September 9th.
Day 2 of the Hawaii trip. Ren, Ann, Haru, and Ryuji gathered in the lobby of the hotel. As nice as Hawaii was, there really wasn't too much they could do on their own, which was evident yesterday upon landing. "Man, it's nothing but Japanese people 'round here…" Ryuji commented, glancing around the lobby. I thought we were gonna be gettin' alohas from every direction 'n stuff!"
"It cost money to enjoy that atmosphere, you know?" Ann said. "There's not much we can do as students."
"Hmmmm…" Haru tilted her head in thought. She looked as though she was bouncing ideas in her head.
Makoto was the last one to arrive in their little group. "It seems like it's the same no matter where we go." Her energy was a little low too, odd since the day just started.
"What's with the low energy, Makoto?" Ryuji asked.
"I just had to listen to the taxi driver complain for thirty minutes straight." Makoto sighed heavily. "I'm used to having to deal with student troubles, but I never thought I'd have to do it overseas as well."
"That must've sucked…." Ann whistled lowly.
"Gah, I wanna do some more exciting stuff! I mean come on, we're in freakin' Hawaii! Isn't the school supposed to plan this kinda stuff!? I wanna go divin'!" Ryuji was complaining, but he did have a point. They just kind of landed in Hawaii and there was…no plan or anything. Just the students being allowed to explore and loiter about until their free time ended.
"It does feel like there's been a lack of planning…" Haru remarked.
"It seems there wasn't enough time to come up with any kind of coordinated travel plan." Makoto explained. "That lack of coordination is what led them to using students as chaperones as well."
What a pain in the ass. Ryuji let out a quiet sigh and turned to Ren. "By the way, Ren…you're roomin' with Mishima, right? How is it? Anythin' interestin'?"
Ren let out a heavy sigh. "All Phan-Site. All the time. He wouldn't stop talking about it before bed…and you know what I saw him doing this morning? Moderating the Phan-site. I swear he doesn't sleep…"
"…That's about what I was expecting." Ann twirled her hair.
"Rooming with Ms. Kawakami hasn't been bad. She seems really tired all the time…" Haru remarked.
"You're rooming with Ms. Kawakami!?" Ann's eyes widened at Haru's words. Rooming with a teacher!? "Isn't that awkward?"
"Not at all!" Haru smiled.
"Phan-Site. You know…I do hear people talkin' about the Phantom Thieves every so often." Ryuji brought up.
"Are they really mentioning…" Makoto was about to say 'us' but remembered Haru was right there. "Them…?" She subtlety gestured to Haru to tell the others to watch their words.
"I think so! I think w – they've already made their international debut!" Ryuji caught himself at the last second, thankfully.
"Wow, I'm so happy for them!" Haru clasped her hands together.
"Just talking about that makes me wanna go back to Japan right now!" Ryuji was too excited. He couldn't wait for Futaba to finish the data analysis so they could jump right back into the action.
"You really have no chill…" Ann just sighed.
"Come on. Let's forget about those things for now." Makoto said.
"What!? But there are people waiting for u –…!" Ann jabbed him with her elbow since Hifumi wasn't here to do it. But then…everyone's eyes widened as Ryuji attempted to recover. Why? Because Yusuke and Hifumi just casually approached them like they weren't supposed to be in another part of the United States. "…Them to fix society! It's hard to relax in a time like this?! Ain't that right Yusuke? Hifumi?" Ryuji acknowledged their presence because it felt natural. But it didn't really set in until a few seconds later that they were there. "Wait, what the hell!?"
"Overseas travel provides a great opportunity for new insight. I'd prefer we stay here a bit longer." Yusuke said.
"Hello." Hifumi meekly waved and smiled.
"H-Hifumi…! Ah…what are you two doing here!?" Ann was happy to see them, but she couldn't help but feel surprised and rightfully so.
"Weren't you two en route to Los Angeles?" Makoto had to ask.
"Apparently they couldn't land the plane due to a terrible storm brewing on the west coast." Yusuke explained.
"It didn't appear that it would let up either. So they changed our destination to Hawaii instead." Hifumi said the rest. "It was quite a shock, to be honest."
