2026-03-29: Midterm Malaise
- Log: Midterm Malaise
- Cast: Kazusa Motojima, Kasumi Yoshizawa
- Where: Shujin Academy - Practice Building
- OOC Date: March 29, 2026
- IC Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2012
- Summary: In the midst of her most stressful midterms ever, Kazusa retreats to the rhythmic gymnastics club's practice space to get some quiet. Unfortunately for her, Kasumi also has the same idea. But at the very least, this leads to them talking and being on a new footing with each other.
(|==================== Shujin Academy - Practice Building ====================|)
-==================================================== Tokyo/Aoyama-Itchome ====-
Shujin Academy's practice building hosts rooms for the school's various clubs,
but also boxes in the school's courtyard gardens, which are lovingly kept. There
are plenty of places in the courtyard to sit for students looking to eat lunch
outdoors or just enjoy the weather, and the walkways have roofs for when it
rains. The gymnasium is large and well-equipped; thick red curtains block off a
stage and podium in the back, so setting up folding chairs can convert it into
an auditorium as necessary.
The interior is both like and unlike the classrooms building: the floors are
still wooden but in a latticed design; the walls are still white and gray, but
with only a small strip of gray at the bottom; and the sliding classroom doors
still have windows, but long, narrow rectangular ones. Vending machines dot the
premises here and there, as do well-kept bathrooms.
The first floor in particular hosts the nurse's office, a surprisingly
comfortable room with green-tiled floors, potted ferns, medicine cabinets,
hospital-style beds behind pink curtains, bookshelves, and plush couches around
a tea table. One can seek counseling here from Dr. Maruki, the kind-hearted
temporary guidance counselor, for any reason.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa Motojima was replaced by a Homunuclus shortly before the Fall semester began. She spent a little over a month in that Cocoon, and after breaking free of it (with help), she came back to discover...
That midterms were the following week.
Kazusa has been studying her ass off. The Homunculus studied some, but but Kazusa doesn't necessarily remember everything from those study sessions. And they certainly weren't up to her standards. So she's been spending every spare moment she could holed up in her studio or anywhere that wasn't her home so she could study.
She is exhausted. And she still has several days to go, to boot.
And while she hasn't gone out of her way to to antagonize people, she's been incredibly short-tempered, snapping at people who approach her to ask her about her odd behavior.
The day's exams are done but she's not quite ready to leave yet--but she doesn't really want to wait around near the classrooms, either, so... she's made her way to the rhythmic gymnastics team's practice space for what she is hoping will be a moment of solitude.
She's leaned against a wall, in her Winter uniform. The headband is gone, but the silver bracelets and pink nail polish are back, and she has her eyes closed, her palm pressed against her forehead. In her other hand is a canned coffee.
For just a moment, she's letting the exhaustion show.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Indeed, midterms are currently in progress... Kasumi's head is full of equations and history and Japanese vocab, and it's admittedly getting to her a little bit. She makes her way to the Rhythmic Gymnastics practice space to work out some of her midterms-related anxieties.
Kasumi knocks her knuckles against the door, like a Good and Conscientious student would. However, she isn't expecting anyone to actually be here. Most students should be heading home, or maybe studying in the library. So she just lets herself in!
The redhead ditches her bag near the door and does a couple cartwheels into the center of the room... only to catch sight of Motojima-senpai, slumped up next the wall. "Mo-Motojima-senpai!" She squeaks out. The sight shocks Kasumi, who's mid-wheel right now. It causes her to loose her balance and land on her side with a thump! She lets out a groan as she rubs her side. "Owwwww... I-I'm sorry, Motojima-senpai! I didn't think anyone would be here..." Kasumi leaps back up into a sitting position at least. But instead of trying to retreat, she hesitates for a moment. "U-um... Mm... Are you feeling any better by now, Senpai?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa is deep in her attempted reverie when Kasumi knocks, and at first she doesn't quite realize or react to the sound, preferring to ignore it as something irrelevant. Nor does she react when the door opens, though that does make her frown. She's just decided to open her eyes and maybe check--
When she sees Kasumi and blinks. And she blinks more as Kasumi just dives right into doing a cartwheel. She lowers her hand, staring without saying anything.
