2025-10-26: An Appetite for Information
- Log: 2025-10-26 An Appetite for Information
- Cast: Katsuko Yoshinaga, Ren Amamiya
- Where: Shibuya Central Street, Tokyo
- OOC Date: November 06, 2025
- IC Date: August 06, 2012
- Summary: While working part-time at Ore no Beko, Ren serves a senpai from school, Katsuko Yoshinaga, who takes an unusual interest in him.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
Every step Katsuko took was a measured and deliberate one, her footfalls as sharp as they were rhythmic. Hers was a constant beat that rang out into the air, a constant accompaniment to whatever conversations she happened to stride by. Her gaze was focussed, more like a hawk's than any woman's, while her lips had fallen into a thin, flat, position. Such a thing might not have been unusual to see, were she attempting to uphold her reputation at school, or if she was attempting negotiations with a peer. However, few would have been blamed for finding it a little strange, given that she was moving to make an order at the local beef bowl joint.
Her dress sense, at the very least, helped her stand out a little less. Wearing a smart, long-sleeve shirt paired with a form-fitting pair of charcoal slacks, Katsuko's smart - though not overly formal - ensemble at least somewhat fit in with the men and women huddled around the tables. It wasn't something she seemed to think on much, if at all, as she took her own seat and spared one last glance at the menu off to the side. From how she focussed on an image as it flashed onto the screen, it seemed she already had an idea of what she wanted, but her wandering gaze told that she was somewhat open to suggestions.
Either the menu was exceptionally interesting that day, or she had concentration to spare, because nothing seemed to distract her from evaluating her options. The din of people conversing about one topic or another did not draw her attention, nor did the sizzling of pans or the heady cocktail of savoury smells wafting through the air. Even the members of staff only managed to register at the corners of her eyes, and that was only because of the colours of their uniforms - a stark contrast against the litany of greys, browns, and whites that the majority of the shop's patrons wore.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
For Ren's part, their outfit is the same as the other part-time workers at Ore no Beko, given that it's the restaurant's uniform: a dark blue cap and matching waist apron with a blue short-sleeved polo shirt striped in orange down the shoulder and across the waist. The beef at Ore no Beko is pre-made, so bowls just need to be constructed, which allows bowls here to be cheap, hot and fast.
Which means that workers here don't need a lot of training before being put on the floor, because it's about being fast and getting bowls out quickly, not about being skilled. Fortunately, Ren has part-timed here before, so they at least know what they're doing.
They don't recognize Katsuko when she comes in; she's a third year, and not in uniform owing to summer vacation, so to them right now, she's the same as any other customer. People give their orders, and Ren comes back with them with speed and precision, until at last it's Katsuko's turn.
"Sorry for the wait--what can I get for you today, miss?" Ren asks her politely with a slight bow of greeting. Between their glasses and frizzy black hair, she /might/ recognize them from their reputation at school... but also maybe not, depending on how much she would be able to recognize Ren out of their own school uniform and/or cares about 'the delinquent transfer student.' (Distinguishable from Shujin's other transfer students by being /the delinquent/, which is all most Shujin students care about. Ren is used to it by now. It's enough for them to have a handful of friends who see them for who they are.)
Either way, even if they don't recognize Katsuko, they /have/ noted that she's just been staring at the menu up until now--so she might well not have made up her mind yet. Everyone else's order is in and/or served by now, though, so it's only good customer service to check if she /has/ made up her mind or is only staring at the menu because she's waiting for someone to come to her.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
Even the simple act of turning to face a member of staff was made with efficiency in mind. There was barely a blink before she had her eyes fixed on the person addressing her, though her expression remained that same, stony, one she had worn into the place. Her posture didn't change at all, her back still straight and her shoulders square, as if she were making a conscious effort to appear as prim and proper as was humanly possible in such an establishment. Her response was not as fast as her shifting attention was, however, owing to the fact that something about them caught her off guard.