"Do you just bring rain wherever you go!?" Ryuji specifically said this to Yusuke.
"Could it be that what happened at the fireworks festival was his doing as well…?" Makoto questioned, seriously.
"It appears that Yusuke has received the Curse of the Rain Bearer." Hifumi said seriously.
"So it was his fault…" Haru was convinced.
"Don't go bringing any storms here, you got that?" Ann said. Everyone was convinced that it was Yusuke's fault rain showed up.
"I'll do my best." Yusuke replied simply. It was shocking how this was a conversation they were all taking seriously.
"Also, I heard from the teachers that we will be sharing the same hotel as you all from Shujin." Hifumi said.
"Wow, talk about lucky." Ann was surprised how well this worked out.
"…I cannot say that many of people are happy about it, though." Hifumi sighed. "Even though I am elated to be here with you all, the faculty and students are wary of Shujin after that article was released."
"That makes sense." Makoto brought her hand to her chin. "Because of that article, the school resorted to using students as proxies."
"So that explains the lack of teachers around…" Yusuke surmised.
"Mako-chan and I are proxies!" Haru said excitedly. "It does mean I have to keep an eye on students sometimes, but most everyone seems well behaved enough. I accepted because I thought it would help me take my mind off some things, but I didn't think it would be so…dull."
"By the way, there's nothing planned after this. What are you all going to do?" Makoto asked.
"Uh…oh yeah. I still gotta buy souvenirs. My mom asked me to grab some stuff for her." Ryuji replied.
"I was planning to do that as well…" Hifumi tilted her head. "I spent a lot of time looking up good things to buy in Los Angeles, but that idea is impossible now. So I have to find good Hawaii souvenirs instead."
"I totally forgot about that!" We need to pick things up for Futaba and Morgana too." Ann nodded.
"I was hoping to do some shopping myself." Yusuke said. Hifumi didn't say anything, but she turned to glance at Yusuke with a 'do you have the money for that?' kind of look. Yusuke didn't notice.
"Oh, me too! There's a lot in Hawaii I want to buy…" Haru bounced up and down.
"I wonder what Morgana would want…" Makoto questioned.
While it was nice that everyone was together again, Ryuji couldn't help but sigh. This really wasn't what he was expecting from a trip to Hawaii of all places. "Man…even outside of Japan, our group is totally the same…"
.
.
Since there was nothing planned by either school, the students of Kosei and Shujin were allowed to roam freely until it got dark. So Ren's group decided to wander around a bit, looking for a place to eat before starting their day. While they were wandering around, Haru happened to notice a Big Bang Burger nearby. "E-Even here…?" She said, although she didn't mind her tone and everyone heard her.
"Is something wrong, Haru?" Makoto asked, noticing the shift in Haru's expression.
"O-Oh…!" Haru flashed a quick smile. "Nothing's wrong! I was just thinking how surprising it is to see Big Bang Burger all the way out in Hawaii of all places…"
"Yeah, it's been super popular in Japan lately. I guess they wanted to branch out." Ryuji shrugged.
"Ugh…" Ren had bad memories of the Big Bang Challenge. Mostly how Caroline and Justine made him undertake the challenge when he lacked the fortitude, among various other aspects to succeed.
"Now that you mention it, I've heard a story about the success of Okumura foods." Makoto said.
"Y-You have?" Haru blinked a few times.
"Ah, yes. The company that owns Big Bang Burger. I've heard of them as well." Yusuke added.
"Okumura…?" Ryuji said as if he heard the name before. Haru didn't say anything, but she stiffened up for a moment. "Ain't that the guy who's at the top of the Phan-Site rankings?"
"H-He is…?!" Haru turned to Ryuji. Her reaction was more genuine than one might expect, which did surprise the others a bit.
"I guarantee it. I don't make mistakes about this kinda stuff." Ryuji was confident in this. It also felt great that Morgana wasn't around to bust his balls every time he made a confident statement. He could get used to this.
"Sure you don't." Ren said, covering for Morgana's absence. Someone had to.
"Do I hear sarcasm?!" Ryuji grunted.
