ShuAnn Week 2021
Day 5: Roleswap (Ren and Ann swap their places in the plot of P5)
Ren was tired.
He rubbed his wrist, sore from Kamoshida's volleyball hit, as he reminded him to be careful of injuring himself during PE class...as if the man himself hadn't just nearly injured one of his team members, as if he wasn't hiding his dagger glare at him, as if he wasn't reminding him to behave for his best friend's sake. As such, even with that slight rebellion by defending his fellow student, Ren smiled and said,
"Yes, Mr. Kamoshida."
Before he moved out of the way, his turn on the volleyball court done while others came to take his and his fellows' place. Just before he reached his bag though, a familiar voice said,
"Ren?"
And he turned to see Shiho looking at him in concern, only a couple of bandages over her body, the kind that were just scrapes.
That was good. That meant Kamoshida was still keeping his end of the bargain.
He smiled again and said blithely as he began to rummage through his things,
"Yes Shiho?"
"Are you okay?" she said, tone heavy.
He knew what she was asking.
Instead, he said, "Oh this?" He gestured towards his slightly bruised wrist. "Oh it's nothing. It'll heal soon enough."
Shiho frowned, knowing that he was avoiding her real question.
"That's not what I..." she said, but then sighed and shook her head. "Never mind."
Just as he hoped.
So he said, "How about you? How's practice going?"
Ren was tired.
Some of the photographers wanted him to strip to his underwear for one of their photos and though he kept saying "no", they kept insisting that he do so for the shoot, that he shouldn't be so shy otherwise he wouldn't be a good model. He had only so much energy left over after school to constantly deny these obvious predators, with the way they groped him as they positioned him for their poses, so, eventually, he did end up stipping into his underwear and posing for them with a fake smile plastered. As much as he hated that it ended up that way, Ren could only be grateful that he had at least been still clothed instead of...
At least the pay was good, and the praise of his parents when he came home was uplifting.
Ren was tired.
Everyone was talking about how he was "cheating" on Shiho when he helped a girl with her spilled homework that was due that day or when he gave some of his lunch money for a third-year who needed the food for studying to keep her scholarship. Everyone was talking about how Shiho was "cheating" on him by cozying up with Kamoshida so that she could keep her position as starter on the girl's volleyball team. And everyone was talking about this new transfer student coming, some girl from the country who had nearly killed someone in a fit of rage... Or so they say.
It was all lies of course. He was just friends with Shiho, his only friend in the entire school. Shiho was previously physically abused by Kamoshida until Ren offered to be his punching bag. And none of them had even met the girl transfer student yet, much less know her. For all they knew, she wouldn't even be at the school when her supposed due date came, sometime in the early days of April. So, of course, he just ignored them and smiled and went about his days.
Ren was exhausted.
On his way to school, it started to rain. True, it was minor in the grand scheme of things, the worst thing that could happen—a vehicular crash—was only if he was an idiot or if he was unlucky, but with everything else he has been dealing with? He just... Just...
He just wanted to rest.
So he quickly made his way under the roof of a clothes store and stayed there a bit longer than neccessary, leaning against the glass that showcased the store's products with his eyes closed. He felt a bit bad about doing that to the store as he was blocking the view, but that was nothing against the weight of his exhaustion.
At least until he heard someone come his way and pant beside him.
Ren opened his eyes and...he stared. It was a girl he hadn't seen before, but she wore the Shujin uniform. And not only that, she wasn't, well...exactly wearing it up to dress code. Her unbuttoned blazer showed a white hooded jacket underneath that covered her skirt, blue and red stripes at the bottom. Below that were red leggings and brown leather boots, instead of the standard black leggings and shoes. And most of all, when she pulled off her hood, instead of the usual short-to-medium, black hair and brown eyes, he was greeted with the sight of long, platinum blonde hair in twin ponytails and a glance of sky blue eyes.
Ren...couldn't help but be equal parts in awe and in envy of her.
She looked more like a model than he could ever be.
But then he noticed she, well...looked absolutely miserable. Her shoulders were slumped, her back slightly bent forward and her head hung low. She looked to be close to tears, her eyes glazed and lips trembling, like this had been one of the worst days of her life thus far and she was trying to stay strong even in the face of that and her emotions...much like him. And he felt horrible for even feeling envious of her, even if it was for a brief moment.
So when she happened to glance his way, surprised to see him there, he gave her a small smile in hopes of cheering her up, of telling her it was okay. And he was rewarded with an incredible smile, wide, bright and grateful despite her teariness, as if he had just given her the best gift she could've ever gotten that day. It made him smile wider and more genuinely to see her feeling better from his simple gesture.
But of course, it had to end in the form of a car coming up to them, revealing Kamoshida at the helm.
"Hey, want a ride? You're going to be late, Amamiya-kun," he said, supposedly for him, but then the man's eyes were on the blonde beside him and Ren knew his real reason. "You can come along too, if you want."
There was no way he would stand for that.
Thankfully for him, the girl was hesitant as she said, "Uh..." then glanced at him in silent inquiry.
Knowing Kamoshida was watching, he shook his head with a frown, hoping she would understand. It seemed she did as she nodded back before giving a much faker smile than the one she gave him before.
"No thanks, I'm good," she said, pulling up her hood a little.
And before Kamoshida could insist, Ren said, truthful despite his ulterior motive, "I would like it however. I'm exhausted from work."
Of course the girl noticed the word "work" in his sentence, looking at him curiously, while Kamoshida was hiding his lividity behind his own grin, not wanting to cause a scene.
"All right then, hop on in," he said.
And Ren did, riding shotgun. Before they left, hopefully unnoticed by Kamoshida, Ren sent one last genuine smile, happy she would be fine, grateful for what little she gave him and pained from the inevitable beating he would receive for that little impediment.
Ren stared.
A certain blonde came into his class, looking absolutely exhausted, embarrassed and exaspersted all at once. Ren rubbed at his eyes, making sure his own lack of energy and enthusiasm wasn't affecting his sight. He hadn't expected her to be the transfer student, much less to be assigned to his class. But that begged the question on why she was so late. Ms. Kawakami said she had been "sick" and thus forced to come in the afternoon but he knew that was a lie. He had seen her on his way to school after all. But the transfer student, though she looked ready to protest, allowed their home room teacher to lie before she met his eyes...
...and froze like a deer in headlights.
It took everything Ren had not to smirk and laugh at her expression. It was hard not to, even harder when she was startled by Ms. Kawakami asking her, for the second time, to introduce herself.
"O-Oh right," she said before proceeding to write her name on the chalkboard. Once she was done, she cleared her throat and bowed. "I'm Ann Takamaki. It's nice to meet you."