She blinked once, mind rifling through memories as she attempted to recall just who it was that she was speaking to. They'd sparked recognition in her, but from where? They looked fairly young - around the same age as her, she wagered - so they were a student, in all likelihood. A Shujin one, perhaps? It was a logical thing to assume, given the school's proximity to the joint. Quickly, she sifted through whatever was left after every possible filter had been applied, mind racing to come to a conclusion before the silence between them grew awkward.
"Apologies." She stated, her tone as flat as her expression. "I was distracted." Part of her response was politeness, but the other part was her attempting to buy time. She knew the person - they wouldn't have aroused her attention otherwise, she was certain about that. Their name was on the tip of her tongue, but still she could not make that one last leap. "I'll take a medium beef bowl, please." There was the slightest hint of hesitation to her voice, and on that last word, her voice began to trail off. Before an answer could be offered, she decided to simply bite the bullet, and take the simplest route available.
"Are you a Shujin student? You seem familiar."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Katsuko's ultra-serious demeanor reminds Ren a little of Makoto. She's clearly a teenager, so it could be that she's a Shujin student, but Shujin's hardly the only high school in Tokyo. (Just the only one that matters.) They wait patiently for her order, flatly delivered, trailing off at the end.
"Right away," Ren says--but before they can go to assemble it, she asks if they're a Shujin student. ...which probably means she's a Shujin student, if she recognizes them in any fashion. They pause for a second, then say, "Yes."
...and that's it. Best to just tell the truth and hope she doesn't care enough to push for specifics. They do have an order to fill, after all, and return with it in a few minutes. "Your medium beef bowl," they say, placing it in front of her.
Unfortunately, being at the tail end of the lunch rush, there aren't any new orders--just a bunch of empty bowls that need washing. They collect the abandoned bowls, throw out the disposable chopsticks, and bring them to the sink to start washing.
Who thought that having the sinks right there in front of the customers was good place-of-business design??
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
A curt answer, but not any less truthful for it - assuming they *were* telling the truth. Katsuko blinked in response, her expression not shifting save for that rather innocuous action. Externally, she appeared to have all the expressiveness of a lump of stone. Internally, she pondered if it was wise to push the matter further. Such a response was, in her experience, usually given on purpose - something to evade the truth, or bluntly end a conversation. But the fact that they were trying to hide something only intrigued her more, even if she did her utmost to keep it from showing.
Watching Katsuko eat was like watching a surgeon work. Every movement made with her cutlery was thoughtful and deliberate; a precise stroke that had entirely too much thought put behind it for the simple act of eating lunch. However, that slower pace gave her ample time to make conversation between bites.
"Amamiya." She stated flatly. She didn't bother to look up from the bowl at first, instead allowing herself another bite, before finally devoting her full attention to him. Though that risked the bowl cooling before she could finish it, Katsuko couldn't let the matter rest. Not while there was a lull in activity and a chance for conversation, anyway. "That's you, isn't it?" She spoke so confidently that it seemed less like a question, and more like a statement.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren wouldn't have minded an end to the conversation. They don't pay close attention to Katsuko's eating habits, but she is right in front of them as they're washing those dishes, so they do inevitably take note of it. They're once again reminded of Makoto, who's known by the student body as a "robot"--if she's a robot, then this girl is definitely giving robot vibes too.
That's a thought they keep to themself, of course. Even if someone seems 'robotic' on the surface, there's no knowing what kind of tempest rages beneath.
They do both have a similar deliberateness, though. Ren can't bring themself to be surprised when she eventually names them with confidence.
"Yes," they reply, equally level as they dry and stack bowls, one by one. "Would you like anything else with that, miss?" There are glasses and cups for the water and tea positioned in tall containers along the counter.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
A quiet 'hm' was the only response Ren was given at first. Katsuko was utterly inscrutable to all but the most perceptive - she barely twitched, let alone made a movement that betrayed something resembling an emotion. However, upon them asking if anything else was desired, she nodded curtly. It was a short, sharp movement, lacking any sort of enthusiasm.
