The Mystery of Ren Amamiya - Lightning99

Stream 9:

Kawakami and the Fans

'Yes, Kichijouji-kid, there will be a guest today,' Ann said. 'They're running a bit late, but they should be here soon. And no, Poké-Master, I won't tell you who they are. You'll have to see for yourself. I think it'll surprise some of you.'

Ann took a quick sip from the water bottle on her desk, then crossed the room and closed the window. She rubbed her hands together as she sat back down.

'In the meantime,' Ann said, rolling her chair forwards, 'I want to talk about another part of this stream. Did you all see the message I posted this morning?'

Several 'yes'' popped into the chat within the next minute, with the occasional 'no' here and there. Others claimed that social media was practically the devil, to which Ann couldn't help but chuckle.

'For those who don't know, I put a message out saying that this stream will be very fan-focused. These past few months have been incredible. I've interacted with more of you than I thought was possible, and I feel as though I've finally been able to have that personal – I won't say relationship because we don't technically know each other, but that personal interaction I was hoping for. A lot of you have messaged me to tell me I have helped you get through tough times, and even though I can't reply to everyone, I have read them. They mean the world to me. This stream is a way of giving back to you all.

'So, I've set up a two-person chat room, and if your name is picked out, you have a chance to join and chat with me and my guest for a little while. I'll use the list of names we made at the beginning of the stream to do it. If you don't want to chat, you can pass your turn on to someone else. How does that sound?'

Ann crossed her fingers outside the camera's view, watching the chat stall for a moment. Then, suddenly:

AnnFann101: YEEEES!

FrozenFire: I TUNED IN TO THE RIGHT STREAM!

PhantomThiefRai: IIIIINTERESTING! I have some questions should I be picked.

Ann didn't have to wonder what questions Rai had. She ignored him and clapped her hands together, grinning.

'Great! Should we get started now? Are we ready?'

Once again, the chat filled up with people saying 'Yes', so Ann quickly organised the chatroom as necessary.

'Ok,' she said, looking at her list. 'The first person on the list is AnnFann101. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. You were one of my first viewers, maybe even the first.'

Ann quickly sent them a code and then placed her headphones on. A few moments later, a ping sounded, and she heard someone squeak.

'Oh my God, hi!' said a high-pitched girl's voice, in a tone somewhere between hyperventilating and being on helium.

'Hi,' Ann said, chuckling. 'First of all, as embarrassing as it is, I love your name.'

'Oh my God, thank you!'

'So, how are you? Is there anything you'd like to ask or talk about?'

Ann heard another squeak on the other end.

'I'm great! I'm amazing! Oh my God! Sorry, this is just… I love you so much. You're basically my hero. The way you use the modelling industry to send messages to people, oh, and that time you pretty much barged onto a news show to get your message out there. You're so amazing! A-And that quote of yours, the one about how we all have beauty in us, has really helped with my self-confidence. I can't believe I get to talk to you like this. I don't know what to say. And now I'm rambling, and I'm so sorry!'

Ann couldn't suppress her grin. 'Wow, thank you! Now I don't know what to say. I'm flattered. I'm happy to hear I've had such an impact on you.'

'You really have! Is it ok if I ask you something?'

'Of course! Go ahead," Ann said, shuffling around as she focused on the impending question.

'Umm, do you know how I might find a way into the fashion industry? I'm studying fashion design, but I don't know how to find a way in,' AnnFann101 said.

'Ooh, good question. Well, it's an increasingly difficult industry to get into, but I've met a lot of designers in my career. I have a few tips if you'd like to hear them.'

'Please.'

And so, Ann explained all that she could remember from her days chatting and gossiping with the designers on set. She talked about the skills the fashion designers for her modelling company had, the connections they made, how they conducted themselves and a few other little pieces of information. When she finished, she checked the time. It was nearing fifteen minutes since AnnFann had joined the chat room, so she brought it to a conclusion.

'Thank you for your question and the kind words,' Ann said.

'Thank you, Ann! And I-I love you so much!'

'Thank you. I hope we can chat again sometime. Bye!' Ann said, waving at the camera.

