S H O U J O 4 : H A T S U K O I R E U N I O N S H O U J O 4 : H A T S U K O I R E U N I O N
In a small corner of the world, there was an island. On that small island, there was a town. In that town, there were several small children, who, through luck or misfortune, happened to know one another for a time.
It wasn't as though it was for a particularly long time, either. Six years felt like an eternity for us back then, but if you look at that on the scale of a human lifespan, even all that time we spent together would seem insignificant by comparison. That's probably how most things go when you're growing up. All those memories, washed away by the tides of time, like sandcastles on the beach.
Our world was still so small, then. We didn't yet understand the vastness of the sea and the sky, or even of the city in which we lived, or of the distance between two people, and the walls we build between us to keep ourselves from getting hurt.
Six years together. Four years apart. If we spent all that time making memories, how long would it take, I wonder, to forget them all? It's probably different from person to person. If someone kept on making new memories -- kept finding things worth remembering -- then it probably wouldn't take long, even if one person happened to be missing.
But try though I might, I can't grow up like that. There are some things I'll probably never forget. And because I can't forget them, it makes me want to gather them up and hold them close to me. It makes me want to cling to these precious moments tightly, so that they'll never slip through my fingers again.
I want to go back.
I want to change.
I want to move forward.
I want to stay the same.
Today, once again, I lower my voice, whispering a greedy love song I could never sing, in the hopes that it will fill this small corner of the world, and reach you at last.
Welcome one and all to Hatsukoi Reunion! This RP is the story of a group of kids who knew each other to some degree or another in the past, gone their separate ways after one of their number moved away, and reuniting by coincidence in high school with her unexpected return. Sometimes cute, sometimes poignant, sometimes silly, these are the stories of their various "first loves," as they give their all and grow together day by day.
The RP is set in Kumoriyama City, located on a small fictional island of the same name off the southern coastline of Japan. This name, which translates to "Cloudy Mountain," is derived from the crescent-shaped isle's two most prominent features: the tall gray peak at its center, and the mist that often forms around the many lakes and rivers dotting and running down from its greener slopes.
Originally, the city, built at the foot of Mt. Aogumo in the sheltered harbor created by the island's curving coastline, was quite small. The island's rocky, steep terrain was ill-suited for farmland, and there was little else of value to be found inland from its shores. As such, the city was largely built up as a port for fishermen over a hundred years ago. Over time, however, it has expanded as new people have been drawn to the island by its cheap living costs compared to the mainland, and as businesses have moved in to take advantage of the existing infrastructure. The end result is a hodgepodge of old houses, shrines, and family-run shopping arcades in the outer districts of town, slowly being pushed outward from the center by a new influx of more modern highrise buildings and apartment complexes that have come to take their place.
The "new city," as it is often called, is overcrowded not by circumstance but by design. Buildings are crammed together or neatly stacked one on top of the other along even, parallel streets, making it easy to navigate despite just how much city is packed into such a small area of town. But even in the "old city," space is still a bit cramped, as the mountain with its hilly slopes and the multiple small river valleys running outward from it tend to constrict development on the city's outskirts. As such, the further you get from its organized center, the stranger Kumoriyama becomes, with many narrow, winding streets, footpaths, and alleys snaking, intertwining, and splitting off once more, intersecting with old parks, bridging across rivers, circling around or sloping sharply up large hills and bluffs, and eventually reaching either the thickly forested mountain trails or the many old wharfs, warehouses, and harbors running up and down the coastline.
There are two other, much smaller suburbs of Kumoriyama, referred to as Kitaguchi and Minamikawa respectively, at each extremity of the island, with a long, roughly straight train line connecting all three, with one stop in Minamikawa, three in Kumoriyama, and two in Kitaguchi.
Kitaguchi is located in a smaller harbor on the north side of the island, situated along the mouth of one of the rivers coming down from the springs of Mt. Aogumo, and is a rather upscale area with many large homes, shopping districts, and even some resorts. It's popular with tourists and more well-to-do families due to the beautiful white beaches and clearer skies there, while still only being a 20-30 minute train ride away from the city center to its south.
