The moment Ren opened the doors to Leblanc, the others practically rushed him. It was the same feeling as when he returned from the police station during their ruse to fool Akechi. "Woohoo! Namaste!" Futaba said excitedly.
"Whoa…!" Sojiro was a little surprised at Futaba's excitement.
"You did it!" Ryuji grinned.
"Not bad! You look fine." Ann smiled.
"I'm glad you seem well." Haru could barely contain her smile.
"It has been a while." Yusuke said.
"And the best for last: me!" Morgana said while stepping forward.
"Ahem." Hifumi cleared her throat. That caught Ren's attention. "Hi."
"Hifumi…Morgana, you guys…" Ren could hardly believe it, but this was exactly what he was hoping for.
"I hope you weren't too worried about me." Hifumi said with a teasing grin. "Togos don't go down that easily, after all."
"Hah, yeah…I guess not." Ren replied.
"Alright, let's grab a table." Makoto said and everyone sat down.
"I gotta head out and grab some groceries. I'm sure you guys have plenty to talk about." Sojiro said before walking out.
"Now we're only missing one person…" Ann said. Right on that cue, Sumire shuffled into the café.
"Sorry I'm late!" Sumire said and then her eyes landed on Ren. "Ren-senpai! Um…welcome back!"
"Alright, that's everyone!" Ryuji had a wide grin. Sumire took a seat. "Man, I can't believe how well this turned out."
"This was certainly worth the effort." Yusuke said.
"We didn't know what to do at first once you were gone." Ann told Ren. "But then we realized something. Even if we don't have the Metaverse or any other special powers, we can still change reality."
"If we didn't do that at the very least, we'd be betraying the very the entire reason we stood up to Maruki." Morgana said.
"We'll oppose the injustices of reality with our own strength. That's what we decided." Sumire had a slight smile.
"And ever since then, we've been doin' just that – busting our asses tryna get you outta the clink." Ryuji added.
"Not just us. But everyone who believed in you joined us." Haru said. "You've made a lot of good friends."
Everyone? They all went that far for him? "Wow…I gotta thank them when I can, heh. And thank you guys, too. You saved me."
"And thanks to that, we got our leader back!" Futaba pushed her glasses up.
"It certainly wasn't an easy task at first, but once things began to snowball, it was only a matter of time." Hifumi said.
"You won't believe this." Sumire look at Ren. "Risette even did what she could to help!"
"Wait…Risette? The idol?" Ren blinked.
"Yeah, her!" Futaba was just as shocked. "I have no idea what spurred her to help, but she brought in loads of support! I can't believe she went that far for some person she's never even met!"
"…" That made Ren pause for a moment. Never met, huh? Even if that was true, he did wonder….
"…I wonder if Risette would come to my aid if I got arrested…" Ann said with a dreamy sigh.
"Please don't." Hifumi shook her head.
"They treated you fine, right? Actually, did you gain some weight?" Ann was looking over Ren a bit worriedly. Sure, he was only in there for a few days physically, but….
"It would be understandable. I've heard the food in prison is quite foul…" Even Yusuke had to draw the line with food somewhere. "So, what did you eat…?"
"Was it bugs?! Fermented mackerel? Durian!?" Futaba was very curious about this for whatever reason.
"It wasn't anything that bad…" Ren said with a nervous sweat drop.
Makoto just shook her head. "You're missing the point."
"You'll be havin' some good food soon enough. That's why Boss left." Ryuji's grin widened. "C'mon, everyone's back together. It's time to celebrate!"
Someone's stomach growled loudly. "I guess you really were hungry, huh, Ren-kun?" Haru teased.
"…That wasn't me." Ren said.
"…Wait, then who was that?" Ann asked.
Sumire bashfully rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry about that…"
"Sojiro will be back soon. Just hang in there." Futaba gave Sumire a teasing smile.