Ann sent the first fan away and brought in the second. They gave her as much praise as her first guest and then posed a rather funny question: when would they see Ryuji again? Ann answered with a simple 'who knows', then the guy explained how he was into running too and wanted to learn from Ryuji. Fortunately, it seemed Ryuiji was in the chat, so the pair started a conversation. Her fan thanked her and left early.

DynamiteKitten was next, another of the originals from her first stream. They asked about her music tastes, and Ann was happy to answer in the form of blasting her favourite Alice Hiiragi songs for everyone to hear. She played as many as possible in the fifteen minutes, then sent her away.

'Hi, Golden_Guy. You were another of the first people to join my stream, weren't you?' Ann asked a few people later.

'I was, yes,' he replied, his voice calmer than anyone yet. 'Off stream, AnnFann and I have been arguing over who loves you more since the start.'

Ann couldn't stop herself from laughing.

'And what, may I ask, did I do to have you love me so much?' she asked.

'You taught me to be true to who I am,' he said without hesitating.

Ann widened her eyes, lacing her hands together in front of her mouth.

'I remember it clearly. People in school made fun of me for having a pink backpack, so I changed it to make them stop. When I learned that none of my guy friends read fashion magazines, I pretended I didn't either. But then Vague issue 151 was released. It was a piece set to look like a masquerade ball, and you were on the cover with a black-haired man. You were the only ones not wearing masks, and the caption read, 'Throw your mask away and be your true self'. I thought it was a publicity stunt at first, but I did some digging and discovered that you actually said that in an interview and that that article was your idea. I took that to heart. I'm proud of who I am and won't change for anybody.'

As he spoke, his voice didn't waver a single time. In fact, Ann could hear his smile though his microphone. It took her a moment to realise that her view of her screen had become slightly blurry. She reached up, gently wiping at her eyes.

'Wow. I had that much of an impact on you?' she asked, and this time, it was her voice that sounded emotional.

'You did. I am more grateful than you know.'

'That's… really all I could hope for,' she said, chuckling. 'Thank you, Golden_Guy.'

Afterwards, Ann asked a bit more about the situation. Golden_Guy happily explained the intricacies and the strides they had made regarding their confidence and sense of self, and their discussion lasted the full fifteen minutes.

'Thank you, Ann. I love you and your work,' Golden_Guy said and left the call.

Ann sat there for a few moments afterwards, forgetting about the hundreds of people watching her. A sudden realisation floated through her head: she had been having more of an impact on people than she had thought, more than she ever could have known had she not started this stream. She knew she had to and wanted to talk to more people – more of whom would probably confirm how many people she had affected – but she just sat there a bit longer, letting the realisation overwhelm her.

Ann's attention only returned to the chat when she saw a mixture of shocked and emotional emojis, love hearts, and one word in full capitals: Ren.

She scrolled back up the chat and saw the message:

Ren_Amamiya: I love you more, Ann.

As the chat exploded, Ann squealed, bunching her hair in front of her face to hide how hot her cheeks felt. It was so hot that she felt it radiating onto her hands and through her body, right down to her chest. Even Ren probably knew she was going to reprimand him for that later.

When Ann looked at the chat again, they had somehow started chanting, 'We want Ren!'. It was to such a degree that the entire chat box was flooded with only that. It didn't hinder her from letting the next person into the call. Unfortunately, all he wanted to talk about was Ren and his brazen declaration, plunging her further into embarrassment and further behind her thick hair. She could practically see Ren's smug grin from wherever he was watching the stream.

Eventually, about five people later, the obsession with Ren ended, and her embarrassment made way for a completely different kind of emotion.

'Hi there,' a woman with the username Benny_Nova said. There was a certain poise and pitch to her voice, composed and high, light and careful, that made Ann guess that she was an adult. 'My children set up this account, so I'm not sure if it is working properly.'

'It's working perfectly,' Ann said, moving her hair aside.

'Excellent. You are Ann Takamaki, yes?'

'That's me. Did you have a question?'

'I don't. Actually, I wanted to thank you, as many have already done today. You see, I have a son and a daughter, one year apart in age, and both of them were being bullied at school because I wouldn't let them get involved in dangerous outings and such with a couple of their classmates.'

'That's completely reasonable,' Ann said.

