Kawakami was sitting alone at home doing the same thing she did every Friday night, grading an enormous stack of papers while progressively making her way through an entire bottle of wine. As she finished marking the latest exam, another in a long series of barely passing grades, she let out a sigh before turning back to the unfinished stack which seemed to grow larger every time she looked at it.

"Ugh, kill me now." She groaned, resting her head against the back of her chair.

Kawakami loved being a teacher more than anything, she was certain of that, but she could do with less long nights of grading papers until she fell asleep at her desk. It was starting to take a toll on her back and she didn't need to feel more old than she already did. The next time Ms. Chouno asked her to cover her assignments while she went out on another blind date, Kawakami would punch her in the mouth.

"God, how long has it been since I last went on a date?" The teacher wondered aloud. And of course, like clockwork, her mind immediately went back to 'him.'

She had, of course, gone out with other men in the five years since Ren Amamiya had left Shujin Academy. The operative word being 'men' not 'boys', it wasn't like she was a cougar or anything. (Ren was just a special case.) But every time she met someone new, she couldn't help but compare them to her favorite raven-haired student. And despite all of her best efforts, she hadn't felt that spark with anyone since him.

But now…now he was off having grand adventures, saving the world, and spending his free time with celebrity idols and rich heiresses. And meanwhile what was she? A single high school teacher with her forties on the horizon and two cats away from a midlife crisis.

On this particular evening, after a good amount of wine and self loathing, Kawakami found herself staring at Ren's number in her phone for a solid minute and contemplating calling him.

What would she say? What could they possibly have to talk about? She had no clue, and yet she was still tempted to do so. How pathetic could she be?

It wasn't as if she'd always had it this bad. When Ren first left Tokyo she'd been… a little lonely, but she'd gotten better over the years. Sure, she hadn't held down a relationship for more than 2 months and sure, she might occasionally have a few more drinks than the recommended amount…Where was she going with this?

Right.

Time had helped heal the hole Ren left in her life, but apparently not completely. After her encounter with him two weeks ago, during which she found him on a 'date' with none other than the celebrity idol Risette, some old feelings had been stirred up.

Ren was a man now and in the five years that he'd been gone he had only grown more attractive. Taller, buffer, and apparently somehow even flirtier than before, he wasn't just the full package, he was the full package plus shipping and handling with same day delivery.

Thinking about the man he'd grown into, Sadayo couldn't help but recall the vulnerable boy she'd found alone in the cafe all those years ago.

And the night the two of them would share together.

It was a cold night in late November, bits of frost had begun to fall from the sky as Kawakami rubbed her hands together for warmth. Standing outside of cafe Leblanc, she knocked on the door for the second time since arriving. Still not getting any response, she checked her phone, rereading the text from Ren asking her to come over.

'He won't mind if I just come in, right? I mean, he said he wanted me to come over.' The former part-time maid thought to herself before opening the door.

Ren and Sadayo's relationship was far past a teacher and her student now, he knew her greatest secret and she knew his. After Takase's guardians suddenly forgave her debt and promised to repay the money, it became obvious to her who was responsible. She still didn't know how he did it, but Ren Amamiya was able to change the hearts of corrupt individuals, making them confess their sins and make amends.

When the news first came that the leader of the Phantom Thieves had committed suicide while in police custody, she'd nearly collapsed on the spot. It was only the following day when Ren revealed that he was, in fact, still alive that Sadayo had been able to breathe again. And while she didn't want to make her concern to obvious, she'd been hoping for an opportunity where she could see him again, if for no other reason than to slap him for making her worry so much.

"Hello? Anybody home?" She called out, noticing that the cafe appeared empty. Before she could call again, she noticed a pair of blue eyes staring at her from the stairs to the attic. It was Ren's cat. "Hey there little guy, do you know where your owner is?"

The cat meowed at her before climbing back up the steps. Getting the message, Kawakami followed behind him up to the attic. When she turned the corner she spotted him, sitting in his desk chair with his head back, dressed in a grey hoodie and blue jeans with his trademark glasses missing for once, Ren Amamiya snored softly. Judging by the clutter on his desk and the screwdriver still clutched in his dangling hand, he'd been working on more thief gear before he'd fallen asleep in his chair. Giggling to herself softly, she approached the sleeping boy quietly, careful not to disturb him.