Minamikawa, conversely, is significantly smaller than either of the other two cities, and is a very sparse, rural community built up from an old mining town on the southern slopes of the mountain. As one of the only places on the island with roughly flat, arable land, it's turned into a microcosm of the Japanese countryside, dotted with farms, ranches, and rice paddies. It is also a nationally-recognized cultural heritage site, housing several old Shinto shrines and a long tradition of local festivals and legends that go back to when the island was first settled. Many of these shrines are built onto the side of Mt. Aogumo itself, as the mountain is much less steep on that side. This also makes Minamikawa a popular stop for anyone planning on hiking up the mountain, be they tourists or island natives. And, indeed, the mountaintop is a very popular destination, as its slope tapers off into a giant lake basin at its summit, with a great deal of greenery around it. On clear days, this vantage point provides a majestic panorama of the entire island, while on cloudy days, one feels much higher up than they actually are, as they can look down upon the tops of the low-hanging clouds of fog and mist that give the island and the mountain their names.
Kumoriyama Private High School, located atop one of the steep bluffs overlooking the city center, is directly up the mountainside from the city's southernmost station, and only about 20 minutes train or bus ride out from the city center. Despite being surrounded by the Old City, the school itself is rather new, having only been founded about thirty years ago when the city's development reached its peak. It's generally a rather highly-regarded school, with good teachers and connections to some decent colleges on the mainland. A few of its students have even gone on to Tokyo University, giving it something of a prestigious reputation. Although it is a bit more expensive than the few other high schools on the island, it does offer some financial aid options for particularly high-performing students, and is significantly better staffed and equipped than its counterparts, with a reasonably well-liked faculty and facilities in place for a wide variety of clubs. However, its student body is comparatively small, both due to its price and somewhat high standards.
As with other Japanese schools, the school year is split into three terms. The first goes from April to late July, the second from early September until mid-December, and the third from early January to late March. Currently, the first term is just about to begin.
The following section will consist of a gallery of images for miscellaneous locations to potentially serve as an inspiration for various scenes in the RP. It will be subdivided by location. New locations, as well as miniaturized character summaries to serve as a quick reference for major NPCs may also be added in the future as needed.
City View: The city center, as viewed from a small park on one side of the bay. Warehouses and skyscrapers mingle to form the heart of the new city.
Residential District: A little further out from the city's heart, one can find plenty of apartment complexes nestled between narrow streets and alleys.
Shopping Centers: Often taking up several blocks, a mix of new chains and old family-run local shops can be found grouped together in large malls and traditional shopping arcades.
Housing Districts: The further one gets from the city center, the more one finds oneself in insular communities of isolated houses built along a network of footpaths, interspersed occasionally by the occasional family restaurant or convenience store.
Coastal Highway: This road leads from outside the town directly through the docks and into the city's center. Given the narrow, winding streets of the city, however, few people on the island commute by car, meaning it's often remarkably unused.
Traditional Housing: Sandwiched between the New City center and the more recent developments on its outermost edges are a wide variety of old, traditional Japanese-style homes built among the foothills of Mt. Aogumo. While most are rather small and often in a lamentable state of poor repair, hidden among the trees are some fully fledged mansions that have stood upon this spot for over a hundred years.
Residences: The further out one goes, the more likely one is to find an eclectic mix of new and old buildings and less cramped conditions as people continue to move out of the confines of the city, seeking more open space.
Old Harbor District: Formerly a hub for fishermen, the eastern side of the harbor has lost much of its old function, and now contains many of the larger houses in the old city, as well as a few inns and restaurants. A warm, homey neighborhood.
Edge of Town: The furthermost edges of the old city have very few buildings besides a few new developments and the occasional bar or convenience store. By and large, they serve as convergence points for the other main highways leading inland.
Outskirts: New developments ringed in by high hills and winding highways. One such road leads to the school.
School: Includes a large garden. Classes are usually held in the wing on the left, while the wing on the right contains faculty offices and clubrooms.
Cafeteria: Surprisingly large, and located on the first floor of the school building. Serves both western and Japanese-style foods. Generally ends up feeling rather empty during the warm season, however, as many students prefer to eat outside.
Clubroom: A sample clubroom for a small-scale general club or circle. More specialized or popular clubs likely would have larger rooms, and sporting clubs are of course located elsewhere.
Classrooms: Generally situated three on either side of a main hallway for each floor. The average class has 10-20 students, and are divided by year and by grade, with the highest performing students in Class A and so forth. First year classes are generally on floor 2, second years on floor 3, and third years on floor 4.
Library: Located in the faculty/club building, the library is home to the book club.
City Center: Surrounding Kitaguchi's central station are several blocks of new highrises, housing expansive department stores, corporate offices, and hotels to accommodate tourists on the island.
Downtown: Compared to Kumoriyama City itself, the street layouts in Kitaguchi are a great deal more orderly and less winding, as it is built on more open and level ground. The high spires of the city center quickly give way to a colorful panoply of commercial and entertainment districts all around.