She quickly straightens up, just a bit, to appear more presentable to a kouhai. "Yoshizawa-san!" she snaps. "If you're going to... goof off, then stay focused! Or do you want to have to explain to the nurse how you got injured during midterms, of all things?"
"Ugh..." She goes back to pressing her palm against her forehead. "Nobody is supposed to be in here." This technically includes herself, but she won't call herself out on this hypocrisy.
"I'm fine," she insists, even though she definitely doesn't look fine. "What are you even doing here anyway?"
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Despite the pain, or maybe in spite of it, Kasumi stifles a giggle. "I didn't mean to, Senpai!" She protests, doing a bad job at hiding her smile. "I just didn't expect anyone else to be here..."
Fortunately, despite all appearances, the kouhai happens to be fairly clever! Everything starts to clack into place for her. "Oooh..." She breaths out as she adjusts into a criss-cross sitting position. "Same reason as you, Senpai. I just needed to be alone for a bit. And, well... Work out, a bit."
Kazusa definitely doesn't look okay to Kasumi, but Kasumi's at least sympathetic. Freeing yourself from a weird cocoon and finding out it's midterms in a week... That's a pretty rough deal.
Honestly, it's a little strange. To not be so...intimidated by Kazusa Motojima anymore. It's a little hard to, knowing that she's a weird otaku type...
Anyways. Kasumi is still stuck on...considering how much she truly wants to share with Kazusa. She nods. "Well... For what it's worth Senpai, it's good to see that you're back to normal." Sure, it's easy to complain about personality defects, but that's a little unfair. "Oosaka-senpai was really worried about you." A beat. "I was too."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"Hmph," is all Kazusa says as Kasumi identifies that they're both here for the same reason. "Well now neither of us get to be alone. So thank you for that." She definitely doesn't sound appreciative.
It is rough, but sadly the school system won't stop for one person's Awakening.
She's not weird! Ignre the fact that her inner self is apparently an ookamimimi for some reason.
Kazusa closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Nothing is back to 'normal', least of all herself. At least, that's how it feels, after having gone through that entire experience. Still, she lowers her hand and opens her eyes to look at Kasumi as she says she's glad to ahve her back. "Are you?" It's a bit sharp, a tiny bit sarcastic... but there's some surprise underneath, too.
She looks sharply aside as Wakana is mentioned. It might not be as obvious with clubs not meeting at the moment, but they haven't really been on speaking terms--or that is to say, Wakana told Kazusa she needs time and space to get over what happened to her, and Kazusa is doing her best to stay out of her way, walking on eggshells. It might be most obvious in their shared classroom, though.
"She had good reason to be," Kazusa mutters, mostly to herself. But she looks back to Kasumi, her gaze sharp but with a healthy dose of confusion mixed in. "... you were? Why?"
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"In a sense, we get to be alone together, senpai!" You can leave, Kazusa! If you really hate the adorable kouhai bothering you.~ Hit da bricks!
Kasumi does note how surprised Kazusa is, and the inner...conflicts, maybe. She's not sure exactly what's going on underneath, but... Maybe it'd be safe to reach out a metaphorical hand. "Yeah. The 'you' previously... It was like an imposter. I could feel it."
Kasumi would be very sorry to hear that- but it's also a little sweet that Kazusa is able to give Wakana that space...
Okay. It's really time to be honest. "Ummm. I guess it's safe to share with you, Senpai...?" Kasumi hums, brushing a hand through her hair. "The...homunculus... It felt inhuman to me. It was a feeling deep in the back of my head."
Kasumi hesitates for a moment. It should be safe... Maybe not for her, but the phantom thieves will be okay. "I was there, actually. During your Awakening, I was helping you eject that homunculus." She hopes that Kazusa can piece together the rest.
