2025-11-11: Start Dash
- Log: Start Dash
- Cast: Ryuzaki Kurama, Ryuji Sakamoto
- Where: Shujin Academy, Track and Field Courtyard
- OOC Date: November 11, 2025
- IC Date: August 09, 2012
- Summary: Ryuji meets a boy with a keen interest in running, Ryuzaki, during the Shujin summer break. Ryuzaki knows him from the track team gossip, but the two talk about their shared interest in track, and at the end, they trade numbers to push each other towards their goals.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuzaki Kurama has posed.
Shujin Academy has permissions to allow its students use of the facility grounds during the summer holiday. One student that's taken a lot of advantage out of this is Ryuzaki Kurama, a quiet, phlegmatic second-year student from class 2-A. A small boy of few words and an unsettling stare with his golden eyes peeking out of his jet-black bangs, he's put off a few of the more gossiping girls even with his pretty looks, which have themself been gossip in other ways.
Today, on an overcast Thursday, Ryuzaki is in his red and white Shujin tracksuit as he does practice.
... his baker boy hat is also still on, which looks kind of goofy with the red suit...
It's endurance training today, and Ryuzaki's form is pretty damn good -- he's clearly watching his posture so as to not injure himself for the long run, and he's carrying a stopwatch on his hand since he doesn't have a spotter. He's been at this a while and is breaking up a good sweat...!!
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Summer Break has been eventful. Too eventful for Ryuji to keep up with his training as he would've liked. No this was the first time in days that he was going to try to do a little jogging. His leg might hurt a little but that was something Ryuji was going to push through...if he could manage it.
Rather than go to Protein Lovers, Ryuji is going to head to Shujin today. For one thing, it was cheaper. For another, the people who would yell at Ryuji for using the facilities are likely not there today. So why not? Put on your lightest t-shirt and shorts and lets go!
All is going according to plan until Ryuji spots the dark haired kid in track gear. The blonde blinks, walking over to the 'new person'. "Woah...Haven't seen you before. You trying to do a competition or something?"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuzaki Kurama has posed.
Ryuzaki comes to a soft stop and continues to pace in position for a while when Ryuji rocks up, just so that his leg muscles aren't going to suddenly seize up. The tracksuit must be pretty damn warm in summer. "Oh... good afternoon," says the dark-haired kid softly, his big golden eyes piercingly gazing at Ryuji for a moment longer. "A competition...?" A pause. "I haven't thought about it... but this track is pretty nice."
There's a pause, as Ryuzaki adjusts his hat slowly, trying to not get it too sweaty, as he starts to do some light stretching, keeping his eye contact. "I'm... Ryuzaki Kurama from class 2-A. I think I've seen you around once or twice..." he ruminates with little seeming emotion.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Oh hey. Ryuji Sakamoto from 2-E. What's bonkin' man?" Ryuji grins but keeps his hands in his pockets for the moment, looking this guy over. He takes special notice of the golden eyes, noting that down as kind of weird but not scary weird.
"Yeah the track is nice. Used to be used more but...some stuff happened and the track team got axed." He leaves a lot of the story out. Mostly to see if this guy was going to accuse him of destroying the track team. And if for some reason Ryuzaki doesn't know why Ryuji is a bad bad man, he doesn't really need to change this fact.
"So endurance training? Just for fun then? Kick ass. I'd join you but I'm a little rusty so I'm not ready for that just yet."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuzaki Kurama has posed.
Ryuzaki is definitely smaller than your average young man. The tracksuit's a bit baggy as well, as if chosen to conceal their figure. He leans over to do some stretches while Ryuji asks him what's bonkin'. "Bonk...?" he repeats, staring off into the distance as if having been asked something life-pervasive and critical. "Ryuji Sakamoto..." comes the murmur, just above sotto voce, like Ryuzaki has to commit it to memory.
Stuff happened -- and the track team got axed. "... I only came in April," Ryuzaki admits, "and the track team was already gone by then... they were all saying..." A pause, as he doesn't finish that sentence, but 'you did it' is clearly on their lips.
A longer pause, as they put their hands behind their back and leans forward a bit, eyes looking up at the taller Ryuji. "... I don't need a track team, though. I just... want to run. I have someone... to catch up to."
Ryuji admits that he's rusty -- and not ready for that just yet. A quiet frown, as he thinks about the ramifications of that sentence. "Did he... hurt you, back then?" The 'he' is also fairly clear in this context -- Kamoshida.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
There it is. Ryuji knew something like that was coming. "Oh yeah. They say stuff like that. Kinda wish they'd not pull the ear of every new student coming in but they aren't wrong." He sighs, finally rubbing the back of his neck as he contemplates everything that happened between him and the track team. It almost felt like another life considering on how those guys were out to get him.
