2025-10-05: Nice Smiles
- Log: Nice Smiles
- Cast: Shinjiro Aragaki, Minako Arisato
- Where: Iwatodai Dormitory
- OOC Date: October 05, 2025
- IC Date: July 21, 2012
- Summary: Minako catches Shinjiro in a good mood while cooking. He offers her some food, and the two chat about school, SEES, burdens, and whether you can truly look away from the types of thing they deal with.
(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|) -================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====- A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well appointed for co-ed gatherings. A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students. There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says 'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available. The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary. BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
It is almost dinner time in the Iwatodai Dormitory, and that means only one thing: Shinjiro is cooking.
The smell of beef in dashi, soy, and mirin permeates the kitchen, rice cooking as well. Shinjiro's got the pan cooking, as he migrates around the open-doored kitchen to grab some toppings. He seems to be in a very good mood, one worth trying to approach him if one wanted to get to know him better, especially since he seems to be almost done cooking. He's never cooked for anyone else directly yet, despite his clear skills in the kitchen, commanding it with the confidence of a professional chef.
He's also dressed in a newer red leather coat, with faux wolf fur trim, fingerless gloves, and his beanie on his head. He's humming a bit some melody.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
It is almost dinner time, and thus, Minako Arisato is summoned.
She may not be the most talented cook, but she does love good cooking. So the smell of beef and rice, with the added ingredients, lures her down. The redhead pokes her head around the stairwell, her red eyes blinking a couple of times. And then she steps out of the stairwell. She wonders, for a second, who is cooking.
She didn't expect Shinjiro.
But she still, as ever, smiles. Minako straightens her back out and then approaches -- having to look up at him. He seems happy -- and, more than that, he seems like he is in his element. This prompts her to smile.
"Oui, chef!" she says, beaming.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro's casual command of the kitchen lets him tilt his head to greet Minako without actually stopping what he's doing (if he was cutting ingredients, that'd be different, but he already did all of that!)
"Hey, Arisato." Shinjiro greets, his lack of honorific as usual only working when both Arisatos aren't in the same room. "You're in a good mood," he says to the beaming, smiling lightly himself at 'oui chef'. He has a nice smile, one he rarely uses.
"How's finals prep going?" He asks as he modulates the heat a bit, the cursed question, but an important one because it involves a topic he's been thinking on. "Kirijo isn't working you all to the bone, is she?"
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"I'm... mostly there," Minako says, with an awkward and sheepish laugh. She steps partway into the kitchen. At the entryway to it, really, which she stands by. Her hands clasp in front of her school uniform's skirt, as she looks at him, and considers for a moment.
"Which is probably helping with the mood," she says, with a little laugh.
Then, she shakes her head. "Not too much. I mean--um--you know. I dread what might happen, if I fail. Kirijo-senpai seems scary, if that happens..." She trails off. "You're a natural at cooking, did you know that?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Mostly there probably feels better than mostly not, at least," Shinjiro muses. "Like the glass half full or half empty thing." The food looks almost cooked, and it is cooked as well as it can be. It's clearly being made in a big batch, likely for leftovers, and 'natural' is a good way to put it.
He shakes his head once about Kirijo. "She means well. She wouldn't push if she didn't want you to succeed. Hell, she's been trying for a while now to get me to re-enroll, so I know what her 'bad side' there is like..." He also trails off, but it doesn't down his mood, surprisingly.
But the cooking natural comment gets him to turn his head a minute, as if looking to ingredients, but really to hide his embarrassment. "It's nothing. I just wanted some gyudon, so I made some gyudon." A pause. "You cook too, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Yeah. I have a few subjects I'm not sure about, and... you know. I don't want to be overconfident." Minako laughs, and then she tilts her head -- and watches him as he puts some of the finishing touches on it. It looks like a lot of food -- clearly enough for a few meals, whether his or simply for leftovers.
She blinks, though, at what Shinjiro explains. That takes her by surprise for a moment, though only for a moment. "That makes sense... she did seem concerned," Minako admits. "I--um--I remember her saying you should re-enroll. Do you plan to?"
A beat, then, at the question.
Minako laughs and glances to the side. Her fingers reach to the ribbon around the white collar of her shirt, and she gives it a little tug. "S-Sure, yeah!" she says. "All the time! Sometimes I, uh, make ramen. Or... a sandwich. Or... um. You know. Eggs?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro dials down the heat to a stop as Minako mentions her subjects. "Which ones?" he asks, making small talk. "I'm sure everyone can trade help..." Though he's admittedly not sure *he* can.
About re-enrolling, though... he downturns his lips thoughtfully, as if considering. "I'm not sure. A week ago, I would have said no, but I've had some interesting conversations that have made me think."
