Disclaimer: I don't own Persona
When Ren saw his latest English test grade, he knew he was in big trouble. His mind began to wander back to the late night study session with Yusuke and Ryuji (it was more of Ryuji loudly complaining and Yusuke finding art inspiration in just about everything, really) and how he was unable to really focus with all the racket his friends were making. He silently curses the two idiots as he glumly stares at the sad piece of paper in his hand. English was never his strong point but he used to be able to scrape by it back in high school, but college is a totally different level. He is starting to regret taking up literature.
"Yooooooo!" A totally loud, totally familiar voice makes its way to his ears, accompanied by a loud clap on one of his shoulders, announced the presence of his blond friend (or criminal number one).
"Whatcha got there?" He asked, looking over his shoulder and snickering at the failing grade written in red.
"For real?! I can't believe you actually failed at something," he continued to snicker. "Totally made my day."
"Whose fault do you think that is?" he asked with a glare over his glasses. "How many times did I ask both of you to shut up?"
"Who's shutting up?" Another voice, this time a richer baritone, asked. The purple-haired artist (criminal number two), appeared right in front of them, a shoulder bag slung on one shoulder and a sketchpad safely tucked over his other hand. Ryuji lets out another snicker behind his back, making Ren want to punch his guts.
"Ren-Ren totally failed his English test." The blond snatched the paper from his hand and showed it to Yusuke. The artist made a sound of surprise that received a glare from Ren, and he tried to compose himself with a fake cough.
"Well, that is most unfortunate," he was finally able to let out. "But come. Makoto and the other two are waiting for us at the café. It would be rude to make them wait longer than necessary." Ren groaned.
"Can I just skip for today and go home? I'm not really in the mood."
"Awww, c'mon Ren-Ren! Don't be such a downer!" the blond exclaimed. "Let's go meet up with the others and drink all the coffee we want to forget about your failed English test!"
"Besides," the artist added. "It would be rude not to show up."
"And you're not the only one with a failing grade."
"Yeah, but you're already used to failing, aren't you?" Ren retorted, but he let himself be pulled along by his two friends in the general direction of Leblanc.
It turned out that hanging out with the girls wasn't so bad after all. When Makoto Nijima found out about the failed study session he had with Yusuke and Ryuji and how he failed as a result, the two got a scolding so bad that the two didn't try to defend themselves. Futaba was cackling in the background, watching her favorite Inari get verbally beaten up. Haru sits calmly, drinking the coffee she ordered.
After finishing her berate, Makoto calmed down enough to tell Ren about an online English tutoring site that's really popular right now and how it might help Ren improve his grades in English. Ren smiled but dismissed the thought. He didn't think he'd be so far down the drain as to need online English courses to help him survive college. He thanked Makoto for the information, though.
The next time they had an exam, Ren had learned his lesson and refused any and all invitations sent out to him by the two idiots. He locked himself up in his room (he shares an apartment with Ryuji and Yusuke. That way, they would be able to share the bills) and would only come out to go to the bathroom. He was able to pass his English test this time and was proud enough to show the results of his hard work to his friends.
"But it's just ten points above a failing grade," Futaba commented. "You can do better than that."
"It is better than the grade he received last time," Haru said in her soft voice. "He really is better off studying by himself."
Ren knew that Futaba was right. That night he decided to send Makoto a message asking her about the online English tutoring website, thinking that it wouldn't hurt to try. She immediately replied with a link. Booting his laptop up, the black-haired man checked the website up, skimming through the information and about us pages. He found the application form and filled it up, thinking about working extra shifts at the convenience store to fund for his tuition fee.
A list of tutors and their schedules came up and Ren carefully read through different tutors and schedules until he found one, a female tutor, whose schedule matches with his. Finally satisfied, he turned the laptop off and went to sleep.