Still this guy doesn't seem that bad. Ryuji notes how the track suit fills out, letting his mind sort of evaluate Ryuzaki's physique. "Someone to catch up to? Oh dude you got a Sports rival like in one of those manga? That's kinda kick ass."
Ryuzaki's next question is what shakes him however. Ryuji isn't mad but he suddenly feels very seen. His limp. His physical state. All of it was because of the time spent with Kamoshida. "Yeah...He did." Ryuji says distantly, wondering if the track team told this guy everything about him.
"So where did you transfer from?" Ryuji asks quickly, trying to change the subject of his injury.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuzaki Kurama has posed.
The animosity of the track team has been... hard to ignore, as it were. "... the moment I said I liked running, they pulled me aside with the gossip."
Ryuzaki typically doesn't want to stand out, but the way in which troublemakers and outsiders get funneled away was certainly impressive in this school compared to others he's been to.... some of the students seem like their primary activity is gossiping and spreading rumours, which isn't necessarily an unusual teen activity, but... there's certainly some truth in how important one's image is here.
Ryuji's eyes on him in turn has him shifting uncomfortably a bit, tugging the side of his pants out a little bit more. Ryuzaki's physique is... slight, really, even with the baggy tracksuit. This isn't the body of someone who's cultivated the physique of an athlete. Which is a bit curious given how they seem to have everything else togeher.
Ryuji asks if it's like a sports rival, like someone in manga. "... sort of," is all Ryuzaki admits, sounding a bit haunted. "They've run ahead of me..."
But it seems like Ryuzaki isn't the only one a little discomforted by his physique -- his question about who hurt him has Ryuji on the back foot too about his physical state. There's a quiet nod... but Ryuzaki seems to pick up on the cue that Ryuji wants to move on.
"I was living in France for a bit with my nephews, in a small suburb in Nice," Ryuzaki softly explains. For someone who's been abroad, his Japanese is pretty spot-on.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Yeah. That's how they are. Always out to kick me in the ass." Ryuji sighs deeply, silently resigning himself to the fact that the track team is always going to be out to destroy him. It is how it is.
Upon getting an impression of Ryuzaki's build, the blonde is a little concerned? How was this guy going to do intense training with a body like that. Still, Ryuji is unsure on how to broach the topic. Maybe it was one of those it isn't as bad as it looks?
Huh. Ryuzaki looks...shellshocked about a sports rival. The blonde punk blinks as he gets more weirdness for this guy. "I mean yeah but that doesn't mean you can't catch up?"
"Nice? There's a place called Nice?" Ryuji blinks before his mind comes up with a nice little pun. "Is it nice there?" He grins, wondering if this is going to be the thing to make Ryuzaki look more comfortable.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuzaki Kurama has posed.
"... hmmm. Well..." Ryuzaki quietly ruminates, then does offer, "... I mostly ignored them." Is that the best that he can do to reassure Ryuji? He hasn't really broken his expressionless expression once in this entire conversation, but the softness of the voice is perhaps fitting for an attempt to reassure.
Still, even though Ryuzaki's physique doesn't seem too well-suited to their goals, they express of this mysterious rival of theirs: "You're right. ... I will catch up, one day. That's... what they wanted from me, after all. Thank you, Ryuji Sakamoto." A pause, as they seem to notice that that's a weird way to call someone, and glances away on that perceived faux pas.
There's a place called Nice? "Yes, on the coast of the southeast of France..."
Is it nice there?
Ryuzaki pauses, suddenly with a flash of insight at the joke, and then he's racking his mind internally, trying to recall what it is they have to answer. "Sixty... sixty eight?"
SO CLOSE.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Ah...Well thanks for that." Ryuji nods, smiling awkwardly as he takes in Ryuzaki's expressionlessness.
"I mean you're motivated for sure but you got a ways to go I think." Ryuji cups a hand under his chin. "Uhhh thanks?" He isn't sure what to make of being called by his full name like that. Still, Ryuzaki seems sorry about it so how could Ryuji of all people care?
"France? I wonder if Ann has been there." He says to himself mostly just as Ryuzaki is reactioning to Ryuji's 'nice' joke. AND IT IS....So close.
Ryuji just kinda stares at his reaction. 68?! Was this not a thing in France? Man, that place was kinda a pit if so. "Uh...close enough I guess. So, what are you focused on today. Just Endurance? Mind letting me see your running again?"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuzaki Kurama has posed.
Internally, you just know there's a mind-Ryuzaki that's just screaming and slamming both his fists down on their mind-table at not quite landing the joke, like it didn't all go according to keikaku. They were SO CLOSE! It was going to be... Nice. People were going to laugh. He was going to succeed at telling a joke!!! Aaaargh!!
This is not, in any way, reflected in Ryuzaki's face.
