2026-08-15: A Low-Key Date
- Cutscene: A Low-Key Date
- Cast: Ririka Kawase, Ikumi Okuyama
- Where: Shibuya, Tokyo
- OOC Date: August 15, 2026
- IC Date: Monday, December 24, 2012
- Summary: Ririka and Ikumi haven't gotten to see each other much since their first date, but living in two separate cities it's difficult to find the time. Winter Break presents an extraordinarily low-key opportunity.
Things had started... simply enough.
Then the next day came an idea, though neither of them would quite remember who had actually suggested it first.
The only thing visible for the next few moments was a three-dot animation before the next message finally arrived.
But like many things that start simple, once it came time to plan out the details, that's when the two girls started to realize the gravity of their undertaking. Holiday scheduling and pricing for the trains ("Well, it's a good thing we're meeting midway, right?"), holiday pricing for the karaoke itself ("Well, it'll be cheaper if we go in the day, and I have a loyalty card..."), and finally, stepping out of the subway car into the bustling Shibuya station.
It was just a low-key date, right?
So why was Ririka's heart pounding?
She pulled her long black coat tighter around her as she headed upstairs, breath frosting in the air as she made her way to the Buchiko statue. She pulled her red scarf up to cover her mouth, pensively scanning the horizon until--
"Yo! Kawase-chan!"
Ririka turned and smiled as she spotted the other girl. There was Ikumi, stepping out of the subway terminal. From what Ririka could see Ikumi's short green hair was spiked up some, and she was wearing an olive green parka with white faux fur trim over... Ririka raised her eyebrows in surprise. Dark slacks and boots? Suddenly she intensely wanted to see the rest of the outfit.
And she caught Ikumi looking her over, too: long dark coat, a beanie to stay warm, but under the coat were black tights and her favorite calf-high boots. Their eyes met, their cheeks flushed in a way that had nothing to do with the cold air.
"Hey, Okuyama-chan," she called back. "Are you ready for..." She hesitated a moment before she forced the word out. "... karaoke?"
"Y-- Yeah, sure am!" replied Ikumi, her gaze steadily rising to meet the taller girl's as Ririka approached.
They both waited in silence for a moment, before Ikumi cleared her throat. "We should--"
Ririka didn't hesitate. "Right--right! Then, this way." She turned, and the two fell into pace with each other, arms brushing lightly as they talked about everything and nothing as they made their way to the karaoke place.
Checking in was somehow both an intense, high-stakes game of social maneuvering and incredibly, almost painfully mundane. While Ririka was fretting that the man at the front counter would say something--oh, are you two together? or what are you two doing here on Christmas Eve?--all that happened in reality was that he checked their reservation and IDs, and then gave them their room assignment. Ririka fired off a quick 'Thank you very much!' and hastened for the elevator.
She let out a sigh of relief as they finally stepped into the room together. It was small, but it was mostly theirs for the next couple of hours. A couch pushed up against a wall, a low center table in front of it, and of course, the large screen and sound system that dominated one of the remaining walls.
"Whew," sighed Ririka as she started pulling off her beanie and scarf, stuffing them into her coat pockets. "We made it." She reached up to run her fingers through her long black hair, fixing the half-up ponytail to give it some more volume. Then she slipped her coat off.
"Yeah," agreed Ikumi, running her fingers through her hair with a shaky breath. "Guess they see all types though--" Her thought trailed off as she turned to look at Ririka. Her eyes caught on the newly-revealed purple lip gloss before she forced her gaze downwards, ignoring the light, fluttery feeling in her stomach. Her eyes traced the lines of Ririka's denim vest, briefly studied the band logo on her black tee for a moment too long before trailing down to see the dark purple skirt over her black tights.
Ririka caught Ikumi's gaze and felt her own cheeks heat up, along with her heart skipping a beat. But a smile crept its way onto her face as she rested a hand on her hip, drawing the other girl's eye to her black leather bracelet and purple nail polish. She started to speak, paused, and then forced herself to continue. "L-- like what you see?"
Ikumi swallowed hard and nodded instantly. "Yeah. Yeah! You look-- amazing. Like a rock star."
That earned a pleased laugh from the taller girl, who smiled warmly. "Welll, maybe someday," she countered playfully. She said nothing else but watched Ikumi after that.
That look of interest didn't escape Ikumi, who smirked and unzipped her own parka, before shrugging it off and tossing it onto an empty chair. Underneath she was wearing a buttoned up dark green vest over a crisp white shirt. The top few buttons were left open, and tucked underneath was a black cord, though Ririka couldn't see what was hanging from it. Ikumi did a slow turn while holding her arms out, and Ririka let her eyes wander down, taking in the way a chain hung from the belt of Ikumi's slacks and led into a pocket. With the spiked up hair and boots, it made for a dapper but effortlessly cool look.
