2026-07-06: The Ramen Boy and the Demon Queen
- Log: The Ramen Boy and the Demon Queen
- Cast: Ryuji Sakamoto, Kazusa Motojima
- Where: Central Street - Main
- OOC Date: July 06, 2026
- IC Date: Wednesday, December 05, 2012
- Summary: Ryuji is shooting b-roll for his ramen review show. Kazusa happens to encounter him doing this, and the two get to talking. There is a misunderstanding--but then an unexpected offer.
(|========================== Central Street - Main ===========================|)
-====================================================== Tokyo/Shibuya Ward ====-
Chances are, if you're a fan of a youth trend in Tokyo, it started here. Less
than a five minute walk from Shibuya Station, Central Street is lined with
businesses that cater to youth culture. Boutiques and media stores are just as
common as cafes and fast food. Arcades display the cabinets and claw games with
the latest merch, while back alley shops serve more merchandise for more niche
interests, such as military otaku looking for realistic-looking model guns at
Untouchable.
Drug stores, convenience stores, book stores, discount stores, video rental
stores? You name it, they got it. Sports gyms, karaoke bars, movie theatres,
diners? Yup. The local Big Bang Burger stands out most of all with its flashy
space-themed pneumonic entrance.
While it has a reputation as a safe neighborhood for both tourists and locals in
order to preserve its image as 'for the youth,' darker elements have started to
creep in from back alley folks that try to offer school kids opportunities for a
quick buck or job opportunities for tourists who find their passport stolen in
short order. Or so the rumor goes.
Still, rumors are just rumors, aren't they? There's no reason to hold back, so
come on in, enjoy yourselves.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
AFTER SCHOOL
Shibuya is bustling as people walk assertively toward their destinations. This made anyone who didn't go with the flow stick out. One such person was a blonde punk in hoodie and cargo pants who walked around the area, video camera in hand.
Since today was a open day in his calendar, Ryuji "Ramenboy87" Sakamoto is on the scene, recording selfies and b-roll footage. You could tell he was in Vlogger mode because he was wearing those blue tinted glasses and didn't have as aggressive font on his clothing. The blonde walks through Shibuya, pointing his camera around at the sights and sounds of Tokyo.
"Man, I think I need to get Ichika and Tsubasa something really cool for Christmas." Ryuji says under his breath, knowing he was going to cut the audio from the footage...if he remembered. He needs to be better about his editing....or was that his charm point? Nah, still embarassing to mess up the small stuff.
He stops when he looks at the arcade. Does Ryuji dare tempting the overworked staff by recording inside? Man, it would be super cool to record a shot of him winning a claw machine.
Ryuji sighs and scratches the back of his head, pointing the camera in front of him.
"Man...Maybe it's the cool manager in there."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Unfortunately for Ryuji, Kazusa happens to live in Shibuya Ward, so she comes though the area frequently. And she's been a bit out of sorts today--distracted during classes, and keeping to herslef--though that part isn't so new, since she and Wakana haven't been spending nearly nay time together or interacting in class, a fact tht Ryuji has had plenty of opprtunity to see for himself.
(You know, now that he doesn't have 'ducking a Homunculus' as an excuse to get out of class anymore.)
And free of the confines of a school uniform she's rocking a look for winter: a long black wool trenchchcoat, over a pink turtleneck sweater, with trousers tucked into knee-high boots. She's still weraing her signature silver bracelets and pink nail polish, and a designer black leather bag slung over one shoulder.
She's a bit lost in her thoughts, looking down as she plows through the crowd. Something seems to be troubling her--well, more than usual, anyway--and she doesn't quite seem to notice Ryuji or the fact that he's stopped until she's almost wright on top of him. "Hey, watch it-" she starts to snap, and then she pauses, frowning as her eyes slide up and take in Ryuji's outfit. "Oh, it's you, Sakamoto."