The mood was bright and all, but there was a question that Ryuji couldn't get out of his head. "Hey, so…sorry for not mindin' my business 'n all…but we heard from Boss you're going back home next month?" He looked at Ren. "Can't you just stay here? Sure we proved you're not guilty, but people're still gonna label you there, aren't they? Ain't it just gonna be uncomfortable going back?" Annnnd with that, the mood died.
"I feel as though this topic could have waited a little longer." Hifumi muttered.
"What's the matter? We were all so excited a moment ago." Makoto let out a small sigh. "Okay, how about this. If our leader is leaving, the Phantom Thieves are truly disbanding, correct? Today we can celebrate Ren's release, and commemorate or disbandment."
Ann couldn't help but snicker. "What kind of suggestion is that?"
"I was serious when I said it…" Makoto had to resist the urge to deflate.
"That sounds good to me!" Haru said.
"Alright, it's decided." Ryuji could feel the mood shift again.
"Oh, right. I wanted to tell you guys something." Morgana began. "I plan on going with Ren when he leaves. He's pretty special after all, and someone needs to make sure he doesn't become a delinquent again."
"I've never been a delinquent." Ren said with a fake scoff.
"Either way, I want you guys to add my farewell party to the one we're having tonight." Morgana demanded.
"Do we need to?" Ryuji grinned.
"Um…." Sumire glanced away.
"I think we're busy with this one…" Hifumi rubbed her arm.
"I think it would muddle things." Makoto said.
"You're not leaving for another month, right?" Haru asked.
Morgana was continuously getting shot down. Wonderful. "How dare you…!" Nobody was on his side. That's when Sojiro walked back in. "Chief! They're being mean!"
Sojiro shook his head. "I can't understand what you're saying, you know." With a shrug, he pulled out a snack and practically shoved it into Morgana's mouth.
.
.
The group did have a pretty nice party. Once it was all over, they broke off for the night. Morgana and Ren were in Ren's room, just like old times. There was one thing that lingered on Morgana's mind. "Hey, do you remember what happened in Maruki's Palace…when I actually began to fly? Was that a dream?"
"Oh, no. You most definitely turned into a helicopter." Ren answered.
"I still have no idea how that was even possible…" Morgana said, pondering this for a while. "I do have a theory. Do you have that Star Jose gave you?"
"Think so…" Ren reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the Wishing Star. It completely lost its shine and was little more than a black rock now. "Oof."
"It lost its shine…" Morgana nodded. The pieces of his sudden transformation were put into place. "I see. I guess whatever happened in there, in the Metaverse, won't be happening again anytime soon…"
.
.
February 14th.
Valentine's Day. Love was in the air in Japan and people wanted to spend it with the person they cared about the most. It was a little late in the day at this point, but Hifumi and Ann were together in a surprising location. Hifumi knew a place with an indoor pool and a view, so she invited Ann there. The two of them were in their swimsuits and Ann looked around, surprised at the size of the pool "Wow….I didn't know about this place."
"It's fairly popular during normal hours." Hifumi said while placing her hands behind her back, smiling towards Ann. "But I know the times when absolutely no one comes here. It's been consistent as well, and with everyone being busy today, I knew it would be open for just the two of us."
"Wow, you sure know your stuff." Ann said with a smile of her own.
Hifumi's smile did falter slightly. "…I am sorry that I asked you to join me so late. I didn't want to bother you if you were doing anything."
"Nah, don't worry." Ann waved her hand. "I wasn't doing anything today, and I was really happy when you asked me to join you. Actually, I was supposed to do a shoot for a Valentine's Day cover, but…"
"Oh, you told me about that. What happened?" Hifumi tilted her head.
"…Mika." That's all Ann was going to say. She still couldn't shake the feeling that Mika duped her.
"…I won't ask." Hifumi opted to leave it at that. She approached the edge of the pool and sat down, putting her legs in the water. It was a little cold at first, but she would grow used to it in time.
"Although, I am a little surprised you wanted to spend time with me." Ann admitted. "I know is a day to show your love for someone and all, but I thought you'd rather spend that time with your father, since…."