Shinjiro suspects some anxiety on Minako's part, and as he's done cooking, turns fully towards her to give her the time of day, leaning slightly against the counter. "That's good. Have you mixed the eggs into the ramen? I learned that before I got professional training."
A pause, as he looks back to his food... maybe he can ease the distance he's feeling a little. That's selfish enough, right? She's been supportive to him so far, even if they barely know each other, so...
"You hungry?"
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Math and science, and literature," Minako says. She grimaces. "Especially literature. I'm more of a modern fiction kind of gal."
She tilts her head to the side -- and then she nods at him. "You didn't seem enthusiastic, at the meeting, Aragaki-senpai. But... if you want to come back, we'd all be behind you." She smiles, giving him a thumbs-up.
Then, she laughs once. "Yeah," she says. "I heard about that and tried it. I'm just not super skilled. I'm definitely not wowing people with those masterfully crafted bentos," she says. She looks at the food he cooked -- it's hard to not compare -- and then back at him. Her face splits into a grin when he offers.
"Yeah, I am!"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Literature, huh?" Shinjiro tosses that around, skipping over math and science because... he sucks at those. "I got given a book recently, No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. It's a good read, if... not one to read in a bad headspace." Perhaps that's why he's trying to keep his mood up.
"...I wasn't," Shinjiro admits about enthusiasm. "It's... as you might remember, I was hanging out on the streets, right? Avoiding people, avoiding life. Aki and Kirijo dragged me back. Then recently, someone helped me find the thought that maybe a little bit of selfishness isn't the worst thing you can do. I'm still tossing that around."
He then moves back into the skills topic, for a lighter change of pace. "I get it, I wasn't always able to do this. I got a job a few years back at Hagakure, worked there for a little bit. Chef taught me all the serious stuff, more than helping make pancakes at the orphanage."
Shinjiro waits for the food to cool a light bit, before moving to start migrating it into two bowls while still hot. "First time's free. Next time, you gotta help," he jokes. But it's not really one, he does prefer help if he's going to feed someone.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Ah, yeah?" Minako asks. She considers that for a second. "That sounds interesting... I might have to check it out? I mostly have trouble with--you know. The classical stuff, I guess. That stuff just goes right past me, sometimes." She sighs. "Most of the time."
She listens, though, and then Minako nods. She remembers running into him on the streets -- and in the hospital, when Sanada was hospitalized. "Yeah," she says. "That's true. It's not bad to be selfish, sometimes. That person sounds like they're smart."
She breaks into a smile, then, and she nods. She heads to the table, grabbing two sets of chopsticks and two napkins. It's not a fancy place-setting. "Deal," she says. "But I'm not gonna be as much help as the other line cooks at Hagakure, just warning you."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro nods once. "It's from the forties, so if that counts as classical you might bounce off, but it feels really... direct? Not like other literature of the time." A pause. "I get it, though. I was never great at any subject besides, what, physical ed? Kirijo walks circles around me and Aki... is Aki."
It's not bad to be selfish... another point for it. "Their name is Tsumugi Kujaku, from that Peacock Silk place. They gave me the book, too. I had... misgivings about them, but they were unfounded."
But as they head to the table with the food, him setting her bowl down for her, he laughs. "That's fine. It's a rule I have. You gotta contribute to eat. I'm still worried about when Iori eventually asks for some, honestly."
He takes his half of the place-setting, grabbing his chopsticks. When Minako eventually tries it... it's really good. He's definitely got the skills to make it some day.
"How are you feeling about SEES so far?" he asks between eating.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"This has been older stuff. Like... um... the classics. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, that kind of thing," Minako says. She scratches at her cheek. Then, though, she cracks a smile -- and there is a blink of her eyes. It is nice -- and different -- to hear about her senpais as something beyond the founding members of SEES.
"I heard about Peacock Silk, a little," Minako says. "The clothes there are supposed to be pretty amazing. It's good to hear that they're nice, though."
Did she get that right? She isn't quite up to speed on X-gender.
She sits down at the table, across from him, then she smiles. "Yeah?" she says. "I see why you have the rule. It's good for people to know how to do it. Even guys like Iori," she says. "He probably could use the experience."
She breaks her chopsticks apart -- and then she digs in. Minako blinks, then, her eyes going wide. "Mm!" she murmurs, and she takes a moment to savor it, before she swallows. She is a little slow on responding, as a result.
"That's great, senpai," she says. "You're really good at this." She takes a sip of her water, then, and considers his question. Then, she smiles. "I like it. It's... a lot sometimes, especially being co-leader. But I think we have a good bunch. The work we're doing is important. And, knowing what's happening, what's out there, what the others are doing..."