There's a long pause as she regards the outfit before a tiny smirk creeps onto her face. "Or should I say... Ramenboy87?"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji has noticed when he has bothered to. That said, he has learned to stay out of this girl's affairs so anything he had seen was filed away mentally as "probably fine." Plus he has been hard at work trying not to invite the ire of Makoto Niijima from destroy him. Between that and his jobs, Ryuji just assumed Kazusa would figure it out on her own.
So it didn't occur to him to worry about seeing the elusive Motojima until she literally runs into him and his camera.
"Ah! Sorry I'm just---Oh shit." Ryuji winces as he realizes who it is. He sighs, sideeyeing Kazusa as he checks his camera for any damage. He really didn't need to have any problems. "Yeah, hey Motojima...Look I'm not creeping on anyone. I'm doing legitimate video stuff so if I happened to catch you on a machine or something, my bad."
Then she calls him by his screen name and Ryuji almost trips, wincing in panic. "Oh god! I didn't think it would get to the popular kids. Errrr...I don't know what you're talking about?" Ryuji fails to see how his previous statements or attire incriminate him. Finally, he just sighs and lets his shoulders sag. "Yeah, it was only matter of time before the world found out my deepest secret"
Nevermind being a Phantasmal Rogue who steals people's hearts.
No, it was his identity as Ramenboy87!
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
To be fair to Ryuji, staying out of Kazusa's way is usually for the best. She hasnt been as immediately aggressive at school lately--though she's still plenty prickly. It's... a slow process.
"I ahven't been on a machine," she replies. "... so don't worrya bout it." She's usually trying not to use one this close to home anyway.
Kazusa arches an eyebrow as Ryui tries to deny it. "Relax, the 'popular kids' haven't all seen your videos. I just happened to find it when I was--"
'When I was trying to catch up on the goings on in Akiba' is what she wants to say, but she can't explain the need to catch up without without revealing the whole 'Homunculus' situation.
Here's a pause and a brief mental jam as she swtiches tracks. "... looking for videos about Akihabara. You know my family has ties to the area, right?"
Nevermind the fact that her secret sutdio is there.
Kauzsa croses her arms. "Relax, Sakamoto. I'm not going to 'bust' you or anything." She gives Ryuji a scrutinizing look, before glancing in to the direction of the arcade. His mention of catching her on video has reminded her of an incident from the summer...
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji breaths a sigh of relief when Kazusa mentions the popular kids didn't know yet. He wasn't at that stage....yet. Then again, what was this all going to turn into. Ryuji would ponder this later. It was a hobby for now.
Though he does ask aloud, "Wait, then why are you always on my ass?"
The mention of Akiba makes Sakamoto tense for a moment. How much did this girl know? Did she know about his butler job?
Then he has his answer, prompting a nervous laugh from him. "Eh? I guess you do huh?" He tries to forget that the bitchy girl in class has connections to the coolest stuff. She didn't even seem to like it from what he knows. Still, he sighs. "
He nods as she reassures him again.
"So what can I do for you, Motojima?" Ryuji smiles awkwardly as he slouches against the wall.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa arches an eyebrow at Ryuji. "... You do know your reputation around school, right?" The fact that there are parts of that story she doesn't know about is, well... not something she can really account for.
She looks away. "Though..." There's a thought that goes unfinished for a moment.
Luckily for Ryuji, Kazusa has not been there. Yet.
"Yeah. They do. You do know why they call it 'Electric Town', right?" Kazusa asks with an arched eyebrow, as if the answer was plainly obvious. (Which, to her, it is.)
But as for the matter of what he can do for her... Kazusa goes silent for a bit. Her expression doesn't exactly soften, but her eyes aren't quite as harsh. "Actually... there's something I wanted to do for you."
She doesn't quite meet his eyes, instead staring a little bit off to the side. "... specifically, apologize."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji sighs under her expression, nodding slowly. "You have a point there."
"Eh. Its cuz of the electronics." Ryuji says as if this were information that made you look smart by knowing. There is a long pause before Ryuji adds. "I mean, I'm pretty sure anyway."