"Mhm, I thought just that." Hifumi said. "He's been holding on so much longer than the doctor's thought, it's largely thanks to Dr. Takemi's medicine. I owe her a lot, but even then…" Her father's sickness would prevail over him very soon. "I did want to spend the day with him, but you know what he told me instead? He looked at me with a smile and said to go spend the day with someone who makes me happy. Even in his condition, he keeps thinking about me first." Hifumi stared down at the water for a moment, before turning to Ann. "…So that's why I reached out to you. Because you make me happy."
Ann felt a pink tint dust her cheeks. A bashful laugh escaped her and she wasn't sure how to react. Hifumi's words were very sweet. "Ah, Fumi…that makes me happy to hear."
"I would hope so." Hifumi giggled before placing herself into the water. "Do you want to swim with me?"
"I will in a bit. The water's really cold." Ann said. So far it was enough for her to just put her legs in the water. Hifumi nodded and just began to swim by herself, but having one another's company was still pretty good for them. Eventually, Ann did slip in the water to join and swim with Hifumi. They had plenty of fun as well, and got into a splash fight as well. But they wouldn't spend all their time in the water. Eventually they got out for a little bit, and Ann walked towards the window to look at the view of the city. "It really is a nice view."
"Isn't it?" Hifumi stayed in the water, resting her upper body against the edge. "This is my secret place, and I'm happy to have brought you along."
"Heh…" Ann let out a small laugh. "…Say, since we are here, I guess this is a good time to tell you. I was thinking about starting to study abroad."
"Hm?" Hifumi tilted her head. "Really?"
"Mhm." Ann turns back to Hifumi. "I wanted to start taking my career seriously and all, so I think that's the best place to start. It wouldn't be for a while though…but I just thought I should let you know…"
"In case I get lonely?" Hifumi said. It was a guess, but she figured out what Ann wanted to say. "It's okay. I'd miss you a lot, but I would manage. It's a little funny…we haven't even known each other for a year, but we got close very quickly."
"We did, didn't we?" Ann returned to the water, mostly sitting down on the edge. "…Hey, I still have to ask, just in case. Are you sure you're okay?" The whole potentially dying thing did frighten Ann quite a bit.
Hifumi splashed Ann a little to confirm that she was, in fact, still okay. "Perfectly fine. Especially thanks to you. I really can't explain how I stuck around, maybe I really was lucky…but I'd like to think it was your belief in me that helped me stay. Yours and everyone else's of course. I'd be just fine knowing that's the reason I'm here in reality right now. So…eheh, I guess I just want an excuse to say that you saved me once again. Sorry for being such a handful…"
"Oh, stop that…" Ann shook her head, smiling down at Hifumi. "You saved me too, you know? If it weren't for you, I really would've stayed in that fake reality. You reminded me about what I was fighting for this whole time and stopped me from losing all of that. I think we're about even on that front." Ann teased lightly.
"Even..?" Hifumi had to shake her head now. "Hardly…truth be told, as much as I love shogi, before I met you, I really disliked a lot of things about my life. But I kept going, because I wanted to support my family through their struggles. And then one day, here comes this girl from a different school that I've never met. I thought that she was nice, but I didn't expect anything more from that….and then she suddenly dragged me along with her friends after lying to my mother. I was so shocked, but happy at the same time. No one had ever done anything like that for me before."
They've had this conversation before, but every time Hifumi talked about what she did; Ann couldn't help but scratch her cheek sheepishly. "What was I supposed to do? Leave the nice girl I met to be alone and sad. No way! I wasn't going to make that mistake of standing idly by again. If I had to do right by someone…I'm glad it was you, Fumi."
"Me too." Hifumi's smile softened a bit. "You've done a lot for me. Even when I thought things were hopeless and I was willing to resign myself to whatever life had in store, you helped keep me going. I'm so very grateful for everything you've done for me, Ann."
"O-Oh come on…I could sing your praises too. Like how you were always pushing yourself to protect people…or making sure everyone stayed safe." Ann said with a growing blush. "But…you're welcome, Fumi."