His phone rang with the Skype notification the next day, and he opened the app to find a message from an unknown person. "Hi!" the message says. "My name's Ann Takamaki and I will be your online English teacher! Thank you for choosing our company!" Ren blinked several times. Takamaki sounds an awful lot like a Japanese name. Weren't all the tutors foreigners?
He sent out a short "Nice to meet you." His tutor replied a few minutes later, reminding him of his 10 pm schedule every weekdays and an 8 pm schedule every Saturday. He shoves his phone back in his pocket as he makes his way to university.
Ren wasn't really expecting anything, but the sight of his new tutor left him breathless. He was hunched down on his desk, working on a project that was due next week, when the Skype ring tone suddenly rang out of nowhere and jolted him out of his seat. Glancing at the time that says "10:00," he realized with a start that it was time for his first English lesson. He quickly saved the project and answered the video call.
An image of a woman suddenly fills his screen and his breath stops as his dark eyes widen, taking in the beauty in front of him. She has on a red letter jacket over a white top and black headphones covering her ears. Her hair is blonde, not like Ryuji's whose hair was dyed bright yellow. Hers was calming, like the sun just peeking out of the horizon, tied into two curly pigtails resting over her shoulders. Her eyes were like the sky during a hot summer day, azure and twinkling with mirth. Her lips were curved upward in a big grin.
"Hi!" Her voice rang out from the screen. "I'm your new English tutor, Ann Takamaki! Let's get along well!" Ren managed to find his voice and force a reply out of his mouth. He really wishes that he wouldn't stutter in front of her.
"So Amamiya-kun, do you have any questions before we begin with the lesson?" she asks him in perfect Japanese.
"Aren't the tutors supposed to be foreigners?" He wanted to punch himself for asking such a stupid question. He was supposed to be the cool and collected guy, dammit! He shouldn't be making a total fool of himself in front of a lady. That's Ryuji's job!
Ann let out a tinkle of laughter (is this how angels sound? He wonders). "I'm actually half Japanese. My father's Finnish. Takamaki isn't just a Japanese name, you know."
"Oh," he was able to let out. "I see."
"Now then, shall we begin?" Ann asks, her tone turning all business-like. Ren straightened up and nodded his head. Ann began to explain, using English that was easy enough for him to understand. He opened the manual that the company sent to his e-mail a couple hours ago to follow what Ann was saying. Both of them didn't feel the time flowing by until the alarm from Ann's side started ringing.
"Well, that concludes our lesson for today," Ann finally says, wrapping up her lecture. "I hope you learned something, Amamiya-kun!"
"Yes, thank you Takamaki-sensei."
Ann beamed brightly at him. "I'll see you tomorrow! Please review our manual if you have the time!" The screen darkens and the video call window closes. Ren collapses onto his mattress and finally lets out the big breath he was holding in.
"I thought my heart was going to explode." He groans before turning his head to the black cat sleeping at the foot of his bed. "She's very beautiful, isn't she Morgana?" he asks the cat, who wagged its tail in reply.
"So how's the online tutoring coming along for you?" Makoto inquired, a week after his first lesson with Ann. Everyone, minus Futaba who was busy helping out at Leblanc, was at a Big Bang Burger joint near their university (they enjoy going there because of Haru's discount).
Ren was proud to say that by now, he was getting used to Ann's explosive appearance. At least, he finally stopped making a fool out of himself in front of her.
"Duuuuuuude!" Ryuji said in his usual loud voice. "You actually tried that online tutor thing? For real? Is that why you lock yourself in your room most of the time?"
"Aside from the fact that I don't want to fail again because of you and Yusuke?" he sarcastically asks with a brow raised. "Yeah."
"Ah. It is no wonder I keep hearing a female voice inside your room," Yusuke suddenly says, looking up from his fries. "I thought Morgana was finally able to speak."
"Dude," Ryuji started. "First of all, Morgana's a boy. Second," he turns his attention to Ren, his face splitting into a shit-eating grin. "A girl? Really? What's she like huh?" He waggles his eyebrows at him, earning disapproving looks from their two female companions.