Haru noticed Makoto deep in thought. Her curiosity got the best of her. Makoto was smart…so she couldn't help but wonder if she already connected the dots. "Is something wrong, Mako-chan?"
"It's probably nothing…" Makoto began. "Just a rumor I heard about Okumura Foods. Supposedly, all of their overseas competition has mysteriously pulled out…"
"Is that so?" Hifumi tilted her head. "With such an empty board, they are set to win the fast food game."
"…." Haru didn't say anything, she just rubbed her arm. She wasn't expecting the topic of Okumura Foods to pop up during her school trip….
Makoto then shook her head, "Never mind. I'm surely just overthinking things. Sis' habits seem to be rubbing off on me."
Haru let out a quiet sigh. But she was still thinking about it…she was more so just relieved the topic died for the time being.
"Hey, why don't we take a pic together! You know, to remember the trip 'n all!" Ryuji suggested.
"Ooh, good idea!" Ann was all for it.
"Just line up over there." Ren said, pulling out his phone. "I don't mind not being in it."
"Oh…well, thanks." Makoto said. Everyone lined up together.
"I only ask that the composition is well balanced." Yusuke said. This was his only demand.
Ann, however, just sighed. "Can you please not worry about that for one second?"
Ren held his phone sideways for a landscape photo. "Here's hoping it comes out well. Say cheese." Everyone smiled and he snapped a picture. He then showed everyone and they were glad it turned out well.
"Nice!" Ryuji gave a thumbs up. "We still got some time left. What should we do next?"
"There's…actually something I have to ask Ms. Kawakami about. So I'm afraid I'll have to leave you all here." Haru said with a small sigh. Time flew when she was having fun with everyone.
"Okay, see you later, Haru!" Ann waved as Haru made her exit.
"I wonder had her concerned…" Hifumi thought to herself aloud. The subject of Okumura Foods ha Haru pretty riled up, and there was hardly anything that had done that from what they've seen. "Oh! As for the question, isn't there a store by the beach? We could go there?"
"That sounds lovely. I would quite like a short rest." Yusuke said while rolling his neck.
.
.
Their next stop as a group was near the beach. Unlike before, they weren't in their swimsuits. They were under the shade of the trees and Hifumi sat down, fanning herself a bit. "It is…hot…" The heat had been getting to her all day, so standing in the shade was nice.
"Just a bit, yeah." Ann agreed.
"Hey, don't you guys think the food around here is kinda salty?" Ryuji asked.
"You might be right…" Ann said while digging into her bag. "Oh, shoot! I'm out of sunscreen. I'll have to buy some at the store…"
"I'll go with you." Makoto said. "Will you join us, Hifumi?"
"I…I think I'll sit here. In the shade." Hifumi gave a meek smile. For the most part, she was not Hawaii prepared.
"…I'll get you a drink to cool off." Ann flashed Hifumi a sweet smile before walking off with Makoto. Once they were out of earshot, she sighed.
"Are you still worried about her?" Makoto turned her head.
"Yeah. I'm really glad she's here, though." Ann nodded, taking a quick glance back before making way to the store with Makoto.
"I suppose we will just have to wait for them to come back." Yusuke said.
"Man, I'm so bored…" Ryuji groaned. It sucked how they were in Hawaii but could hardly do anything befitting of the experience. "Oh! Hey, you think we're the thieves everyone's been going on about?"
"Huh? Whatever do you mean?" Hifumi tilted her head.
"Oh yeah. We couldn't say anything because Haru was with us." Ryuji was feeling it now. "But I've heard some whispers about the people here talkin' about thieves! Do you know how crazy it would be if they were talkin' about us…!?"
"Has he been like this the whole time?" Hifumi asked Ren. He just nodded.
"Yeah. But it would be pretty crazy, to tell the truth…" Even Ren couldn't deny his own curiosity.
"I had not heard of such rumors. It sounds wonderful." Yusuke said. "We are already here, so why don't we confirm if that is the case."
"Excellent idea!" Hifumi sat up, sweating, but energized.
"Uh. Ain't ya burnin' up?" Ryuji asked.
