Persona Bonds of the Confidants
Chapter 3 – The Panther and her Skull
Ann Takamaki, for the most part, seemed like one of your normal students from Shujin Academy. If anyone took one look at her, no one could suspect such an innocent looking lady to be shadow destroying member of the Phantom Thieves. Thanks to the efforts of her and her teammates, they changed the hearts of evil people across Tokyo, stopped a fake god, and even managed to erase a fake reality. Surely if she had done all those impressive feats (or at least helped in accomplishing them), she should have had the confidence to do anything she could put her mind to, so why was she so heart-poundingly nervous about confessing her feelings?
The person she was going to confess to was Ryuji Sakamoto, her fellow teammate and Joker's right-hand man. She had known Ryuji since they were in middle school, with their first meeting involving her lending Ryuji money after he spent all of his on a dolphin plushie for his mom. They both grew distant from one another once they were in Shujin, that mostly being due to Kamoshida's presence and big impacts on the two. But they both started to grow closer with one another again once they awakened to their persona's and officially created the Phantom Thieves alongside their leader Ren and the mysterious cat Morgana. Since then, they had more chances to spend with one another, from hangouts around the city, to workouts at the Protein Lovers gym, they had gotten much closer to one another.
As things were getting closer to the end of their second year, Ann started to realize that her feelings for Ryuji were more than that of a friend. From his near self-sacrifice at Shido's palace, to his constant support, it was no wonder that she had developed feelings for her fellow blond teammate. Ann decided to tell Ryuji how she felt about him, but she was too nervous to even say anything to him. So, she decided that the best course of action would be to discuss with some of the other girls on the team, those being Makoto, Haru, and Sumire, to figure out her best course of action. After a brief discussion over texts, they agreed to meet at the student council room once classes were done.
The Next Day…
As soon as her final lecture for the day was done, Ann headed straight for the student council room. Once she got there, she opened the door and saw that Makoto, Haru, and Sumire were inside having a little discussion. Ann walked in the room, closing the door behind her, which caused Makoto to look up and greet her blond friend.
"Oh, hey Ann." Makoto said, "How are you doing?"
"I'm pretty good at the moment." Ann responded as she pulled up a chair.
As she sat down, Sumire looked over to her and asked, "So Ann-senpai, what did you need help with exactly?"
"You said you wanted to talk about something, Right Ann-chan?" Haru asked.
Ann looked down nervously and said, "Uh, yeah. Um, you see…, I needed some advice on something…, important."
"Are you alright Ann?" Makoto asked, "Your face is all red."
"Well…, I need some 'romantic' advice." Ann said quietly.
The room was silent for a moment, before Makoto spoke up and said, "So, you need some help confessing to Ryuji?"
"What!" Ann yelled, "No way, what would make you think that?"
"To be honest Ann-senpai," Sumire said, "you weren't exactly subtly about it."
"The number of times you glanced at him at our study groups is an obvious giveaway Ann-chan." Haru said.
Before Ann could retort, she leaned her head down on the table and said, "Was it really that obvious?"
"Kind of." The three girls answered.
Ann looked up from the table and said, "Here I thought I was being discreet, yet everyone here knew what was up. Does anyone else know?"
"I'm pretty sure Futaba knows." Sumire said.
"Ren also knows about your feelings to." Makoto said.
"Even Ren knows?" Ann said, "Wait, he didn't say anything to Ryuji did he!?"
"Ann," Makoto started, "You know Ren wouldn't do that, he's not that type of person."
Ann waited a moment before responding with, "Yeah. Yeah, your probably right Makoto. Still, what should I do? I never confessed to anyone before, so I don't know where to even begin."
"To be honest Ann-chan," Haru said, "I don't really have much experience with that subject either. The only relationship I was ever apart of was with creep my father set me up with."
"I don't have much experience with confessions either Ann-senpai." Sumire said with a slight blush on her face.
All eyes were soon on Makoto since everyone of the Phantom Thieves knew that she and Ren were dating since summer vacation. Makoto felt her face heat up, but before she could speak, Ann asked, "Hey Makoto, do you have any advice? I mean you confessed to Ren, so you must have some idea…, right?"
"Actually," Makoto started, "I didn't confess to Ren, he confessed to me."
"Wait, really?" Ann said, surprisingly.
"I know Ren-kun is bold, but I didn't know he would take the initiative." Haru said.
"I was surprised to," Makoto said, "but I knew that I felt the same way for him. I probably had those feelings when I first joined the team, and they grew stronger every time we would spend time together."
At that point, both Ann and Haru had the same question, but Sumire beat them to the punch and asked, "Makoto-senpai, do you think you tell us about those times you spent with Ren-senpai? I am quite curios about what the events that lead to your relationship. That is, if you wouldn't mind talking about it."
Makoto thought for a moment before responding with, "I don't mind telling you all what happened. In fact, maybe this might help you all with your own romantic paths."