Ririka's eyes lit up in delight, and she took a step closer as Ikumi finished the slow spin. "Lookin' sharp, Okuyama-chan. I dig it." She looked Ikumi up and down once more, her eyes lingering in the open buttons for a moment too long before looking back up to her date's eyes, a fresh wave of heat rising in her chest. "You know, I was just saying the other day some girls can pull off a suit, and you are definitely in that category."
The grin on Ikumi's face was crooked, but her gaze was warm as she looked up to Ririka. "Yeah?" She ran her fingers through her hair again, giving her head a small toss. "Glad you go in for that sort of thing, Kawase-chan. I'll have to remember that."
"Good," replied Ririka. The two girls stood in silence for a long moment, simply soaking up each other's presence.
Both girls started to speak at once, hesitated, and then broke out into a laugh. Ririka smiled. "So... let's order food? So we'll have it while we sing."
"Sounds good." Both girls sat on the couch together and Ikumi reached for the tablet on the center table. But they both paused as their elbows brushed together, nervously yanking their arms away. "R-right, uh... fried chicken, right?" asked Ikumi. "And we've got the unlimited drinks..." She started scrolling through the menu, checking out the different options.
Ririka leaned over to look at the tablet's screen, though she was careful not to lean too far into Ikumi's space. "Ooh, wanna get an order of fries with that?"
Ikumi paused, arching an eyebrow at Ririka. "Fried chicken and fried potatoes?"
"I--" Ririka drew back, worry creasing her brow. "Is that... a problem...?" she asked quietly. "I have... a healthy appetite sometimes, that's all." She could justify it, if she had to. She was already listing up the excuses in her head.
"Not a problem at all," replied Ikumi with a grin. "I was just gonna suggest making them garlic fries to jazz 'em up a bit."
Ririka let out a startled laugh and an exhale. "Oh! Eh heh. Then... sure!"
"Awesome." Ikumi tapped a few items for the order, then passed the tablet to Ririka so she could put in her own drink order.
Ririka did so, then showed the final order to Ikumi. "Everything look good?" When Ikumi nodded, Ririka submitted the order. "Alright. Now then, while we wait for that." There was a gleam in Ririka's eye as she switched to the song listing. "Let's look at the songs! You got anything you're dying to sing?"
Ikumi leaned back, grinning. "Yeah. But we've got time. Let's start with something high-energy, to really get the blood pumping."
Entries scrolled by on the tablet as Ririka swiped the screen. "I mean, we've got options. Rock, pop, idol hits, anime intros..." Ririka grinned as she glanced at Ikumi. "Or we could jump straight to punk."
There was a sharp bark of a laugh and Ikumi threw an arm up on the back of the couch in the opposite direction of Ririka. "You know I'm down for it, but let's give ourselves something to look forward to."
"Works for me." Ririka kept scrolling, and then grinned as she found the perfect choice. "Then let's start with a crowd-pleaser." She tapped the song and then stood, swapping the tablet for a microphone.
BGM: Rewrite - ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmeudwRMrsU
Ririka started bobbing her head to the beat as a the guitars started blaring over the speakers, followed by cymbal crashes and a driving drum rhythm a few moments later. She couldn't help but grin as she started singing the lyrics, though she was looking at Ikumi more than the screen.
An excited laugh bubbled up from Ikumi as she watched Ririka in turn, catching on to the song once the lyrics started. "Oh-- this one. You'd better kill it on the chorus, Kawase!" she teased playfully with a broad grin.
Ririka's own grin stretched wider, her bobbing head dipping into several eager nods as she kept singing. She took a quick breath as the song picked up intensity into the chorus. All of her nerves evaporated as she belted out the start of the chorus. "KESHITE! Riraito shite!"
"Woo!" Ikumi instantly threw a fist into the air, laughing delightedly. "Get it!"
Fighting the urge to laugh, Ririka kept belting out the chorus. Only then did she let the delight spill from her throat, as the song began its transition to the bridge. "You like that, Okuyama?" she teased back, eyes shining.
"You bet!" cheered Ikumi. "Bring it home!"
"You got it." Ririka's fingers were tapping out the rhythm line on the body of the microphone before she then launched into the bridge. She let her voice start low and flat, then let it slowly build in intensity before exploding into the final chorus. She pushed her voice harder. She clenched her free hand over her chest as she tore into the final lyrics. "Kimi wo nasu gendouryoku! Zenshin zenrei wooo! Kure yoooo! Whooaaa! Whoa oh yeah, yeah, yeaaaah!"
