2026-07-27: Present Wrapping and Loneliness
- Log: 2026-07-27: Present Wrapping and Loneliness
- Cast: Kasumi Yoshizawa, Kanae Fuyuki
- Where: Shibuya Underground Mall
- OOC Date: July 27, 2026
- IC Date: December 15, 2012
- Summary: Taking place during the Christmas Village, Kasumi and Kanae get a chance to talk. They talk about some recent drama as Kanae wraps some presents for Kasumi.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Having momentarily escaped from her senpai and Yamagishi-san, Kasumi took her time shopping around the ornaments, hoping to gather enough time to cool down. While she's there, she picks out some choice ornaments. One for herself, and one for each of her family.
Next up, is the second year's gift wrapping station. She strains her next to see either one of her liked Senpais, Amamiya or Wakana... Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like either are present. Wakana's probably just busy, but Amamiya... Kasumi bites her lower lip slightly. Poor guy... Wait, crud, uh... What's the gender neutral version of guy???? Whatever!
There is one face that Kasumi reconizes at least, who she drifts towards. It's only when she reaches the table, she remembers that this girl is affiliated with that mean French lady from before... It's a little too late to change tack now.
"Um, excuse me, Senpai?" Kasumi starts, sitting across from Kanae Fuyuki. Though, Kasumi only knows her from around Shuujin's practice building, or Motojima-senpai's homunculus events. "Are you open?"
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Kanae Fuyuki will have a turn to walk around in time, too. For now though, she's back wrapping stuff. It's probably just as well that Ren isn't here for her; though she's no longer avoiding them in the same way... they still don't exactly get along, these days.
In uniform, Kanae is seated at her station, looking at nothing in particular. She doesn't seem in a very festive mood, in this moment. But that shakes off and she puts on a smile when Kasumi speaks up.
"Hm?" she asks. "Oh, yeah," she says. "Totally. What would you like wrapped..." Pause. "Yoshizawa-san, right?" Of course she can recognize her. Kasumi's well-known at school.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"Yes." Kasumi confirms. It's still always a little surprising when an upperclassman knows her name! It isn't like she asked to be famous, after all. "I'm sorry Senpai, but what is your name...?" She asks.
What she has to be wrapped... Kasumi places two Kokeshi dolls, one clearly feminine and one masculine with glasses, along with a red and white ornament ball with a vibrant red ribbon. After a moment, she takes the ribboned one back, keeping with her own kitsune charm. "Sorry. Just the two Kokeshi dolls, please." She says.
Still. Even if Kasumi is wrapped up in her own things, she can recognize another soul hurting. She shifts slightly in her hseat, before finally asking. "Are you okay, Senpai? You're looking a little...under the weather." She offers a gentle, supportive smile, hoping that it's disarming enough.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Deal with it, Kasumi! You're famous! ...No, Kanae won't make a big deal of it.
"Kanae Fuyuki," Kanae answers when Kasumi asks. "It's fine. Though we'll make the Tennis Club famous yet!" She puts on a little cheer that she doesn't really feel; it might even be convincing!
But the dolls... and the ornament. Ah, no, just the doll. "Cute," Kanae pronounces her judgement. "Just a sec." They get a nice box, and...
Kanae can wrap and talk at the same time, so she does! But her face flushes a little darker when Kasumi is able to spot her feelings.
"Ah, that's..."
"...It's probably nothing you want to hear about," Kanae demurs. "Boyfriend problems. But I'm fine. Just a little tired."
Lovely paper, and ribbon to close it, and...
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"Tennis! That's it..." That makes sense why Kasumi 's seen her around the practice building. She offers a smile. "I'll have to visit your next game." A beat. "I guess you probably already know, but I'm in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. I dunno if we're famous yet, but..." What should they be famous for? Because of the failure of a star, or having the Demon Queen of Shuujin inside? Neither are particularly happy.
At least, they're not the volleyball club, or track?
"Thank you." Kasumi smiles a little, as her fingers play with the ball. The lack of a followup question somehow gets to Kasumi though. Like... something is being judged. "I'm just...not quite used to buying presents for two just yet." There! That should explain it!
"On Christmas?" Kasumi, it's December 15th. "I'm sorry, Senpai. It seems like it's going around." She says, like she has personal experience and not just watching Amamiya-senpai. And like Amamiya's struggles count in the 'Christmas timeframe'.