'I think so too. But people started making fun of them for it, and I wondered if I had done a bad thing, restricting them as such. They were quite upset about it all. Then, all of a sudden, they started being a lot happier. When I asked them what had changed, they showed me one of your streams and how kind and supportive you and everyone involved has been. I always preach about safety over the internet, but they have made friends with some people from their school due to the stream, and their confidence has grown tremendously. So, thank you very much for being such a positive influence,' she said.

Ann placed her hand against her chest and scrunched her eyes, smiling.

'I'm delighted to hear that. Thank you for sharing. You, and everyone else I've spoken to, have confirmed that I'm having some impact. That is all I want, and I just… I don't know what to say.'

'Ann? Is everything alright?' Ann heard, but not through her headphones. She swivelled in her seat, pushing them off her ears. Sadayo Kawakami stood halfway through the door.

'Miss Kawakami! Hi, come in,' Ann said, wiping her eyes again. 'Sorry, everyone is just saying such nice things. I couldn't help but tear up.'

Kawakami placed her bag by the door and sat in the seat opposite Ann.

'So, I've been hearing. I had the stream on in the car on my way here. Sorry, I'm late. Marking work takes longer than I think sometimes,' Kawakami said.

'Still taking it as seriously as ever, I see.'

'Of course. The future of the country is in my hands. I have a duty to teach them as best I can.'

'I'm glad to hear it,' Ann said. She flinched. 'Oh, sorry, Benny.'

'That's alright,' Benny_Nova said. 'I just wanted to pass along the message. Thank you.'

With that, Benny_Nova left the call, and Ann returned her attention to the chat.

1_1_M-B_1_9: Is that… my teacher? :')

Ann laughed.

'If you are a Shujin Academy student, then yes, Kawakami here probably is your teacher.'

'Hello,' Kawakami said, folding her arms. 'I bet you thought you had seen the last of me for today.'

'C'mon, I'm sure they don't think so. You're the best teacher at that school.'

'Ugh, try telling that to Mrs Chouno,' Kawakami said, flopping forwards onto the desk. She rested her chin on her folded arms. 'The bitc- uhh, that woman still won't get off my back.'

Ann assumed the people that reacted with the most amount of laughing emojis to her slip-up were, in fact, Shujin students.

'She's like that even now?'

'Yeah, though she's not trying to catch me slacking off this time,' Kawakami said.

ShujinBoy1: Kawakami? Slacking off? Yeah, right.

Ann read the comment and huffed. 'They don't know, do they?'

Kawakami shook her head.

'For those of you that don't know, Kawakami was my teacher when I went to Shujin, too,' Ann explained.

'I was,' Kawakami said, 'though I wasn't too much of a teacher, to be honest. I wasn't very enthusiastic back then. Something happened during Ann's second year, and it made me realise I needed to put in more effort.'

'How's it going now?'

'Brilliantly, thank you. My homeroom class has the highest grade average in the school, and it increases every year. Not to brag, of course, but I'm just so proud of them all. I've even wrangled in the most recent Ryuji-like delinquent.'

'Oh, come on, he wasn't that bad.'

'No, I suppose he was just misunderstood. Though,' Kawakami said, looking into Ann's eyes, 'your entire friendship group was misunderstood. You were all difficult to deal with at times.'

Ann laughed. 'I won't deny that.'

'How are you all, by the way? I haven't seen you in a while.'

'We're all doing brilliantly, thank you. We're slowly finding our way, even if being an adult is scary.'

'It can be, yes, especially if you don't know what you want to do. I was like that, though I knew I wanted to teach. And how are you and Ren? Still as close as ever?'

Ann smiled, looking at her feet.

'Yep, we are,' she said. 'You may have seen earlier, but the entire chat is obsessed with him, so please don't mention him anymore.'

Featherman616: You know Ren, Kawakami?!

'See?'

Kawakami laughed.

'I do know Ren, yes. He joined my class during their second year. I didn't want him to join, at first, as branded as a criminal as he was. But it turns out he's the kindest, most helpful, and the nosiest person I know. He's the reason I decided to become a better teacher.'

The chat, of course, adopted their Ren-reverence once more. A minute into it, though, Ann spotted a comment:

Ren_Amamiya: Love ya too, teach.