"Ren didn't apply for online English lessons to get a girl, Ryuji." Makoto tells him, piercing him with her red eyes.
"Mako-chan's right. Ren-kun wants to improve himself."
"But," Ren muttered. "I mean, Takamaki-sensei is really beautiful."
"Oh?" The blond waggled his eyebrows again. The two ladies just shook their heads and sighed.
"You're improving really well, Amamiya-kun!" Ann praised him after he showed her the perfect score he got on a quiz.
"It's all thanks to you, Takamaki-sensei." He grinned back at her.
"Oh come now, it was all thanks to your efforts!" She replied, grinning back at him. "And I told you, didn't I? You don't have to call me sensei. It feels weird, especially since we're the same age."
"But you are my sensei," he snickered.
"How about this then?" she proposed. "If you call me Ann, then I'll call you Ren-kun." The man contemplated about the proposition. Calling each other by names seems to be crawling into close friend category and even Ann must know that.
"C'mon Ren-kun! It'll make it less awkward for me! Please?" His name rolled smoothly off her tongue. He couldn't resist.
"Alright," he agrees with a small nod. "Shall we start the lesson… Ann-chan?" The sun doesn't even compare to the bright smile stretching out of her lips. With a big nod, Ann started their lesson for the day.
It was Ann who decided to message him first. It's been three months since they first had their English lesson and the two have been friends, although they never talk outside of their schedule and the only times his tutor has ever messaged him on Skype were when she had to inform him she couldn't make it to their lesson because of personal matters, so it came as a big shock to him when he received a message from her while he was in the middle of eating monja with Ryuji and Yusuke. The two were too busy having a contest of who can eat the most monja so he opened the app and see what it was about.
The message was a one word greeting with a smile emoji. He replied with an "Ann? What's up? You never message unless it's a schedule change. Not gonna make it tonight?" Ann replied immediately.
Ann: Nah. Nothing like that. I'm just bored. I'm out eating lunch with my whole family but they aren't talking so I'm here. What about you?
Ren: Having dinner with my friends.
Ann: Oooooohhhhhhh… riiiiiiiight. Japan is six hours ahead of us. Timezones suck. I hope I'm not bothering you though.
Ren: It's okay.
Ann: Your friends don't mind that you're on your phone chatting with me?
Ren: They don't seem to notice. They're too busy with their monja contest.
Ann: Oh. Lololol
Before he could finish what he was about to reply, a series of chat bubbles appeared from Ann.
Ann: Sooooooo bored.
Ann: I have an idea!
Ann: We can pretend that we're eating together!
Ann: Like a date!
Ren looked up from his phone and to check if the two were still busy, and he lets out a sigh of relief to see that they still are because he's pretty sure his face is really red right now and if the other two saw, they would never let it die. He took a bite of his own monja and drank half a glass of water to calm himself enough before replying.
Ren: Sure. Sounds fun.
Ann: Great!
It was during one of their Saturday lessons when Ryuji decided to barge inside his room without first knocking. He thought that he would be alone in their shared apartment (Yusuke was out people watching in Shibuya and he thought that Ryuji would spend the entire day in an arcade) so he didn't bother locking his door.
"Oi Ren-Ren!" He called out in his usual loud voice. He didn't seem to realize that Ren was in the middle of an English lesson with Ann. "Futaba's askin' if we all wanna hang out at Leblanc cuz th- the place is…" he faltered in his words as he finally takes in the blonde beauty on display in his friend's screen. It takes him a moment to take it all in, then, "Wooooaaaah! Beautiful girl you got there Ren-Ren! Hi! I'm Ryuji! Sakamoto Ryuji!" He turned to face the bespectacled man and continued, "Dude! Is she your English tutor? Man! I soooooooo wanna learn English now!"
Ren tried to calm his friend down, shooting apologetic glances at Ann as he did so. Ann snickered before winking at him.