Ann Takamaki. A foreign first name and a Japanese last name, assuming it wasn't the Finnish last name. Either way, with a name like that, it explained her looks. And, unsurprisingly, she ended up seated behind him, the only seat that had become available after the previous occupant changed schools all of a sudden. When she settled down, he couldn't help it. He had to know. But after seeing how expressive she had been, the buried trickster in him took this chance to mess with her a bit and said, as flat as possible,
"You're lying."
As he guessed, Takamaki-san was hurt and confused by his words, as much as she tried to hide it.
But he then said, "So Ms. Kawakami's lying then?"
And as he hoped, the hurt left, leaving only confusion. "Huh?"
It was very hard not to chuckle at her face. Again.
He did smirk though as he said, "You didn't even hear her, did you?"
To his surprise, Takamaki-san was more expressive than he thought she was because she blushed in embarrassment and had the expression to match.
"Uh well..." she said, trying to think of an excuse.
He couldn't hold it anymore and laughed at her predicament. It was just so...refreshing, to see someone be genuinely surprised and embarrased instead of angry and disgusted because of the rumors around him and his best friend. Of course, the presumably natural blonde was annoyed as she pouted and said,
"What's so funny?!"
Before he could say anything though and get an answer to his question, Ms. Kawakami unsurprisingly said,
"Stop it, you two. Class is still in session."
Takamaki-san stiffened and said,"Uh right..."
While he put on his mask and said, "Yes, Ms. Kawakami."
And so class resumed as usual. Well, as usual as it could with a new student, who the rest of the class was reluctant to share their textbooks with. But when there was a chance, he glanced back at Takamaki-san and said, hoping his apologety got across,
"Sorry. I thought it'd be fun to tease you." Unconsciously, he smiled with amusement. "And it turns out I was right."
The transfer student grumbled and pouted. "Well it's not fun for me," she said.
And...that hurt Ren's heart more than he thought it would. Especially since she had a point.
So, once again, if it was even possible, he turned more apologetic as he said, "Sorry."
Though even with that, there was still one thing he wanted to know...
"But still, how come you're so late?"
Unexpectedly, the girl groaned before she actually thumped her head on her desk and said,
"You wouldn't believe me... I don't even believe it..."
That, however, wasn't too surprising. Not so much her telling him so much as how honest she was about it. He knew he certainly would say the same if something like, say, "my dog ate my homework" actually happened to him. Nobody would believe him. Just like with the Kamoshida rumors being, well, rumors.
So he said, "Okay. I believe you."
And returned his attention back to class, knowing he wasn't going to get much else out of her without risking them both getting in trouble with their teacher.
Besides, she probably already had enough of his teasing anyway.
Ren groaned.
He had a photoshoot this afternoon for a magazine's summer issue, so he couldn't afford to move it to another day to instead spend it with Shiho. But even with him being tired and annoyed, when he saw Takamaki-san obviously trying to nicely rebuff the thinly veiled advances of Mr. Kamoshida, he immediately put on his best smile and said,
"Oh Takamaki-san, there you are."
Both turned to him in surprise, Takamaki-san expressive as always as she stared wide-eyed and slack jawed.
"I was looking for you," he said. "Do you still want me to help you study?"
She was confused at first, but thankfully she soon caught on and said,
"A-Ah yes please."
He smiled wider in pride. "Then shall we go?"
She nodded then said to the teacher, "I'm sorry, but I'll be going now."
And then, to his surprise, she grabbed his arm and not too subtly ran away, though it was clear she tried her best to keep it unnoticeable as she didn't quite sprint. It was only when they were at the courtyard that led to the practice building did she stop and he said, unable to help himself from smirking,
"You can let go now."
As he expected, Takamaki-san squeaked in embarrassment and said,
"I'm so sorry!"
Ren laughed. "It's fine," he said. "I don't mind."
The blonde grumbled. "You're sure?" She glanced away, her embarrassment replaced with sadness as she said, "I...know it's kinda rude and weird to do that here..."
Oh this girl... It was like looking at a sad cat, utterly unbeffiting of her.
"True, but I already said I'm fine, so don't worry about it," he said. "I'm just glad I could help."
As he hoped, Takamaki-san's cheeriness returned as she smiled and said, "Oh yeah, thanks a lot for that. You helped me big time."
Unconsciously, Ren smiled and bowed with a hand across his chest.
"It was my pleasure, my lady," he said.
And it wasn't until the girl before him blushed, stammered, "A-Anyways, I-I gotta go... I was gonna meet up with someone. See you!" and she left did he realize what he did...
...and sighed.
Damn it.
He had let himself slip. He hoped no one other than her saw that.
Ren frowned.
Normally, he wouldn't put too much stock into rumors...but if the new ones he heard were true... Then nothing good would come of it. And, unfortunately, it seemed they were as he found Takamaki-san and Sakamoto-san complaining about the lack of students speaking up.
He flinched at the reminder that he wad one of them, but he reminded himself that it was for Shiho.
So he said, "It seems it's true then."
They startled then turned to stare at him in shock, Takamaki-san especially.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" she said.
"You're looking into Kamoshida."
Takamaki-san looked hurt at that, piercing his heart for a second, while Sakamoto-san gritted his teeth and stalked up to him.
"And if it is?" he said, staring straight in his eyes.
Ren stared right back.
"If it is, I'm warning you to back out. No one's going to help you," he said.
"Not even you?" Takamaki-san said.
Ren flinched and glanced away for a moment. He hated how defeated she sounded and looked, how the light in her eyes was criminally dull, but...
"I'm helping by warning you. You have no idea what you're getting yourselves into."
It wasn't as if there was anything else they could do...
"Oh we know exactly what we're doin'! And we ain't gonna let some buddy of Kamoshida stop us."
Ren shuddered. "Buddy of Kamoshida..." He hated it, even when it wasn't true. But if that was what it took to secure Shiho's dream and get her to college...
"And I'm telling you that you'll put more people in danger than save them if you try," he said, trying to ignore Takamaki-san's gaze.
Unsurprisingly, Sakamoto-san looked ready to tear into him when Takamaki-san said,
"Will it really though? We won't know unless we try, right?"
And he turned to see her plead with her eyes, sincere and bright and determined.
What else could he do but look away in shame?
"True," he said, though he didn't believe it. He did, however, believe his next words. "If that's the case, then don't bring anyone else down with you."
And he left them to their own devices.
If that was their choice...then all he could do was respect it.
He just hoped Takamaki-san would stay safe.
Ren...stood there.
"Yes, Mr. Kamoshida?" he had said not too long ago to his phone.
