2026-11-04: Giving Credit
- Cutscene: Giving Credit
- Cast: Kazusa Motojima, Wakana Oosaka
- Where: Kazusa's Studio, Akihabara, Tokyo
- OOC Date: November 04, 2026
- IC Date: Sunday, February 03, 2013
- Summary: Kazusa is alone in her apartment, again, working on some homework. Then, who should come along but her currently-estranged friend Wakana. They haven't really spoken in four months, but Wakana apparently has a reason to reach out. But what is it?
Cold cup ramen filled the subdued studio apartment, accompanied by low J-pop music. Outside the windows Akiba was submerged in inky darkness, though further out the bright lights of the main strip still shone like a beacon to the night sky. Kazusa sat at the wooden table by her kitchenette, textbooks spread out around her as she studied. Every so often she would pick up her phone, tap out the PIN, and check for new views or comments on the latest Let's Eat video that had gone live earlier that day. Another tick of the counter made her smile briefly. It had been a lot of work, but… it had been worth it.
A knock at the door wiped the smile from her face. A flash of heat erupted in her chest as she turned to stare at the door, frowning. She hadn't made plans for anybody to visit—if this was Isabeau or Kasumi making a surprise visit… Kazusa scowled as she slipped out of the chair, dressed in a soft pink hoodie, purple joggers, and pink house slippers, already feeling the vein starting to throb in her forehead. "I swear, whoever it is is getting a piece of my mind," she muttered as she crossed the small studio apartment.
But the sight on the other side of the peephole made her gasp, and all her nascent anger evaporated. Kazusa hastened to open the door, freezing as the visitor came into view.
It was Wakana. Her oldest… well, they hadn't quite been friends recently, had they? In fact, Kazusa had been doing her best to give the other girl space—a feat made infinitely more awkward by how they shared both a class and a club together. But here she was, short brown bob, and those large, vulnerable eyes that Kazusa just wanted to—
She wrenched her gaze downwards, staring at the floor instead as she tried to ignore some very traitorous thoughts. "Uh… hey, Wakana-san. I wasn't… why are you… " She risked a peek up. "… is… everything okay…?"
Wakana was more composed, though there was still a current of uncertainty evident in the way her clasped hands tightened. "Everything's fine, I just… wanted to talk."
Was everything fine? Kazusa replayed the recent weeks in her head. Had she said anything to Wakana in class? During Rhythmic Gymnastics practice? A sideways look? An off-handed remark? She'd tried to be so careful, but she also kept slipping. "Oh, okay, uh… would you like to come in?" Kazusa took a step back, opening the door wider.
"Thanks." Wakana offered a small smile as she stepped in, and Kazusa closed the door behind her. The studio apartment had a small unfinished concrete section that served as the genkan, and Wakana paused as she looked at the house slippers lined up by the door. "… you kept my slippers," she noted softly as she slipped her shoes off and slipped into a pair of yellow slippers with sunflower designs on them. "And…" Her eyes swept over to a blue pair and a number of beige pairs. "… you've added some more."
"Oh, yeah, uh…" Kazusa rubbed the back of her neck. "The blue ones are Kazuhiro-kun's, the rest are…" She looked away. "… you know. When people come over sometimes. It's a little annoying taking care of them, but… less annoying than cleaning the floor more, so…"
Wakana studied Kazusa for a long moment and then smiled. "… so you're opening up some more, then."
Kazusa shrugged a little. "… yeah, I guess. Just a few people, you know? Do you…" She glanced over towards the table, that still had her textbooks spread out over it. "… do you want to sit? Something to drink? I have canned coffee, or…"
Wakana slipped off her peacoat and hung it up in the closet, revealing a long blue dress and black tights. "I'll make some tea. Would you like some?"
"Oh, you don't—" Kazusa looked at her friend and then glanced towards the kitchenette. "You're my guest, I should probably…"
"It's okay," interrupted Wakana gently. "I know you don't really like making tea for others, right? I don't mind."