Ririka let herself sag just a little as the song finished playing out, but her grin was triumphant as she tossed herself back onto the couch. "Okay, I needed that."
"Damn, Kawase-chan," said Ikumi, looking the other girl up and down with plain admiration. "You got some pipes."
"Wait'll you see me really get going," said Ririka with a challenging grin.
"Ha! I better step up my game, then." Ikumi picked up the tablet, starting to scroll through the list. "Oh-- got it, this is perfect." She tapped the screen and then set the tablet down. She stood, and Ririka passed her the microphone. There was an electric jolt as their fingers brushed against each other, but this time neither moved to yank their hands away.
"Knock 'em dead," said Ririka with a bright smile as she looked up into Ikumi's eyes.
"Planning on it," Ikumi replied warmly, before stepping around the table.
BGM: Re:Re: - ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj5vpv65Sc0
As the first lonely bass riffs started, Ririka drew in a sharp breath. "Oh." Her cheeks warmed as she watched Ikumi flash her with a smile before starting to dance along to the long intro. The other girl grooved along to the beat for a moment, before doing a turn and then extending her hand to Ririka.
Ririka bit her lip for a moment but reached up, letting Ikumi pull her to a standing position. Separately, but still together, they both danced along to the intro on opposite sides of the coffee table. Ririka moved to sit as the final section of the intro started, but a gesture from Ikumi kept her standing. Ririka shot Ikumi a curious look, but Ikumi just grinned and kept dancing until the first lyrics started. "Kimi wo matta boku wa matta..."
Ikumi focused more on Ririka and the lyrics than dancing during the first verse, but as she picked up into the chorus she leaned over the coffee table, extending the microphone further with a daring grin. Ririka's eyes lit up and she leaned in, both starting to belt out the chorus in unison. "Soshite dou ka nakusanaide yo tte!" After the chorus finished, they broke apart with a breathless, giddy laugh, and Ikumi swung her hips in the brief respite before the next verse started.
This time, as the song built up into the next chorus, Ririka stepped around the coffee table to join her for the next chorus, both girls face-to-face now as they belted out the lyrics in unison. They kept dancing, together but not touching, through the bridge and the final ending of the song. As the last chord lingered in the air, both girls slowed, breathless, but feeling warm as they stared into each other's eyes.
"Good song choice," Ririka murmured softly.
"Thanks," replied Ikumi with that crooked grin of hers. "Thought you'd like it."
A warm comfortable silence stretched out between them as they slowly leaned in.
The sharp rap of a knock on the door drove them apart in an instant. "Oh-- right! Sec!" Ririka called. She moved to the door to take the tray of food from the worker. "Thank you very much!" she said with a shallow bow as she backed up into the room.
Ikumi let out a shaky exhale, setting the microphone down as she took a seat on the couch again. "Well. That's... some timing."
"Tell me about it," said Ririka with a sigh as she sat down, placing the tray on the table. She glanced over at Ikumi, looked down at the space between them on the couch, and then inclined her head with a smile. Ikumi returned the smile and slid over to close the distance. Their elbows touched, but this time they only shared a warm look.
Ikumi reached out to grab a garlic fry, popping it into her mouth. "Mmm! Good fries. So, what's next? We're warmed up, we've got food... wanna exchange gifts?"
Ririka went for a piece of fried chicken first, nibbling it as she held her hand under it. "The chicken's good, too. And... sure!"
Since Ririka was still working on her piece of chicken, Ikumi got up to retrieve their backpacks, settling back in against Ririka on the couch. "Then, here's mine," she said, pulling out a small wrapped box. When Ririka finished her piece of chicken she wiped her hands off on a napkin and reached for it.
"I wonder what this is..." she said quietly as she diligently worked to unwrap the box. She gasped softly, feeling a flutter in her chest as she uncovered the packaging: a small set of scented candles. "Okuyama-chan... oh, that's so thoughtful..." She deliberately leaned in against Ikumi's side for a moment. "Thank you."
Ikumi's posture was relaxed, her grin easy as she watched Ririka's reaction. "Glad you like it, Kawase-chan. Wasn't sure if you went for that type of thing, but..."
Ririka quickly shook her head. "It's perfect. I'll make sure to use these." She carefully set the box aside, then reached into her own backpack. "Here." The box she handed Ikumi was wider and flatter.
The other girl took it and undid the wrapping with a little more haste, pulling it off to reveal a set of extremely sour candies. Ikumi sat up straighter, letting out a delighted sound. "Whoa-- where'd you even get these, Kawase-chan!?"
