The door to Ryuji's bedroom swung open and quickly closed as the teen himself stepped in.
"Whew! Man, am I tired as all hell..." The teen wearily commented as he threw his bag to the floor.
Unfortunately, it wasn't until he heard a muffled meow that he remembered the feline inside his bag.
"Ah shoot! Mona!"
Said cat let out a groan before unzipping Ryuji's bag from the inside and poking his head out to glare at him.
"Jeez! Are you trying to put a dent in my skull?!" Morgana angrily questioned.
"S-Sorry 'bout that, dude." Ryuji sheepishly apologized, "I must've been so damn tired I forgot you were even in the bag."
"*Sigh* Well, I guess it's understandable." Morgana relented, "We did have a really busy day today in the Metaverse."
"Sayin' that's puttin' it real lightly, man." The teen deadpanned as he flopped onto his bed.
"Aren't you gonna change out of your school uniform and take a shower?" Morgana asked.
"In a bit." Ryuji lazily answered with a yawn, "I'm way too damn tired to do anythin', so I'ma just take a quick lil nap."
"Well, I guess I can let you off the hook with that one." The cat shrugged.
Before the blonde could ask what exactly he meant by that, his phone suddenly started ringing.
"Who's that?" Morgana asked in curiosity.
Ryuji checked the Caller ID before slightly widening his eyes.
"It's Ann!" He stated.
"Lady Ann?!" Morgana uttered in surprise before hopping on the bed at Ryuji's side as he answered the call.
"Yello?"
"Hello? Ryuji?" The familiar voice of Ann called out, "It's me, Ann."
"Hey, Ann." Ryuji greeted.
"Good evening to you, Lady Ann~!" Morgana came in with his own greeting.
"Hey, Morgana!"
"So, what's up?" Ryuji asked with a small grin, "You doin' okay?"
"Oh, I'm alright. Thanks for asking." Ann replied, "What about you?"
"Eh, I'm good." He answered, "Probably gonna sleep like a sloth for the next few hours, but no biggie." He stated, making Ann giggle.
"Yeah, I don't blame you. I'm still pretty exhausted myself." She revealed, "But, that's not what I called you to talk about."
"Oh, okay. Then, why did ya call me?"
"Well... I wanted to say thank you." She revealed.
"Oh?" Ryuji blinked in surprise, " Uh, what for?"
"For everything these last couple of days." Ann answered, "Because of you guys, I finally got the chance to avenge Shiho, and I know there's no way I would've been able to do anything on my own..."
"So seriously, thank you, Ryuji." She sincerely thanked, "I owe you so much."
Her statement stunned both the teen and the cat, although the former quickly smiled.
"Like I've said before, you don't gotta thank me for nothin'." He assured her, "If anythin', I should be the one thankin' you. It's cuz of you, Morgana and Ren decidin' to help me that I finally got to get back at Kamoshida. We all played our parts in this thing."
"Yeah, you're right..." Ann agreed, "But I still feel like I should pay you back."
"Then in that case, a nice hot steamin' bowl of ramen would do just fine!" Ryuji playfully stated with a grin.
His request made the fellow blonde giggle, which satisfied him even more.
"You literally eat that everyday." She responded in a tone that made it clear she was smiling.
"Hey, you said you wanna pay me back, right?" He asked with a grin, "I'm a simple dude, so a free bowl of ramen would be just enough for me."
"Alright then." Ann accepted, "I guess I should save a bowl for Ren too, huh?"
"Don't forget about Mona!" He reminded her.
"I'd much prefer some delicious tuna, thank you." The cat himself chimed in.
"Oh yeah! Speaking of Morgana...!" Ann suddenly uttered, "There's something I wanna ask him. Could you put him on the phone?"
"Sure, I guess." He shrugged before putting his phone on speaker while Mona moved closer to it.
"What wonderful questions would you like to ask me, Lady Ann?" The mysterious cat asked, trying way too hard to sound suave.
"When we were escaping the castle, I remember you somehow turned back into a cat." She reminded, "But the thing is we were still in the Palace at that time. So, how did you pull that off?"
"Oh yeahhh! I forgot about that!" Ryuji exclaimed in remembrance.
"You're quite sharp, Lady Ann! Though I'd expect nothing less~" Morgana complimented with a fond chuckle.
"Basically, the Treasure changes the shape of things. Once that's gone, that power vanishes." He explained.
"Huh." Ryuji spoke, "That makes sen-"
"But the real reason I changed quickly back then was because of how incredibly skilled I am!" Morgana added with a proud smirk, "Aren't I amazing~?"
"... I just knew you'd find a way to turn that into a brag." Ryuji muttered with a sweatdrop.
The small interaction made Ann laugh.
"I hope my answer was to your satisfaction, Lady Ann."