"Hello Ren's friend," she greeted in perfect English. "My name's Ann Takamaki. I'm Ren's online English tutor. It's nice to finally meet you!"
Ryuji's mouth dropped as his brain tried to understand the English. He whispered, "Does she know how to speak in Japanese?" and was given a shrug in reply. He groaned. "Aw, c'mon Ren-Ren! Help me out here!"
When it was clear that Ren wouldn't help him out, Ryuji finally gave up. He told Ren that he'd inform the others that he wouldn't be able to make it tonight and gave him a big wave and a "See ya later." The laughter that the two were holding back exploded as soon as they were alone again.
"He's an interesting guy," she commented, and Ren smiled.
"Yeah," he agrees. "But he's a really good friend."
"I can tell. But Ren-Ren? Really?"
The ends of his ears turned a light shade of red and he scratches the back of his head.
"Yeah. It's a nickname he gave me when we first met," he explains. "So….let's get back to the lesson, shall we?"
"Sure… Ren-Ren." Her tinkling laughter echoed and Ren swears he's going to murder Ryuji as soon as he returns home.
It's been two weeks since Ryuji first saw Ann and since then he, with the addition of Yusuke, would always barge in to their lessons. Ann doesn't really mind, she enjoys the extra company, but Ren would always try to kick them out of his room. They're not the ones paying for the online lessons after all.
Both guys were pretty much used to Ann now but they both claimed they have never seen such beauty (Yusuke's own words, not Ryuji's) the first time they saw her.
"For real!" Ryuji was telling their three female friends. "When I first saw her, my jaw dropped down on the floor."
"That's great, Ryuji, but I hope you aren't interfering with Ren's lessons." Makoto said.
It was one of those days when Ren had absolutely nothing to do. It was seven pm on a Sunday and he wasn't in the mood to go out. Yusuke was locked up in his room painting and Ryuji was out in the arcade. He checked the time in Finland, it was one pm. The perfect time to make a call.
His finger hovered over the call button, wondering if he was about to break some unspoken rule. They've been constantly chatting with each other outside of their class but she never once made a call whenever she was bored.
"What do you think, Morgana?" he asked, turning his attention to his cat. The cat meowed in response and he took it as a sign of approval. He grinned and petted the cat's tiny head before pressing the call button.
At first nothing happened, Ann's profile picture (a photo of her eating crepe) was displayed on his phone. Then the whole screen went black before a sleepy Ann Takamaki with her hair down came into view. She was even more beautiful with her hair down, he thought. Ann rubbed one of her eyes open.
"What?" she deadpanned. Ren let out a small chuckle.
"You're still asleep?" He asks in English.
"It's one pm on a Sunday," she answers. "Of course I'm still sleeping. Or… I was until you decided to call me." Ren chuckled again.
"I guess I'll be your personal alarm clock from now on."
She groaned. "Don't. I like sleeping in." She gave another yawn. "So why did you call me?"
He shrugged. "I'm bored."
"Yusuke and Ryuji?"
"Yusuke's locked in his room painting," he informed her. "Ryuji's out playing games in some arcade."
"Or maybe he's out trying to hit on girls." Ann suggested, arching her brow. Ren laughed. Knowing Ryuji, it is definitely possible. "What about a girlfriend?" Ren shook his head.
"Don't have one."
"Oh?" Ann straightened up, her interest piqued. "Not one? Or maybe you have more than one?" She smiled coyly.
He chuckled before shaking his head again. "I really don't have one. You?"
"Oh? Throwing the question back at me?" She nodded.
"Smart. Well, I don't have one. Never had one too."
The disbelief must have shown on his face because she let out a laugh before explaining. "I've never been to one place long enough to actually get a boyfriend. My parents' work requires us to move around a lot."
There was a short moment of silence until she asks him again. "So what's your type then?"
"Type?"
"Yeah. You know, your ideal girl." She gives him a look that he couldn't quite understand. "You do like girls, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" he replied indignantly before thinking of an honest answer. "I guess…" he started. "I don't really have a type. When I like someone, that person would just turn into my ideal type."