"Stay away from Takamaki," the teacher said in response.
He cursed him then. Ren had hoped that he would be too dumb to notice his attempts to keep Takamaki-san away from him and his grubby hands.
"Very well, sir, but that would be quite difficult when she's right by my seat and asks for my help in class."
"Don't try getting sassy on me, Amamiya, otherwise..." He paused, clearly for dramatic effect. Ren would've rolled his eyes...except he said, "...your friend will be kicked off the team."
He had froze then.
Then, he said, keeping his voice steady in spite of his racing heart, "Sir. Shiho has nothing to do with my interactions with Takamaki-san."
"And she won't...if you stay away from Takamaki."
Ren gritted his teeth, trying and failing to keep away the images of what Kamoshida would do to the blonde.
"But sir!"
"Hmph. I guess I have my answer then."
"No! Wait!"
With that, Kamoshida had hung up and Ren had been staring at his phone for...who knew how long. There was only one thing on his mind during that time:
What was he going to do?
"Hey..." a voice said.
He jumped and turned to it but saw it was just a concerned Takamaki-san. Since it was her, he quickly put on his mask, smiling as he said,
"Oh Takamaki-san. I'm surprised to see you."
But of course, she said, "I...heard something about me and Shiho...?"
And Ren knew she had heard all of it.
But still he said, in a vain hope to divert it, "Oh? Eavesdropping are we? It seems there is some truth to the rumors about you then."
But of course, instead of bristling at his insinuated insult, she took a step forward. However, she paused and said, "Hey...can I ask you something?"
Just keep it up, he told himself. "I'll do my best to answer."
"Can I hug you?"
His mask cracked.
"Hug me?" he said, scrambling to hold it in place. "What for?"
"Look, I know it's kinda weird in Japan, kinda, and that I...I can't do much to help but..." She bit her lip in one moment of indecision before she said, "...but you look like you could use a hug, if you'll let me."
It broke.
For just a moment, he didn't care how he looked or acted. For just a moment, he let himself be wrapped up in the arms of another and feel their warmth. For just a moment, he just let himself cry and cry and cry as Takamaki held him and soothed him with her sweet voice and gentle touch. And then that moment went on, the two standing in the middle of Shibuya underground, not minding the eyes around them.
Then, eventually, that moment passed and the tears were gone, but the warmth remained.
"Feeling better?" she said, a smile in her tone.
And Ren couldn't help but laugh, his body and mind lighter than since...he couldn't remember, actually.
"Yeah," he said, not quite believing that it was true.
Here Takamaki backed up enough to see his face and he already missed the proximity, though seeing her smile almost made up for it. Almost.
Especially as she said, "Glad I could help, even if it's a little."
He smiled as well and said, "Thank you."
She giggled. "Hey, it's not much anyway," she said, then she turned somber and glanced away, seemingly thinking out loud. "Not unless I do something about Kamoshida..."
Ren tensed and unconsciously held her tighter. Kamoshida... The man was going to do something and though he had no idea what it would be, he knew it wasn't going to be anything good. Worse case scenario he could... Ren looked at the girl in his arms and held him in her own. He didn't even want to finish that thought, nor him ruining Shiho's dream.
But maybe, just for once...
"Then how about I try?" he said.
Takamaki stared. "Huh? Try what?"
"Do something about Kamoshida," he said in clarification. "I could try talking to him about it."
Her brows furrowed. "You sure?"
He laughed, half-self-deprecating and half-embarrassed as he said, "Well, at least it's something to help, even if it's a little."
Takamaki caught onto him repeating her words back at her as she chuckled and lightly smacked his chest.
"Very funny," she said. Then she finally let go, and Ren would've complained had he not been captured by the fire in her eyes. "Then I'll do my best too then."
He just nodded numbly back and said, "See you."
She smiled back, waved and said, "See you!"
And then she was gone.
When he finally noticed that, he shook his head to clear his head of any remaining cobwebs and took a deep breath.
It was time for him to actually do something.
"SHIHO!"
No no no he had to get to her he couldn't let his only friend fall he had to get to her he had to run he had to no no no NO NO NO!
He was too late. By the time he reached the roof, his best friend took that one simple step needed to end her life.
It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. It was all his fault.
"Hey would you stop that?!" a voice said, soft only because he was too far from it.
He blinked and looked down to see Takamaki and Sakamoto as the former shouted at all the students to stay away from Shiho, both of them easy to pick out with their hair colors.
Takamaki... She was...
"She's going to die if you keep bothering the paramedics!"
Ren's eyes widened. Shiho was...? He felt the tears coming but he wiped them before more could come. He could wallow all he wanted later, he needed to make sure she was actually dead and not jump to conclusions. And, thank all the gods of the world, she was, barely. He quickly volunteered to accompany her when no teachers stepped up, Takamaki giving said faculty a piece of her mind about that, and Sakamoto joining her. However, before they put her in the ambulance, Shiho caught his sleeve.
"Huh? Shiho? You're awake?" Ren said.
"I'm...so...sorry...Ren..." she said. "I can't..."
"Hey, save your energy," he said, putting a hand on her to calm her. "You're gonna need it."
"...take this...anymore..."
Ren's heart ached.
"I know, but..." he began.
But then she said, "...Kamoshida...he..."
Ren froze.
"Kamoshida...?"
He... He... He was why Shiho jumped?
Before his best friend could say more, she fell unconscious and Ren had to focus on not panicking as he went in the ambulance with her. Everything passed by in a blur, the only things sticking were that he was left out of the doors of the emergency room, that he called Shiho's parents to tell them what happened...and that he planned help Takamaki and Sakamoto as he went back to school.
His own life be damned.
"I want in."
Once again, Takamaki and Sakamoto were startled by his presence but he pressed on.
"You're planning something now, right? I want in," he said, just in case they didn't get it the first time.
"Hey, this has nothing to do with you. Don't butt your head into this."
Nothing to...?!
"Nothing to do with me?!" he said, startling them again. "My best friend almost died! Kamoshida's lost all incentive for me to stay under his thumb!"
"Wait...stay under his thumb?" Takamaki said, recovering first. "You mean...?"
But Sakamoto soon followed and said, "And I said stay out of it!"
He glared at the boy and, to his credit, he only flinched before he matched it.
"Why? Because it's dangerous?" Ren said.
For the third time, they were surprised, but this time it seemed almost like someone getting caught doing something naughty.
Especially as Sakamoto said, "W-What makes you say that?"
"Because you wanted to help even if it meant you'd get in trouble and yet you're keeping me out of it even when I'm offering to help," he said. "But even if that's true, I want in. If it's as dangerous as you imply, I promise to listen to you."