"The rumours don't concern me." She stated, once more cutting right to the heart of the matter. "Shujin has a lot of them. Half are false. The rest are only half-truths." Katsuko glanced away, taking stock of the current patronage, before looking back to Ren. "Join me, if you want. I wouldn't mind the company."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren glances up at Katsuko when she gets the point of the rumors. "Hmm," they murmur back, and wonder if maybe she's more like them than like Makoto. This seems underscored when, despite her outward lack of emotion or enthusiasm, she invites them to keep her company.
"I'm on the clock. But if you want to chat, I don't mind," Ren replies, trading out now-clean bowls for more dirty ones. The number of patrons might have dipped by now, but it only takes a moment for a wave to hit, and you really want to have clean bowls for that.
"What do you want to talk about?" they prompt, because they're genuinely curious what sort of company she's looking for. (Maybe silent company, but if that were the case, would she have gone out of her way to invite them? ...Well, who knows? That's the point of asking: it gives you the chance to get to know someone better.)
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
"You." Whatever talents Katsuko might have held, tact did not appear to be one of them. The point was only further reinforced when she took another portion from her bowl, letting the one-word answer linger between them rather than offer any further elaboration. It was only after she'd swallowed that she bothered to expand on it, speaking as casually as one might about the weather. "I want to know the person, not the rumours. Call it curiosity if you must." Perhaps it was simple curiosity. Perhaps it was a genuine desire to make friends. Perhaps it was some nefarious third thing. Whatever it was, Katsuko betrayed little.
"Oh, where are my manners." She bowed her head slightly - a polite gesture, and little else. "Yoshinaga Katsuko. I'm a third year at Shujin."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren's eyebrows rise at the direct answer, hands stilling in the soapy water. They say nothing until she explains herself a little more and introduces herself. She and they do seem alike, they reflect. More interested in the other person in the conversation than anything or anyone else.
"Good to know," they reply, resuming their work. "You already know my name, so I'll just say it's probably nice to meet you, Yoshinaga-senpai."
A little more direct than they'd usually be, but somehow they doubt she'll mind. If she does mind--that's just something else new to learn about her.
"If you don't mind sharing about yourself back, then sure. Ask whatever you want." They dry a few bowls and look up at her. "Maybe we can take turns asking questions, if that works for you?"
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
At the very least, Katsuko didn't seem to disapprove. It was hard to tell, given that she had all the expressiveness of a glacier, but she continued the conversation quickly and without complaint. A good sign, most likely.
"Of course." Yet another response, short and sharp as a scalpel, and just as likely to cut what mattered. "I suppose it's only polite that I share something about myself first." She spoke a little more softly then. Not much - certainly not enough to be construed as more friendly than polite - but enough that she seemed to be easing into the conversation a little. "I like mystery and crime novels, modern or classic. I intend to start on Leblanc's work, once I've settled a few matters. Do you read much, Amamamiya-san?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Yes, Katsuko is a weird one--but not in a bad way, Ren decides. She's interesting. And she certainly seems to be trying to be friendly, just in a way of someone who doesn't understand standard social mores. But that's what makes her interesting.
"I do. It's one of my hobbies," they reply. "I'm not too picky about what I read, but mystery and crime novels are good. I actually read a couple of Leblanc's books recently--Arsène Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes and The Countess of Cagliostro. You might like the first one better, since it's all about Lupin squaring off against a master detective, but the latter's interesting too since it's basically his origin story."
They look at her curiously, then wonder, "Do you know Niijima-senpai, the student council president? Personally, I mean."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
Katsuko nodded at the suggestions. Silent though she was, there was little doubt that she was listening and making a mental note of everything, before finally considering what other questions she had for someone like them. Even as she stole another bite out of her bowl, she made no attempt at concealing her consideration of his question.
"I know *of* her." She stated, once she was able. "A shame, really. We've had little reason to talk." She left out the part where a personal connection to the student council president would have been incredibly useful to have in her back pocket. "Why do you ask? Do you know her?" Perhaps asking two questions at once was cheating, but Katsuko was genuinely quite curious about it.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It's fine by Ren if Katsuko takes her time, both in listening and in eating and in coming up with a question back. They're still in the middle of working, and there aren't any new customers coming in, so they can afford to take their time.