"… Right. Okay." Crossing the room, Kazusa called back, "I still have my canned coffee, but everything's more or less in the same place." She began to tidy up the table, making sure to mark where she was.
Meanwhile, Wakana wandered over to the desk that made the heart of Kazusa's studio, observing the art pinned up to the wall. She hummed quietly as she looked over the bookshelves, and then back to the desk. "Oh, that's a cute owl," she remarked. Where once there had been only a stuffed rabbit placed between the two monitors on Kazusa's desk, it had been joined by a stuffed owl.
"Oh, yeah, that was a gift. From…" Kazusa hesitated for a moment, regarding the owl from across the room. "… a friend, I guess."
Wakana turned to regard Kazusa curiously. "You guess?"
"It's…" The other girl shrugged uncomfortably. "… complicated." She hadn't exactly been the best to Roger in the past, but… she still relied on him, too, when things got dangerous.
"I see…" Wakana continued her tour of the studio. Three corners were taken up by the genkan, the loft and desk underneath it, and the kitchenette. The last corner had remained empty, but now there was a folding table. She hummed softly as she looked over the contents: tools for ikebana and calligraphy. "You're letting your brother use your studio…?" she wondered aloud.
Kazusa had just finished discarding her cold ramen cup. "… yeah. He, uh… helped me save the studio, so… you know, I figured…" She rubbed her arm. "… yeah."
"That's good that you're both looking out for each other," Wakana remarked as she turned to head for the kitchenette. Kazusa leaned against the wooden table while she waited for Wakana to make tea with the electric kettle, and only took her seat again when Wakana moved to sit down with her mug.
Kazusa cupped the mostly-empty can of coffee in her hands, staring down at the table. She wanted to ask Wakana why she was here, but she was too afraid to pop the delicate bubble of tranquility suspended oh-so-briefly in the air between them.
Wakana regarded Kazusa as she sipped her tea, before setting the mug down. There was a brief, playful smile, though Kazusa missed it, staring at the table as she was. "So," Wakana began. "… you know Sakamoto-san from our class, right?"
Sakamoto-san!? Kazusa straightened up, body tensing as she tried to keep her expression calm and disaffected. It wasn't working. "Uh, s-sure? Hard to miss the guy when he refuses to dye his hair back. What… what about him?"
Taking another sip, Wakana hid her smile behind her mug before she spoke again. "Did you know he has a food vlog? And it seems like he just got a new editor…" She unlocked her phone and placed it on the table. It was paused in the middle of a video.
Kazusa stared at the phone, a cold, clammy weight sinking in her chest. 'NightPrincess', listed over and over again, in Kazusa's attempt to accurately categorize her contribution to the video. (It was probably too accurate, the video ending should be snappier, but that was a problem to sort out later.) "I…" She let her gaze drop to her lap. "… so you saw. Look, I can explain, it's just… just so I can get some practice editing videos for my portfolio, that's all."
Wakana kept watching Kazusa steadily, though her expression stayed warm, a light smile playing on her face. "Mmhmm. And that's why you put your name on it?"
A light huff escaped Kazusa's throat before she could stop it, as she glanced out a side window. "W-well, you know… if I'm going to start building an online presence…"
"Kazusa-san, relax," said Wakana gently as she set her mug down. "I think it's a good thing. You're getting your art out there. You've let more people into your studio. You…" Her smile faltered for a moment. "… it seems like you went through a lot, trying to help Nagisa-san, and he seems like he's back to his old self now."
"… yeah. That was…" Kazusa gave a small shrug. "… kind of a lot." She let her fingers tap on the cold coffee can for a moment before looking up. "… how have you been? Are… you taking care of yourself…?" She studied Wakana for a moment, eyes tracing over her dress. … did you make that dress? It looks good on you."
Wakana smiled, sitting up a little more and holding an arm out to show off more of the dress. "I did! And thank you. I'm really pleased with how it came out." She lowered her arm again to hold her mug once more. "And as for me…" Her voice quieted for a moment. "… I've been okay. I joined some cosplay forums, I've met some new people. School is… school."
Neither of them needed to elaborate about Shujin.