"I happened to find a good deal," Ririka said with a grin. "But the online reviews said these were the best ones, so... Hope you like them."
Ikumi leaned into Ririka's side with a little bit more force. "Oh yeah, these are the primo stuff. I'm gonna make sure I savor these." She flashed Ririka a grin. "Thanks. I love it."
"Welcome!" replied Ririka, and the two shared a look for a moment. "So--I believe it's my turn?" She reached out to pick up the tablet.
They continued this way for a while, trading back and forth as they sang, joked, laughed, and shared food, chatting throughout. At one point they had even playfully batted at each other's hands when reaching for the same piece of fried chicken.
A surprise pick of an English song prompted Ririka to explain she had first heard it in a Boney Eagle's Pro Skater game, then to confess that yes, she had, in fact, skateboarded before.
This prompted Ikumi to share her own dream, of becoming a professional pool player, and that she might have a few tricks with a pool cue she could share sometime, if Ririka was willing to show her some skateboard tricks.
Ririka had immediately agreed.
Eventually, their baskets ran empty. Ikumi tipped one over to peer inside. "Looks like it might be a good time to order dessert."
Ririka glanced at the clock and nodded. "Yeah, we'd better."
Something glinted in Ikumi's eyes as she looked at Ririka thoughtfully. "Say, Kawase-chan... wanna make it interesting?"
Ririka finished her sip of soda and lowered the cup. "Interesting...?" she repeated. "How do you mean?"
"What I mean," started Ikumi as she turned in her seat to look at Ririka more fully. "Is that we should make a little wager. We both perform a song. Whoever gets the worse score has to pay for both desserts."
There was something about the determined look in Ikumi's eye that drew Ririka irresistibly in. "A wager...?" A giggle bubbled up, escaping as a bright, clear sound before she hastened to cover her mouth. "Okuyama-chan, there's something you should know before you challenge me to a sing-off."
Ikumi quirked an eyebrow, but the way she leaned in signaled a growing interest, and her grin widened at the implication of a challenge. "Yeah? And what's that."
Ririka matched the grin, leaning in closer herself. "I have a band. Aaaaaand I'm the lead singer."
The other girl blinked, mouth working wordlessly for a moment. "I-- wait-- /what/?" Then her grin returned in full force as she leaned in even closer, a fire ignited in her eyes. "Kawase. Are you holding out on me?"
"Nono!" But Ririka couldn't help the laugh that escaped her throat as she leaned back, furiously shaking her head. "I wasn't trying-- I just didn't know when to say. I don't like bragging, so..."
Ikumi joined in on the laugh, settling back into her seat. "Well damn. That's cool, Kawase-chan." Her eyes lidded halfway as she murmured, "No wonder you look so good when you're singing."
Ririka felt her cheeks heat up, but she leaned in, attempting to match the other girl's energy. "You're pretty good-looking yourself, you know."
There was a bark of a laugh. Ikumi's cheeks flushed red, but her grin was steady. "You don't say."
"I do." Ririka had caught the bug now, and she was grinning. "Buuut, if you still want to do the wager, I've got an idea to make it more fair. You can pick my song, but it has to be one I already know. Maybe not well, but I'll be honest, and you get to choose your own song too. Sound fair?"
"Oh ho, feeling confident, Kawase?" teased Ikumi, but she was matching Ririka's excitement. "Alright. That sounds fine by me. But you're going down, Kawase."
"Bring it, Okuyama."
Two songs later, Ririka stared at the score on the screen, jaw slack. She'd expected a close score, maybe that she would win.
It hadn't even been close.
Ikumi was wearing a teasingly smug smile as she silently sipped at her soda. She'd finished her song, sat down, and let her score speak for itself. She was just waiting for Ririka to react now.
Ririka huffed and sat back, crossing her arms. She was trying not to smile but it was a losing battle. "If I'd had my guitar..."
"But you didn't," Ikumi pointed out, suppressing a small laugh. "If it helps, your performance was amazing. You were totally robbed."
The band leader cast a sidelong glance at the winner, appraising her for a moment. "... but you're still going to make me buy dessert," she said, though she was grinning more openly now.
Ikumi winked and raised her soda cup in a toast. "You're a quick learner, Kawase."
Ririka regarded Ikumi for a moment longer, and then leaned in. "You're just lucky you're hot."
The reaction was instantaneous. Ikumi had moved to take another sip from her cup, but she choked and sputtered as Ririka dropped her line, pounding her chest. But scattered in amongst the coughs were fragments of laughs, and when Ikumi finally caught her breath she shook her head. "Damn! You're dangerous."