"Look, how many times do I gotta say it? Stay—"
"Okay," Takamaki said.
"What?!"
"Meow?!"
It was only then did he notice the cat nearby but he kept his attention on the blonde girl as she said to Sakamoto,
"He deserves it. And besides, it's not like you were any better, Ryuji."
Sakamoto looked ready to protest, but he conceded before even trying. "All right then, if you say so. You're the boss after all."
Now the blonde turned to him and said,
"All right. Follow us."
Ren nodded.
Well, now Ren fully understood why Takamaki hadn't told the reason she was late on her first day at Shujin.
Who was going to believe getting sucked into a misadventure in a cognitive castle?
Or a talking cat?
Or the cosplay?
Actually maybe the last one wasn't too hard to believe but still, when Takamaki had transported them to this "other world", it was a lot to take in, particularly the "thief" attire she and Sakamoto acquired. Though that one was more because he couldn't resist teasing them over how it looked on them. Can you blame a man for wanting to have fun when he finds himself in an parallel world with a girl was in a catsuit and a "delinquent" was in thug's clothes?
Before they went in though, the newly introduced Morgana said to Takamaki,
"All right then. Lead the way, Joker."
"Huh? Joker? What are you talking about?" she said.
"That's your codename! What kind of a phantom thief just uses their real name?"
"True," Ren couldn't help but say.
"Uh, okay...but why Joker? I don't really like it..."
"What?! You don't...?" Morgana said, turning from shocked to sulking in seconds.
"Yeah, if anyone should get that codename, it should be him," Takamaki said, pointing at him.
"Yeah, I agree," Sakamoto said, nodding vigorously.
Ren blinked.
"Me? Why?"
She just gave him a flat stare along with Sakamoto.
"Really?" she said. "Mr. 'Sexy Cat and Yankii Man'?"
Oh.
Ren chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Whoops?"
"Joker it is then."
"Very well..." Morgana said, still sulking. "But then what will you be called, Lady Ann?"
Ren raised an eyebrow. Lady Ann?
"I want something fierce so..." She hummed in thought. Then she said,
"Panther."
That suited her in Ren's opinion, pun completely intended. And thankfully, after that, the rest of their codenames were decided, Sakamoto's being Skull and Morgana's being Mona. With that, they went in, and Ren found himself with his uses even without the "Personas" they had, helping to solve the puzzles they went through. Though, as they kept going, he could only internally laugh at how accurate this entire "Palace" was, as Mona called it. Kamoshida was the king with his crown and demeanor, he thought of women as walking holes with the "cognitive" versions of all the female students, including Panther, in scandalous attire and...
"Found you."
The alarm sounded as soon as they took the map in the barred room Ren had solved and they found themselves assaulted by guards.
...everyone was under his thumb like dogs, including his cognitive self, face blank and lifeless but the rest of him impeccable in attire.
"What the?! How come we didn't notice him?!" Skull said as he struggled against the guards' hold.
"It's easy enough to fool simpletons like you," his copy said, monotone and just as lifeless as his eyes. "You are but dumb thieves after all, going against the king like this."
"What the hell was that?!"
Ren flinched and looked away. Was that really how Kamoshida saw him?
You know very well that's how he sees you... a voice within him said.
Ren ignored it as the cognitive double said,
"So I now have to add 'deaf' to your list of traits on your profile, good to know."
"Why you little...!"
Skull managed to wrest himself free and prepared to summon his Persona. But at that moment the lifeless copy signaled with his hand and said,
"Ah ah ah."
And a sword was pointed right at his neck.
"No! Joker!" Panther said, struggling even more in panic upon seeing it.
But cognitive him said, "Continue to struggle and his life is forfeit."
Skull didn't look pleased, and neither did Panther and Mona, but they nonetheless listened to his command.
"Good," cognitive him said.
Then, for some reason, he walked up to Panther out of all them.
You know the reason he's walking up to her...
"Now, you will all receive your sentence from his majesty," the cognitive him said. "But before I do that..."
He raised his hand and caressed Panther's face. Everyone stared in confusion.
"What are you...?" Panther said.
"Doing?" his cognitive self said. "Simple." Then he smiled, lecherous and vicious. "I'm going to have my fun with you."
"Grk!"
"Damn it!"
"Stay away from Lady Ann!"
Ren gritted his teeth. No, no, no, no, no, NO! It was happening all over again. He was trying to go against authority to bring them to justice and now someone innocent is going get hurt...and there was nothing he could do about it, unless he wanted make it worse. He hated it. He hated it. He hated it.
He hated himself.
"Gah!"
Ren startled from his thoughts and saw that Panther had just bit his cognitive self, who now was staring at her with absolute rage in his eyes.
She just matched it with her own.
"Don't even think that you have a chance with me," she said. "You're not the real Joker. And you'll never be as great as him!"
Then all of a sudden her intense gaze was on him and she said,
"You don't want to be this guy, right Joker?! I know you seem like this guy, but you're nothing like him! I know you'd do anything for your friends! I know you're better than you think you are!"
Ren stared.
She...believed in him?
"So stop blaming yourself and stand up!"
Will you ignore the request of a lady like her?
"Tch. Fine then, bitch. Let's see how you like it when he's gone."
Ren gritted.
No.
A gush of wind, a flash of light, and an immense pain on his face that he tore off.
Good...
Ren opened his eyes and stared at the trembling fake before him.
"I am thou, thou art I," the voice that had been within said from behind him. "From the sea of your soul, I, the pillager of twilight, Arsène, shall answer your rage!"
Ren grinned, his heart light and free.
"Show time."
Ren smiled.
So much had happened the last few weeks that, before he knew it, they had already stolen Kamoshida's Treasure and he had confessed his crimes. Shiho was awake and avenged, the school was safe and sound and no one would get expelled and exposed. So, in celebration, after selling the Treasure, they went to the Wilton Hotel buffet, which was Ann's choice of course. It was one of the buffets more famous for its desserts after all, which the girl was stuffing herself with.
"You're gonna get fat like that, you know," Ryuji said in the middle of eating his pork.
"Don't care. Must eat sweets."
The faux blond groaned while Ren just laughed. At least until the natural blonde noticed his plate and said,
"Hey, that reminds me, why do you have so little on your plate, Ren?"
"Oh yeah," Ryuji said. "What's up with that man?"
Ren's smile turned apologetic as he said, "Sorry but I have to watch what I eat. It'd be bad for my work if I ate too much."
"Huh? Work? What work do you do?" Ann said, curious.
"I model part time. They're rather picky about looks you know, maybe even more so with guys," he said, now self-deprecating.
