A/N: Damn, it really does feel good to be writing again. Thanks for all the kind comments, it's good to know you're enjoying reading the story as much as I am writing it.

Chapter 5. More Than Just Kindness

(July 1) Afternoon

It happened again.

Sae sat at her desk and read the numerous reports of the newest calling card that had been littered all across Shibuya. Once more, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts made themselves known to the world and declared their latest target.

It had been almost a month since their last stunt. Sae had been foolish to hope it would just fade away into nothing.

Her eyes trailed across the photocopied image of the calling card.

"Junya Kaneshiro…" she murmured to herself.

Somehow, the Phantom Thieves had known. While the police also had the name, it had been incredibly difficult to pin him down or indict him with anything.

Sae's eyes narrowed as her temper flared.

How did they know? Kamoshida and Madarame's cases had been atrocious but isolated. This was much bigger. Just who were the Phantom Thieves and what exactly was a 'change of heart?' Could it be related to the mental shutdown cases?

Sae hated not knowing things. Ignorance was a state she was unaccustomed to. With a huff of annoyance she set the file down on top of her desk.

The prosecutor's office was running wild again. The police were scrambling for evidence, combing through Shibuya's traffic cameras and looking for witnesses on foot. To top it all off, her boss seemed to be in a sour mood as well. It was turning out to be a busy and arduous affair.

She wouldn't be able to visit Leblanc until much later. She thought briefly of her friend at the cafe. She pictured him: hair a mess, glasses a little crooked with a warm smile as he poured a fresh cup of coffee.

This only served to tease her longing to visit the cafe and so she shook her head of those thoughts and prepared herself for the coming hours.

Wherever he was, she sincerely hoped Ren was having a better day than her.

Deep within the palace of Gluttony, the inner vault shook as a giant steel hog crashed into the ground. From the sparking metal mess, spilled out the furious and distorted visage of shadow Junya Kaneshiro.

"Gagh!" he roared, "I'll just deal with you busters myself!"

"Skull!" Ren commanded.

"On it!" The blonde called back.

Ryuji, the toughest of their group, ran out from his supporting role and stood in front of the party, settling into a defensive stance. Ren quickly followed suit and stood beside his teammate, swapping to Kin-Ki, his persona with the highest endurance.

Out of the party, they were the best suited to take a heavy hit. Ren didn't know what Kaneshiro was up to but he wasn't willing to take any risks.

Materializing two bright golden vault doors, shadow Kaneshiro summoned two bodyguards, each proposing their own new and separate threat. One served as a defense, the other, offense.

"Fox, Queen, intercept any physical attacks that get by us. See if they're vulnerable to ice, nuclear, or physical attacks."

The two nodded, taking readied stances on their flanks, Yusuke behind Ryuji and Makoto behind him.

"Panther and Mona, stay back and cast spells on my command. If Ryuji and I get hurt, make sure we're still standing."

"You got it, Joker!" Ann chirped.

His two magic focused teammates fell in formation behind the rest.

Ren smiled confidently. There was something incredibly satisfying about a well executed plan. They were getting pretty good at this. Ryuji gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"You ready to kick some ass, partner?"

Ren kept his eyes on the enemy, as did Ryuji, and he let out a low chuckle as he punched Ryuji back. Deep within, he felt Arsene's grin stretch into a jagged maw.

"More than you know."

And with those final words, the battle commenced.

A rigorous fight, Morgana driving off the flying bank, and a train ride to Yongen Jaya, landed the party in his room above Leblanc.

"This place is oddly calming," Makoto commented as she looked around.

Ren's eyes were on the golden briefcase but his mind was wandering. With what Madarame and Kaneshiro said, a startling prospect had come to light.

They weren't alone. There was another metaverse user. That set him on edge; a lot more than he was willing to show.

They discussed the case and its fake contents, eventually deciding to sell the case itself. Ryuji brushed off the idea of another metaverse user, and while it made him uneasy, the blonde was right. They didn't know anything. There was nothing they could do. With the palaces collapsed, there was no way to investigate any leftover traces of another metaverse user.

Ren was loath to do so, but he'd have to let go of it for now.

Leaving his thoughts and focusing back on what was happening, he smiled at his band of thieves laughing with one another.

This was nice.

Eventually, they all began to disband.