Old Kitaguchi: Like Kumoriyama City, Kitaguchi also has a few older districts that the rest of the suburb has grown up around. These quiet neighborhoods, often along the riverside, offer a glimpse of older life in an otherwise new city.
Cafe Arcadia: A small hole-in-the-wall cafe located on the southern edge of the commercial district in a newly-renovated storefront behind a large shopping mall. This old-fashioned two-story building has a business on the first floor and a small studio apartment in the loft above it. Its founder and owner, an enterprising island native by the name of Osanai Suzune, lives elsewhere, and as such, has allowed her niece Suzuka to use the apartment in exchange for helping around the store on weekends.
Riverside Developments: Extending along the river and rail line southward from Kitaguchi, many of the suburb's residential areas line the riverside as the city's urban sprawl continues to expand towards that of its parent. For now, however, this is a rare mostly open space on the island's northern extremity, with green grass and clear skies unobstructed by either buildings or trees.
Northern Coastline: The site of several large manor houses, apartments, and rental beach property, the northern coast provides a gorgeous view of the entire harbor, and is perhaps the single most desirable real estate on the island. On clear evenings, you can see all the way to Minamikawa in the southeast, watching the sunset sink behind it into the sea.
Village Overlook: Otherwise comprised largely of scattered farms and the occasional house or store, Minamikawa's "city center" hardly compares to that of Kumoriyama.
Festival Grounds: Outside of the rest of the town and with a clear view up the hillside, the festival grounds are busiest during the summer and new years festivals.
Path to Overlook: A seldom-used walking trail that runs behind the festival grounds leading up to the site of an old shrine long-since destroyed by fire. The courtyard is still lit up at night, and is now an open hill with an excellent view of the festival grounds and of the coastline beyond. This was always an excellent place to watch fireworks during the summer celebrations.
Railroad Lines: As the Kumoriyama Line runs directly through Minamikawa, there are many crossings throughout the small town up to the station.
Minamikawa Station: An old wooden station building on the side of a hill, leading down to the train platforms below. A frequent stopping point for trips up the mountain, as it's very close to the start of a well-traveled path along one of its milder slopes. The platform is open to the wind and gets fiercely cold in the wintertime, though, so it's best not to be caught waiting for a train.
Mountain Roads: The further one goes up Mt. Aogumo, the narrower and less-used the streets become, until they at last settle into a comfortable winding road leading up through the verdant forest.
Old Bridge: Spanning one of the deep valleys cut by a river running off from the lake at the mountain's summit, this nameless old bridge links the road with the very top of the mountain. Seldom used and rusty, but still sturdy.
Mountain Lake: Nestled in a basin just beneath Kumoriyama's summit, the vast blue lake there branches into several smaller rivers that run down the mountainside and outward toward the sea. Renowned for its beauty, this spot remains untouched, providing an overlook over most of the island, when not shrouded in mist.
FINAL NOTE: Applications will be extremely limited for the moment, as we've already filled out a mostly complete cast through the interest check. Those interested in joining should feel free to post here in the OOC, but do note that spots may not be available. Right now, we've got one more prospective female character already in the works, so the main spot we'd have an opening for is one last male role.
[color=gray][CENTER][sup][h1][center][img]CHARACTER IMAGE HERE IF NEEDED, WIDE FITS BETTER THAN TALL[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] C H A R A C T E R N A M E[/color] [color=CHARACTER HEXCODE HERE]C H A R A C T E R N A M E[/color][/center] [/b][/h1][/sup]
