A/N: Hi again everyone and welcome to Day 2 of Shuann Week 2020! Glad to see the interest y'all have shown with the first chapter. It did make sense crossing over elements of Stardew Valley and Persona - with it being that you had the ability to build relationships and bonds with other characters in each game.
Oh, and as a fun fact I guess - I've finally gotten to Persona 5 Royal's Christmas Eve event, and of course I picked Ann as the given date option. Ooof, lemme tell you how cute it was seeing her and the protagonist finally spend the holiday together! Hopefully what I've written in these later chapters will be just as sweet as the cake they shared during that date, heheh.
Nevertheless, let's get right into the second chapter for this week! Cheers!
"LOVE BLOSSOM"
[a Shuann Week 2020 series]
Episode 2: The Lost Child in the Rain
PROMPT OF THE DAY: Rain
- Episode Summary -
"As rain falls upon Yama Town, Ren and Ann's bond begins to form
as a chance encounter brings the two together,
along with an unusual contract thrown between them."
~ Shira Valley
Yama Town's Library ~
Rain drizzled upon the village as the later days of Spring arrived. The calm pitter patter of raindrops outside the library helped Ren focus as he silently studied the various books regarding agriculture and tips for sustainability of crops. With his first few days living on his grandfather's farmhouse, Ren desired to learn the ways of the land and utilize the fields to his advantage in order to grow his own crops.
However, farming didn't start off so easily as Ren had no idea where to start. Luckily, the librarian's owner – Makoto Niijima, told Ren of the plethora of books in regards to farming just waiting to be read. Grabbing a mountain of books for his studying, Ren decided to utilize this rainy day to gather as much knowledge as possible in order to expand his expertise in farming.
"Okay, so the best crops to grow for the spring season are parsnips, potatoes and cauliflower." Ren quietly repeated to himself as he wrote down the information in his notebook. He had taken a whole table for himself in the library, with numerous books open and scattered across the birchwood top. Ren had been going almost four hours straight just reading through pages and pages of farming information, collecting data on the best crops to grow each season, what fertilizers to utilize and possible drawbacks that he may encounter.
With Ren focused on his studying, he hadn't noticed the teenage girl approaching from his back, curiously looking over his shoulder as they look in awe at the countless books he'd gone through.
"Damn… This is a lot of books! Are you some sort of bookworm or something?" Futaba Sakura's voice caught Ren off-guard as he dropped his pencil onto his notebook and looked back to him.
"Oh… hi?" Ren could only speak, looking over to the girl as he noted her appearance – her outfit consisting of a green jacket over her white tank top, black shirt and leggings, along with grey high tops. What made her appearance notable was her bright orange, black glasses and headphones worn around her neck. Ren offered a hand for her to shake. "Uhm… I believe we haven't met yet. I'm Ren Amamiya."
"Oh! So you're the new farm boy Ryuji's been talking about!" Futaba hollered out in excitement, much to Ren's embarrassment as they were in a library. Fortunately for them, they were the only occupants inside at the moment. Regardless, Futaba excitedly shook Ren's hand as she introduced herself. "The name's Futaba Sakura. I'm the daughter of Sojiro-san, you know, the suave old dude who owns The Leblanc Saloon just across from Sakura Square?"
"Oh yeah, I've been there a couple times. Their curry is super delicious." Ren began to relate, memories flooding of the recent week when he'd come and order dinner at the saloon. Ren remembered the gruff and disinterested tone Sojiro-san had given him during their initial meeting. But eventually the owner opened up to Ren as he expressed interest in learning the recipes to his coffee and curry items.
"You drink coffee, by any chance?" Futaba asked. Ren nodded his head to her pleasure. "Great! So that means you can plant some coffee beans on your little farm to help out Sojiro-san! He's been looking for someone to grow locally – it'd be more cost-effective for his business and he says that coffee beans grown fresh would taste even better!"
"Heheh, I'll try my best to figure it out. Just let me know when he needs them." Ren assured her. Interested to learn more about the bespectacled girl, Ren asked about her headphones. "I'm guessing you listen to music a lot? Those headphones look pretty nice."
"Heck yeah! Video games and music are my go-to pass times! I even have the latest Nintendo Switch in my room!" Futaba excitedly shared loudly, again – not taking into consideration that they were in a library. "Still, there's not much to do here in terms of technology. We're practically out in the wilderness within these mountains."
