A/N: The majority of this chapter contains the dialogue from the Rank 9 confidant cutscene with Sumire. Only this time, some of it is changed to reflect the previous chapter. There is also original material scattered throughout, especially towards the end. Despite all of this, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
A few weeks later…
Examining the shelf of coffee behind LeBlanc's counter, Ren wondered which brew of coffee he would serve to his guest. Among the numerous blends and roasts that he could choose from, he couldn't decide which would best satisfy the customer.
After going through the list of blends he knew how to make, he decided to keep it simple and stick with the classic LeBlanc roast. Scooping the whole coffee beans out of the jar, Ren carefully ground the beans to a fine powder. He then placed the ground coffee beans into a funnel with a coffee filter and poured a canister of boiling water over them. Immediately upon contact, the café was enveloped in the sweet smell of LeBlanc's signature coffee. Once the grounds had been wet enough, Ren removed the funnel to reveal a beautiful and piping hot cup of coffee. The coffee cup was carefully placed upon a coffee plate and slid over to the customer sitting at the counter.
The customer was a female around Ren's age. She had crimson hair that, since emerging from Maruki's Palace the first time, had allowed herself to let the flow freely rather than be tied into a ponytail with a bow. Now, her hair reached far down her back and over her chest. In addition to the long hair, the girl sported a simple pair of black-rimmed glasses. Indeed, Sumire Yoshizawa looked far different than she usually did, yet that didn't seem to bother Ren all that much.
"Sorry for dropping in on you like this. I hope it's not too much trouble," Sumire said as Ren slid her the cup of coffee.
"It's no problem," Ren responded with a smile.
"Thank you," the girl replied. "I just needed to talk to you about something in person."
Sumire raised the coffee cup to her nose and took a quick sniff of the rich aroma.
"Wow, it smells great…Thank you," she giggled, taking a sip of coffee.
"You're welcome," Ren replied.
She placed the coffee back onto the plate before beginning their conversation.
"I think I'll be ready to show Coach Hiraguchi my performance soon. And if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to be there when I do…is that okay?" she asked.
"Of course," Ren replied. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Great! I'm so glad…" she smiled.
"But that's not what I'm here to talk about," she admitted.
"Oh?" Ren said. "Do tell."
Sumire shifted in her seat upon Ren's request to continue her story.
"Do you remember what I said when we went clothes shopping? I talked about wanting you to see me and how that helped me stop worrying?" she asked.
"Of course I do," Ren replied.
Sumire flashed a smile. "I'm so glad you remember."
However, just as quickly as the smile appeared on her face, it faded. She looked down at the table in sorrow.
"I was thinking about Kasumi…" Sumire started. Ren's typically neutral demeanor turned serious as Sumire began speaking about her sister.
"I wondered how she must have felt. Thinking she didn't want to lose to me and wanting me to watch her…" the girl continued. She continued to explain her thought process to Ren, all while he listened intently.
"So I finally realized something. I think part of Kasumi's strength came from someone watching her," Sumire said.
She looked up at Ren with a soft expression on her face.
"I was the one she was thinking of. I never heard her say it, but…maybe she'd been trying to tell me through her performance," Sumire concluded.
Ren could only flash a warm smile at the girl.
Sumire chuckled sadly. "Ha-ha…I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out…I'm such an idiot…but I'm glad I finally realized it," she said, mocking herself. Hearing Sumire speak poorly about herself made Ren's heart sink deeper into his chest.
"Even as worthless as I am, I hope I still helped Kasumi somehow…" she continued.
Upon the word "worthless" leaving Sumire's lips, Ren's eyebrows furrowed.
"You're not worthless, especially not to me," he said firmly. "So please, don't ever talk about yourself like that."
"Oh…right. Sorry, Senpai," she replied, her head looking down at the table again. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks as if she recalled what Ren had told her only a few weeks prior.
"It's just that…Kasumi's beyond any apologies I could give her. I can't tell her how I feel. She'll never see me perform…" Sumire continued sadly.
"That's reality, and it happened because of me. I've been running away from that for a long time," she said.
Ren was almost certain that Sumire would start crying at any moment. Instead, she surprised him with what she said next.