"Huh..." Ann said, turning distant.
He was about to ask why when Ryuji said,
"Come on man! It's a buffet! You can't go to one without stuffing yourself! Is it really that bad if you eat a little more than usual for one day?"
"Maybe not, but I would prefer not to. Not everyone can take it easy by having a naturally good-looking body like Ann after all," he said bitterly.
It was only afterwards did he realize he said that last part out loud.
He quickly snapped towards Ann to see that, yes, she was hurt from his words.
Ren flinched and said, "Ann, I'm sorry, I—"
"It's okay. I get it," she said, sincere despite her pain still being obvious. "You're pretty dedicated, huh?"
"Still..." It didn't sit well with him.
Yes, he was envious of Ann but that didn't mean he hated her. Quite the opposite, if anything. So he wanted to make that clear.
But then Ryuji said, "Crap! If you can't eat a lot...then how are we gonna finish all of this before our time's up?!"
And Ann realized just how much food was on the table.
"Uh..."
Mona sighed and popped his head out of Ann's bag. "Looks like I'll have to help you then."
Ten minutes later and he was greeted with the sight of two overstuffed teenagers and one pot bellied not-cat, his earlier mood forgotten by all. At least until it came back a few minutes later, because while those three left for the restroom and he stayed to keep their table, he had a run-in with a lady who blamed him for spilling her plate...on him. To say the least, his bad mood returned and then some when they came back. However...
"Hey, I've been thinking..." Ann said. "...what if we keep being Phantom Thieves?"
"Keep being Phantom Thieves?" Ryuji said.
"Yeah. I mean... We have these powers, right? And we saved everyone in the school. But we're not the only ones who're in trouble. So why don't we use them to help other people like us? The ones who want to do something but can't?"
"I'm in," Ren said.
"Woah man! That was quick!"
He blinked. Oh yeah, it was. He couldn't help but blush a little and say, "But I want to help people."
He only felt a little less embarrassed when Ann smiled gratefully at him before she said to the other two, "So? What do you think?"
And so the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were formed, with one rule: always pick a target on a unanimous vote. Though that wasn't the last important detail they settled.
"Hey Ren?" Ann said.
"Yes?" he said.
"Is it okay if you're the leader?"
He stared.
"What?"
"I'm...not really good at this leading stuff. I mean, half the time, you were giving me advice on what to do while we were infiltrating."
Ren frowned. "So does Morgana."
"But not like you. You can solve puzzles and have tactics in battle like...like...having us attack in a certain order so we don't get that tired. While I just...wing it...and I don't want us to get in trouble when that could've been solved by you being leader..." she said, glancing away as she trailed off.
Damn it. She made some good points. The fights were dangerous, life or death if they weren't careful, so of course she wanted someone more naturally inclined to it to lead than her. But if that was the case...
"I can be second-in-command then."
"Huh?! Second? But I—"
"If you really think I should be leader, Ann, that's fine, but..." he said, gentle in his reproach. "I think you deserve to be our leader. You're the one who suggested we form in the first place, after all, and you're the one who has that special Persona ability of yours that will let you adapt to any situation in battle. You're also already thinking what's the best of the team. So please, don't give this to me because you think you can't be a leader instead of not becoming one."
Everyone was silent. It was only then did he realize he gave a rather corny speech and he flushed in embarrassment.
"Um...of course, you can all ignore what I said..." he said. "I mean, it's unanimous decision, right? And picking who'll stay leader is a big deal so..."
Still silent. He didn't really like that...he almost wanted to squirm. But thankfully this one was much shorter as Ryuji said,
"You know when you talk like that, you really do sound like a leader, you know?"
Ren grumbled. "I can't be a leader." He didn't deserve it.
And then Ann said, of all things, "Well since we can't make up our mind on which of us should be the leader, how about we just be, like, co-leaders then?"
Ren stared again. "What?"
Ryuji was similar. "Huh? How's that different from bein' second-in-command?" he said. Then he had a flash of realization. "Oh wait... Is it like bein' a king and queen or somethin'? Both of you are the bosses?"
Ann blushed as well as him—which he tried, and failed, to ignore the implications of—as the girl said,
"U-Uh, yeah, kinda like that."
"Well since it's Lady Ann's idea, I have no objections," Morgana said.
"Yeah, me neither," Ryuji said. "All's that's left is you guys."
There Ann turned to him, her flush fading, and she said, "Well Ren?"
He looked at her, the Ryuji, then Morgana, then back at Ann. All of them wore the sure expressions they had worn since he had properly met them, bright, determined and understand. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"All right then, co-leaders it is."
And they sealed the deal with handshakes.
"Hey Ann?"
The blonde tilted her head inquisitively. "Yeah Ren?"
"I was thinking of quitting."
"What?!"
Then Ren realized what he said.
"No! I mean quitting modelling! Not about being a co-leader of our 'club'."
As he hoped Ann calmed down, sighing in relief...
"Thank goodness..."
...at least until she noticed his words.
"Wait what? Quit modelling? Why?"
Ren sighed and leaned against his seat.
"It's just...with everything going on..." Specifically the whole infiltrating Madarame's Palace, but he left that unsaid. "...I don't think it'd be good for me to keep my part-time job. The schedule is erratic and everything, which would likely interfere with the club, especially since I'm leading too."
You know that's not the real reason... Arsène said from within.
He ignored that as, for some reason, Ann sagged in disappointment and said, "Oh...right..."
He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and ask, a little hurt, "Is something wrong with me quitting?"
"What?! No! It's just..." She sighed. "I was...actually kinda hoping you'd teach me about modelling at some point...?"
Ren blinked.
Ren stared.
"What?"
"I...never mentioned this before but... I've kinda always been interested in modelling," she said. She laughed with nerves and embarrassment. "I know, a little cliché, but I always loved seeing those models go up and down the runway, looking like that... I've been meaning to ask, but with all our, um, club activities, I forgot to..."
He...hadn't expected that, though he would admit he kind of agreed with Ann in that it was fitting she was interested in modelling.
After all, she looked born for it.
"And you thought you'd learn more if you stayed with me while I'm doing work?"
"Yeah...but those points you made earlier were goods ones, so I...don't really have much reason to reject..."
But it was obvious she wished she could with how her entire body sagged, even her hair looked like it.
He really should just go with his original plan. It wasn't a good idea. Neither is your real reason for quitting. But with Ann asking...it was hard to resist her.
"You do know modelling is more than just wearing some clothes and walking up and down a runway, right? And it can be pretty strict," he said in an attempt to dissuade her.