Ann was silent for a while. Finally, she said, "That's almost romantic."
"What about you? What's your type?"
"Hmmm…" Ann tapped the corner of her mouth with a finger. It was cute, and Ren could watch her cute antics all day if he was given the chance to.
"I like guys who are tall. Someone who isn't too muscular, but not too skinny too. Someone honest, who isn't afraid to speak out his mind. I also want someone smart. He should be kind, but can be cocky sometimes. Oh! And wearing glasses is definitely a plus!"
Ren blinked. Could she be describing him?
"Careful now," he tells her, a small grin forming on his face. "People might think that you were describing me."
Her cheeks colored a dark shade of red like Christmas lights.
"I am not talking about you!"
Ren clutches his stomach as he lets out a hearty laugh. The sight of the red-faced girl was just too amusing for him. He could hear Ann fuming from the other side of the phone, still adamantly telling him that she was soooooo not describing him.
"I hate you." She finally mumbled, puffing her cheeks out.
"Love you too, Ann." He was too busy laughing that he didn't see the total change in Ann's demeanor the moment he said those words.
"Idiot," she mumbled, not loud enough for him to hear, as she fondly watching him laugh at her antics.
Ren really did become her alarm clock. Every Sunday she'd wake up to his calls and they'd talk about anything and everything. If Ann was being honest, she'd say that she was actually waiting for him to make the call (not that she'd let Ren know).
They fall into a routine. Ren would flood Ann with messages when he gets the free time and she would do the same. Their classes are still different, Ann still exudes a different vibe when she's teaching, something that Ren really respects her for, but every other video call made was filled with such easy banter.
Ann is just different from his other female friends. She doesn't have the aura of class that Haru has (even though she was probably just as rich as her. Ann once told him about her parents' job as world-renowned fashion designers). She doesn't have the haughty, know-it-all vibes that Makoto gives off, and she definitely is not as shy as Futaba. He finds it easier to be around her.
He has become Ann's closest confidant as well. All the problems she's had in the past and is having in the present, she's told him.
"I'm really glad I met you, Ren." She tells him during one of their casual video chats. She had a fight with her mother and she called him to let off some steam. Ren was ready to provide her with whatever she needs.
Ren smiled. Her words warmed his insides, the butterflies in his stomach were happily doing somersaults.
"I'm glad I met you too, Ann."
They were all hanging out at Leblanc's one chilly December night, trying to warm up before they head home. Morgana was also there (Futaba takes care of him when the boys are gone), cozying up on one of the chairs. They were all chatting merrily, talking about plans for Christmas, when Ren's phone buzzed inside his pocket. He took it out and found a message from Ann.
He was used to her messages by now, and it came as no surprise to see her usual greeting with a smile emoji popping up on his screen.
Ren: hey.
Ann: It's almost the holidays! Any plans?
Ren: Studying for exams I guess. You?
It takes her some time to reply. When she did, his heart dropped down to the floor.
Ann: I can't be your English tutor anymore.
Ren tried to compose himself before giving a reply. Makoto sensed something was wrong but she didn't try to pry.
Ren: What? Why?
Ann: I quit the job. I sent all of my students' details to other tutors. Including yours.
Ren: Why so sudden?
Ann: We're moving out.
Ren: Where?
Ann: Take a wild guess : )
Ren: Stop making jokes Ann. This is serious.
Ann: Fine, you killjoy.
Ann: J
Ann: A
Ann: P
Ann: A
Ann: N
Ann: : )
"What?!" he exclaimed as he read Ann's series of messages with wide eyes.
"What what? What is it?" He heard Ryuji's raucous voice, and he looked up to see that all of his friends were staring at him in concern.
"Ann's coming." He informed them.
"What? For real?!" came Ryuji's excited voice as his face splits into a grin. "Dude! That's awesome! We're finally going to meet her face to face!"