"You could say that again. It's been difficult trying to contact the rest of my family back home with any good wi-fi. Seems like the best connection is in this very library." Ren shared, sharing his struggle in the old farm house lived in, which practically had little to no wifi connection.
"Well, this town is super lucky to have me! I'm fortunate enough to be the savvy tech wizard. Usually whenever anyone has issues with their internet or television, they usually call me for assistance." Futaba explained. She decided to offer some of her own help in Ren's situation "Hey, you say you live in that old farm house out of town, right? I've always been looking for a challenge to expand the signal from town to other parts of the region. Maybe this could benefit the both of us if you let me set up a modem in your home?"
"Yeah! Actually, that would be awesome." Ren expressed interest.
The duo continued making idle chat within the library, hitting it off well as they. During their conversation, they hadn't noticed another individual quietly entering the library. Ann entered through the doors, carrying a bag full of books as she slugged onto the front counter with a loud thud, immediately catching the attention of the librarian sitting at the front desk.
"Excuse me, but would you please quiet down? We're in a library, ma'am." Makoto expressed, turning her chair over to Ann as she fixed her glasses.
"I'm not dumb. I know we're in a library." Ann grumbled as she started to wipe off her rain coat. "Ugh… I can't believe that Haru has got me running around while its pouring outside. Didn't she even consider that my hair was going to get drenched after combing it for half an hour?"
"Are you an acquaintance to Okumura-san?" Makoto asked, getting up from her chair as she inspected the large bag Ann brought onto the counter.
"Eh, more or less. She's got me forced to run these stupid errands while she takes care of stuff on her ranch." Ann explained. "I don't know why she has me returning all these books here when she's bought them. Isn't that what a library is for?"
"Uhm… No. A library is where you borrow books, not buy them."
"Borrow? What's the point of borrowing when you could buy it?" Ann asked, giving Makoto a genuinely perplexed look.
"Well, this whole library was built by the community to share knowledge outside of the Gifu region. Our mayor expressed interest in giving those unable to explore the rest of the country an avenue to read about many stories from around the world." Makoto gave her reason as she began to organize the books from Haru's bag. She looked over to ann with a curious look. "May I ask, have you ever been to a library before?"
"Pfffft! Why would I? I get all my knowledge on my social media. Well - I mean I used to until Haru cut me off from it." Ann expressed further frustration. It had been almost a whole week since Ann was able to check up anything on her phone, with Haru being directed by her parents to omit their daughter from social media in order to focus on her so called rehabilitation.
"I see. Now that I've noticed, I don't think I've seen you around town recently. Are you perhaps a new resident of Yama?" Makoto asked.
"Hmm, for someone who looks smart, I'm surprised you don't know who I am." Ann rolled her eyes at Makoto. She striked an over exaggerated pose with her hands resting on her hips, while giving a confident look to Makoto. "I'm the one and only Ann Takamaki, one of the fiercest models to ever walk on Japan!"
"Ohh, uhm… good to know." Makoto simply replied, focusing her efforts with signing back in Haru's books.
"Really? Is that all you can say? Good to know? Hmph! You should be honoured that I am even in your presence in the first place." Ann crossed her arms as she turned away from Makoto, only to notice a familiar face having a conversation from the other end of the library. Ann's heart practically skipped a beat. "Huh? No way, isn't that the farm boy over there?"
"Amamiya-san? Yes, that's him. He's been reading a diverse assortment of books relating to agriculture." Makoto responded as she began to organize the books on the front desk and began scanning them one by one. "By the way, you're free to look around, Takamaki-san. Just please don't make any more noise."
Ann ignored Makoto's comment as curiosity got the best of her. Quietly making her way over to where Ren and Futaba were conversing, Ann hid behind one of the bookshelves close by as she started to eavesdrop on them.
"If all things go according to plan, I should be able to set up your high-speed internet by the end of this week!" Futaba explained, having completed a conversation with Ren in setting up his very own wifi back at the farm house.
"Geez, I really appreciate it, Futaba. Things are gonna be a lot easier at the farm now that it'll be a bit more updated with the tech you'll install." Ren gave his utmost gratitude.
"No problemo! Anyway, I've distracted you long enough from your crop studying. I've got a project of my own to tinker with back home. I'll see you later, Amamiya-san!" Futaba said as she happily waved over to Ren.