"Not really...but that's why I wanna learn from you! You take it so seriously and you've been at it for a while, right? Who better to learn it from?" she said, her smile as bright as her eyes.
It hurt to resist. He didn't want to see that shine gone because of him.
Yet still he gave it one more try and gave his trump card.
"You won't be able to eat sweets as freely if you do if you're taking it seriously."
Ann looked absolutely horrified, just as he thought she would, but then she closed her eyes, shook her head and looked at him with a familiar fire in her gaze.
And she said, "If that's what it takes to be a model...then I'll do it! Even if I complain 'till the cows come home! I'll do it!"
Ren stared, reminded of when she was Panther, all confidence, passion and femininity.
How could he say "no" to that?
Of course you won't. You don't refuse a request like this from your lady.
"Okay."
Ren smiled.
"Oh she looks gorgeous, Amamiya-kun!"
"My! Such beautiful locks!"
"Oh my gosh! That body! How do you keep that up?"
These words and many more popped up every time Ren came with Ann and she met new people among the photographers and other models he worked with. Most of the time, she just tagged along to see how he worked, ending up conversing with everyone on set. Sometimes though, with the occasional pulling of strings, he had Ann model along with him in some of his jobs. Those times he couldn't help but smile. As he thought, Ann was a natural at modelling, much better than him. Of course she had her fair share of mistakes, like her terrible acting from the Madarame heist rearing its head again, but he hadn't seen her have as much fun as she did when she modelled with him, which he shared in equal measure. He loved spending time with her like that.
But in other times...
Ren was posing for the camera for a shoot themed on suave and seductive, with him in a tuxedo and Ann in a low-cut dress. The photographer moved to get him in "just the right position", but Ren knew it was just an excuse. However...
"Hey, could you stop that?" Ann said.
"Huh?"
"You're making him uncomfortable."
"But I was just..."
She glared.
"But Amamiya-kun's fine with me doing this. Right, Amamiya-kun?"
"I'm..." fine, he almost said.
But Ann got more mad and now her burning gaze was on him. He wanted to squirm in shame. So he ended up saying the truth.
"...not."
The photgrapher was shocked before glaring at both him and Ann.
"Amamiya-kun...if I can't do my job, what will the other clients think? They don't want a model who's difficult to work with..."
Before Ren could answer, Ann said,
"And you can still do your job and respect our boundaries, can't you?"
"Why you little upstart... I oughtta..."
The photographer looked ready to tear into Ann. Figuratively or literally, it didn't matter. Ren snapped.
"Stop."
"Huh?"
"If you keep this up, I will file a complaint to my agency and inform my parents."
That bluff, thankfully, mollified the photgrapher into fearful submission and the shoot passed by without futher problems. As soon as it was over and they left though...
"What the hell was that about?!"
...Ann tore into him, wondering why didn't he stand up when it was clear he could and that what the staff were doing was wrong.
He didn't say anything back.
What could he say? She was absolutely right.
Eventually, Ann noticed his silence and looked apologetic.
"Sorry about that..." she said. But then her earlier rage returned, if much more subdued. "But still...why...?"
He almost didn't want to answer. But those eyes, pleading at him with anger, worry and disbelief, crumbled any hesitation to tell her.
So he said, "It was easier that way. If I endured it, then it would eventually be over and I could get on with my life. Besides, even if I did say anything, nothing would change. There are other frisky photographers out there." He laughed in self-deprecation. "Pathetic isn't it? You'd think I'd learn my lesson with Kamoshida but no, apparently not."
Ann was annoyed at his words, pouting as she said, "You're not pathetic, Ren." But then her tone turned into a gentle cheer. "I mean, isn't there a saying about old habits dying hard, right? I know you can do it. You do it when you're Joker! So I'm sure you just gotta keep at it. Like you do with your diet."
Ren was tempted to correct her "Metaverse" slip-up, but he decided to let it slide as he laughed. When she put it that way, his tendency to stay quiet didn't seem so impossible to overcome. But still...did he really want to keep this up? Keep having to do all that while he modeled? Having to deal with less pay because he was a man? Having to deal with sexual harassment like the female models but have even less sympathy for it? Having to deal with the constant need to maintain a strict diet and exercise routine because of that? Having to keep remembering that Kamoshida picked on Shiho because he was so popular in school until he agreed to be under his thumb and get his reputation wrecked?
He wasn't so sure anymore.
"Maybe I should just quit then," he said aloud.
You know why you don't want to.
Ann stared. "Huh?" But she recovered, frowning as she said, "You still want to quit?"
"Yes."
The blonde frowned. "But why?"
Why indeed? You know the real reason why you want to. There was so much he could say, but what it came down to was...
"I don't think I want to do it anymore."
She still kept her frown. Ren tried to ignore the expression as she said in disbelief, "Really?"
A part of him felt hurt that she didn't believe him.
Of course she doesn't. You know why.
He couldn't help but say, "Is that so hard to believe?"
The blonde blinked and shook her head before she smiled apologetically.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that," she said. "I already said I don't mind if you want to quit, sure, but... Don't you love to model?"
Yes, a part of him said. But that could've just been because he was following in his parents' footsteps. It's not like he had done much else.
And even if he did love it, how could he when Shiho couldn't do her dream?
"I don't know," he settled on. "I just started to do it because sometimes my parents would have me act as a sub when a model didn't show up and it just...grew from there."
"Hmm..." Ann hummed thoughtfully with a scrutinizing gaze.
He almost felt like shuffling on his feet.
Instead, his phone rung in reminder that he would need to get groceries for dinner that night so he bid her good-bye, ignoring the jumbled up mess that was his thoughts on his job.
Ren looked around, recalling what led him here.
"Please Ren! Can you model with me for Yusuke?!"
That was the question Ann had asked yesterday, all frantic and begging and apologizing about asking the favor when he had planned on quitting doing such things. He was somewhat suspicious, especially considering her reaction to his thoughts on quitting, but it was Ann asking for a favor and there was no way he would refuse. Thus Ren found himself with the blonde and Yusuke in one of the churches in Kanda. Apparently, though the young artist had done a painting of Ann already, he had not only been disatisfied with it, but he has since been stuck in artist's block, or as he put it, a "slump". Thus, he decided to enlist Ann's help, who enlisted his, and try out different themes.
Currently, it was anguish.
Ren didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the apt theme.
"Now, please mimic the pose of the messiah, Ann," Yusuke said when they were before the altar.
"Uh, okay..." Ann said before doing as told.
Ren had to hold back a snicker. True, she was mimicking the ever famous pose, but it was stiff, more akin to the default pose models in 3D animation were in, and her face wasn't really in anguish. So of course, Yusuke sighed in disatisfaction.