The others looked excited as well. The girls have heard a great deal about Ann Takamaki from the boys (mostly from Ryuji) and they've been wanting to meet her ever since.
"When is she coming?" Came Yusuke's question. Ren typed the question on his phone.
Ann: Next Monday. Don't tell Ryuji and Yusuke though. I wanna surprise them with my Japanese~
Ren looked up from his phone. "She said she doesn't know," he informs them. His friends all became busy then, planning tours for Ann and practicing their English (Ren never told them that she's fluent in Japanese). Ren looked down on his phone to see another message from Ann.
Ann: Can you come pick me up to the airport? I'm going on ahead of my parents and I'd feel less lonely knowing someone would be out there waiting for me.
Ren didn't have to think about it. He typed his answer and hit send.
The Monday of their meeting arrived and Ren found himself standing inside Narita airport, waiting for her. He was dressed in the best coat he's owned, holding a bouquet of pink roses (Ann once told him that they were her favorite). His hair is as messy as ever but that doesn't mean he didn't try to tame it before completely giving up. His feet won't stay still and he walked around in little circles, practicing how he would greet her under his breath. The butterflies in his stomach are just as nervous as he is—they flutter around in his stomach with unease.
The intercom signaled the plane's arrival but the bespectacled man didn't hear it, he was so absorbed in his own thoughts. Ann went through the arrivals gate and craned her neck to find Ren, finally spotting him walking around in circles in a corner. She grinned from ear to ear and ran up to him.
"Ren!" She called out, and the man whipped his head to the direction of the voice and there, in all her glory, Ann Takamaki running out to meet him, one hand dragging a pink luggage by her side. Her blonde pigtails sway by her side and her azure eyes twinkle with the light of day and she was wearing the same letter jacket he's seen her wear a bunch of times before and my God, Ren thinks, there really is nobody as gorgeous as this woman.
He runs to meet her halfway and catches her in his arms. They stay embraced for a few moments as they both try to catch their breath. Finally, Ann breaks the hug and holds him at arm's length, studying his face carefully.
"You're even taller than I imagined you to be!" She laughed and he scratched the back of his head.
"And you're more beautiful in person, sensei." He grinned as she playfully shoved his shoulder.
"I told you not to call me that!" Her gaze shifts to the bouquet in his hand and her eyes sparkled with joy. "Is that for me?"
He held the bouquet out with a gentle smile. "Welcome to Japan." He tells her. She took the bouquet and brought it close to her face, inhaling the sweet scent of fresh roses.
"I love them. Thank you."
"Let's hail a cab, shall we?" He asked as he takes the pink luggage from her.
She nodded, and they made their way to the taxi stand when she decided to pull his coat and stop him. Ren turned to look at Ann with a questioning look when he felt a pair of lips land gently on his own. He didn't have the time to appreciate it though because the blonde has already broken the kiss.
"Sorry," she said with a short laugh, not looking at him. "I just really wanted to try that."
Ren hooked an arm around Ann's waist and pulled her closer before giving her a longer kiss than the first. When he pulled back, Ann's face was bright red, even brighter than he'd ever seen before, and he chuckled.
"I didn't have time to enjoy the first." He told her.
"Oh shut up," she grumbled, glaring at him, her face still tomato red. She pushed him away from her and started walking towards the taxi stands again. He shook his head in amusement before trying to catch up to her.
"I always knew that I'm your type."
"I said shut up!" she hissed, and Ren laughed again. He leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss that made her flustered. Ann went red-faced again and he laughed. She stomped away from him, letting out a string of cuss words in English, and he watched her in amusement. He could definitely get used to this.
A/N: A quick oneshot while I'm in the middle of trying to figure things out for that one Mystic Messenger fanfic I've been writing. This i just a stupid drabble I plucked off my head and I'm actually surprised I was able to write it this long lololol hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading! Also, sorry for grammatical errors. This wasn't proofread. Hehe~ Till next time!
-olympicmayhem