"I'll see ya later, RenRen!" Ryuji called.

The blonde passed through the cafe door and departed out into the alleyway. He heard a snicker from beside him and he turned to regard the student council president, the only remaining member of his party left.

"RenRen?" she questioned lightly.

He offered a bemused smile as he walked back upstairs. Even he didn't really know why Ryuji had taken to calling him that. Makoto followed as she seemed to get a kick out of it. When they reached the attic, Ren sat beside a napping Morgana as Makoto took a seat across from them. Now out of earshot of the cafe, she smirked.

"RenRen is a little too cute for the grisled and dangerous leader of the phantom thieves."

If he was honest, he kind of liked the nickname.

"Oh, so you do know how to joke," he teased back.

Makoto laughed, however, she soon seemed distracted. Ren wondered if he'd been too forward. Perhaps Makoto and him weren't close enough to joke like that. He was about to say something apologetic when she spoke first.

"I've actually been meaning to speak with you about something…" she said nervously.

Oh? Well this was interesting.

Late Evening

Ren mulled over Makoto's words from earlier as he washed dishes.

Essentially, she felt disconnected from her peers and wanted to try out new things that didn't involve reading a textbook for hours on end. She wanted him to take her somewhere that people their age considered fun. He'd given it some thought and decided on the arcade on central street.

Makoto had made it clear that he should feel no pressure or obligation to help her and that if he was free, to just contact her anytime. It was funny how shy and unassertive she could be sometimes. It was a far cry from her phantom thief demeanor as well as her own sister.

Despite both having a penchant for hard work, there were still remarkable differences.

The entrance bell suddenly chimed.

Speak of the devil.

At this time of night, it couldn't have been anyone else. He shut off the faucet, wiped his hands, and turned to the door.

Sae Niijima, in all her exhausted glory, stood in the entrance. She was as beautiful as ever. He smiled, and soon, she did too.

"Hey, Sae," he greeted softly.

Ren moved to the shelf, grabbing the house blend as he began to prepare her usual. She took to her seat, taking off her suit jacket as she got comfortable.

"Hey, to you too, Ren," she returned whimsically.

As he prepared her drink, he looked her over. Sae always had a sense of well worn energy, but tonight she seemed extra tired. Still, she held a small smile, and that made him happy.

Finishing quickly, his proficiency blooming, he set a steaming cup of coffee on the counter in front of her.

"Long day? You look a bit tired."

Sae nodded her thanks and took a long sip before answering with a pleased sigh.

"Ahh, yeah… did you see the news? There was another calling card."

Ren felt guilty playing ignorant.

"I thought I heard something about that. The Phantom Thieves, right? It's been a while since we heard from them. I thought whatever they were doing was over."

Sae laughed, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

"I thought so as well; though it was more of a hope."

He knew full well the answer to the question he was about to ask. That alone made him feel uncomfortable. Ren knew the importance of secrecy but keeping things from Sae just felt wrong.

"Do you think their target will have a 'change of heart,' like before?"

She sighed.

"Realistically, yes. They've shown themselves to be a strange but determined group. We haven't been able to get a solid lead on anything about them. But honestly, it would be nice if nothing happened and they just faded away."

Ren kept a straight face but he couldn't help but feel hurt. Sae continued.

"They may think they're helping but it's honestly just creating more trouble for the people who have the authority to actually help."

He nodded, agreeing that if the people in authority actually were helping, that would be the case. But it wasn't. Not for Kamoshida, not for Madarame and certainly not for Kaneshiro. People had been hurt, and he wouldn't just do nothing.

Sae worked in a system, and as much as he wanted that system to work, it had been letting people down. He didn't blame her for her perspective; he wasn't even mad.

One day, unlikely as it was, he hoped to be able to tell her the truth. He had faith she would judge correctly and understand.

"Wasn't there a bit of time between the targets receiving their calling card and having their change of heart? Won't we just have to wait and see?"

He was careful to only say what was public knowledge. Sae nodded, seemingly glad to let the subject end at that.

"Indeed we will," she concluded.

Sae took another long sip before meeting his eyes and showing a confident smile.

"Now enough talk about work. Let's do something fun. I think I have time to win a chess game or two before I should be going."

Ren cracked a smile of his own, a sense of playfulness washing over him at her clear challenge. She was so on.