[color=silver][sup][b]"CHARACTER QUOTE HERE"[/b][/sup][/color][/CENTER] [table][row][/row][row][cell][center][img]CHARACTER IMAGE HERE, NO WIDER THAN 450 PIXELS RECOMMENDED[/img] [color=2E2C2C][sup]_______________________________________________[/sup][/color][/center][indent][sup][h3][b][color=CHARACTER HEXCODE HERE]Identity[/color][/b][/h3][/sup] [sup][COLOR=SILVER] [b]Full Name[/b][COLOR=#807B84] - CHARACTER NAME HERE[/COLOR] [b]Nicknames[/b][COLOR=#807B84] - ANY, IF APPLICABLE. ERASE IF NOT NEEDED.[/COLOR] [B]Age[/B][COLOR=#807B84] - 15-17, DEPENDING ON YEAR.[/COLOR] [B]Gender[/B][COLOR=#807B84] - GENDER HERE[/COLOR] [b]Year[/b][COLOR=#807B84] - FIRST, SECOND, OR THIRD, DEPENDING ON AGE.[/COLOR] [/color][/SUP][/indent] [indent][sup][h3][b][color=CHARACTER HEXCODE HERE]Personality[/color][/b][/h3][/sup] [sup][COLOR=SILVER][b]PERSONALITY TRAIT 1[/b] [COLOR=#807B84]SUMMARY OF PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 HERE.[/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=SILVER][b]PERSONALITY TRAIT 2[/b] [COLOR=#807B84]SUMMARY OF PERSONALITY TRAIT 2 HERE.[/color][/color]
[COLOR=SILVER][b]PERSONALITY TRAIT 3[/b] [COLOR=#807B84]SUMMARY OF PERSONALITY TRAIT 3 HERE.[/color][/color]
[COLOR=SILVER][b]PERSONALITY TRAIT 4[/b] [COLOR=#807B84]SUMMARY OF PERSONALITY TRAIT 4 HERE. [/COLOR][/COLOR][/SUP][/indent] [indent][sup][h3][b][color=CHARACTER HEXCODE HERE]Character Relationships[/color][/b][/h3][/sup] [sup][COLOR=SILVER][b]CHARACTER 1 NAME HERE[/b] [COLOR=#807B84]SUMMARY OF YOUR CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS ON AND ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE OTHER CHARACTER HERE.[/color][/color]
[COLOR=SILVER][b]CHARACTER 2 NAME HERE[/b] [COLOR=#807B84]SUMMARY OF YOUR CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS ON AND ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE OTHER CHARACTER HERE.[/color][/color]
[COLOR=SILVER][b]CHARACTER 3 NAME HERE[/b] [COLOR=#807B84]SUMMARY OF YOUR CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS ON AND ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE OTHER CHARACTER HERE. [/COLOR][/COLOR][/SUP][/indent] [indent][sup][h3][b][color=CHARACTER HEXCODE HERE]Other Information[/color][/b][/h3][/sup] [SUP][COLOR=#807B84]ANY OTHER IMPORTANT INFO WORTH NOTING HERE. [/COLOR][/SUP][/indent] [/cell][cell][sup][h3][b][color=CHARACTER HEXCODE HERE]Physical Description[/color][/b][/h3][/sup] [color=lightgray][indent]CHARACTER APPEARANCE HERE [/indent][/color] [sup][h3][b][color=CHARACTER HEXCODE HERE]Personal Story[/color][/b][/h3][/sup] [color=lightgray][indent]CHARACTER BACKGROUND HERE [/indent][/color] [/cell][/row][/table][/color]
Woohoo!! Do I have the ok to post Eikichi in the character tab? also, Eikichi has def lived in Minamikawa his whole life - where is Suzu living now?
Go right ahead! ^v^ As for Suzuka, she probably also would have lived in Minamikawa as a child since her family wasn't very well off at the time, but is now living up in Kitaguchi in an unused studio apartment over a cafe her aunt runs, so they're about as far apart as can be while still being on the same island.
...Not that that'll stop her, though. I've got some plans for some adorable antics down the line, and I can definitely work with this, lol.
@Feyblue Suzuka's voice comes through so clear in her relationship quotes, she's such a cutie! Eikichi's relationship section will change throughout the rp, so be on the lookout for that... it will certainly change after their reunion.
@Feyblue Suzuka's voice comes through so clear in her relationship quotes, she's such a cutie! Eikichi's relationship section will change throughout the rp, so be on the lookout for that... it will certainly change after their reunion.
D'aww, thank you! I definitely feel like Eikichi's quotes set the tone for him really well, too. Can't wait to see them interact.
I'll likely do some updates going forward as Suzuka becomes a bit more honest with herself and others, so look forward to that as well. :>
Full Name - Shinomiya Koharu 四宮心春 Nicknames - Kocchi Age - 16 Gender - Female Year - Second
Personality
Loud Koharu is both literally and socially loud. She's got an amazingly powerful voice that she's not shy about using, and similarly strong opinions that she's not shy about sharing. She's the one who'll shout the quiet part out loud.
Ditzy Koharu is scatterbrained and disorganised. Constantly late, always forgetting stuff and having to borrow textbooks, you get the drill. She's also that friend who'll blurt out the fact that you have a crush on someone right in front of them.
Savvy Koharu's a lot smarter than she comes across. Sure, she's a hot mess most days, but she also has a mind like a steel strap when it counts. That's how she juggles school and living alone with multiple part-time jobs, while keeping up test scores that put her in the top 10 of her grade. And a lot of the time, her apparent gaffes aren't entirely unintentional....