"I'll catch you around, Futaba." Ren waved back with a smile.
As Futaba made her way back to the library's entrance, she quickly noticed Ann hiding from behind the bookshelf. Futaba gave an audible gasp as she pointed at her. "Whoah! Hold on! You're that new model that's been rising up recently! Ann Takamaki, right?"
"Whoah! W-Wait, you actually know who I am?" Ann exclaimed, now gaining the attention of Ren as he looked over to the two girls. Out of excitement, Ann reached over and embraced Futaba in an uncalled hug."Oh my gooooosh! Finally! A fan that actually knows who I am!"
"G-Grhh! I-I wouldn't really call myself a fan if I'm being honest." Futaba muffled out in Ann's embrace as she struggled. "I only know who you are from the drama I've been following online."
"D-Drama? Online? What the heck do you know so far?" Ann panicked, releasing Futaba as she began to demand answers. "Listen, whatever you hear from Mika's sources, it is not true! I swear, I didn't start any of it! It was all her fault!"
"I-I don't know much, I swear! B-But the only thing I do know is that the tabloids have been trying to make you look bad, that's all!" Futaba explained, a slight sense of fear welling up inside her as she noticed Ann beginning to fume.
"Really? Ugh.. dammit!" Ann yelled in frustration, slamming a fist against one of the bookshelves without thought. "That Mika is probably kissing their asses trying to cover up her mistakes while making me look like the bad guy. This is complete bullshit!"
"EXCUSE ME!" Makoto's voice suddenly echoed out from the library counter, catching Ann, Futaba and Ren's attention. She calmly pointed at the doorway. "Takamaki-san, I will only warn you once. If you do not behave in this library, I'm afraid I will have to kick you out permanently. You've already caused multiple disturbance within the establishment. Please don't make me take drastic measures."
Ann took a moment to consider Makoto's words. If she didn't want to get into further trouble from her own parents, then Ann needed to be on her best behaviour. Ann's clenched fists gradually softened as she took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Uhm... T-Takamaki-san? I'm sorry a brought everything up regarding Mika-chain. I thought you knew." Futaba suddenly apologized, blaming the entire ruckus on herself.
"Just… go. Don't worry about it." Ann assured her, keeping her gaze downwards from shame.
Off to the side, Ren had watched the entire ordeal occur between Ann and Futaba - wondering what they were talking about. As he watched Futaba leave, Ren directed his attention back to Ann as he noticed her rubbing the side of her head from stress as she returned to the front desk. Deciding that he had spent enough time studying on crops, Ren began to pile them back up in order to chase after the model.
"You may inform Okumaru-san that all of the books she had borrowed have been accounted for." Makoto expressed to Ann as she finished the transaction of Haru's books.
"Thank you.. Sorry again for causing so much trouble." Ann apologized.
"Don't sweat it. I'll be honest - I was overreacting a little bit on my part with all the shouting. You're always welcome to come here if you need a quiet place to relax." Makoto assured, receiving a grateful smile from Ann as she said goodbye. The librarian immediately turned to Ren, noticing him as he waited for her. "Amamiya-san, is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Hey, uhmm… sorry but I'm in a bit of a rush and didn't have time to put away my books." Ren explained, seemingly in a rush as he kept his eyes on Ann as she headed towards the doorway.
"No worries, it's almost closing time anyway. I have to stay for another hour to clean up the library." Makoto explained, letting him off easy for the meantime.
Ren nodded and quickly made his way to the library doors as Ann was about to exit. Makoto took a moment to look over and sighed.
"Oh boy… I hope the farm boy knows what he's getting himself into." Makoto said to herself.
"Hey… Uhm, hi. Remember me?" Ren spoke up to Ann just as she was about to turn the handle to the doorway and exit.
"Duh… of course I remember you. You're the farm boy that was looking at my ass and told me my pants were dirty." Ann recalled as she took a quick glance back at him. "What do you want exactly? I've got a long walk ahead of me in this stupid rain and all I've got is this crappy raincoat that Okumura-san lent to me."
"Well, fortunately for you, I've come prepared." Ren said with a smirk. He pulled out his trusty umbrella as he extended it out in order to prepare for the waterworks outside. "Well? Care to join? I'm sure you would appreciate company in this sad weather as much as I would."
Ann took a moment to contemplate Ren's offer before giving in.