"Yeah, it was... Y'know, I think talking to you guys helped me out a bit." Ann stated in a relieved tone, "We still haven't seen any results, but it feels like a huge weight's been lifted off my shoulders... Thanks."
"No prob." Ryuji replied with a smile.
"You're welcome, milady!" We all know who said this.
"I hope you don't mind talking to me too much."
"Like hell I do! I'll always be down to talk whenever ya want." Ryuji assured her, "I mean, it's not like I'd ever get tired of hearin' your voice, anyways."
The faux-blonde hadn't meant for that line to come off as flirty, which is why the subsequent reactions that followed confused him.
"W-Whaaa??!!" Ann all but squealed in sudden surprise.
"EHHH?!!" Morgana all but screeched in shock.
"Hm?" Ryuji hummed with a raised eyebrow, "What's wrong?"
"U-Uhhh, NOTHING!! Illseeyouatschooltomorrowbyeguys!!!" The girl frantically exclaimed before hanging up.
"The heck was that about?" The teen stared at his phone in bewilderment.
"You seriously don't understand what you just said to her??!" Morgana asked in disbelief.
"The hell is there to understand?" Ryuji asked in confusion, "All I said was that I like the sound of her voi..."
The blonde trailed off and his eyes slowly widened when he realized what exactly was wrong.
"Shittt! Why the hell did I say that?!" He berated himself as he smacked his hands onto his face.
Morgana simply shook his head with a sigh.
Thursday, April 21st, 20XX
Days Until Ryuji and Ren's Expulsion: 11
Despite knowing Kamoshida's heart had been changed, Ryuji couldn't help the slight anxiety making him think that he'd run into the sleazy gym coach at some point.
What was worth noting, however, was that despite his overwhelming presence, he didn't spot Kamoshida anywhere. Even the school gym of all places was void of the teacher, an observation he didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned by.
That aside, it was currently first break, and the teen was on his way to the cafeteria when he spotted Ren hanging around in one of the hallways.
"Yo, dude!" Ryuji called out as he approached him.
"Hey, Ryuji." Ren greeted back, "You going to the cafeteria?"
"Yup. All that yappin' in History class made me hungrier than a bitch." The blonde comically sulked.
"I feel you there." The spectacled teen agreed with a chuckle.
"But hey, listen." Ryuji turned a serious, "You haven't seen Kamoshida anywhere, have ya?"
"Now that you mention it, no, I haven't." Ren shook his head.
"Me neither!" Sakamoto exclaimed, "It's like he just up and disappeared or somethin'... I even checked the gym to see if he was there and he was nowhere to be found!"
"That is pretty strange..." Ren noted pensively with a hand on his chin, "Maybe this is a sign that his heart's changed?"
"*Sigh* I sure hope so..." The blonde uttered with sagged shoulders, "I'm still confident it worked but it'd totally suck major balls if-"
"Oh, perfect timing!"
The two boys turned to see the source of the incoming voice which was none other than Ren's homeroom teacher, Sadayo Kawakami.
"Ms. Kawakami?"
"Whaddya want with us?" Ryuji asked.
"I'm just relaying some new information to you two." The teacher answered, "Study hall will be held instead of P.E today."
"For real?" Ryuji uttered with a raised eyebrow, "How come?"
"Mr. Kamoshida's taken the day off." She revealed.
The information took the teenagers aback, although they tried not to show it off too much.
"Wait, you mean he ain't here??" Ryuji questioned.
"If you don't mind us asking, why exactly did he take the day off?" Ren asked carefully.
Kawakami seemed to be deciding whether or not to answer the question before sighing and crossing her arms.
"Don't tell anyone you heard this from me..." She quietly instructed, "But we received word that Mr. Kamoshida is placing himself under suspension."
This time, the boys didn't even try to mask their shock.
"A suspension?!" Ryuji repeated incredulously.
"Not so loud!" Kawakami sternly chided.
"Ah, s-sorry..." The blonde sheepishly apologized.
"It's such an important time before the tournament too..." She muttered, "Principal Kobayakawa tried talking to him about it, but apparently he wasn't making any sense."
"I see..." Ren muttered.
"By the way, the talks about your expulsion may be put on hold too..." Kawakami revealed, "... I don't know too much about it though..."
"Anyways, that's all I had to tell you." She finished, "I'll leave you two to whatever you were doing."
"Alright. Thanks for the info, Ms. Kawakami." Ren thanked.
She nodded before walking off.
"Well it looks like sumthin' did happen." Ryuji stated seriously.
"Yeah." Ren nodded, "Though it didn't sound like a mental shutdown, so that's a plus."
"Word." Ryuji agreed with a thumbs up before slightly drooping, "I just wish this didn't have to take so damn long and he'd hurry up and confess his crimes already..."