"Oh! And I was also in your real-life atelier with Oosaka-senpai and your brother... Sorry to have invaded your space like that!" Kasumi claps her hands together in apology.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Alone together. "Oh joy," she says, with a heaping helping of srcasm. And yet, she doesn't leave.
An imposter... "Hmph. Yeah, well..." Kazusa doesn't recognize Kasumi from the fight in the Atelier. She doesn't know that Kasumi knows the truth, so won't allude to it directly. "... yeah, well. That... other me isn't coming back."
Kasumi will probably see more of what's going on iwth her and Wakana once club practice starts up again. It will definitely be awkward.
"Share what?" Kazusa goes to take a sip of her canned coffee, but pauses midsip as Kasumi mentions the word Homunculus, then slowly lowers her can again. "So you know." Her voice is tight for a moment, controlled as she tries to process this new piece of information.
But the next piece of information... leaves Kazusa perplexed. "Wait, you... you were?" She's scrolling through her memory--while the month in the Cocoon is still kind of hazy, she very clearly remembers that fight. "I don't... remember seeing you..."
Well there was that one girl there calling her senpai but that definitely can't be the same girl as her club kouhai.
And she was at the studio. Just how many people were there!? Kazusa's grip on her can tighten for a moment, "So you too--" The hand comes up to the forehead again. "Uggh. It's-- just-- forget about it. Kazuhiro-kun already told me people were there, and that he made sure not to let anybody take stuff, it's-- it's whatever. It's fine."
It doesn't seem fine, but she's also just a bit stressed out, still.
"... still, if you helped me get out of that place..." Kazusa's not looking directly at Kasumi, her eyes are still closed. "... thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
It definitely will be awkward... Scary!
Kasumi smiles and nods as Kazusa clues in on their shared secret. "Yeah. We're both Persona Users, Senpai." She says, matter of factly.
If Kazusa can't pick her out of the crowd, that might be best actually. "A lot of people came out to help you! It was sweet of them, right?" Definitely better to have just faded into the background, behind that mask. Definitely not feeling a little lonely. "I'm relieved though... You seemed to have an easier go at Awakening." Kasumi beams. "Mine was a little intense, though admittedly it wasn't /my/ Palace that was trying to mock me!"
Kasumi giggles at Senpai's bashful-ness. "It was nice though! Seeing your studio. You're very dedicated to your crafts, Senpai!" A beat, and a sadder smile. "Can I ask? Was gymnastics your choice, Senpai?"
It's definitely still strange to see a softer side of Kazusa. Maybe, Kasumi can see what Wakana sees in her. "It was my duty as your clubmate. I really am glad to see that you're recovering." The kindness Kasumi showed was not misplaced faith. Maybe they can get along better now.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa just stares at Kasumi for a moment as she says it outright. They're both Persona Users. "I... see." She pinches the bridge of her nose now. "... I don't even know what to say to that. I still don't want to believe what happened was real."
Kazusa definitely can't pick her out of a crowd. Although it was a pretty hectic fight. Yeah, that must just be it. "... I'm surprised so many people showed up. I'm surprised you showed up, frankly." She's silent for a moment before she looks away from Kasumi. "... given the way I've treated you."
It's not quite an apology yete, but... it is, at least, an acknowledgement.
But then she arches an eyebrow at Kasumi. "You cal that easy!? I spent a month being tortured in that--in that thing--" She geestures with her free hand, as if she could be gesturing at the Cocoon from here. Her voice keeps raising in pitch. "The first thing I thought when I realized people had come for me was that you were wasting your time because I'm such a--"
She suddenly cuts herself off, realizing a moment too late she's let slip more than she wanted to.
"Just... forget it."
Kazusa crosses her arms (carefully, there's still that canned coffee in the one hand), staring down at the floor instead. "At least someone appreciates it," she grumbles. "I picked Rhythmic Gymnastics. But I only wanted to do it because it was fun, I never wanted to... to try for the Olympics."