"That's… good. I'm glad." Kazusa tried to smile, but it was an unsteady, uncertain thing. She lapsed into silence, rolling her can on its base. "So…" She wanted to ask why Wakana was here, but she was too afraid to pop the fragile bubble.
"… you're probably wondering why I'm here."
Kazusa nodded.
Wakana fixed a look on her former friend, studying her for a long moment. "… I'm still not ready for things to go back to how they were. But… it seems like you're making changes in your life and I…" She looked down at her mug, hands tightening around it. "… well. You're doing some of the things I was hoping you'd do, right?"
An unspoken thought hung in the air, and Kazusa sat up straighter, her own hands tightening and dimpling the can. "You don't… you don't have to do this, Wakana-san. You don't… you don't owe me anything, okay? I am trying to change, but… it's… because I don't like the person I turned out to be. I…" Her throat tightened for a moment. "… I miss you, but I know I hurt you, so I'm not… doing any of this to try and win you back."
The silence stretched out between them, until Wakana slowly nodded and looked up. "… okay. Thanks for saying that. I guess a part of me did feel like I owed you, but the truth is… I've missed you, too. I don't want things to go back to how they were, but… maybe we could start small? Like talking at school?"
"I mean…" Kazusa forced her hands to let go of the can, which crinkled a little as the pressure was released. "My reputation at school isn't exactly… you know. I don't want to drag you down with me."
Wakana pursed her lips for a moment, humming in thought. "You've got a point," she conceded. "Then… how about we do something small outside of school? There's a new cafe we could try out. Maybe this weekend?"
"Oh, um…" Kazusa winced a little. "I would, honest, but I already have plans this weekend. I, um… arranged a trip to Yugawara for some people I know. Since it's a holiday on Monday, and all…"
The other girl stared in mock disbelief. "You arranged… a group trip? Did you suddenly come up with a bunch of friends while I wasn't looking?" There was a playful lilt to Wakana's voice, but the surprise still dominated her tone.
"Oh, no, they're not all…" Kazusa shrugged awkwardly. "… A few of them are my friends, some of them are like.. friends of friends? I just thought… well… I'd try to do something nice? Uh… you'd have been invited, but we weren't… I think I have some space available?"
Wakana shook her head. "No, that's… that's okay. I don't think I'm ready for a whole weekend. But…" She managed a small smile. "… thank you. Maybe… we can find some time before or after your trip?"
That smile made Kazusa's chest tighten in a way she hadn't been prepared for. "Sure—if you're okay with that, that is. I—" She looked away again, studying the blacked-out skyline out her window. "I'm trying, but I still slip up. I'm… kind of a mess," she confessed with a disbelieving laugh. "So if I—if I get to be too much, if…" She looked to Wakana, her expression somber. "… if you want to step away again, that's okay. I won't blame you."
The offer hung in the air between them, and Wakana took a long moment to study the other girl. After a long moment to consider, she nodded. "… you really are trying to change, huh? Okay. Then… I'd like to try."
Kazusa nodded slowly, her throat suddenly dry. "Okay. Um… if you want to, then I'd like to, too. Um… want some plums from Yugawara? They're supposed to be in bloom…"
Wakana tapped her chin for a moment as she considered the offer. "Mmm… sure. As long as you're not going out of your way."
"I'm not, I…" Kazusa picked up her phone and quickly unlocked it, adding Wakana's name to a list. "I'm already bringing some back for other people, so I'll just… get a little more, that's all."
"Good! Then… I should go." Wakana stood up, and Kazusa hastened to follow suit.
"I'll get your mug," said Kazusa, reaching for it and carrying it to the sink. "It was… nice to see you." She quickly joined Wakana at the door to see her off. "You've got my number, right? We'll… plan something."
"I do," confirmed Wakana as she retrieved her jacket and slipped her shoes back on. "Have a good night, Kazusa-san."
"Good night, Wakana-san." Kazusa saw the other girl out the door and then closed it, slumping against it as she looked to the ceiling. She replayed the conversation in her head several times before she forced herself to stand up and head back to her homework.