"I'll get the board," he said merrily.

Nighttime

True to her word, Sae had won both games before taking her leave with a smile as he vowed, nonchalantly, to beat her next time. After her departure, he'd cleaned the cafe and went upstairs to get ready to sleep.

Ren crawled into bed, careful not to upset Morgana's already sleeping form.

It had been a good day.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone hummed with a notification. Checking the message, he opened his phone, to the contact of Ann Takamaki typing in chat.

What could Ann be wanting this late at night?

Ann: 'Hey guys, I know it's late but do you think you could meet me at the diner on central street after school? It's important, and don't tell Ryuji about this either!'

Don't tell Ryuji? Wasn't he in the chat? Upon closer inspection he noticed that her fellow blonde was missing from the collection of profile icons.

Huh… he'd bite.

Ren: 'Sure thing, I'll text you when I'm there.'

His fellow thieves, minus Ryuji, responded in kind, giving Ann similar replies with the addition of Makoto telling them to go to bed.

Now Ren was curious, but that would have to wait. From combating Kaneshiro's shadow to his shift at Leblanc, he'd worked up a healthy level of exhaustion.

It wasn't long before he was sound asleep.

(July 2) After School

"So… you're probably wondering why I gathered you all here today," Ann stated with a level of enthusiasm that suggested she was enjoying their suspense.

Ren and Morgana had been the first to arrive, and the rest followed soon after until they were all seated, minus Ryuji, in one of the many booths.

"I'm assuming you guys didn't let Ryuji know about this?" She clarified.

Ren, Makoto, Yusuke, and Morgana nodded.

"Of course, Lady Ann, but if you don't want that bumbling ape to know something you don't have to try too hard," Morgana jabbed at the missing Ryuji.

Ann laughed sheepishly, likely for Ryuji's sake.

"That is true. But..." she paused and made sure they were all paying attention, "...he's actually the reason why I asked you guys to come out here."

Ann smiled a rare smile.

"You see, it's his birthday tomorrow and I wanted to throw him a surprise party. I don't think Ryuji's had a lot of close friends in his life and I know it'd mean a lot if we did something for him."

She spoke earnestly, and for a moment he thought he glimpsed some pink behind her cheeks.

"And for that… I'm going to need you guys," she looked at all of them individually, "So… will you help me?"

It was quiet for a moment and he had a feeling they were all taken aback at Ann's display of care. Ren had suspected, but he never thought Ann thought of Ryuji that much. It was sweet what she was doing for him.

Hoping to speak for all of them, Ren nodded.

"We'd love to help."

Ren made his own glances around the table and was pleased to see all of them were on board. Ann looked to be filled to the brim with joy.

"Really guys? Thank you! I know he'll love it."

Ann quickly shifted gears.

"Alright, Yusuke, could you make some decorations?"

The blue haired artist nodded.

"Gladly, my brush is yours," he affirmed.

She moved on, handing their senpai some yen.

"Makoto, could you get a small cake or cupcake, nothing too fancy but it has to be strawberry flavored."

Makoto pushed the money back to her.

"There's no need for that, I can cover it."

Ann nodded happily before turning to Ren.

"And you… you're the whole link pin of the operation," she said seriously, looking him in the eye.

Makoto perked up from the side.

"You mean, lynchpin, right?"

Ann blushed.

"Yes, that. Ren, do you think we could use Leblanc? Not the cafe, that wouldn't be fair, but your room maybe?"

Did she even need to ask? Ren smiled reassuringly.

"Consider the place yours tomorrow."

As they finalized the plans, Ann bought them fries, much to Yusuke's enjoyment. The artist was looking a little thin. With the meeting concluded and their individual roles, they disbanded. Ren had made it down the stairs of the diner when Ann pulled him to the side.

"Ren, this is important," she prefaced, "Ryuji is going to invite you to go fishing with him tomorrow."

He looked at her curiously.

"How do you know that?"

Ann looked in the corner of her vision as she recalled something long ago.

"Ryuji once said to me that there was nothing cooler or manlier than two homies going fishing."

Ren smiled fondly. That did, in fact, sound like Ryuji.

"I know you would have gone with him regardless of me mentioning it but I just wanted things to go smoothly, so, whenever you two 'homies' are done, text me and we'll be ready at Leblanc."