"Uggh…. Fine. But I'm only walking with you since I don't want my hair getting any wetter, okay?" Ann scoffed as she went ahead, pulling up the hoodie of her raincoat in order to cover her head and pigtails as much as she could. Ren followed close behind as he opened up his umbrella, strolling alongside Ann as he covered the both of them from the rain.
Ren and Ann silently strolled through Yama Town, noting the peacefulness of the area as the rain continued to pour down softly from the cloudy sky. The homes to the villagers gave a faint glow as the warm lights illuminated from the windows, piercing into the gray atmosphere outside. Ren and Ann eventually made their way into the town's centre – Sakura Square, where the cherry blossom trees remained vibrant in their blooming color of pink.
"You must really hate this Mika girl, huh?" Ren broke the silence between them, catching Ann off-guard. "I heard you mention the model's name when you cornered Futaba back in the library. I can only assume you have some history between each other."
"I swear, she's just the worst human being possible." Ann commented, keeping her gaze down as the duo continued their walk through the town, inching closer to Sakura Square. "All she cares about is hogging the attention and doing whatever means necessary in order to get what she wants."
"Sounds like someone I know." Ren tried to joke, only for him to receive a gentle elbow from Ann to his side.
"I'm not like her! I mean I try not to be." Ann expressed as she sighed. "Listen, I know I can be extreme at times, but I'm no where close to what Mika is capable of. She's the type that is overwhelmingly pretentious and deceitful to everyone around her."
"What exactly happened between you two then that got you into so much trouble?" Ren tried to piece everything together.
Before Ann could answer, the duo heard a distinct sound coming from the centre of Sakura Square. Veering over to the cherry blossoms, Ren and Ann noticed a small figure moving between the shadows. Upon closer inspection, the duo realized it was a small brown horse slowly looking around its surroundings as it attempted to find its way around.
"Huh? A horse? Where did it come from?" Ren questioned.
"Hold on… wait, I think I actually know this horse." Ann said. She suddenly grabbed Ren and faced him towards the horse before slowly pushing him forward while she kept a steady gaze from behind.
"You… know this horse?" Ren repeated, still trying to process what was happening. He then noticed how they were inching closer to the horse – with Ren between it and Ann. "H-Hey wait! Why do you have me between you two? I'm not gonna be your shield!"
"It's only in case it kicks me again. The last thing I need is to get drop-kicked into the wet mud by some a lethal animal." Ann stated.
"B-But, I don't wanna get kicked either!"
"Just shut up! I need to know if this is the same horse anyway, otherwise there's no point in me helping it out." Ann gently slapped him in the back in order to quiet Ren. As the the two closed in on the baby horse, Ann's eyes widened in glee as she recognized the purple scarf around the horse's neck. "Ahah! So it is the same one from Haru's ranch!"
Ren continued to watch in confusion as Ann slowly made her way out from the cover of his umbrella and raised a hand over to the horse as she approached it. "So… does this horse have a name?"
"Yeah… if I'm correct, this is Epona's child, Zelda." Ann answered. She slowly approached the shy animal with a hand toward held out towards it. "Hey there, remember me? Haru helped me feed you that one time. You almost kicked me in your stable. But we stilll had a good time together, didn't we?"
The baby horse seemed to neigh in delight, having calmed down from her voice and allowed Ann to gently pet down its wet mane.
Ren continued watching, unable to believe the sight in front of him. This act of gentleness was nothing he had ever expected coming from Ann. With the short time Ren had known her, Ann seemed like a fuse that would go off at any moment. But this tender moment where Ann let her guard down and spoke softly to the baby animal was a bewildering experience for Ren.
Yet, it was also a heartwarming one to witness. Ren could tell that Ann had a soft spot inside her, judging by the way she was able to calm the baby horse down. A smile came across Ren's face as Ann and the baby horse continued to share their moment together.
"Hey, it's okay. We'll get you back home to your mama. I promise." Ann gently said as she continued to stroke her hand through the baby horse's mane. The animal gave out a gentle whimper as it looked over to Ann with trusting eyes.
"You've got the horse?" Ren asked her.
"Heck yeah. I'm sure now that she's calmed down she'll listen to me." Ann assured him. She directed both the baby horse and Ren to follow her as they made their way out of Yama Town and began their long trek back to Haru's ranch.