The first thing that she noticed was how long his hair had gotten, his bangs now long enough to nearly cover his eyes. From what she understood, he had to keep a low profile for now which meant leaving the cafe as little as possible, including for haircuts.

As a loose strand of hair brushed against his nose, Ren's face clenched slightly and he began to stir. Not wanting him to wake, Sadayo gently brushed the strand aside, pushing back the rest of his hair along with it. That was when she saw it.

Before, his face had been obscured before by his hair and the hood, but now the various injuries across Ren's face were clear as day. A massive purple bruise just under his left eye, a deep cut running from his lower lip nearly down to his chin, and a large bandage across the bridge of his nose which looked as though it'd been broken and reset. As Kawakami took in his damaged face, she unintentionally let out a gasp.

Ren's eyes immediately shot open with a wild look to them, the screwdriver clattering against the floor as he stood up, grabbing Sadayo by the wrists and squeezing them tightly.

"Ow!" She cried out in pain, falling back against the desk.

Suddenly, recognition flashed in Ren's eyes and he immediately released his grip.

"Kawakami! Oh my god, are you okay? I-I didn't mean to..." He looked around, getting a bearing on his surroundings. When he remembered where he was, he fell back into his chair, placing his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry, I'm just…I'm a little jumpy at the moment." He looked back up at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." She responded, rubbing her wrist, taken aback by the change in Ren's normally calm demeanor. "What…What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I fell down the stairs?" He tried to joke, standing up before clutching his side in pain.

Sadayo glared at him angrily.

"Right. Sorry, just trying to break the tension." He walked over to his bed before carefully taking a seat. For a moment his wrist was exposed and Kawakami noticed the dark red rings around it.

'Are those…from handcuffs?' Her eyes lit up with realization. "The police did this!?"

"It's fine, it was…it was all a part of the plan."

"Plan!? What kind of shitty plan involves you getting arrested and beaten half to death?"

"Hey, it worked didn't it? The police think I'm dead, now it just has to stay that way until we can get Shido to confess his crimes."

A look of shock crossed the older woman's face. "Do you even hear yourself? You're a teenage boy-"

"I'm the leader of the Phantom Thie-"

"YOU'RE A KID!"

"..."

"You're just a kid, Ren." Kawakami sighed, taking a seat next to him on the bed. "You should be worried about homework and schoolyard crushes, not exposing corrupt politicians and faking your own death. You shouldn't be the one who has to do this."

"I'm the only one who can do this." Ren replied. "Me and the other thieves, we're the only people with the ability to make a difference."

"And these other thieves, they're fine with you throwing yourself in harm's way? Potentially dying?" She crossed her arms skeptically.

"We share plenty of that responsibility between us." He scratched the back of his neck bashfully. "And no, they weren't exactly ecstatic over the plan. But it was our only option, and a leader…a leader can't ask others to do what he isn't willing to do himself."

"Ren…" Her hand brushed against his and she briefly felt his hand trembling before he pulled away. "You know you don't have to act brave right now, right? You can let go."

"W-What are you talking about?" He looked startled, then suddenly turned away. "I-I'm not-"

"It's okay Ren. You went through something horrible, you've gone through a lot of horrible things in the past year. Too many for someone your age. Your arrest, your parents, Kamoshida, I can't even imagine how many more. And you've stayed strong through it all, but it's okay to let your walls down now. You're safe." She cupped his cheek and nudged his head to face her.

Upon closer inspection she saw the cracks in his mask beginning to form. His lips were quivering, he was blinking rapidly, and he seemed to have a lump in his throat. She gently pulled Ren closer into a warm embrace, allowing his head to rest on her shoulder.

Genuine physical affection. It was something he hadn't received in…who knows how long. From the night he was first arrested, Ren had received nothing but cold stares and scolding words from the people who were supposed to care for him. When he arrived in Tokyo, he'd slowly and painstakingly carved out a life for himself here, all the while, his every action was scrutinized by the people around him. Kawakami even counted herself among those people, initially thinking Ren no better than a common delinquent. She knew better now.

Feeling the warmth of a hug after so long, the floodgates finally opened and Kawakami felt Ren quietly begin to sob into her sweater.

"It's okay Ren, You're safe now." She whispered as she gently rubbed her hands across his back. "You're safe with me."

The two stayed like that for a long time, Kawakami more than happy to return a fraction of the kindness that Ren had shown her ten times over. She watched as Ren's cat exited the room, almost as if to give them privacy. It exchanged a glance with her and she could've sworn that it nodded to her before climbing down the stairs.