Hifumi's own cheeks began to burn. "…Thanks for stealing me away on that day. I cannot imagine where I'd be right now if you hadn't." She approached Ann slowly, leaning up quickly to gently press her lips to Ann's own for a soft kiss. Truly, her words alone couldn't convey how she felt.
"..!" Ann was stunned the whole time. Hifumi completely surprised her. Her face lit up and she didn't move. She didn't pull back when their lips touched, but she was too stunned to return it.
When Hifumi pulled back, she saw the look on Ann's face and felt like sinking into the water. "I-I'm sorry, that's stupid. I shouldn't have done that…I'm…going to just…" In a flustered panic, she began to sink into the water, but Ann quickly pulled her back up.
"N-No! I…It was fine…" Ann wasn't sure what to say. This kind of situation was completely foreign to her. It was completely different than what that man tried to do to her at the beginning of the year. She cared about Hifumi a lot, and their friendship quickly blossomed into a strong relationship over the past few months since that day. "You just…surprised me. But…I didn't dislike it…" Ann admitted, her own expression becoming a lot shier. "…I didn't think you'd be the type to make a move first…"
"The water is doing an exceptional job at hiding how nervous I was about it…" Hifumi was glad that Ann didn't turn away in repulsion from her actions. That was a relief at least. "But, still…I just couldn't help that…I've never done that before and it was probably pretty sloppy. Actually, did I miss? I think I did, so…" Hifumi was about to sink again, but Ann just pulled her up.
"It's fine, Fumi. I-I swear." Ann said with her cheeks still red. She was just processing the events and trying to sort out her feelings. It was nothing bad, far from it. Her mind was just buzzing as new thoughts swirled in her head. She could feel how fast her heart was beating though, and she wondered if Hifumi felt the same way. "I bet your mom would hate you for making a move on anyone, eheh…" She joked lightly.
"Actually….." Hifumi trailed off. "I did have another good bit of news. I think my mother is finally experiencing the effects of her change of heart. She's become a loss less strict lately, and…she did remove the ban I had on dating."
"Wait, really…!?" Ann was surprised.
"Mhm…" Hifumi was just going to let that simmer for a bit. "But…I did get a little off track. Because today is a special day, and I wanted to tell you something above all else…I'll never stop thanking you for what you've done for me. So I just wanted to say…thank you, Ann. And I love you. I truly cannot imagine my life without you in it."
Anns smile softened once again. She put herself in the water again, just so she could properly wrap her arms around Hifumi for a tight embrace. "I love you too, Fumi. You mean the world to me." If there was one thing that Ann wanted to tell Hifumi today, it was, without a doubt, that…
.
.
February 15th.
Valentine's Day came and went. Now things went back to normal. Late in the evening, Ren and Morgana were just sitting together in the café. "Hey, weren't the girls supposed to give chocolate to the guys they liked yesterday?" Morgana turned to Ren. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Eh? I'm fine. People are busy." Ren shrugged.
Sojiro hurried into the store. "Hey, what did you do!? Outside the store, is that…!?" It was too late. The door opened and they came in, causing Sojiro to panic. "Whoa…!"
Before Ren knew it, he was literally backed into a corner of the store. Makoto, Futaba, Sumire, Haru, Kawakami, Ohya, Chihaya, and Takemi circled around him, all of them holding boxes of chocolate. "…H-Heeeeeeey?" Ren blinked a few times. Something was wrong.
"I saw the light on last night." Makoto was glaring at him. "Did you think you'd just try and trick this romantically impaired fool?"
"I was worried about you, so I came to check on you yesterday…" Haru couldn't even look at Ren, but her voice was heartbroken. "You could've just said you were busy, even if you had to lie about what you were doing…"
"Yesterday…who were you with…?" Futaba asked meekly.
"I got worried yesterday, so I read my own fortune…" Chihaya glanced away. "It said you were seeing someone else."
"You seem to be doing well." Takemi said. "Did my little guinea pig forget to turn off his lights last night?"