She allows a few beats go by. It is a girl's nature to love gossip... "I don't mind." She says gently. Like she isn't pressing. "If you want to share with someone who's outside and won't judge..." She does smile a little, watching the ribbon be twisted and tied.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Tennis! "That'd be nice," Kanae says of visiting the next game. "We work really hard--and there's always some excitement going on the girls' and the boys' sides." Pause. "It's OK; it's more... well, I know Motojima-san, too," she settles on. "Maybe you'll get there. We all have a chance now, right?"
Now that Kamoshida is gone, anyway.
But Kasumi smiles, and Kanae listens. "For two, huh? I wasn't going to ask because I figured it was your business... But now you have me curious. If you're willing to share."
But... she doesn't mind. "Well..."
She sighs. "Touma-kun's still mad I'm not correcting people about being Nagisa-san's girl--and like, I'm not. But I don't want him to make a thing of it, because... he'll just get hurt. Nagisa-san's this athletic guy, and..."
Also a horrible abomination, but Kanae doesn't know Kasumi's a Persona-user.
"...But," she says, "That's 'not believing in him'," she sighs.
"And now people think I'm..."
"It just sucks," she says. "You can judge if you want. Everybody else is."
She doesn't smile back until she finishes the first box--and then slides it over. "How's that?" she asks.
Kanae is very technically proficient in wrapping!! It's lovely.
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"I can imagine." Kasumi says with a giggle. "Whenever I walk by, I hear you all hard at work..." She replies with a laugh. Yes. Taking part in more school events would be good to do... Especially now that the clubs have to work harder to uphold Shuujin's reputation. Being famous though... is sort of secondary. "I guess it comes with the territory, but... I'm just hoping to be at the top of the world."
"Motojima-senpai..." Kasumi hesitates on her complicated relationship there. "She's getting better, at least." There's an uneasy smile. After all, she just got snapped at. She pauses again, before deciding to go for it. "Since, you know... Uh. Thank you for helping her, I mean, Senpai. On behalf of the Gymnastics Club."
Kanae prompts, and Kasumi goes silent for a bit, wondering if she should say anything. Well, with someone she hardly knows... "My sister, uh... passed. There's not really a point in wrapping something for the butsudan, so..."
Kasumi does her best to follow along, even if she's not really well versed in any of these names. Touma... is Kanae's boyfriend? And Nagisa is the second guy... Which means it's a love triangle! Messy!!!
Although, she shakes her head. "It's none of my business, but... I know that the Shuujin rumour mill can be cruel. But, it'll pass in the month." She's speaking from personal experience here. "Once the next fad starts, they'll forget all about it..." Sure, she can say that easily now, but she also realizes being in the moment can be way more stressful.
Ksumi does her best to follow along with the story. "So... This Nagisa-senpai just started saying that you and him are together...?And you're worried if you say something, he could hurt you or your actual boyfriend... Do I have that right?" If yes, that's a toughie... Especially, if 'Nagisa-san' is that homunculus she's felt the presence of. Maybe Kanae doesn't know, but Kasumi knows that Kanae has a Persona. "Are you sure it would break into a fight, Senpai?"
Kanae finishes up the first present and Kasumi beams pretty hard "Woah... You're really good at it, Senpai!" She says happily. She'll have to watch more closely the next time around! If the box includes a card, then Kasumi will take it and write down a name.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"Good luck!" Kanae says sincerely to Kasumi. It's not as if they're in competition with each other, either; tennis and rhythmic gymnastics are very different. But even if they were... "I hope you get everywhere you want to go."
She's 'getting better'. "She's kind of prickly," Kanae agrees, "But she means well, I guess." Then she tilts her head. "Helping her with what?" Kanae wonders.
But then--ah. Not to wrap...
"Oh," Kanae says. "...I'm sorry," she says. That explains why she doesn't want it wrapped...
Love triangle!!! Yes. Kanae isn't as good at telling the story as she should be; she's still wrapped up in it. But--
"...Thanks," Kanae says. "But it's not like I'm a 'normal' student in the first place..." Kanae wears some of her differences very obviously; she's half-Japanese and to look at her, emphasis on the half. But personal experience... "...Thanks," she says instead anyway, shaking her head. "I appreciate it. I know you're right. But it might be too late for my relationship, by then."
But nagisa... yes. "I don't know if you heard what he did to Isabeau--Isabeau Fontaine--but... Yeah, I'm worried."
Kanae doesn't know, though she may soon find out.
"I mean... Not completely sure, but..."
Then she smiles. "Thanks," she says to Kasumi about the wrapping. The box will totally include a card! "I like stuff like this."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
"Ah... Thank you, Fuyuki-senpai. You too!" Kasumi replies cheerfully.