Ann always gave one-hundred percent in everything she did.

"Sure thing, Ann, you can count on me."

She laughed cheerfully.

"You're our leader, of course I can count on you. Thanks again Ren, this wouldn't be possible without you. I'll see you tomorrow."

He waved his own goodbye and soon it was just him and Morgana. The cat poked his head out of his bag.

"Lady Ann is so kind. To think she'd go through all this trouble for a bozo like Ryuji."

Morgana's and Ryuji's rivalry was near legendary and so he let the comment slide. But he would at least correct his feline companion on one thing.

"I don't think she's doing this simply out of kindness, Morgana..."

Ren thought of his own actions when it came to a certain public prosecutor. The mere thought of her smile gave him a gentle warmth.

He turned on his heels and headed home.

"...It's much more than that," he said finally.

(July 3) Late Afternoon

Ryuji smiled wide as they headed back to the station from the Ichigaya fishing pond.

"Dude! I cannot believe you caught that many fish. Forget Kawakami, you are so the Fishing Master."

True to the blonde's excitement, tucked beneath his arm was a brown paper bag, wrapped and sealed, full of the fish he'd caught at the pond. Ryuji had his own package, though his was less bountiful. Ryuji's… 'aggressive' fishing style didn't yield as much as Ren's more subdued style.

They had arrived at noon and had kept at it until now. Ren had told Ryuji to come over to Leblanc for, non spicy, curry. The blonde had accepted gratefully and he smiled at how smooth the plan was going.

When Ryuji had invited him to go fishing, he hadn't even mentioned that today was his birthday. There was something about that that made Ren respect the blonde even more.

Ryuji walked with his hands behind his head, carefree and happy. Ren was content seeing his friend enjoying himself. While he was facing away, he quickly sent a message to Ann saying they were headed back.

The train ride was spent talking about various training methods and how cool they had been during their fight with Kaneshiro when they stood and took all the attacks for the party.

Before he knew it, they were walking through Leblanc's windowed door.

"Alright, let's get our curry on. I'm starving," Ryuji enthused.

He made to sit at the counter but Ren tapped him on the shoulder.

"Actually, I was thinking we could eat upstairs."

Ren peered past the blonde to Sojiro. The cafe owner, having been let in on the plan nodded to him.

"I asked Sojiro to make some ahead of time while we were on the train."

Ryuji grinned.

"Good thinking RenRen, that's dope. What are we waiting for, let's head on up."

Ren laughed as his friend rushed upstairs. He placed the fish in the refrigerator and followed suit. As he was halfway up, he chuckled when Ryuji exclaimed from the top of the stairs.

"Agh! What are you guys doing here?"

"I live here," Morgana stated indignantly.

Ren joined him and was met with the rest of the Phantom Thieves all sitting around a table big enough for all of them. Each had a steaming plate of curry in front of them except for two empty seats with plates of curry to match.

"We were invited, of course," Ann teased.

Ryuji glanced back at him and he smiled slyly in response.

"Oh, they were in the area and I thought, the more the merrier, right?"

By now, Ryuji was catching on that something strange was happening.

"Right..." he affirmed.

It was then that his stomach let out a fierce growl and any suspicions were put on hold. Ryuji quickly took a seat and began eating. He joined his friends at the table and everyone began eating as well. Even Morgana had a tiny bowl.

Banter ensued, Morgana and Ryuji argued, Yusuke said something odd, and they all had a good laugh. They finished their meals quickly and Ren ran the plates downstairs. When he came back, Ryuji sat comfortably full and happy in his seat.

"Ah man, thanks Ren, that really hit the spot."

Then he noticed what was in Ren's hands.

"What's the plate for?"

Ren, once more, looked past the blonde and at Makoto. She stood ready by the light switch. He nodded and without warning, the attic went dark.

"Ah! Okay guys, that's really funny. I see what's happ-"

"Agi."

A lighter flicked on and cut Ryuji's words short. The orange flame soon met a thin candle that was situated on a small pink frosted cupcake. The pastry was set in front of Ryuji on the same plate he had asked about.

Ren snapped his fingers and the lights came back on.