Kawakami sighed, pressing the back of her palm to her head. 'He's watching?'

'He is,' Ann said, chuckling. 'Alright, shall we ask the next chat member in?'

'We shall,' Kawakami said.

Ann reached over and clicked her mouse, and a username adjoined to a profile picture of the Phantom Thieves' logo appeared.

'Oh no…' Ann said, rubbing between her eyes.

'Yes, Ann Takamaki,' an unfamiliar male voice full of smug confidence said, 'it is me, PhantomThiefRai.'

Ann groaned.

'Hi, Rai,' she said. 'Do you have anything you'd like to ask?'

'As a matter of fact, I do.'

'Of course you do.'

'But I've asked you enough already. I think I will consult Miss Kawakami if that is ok.'

'Me?' Kawakami asked, sitting up straighter.

'Yes. You mentioned just now that you taught one Ren Amamiya. May I ask what he was like, as a student?' Rai asked.

This time, Kawakami groaned. 'More trouble than any of us teachers could bother to deal with, most of the time.'

'Hey, he wasn't too troublesome!' Ann said.

'No, you're right. I suppose his reputation was the troublesome part, though that didn't stop him from slacking off during lessons at times.'

'Ok, I'll give you that one.'

'But,' Kawakami continued, 'Ren scored the highest on all the final tests that year. His scores gradually increased throughout the year until he answered questions with ease that, frankly, shouldn't be asked to high school students.'

'Hmm,' Rai muttered. 'I see. Anything else?'

'I suppose you can say that he was the main reason some inter-student conflict was resolved,' Kawakami said. 'He and his friends helped stop bullying, helped a girl get over her obsessive crush, and even helped the volleyball team members heal after their ordeal. So, in a way, you could say he and his friends were exemplary students. Except for Ryuji's grades.'

RyujiSkullington: Hey, was that necessary?!

'I see, I see,' Rai said. Then, he chuckled. 'This goes to prove it, does it not? Ren is an exemplary student, you say? Are you sure he is not just an exemplary human being? An enhanced human being?'

'Are you seriously still talking about him being trained by some government organisation?!' Ann asked. 'He's way too much of a goofball!'

'What say you, Kawakami? Did you notice anything of the sort?'

Kawakami shook her head. 'Not at all. Ann's right. He's a complete goofball, which I know because one of the essays he wrote for me was about how influential different variants of Jack Frost dolls are to marketing sales. It sounds stupid, but it was a perfect essay about the merchandise economy. Other than that, he's just a good person. And if you really want proof that he wasn't trained from a young age, I was handed his file when he transferred. He went to normal schools before he came to Shujin and lived in a normal home. Sorry to disappoint.'

Rai tutted. 'Damn. You could be making this up, of course–'

'Ok, no, that's enough. Thank you, Rai, but that's all we have time for today,' Ann said, dragging her mouse across the stream.

'But it hasn't been fifteen–'

Ann sent him away before he could finish his sentence, resulting in a large wall of laughing faces in the chatbox.

PhantomThiefRai: Harsh, Ann, but well-played.

PhantomThiefRai: But you were too late! I've learned more than enough from that talk. Thank you, Miss Kawakami. I think my theory thus far has been off. Let me think some more, and I'll get back to you all.

PhantomTheifRai: For now, We want Ren!

AnnFann101: We want Ren!

TheGhostlyMaiden: We want Ren!

HP_Sauce: We want Ren!

'Guys, please stop,' Ann whined.

RyujiSkullington: We want Ren!

Alibaba: We want Ren!

Alibaba: We want Ren!

Alibaba: We want Ren!

Alibaba: We want Ren!

Alibaba: We want Ren!

Alibaba: We want Ren!

'Futaba, Ryuji, please don't encourage this!'

'Shall we ask the next person in?' Kawakami asked, chuckling behind her hand.

'Please,' Ann said, and they did just that.

By the end of the day, Kawakami reprimanded about four Shujin students – and a few ex-Shujin students, much to Ann's second-hand embarrassment – and they spoke to so many people Ann lost count. When it ended, though, Ann was more certain than ever of one thing: she was making a difference.