Plucky Koharu's dealt with a lot in her life, and she's still dealing. It's a struggle just to get out of bed some days, but she's not going to let anything make her give up.
Character Relationships
CHARACTER 1 NAME HERE SUMMARY OF YOUR CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS ON AND ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE OTHER CHARACTER HERE.
CHARACTER 2 NAME HERE SUMMARY OF YOUR CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS ON AND ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE OTHER CHARACTER HERE.
CHARACTER 3 NAME HERE SUMMARY OF YOUR CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS ON AND ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE OTHER CHARACTER HERE.
Other Information
Koharu is an excellent cook, especially with the homestyle dishes and bar snacks she used to help her grandmother make. She's secretly torn about her plans for the future - she'd love to go back and reopen the shokudo, but she also wants to make something more of herself and go to Todai. She doesn't dream by halves, it's either the top or the slow life for her. Ideally she'd become prime minister or something and then quit and go back to the village to run the diner....
Physical Description
Koharu's "Japanese chubby", which just means she's got healthy curves and isn't stick-thin. She's a gyaru but not a hardcore one - pink hair with a quirky side ponytail, coloured contacts, cute earrings, and flashy nail art are the usual for her. The cute protruding canine is all natural though. She's a hot mess most days, but on the rare occasions when she dresses up properly she can be a knockout. This is all quite different from how she appeared six years ago, when she was a slender, mousy little thing. Most people wouldn't guess that this is the same girl from back then.
Personal Story
Back in elementary school, Koharu was a nobody. Her parents were busy with work and their own lives, and she learned early on not to make too many demands on them. Nothing seemed to make an impression on them, and they were happiest - or at least not overly angry or upset - when she spent her time quietly and raised no fuss. This was the Koharu that most of the gang knew back then: meek, easygoing, studious, helpful, pleasant enough to be around even if she didn't bring much of her own energy. Then her parents died in a car crash, and she had to move to go live with her grandmother over in Minamikawa. Despite her frailty and incipient senility, Obaa-san was kind and warm where her parents had been distant, and Koharu blossomed. Helping out at Obaa-san's shokudo (diner) whenever she could, she developed her character and confidence, as well as a quirky personal style. Hanging out with the gruff rural clientele also taught her to give as good as she got. Good food and hearty living filled her out, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, this happiness wouldn't last long. Obaa-san had a fall one day and broke her hip, and her other son decided she couldn't run the shokudo any more. This uncle didn't have the werewithal to take Koharu in either, so he was pleasantly surprised when the young girl came to him with a proposal - she'd already been accepted at Kumoriyama High, and got a partial scholarship. If he'd act as her guarantor, and help her a bit with the remaining fees, she'd pay for her own rent and living expenses. He hemmed and hawed a little for form's sake, but gave permission in the end. So Koharu finds herself back in Kumoriyama, juggling her studies with regular school life and several part-time jobs that she cycles through with the seasons. She's held positions as a cleaner, waitress, delivery person, even beer vendor at a ballpark, so her days are pretty full. She's technically not supposed to be doing all this, but the school authorities have turned a blind eye given her circumstances, and a couple of teachers keep a particular eye on her, so she's not doing too badly. She managed to get the eighth ranking in the first year, so everyone's concerns were alleviated - in fact, some of the staff think she could have been the top student if she'd been in a better situation. She's currently living in a share house with a varied group of other tenants, but she has her own room and free use of the living area and kitchen, so it's not bad at all in her books.
So here's Koharu - still plenty to be done with her, but I wanted to get the sheet up for review and comment. If there's an issue with pairings, I'd be happy to play her as a wild card - that one friend who doesn't actually hook up with anyone in the group, but looks over everyone and helps them out. Or might have a secret crush that she doesn't ever let on about, she's just happy if all her friends are. Or just has her own plans and destiny that we won't find out about till the series finale with the timeskip....
Not that it’s a big problem, but isn’t there a lot of overlap with Mikako re: working a lot, optimistic nature, etc? Nothing wrong with having two cheerful gals but it would be interesting if she were on the more flirty side to better put her apart from mikako. Her forcefulness also relates her to junko. Obvs traits aren’t locked to one character but I do think the more the traits are different between characters the more drama / interesting interactions will be had. Also, I can’t really tell if our characters knew her before her change, or if they only met her once she moved to the area after her parents deaths. Overall, I think there’s some potential here to be a flirty, ditzy kind of gal with hidden depths, but it’s up to you!
@Kensai Lol for sure! I also think He saw her struggling a bit so he offered to help during breaks/lunch time. Since they're in the same year, maybe they're even in the same class!