~ Shira Valley
Okumura Ranch ~
The trek itself happened without any hitches as Ann began to explain her experience getting to know the horses at Haru's ranch to Ren. She confessed how it was one of the only things she really liked so far during her stay. The opportunity to be close to such gentle and majestic creatures somehow managed to calm Ann and distracted her from the current situation she was in.
Eventually, the trio arrived at Haru's ranch. Ann opened the doorway into the horse stables. Entering it presented them with a row of stables, each one holding an adult horse – a variety of breeds mixed together consisting of black, brown and white horses.
"There! Little Zelda has her very own stable." Ann mentioned, pointing to the far stable in the corner. The stable held a much larger horse that was the same brown colour and breed as Zelda, which was presumably the mother – Epona. Ann gently patted the baby horse beside her. "It's okay now - you're safe. Why don't you join back with your mama, Zelda?"
The baby horse neighed happily as it trotted into its stable and reunited with its mother. Epona responded with a similar neigh to its foal, gently caressing its snout with its child. Ren and Ann paused for a moment as they smiled at the heartwarming scene in front of them. The duo were so engrossed with the reunion of the horses that they hadn't even noticed Haru approaching them from behind.
"Hmm? Oh, Takamaki-san! I was wondering where you had gone to." Haru's voice suddenly echoed out in the stable as she entered. She gave a surprised look to see Ren accompanying Ann. "Oh! Well if it isn't the farm boy we saw last week at the Parade of Wishes! My name is Haru Okumura – I'm the owner of this pleasant ranch you're in."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Ren Amamiya. I recently moved into the open farm land just north of here." Ren responded, shaking Haru's hand as a courtesy.
"Huh.. I just realized that I never really got to learn your name until now." Ann commented as she gave an intrigued look towards Ren. "Amamiya-san - it's a nice name, actually. Rolls off the tongue pretty easily."
"Heheh, you should've seen Takamaki-san all week. She couldn't help but continue talking about how mysterious you were since your first encounter." Haru suddenly blurted out without thinking.
"OKUMURA-SAN! You don't need to tell him that!" Ann yelped in anger, her face turning red in embarrassment.
Ren simply looked at the two girls with confusion. Did the two girls – specifically Ann, actually talk a lot about him behind his back?
"Oh sorry. Anyway, would you care for some tea? I feel that with the dreary, cold rain pouring outside, something warm and invigorating would be the perfect remedy." Haru offered to Ren, somehow managing to brush off her mistake nonchalantly.
"Certainly." Ren nodded, immediately following Haru back to her house.
"Oh... this is peeeerfect.." Ann groaned, drooping her head down as she dragged herself with them. The last thing she wanted was to drink tea with the mystery farm boy she had mixed feelings about.
The trio made their way inside, settling in Haru's kitchen as she made a fresh batch of green tea for them to share. Ann took the seat beside Ren as she kept her gaze down, casually circling her finger around the top of her mug. Haru had taken the seat across from them as she began to question Ren.
"So Amamiya-san! How did you manage to come across the farmland north of here?" Haru asked, sipping from her cup of green tea as she focused on Ren.
"My grandfather used to own it. He passed it along to me as gift." Ren simply responded, choosing to hide the fact that his grandfather had passed away – deeming it an unnecessary fact for them to know.
Haru continued to interview Ren – asking about his background, family and progress he had made with his farm. Ren chose to keep his answers vague, being wary not to share too much of his personal details to some strangers he had just met. All this happened while Ann remained bored in her seat, wishing for Haru to end the conversation so she could head back to her guest bedroom to sleep.
"So do you have any animals there yet? Specifically a horse?" Haru eventually asked Ren, watching as the boy shook his head. She returned a delighted smile at his response. "Well, consider it your lucky day! I've been hoping to pass along some of my animals to someone who seems capable."
"WHAT!? You're just going to give him a horse just for the sake of it?" Ann yelped in shock. Eventually it had clicked in Ann's mind that Haru was most likely interviewing Ren to see if he was a trustworthy individual to pass along a couple of her animals.
"It's my way of saying thanks to Amamiya-san for guiding my precious faul back home." Haru explained herself.
"Hmph! Did you already forget that I was the one that did most of the work?" Ann grumbled in her seat as she crossed her arms.
"Huh? No I seriously can't do that, Haru." Ren tried to explain, also surprised at Haru's decision. "I wouldn't even know how to take care of one on my own."