"My curiosity is aflame!" Hifumi states, somehow slipping into Shogi Mode. "How can I sit idly by when our names are whispered overseas? Even if our spike in popularity does make me uneasy, still…hearing it this far from Japan would be quite…crazy, as you said." Plus this helps her not think about how hot she feels. "…But you all do the talking. I am hardly great when it comes to conversing with stranger, especially overseas."
"…Yeah, saw that coming." Ryuji said. But he didn't mind doing the talking.
So the group of four asked around about the Phantom Thieves to see if people knew them. The responses ranged from; "Yeah, I know about the Phantom Thieve! I think it's awesome how they kick the bad guy's asses!"; to "Yeah, I've heard of them, what about it?" and…some not really knowing about them at all. But it was a considerable feat to be known overseas.
"So it is true…we are known far and wide. It would be incredible if it didn't make me feel so uneasy." Hifumi was honest about it, at least.
"Man, that's effin' awesome!" Ryuji threw a fist into the air. "Even if we're not totally famous yet, the fact people across the world know about us is incredible!"
"We're slowly reaching the 'world famous' status…" Ren adjusted his glasses. "People really like us…"
"I find it magnificent. Our reaching the hearts of many across the land. With this many supporters, surely certain people will begin to see that what we're doing is right." Yusuke said firmly.
"…" Hifumi was still unsure about this. But the last thing she wanted to do was bring down the mood. So she remained silent. That's when Ann and Makoto returned.
"We're back! And I got you a drink!" Ann handed Hifumi a cold drink, which she gladly took and began sipping down.
"Ahh…so refreshing. Thank you very much." Hifumi said between sips. She would chug the thing down if there were not a straw.
"Of course!" Ann flashed a smile.
"Looks like we finished just in time." Makoto stared at the time on her phone. "Our free time is over."
.
.
In her hotel room, Kawakami was in a swimsuit, looking in the mirror while trying a few poses. It was a little embarrassing, but she knew it would be a shame to come all this way to Hawaii and not try one on. But she was still a little apprehensive about actually going out to the beach and all. Those thoughts weighed her confidence now. "What am I doing…?" She groaned to herself. "I feel like such an idiot for getting psyched for this…then again, we ARE on a trip, so…" She somehow managed to turn her way of thinking around!
Now, as Haru mentioned before, she was rooming with Kawakami. She had a room key and used it to walk inside their shared room. "Ms. Kawakami…about the post-beach plans…"
Kawakami completely forgot she had a roommate. Not only that, but Haru walked in on her in a swimsuit. These factors together caused her to let out a surprised squeal. "Gaaaah…!?"
Haru, on the other hand, was just confused. She didn't think anything of it…but maybe this wasn't the best time? "Oh, I'm sorry..! Did I…come at a bad time..?"
Kawakami straightened up and quickly presented a smile, attempting to push aside the awkward tension she unintentionally created. "N-Not at all! What's your question?"
.
.
Meanwhile, back in Japan, Futaba was hard at work with the data Makoto copied from Sae's laptop. It just so happened that she was finally beginning to strike gold! "Found it! So much, too! Mewhehe…one after another."
"What did you find?!" Morgana was sitting on her desk, snapping to attention when Futaba said she found something.
"Still working, can't tell you." Futaba replied dismissively.
"…" That just sucked. Morgana let out a quiet sigh. "She can handle this without me…all I'm good is driving them around Mementos…I'm basically useless…"
Futaba could hear Morgana mumbling. It was annoying since she was trying to focus. "Kitty, your mumbling is distracting me. If you have something to say, just say it."
"It's nothing…" Morgana said dismissively.
Unsatisfied with that answer, Futaba leaned over, messing with Morgana with her hands, rubbing along his face and fur. "You're so soft…"
"I am not!" Morgana huffed.
"So smooth and silky. It's kinda hard to believe fur this soft belongs to a human…" Futaba continued.
"Don't make me say it again! I'm a human!" Morgana grunted.
"Couldn't you just be assuming that?" Futaba asked while backing off. "I mean, I had the wrong assumptions about my mom for the longest time."
Morgana did not like hearing anything that implied he wasn't who he claimed to be. "That's not the same! I understand myself better than anyone!"