Still, it seems like Ryuji's a little discomfited... especially since he's still falling back on that tic of using full names. "I know," they say of having a ways to go. "I can improve my technique and pre- and post-run routines... but physique matters a lot in running." They sound a little bothered by it, enough that it crests past that surface of deadpan-ness.
But the main way to improve one's physique is to train more!
Ryuji does ask if he can watch. "Endurance today, yes... I haven't found a good hill to do incline training yet... do you know of any... Sakamoto-san? And then, I do a long run on the weekend," they explain, just a little more animated as they explain some of their current struggles with their training plan. But Ryuji did ask to see -- so they begin again, around the track.
And Ryuzaki does seem serious about this -- he's mindful to not run too fast and tire themselves out or injure himself, keeping his form maintained throughout as he turns around the bend. Their physique definitely is holding them back... but they don't seem like a novice.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji watches Ryuzaki move along the track. His mind is working as he analyzes this guy's form, endurance, pace, etc. Finally after taking it all in, Ryuji nods to the guy's own words. "Yeah, running is pretty taxing so you need to have a little bit of lean muscle mass to make everything go well. That seems to be what your missing. I think you need to get some protein in your diet as well as some light weight training to build yourself up."
"Oh yeah. I know a few good hills. You can also see if you can find a gym with a stair machine if the weather sucks." Ryuji grins and nods, finding a place to lean because he's a teenage with terrible posture.
"Honestly, I think you can beat this guy in less than a year if you really pushed yourself. You need muscle but not anything drastic. Your form is good. You are pacing yourself good. It's just your lack of muscle thats going to be a fact. Before you freak out, I'm not talking about body building here.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuzaki Kurama has posed.
Ryuzaki turns to head back to Ryuji after finishing his lap again, once again careful to keep himself from sudden stops. Ryuji's assessment is a keen-eyed one -- he's lacking the muscle mass to really feed his body the power it needs. Some protein, and lightweight training to build himself up...
"... you're... really good at this," Ryuzaki observes with a nod. Ryuji's also got the lay of the land -- and the idea of a gym certainly is a good one too. "Hmm... I don't have that much money for a membership... perhaps I'll ask mom if she can help with that."
Ryuji's got the optimistic outlook -- Ryuzaki can beat his rival if he really pushed himself. His form's good, his pace is good... he's just got to bulk up a little. "... thank you, Sakamoto-san. This was really good advice."
A pause as Ryuzaki seems to be contemplating something, and then he quietly slips his phone out -- it's an older model, and has a cute, fat chicken keychain on it, not dissimilar to the one on the pin on his hat. This guy loves chickens, huh...? "Is it okay if we... trade phone numbers, Sakamoto-san? I wouldn't... mind hanging out sometime. And maybe, when you're feeling more up to it..."
There's something a bit more earnest in their voice, finally. "... maybe we can train together."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"I mean I try..." He laughs nervously, trying not to let the praise go to his head. "Anyway I'll look up a meal plan if you need help. I don't know everything but the internet can be pretty useful for stuff like this. Ryuji justs his stance, smiling as he thinks about this. It was good to helping someone with track again.
It almost felt nostalgic.
"No problem. I mean I might be off on the time table but you got a lot of potential." He blinks when he sees the giant chicken charm and phone. The phone was understandable since Ryuji's phone kinda sucked too. Being poor sucks, dude. Anyway, this guy was pretty interesting. It was a wonder why Ryuji hadn't heard anything about this guy.
Still Ryuzaki seemed like nice enough guy. Quickly, Ryuji takes out his phone and exchanges numbers. "Hell yeah dude. Lets push each other in our goals! I got a friend who might join us too. We work out sometimes."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuzaki Kurama has posed.
Ryuzaki is a bit of a chameleon in class, and also has the mysterious and powerful property of not existing until just a few weeks ago, ho ho!! No, they really almost take cautions to not stand out overmuch, and spend most of his time just observing and watching from the sidelines. There's people with far more gossip in his own class, like Isabeau Fontaine or Kanae Fuyuki... and that, in its own way, is a very useful thing indeed.
"A meal plan... yes, that sounds good," Ryuzaki pauses, with a nod. Oh no... will burger time be put at risk?! (Or perhaps Ryuji will be drawn into the inevitable vortex of the Big Bang Burger challenge.)
They trade numbers easily enough, with Ryuzaki sending a test message just to make sure they have it right. When Ryuji affirms a desire to push each other in their goals, there's a ghost of a smile just for a second. Hey, this guy does have it in him to smile. A bit. "A friend? Yeah... that would be good."
He puts his phone away, and looks up towards the skies. "... I think I should wrap it up here. It smells like it might rain soon. I've got a part time job to get to... but it was good to meet you, Sakamoto-san."