Unfortunately, her Homunculus did, and it's going to cause Kazusa a considerable amount of friiction with her parents to back out now.
Kasumi's duty as a clubmate. Kazusa still can't look her in the eyes. "... you deserve a better senpai."
'Soft' might be undercutting the level of prickliness she has on display... but at least she's more focused on tearing into herself than tearing into Kasumi. Progress?
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Kasumi chuckles lightly. For once, she's the senior in the conversation. "You can take it as much or little as you want. I don't really do anything with it... I just wanted to help you." It's a power she's keeping in her back pocket. She's able to see clearly with it. And when need be, she'd like to use it to pay back the people who supported her.
Definitely just a hectic fight. Kasumi can't meet Kazusa's gaze here. "I just...couldn't sit by, while that thing was possessing your body. Acting like it was you. Just because it was kinder... Doesn't mean it was real. It was a gymnastics club issue."
Kasumi widens her eyes, and panics a little as she listens to Kazusa rant. "Oh, um! I'm sorry!!! I didn't mean it like that..." Yeah, she gotta admit that's a really rough experience. Then the self hate comes out. Yeah... That's really tough to deal with.
Kasumi's almost willing to let it go. She shifts a little in her sitting position. "I got taken into this... Second World War style bunker version of Shuujin. As the Palace of Principal Kobayakawa." She says, staring into the floor. "I got strung up with gymnastics ribbons and mocked for my...less than steller results in the last competition." Even with enough distance, and Cendrillon, it does still hurt a little bit. "...I think it's like that for everyone, you know?" What doesn't kill you.
After sharing that much, Kasumi curls up her knee to hug. "I'm surprised...you got so intense about it, Senpai." Her energy is fairly deflated by now, but she's still enjoying the company enough at least. "It was something that I thought a lot ever since I saw your studio, and your passions for creating. I wondered if you ever really enjoyed gymnastics." A part of her hates to admit it, but... "You do really have a good eye for criticism. I feel like... I would've been upset if you didn't enjoy it. Insulted."
Kasumi has a better Senpai. They just aren't named Kazusa Motojima. Still, she lets out a rueful giggle. "I have bigger problems than a rude Senpai, Senpai." Like still not feeling her body is totally her own just yet. But she doesn't give a damn about what others think of her anymore.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa stares at Kasumi for a long moment, frowning. She just wanted to help, and it was a gymnastics club issue. "Going after that thing was reckless and stupid and definitely not part of your duties as a club member. Just... tell me you didn't get hurt too badly fighting that thing."
Kasumi didn't mean it like that, and Kazusa just takes a sip of her canned coffee. "... whatever. I don't want to think about it."
But then... Kasumi shares. "... a what version of Shujin? A... Palace? What..." Hazuki didn't say anything about... Palaces. She lowers her can and listens as Kasumi's description of the experience continues.
Her voice is uncharacteristically quiet when she finally speaks. "... I hope it didn't take you a month to get out of whatever that was. And... I don't know what's been going on with you, but if you've been dealing with something, we--I shouldn't have been putting that much pressure on you. So... sorry."
Kazusa sighs and tilts her head back, restiung it against the wall. "... I have no idea how I'm gonna be up for practice after midterms are over."
"Yeah, well... nobody was supposed to find out," Kazusa says of her creative efforts. "Because if they could find out my father could find out, but... that ship has sailed, so." She closes her eyes. "I used to enjoy it. Before it became the only thing my father approved of me for. Now..."
Kazusa just shrugs a little.
She does crack an eye to stare at Kasumi as she is called rude. "Hmph. That's no way for a kouhai to address her elders." Her tone is a bit reproachful, but there is a curioisty mixed in there, too. After a moment she opens her eyes to look at Kasumi more fully. "... you wouldn't have dared say something like that at the beginning of the school year."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Kasumi pauses, before shaking her head. "I didn't get hurt badly." She considers whether she'd actually like to share her thoughts. "It's strange to hear you so concerned, Senpai." She admits. It's neither good or bad. Just incredibly strange.