"I'm sorry Ann, but could you...relax your posture? And put more anguish in your expression as well."
This time she got it better, if not outright great, and yet still the artist shook his head.
"No no... This isn't quite what I need... I need to see true anguish! Passion!" he said. "Like this!"
Then he did the most dramatic T-pose Ren had seen. If anything, it was more like he was in the middle of a dance step, his arms up in the air making him look like a Y-shape and one of his legs up, knee pressing against his stomach. Well if that was the pose he wanted...
Ren did the same, except imagining he was a frustrated dancer that wasn't stretching as much as he wanted to, who wanted to push his limits to reach the stars.
Yusuke and Ann looked in surprise.
"Ah! Exactly! Hold that expression and pose for a moment!" the artist said, stopping his own pose to scramble for his sketchpad.
It was only years of practice did he not break his expression with a grin, happy that Yusuke was passionately sketching him out. Luckily for Ann, she had no reason to hold back her own...at least until the priest for the church came up to them. She had to be the one to talk to him since he and Yusuke were rather occupied. Thankfully, they weren't kicked out, but they were told not to disturb the other church goers anymore, as well as the priest explaining to Yusuke what the actual message of the famous art of the messiah meant: hope. The artist had been quite confused about it as they left but nonetheless thanked him and Ann for helping him that day, telling the latter he hoped they would continue to work together.
When he was gone and it was just the two of them, Ann smiled at him.
"Had fun?" she said.
Ren smirked at her. "That wasn't obvious?"
Unexpectedly, she smirked back and pumped her fist.
"I knew it! You do love to model!"
Now he was just confused.
"I thought we already established that," he said, not realizing what that meant until Ann spoke.
"Then why'd you say you didn't know if you did last time?" she said, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.
Ren flinched. "I..."
[Can't give up your passion but do not believe you should be allowed to continue it? Arsène provided for him.
He ignored it.
"Well it just means I didn't know then. I know now, though, right?" he said, not wanting to look into his previous words.
Ann sighed and sagged in exasperation. "If you say so," she said.
And for a moment he thought he got away with it.
But then she said, much more somber and concerned, "But seriously Ren...I can't tell why you want to quit. You say you're tired of it and it's for the group but... I don't know. I just feel like that's not all of it."
"Ann..." he said, ready to try and get out of this conversation.
But then she surprised him once again as she said, "But if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I just want to make sure it's something you really want to do." Then she smiled. "I'll still have your back no matter what."
He returned her expression, though he hoped Ann didn't notice it was strained. "Thank you."
He didn't deserve any of this.
Ren smiled, despite how much he wanted to grimace.
Shiho was doing her physical therapy and it was hard to watch at times, seeing his best friend in so much pain. He would admit though, the only reason he was able to keep the smile up was because a part of him was proud of her. He could only imagine the struggle she was going through, he wasn't sure if he would be able to endure it if he had been in her place, and yet she kept going through.
Still he was glad when the session was over and his smile was easier to keep up as he and her nurse helped her to her room.
"You've been doing great progress, Shiho," he said when the nurse left.
She smiled. It was much smaller and more exhausted than his, but he was glad to she could even smile at all.
"Thanks Ren," she said. "I'm glad you're here."
A pang in his heart. I wish I had been there for you so that this hadn't happened, he wanted to say.
Instead he said, "How could I say no?"
"Maybe being busy with modelling?" Shiho said, a glint of her mischeivous self back in her eyes.
His relief at seeing that shine was dampered at the reminder that he was planning to stop...and that he hadn't told her yet. Though, admittedly, he hadn't even told his agency yet, or anyone else besides Ann for that matter. But still, his best friend should've been the first to know of his plans.
"Shiho, I..." he said.
But then someone said, "Suzui-san?"
And both turned to see a different nurse come in, holding something.
"Yes?" Shiho said.
The nurse smiled kindly as she went up and gave her what was in her hands.
"Here's the magazine you wanted," she said.
To his surprise, Shiho brightened, her smile much closer to before the incident, and eagerly took it.
"Thank you."
"No problem. If you need anything else, just ask," the nurse said before she left.
All Ren could do was stare.
He knew that cover.
"You read the magazines I'm showcased in?" he said, thinking aloud.
Shiho gave him a flat stare.
"You thought I didn't?" she said, sounding absolutely offended.
"But you're not interested in fashion."
"And you're in a fashion magazine," she said as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Did you really think that was gonna stop me from seeing my best friend in something like this?"
"I..."
Yes actually.
But before he could speak, Shiho then said, much softer than before,
"Besides...it helps me with my physical therapy and it's another way I can keep track of you when I move."
Ren froze.
Move. Of course she was going to move. There was no way she could go back to Shujin. Too many memories and too many of them painful. And yet...Ren knew that a small part of him selfishly hoped that she was strong enough to ignore them and stay in the school for him.
"How does it help?" he said, not sure what else to say.
Shiho scoffed, the one she did when he was being an idiot for whatever reason and she couldn't believe they were best friends.
"I know how hard you work to look like that and get those shots," she said. "You learned how to cook your own food so that you can control your diet and not get annoyed about not having the right food for it. You learned what exercises you should be doing and when. You even learned a bit of acting, fashion design and photography just so that you can give the best poses and help with the shots." She smiled, soft and proud. "How can I sit cooped up in the hospital when you're trying so hard in what you love to do?"
Ren choked, tears threatening to come out.
"Shiho I...I..."
Another choked sob. He couldn't break down. Shiho was worse off than him. He could't... He couldn't...
He didn't deserve to keep his dream.
But then his best friend looked at him with so much concern, so much like before this entire mess and said, "Ren...? What's wrong?"
And he couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm not strong Shiho... I was going to quit...! I was going to quit just because I'm a goddamn selfish brat who...who...does whatever the hell he wants...and...and..." Now he was crying. "...wanted to do the right thing for once... I...I wanted to make sure...n-no one would...w-would get...hurt...because of me..."
"Ren..."
"But I... But I... How can I quit when you...you..."
"Ren."
He jumped a bit from the unexpected sternness and tried his best to meet Shiho's serious gaze through his tearful one.
"You know I'll always be happy in whatever you do, as long as you love to do it, right?"
"I..."
"So don't worry about quitting if you really want to," she said, softening for only a moment. "But I will get better just to kick your ass as far as possible if you want to quit just because you don't think you deserve to keep going because of what happened."
This time, Ren choked on a laugh. How could he resist it when she said that?
"Shiho..."
"So? If none of that happened, would you still quit?"
You already know the answer, milord, Arsène said. So? Will you take the easy way out while you let your guilt consume you? Or will you continue to tread the path of your passion and spread your wings?