"That's true…" Futaba shrugged. She couldn't argue that. She did try to talk it out with Morgana, but he wasn't willing. Deciding this was long enough of a break, Futaba decided to get back to work. That data wasn't gonna crack itself after all.
"…" Morgana didn't say anything. He just looked down and sighed. He felt so useless lately…
.
.
It was pretty late in Hawaii at this point. Ann was walking back to her room after getting a bottle of water from a vending machine. As she walked back, she saw her roommate…and her boyfriend walking down the hallway, making her blink a few times. "Uh…what are you doing?"
"Going to my boyfriend's room! Don't wait up, Takamaki-san!" Ann's roommate said with a smile.
"Yeah, there are hardly any teachers around, and the student proxies aren't gonna do anything." The girl's boyfriend responded. "So we're gonna spend some time together." The two walked past Ann, as if she wasn't even there.
Ann was stunned. "W-Wait! You the room key…!" Ann exclaimed, but it was too late. They were already gone, leaving her in a state of complete disbelief. "She ditched me..!" Crap. How was she supposed to get to her room now? Great…oh! She had an idea. Good thing she had her phone and charger in hand and pocket.
Ann: Hey. You said you're in the same hotel, right?
Hifumi: Huh? Oh, yes. On the third floor. Why do you ask…?
Ann: Well, the girl I was rooming with just took off with her boyfriend! She has the key, too!
Hifumi: Oh…that's unfortunate.
Ann: So I was wondering if I could stay with you tonight?
Hifumi: Oh..! This…works out, actually. I had a roommate as well, but it turns out she decided to leave to go elsewhere. Not many are fond of rooming with me, I suppose…
That made Ann frown and type furiously.
Ann: Well don't you worry! I'm coming over! What's your room?
Hifumi: 301. But…well. Like I said before, the Kosei faculty aren't fond of being near Shujin. So if you got caught…
Ann: It'll be OK! We sneak around all the time in the Metaverse, right? This is nothing!
Hifumi: I suppose. Ok. Knock three times when you make it, so I know it's you.
Ann: Be right there!
This worked out nicely. Ann could use this chance to check in on Hifumi, but she had ot make it there first. So Ann quietly made her way to the third floor. 301 shouldn't be too far away, but of course she took the stairwell that was furthest away unintentionally. "Great…nice work, Ann." She mumbled to herself, quietly proceeding ahead, head on a swivel to look at the door numbers and keep an eye on anyone happening to pass through. Since she was trying to sneak past Kosei teachers, chances were they were actually taking the job seriously unlike most of the student proxies of Shujin. She actually heard a few teachers talking and quickly hid behind a corner. "…!"
"Did you hear, Shujin is here too." A teacher said.
"Yeah," The other teacher replied. "That school always gave me a bad vibe. I'm surprised they're here at all considering that article. Just how many people were involved in that horrible cover up story?"
"Supposedly they're using a third years as proxies for the teachers that couldn't make it."
"That school is such a mess…"
The conversation of the teachers continued but they walked past Ann without noticing her. Ann let out a silent breath. "They're not wrong…" She muttered, but shook her head. Hifumi's room was close. A few minutes later and Ann finally arrived. She raised her hand up to knock, but then…
"What are you doing?" A voice called out to Ann, causing her to stiffen. It was a Kosei teacher, presumably making final rounds for the night. A middle aged man with a slim figure, giving Ann a curious stare from behind his rimmed glasses.
"O-Oh…um…." Ann was a bit frantic. Caught at the last second!? Come on…. "Woooow…I think this is my room?" She was in such a panic; she ended up slipping into her acting voice.
"Are you a Shujin student?" The teacher asked, narrowing his eyes. "I suppose that's not important. Kosei High students are on this floor. I ask that you do not disturb them."
"Erk…" Ann couldn't believe this. A strict teacher right at the finish line. If she told the teacher she was from Shujin, there was even less of a chance of her being able to do this. "I…"
"Do you need help getting back to your room? If not, I ask that you leave." The teacher said.