When Ren's sobs finally came to a stop, he lifted his head from her, now tear-stained, sweater and met her gaze. Wiping the remaining wetness from his eyes, he began to speak.

"I'm *sniff* I'm sorry about that. I-I don't know what came over m-"

"No." She interrupted sternly. "Don't apologize. You have the right to cry. You're allowed to let your guard down every once in a while. Especially when it's with me." She smiled. "Whenever you need, I'll be here for-mmm!" She was silenced as Ren's lips came into contact with her's. It was brief, only lasting a second or two before he released, pulling his head back.

"..."

"..."

The two stared at each other silently for a good 30 seconds before one of them spoke.

"I…I am so sorry." Ren apologized profusely. "I-I just…I was just really emotionally charged and-mmm!" This time he was cut off as Kawakami pressed her face to his.

"Th-There. Now we're even." She tried to act smug but she was barely hiding it behind her flushed cheeks and nervous shaking.

The two stared once again before leaning into each other for another kiss. This time, both closing their eyes and taking things slow as they properly connected. Kawakami's hands gently cupped the sides of Ren's bruised face as he placed his own over her's.

When they finally broke away for air, the two were left blushing heavily and breathing even more heavily, their hot breath becoming slightly visible from the cold outside.

"W-Wow." Kawakami let out between breaths. "Have you had practice with this?"

"Uh n-not really no. I-I had a girlfriend before the whole…getting arrested thing, but things never got very far between us."

"Well, she has no idea what she missed out on. You're definitely a natural." She said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Th-Thanks." He replied before suddenly looking away shyly.

"What's wrong?" She asked before her gaze turned downward. "O-Oh."

"I'm-I'm really sorry." He began to move away.

"No, no. It's fine Ren, it's flattering really. I'm…I'm glad to know that I can still get a reaction like that out of a guy."

"..."

"...We could…I mean, only if you wanted of course, we could…use it?" She suggested, her voice almost a whisper. When Ren took a moment to respond, she backed off. "I'm sorry that was-"

"I-I want to." Ren assured her. "But I've never…you know." He blushed fiercely, turning away.

"It's okay Ren." She turned his head to face her again, gently pressing her forehead against his. "Like I said, you're safe with me. I'll take the lead, we'll go slow and I'll show you what to do." She smiled before giving him another peck before removing her sweater, revealing her white bra underneath. "I am your teacher after all."

Back in the present, Kawakami snapped out of her reminiscing and noticed the position she was in. Breathing heavily, she found herself with one hand down her skirt and the other fondling her breast, the assignments she'd been grading had long since fallen to the floor.

"Ah shit." She let out, before attempting to reach down to grab them, only to then accidentally knock over her wine glass with her elbow, spilling the red liquid directly onto the papers below.

"Shitshitshitshitshit!" She repeated, frantically trying to pick up the now soaked papers before any more damage could be done.

When she finally had them all in her hands she glanced over the papers, seeing that they were now covered in stains and falling apart in her hands. She let out a frustrated grunt before slamming her head onto her desk.

"Fuck my life."

[Shadow Operative File: 024]

Ren Amamiya

Codename: Joker

Status: Active

Species: Human

Age: 21

Sex: M

Persona: Raoul, formerly Satanael, formerly Arsene (Wildcard Status)

Description: Former leader of the Phantom Thieves, the first known third generation Persona user, and the fifth individual known to wield the Wildcard Status, Ren Amamiya is a huge asset to the Shadow Operatives. Initially, the Phantom Thieves were listed as a potential threat for the Shadow Ops, however after a thorough joint investigation effort by operatives Kirijo, Shirogane, and Narukami, the Thieves were deemed potential assets to the cause and recruiting efforts were conducted. By reaching out to an ally on the Kyoto police force who'd been in close contact with the Thieves, Shirogane was able to extend an invitation to Amamiya who hesitantly accepted the offer.

Notes: Upon accepting the invitation to join the Ops, Amamiya initially demonstrated trust issues with the organization. As is standard practice when a new operative joins the team, several listening devices were placed in his living quarters to ensure no espionage was taking place. Within the first 2 hours of moving in, he located and removed all devices, much to the annoyance of the organization staff. To date, he is the only active team member who is still on the organization's watch list for suspicious activity as all attempts to observe and gather personal data on him have failed.