Ren shrugs. "I am the infamous delinquent," they say, tone ringing with irony. "She's called me into the student council office before. She's not so bad, though. I thought she was stiff at first, but when I got to know her better, I realized she's passionate and caring." They meet Katsuko's eyes briefly. "You remind me a little of her. That's why I wondered."
More bowls dried; more bowls washed. Steadily, one side grows while the other shrinks. "What's something you're passionate about? Besides the crime novels."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
Katsuko hesitated to assume that Amamiya was friends with Nijima, given that they had not explicitly mentioned it, but all evidence pointed towards them at least having a friendly relationship with each other. That much was enough to interest Katsuko greatly - greatly enough that she couldn't help but show it. Granted, it was only through her cocking her brow a mere fraction of an inch for no more than a heartbeat, but someone perceptive enough would have had no trouble catching it. The thought that connecting to the so-called delinquent - and then, in turn, someone with Nijima's influence - distracted her just enough that what followed caught her off guard.
She struggled to find an answer to such a brazen comparison - through such qualities, no less. Her lips tightened as she tried to suppress whatever instinctive reaction her mind deigned to conjure up, while she looked down to her nearly-emptied bowl to try and disguise whatever mild shock plagued her. She counted herself fortunate that Amamiya moved on to their next question, and hoped that they didn't expect a response to being deemed 'passionate' and 'caring.' It felt a little more personal than she was entirely comfortable with.
Katsuko pondered her answer. There were things she was passionate about besides her novels, but she recoiled (internally) at the thought of revealing some of her less... dignified... interests. Hers was a carefully-crafted image, and she couldn't stand the thought of information leaking that might have ruined it.
"Painting." She said, after a pause that was a few seconds too long to feel natural. It was a rather vague answer, but it also wasn't a lie, and that was what counted. "Still life, mostly." That part stretched the truth even further, but she didn't dare reveal the exact nature. "I could ask the same of you, though. Are there any particular hobbies that interest you? Any favourite foods, or places to eat? I have some recommendations, if you want them."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren does catch on that surprise--and that discomfort. It might just be by way of a briefly, slightly raised eyebrow and a pair of tightened lips, but Ren is an observant type, and now that they're trying to know her as she's trying to know them, it's only natural that they pay attention to her body language, as tightly controlled as it is.
"Sorry if that crossed a line," they thus add--which might not settle any better with Katsuko, to know that her discomfort was seen despite her attempts to suppress it.
Stiff life paintings. Not a lot of detail, but Ren doesn't hold that against her. It's a little funny to them--each of them curious about the other but not wanting to share too many details. They wonder what her home life is like, but knows better than to ask something that personal after that last reaction.
"Hmm. I'm relatively new to Tokyo, so I don't know that many local restaurants," they reply. "I know a ramen place in Ogikubo, and, what else... There's this cafe in Kichijoji, which has lots of street vendors, too." And there's the beef bowl place they're currently standing in, obviously. "They're both good, but I'd love to hear your recommendations. I'm not a picky eater."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
So, they did catch it. Katsuko took some solace in the knowledge that she had settled enough that she could hide her displeasure at being found out - she didn't want Amamiya feeling bad about it, after all. Such a thing would have jeopardised a connection that she could have leveraged for any number of useful things, and there was little that felt worse than a missed opportunity. She was quick to offer her suggestions for places to eat, being eager to move on from that earlier faux pas, and towards something that was relatively inoffensive.
"Try Makkuro's."
She placed her phone unceremoniously onto the counter between them, facing towards Amamiya with the cafe's location displayed on the screen. It didn't seem too far - no more than a quarter of an hour at a brisk walk, if that. "The coffee is a little more expensive than most shops, but the flavour is worth it. They bake their own bread as well. I recommend the sourdough." Outwardly, she seemed dispassionate about the whole affair. However, the fact that she had spoken at length about it, as well as shown the location instead of mentioning the general area it was in, was about as close to expressing passion as she had gotten the entire time they were there. If there were any doubts, what she followed up with stood no small chance of laying them to rest.