"I…totally remember where my room is now…haha…!" Ann flashed a nervous smile and quickly backed away, rounding a corner to let out a frustrated sigh "Are you serious!?" She slowly poked her head around the corner, hoping that the teacher left and she could try again…but it didn't seem that likely. He was still there, waiting for her to actually leave. "Son of a…" She actually had to leave. Damn it. It was best not to stick around least she get in trouble…
Buzz buzz.
Hifumi: Is something the matter? I heard noise outside.
Ann: Sorry, I can't make it. A scary teacher noticed me and isn't letting me through…
Hifumi: Oh…I was hoping that wouldn't happen. I'm sorry…I know they won't say it, but I feel as if my mother really wanted to ensure I didn't do anything she wouldn't like. Thanks for trying, though, Ann…
Ann: We can just talk tomorrow, OK?
Hifumi: That's fine. Goodnight, Ann.
Ann: Night.
Sighing, Ann put her phone in her pocket. There went her plan A….at least she had a plan B.
As for Hifumi, she was lying on her side, putting her phone in sleep mode while letting out a heavy sigh. She was looking forward to Ann sleeping over, but unfortunately it just seemed like things still weren't going her way lately. "Alone again…most unfortunate…" She mumbled, turning over to try and sleep. So far, being overseas was far from exciting…
.
.
Ren was staring out the window of the hotel room, enjoying the scenery. While he was doing that, Mishima was, not so surprisingly, on his phone, looking at the Phan-Site. "There are even more posts now…" Mishima said in amazement. He caught Ren's attention and continued to explain. "The president of a company called Okumura Foods is rising very quickly up the rankings!"
"You're looking now? We're on a trip, you know…" Ren sighed.
"Come on, you can't let this chance pass you by!" Mishima said like he was the only sane one here. "It's rumored Okumura Foods exploits its employees! Stuff like underpaying staff to reduce labor costs. That's how they have so many stores…" Luckily for Ren the conversation was cut short by a knock at the door. He went to answer it and Ryuji walked in.
"Yo." Ryuji said, taking a seat on the bed.
"What are you doing here?" Mishima asked, skeptically.
"Just hear me out…!" Ryuji asked. "The guy I'm roomin' with went 'n brought his girlfriend back to the room. I felt totally awkward stayin' in there with them. So…I'm just gonna sleep here tonight."
"Even though there are only two beds?" Mishima asked again. Another knock, so he went to answer it. This time it was Ann. "Takamaki…!?"
Ann sat on the other bed, pouting. "The girl I was rooming with took off to her boyfriend's room! And she took the key!"
Small school. Even Ryuji could connect the dots. "I know that feelin'…!"
"I was already out of the room by the time she left. I couldn't even get back in my room!" Ann groaned.
Ryuji noticed that Mishima was still on his phone. "…Dude, you're lookin' up stuff even here?"
"Ever since the Medjed case, many people from overseas have been access the website." Mishima explained. "Isn't it crazy!? The Phantom Thieves are finally making their worldwide debut! What should I do about overseas requests…? I can't even imagine who'll be next! It's not just Japan anymore. The whole world is waiting to see their next move."
"I…don't think we're the ones you should ask about that…" Ann said innocently. "By the way, what time is it…?"
"Late." Ren replied.
"So sleepy…" Ryuji yawned. "I'm feelin' pretty pooped. Think this is that jetlag thing?"
"It'll be a hassle for me to go anywhere else. I'll just sleep here tonight." Ann said, defeated. The boys, however, were naturally against this idea.
"Um…are you sure about that?" Ren asked.
"Seriously, I don't think that's a good idea! Go room with Hifumi or somethin'…! Ain't they in the same hotel?!" Ryuji was quick to push that idea.
"Why do you think I came here?" Ann said, rolling her eyes. "I already tried, but a teacher busted me just before I could actually get there. It was too much trouble to try and fight it, so you guys were my plan B. Don't worry, I trust you guys." She flashed a smile.
"…Saw that one comin'…" Ryuji mumbled. There was no getting out of this.
Mishima had to do the math. "There are only two beds. Even if someone sleeps on the sofa…someone has to take the floor."