"Well, like you said, all we can do is be patient and wait." The dark-haired teen reminded him.
"Yeah, I did say that..." The blonde sighed before composing himself, "Well, in that case, Ima head off to the cafeteria now. I'll text ya in the group chat if anythin'."
"Gotcha." Ren nodded before his eyes suddenly lit up, "Oh, hang on a sec!"
"Hm?" Ryuji turned back around, "What's up?"
"Do you have any plans after school?" The spectacled teen asked.
"Nah, not really." Ryuji answered, "You wanna hang out or somethin'?"
"Kind of..." Ren answered.
"Hm?"
"You see... I thought that being in Metaverse might've greatly improved my stamina, and while it has helped a bit, our escape yesterday proved it's still not the best..." He stated in a downtrodden manner.
"Yeah, speakin' of that..." Ryuji looked concerned, "I know you said you were fine an all but are you sure you-"
"I'm good. I promise." Ren assured him with a smile, "Now like I was saying, my overall stamina still isn't great, and I feel like that's something that could come back to bite me. So, I was thinking...
"Would it be possible for you to train me?"
The unexpected request caught Ryuji off guard.
"Train you?!" He repeated with wide eyes, "Like... A gym coach or sumthin'?"
"If you want to put it that way, then yes." Ren simply nodded, "I know you're not part of the track team anymore, but you're still more athletic than I am, especially in the Metaverse. If I wanna better myself in this kind of stuff then I could definitely use your help. Unless you don't want to, of course."
The blonde stared at his confidant in surprise for a few moments before mulling over his request. However, before he could spend too long deciding, an idea suddenly popped into his head, a VERY good idea at that.
"Ya know what, bud? I've got an even better idea." Ryuji stated with a grin, "Instead of me trainin' ya or any of that jazz, how 'bout the two of us train together?"
"You wanna train too?" Ren asked with slightly raised eyebrows.
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji affirmed, "I've been meanin' to try and get back into runnin' since I can't really move like I used to, and since you wanna train too, it means I totally don't have to do it alone!"
"Well, they do say that working out with another person by your side is a lot more fun and a lot less mundane." Ren figured.
"Exactly!" Ryuji cheerfully agreed, "I even know the perfect place for us to go! I'll lead ya there after we meet up again."
"Alright then." The transfer student smiled, "See you after school."
"You too, man!" The blonde bid him a chipper farewell.
With their plans finalized, the duo went their separate ways.
Eventually, classes had officially ended, and Ryuji met up with Ren like they said they would.
"Man, this place sure does bring back memories..." Ryuji commented with a fond sigh as he stretched.
"It does?" Ren asked in curiosity as he also stretched, receiving a nod.
After they had changed into their gym uniforms, Ryuji led his comrade to a certain grassy area that was around the spot they meet at during break.
"This is-er... was my secret trainin' spot." He revealed, "I used to come here and train all the time back when I was on the track team."
"I see." Ren commented, "But why this area of all places?"
"Can't ya tell?" Ryuji asked with a smirk, "Not only do most people usually not pay attention to this spot since it's just full of grass and flowers, but after school hours are the perfect time to come here since that's when everybody's leavin, which means there's almost no chance of bein' bothered!"
"Huh. That makes sense..." Ren accepted the reasoning, "You really put some thought into finding a good spot' didn't you?"
"Nah, not really." The blonde dismissed with a wave, "Anways, enough about me. You're here 'cuz you wanna work on your stamina and endurance, don't ya?"
The dark-haired teen blinked in confusion.
"I only said stamina though."
"I know." Ryuji replied, "But if you really wanna boost your fitness levels, then you gotta work on both your stamina and endurance!"
"Oh, okay." Ren uttered in slight surprise befre raising an eyebrow, "What exactly is the difference between them though?"
"Ya see, when we mention stamina, we're talkin' about how long you can do somethin' at your top limit without gettin' tired; when we mention endurance, we're purely focusin' on the longest time you can do an activity for." The blonde gladly explained, "Here, lemme use runnin' as an example."
"In runnin', we got the sprinter and the marathoner. Both of 'em are runners, but they each have a different style of trainin'." He shed light on the subject further, "The sprinter focuses more on stamina since they needa use short but strong bursts of energy to give it their all in a run. On the other hand, the marathoner focuses on endurance to improve their overall time and distance in a marathon. They do that by sustainin' their energy from start to finish."
"So what we can gather from that comparison is that physical stamina has to do with the total capacity of energy you can gather from your muscles, while endurance deals with the maximum amount of oxygen you can mobilize for somethin' specific. To sum it all up, it's basically intensity vs duration." The teen finally finished his lesson, "Did ya get all that?"
By the end of his elucidation, his spectacled pal was left utterly stunned.
"... What?" Ryuji asked in confusion.