"But I'm done running now. It's time to stand on my own two feet. I want to live for both of us now. For the sake of everything we wanted," she proclaimed firmly.
"I want to grow even stronger. Even if I end up in tears from failing at a meet, or if the pressure's too much for me sometimes…with Kasumi's confidence and the grace she recognized in me, I'm going to keep moving up. I'm going to show Kasumi who Sumire Yoshizawa really is," she finished.
Ren nodded along with her bold proclamation. By the look in her eyes, he could tell that she had grown tremendously since first emerging from Maruki's Palace at the beginning of January. While she wasn't the same confident girl that he had met last spring, she was now truly her own person. Not someone who was hiding behind a false name to save herself from the truth. She was someone who knew who she was and where she wanted to go.
And, just like before, he found that part of her irresistible.
"Um…and so…" she said suddenly. The blush that had appeared earlier on her cheeks seemed to grow even larger and more apparent than before. Ren raised an eyebrow at Sumire's sudden change in attitude.
"Now that I'm committed to, you know, not running away from my feelings, I, um…" she stammered.
"I was thinking about what you had said to me a few weeks ago. About…you know..." Sumire said vaguely. Ren turned his head away from her slightly as he felt his cheeks begin to warm and heart begin to race. He already knew where this was going, yet he still remained apprehensive should things not go the way he expected.
"Yeah, I remember, go on," he assured her.
"R-right," she said shakily. "I thought about what you said, and something occurred to me."
"I realized that my strength came less from showing off and more from people I care about watching me," she continued.
Ren raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure where this was going, yet still curious, nonetheless.
"That is, someone special to watch me. Someone I'd want to have eyes only for me," the gymnast said. "And I thought to myself, well, for me, that special person's obviously you, Ren."
Ren's lips pursed into a smile. Now he was confident in where this conversation was going…he just wanted to wait to see if Sumire would be brave enough to finish it.
"So…I think that means…" she started, before falling silent.
Ren looked at the girl with genuine curiosity.
"I think I know what you're getting at," Ren said. "But I still want to hear you say it."
Sumire's blush increased dramatically, looking away from Ren. "S-senpai! Don't be like that!"
"What?" Ren teased. "I won't know exactly what you're talking about unless you tell me, right?"
Sumire pouted for a moment before steeling herself and continuing.
"I'm in lo…l-l-lo…I'm in…lo…" Sumire barely managed to squeak out, her resolve quickly diminishing. Yet, Ren couldn't help but tease her even more.
"In luh? I don't know what 'In luh' means," he said with a cheeky smirk. "Could you...educate me as to what it means?"
"Damnit Senpai!" Sumire yelled at him, albeit weakly, her cheeks firmly on fire. Ren couldn't help but laugh at her reaction.
Sumire looked away from him before saying the words that Ren had waited months to hear.
"I…I'm in love with you!" she said.
Ren felt his heart burst out of his chest, and the widest smile he had ever produced appeared on his face.
"Well, naturally, the feeling is mutual," he said back.
Sumire looked at him again, her cheeks still thoroughly engulfed in flames.
"R-really?" she said happily, taking a moment to exhale deeply. "I had thought that maybe you had changed your mind, considering my change in appearance and character…"
Ren slightly leaned on the countertop so he could be marginally closer to Sumire.
"Any girl can wear a bow in her hair and contact lenses on her eyes, Sumire," Ren reassured her. "I thought you were beautiful from the moment I met you. And right now, despite those changes, I find you to be just as beautiful as before."
"Ren…" she said warmly, her eyes becoming clouded with love.
"As for your personality," Ren continued. "I will admit that I found your confidence when you believed you were Kasumi to be attractive…"
Sumire looked back down at the table again.
"But I think that your true, shy nature is even more attractive. You're at your best when you're true to yourself, Sumire."
The girl flashed Ren another warm smile. "Ren…thank you…that means a lot to me."
While the air was light and the moment was becoming more intimate, Ren decided now would be a good time to ask Sumire something else.
"Alright Sumire, so I told you how I feel about you," Ren started up again. "But you haven't told me why you like me. If you don't mind, would you care to enlighten me?" he asked with a slight smirk on his face.
The question took Sumire completely by surprise. "Why...do I like you?" she repeated back to her senpai. Ren simply nodded in confirmation.
