall not too far from the station." The weariness is still there, but she's slowly becoming a little more animated. "And...forgive my curiosity, but I heard the name -- any relationship to Motojima Corporation?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
There is a response to Kazusa's comment, and Kazusa looks to Rin. She flicks a long lock of hair back behind her shoulder with a dismissive gesture. "If I'm going to pay all that money for coffee I want them to put some real work into it." She doesn't roll her eyes but it might be evident in her voice that she wants to. But the service... "Tell me about it." At least they can agree on that.
She does not turn to face Rin yet, but she is listening as Rin describes the store. "Hibaya... got it." She does turn when she hears 'handmade', though. "Then I'll definitely have to check it out."
... She could maybe say 'thank you' for the tip, but she doesn't.
That last question, gets another scrutinizing look. And then a roll of her shoulder as if what she's about to say isn't a big deal. "My father is the CFO." That would be Kazuki Motojima.
If Rin is really sharp she might also know Kazuki's relation to two video game making legends, Shigeki and Kae Motojima, a husband and wife team responsible for some of the earliest video games. They're his parents.
Another stare, and then Kazusa says. "What's it to you?"
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin at least doest not appear to be put off by Kazusa's brusque mannerisms, nor do her own shift upon learning of the highschooler's father.
"Oh, as I said, just curiosity," Rin replies casually with a wave of her free hand. She shifts her weight to her other foot and glances over to check the barista's progress before returning her attention to Kazusa. "It's just such a shame they won't go public." A short sigh.
"There's so *few* domestic companies worth investing in, and then -- if what *I've* read is at all to be believed -- what *would* be one of the best candidates locks themselves away. And, well." She clicks her tongue a couple of times, as if trying to remember. "I suppose -- your grandparents, then? They were such early movers in the industry; they could have pushed their advantage so much further with more capital. Still could, really." In the moment, Rin seems to both find this state of affairs genuinely lamentable and also forget that she's talking to a highschooler.
"Aah. I would *kill* for a Motojima IPO."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
The tapping of her fingers on her arm goes a bit more insistent as Rin starts to wax on about her family's company. She's watching the barista, too, feeling antsier and antsier.
When Rin says it's a shame the company won't go public, Kazusa rolls her eyes. "I'm a second year. It's not like I can really do anything about that."
Domestic companies. Kazusa lets out a frustrated sigh. "It's not like I know anything about that. And like, seriously, what's it to you? You'd better not be some kind of stalker or something. If you want to know something about the company call them yourself."
And then she tenses when her grandparents are brought up, her voice suddenly snapping to something low and seething. "... what did you just say?" Then she snaps, "I don't care about IPOs or whatever, but I don't want to talk about my family with a stranger--"
And it's at this point that Wakana (remember Wakana? She's been studying at the table waiting for Kazusa to get back) gets up and quickly interjects herself into the conversation, all smiles and apologies. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but what I think Kazusa-chan is trying to say is, weeeee have a lot of studying to do for finals next week, so she should get back to it. Right, Kazusa-chan?"
Wakana turns her hopeful and apologetic smile on Kazusa, who just snorts in disgust and looks the other way. "... what she said," she mutters in a much quieter, though no less strained tone.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin may have picked up on the growing irritation faster if she less tired. Or perhaps not; perhaps there was an underlying assumption that, highschooler or not, anyone connected to such a large family venture would have a keener interest in it.
Kazusa's sudden snapping only seems to ruffle Rin very slightly, if at all, but the accusation of stalking does seem to surprise her. "*Stalking*? Goodness, no. Merely public information and my own opinion -- it seems a very impressive operation on the whole; that is all." She smiles apologetically. "But my apologies if my comments were too personal. I suppose such things really would not be of any concern at your age."
Wakana is a welcome interruption, with her transparent efforts to smooth things over. Rin does still have work to do hself (if the correct order ever arrives; maybe she really ought to find a different venue, even if the coffee and the wi-fi are both excellent here) and one way or the other, she wasn't expecting her offhand comments to elicit such a strong reaction. Maybe she should have. It *is* a family enterprise. "Of course," she responds smoothly to Wakana with a proferred smile. "I wouldn't want to keep either of you from studying for finals. And best of luck to you both."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Maybe Kazusa does have an interest, or maybe not. Maybe she's just irritated waiting for her order, or maybe there's something else going on. Who can say.
Rin thinks the corporation is impressive. Kazusa huffs. "Yeah, well, I have finals, to study for, so I'm not really in the mood to discuss finance and investments right now."
As luck would have it, right with Wakana's timely interruption also comes the timely arrival of their coffee orders! (Well, timely for this conversation, less timely for the fact that it created the sapace for this conversation to occur to begin with.)
"Once again, I'm terribly sorry for the mixup," says the Barista with a bow.
Kazusa rolls her eyes. "Finally," she mutters. She steps over to the offered cup and pauses. "... You got them right this time, right?" She takes hers, peers at it, sips, and then nods. "Well at least you didn't mess it up twice."
And with that Kazusa just... turns and walks back to her table. She doesn't even say goodbye! It's up to Wakana to apologize awkwardly. "Um, I'm sure Kazusa had a nice time talking to you?" That seems doubtful. "And we'll make sure to check out that store sometime. Enjoy your coffee!" And with that, Wakana also turns to head back to the table.
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
Rin waits for Kauzsa to take her coffee first. (She also refrains from asking the second girl if she has to do this often). She then takes her own order and heads back to her original table by the window. Laptop out, she pauses tiredly for a lengthy moment before getting to work herself.