He blinks when he notices her expression isn't as antagonistic. This makes the blonde blink as he just watches everything happen. The weird awkwardness. The avoiding eye contact. She wants to do 'something' for him. This was a confession.
From Kazusa Motojima. The blonde just watches with mild horror as he seems to talk over 'apologize'. "For real?! I got a girlfriend...Like I'm flattered? but yeah sorry."
It takes a moment until Ryuji's mind catches up to him. "Oh....Apologize. That makes a lot more sense."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"Obviously," she says of the electronics, with an eye roll. "But I bet you're not thinking of 'washing machines' and 'refrigerators', are you?" She shrugs. "But like I said... my family has connections to the area. "Akihabara Station was a major freight transit point. That meant when all those heavy devices were being shipped, they would up there--and that's where consumers went to view them. That's where my family's company found its early success."
"And that's why I have an interst in the area." Kazusa might be hiding behind her family's corporate facade, but if she were being honest, she loves the area for a lot more than just that.
Kazusa pauses as Ryuji talks over her. It takes her a long moment to register exactly what's been said. She blinks, mouth opening and closing as she stares at Ryuji.
There might be a cog that's gotten loose in her brain and it's taking a moment for everything to get back on track.
"I wasn't-- You--" Unfortunately for Ryuji, dating and romance happens to be a core insinceity of hers right now, for some reason. Oh, and nos ehs' found the riht gear setting for 'angry.' "Why would you even think that that was what I was going so say!? I was going to try and do something nice and you just-- you made it all weird! Again!"
... Again? (Sorry, she's just projecting about something that happened yesterday.)
"Ugh!" She turns her back to Ryuji and crosses her arms, and she's just being disgusted and definitely not trying to hide a stray blush.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"I mean I am now!" Ryuji crosses his arms as he tries to save face. "So your family sells a lot of that stuff...I guess I remember something like that. Personally, it's a lot better than my connection to the place. A lot more respectable." He pauses before adding. "Look, I'm not some loser but I'll admit I read some comics and games."
And then Ryuji steps on a landmine. He watches as Kazusa goes through a myriad of emotions, noting each one until she arrives at 'anger'. There is a wince when she starts yelling at him, feeling oddly comforted by Kazusa being openly hostile over whatever this whole thing was.
Finally he just shrugs and looks at her back. "It's not my fault! You got less angry looking and I panicked...So my bad. I'm sorry."
"So how about we just squash this?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazuas huffs. "... yeah, the pivot to otaku culture didn't take off until the 80's when retailers started selling early personal computers. And naturally, my family's company pivoted."
It's kind of sad when Kazusa acting angry about something is a relief, isn't it?
But Ryuji apologizes, which seems to help calm her down, though Kazusa herself is still very upset-seeming. She lets out a terse sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. "Stupid." But she's muttering that to herself kess than directing that at Ryuji. "Get a grip."
"Look," she says at length. "I didn't mean-- I was just trying to apologize for blowing up at you at the arcade, and instead here I go blowing up at you again just because that stupid Witch got in my head somehow--" And now she's getting off topic again. "Nevermind."
She finally turns around. "Look. I'm sorry. Okay? I just get-- I don't like people knowing what I'm into and I realize this is also coming out angry and--"
She presses a palm to her forehead to apply some pressure. "... I'm going in circles now. Ugh."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji nods, blinking as Kazusa seems to know a lot more about Akihabara than he could ever dream to. He wonders if she had a school project or something since she seems very well researched.
Then comes her apology/apologies. Ryuji stares silently, dreading any sort of movement that could make the girl scream at him again. That said, he really felt kind of sorry to be doing this to someone. He wasn't all that important so why was she in such turmoil over something from months ago.
"You're fine. I mean its water under the bridge."
"I guess I can understand that. Anyway, You don't gotta worry. Your secret is safe with me!'
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa actually loves her family's company--just not the same parts of it her father likes. So she's read up on it. And, of course, she's spent far more time in the area than most people would realize.
She wasn't in that much turmoil, until Ryuji stepped on a landmine, unfortunately. But she is still just, bad at apologizing in general, even if she's making the effort.