It was Ririka's turn to smirk as she picked up the tablet to order. "Christmas Cake?" she asked.
"Yeah. And can you get me a refill? Mysteriously, I seem to have inhaled half of my soda somehow."
Ririka just hummed to herself as she put the order in, then she looked to Ikumi. "Seriously, though, you okay?" she asked, frowning lightly as she watched Ikumi catch her breath. "That wasn't too much, was it?"
Ikumi took a deep inhale and shook her head. "Nah, you're good. You caught me by surprise, but..." She leaned against Ririka's side, glancing up to her. "... it was a good surprise." She waited a moment. "I would like to drink more of my soda than wear it in the future, though."
Ririka leaned into the other girl, smiling down at her. "Yeah, that's fair."
They made small talk for a few minutes until their desserts arrived. Once Ikumi sat down with the tray, the two girls leaned against each other, each with their own plate. The cake was delicious, and it gave Ririka some time to sit and think.
Specifically, to think about what she wanted to say. Her heart quickened in her chest, and she felt a slow heat starting to crawl up the back of her neck. She recalled her mother's advice.
Keep it simple, and keep it straightforward.
"Hey, Okuyama-chan..." she started, her voice far softer now.
"Mmm?" Ikumi noticed the shift and slowly sat up. There was a slow flush of color starting to fill her own cheeks, and she reached up with her free hand to run her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, Kawase-chan? What's... what's up?"
Ririka sat her half-eaten piece of cake down, turning to face Ikumi more head on. Ikumi did the same, and the two girls watched each other quietly for a moment. Ririka smiled softly and took a deep breath, though it did nothing to quell the butterflies in her stomach. "I... I like you. A lot. You're fun to be with, and... I feel like I can just relax around you, and not have to worry about being myself. I'd like to keep seeing you."
Ikumi's eyes widened, and she let out a nervous chuckle as Ririka spoke, though her full attention was on the other girl. Slowly she nodded. "... I like you a lot too. When we had our first date, I wasn't... really sure if this whole 'dating a girl' thing would really be right for me, but... after spending all this time with you, I am. I've enjoyed every moment I spent with you, and..." That trademark lopsided grin appeared. "... doesn't hurt that you're pretty cute, too. I'd love to keep seeing you."
The heat rose in Ririka's chest and face again as she stared at Ikumi, but she didn't mind it. She reached out, and their hands met, fingers intertwining. Without a word she pulled Ikumi close, tilting her head down. Ikumi tilted hers up, and the two met in the middle.
The kiss was soft yet unyielding. Ririka's eyes fluttered close as she took in all of Ikumi's presence: the heat of her body, the scent of the product in her hair and the sweat on her skin, the tastes of whipped cream and strawberry on her lips. Ririka's heart skipped a beat or three, but she let herself be lost to the moment.
Finally they pulled away. Both girls were breathing hard, but their eyes were also bright as they finally opened them to look at each other.
"Been wanting to do that for a while," Ririka murmured softly. "... Ikumi-chan."
"Ha," replied Ikumi breathlessly. "... totally worth the wait, though, Ririka-chan."
Neither of them said anything for a moment, before slowly releasing their hands and reaching for their respective plates. "So..." started Ririka as she took another bite. "... we've got some time left before our reservation's over. Wanna sing a couple more songs?" She glanced at Ikumi with a quiet but playful smile. "... maybe together?"
Ikumi chuckled quietly and leaned against Ririka as she picked up her fork. "Definitely. That sounds perfect."
They finished their time with a couple more songs, gathered their things, paid, and left. A nighttime sky and brilliant city lights greeted them as they stepped back outside. The air was colder and sharper, but neither girl felt it as they intertwined their hands and walked slowly down the street. They exchanged glances and smiles as they went, lively chatting and laughing about anything and everything that came to mind.
Finally they arrived at the Buchiko statue once more, and both girls fell silent. With one last squeeze of their hands they let go, then turned to face each other.
"It was really nice seeing you again, Ikumi-chan," said Ririka warmly. "I'm glad we were able to make today work."
"Right back at you, Ririka-chan," replied Ikumi. "Text me when you get back home?"
"I'll probably be texting you all the way back home," Ririka said with a grin.
Ikumi laughed softly, taking a half step back in the direction of the subway stairs. "... I can think of worse things than texting with my girlfriend on a long train ride."
Ririka's breath caught in her throat, and there was a warm, shy smile behind her scarf as she felt a fresh wave of heat. "... Yeah, me too. Talk to you soon."
With one last lingering glance, both girls turned to head for their respective trains. But they wouldn't be apart for long.