"Hey, hey, do you like coffee?"

He turns his head left, the color red filling his vision. His companion for the day, on the walk back home after school, had posed a questionable question.

A questionable question to be sure, but an innocuous question, all the same. But then again…

Indeed, she had tilted her head slightly to the left, so that her left-swept bangs were even more swept to the left; crimson eyes staring at him intently as if it was the most important thing in the world; her right hand gripping his left tighter than when they usually held hands on the way back home.

"Coffee?"

"Yeah! Do you like it? Or do you not like it?"

"Err, of course I like it. I live in a coffee shop."

"Hm- I see," Sumire says simply. She begins her stride again, pulling his left to encourage him to keep up.

Ren quickly follows to catch up: "Uhm, so what was tha-"

"Say, Senpai, do you like curry?" Sumire starts again, cutting him off.

"Eh? Uhm...yeah?"

"How about movies?"

"Yes?"

Ren scratches his head internally, trying to figure out what this girl was talking about. But, well, she looked happy with his answers so, what the heck?

"Okay, do you like the bathhouse behind LeBlanc?" Sumire continues, walking by his side all the same.

"Oh yeah, love that place," Ren quickly responds.

"Big Bang Burger?"

"On occasion, sure."

"Do you like flowers?" Sumire presses.

"Yep."

"Dandelions."

"Definitely."

"Violets?"

"Mhm."

"Then, do you like me?"

"Yeah, of cou-"

...Wait a second.

He stops in place, but Sumire continues walking along as if nothing happened. And when their arms are pulled taut, she turns around, with an innocent look on her face.

"Hm? What's wrong, Senpai?" she asks.

"...What is this all about?"

"What do you mean?" Sumire asks again, without a care in the world. "I'm just trying to learn about what my boyfriend likes?"

"...Uhhuh…"

"Yep."

"Boyfriend, huh?"

"Yeah," Sumire replies, looking back, staring straight at him. "Are you not?"

"If I am," Ren says, slightly confused, "then why the last question?"

"Well, because!"

The grip on Ren's hand gets slightly tighter. She looks away, breaking eye contact for just a second, but then locks eyes once again, determination now unwavering in her eyes.

"After all, I never hear you say it!" Sumire protests.

"Eh?"

"You say you like all these other things so freely, but then when I ask you if you like me, you clam right up!"

By now, there was a pout forming on Sumire's face. Cheeks slightly puffed out, lips turned in a slight frown...

Ah, jeez- there was no getting out of this one. When Sumire makes that face, well…let's just say that there were very few things that could one-up the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

His girlfriend was probably one of them.

Ren quickly looks away, his cheeks starting to tint a little red.

"Oh, well, I mean...it's embarrassing…"

"Even still!"

All of a sudden, Sumire closed the distance between them, and now grabbed both of his hands in her own, her face staring intently at him.

"Even still," she presses again. "...Please, Senpai? Do you love me?"

When did it change from 'like' to 'love'? Ren complains to himself, still avoiding eye contact.

"...You should already know the answer to that."

Sumire makes a pout again. "Even so, I still want to hear you say it sometimes, you know…"

Ren slowly turns his head back to look into Sumire's pleading eyes.

Sigh. There really is no winning this one, is there?

"Alright, alright, yes, it's true…" Ren concedes. "I really do love you, Sumire."

The instant those words leave his mouth, Sumire's pout transforms into a wide smile, satisfied now that she had gotten what she set out for.

"Aww, thanks, Senpai! My heart skipped a beat," she says, her face now positively radiant.

She squeezes his hand once, then turns around again to head to the train station, renewed vigor in her steps. His hand still linked to hers, he had no choice but to follow.

'And she didn't even say it back,' Ren grumbles internally.

"Oh, and Senpai?" Sumire calls out to him from up ahead, without turning around.

"Ugh...what is it now?" he says, slightly exasperated.

Sumire stops in her tracks, and without warning, turns around and swiftly delivers a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you too, Ren!"

"...!"

Content with her victory today, she lets go of his hand and walks off, leaving Ren standing still in shock for a few seconds.

His girlfriend was definitely one of them.


A/N: Sumire really is Ren's final boss, huh?