"So whose that gonna be?" Ryuji asked. How were they going to decide who got the short end of the stick? That's when his gaze fell upon a deck of playing cards on the table. "Ooh, playing cards! Why don't we use these to decide! Everyone agreed and a game was played to decide the sleeping arrangements. The winners of the beds: Ann and Mishima. Ren was the runner up who got the couch…which left the floor for Ryuji. Great.
Everyone settled up for bed, except for Mishima who was absent. Ryuji of course being the one complaining about his situation. "I'm all the way in Hawaii, and I'm stuck sleepin' on the floor…! By the way, where's Mishima."
"The bathroom." Ann replied quietly.
"He's been in there a while…" Ren remarked.
"…Shiho was really looking forward to this…" Ann mumbled. The failure of not being able to be there for Hifumi brought her mind back to Shiho. At least she was trying, but that didn't make the failure sting any less.
"Ann…" Ryuji said her name quietly.
"Sorry…I didn't mean to bring down the mood." Ann turned over. "I guess I'm just a little worried about Hifumi, still…and it made me think about Shiho." Sighing, she stared up at the ceiling. "I know Hifumi is still feeling down…she's trying her best to keep appearances, though.
"I guess I can't blame her." Ren said.
"Even her attitude has been a bit forced lately…" Ann sighed. "I was hoping I could cheer her up somehow, but I wasn't so lucky today. And we don't have a lot of time left in Hawaii…I guess I just don't know what I can do to help her as much as I want to."
"We still have time left. I wouldn't worry…you have a way of making people smile." Ren said.
"…Heh…yeah, I guess you're right." Ann could smile a bit to that one. "It's just…it's already almost been six months since then too. It's crazy how fast things change…"
"Right? Hard to believe the rowdy kids at school are popular around the world." Ryuji was taking pride in this.
"But don't you think there are still some things we don't know about each other?" Ann sat up, a playful smile on her lips. "Like…what kind of people we like. Go on Ryuji, You're first. What's your type?" She shifted the topic to something more lighthearted.
"Me…!?" Ryuji wasn't expecting to be first. "Uh…well. She's gotta have a good personality. I'm okay with anyone who's nice, I guess."
"What if two equally nice girls approached you? Who would you pick then?" Ann asked.
"If they're equally nice? Then it'd hafta be the one with the hotter bod." Ryuji replied immediately.
Ann was disappointed, but not surprised. "So looks are what's important to you."
"What!?" Ryuji was shocked that Ann drew that sort of conclusion.
"Your first answer was superficial. The second one was your true beliefs." Ann sighed. "So you really are they type of guy…"
"That's ain't fair!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"That was a loaded question, but you definitely walked into the gunfire." Ren remarked. Both Ann and Ryuji were shocked Ren said that.
"Okay, what about you then, Ren?" Ann quickly shifted to him. "What kinda girls are you into?"
"Hmmm…" Ren thought about the question for a second before shrugging. "I don't think I have a type. I'm cool with anyone…" He also knew a lot of women, and if he was asked to pick between any of them…he would try to avoid answering that question for his own wellbeing.
"You're totally dodgin' the question!" Ryuji groaned. "…But at least you were honest…okay Ann, it's your turn. What's your type?"
"Me!?" Ann somehow didn't think the conversation would turn this way. She just wanted to prod the guy's for information on what they were into. "Well…if anything, I guess I'd just like someone reliable…and nice…" Ironically, when the question was on her, she wasn't sure. Her mouth said one thing but her head was saying another. "I can't say I'm not into the dark mysterious type..." If they were all being honest with each other, she had to be fair and say her part, too.
"Ugh…help…." Mishima's weak voice came from the bathroom. That cut the conversation short.
"…Is he okay…?" Ren asked.
"You know, I think I saw him drinking tap water earlier…" Ann said.
"Ain't that like…the one thing you don't do when out of the country!?" Ryuji couldn't believe this. Even he wasn't so dumb to drink tap water!
"…Poor guy." Ann turned over. There wasn't really anything they could do for Mishima at the moment. He was just going to have to deal with this situation himself. Besides, Ann couldn't focus on that when she was too concerned over Hifumi. They still had some time left in Hawaii…so maybe she could do something for Hifumi before they left…