So, for the half hour, Makoto told her three friends about her time with Ren, starting with their hangout at the arcade, then talking about how she asked Ren to be her fake boyfriend, all the way to his confession at the Crossroad's bar at Shinjuku.
"So, as Ren and I were talking, I brought up how I would fail a test in love and how I would have difficulty studying that subject. Then, that's when Ren confessed with the phrase, "I'll be your study partner."
"No way, really!?" Ann exclaimed.
"That's such a heartfelt story Mako-chan!" Haru said as she wiped some tears from her eyes.
"That certainly sounds like Ren-senpai," Sumire said, "Then again, I can understand why he would fall for you."
Makoto was blushing, but she was happy that her friends listened to her little romantic tale, and that they were so positive about it.
"I'm glad you liked that story," she said, "but you could also take it as advice. I guess you would need the right place and the right time to just let your feelings be known."
"Thank you for the advice senpai." Sumire said.
"Yes, thank you Mako-chan." Haru added.
"No problem," Makoto said as she turned to face Ann, "Was that helpful Ann?"
"Yeah. Yeah, that was really helpful Makoto!" Ann said happily. "I think I know what I should do now. I just need find that right moment and tell Ryuji how I feel." "Thanks for the help everyone!" Ann said as she stood up.
"You got this Ann!" Makoto, Haru, and Sumire said in unison.
After thanking her friends for their time, the group left the student council room to their respective homes. Once Ann arrived at her house, she sent Ryuji a text that read, "Hey Ryuji, wanna hang out this Saturday?". In no time at all, Ryuji responded with, "Sure. I don't have anything else planned anyway. I'll meet you in Shibuya at around noon."
Upon reading his response, Ann smiled and sighed, "Typical Ryuji answer." His answer was simple, but he agreed to meet with her. Now all Ann had to do was wait until was prepare for her very important weekend. She spent the rest of the week picking out the perfect outfit, planning where she and Ryuji would go, and finishing off with picking the location of her confession. Finally, it was the night before her important day. She set out her outfit for tomorrow and got ready for bed. As she was about to fall asleep, she quoted Ren in her mind, using his signature line, "It's Showtime."
The Big Day:
Ann thought that she was ready for today. She got her outfit ready, planned where she was taking Ryuji, and even picked her confession spot. But with every great plan, something just had to go wrong. In Ann's case, her alarm did not go off, which caused her to sleep in, which in turn, lead to her rushing to get ready for the day. As she was running around her room for her makeup, she ended up tripping with an open bottle of mascara, which ended up spilling over her outfit. She tried to fix it, but when she looked at the time, she knew that her regular outfit would have to do. So as soon as she got dressed, she had a quick breakfast before heading off to Shibuya.
As soon as her train arrived in Shibuya, she ran up through the underground walkway and made it to the station square. She looked around for any sign of Ryuji, but she could not see him anywhere. She took out her phone and noticed that she was 10 minutes late, which lead her to think that Ryuji could have left when she did not arrive, thinking that it was some sort of prank. All those thoughts vanished though once she heard "Ann!" from behind her. She turned around and saw a winded Ryuji standing in front of her.
"Oh my god Ryuji, did you run all the way here!?" Ann said.
"Yeah…, yeah I did." Ryuji said. As he was catching his breath, he continued with, "Sorry Ann, I forgot to set my alarm last night, and then my train got stuck two stations away. I hope you weren't waiting long."
"Actually Ryuji," Ann started, "I just got here in Shibuya."
"For real!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Look, it doesn't matter how chaotic our mornings were," Ann said smiling, "Were both here now, so let's go have some fun!"
"Alright, lets do this!" Ryuji said enthusiastically.
Things may not have started off like Ann wanted, but the rest of the day went off without a hitch. The duo started off by going to the arcade in Shibuya, going from fighting games to Gun About. Ryuji won most of them, but Ann showed him up when she could. After that, the two went off to the Aquarium. They both haven't been there since they first met in middle school, so it was nice to see all the new additions to the place.
"Say Ryuji, you didn't spend all your money this time, right?" Ann teased.
"Shudup Ann. I'm not going to relive that experience again." Ryuji groaned.
"Cmon Ryuji," Ann said, "we still had a lot of fun that day, right? I still remember your reaction to seeing the huge fish."
"Yeah, yeah," Ryuji said, "Look I know that I'll never forget that day, alright."
As Ann turned back around, Ryuji walked past her and she heard him mumble, "After all, I'll never forget that day since I met you."
Ann instantly felt her face heat up, but she shook it off. As happy as she was to hear that, she decided to hold back her feelings a bit longer. She was still waiting for the right moment, but Ryuji's comment gave her a huge confidence boost. On to their next stop, they went to Ryuji's favorite ramen shop in Ogikubo. Even though the ramen wasn't the healthiest thing in the world, Ann really enjoyed her meal. By the time she was finished, she looked over at Ryuji, who was looking down at his empty bowl, clearly in deep thought. Ann knew that this was uncommon for someone like him, but before she could bring it up, their server came over with their bill. Ann was reaching for her pocket to grab her wallet, but Ryuji beat her to it. "Don't sweat it Ann," Ryuji said smiling, "this one's on me. Just think of it as a thank you for today."