Kasumi tilts her head slightly. Does Kanae not remember about Motojima's Homunculus? If not... Best not to push it. "Sorry, Senpai. I must be mistaken." She says, dismissing it. Personas will remain secret... But jeez, to be so busy to forget something like that... It almost makes Kasumi a little jealous.
Kanae apologies and Kasumi...doesn't really know what to do with it. "Thank you." She says softly. A little awkward. "I'm moving forward."
You're speaking with another abnormal student, Kanae. You're in good company. "It's been an abnormal school yearh." Kasumi jokes. "...You're not alone in being out of the norm, Senpai." More to the point though... "The rumours really are just one part of the issue, huh...?" If only Amamiya-senpai was here... They'd have a better idea on how to help. They're so reliable after all...
"Fontaine-senpai?" Kasumi asks. Oh, that must be the French girl. Still, Kasumi shakes her head. "I try not to pay attention to any rumours. After your name's the one on everyone's lips, it's..." Kasumi shakes her head. Best not to make it about her. "I guess it didn't go well... That's really difficult, Senpai... I'm sorry."
"You're really good at it!" Kasumi says happily, admiring the wrapping job. "I can't do anything like this. I'm good on my feet sure, but anything outside of gymnastics..." Even including gymnastics... She's still struggling with it.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Kanae remembers, she's just lying. Lying, like a liar! Because she doesn't wnat to get this girl involved in Persona nonsense. "It's OK," Kanae says. "No problem."
Moving forward... That's a nice thought.
But, "So it has." A very abnormal school year indeed. "That's... really true." But not alone from being outside the norm... There is that. "Mm. Aren't we all?" she asks. "It's not like we're being different 'together'." She looks distant at that one. But then she shakes her head. "Sorry, that's doom and gloom talk."
But Fontaine! The French girl. "Ah. ...I don't like the rumors, but I don't want to turn my back on them, either. If you stop paying attention, you don't know when you're the next one on the chopping block."
But Kasumi is happy. That's good at least. "Thanks," she says. "And nah, it's not that special--it's just practice. I like doing things with my hands, so I do it a lot."
Beat, "Though I guess you don't have time for practicing anything outside gymnastics, though." Pause. "...Wait," she says. "You were at..."
Kanae suddenly drops what she was doing and goes serious. "'Homunculus'," she says. "You remember, right?"
"That's what he is. Stay away until we can do something about it." She keeps her voice low. "If you want to help, get with me later. ...For now i'm gonna wrap your other doll and it's gonna be like everything's normal, OK?"
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Not being different together, huh... Yeah, it isn't like Kasumi can comment on anything. She's not involved. "I guess not." She says softly. "I just mean... There's people who understand..."
That's an interesting point of view. Much like a detective prince, but for self-protection... "Do you often have to be careful, Senpai..." She wonders what that must be like. Kasumi doesn't want to have to do that. She just wants to do her own thing. People can talk all they want. All she needs is her gymnastics.
Kanae has a dawning realization, and Kasumi listens. Thankfully, she has a lot of experience with smiling without letting anything slip. "Yes. Thank you."
A beat. "Gymnastics is very demanding. I barely have time for studying." Whenever she tries something new nowadays, she just gets frustated.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"Yeah. I'm not saying nobody does. Just... that reaching out can be harder than it sounds. Take Isabeau, for example. ...Nobody really tries to understand her." Kanae shakes her head. "Well, that doesn't matter right now."
"Always," Kanae answers of being careful. She doesn't elaborate from there. Instead--
"Cool," Kanae says when Kasumi understands and agrees. They can't discuss it more here and now, but... Another ally is all the better. "We're going to need all the help we can get on this one."
But gymnastics! "I bet!" Kanae says. "It's because you're so serious about it. ...I know I could go farther in tennis if I worked harder, but it's a hobby for me--it's great, but it's not my whole life."
She presents: another box! "...But it was nice to talk some. Here you go, Yoshizawa-san."
<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.
Kasumi nods gently. It's much tougher than said. "...Is Fontaine-senpai lonely too...?" She asks. Too...
Kasumi nods. "A hobby is a great thing to have. I respect that too." She says with a smile.
She gets her box, to which she makes sure to write inside the car. Then, they're going into her school bag. "Thank you so much, Fuyuki-senpai. It was really nice to speak with you too."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"Probably," Kanae says. "But don't try to tell her that. She'll bite your head off. ...It's fine. She'd do that anyway."
But a hobby! Kanae smiles this time, and then the boxes are done with. "You're welcome," Kanae says. "Take care! And have fun! I'll get my time off soon to wander around too!"