"You're such a problem child." Kawakami groaned. "I left work early to see how you were, and I saw you with someone else. Ugh, what the heck and I even doing?"
"I got quite the scoop yesterday! A boyfriend caught cheating, but I'm not very happy about it!" Ohya scowled.
"Senpai…" Sumire looked the most disappointed of them all. "I don't want to suspect you of anything, but if something's going on, I wanna know."
Okay, what in the hell was going on here!? "W-Wait a second..!" Ren waved his hands. "This is all just…one huge misunderstanding…" He had to find a way to defend himself, but for some reason he wasn't sure how! He was caught red handed, but…!
"Take it." Makoto shoved her box of chocolates out.
"Take my chocolate please. Before I crush it." Haru's tone was sweet, but Ren knew that tone. He could feel the malice oozing out of Haru's voice. She was barely holding back.
"This…was for you…" Futaba whimpered.
"Here. Take your chocolate." Chihaya demanded.
"There's no need to be modest. Just take it." Takemi said. Now it sounded a lot more worrying.
"You can eat this, right? It's chocolate." Kawakami huffed.
"Here. It's chocolate, got it?" Ohya said.
"Can you eat this chocolate for me?" Sumire couldn't look at Ren.
Ren was backed into a corner. All Morgana and Sojiro could do was watch this trainwreck. "Hey, kid…say something." Sojiro was begging for Ren to make a response.
Okay. Ren was thinking about this as fast as he could. He was surrounded by eight angry women, all under the impression that he was cheating on him. "If I phrase this carefully, I think I can get out of this and clear up this misunderstanding…" He stared at their heartbroken, angered, saddened expressions. They were all holding out their chocolate for him angrily. He looked at them, the chocolates, and proceeded to swallow the nervous lump in his throat. What he WANTED to say was something along the lines of: I appreciate all the hard work you've put into those chocolates, and I'm sure if we sit down we can talk about this properly. However, because of his nerves, he said the abridged version. "….I do want the chocolates."
That was the wrong choice.
Probably the worst one.
"Are you making a fool of me!?" Makoto exclaimed.
"Enough of this irresponsible behavior!" Haru shouted.
"You'll pay for this." Takemi glared.
"Stop messing around!" Kawakami huffed.
"You're terrible, Senpai!" Sumire frowned.
"I'm disappointed." Futaba shook her head.
"Are you being serious?" Chihaya sighed.
"Soooo not funny." Ohya was not amused.
Well, Ren made his bed, and now he had to lie in it. Sojiro knew exactly where this was going. "I was just about to go shopping so…take your time."
"…See you later. If you survive." Morgana said, leaving the store with Sojiro.
"W-Wait!" Ren waved his hands. He was now completely alone as the women closed in on him…
Nothing needed to be said. Ren was on the floor some time later. Those girls sure kicked his ass. He was barely conscious by the time they were done. He heard his phone vibrate and he lifted his head up, seeing a text from Ryuji.
Ryuji: Yo. You think the chocolates I got from my mom count?
Ren just collapsed after reading that.
.
.
"Gah!?" Ren shot awake. He was in his room…on his bed…with Morgana curled up by his side.
"W-what's the matter!?" Ren jolting awake surprised Morgana.
"I…the girls…they just…and you and Sojiro left me…!" Ren exclaimed.
"…What are you talking about? Nobody came in today…" Morgana yawned. "I think you just had a nightmare…go back to sleep…" The cat sure was planning on doing just that.
"…A nightmare?" That was all a dream? Then why did it feel so real? Ren briefly checked his phone just to make sure nothing happened, and that was the case. No message from Ryuji or anyone. It was all just a horrible dream. No wonder he said such a brainless thing in such a pivotal moment. He liked to believe he was smarter and had more tact than that. Ren let out a sigh of relief and slowly moved to lie back down, staring up at the ceiling as he began to drift back off to sleep. There was one final thought he had as his eyes closed.
"…Women are scary…"