Ren took as deep of a breath as he could with his clogged nose.
"No," he said. He smirked as best as he could considering his state. "The show must go on, after all. I wouldn't want to disappoint my adoring audience."
And Shiho smiled, as genuine as it was before the incident.
"There's the Ren I know."
Ren trembled.
He was worried Shiho might jump again. He was worried she might have a flashback and a panic attack. He was worried she was pushing herself too far to get to the roof. All of these thoughts and more shook his hands as he helped his best friend to her destination along with Ann, who he had asked to accompany them. But, thankfully, it was slight enough that neither she nor Ann noticed as they finally reached the top. Nothing had changed from the last time he had been here, Haru-senpai's garden was still flourishing despite the conditions, tables and chairs were strewn everywhere, and a fence walled off the roof.
But none of his worries happened.
What happened was that Shiho looked over the edge she had pushed herself off from and said that the her that wanted to end it all was gone now. Now she could start to move on.
"I'm gonna miss you," he said as they hugged.
"We can still keep in touch," Shiho said, absolutely cheeky.
"I know, it's just..."
He took a deep breath. He felt the tears coming.
"I know, Ren," she said, all hints of humor gone. "I'm gonna miss you too."
They held it a little longer before they finally separated.
"Want some help down?" he said.
"I'm fine. Don't worry. It's easier walking down than up. Promise me you'll do your best and stay healthy?"
He gave a smile, no doubt as teary as his eyes threatened to be.
"Promise. But just you watch, Shiho. I'm going to be the best model there is before you know it." He felt more than saw Ann's surprise. "So you promise to do your best too."
"Promise," she said, smiling back.
With that, his best friend left the school, and well...
He gasped.
...it finally hit him. His best friend was leaving and here he was, crying his eyes out because of that.
"Ren!" his blonde friend said.
He laughed, because what else could he do?
"S-Sorry...Ann... I-I..." he said as he wiped them away with another laugh, trying to ignore how much he wanted his best friend to stay. "I...told myself that..." He gasped. "...that I...wouldn't...cry...since..." Another laugh. "...since Shiho's...fine, but I...still did..." And another. "I really am pathetic...huh?"
All of sudden, he was covered in warmth and he realized Ann had hugged him and was nuzzling his cheek as she said,
"Hey, stop saying that. I won't have you insult yourself again," she said, somehow stern yet loving. "So just cry. I'll be right here."
And he did.
He let himself go, Ann soothing him, much like she did what felt like a long time ago. He cried until he hiccuped and he hiccuped until he breathed, not knowing or caring how long it took. His only concern changed from Shiho's departure into holding Ann close.
"Feeling better?" she said, a little teasing in her tone.
Ren chuckled, remembering the last time she said that.
"Yeah," he said, learning his head against hers. "Thanks, Ann."
"No problem. I'm always willing to help," she said and he was content in that moment. But then she added, "I love you after all."
And he stilled.
Did she just...?
"Ann?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you just say 'I love you'?"
The blonde tensed in his arms.
"Um..." she said, scrambling to speak.
Meanwhile his brain was doing the same, though a part of him wondered if she would deny her accidental confession.
She didn't. Instead she rambled.
"Y-Yeah? And?" she said. "If you want to let me down gently, go ahead. I-I mean you're close to Shiho and all and I'm just some girl from the countryside and I'd be fine if you got together with her though I'd probably—mmph!"
So of course he did the best way to stop someone from doing that:
He kissed her.
As he hoped, she shut up and reciprocated the gesture. And, well, simply put: his brain fried. Or rather, more accurately, focused on feeling as much of her as he could with his hands and lips, her body warm like her element and her lips tasting like crepes. Unfortunately there was the pesky thing called air he needed so they eventually stopped but still held each other as close as he could. Oh, and he probably had the most dopey smile on his face as he placed his forehead against Ann's.
"I love you too, Ann," he said. "Looks like I have another reason to do my best in my job then."
That brought her out of daze. "Oh right. You're not gonna quit?"
He shook his head slightly. "No."
"Shiho changed your mind?"
Ren hummed. "Well, yes," he said. "But you did too."
Ann owlishly blinked, remnants of her daze still lingering.
"Huh? How?"
Ren chuckled and gave her an Eskimo kiss.
"By reminding me what it felt like to enjoy it, that's how," he said. "I almost forgot how much fun it was until you came along. So really thank you. And not just for that. Thank you for just being there for me. Even when I was being silly and stubborn."
Her smile returned. "Of course, Ren. Always."
"And I with you," he said, his own getting wider.
They stayed there much longer than needed.
Author's Notes: -decides to write a one-shot about Ren being the abused model and Ann being the falsely accused wild card for the roleswap prompt; ends up writing 11,000+ words- Yeah, I hadn't exactly planned for that, but I didn't really wanna make this chaptered. The flow didn't feel that way to me. Plus I wanted to do both Ren being in Ann's place in the first arc and "in her place" in her Confidant, or at least something similar, in one shot. Hope you liked it! I really, really loved writing this.
Just a bunch of things I wanna mention:
I didn't expect this to get pretty Ren-centric but it did. I couldn't help it! I had a lot of fun with it because I was just fascinated with thinking how the situation could be similar yet different with Ren in Ann's place and vice-versa. Especially since I imagine his attitude (aka his social stats) would mean he's a lot more serious about modelling than Ann is at the beggining of her Confidant. Hopefully it was still shippy enough.
I only did very minimum research on male modelling for this. If I got anything wrong, blame both Google and me just wanting to write the story instead of spending hours on research. Feel free to correct me if you know stuff on modelling though.
I wanted Ren to realize himself that, even after the difficulties, he still loves to model. I originally wanted that it was by himself, with Ann nudging him, but then the Shiho scene came into being and well...yeah technically he didn't realize it by himself. I think. Also I originally had it that he wanted to quit because it was the easy way out of his problems (aka just leaving the profession) but then I ended up wanting to focus on his guilt over Shiho's suicide.
I'm more proud of the first half (aka the half before the PT are formed) over the second, especially coming up with Cognitive Ren. Oh gosh I loved that I came up with that. Still, I hope that the second half was executed well, if at least okay, because oh gosh did that part go through so many rewrites until I ended up deciding on the original and I'm worried it'll seem weird becauss of that. Oh the irony...
I was tempted to have Ren be the one blurting out he loved Ann instead of her, but in the end I decided to keep it being her since that's just who she is. And also it's a perfect spot for hypothetical platonic route (Ann still hugs him because that's who she is, but the "dialogue" options are: "You're my friend, after all" or "I love you, after all").