As Ryuji sat in his chair, he was suddenly faced with Ann and Makoto holding a painted banner with the words, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYUJI!' written across the front. Behind them Yusuke pulled on a string and revealed a hidden painting of Ryuji in his phantom attire stepping on a miserable shadow Kamoshida as the blonde and Captain Kidd summoned lighting from the heavens. Morgana, on the table, nudged the strawberry cupcake toward Ryuji with his paw, a rare smile on the feline's features.

Ren, now seated beside his friend, smiled and spoke softly.

"Happy birthday, Ryuji."

With his announcement, the rest joined in with a grand "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and Yusuke pulled homemade confetti out of his pockets and threw them in the air, showering the occasion in fanfare.

Morgana hopped off the table and, with a careful paw, pressed play on Ren's phone. 'For he's a Jolly Good Fellow' began to play in the background.

Everything went perfectly, all that was left was Ryuji's reaction.

Ren had seen the blonde scream in rage, laugh his heart out and jump fearlessly into combat, countless times by now. But Ren had never seen Ryuji shed a single tear.

Not until today.

Tears streaming down the blonde's face. Ryuji held one of the purest smiles he'd ever seen. His voice was watered and warbled but he spoke what was on his mind.

"I love you guys."

Evening

After Ryuji had calmed down and they shared a tender moment, everyone settled back into their normal personas. That meant Morgana had to immediately pounce on the new teasing material Ryuji had given him.

"Wow, who knew the tough and manly Skull would be such a crybaby," Morgana prodded.

"Hey! I- I was just... surprised is all," Ryuji blushed as he ate his cupcake, "And it's totally manly to cry! In fact it would be more unmanly to hide it! A real man wears his emotions with pride, not that you'd get that, you damn furball."

Morgana let out a short hiss.

"You wanna go, birthday ape?"

Ann sighed in exasperation, but she smiled fondly.

"Settle down you two. If you're gonna fight, at least let's do it in a game."

The model pulled a deck of playing cards out from her pocket and it dramatically landed smack dab in the center of the table. The sudden noise startled Yusuke who had been drawing furiously from the corner of the room.

Morgana and Ryuji both looked at the cards and then back at each other, their eyes narrowed.

"We settle this in Tycoon Millionaire," Ryuji said, throwing the metaphorical glove.

Morgana wasted no time in picking it up.

"Prepare for pauperism."

"Such passion, I can feel the tensions of rivalry from over here," Yusuke commented.

Makoto looked on in confusion. She turned to him and tugged on his T-shirt sleeve.

"What's Tycoon Millionaire?"

Ren laughed, amused at the antics of his Phantom Thieves.

"Here, we'll play around and I'll show you. You can be on my team."

She nodded and moved to sit next to him while Ann, Ryuji and Morgana situated themselves at the other three main sides of the square table.

"Now, to make this more fun, I had Yusuke make us a little prop," she turned back to the artist, "Yusuke, if you'll do the honors?"

He nodded and from behind him, he pulled something out and tossed it their way. Landing in the middle, encircling the deck of cards, was an impressive origami crown. Ann picked it up and turned to Ryuji.

"I dub thee, King Ryuji Sakamoto of the attic dwellers."

They shared a good laugh as Ryuji bowed his head and received the crown. When he raised his head, Ann gave him a playful look.

"Now don't let the crown distort your desires too much, King Ryuji, I most certainly will not be dressing in a bikini and cat ears for you."

Ryuji blushed wildly at the thought and Morgana was taken aback.

"Lady Ann!"

"What? No, I… I would never-"

Flustered, he turned quickly to Ren and changed the subject.

"Let's start the game guys! Come on and deal us in RenRen!"

Ann laughed at Ryuji's discomfort but he saw the way her eyes shone bright and happy when the two blondes would tease each other.

It certainly had its differences, but he thought of his own playful banter and quiet evenings with Sae.

Ren had been busy with his band of thieves these past two nights and had let Sae know that he wouldn't be working at the cafe. She understood graciously but he was still going to make up for it next time.

But for now, he shuffled the cards and the attic above Leblanc was soon filled with merriment and joy as they lived a night he was sure none of them would forget.

A/N: This chapter was less Sae and Ren focused, but I wanted to flesh out the people and world that they inhabit a bit more. I always thought Ryuji and Ann would make a funny couple. Both are sort of 'dumb' in their own ways as well as loyal to a fault. I think they make a great foil to Ren and Sae's budding romance.