"No worries! I'm sure Ann will show you how to properly take care of one. It's practically the only thing she's been willing to do for the whole week she's been there." Haru assured him, turning over to Ann as she gave her a cheeky look.
"W-What? Okumura-san, I'm not a teacher at all! Besides, why would I even teach him? He hasn't done anything for me at all!" Ann argued back.
"Didn't he just walk you back home in the rain? Using his own umbrella? Going out of his way just to make sure you are home safe?" Haru reminded her, basically putting Ann at a corner as the model eventually admitted defeat.
"Oooof…. Fine! I'll do it." Ann gave in, crossing her arms as she couldn't believe the situation she had gotten herself in.
"Splendid! Amamiya-san, if you come back tomorrow, I'll make sure to have your very own horse ready for you to use!" Haru told him. "I'm sure that having a trusty steed by your side will help you become an efficient farmer."
"I'm so grateful for your generosity, Okumura-san." Ren gave his thanks, bowing his head over to the ranch owner. As a new farmer, Ren felt lucky to receive immediate support within his first few days in the valley – believing he would need all the help and resources he could get his hands on in order to build up his farm land.
"Also, if you don't mind at all, I would appreciate it if Takamaki-san could help you out at your farm land every week?" Haru suddenly demanded, causing both Ren and Ann to almost spit out their green tea.
"WHAAAAAT THE HECK!? ARE YOU CRAZY, HARU?" Ann yelled out in shock.
"Uhm… I'm not sure if that's a good idea.." Ren calmly responded, attempting to maintain his cool to prevent further escalation from the aggravated girl beside him.
"Protest all you want – but I believe that this would be a wonderful partnership that both of our homes can establish!" Haru started explaining. "You see, Takamaki-san has been brought over here by her parents since she had displayed some troubling behaviour in her job. They are hoping Takamaki-san's stay in the valley will improve her attitude."
"Y-Yeah.. I've kinda got the gist of that.." Ren grumbled under his breath.
"What was that Amamiya-san!?" Ann growled, leaning over to him with intimidation.
Ren began to pray in his mind that he wouldn't be slaughtered right there in his seat.
"Ann, please show some respect to the young gentleman." Haru demanded, taking another sip of her tea as she made up her mind. "Remember that I am your delegated caregiver and that your parents have given me the authority over you. Besides, this is an opportunity you cannot waste. Working on a farm is the perfect opportunity to sharpen your work ethic."
"Hmph… none of this is fair. You can't just throw me around as some slave." Ann lamented as she shrunk in her seat.
Ren looked over to Ann – noticing the misery in her eyes. He was quick to see how much anguish Ann felt regarding the entire situation she was being thrown into. A worker thrown around without being taken care of, eventually growing to the point of resenting their job and disconnecting with the people around them.
This was all too familiar to Ren – relating Ann's current situation to what he had gone through with his old work that he chose to escape from. What was the point of being in a job where you hated every second of it?
Ren needed to come up with a solution where both of them could win.
"Listen, Ann.. I've talked to Futaba – the girl that you basically scared off in the library back in town – and she had mentioned about installing wifi into my home," Ren began to explain as he conjured up a deal for Ann. "If you promise to help me do a good job with my farming, I'll let you come over and use the internet every now and then, okay?"
"Really? You would let me use your wi-fi? That's amazing!" Ann expressed – the girl practically jumping in her seat after hearing the opportunity. Finally, a way for Ann to reconnect to the outside world and incentivize her into working diligently. Ann would take whatever she could get that would bring her joy in this valley. "Alright then! Sounds like we've got ourselves a deal!"
"Oh boy.. Of course he manages to woo her with his wifi." Haru rolled her eyes, choosing to allow this deal to happen if it meant that Ann would be willing to do some work.
Ren and Ann both shook their hands as they sealed their partnership. Moving forward, Ren would be given the needed assistance from Ann as his official farm hand – tasked with helping him maintain his farm through various chores he would assign. With the power of two – Ren's farm would foresee prosperity that would grow over time.
This contract would be the first step for Ren and Ann's relationship to blossom into something special.
.
..
…
TO BE CONTINUED IN EPISODE 3!
Next Prompt: Cherry Blossom
~ I do not own any Persona-related material. Any relation to real world events or persons are coincidental. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only. The sole property of the Persona series and characters are respectively owned by Atlus Co. and SEGA ~