Minako trails off. "I can't look away from that."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Ah, gotcha. Yeah, no, I can't do that either," Shinjiro admits. "Someone was telling me about the Hagakure, that warrior literature, and I honestly am interested in it, but feel like I'll bounce off."
Peacock Silk gets a nod, as he stretches an arm out. "I'm wearing a coat by them right now. Probably the nicest I've ever worn, it's custom. Got it half off, too." He does not say *why* he got it half off.
About the food, though, as she compliments him, that smile comes up again, still a little sheepish. "Thanks, I appreciate that." About leadership, though... he gets another thoughtful look, a hand moving to his chin briefly.
"You're right. Besides, if you try to look away, you'll get dragged in anyways, especially if you're compassionate. Luckily, you don't have it all on your shoulders. Back when it was just the three of us, we struggled, but now? We've got a real team with something to fight for. Ending the Dark Hour... it can only be a good thing, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Yeah," Minako says. "The old style of writing goes over my head, and I feel like I have to re-read it three times to understand the basics. More to get anything out of it." She shakes her head -- but then she smiles at him. "I'm glad I'm not the only one, though."
Then, he mentions where he got the coat. "I was wondering!" she asks. "It looked new, and it looks great on you. Maybe I'll swing by, sometime~" She says it cheerfully, then, and she tilts her head to the side.
She smiles back when he thanks her -- but then her eyes widen a little.
"It can," she agrees. "The way Shadows go after people. But also, I... well, I want to look after everyone in SEES. They're trying hard -- they're fighting, too -- and I don't think I would feel right, leaving everyone to it."
She smiles a little more. "Especially my brother."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Yeah, exactly," he agrees about the writing, but that's boring, so he won't continue on it!
But about Peacock Silk... "Saika Kikuchi there did the coat, so if you want leatherworking, that's the person to go to, but they do basically everything."
Shinjiro eats some more as she replies, considering about SEES and her brother. "...you're right. Took me a while to realize that myself, honestly. I was just running away, but... maybe it's better to face stuff with others." He's a little vague as he muses, before...
"He seems nice. We haven't spoken much yet, but that motorcycle stunt was pretty damn cool. I see why Kirijo chose you two as the co-leaders, even besides your special ability."
And then, another joke, as he circles back to... "Well then, you're gonna be looking after me too. I will try not to cause *too much* trouble for you."
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"That's really impressive," Minako admits. "That they can do so much stuff. I feel like a lot of shops couldn't do leatherworking."
She tilts her head to the side -- and then she smiles when he says that maybe he was running away. She nods, after a moment. "I know what you mean," she says. "I guess... it's hard to see people get hurt. And I don't like letting people see when I'm hurt. But--" She hesitates. "But it's better than facing it alone."
Then, she cracks a smile -- and she nods. "That's Minato-kun. Softspoken, quiet, and then he does something like that," she says. She laughs. "Don't worry, though. I'm sure we'll work great together -- and besides, I'm counting on you, too, Aragaki-senpai."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Yeah, right? It's also supernatural stuff, so like. Gonna help if I ever get jumped by a ninja again," Shinjiro says, because he mentioned before that that *actually happened*.
"She knows what he means... hm. Does she? Either way, he will accept that. "It just feels really easy to burden the people you care about. So I tried not to. But it turns out that might be a burden in itself."
But they're counting on each other... his smile is soft, even if he's not sure how much she can truly count on him. But he's in a good mood, and this conversation is only helping keep it up.
"You got it, leader."
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
Minako might not, fully -- and she didn't exactly let on about her experiences. The memory of crawling out of their parents' car on the Moonlight Bridge, after her brother, comes to mind. The fear of being left behind; the fear of being left alone. It's too painful for her to give voice to, but she talks around it in that way of hers.
"Yeah," she agrees, softly. "I'm glad you see it that way."
Because she also knows, after having a brother who keeps to himself so much, the ways that can be a burden. And she knows the way she can burden people, by avoiding issues.
That grim thought stops, though, when she sees his smile. It takes her aback, for a moment. Her crimson eyes widen, just slightly -- then she smiles, too. She nods, cheerfully, to him. And she decides that she wouldn't mind seeing him smile like that again.
"I'm glad that's settled!" she says, more energetically. "Now... let's dig in! And I'll do the dishes, all right? Since I have to help out. It's the rules."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Minako's mood is honestly appreciated. Part of him hopes he helped her go from 'mostly there' to truly having a good mood, too... it feels different from his usual sadness, in a good way, to be part of joy.
"...deal." Shinjiro keeps that smile up until he starts eating, at which point... the food is good! And it's better savored with someone kind.