Kazusa takes a long, deep breath to try and calm herself, and slowly lets it go as she lets the hand drop. Water under the bridge. "Okay, thanks." She shrugs a little awkwardly. "... Honestly I'm not so sure it's that much of a secret anymore, but... thanks."
Her being caught at a con in cosplay and dressed down in front of her father definitely made the rumor circuits around school... along with her confounding sudden change in parsonality and the change back.
"So." Kazua crosses her arms, though that one may be as much about keeping warm. "You're making videos. How's that going?"
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji just keeps watching Kazusa. He is still a little unsure of whats going to happen next. For the moment, he is just gonna move through this conversation slowly and deliberately.
As she cools down, Ryuji relaxes more, nodding along when she mentions her secret. "I mean--I had heard some gossip about it I think" Ryuji admits, looking a little ashamed of knowing that.
"Still, it's not that bad. I mean as long as you're living for yourself or something..."
Ryuji slightly stiffens when she again mentions his videos. "Eh? Yeah. I figured it would be fun to have a food blog. So I found a cheap Camera and I've been throwing what I know about food."
"Kinda shocked you watched 'em?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa shrugs a little. "It's Shujin. Everybody talks. I'd be more surprised if you hadn't heard it, frankly." She's a little... resigned to being part of the gossip mill, at this point.
Okay it does bother her, but somehow that Homunculus got in her father's good graces again... for both good and ill. (A lot of ill, in KAzusa's opinion.)
Living for herself. Kazusa lets out a short, bitter laugh. "... yeah. Still working on that apart."
She shrugs a little. "You gave me a new place in Akbia to try. I was curious if you'd stumbled onto any other good spots. Your editing is kind of all over the place, though."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"I guess you're right there. Still doesn't make it cool though..." He shrugs right back.
Ryuji recalls the Homunculus and shudders a little. Being locked up in class with that monster was something that really got under his skin and freaked him out.
"Well..uh keep it up." Ryuji gives an awkward thumbs up, feeling himself cringe right after he does it.
"Places to try? I got tons to be honest. I can only make so many at a time since yeah my editing is kinda terrible. Heh." Ryuji laughs nervously as he scratches the back of his head. "Depends on what you're looking for."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"Yeah, maybe you're right." She shuffles around to lean against the wall, staring at the passers by as they... pass by. "... not like it's going to change anytime soon, though."
The Homunculus wasn't any more fun for Kazusa to deqal with, either.
"I'm trying," she says, lifting a hand up to examine her nails. "But thanks."
"Mmm. You need an editor. Someone who can take all of your raw footage and clip out the bits where you're dancing shirtless in front of a mirror." She keeps her expression cool--though she smirks at the mirror remark--as she keeps examining her nails. "... and I might know someone, if you're interested."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji nods, watching people as they pass by. "Eh, it happens sometimes. Being right I mean. Heh."
"That's all you can do." Ryuji adds, crossing his arms over his hoodie.
"An Editor, huh? That wouldn't be too bad. It would need to be someone who I could collaborate on a vision though." He scratches his chin, thinking about an editor in the mix. It wouldn't be a bad thing for sure. He stops as he feels his phone's alarm go off. "Tell you what...give me the person's info and we can work something out."
He quickly turns off his phone's alarm and nods. "Anyway, I need to head to work so until next time I...run into you."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa smirks a little. "Don't let it go to your head, Sakamoto." There's a little barb, there, but... not a vicious one. Her tone is defintely a lot lighter than normal.
"That's true," Kazusa says of the need for collaboration. "And someone with an eye for detail, no doubt."
She glances over as the alarm goes off, but then nods. "Sure. You ready?" She rattles off a phone number.
What she won't tell Ryuji just yet is that it's actually her number.
She's got a nice rig to edit video on, and if she wnts to start living for herself... maybe this is a small way she can do it.
"See you around, Sakamoto-san." Kazusa stands up, and starts walking down the street again.