Sumire looked down at the floor again, with her cheeks still blazingly hot. "Well, the answer should be obvious, Senpai," she said nervously. She was so embarrassed that she didn't know if she could handle answering the question.
"But there could be so many reasons," Ren argued. "After all, we've known each other for nearly a year. The memories we made together when you were 'Kasumi' didn't suddenly just vanish, did they?"
"No...they didn't," Sumire conceded. She remained silent for a few more moments to gather her thoughts.
"I...I suppose..." she stammered out. "I suppose the main reason I like you is because of everything you've done for me."
Feeling a burst of confidence, the girl decided to continue.
"Ever since we first met, you were always looking out to help me in any way you could. Despite the times that I doubted myself, you were there to cheer me up. You always made time for me, even when I had very little of my own."
"I should confess, that's something that I do with everyone I know," he clarified. "Yourself included."
"But you didn't like the others in the same way you like me, right? Especially the other girls?" she asked.
"Of course," Ren said with a smile. "I never had eyes for any other girl besides you."
"There were times where the other girls seemed to imply that they were interested in a relationship with me, yet I shot them down so I could be with you when the time was right," he proudly declared.
"Senpai..." Sumire said. A warm feeling entered her heart upon hearing those words.
Sumire, with the burst of confidence from earlier still giving her strength, decided to continue.
"I'm sure I'm not the only girl that thought this, Senpai, but I've always thought you were cute," she confessed. "Ever since we officially met at Inokashira Park during the school clean-up event."
"I'd say that was around the time I became interested in you as well," Ren revealed.
Sumire looked away from Ren again before continuing.
"I'm not sure if I liked you the way I do now back then," she admitted. "But even before your encounter with Shido, I could feel that there was something different about you. I just couldn't put my finger on it," she explained.
"I felt happy and nervous at the same time when I was with you. Especially the day that I learned that you were still alive after that news report."
The crimson-haired girl gazed up at Ren once more.
"I think what really made me realize my feelings for you...was after you saved me in Maruki's Palace," she said with a warm smile. "Seeing you risk your life for me, and after that bold confession you made, I couldn't see myself living without you..." she finished, looking directly into Ren's eyes as she did.
"Sumire..." Ren said in a loving tone.
"Ren..." the girl replied back similarly.
The pair locked their eyes together and spent a considerable amount of time just staring into each other's pupils. Eventually, they both realized how long they had been doing that, and abruptly broke their eyes apart. Both of their faces became warm again.
Silence permeated the small cafe. It became so quiet that the soft ticking of the clock could be distinctly made out.
The awkward silence gave Sumire a moment to reflect on what she had just said. Her heart began to race again as she realized the implications of their conversation.
"So…um...wh-what happens now? Does that mean…you'll be my boyfriend?" she asked timidly, breaking the silence.
Ren scratched his cheek meekly. "Well, if that's okay with you, I'd like that," he said in response.
"I mean, I guess that's what I'm hoping for too, so," Sumire muttered.
Rather than say another word, the new couple simply smiled at each other warmly.
"Ren-senpai, would you…look at me for a moment?" Sumire asked suddenly.
"Huh?" was the only thing Ren could say in response.
"I want to know if…if it'll feel any different, now that we're…" It only took a moment for Sumire to realize how foolish the question she just asked was and quickly tried to change the subject.
"Wow, I don't know what I'm saying anymore…you know what, never mind…"
Rather than listen to her, Ren decided to tease her even more. He boldly reached his hands over the counter and brought his face far closer to Sumire's. Sumire was taken aback by Ren's sudden move and could feel her face melting.
"I-I-um-you…" she managed to say in her panic. Yet, despite how close he was to her, Ren kept his cool.
"So? Any different?" he teased her.
"Um…um…" Sumire stuttered, yet not a single cohesive word left her mouth.
"You're so cute, you know that?" Ren said, toying with her again.
"Wha…I-I can't take it…I feel like I'm melting…" she replied.
With Ren still inches from her face, Sumire somehow found herself able to calm down and lean her face even closer to his. Their faces were so close that there was a good chance that they could bump their glasses together.