"Thanks Ryuji." Ann said happily. She didn't expect that, but she was thankful all the same.
As soon as they left, the sun was starting to set. Neither Ann nor Ryuji realized that so much time had already passed, but Ann knew that the day wasn't through yet. She had one more stop planned for them, Inokashira Park. Ann turned to Ryuji and asked, "Hey Ryuji, do you still have some time today?
"Huh? Oh yeah, I still have some time." Ryuji said, "Where did you want to go?"
"Just follow me, okay? I want this to be a surprise." Ann said slyly.
The pair made their way to the train station and boarded a train heading to Ann's destination for today, Inokashira Park. As soon as the two arrived, they walked around the park, enjoying the scenery before sitting down a bench. The two sat in a comfortable silence, staring at the water in front of them. Ryuji was deep in thought again, but Ann didn't pay to much attention. She knew that this would be her moment to confess her feelings, but she couldn't find her words. She thought that she would've been ready for this, but this whole day had so many unexpected things, mainly involving Ryuji. From his silence at the ramen shop, to his mumbling at the Aquarium, Ann was at a loss of what to say.
When she finally spoke, she asked her blonde teammate, "Hey Ryuji, are you alright?"
"H-huh!? Wh-what are you talking about Ann?" Ryuji stammered.
"It's just that, you know, you haven't really been yourself today." Ann said. "Your usually so loud and talkative, but you were so quiet today. Is something wrong?"
Ryuji thought for a moment before saying, "Maybe I had some stuff on my mind. I've been planning on saying something important to someone, but I can't think of the right time. I also don't know how they would react you know?"
Ryuji looked gloomy, but Ann turned over to him and said, "Ryuji, get a grip!" Ann yelled. Ryuji turned to face her looking stunned as she continued, "Sure, you may say some stupid stuff sometimes, and you might not be the brightest guy around, but your one of the bravest people I know! From facing shadows in the metaverse, to saving everyone in Shido's palace, to saving Joker in Maruki's palace, you've showed that wouldn't give up, no matter what."
Ryuji was speechless, with his cheeks slightly pink. Ann realized what she just said and turned away with a large blush on her face. "Look Ryuji," Ann said, "I'm sure you'll be able to say what you need to. As for their reaction, I don't think you'll have to worry. If your sincere, I'm sure things will workout."
"Yeah, yeah your right Ann," Ryuji said calmly, "As long as I'm calm or whatever, I'm sure things will work."
The next thing he said though wasn't what Ann expected, and when she heard him, she felt her heart stop. "Ann Takamaki, I love you."
She turned to face him, completely speechless as he continued, "Ever since we first met in middle school, I knew I had a crush on you. Those feelings grew once we started hanging out more, you know. From fighting in the metaverse, to our training sessions at the gym, my feelings just kept growing. So yeah, I love you."
Ann just sat they're in disbelief, which caused Ryuji to get nervous. "Look," he started, "I know that confession was out of no where, but I didn't want my feelings left unsaid, you know? If you don't feel the same, then that's fine, I just wan-…"
Ryuji didn't finish his sentence, as Ann grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, smashing her lips on to his. Ryuji was stunned at first, but slowly eased into the kiss and pulled Ann closer to him. After a minute, they got some air, but they were still in each others embrace. Ryuji looked to see Ann, and saw that her cheeks were red, but she had a smile on her face. She then looked Ryuji in the eyes and said, "I love you to, Ryuji. You may be reckless sometimes, and you may not the smartest guy around, but that doesn't matter to me. You're a strong and caring individual who would do anything for his friends, no matter what might happen to you in the process. So yeah, I love you."
Ryuji was silent for a moment, before he broke out in a huge grin and pulled her closer to him. Ann responded by resting her forehead on his and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She gazed into his eyes as Ryuji asked, "So, am I right to think that this was our first date?"
"If you want," Ann started, "but if not, we could have a proper one next week."
"Let's do it!" Ryuji said happily.
The two stayed in each other's arms for a few more minutes before heading to back to the station platform. Once they got back to Shibuya, the pair kissed each other goodbye before heading back to their homes. Once Ann got back home, she got to her room, kicked off her boots and lied on her bed.
She got out her phone and texted the other girls, "I did it! I told Ryuji how I felt about him, and he felt the same way!"
"That's amazing Ann-chan!" (Haru)
"I'm happy for you Ann-senpai!" (Sumire)
"I knew you could do it Ann!" (Makoto)
Ann and the other girls spent some more time talking before Ann got ready for bed. After brushing her teeth and putting on some PJ's, she went to sleep, feeling the happiest she's ever been in a while.
All done with this confession. Sorry if this one is a bit long, and about the lack of uploads for chapters, my work schedule has been brutal, but I hope to have another chapter ready in a week or two. Still not sure which pairing it will be, but I'm sure it'll be a good one. Thank you so much for reading!