"I could show you there, if you wish."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren leans over their side of the counter to get a better look at the screen of Katsuko's phone. While they observe and track the location relative to where they are now, they nod once as she explains what kind of place it is and what she recommends. They're willing to try other places' coffee, and store-baked bread does sound pretty delicious... "I'll have to check them out sometime," they say.
But then she offers to actually show them there, and they look up at her with slightly widened eyes. "I'm still on the clock," they remind her, "unless you're saying you want to wait until my shift is over."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
"Whenever you're free. It's an open offer." Katsuko said, her tone growing more offhanded once she was more or less certain that they were willing to take her up on it. "Though if you wish to go after your shift, I have nothing planned. I wouldn't be opposed to meeting up at some other point during the break either." She withdrew her phone, sliding it neatly into her pocket. Not so much as a glance towards it was given, her eyes instead levelled at Amamiya to gauge if things were going well.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren stares at Katsuko for a moment longer. This has developed in a direction they would not have guessed. Maybe it's just because they've had romance on the brain lately, but...
...is she trying to ask them out...?
That seems insane, but in the moment, they have trouble imagining what else this might be about. It's one thing to give the transfer student with the bad reputation a chance, but it's another to be so interested in bringing them to a coffee shop somewhere that you're willing to wait until they're done working to take them there. Is she just that lonely?
Either way, they need to make sure both of them have a correct understanding. Slowly, they say, "I'm sorry if I'm jumping to conclusions, but just so you know, I'm not in the market for a girlfriend..."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
Katsuko liked to believe herself a stoic woman, able to face any challenge without losing composure. She liked to think that she could weather any insult or surprising remark without much more than a cocked brow by way of reaction. She liked to think many things about herself. They were all thrown into doubt when Amamiya made that remark, and she coughed a little, almost choking on what little of her beef bowl yet remained. She attempted to maintain some semblance of her composure, but her eyes had widened on hearing them ask the question, and she'd not exactly been able to disguise the sudden jolting of her body as anything else.
"No." She stated, just a little more emphatically than she might have intended. Perhaps she'd been too eager to get close to Nijima - and, perhaps, to her sister. She cursed silently at herself, embarrassment running like wildfire through her as she realised she should've gone slower, but the damage had been done. The best thing to do, she reasoned, was damage control. "I really do have no other plans this evening. That's all. My apologies if it came across as anything else."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
...So, based on how she chokes and coughs and says no, either they are jumping to conclusions--or she didn't expect to get called out on it. They consider her as she insists she really does just have no other plans. It's not really convincing to them... She has to want something if she's willing to wait an unspecified amount of time just for the chance to show them to a local coffee shop. At the same time, it's not their intention to embarrass her either, and they're definitely on the same page now.
"Nothing to apologize for. I was surprised, that's all," they thus reassure her. "Not a lot of kids at our school really want to go out of their way to hang out with me. Even if you're trying to get to know the me behind the rumors, it was more forward than I expected. But if you're just trying to be nice, that's fine."
They glance at the electronic menus towards the back of the restaurant--more specifically, at the digital clock in their corners. "I've still got a couple of hours left to go, and I don't want to keep you waiting that long. How about this? I'll head there later, and if we run into each other again, I'll let you know what I thought of it. I part-time here, over at Triple Seven, and at Rafflesia, so you'll probably be able to find me at one of those shops over the summer."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.
"Well enough. I'm sure I'll pass by at least one of those places over the holidays." Despite her earlier faux pas, she was determined to do so, and see if she could make that connection. Amamiya seemed pleasant enough, and - misconceptions aside - was not a chore to speak to. On an intellectual level, she supposed she should have felt bad about attempting to use them like that. However, the prospect of working her way into the Nijimas' good graces was far too tantalising a prospect to pass up, even if it meant faking a friendship to get there.
"Thank you for the meal. If we don't see each other soon, I'm sure we'll run into each other at school." With a short and shallow bow, she placed the payment for her meal on the table - well within view of Amamiya - and made her exit with all due haste. A mental note was made to brush up on the art of conversation, and how best to navigate that treacherous landscape others called 'socialising.' If the past few minutes were anything to go by, she'd need the practice it.