'What do I do? I'm so embarrassed, but…' the girl said to herself. At this point, her body had taken over her logical thoughts as she became overtaken by the heat of the moment.
"I want to be even closer to you, Senpai," she said out loud. She moved her face even closer to his, the tips of their glasses coming very close to touching the other.
"I love you so much, Ren. I'll always want your eyes on me…" she said bravely.
"I love you too. And don't worry, I wouldn't dare look at any other girl like how I do for you."
Ren immediately knew that he was in a relationship with Sumire now. There was no turning back. Thankfully he wasn't in a relationship with another girl, so he didn't have to worry about that. Besides, what kind of person would he be, dating multiple girls at once?
Sumire seemed to notice the excruciatingly close distance they were to one another and decided to make the most out of the opportunity.
"Um…I think if we get any closer, we'll bump our glasses together…" she said sheepishly.
"…But we could always take them off," she suggested, giving Ren her best innocent expression.
"That's a great idea," Ren whispered back at her. He gingerly grabbed Sumire's glasses and gently pulled them off her face. Once her glasses were off, she did the same and grabbed Ren's fake glasses, pulling them off his face and placing them on the counter. Neither said another word, allowing themselves to take each other in as they looked the other in the eye. Instinctively, the teenagers leaned even closer to the other at the same time, closed their eyes, and pressed their lips together.
Ren's heart exploded as he melted into the kiss with his new girlfriend. He had waited months for this moment, and now that it had finally arrived, he didn't want it to end. Her lips were so warm and soft, he felt as though he were on Cloud Nine.
Sumire, for her part, felt similarly. Her heart was also racing faster than a speeding bullet, and was equally engrossed in the kiss. Violet and Joker spent at least a whole minute enamored with each other.
Eventually, the teens were forced to separate due to a lack of oxygen. As they did, they both looked each other in the eyes again, their pupils having widened considerably.
"That…that was great…" Sumire said, panting. "You're a great kisser, senpai. Do you have previous experience with this?"
"Nope. You were my first," Ren said plainly. "And I agree, that was fantastic."
Ren and Sumire looked at each other for a bit longer before their minds began to function again, realizing how close they were to the other. They quickly backed off from each other, putting their glasses back on in the process.
"You know, Sumire," Ren started. "We've still got some time. Sojiro won't be back for a while, and Morgana is out with Futaba right now."
Sumire could feel her blush creep back up her face again.
"If you're not busy, we could, you know…spend some more time together. I have a sofa up in my room. We could relax a little bit," he suggested.
Sumire couldn't keep her eyes on Ren due to the embarrassment and abruptly looked away. Despite this, a small smile remained on her face.
Ren realized the implications of what he said and quickly threw his hands up in defense.
"Of course, we'll only do what you're comfortable with! Nothing crazy, I promise!" he reassured her.
Sumire looked back up at Ren with a warm smile on her face.
"I'd like that, Ren," she said softly.
Without another word, Ren took off the apron he used when working at LeBlanc, crossed over to the other side of the counter, gently took his girlfriend's hand, and turned to walk up the stairs to his room. Before he took the first step, however, he turned around to say one more thing to Sumire.
"Sumire…I promise that I won't let this opportunity to be with you to go to waste. We will defeat Maruki, no matter what it takes. We will decide our own paths."
Sumire smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Of course, Senpai. I wouldn't have it any other way," she replied.
With that, Ren led Sumire up to his room, where they would spend the next several hours snuggling and enjoying each other's company.
As Sumire rested her head on Ren's shoulder, he reflected on what had happened over the past few weeks to find himself in this current position. While it took a lot of hard work, he managed to help Sumire accept the past and move on with her life, now with new goals in mind. While there was still plenty of work to be done to save the world from Maruki, he was glad that he had someone to him through any trial that would come his way. He, too, of course, would assist Sumire with anything that brought her down, just as he had done for her in the Palace. Therefore, despite the overwhelming circumstances, Ren had a feeling that things were going to work out just fine.
A/N: Thank you very much for reading my story. This is the first story that I have officially published to any public forum. Therefore, any constructive criticism is appreciated and welcomed. I have other stories that I've been working on, but I put them on the back burner due to a loss of interest in writing them and my extremely busy schedule. Either way, I hope that you enjoyed reading this story.