"Ah, it's...like an Atelier. But it stems from the warped desires and cognition of a single person." Kasumi tries to explain. "...I don't totally get it either." She laughs. "But... The mission to save you, really opened my eyes to how much more strange Persona stuff is going on."
Kasumi's a little blindsided here! "Ah, I...wasn't trying to guilt you, Senpai... Ummm... I was lucky, and some friends were there to chase after me." Friends feels a little too familiar, maybe exempting Ren-senpai. But it's out there regardless.
It isn't like Kasumi can even put into words what's going on with her. "Thank you." She can't quite accept the apology yet, but it's behind her. "...I kind of get it, though." Kasumi says. "I mean, you were under so much pressure... It makes sort of sense, that it'd leak out like that."
Kasumi is just going to have to sit with the prospect Kazusa might not be doing gymnastics after midterms. Is this what having a rival is like? "It's best to focus on one thing at a time, Senpai. Midterms aren't over yet."
"...Does your father know now?" Kasumi really hopes not, but... The approval bit strikes a chord a little deeply in Kasumi's soul. It's strange.
Kasumi's a little cheeky it seems.~ Although... The reproach does tug at her a bit. "Yeah... That was a little out of character..." She says, a little spacy. Strange. Is it the Awakening? It must be, right? She suddenly snaps back. "Ye-yeah... You would've cursed me out too, Senpai..."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kasumi says she didn't get hurt too badly. Kazusa's reply is a terse "Good." But being so concerned... "I'm nt concerned. I just can't stand other people cleaning up my messes, that's all."
She says that, but...
"The warped... desire of..." Kazusa pinches the bridge of her nose again. "You know what. I don't want to know. Just tell me how I can make sure not to get in one of those things."
"... I'm glad my misery was illuminating, then."
"Believe me. There's nothing you could do to guilt trip me more than that Homunculus has." She had some friends, though. Kazusa nods.
Honestly, Kazusa wouldn't be offended if Kasumi told her she couldn't accept the apology... Kazusa's well-aware just words aren't really enough here. "Yeah, well. That doesn't make it right.Acting like my father..." She gives a slow shake of her head. "... I shouldn't be putting anyone else through that."
Kazusa's gonna be back after midterms. Shje's just going to be kind of a wreck physically. And emotionally. And mentally.
She takes a deep breath. "Believe me, I'm well aware midterms aren't over yet."
She's silent for a long moment. "... he knew about the studio. I still don't know how he found out about it, but he did."
She stands again, taking a long drain from her cannoed coffee. "A little bit," she agrees. "Don't you dare talk to me that way in club." She takes a half step, turning to leave, and then pauses. "... But since you're feeling so 'brave'... call me out in private. So nobody else gives you any grief for it. And if you ever want to work on what's really bothering you... let me know. I'd hate to see your talent go to waste."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"...I'm just glad, Senpai. That you seem more level headed by now." Kasumi smiles as she rises to bid farewell to Kazusa. "Hehe. I'll be careful... And your studio secrets is safe with me." She offers a bow. She doubts that she'll be feeling so 'brave' again in the future anytime soon. As for the offer to help... "Thank you, Senpai. I appreciate the offer."
It's not an offer she'll be taking up anytime soon. Kasumi's strong enough to get over the hump herself. She has to be.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Level-headed. "... I don't know about that." But she nods, as Kasumi says she'll be careful, and that her studio secret is scfe. "... Good."
Kazusa can only make the offer, and try to put action behind her apology. Whether Kasumi takes it up or not... that's up to her.
And Kazusa would understand if she never wanted to take it.
When she reaches the door she pauses, looking over her shoulder. "... and don't go telling Wakana-chan any of this." She looks forward, towards the door. "... please. She's been through enough already."
With that she'll step through and leave Kasumi to enjoy the room in peace.