"That was... oddly insightful of you." Ren slowly stated, "I had no idea you were capable of sounding so intelligent."
"Intelligent?" Ryuji repeated in surprise before shaking his head, "Nah man, you know I ain't super smart or anythin' like that. It's just that the only school topics I ever pay attention to are sports or fitness-related, even back in middle school." He revealed with a sheepish grin.
"Huh. Makes sense, considering you were an athelete." Ren nodded with a smirk, "So are you here to improve your stamina and endurance too?"
"Sorta." Ryuji answered, "I think I'm gonna try to start runnin' again."
"Really?" Ren asked in surprise.
"Yeah! I've actually been thinkin' about it since yesterday, and this'll be the perfect opportunity for me to build up my muscles again!" The blonde enthusiastically exclaimed as he flexed a bicep,
"I see." Ren uttered, "So, how are we gonna get started?"
"Let's start off with some stamina work." Ryuji stated, "I'm gonna do some knee lift sprints. Since you're a beginner, you're stuck with the normal ones."
"Noted."
"Alright. Now let's get goin!"
At that, Ryuji and Ren proceeded to run around the school, beginning their training.
"Ughhh..." Ryuji groaned in dismay as he slowly but surely caught his breath, "My legs're 'effin tight."
To his side, Ren was full-on panting with his hands on his knees.
"Here, dude."
He looked up to see the blonde offering him a bottle of water, which he gladly accepted.
"Thanks." He thanked before taking a swig.
Needless to say, running around the school had really tuckered the boys out. After, all it's pretty hard to do a long run without the advantage from the Metaverse.
Despite his endurance clearly not being as strong as it was before, Ryuji managed to complete the run without falling over once, which he considered a success, especially with his knee in mind.
On the other hand, it was a miracle that Ren had finished the run as well. Even before they had completed the run, he felt like his lungs were on fire. At one point, he almost fell to the floor like he did back in the Palace, but he managed to carry on till the end.
"You okay, man?" Ryuji asked, wanting to make sure he was alright.
"My body feels like it's received 15 Windows errors all at once, but I'll live." The spectacled teen responded as he continued to steady his breathing.
"Uhhh... Ight then..." The blonde awkwardly accepted with a sweatdrop.
At least he wasn't on the verge of collapsing this time.
After a few good seconds, the dark-haired teen finally caught his breath and let out a sigh.
"Now I'm really starting to regret not joining any sports clubs at my old school..." He muttered.
His comment wasn't unheard by Ryuji, who was surpised by the sudden statemtn.
"You didn't join any of your school's sports clubs?" He asked.
"Nope. Not one."
"How come?"
"I've never really been interested in sports to begin with." Ren revealed, "I know it might sound crazy to you, but the idea of doing one in general just never appealed to me."
"Nah man. I get that not everybody's into the whole sports thing." Ryuji assured him, "But still, haven't ya done any kind of trainin' before? Like, at home or somethin'?"
His comrade shook his head in response.
"Gym class was the only time I'd ever get some actual exercise in." He stated, "Apart from that, I've pretty much always been average at best in terms of fitness."
"Huh..." Ryuji uttered thoughtfully, "So nobody ever tried to like, I dunno, push you into joinin' a club or somethin'?"
"Well, I remember some of my "friends" back in middle school tried to pressure me into joining one, but I just turned them down in the end." The dark-haired teen revealed, notably putting the word "friends" in quotes.
"Y'know, I just realized... I don't think I've ever asked if you had any friends at your old school...!" Ryuji suddenly realized.
The spectacled teen's mood noticeably soured as he scoffed.
"It depends on what you mean by friends." Ren stated.
His sudden shift in mood wasn't lost on the blonde, although he was confused by his statement.
"Whaddya mean by that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"If by friends, you mean people who claim to be cool with you only to abandon you the moment you're framed as a criminal, then yes, I did have friends at my old school." The spectacled teen bluntly answered.
"... Oh." Ryuji awkwardly uttered with a blank expression.
That made sense... A lot of sense... Especially after he just remembered his comrade mentioning how nobody in his hometown believed in him after his arrest.
"Ohhh…. Yeah… I probably should've been known that was the case." He uttered before awkwardly rubbing his head, "M-My bad, man…"
"It's cool." Ren assured him with a slight chuckle, "You have nothing to apologize for."
"… Now that I think about it, my disinterest in sports is probably one of the main reasons I was always the odd one out." He commented.
"For real?" Ryuji asked.
"Yup." Ren nodded, "A lot of the boys at my middle school were very active and energetic, which naturally comes with an interest in sports."
"I would know." The blonde couldn't help but add, making his friend momentarily snicker.
"I was the only boy in my class that didn't see any appeal in getting unnaturally sweaty for several minutes to hours." He comedically explained, "A non-jock guy in a group full of stereotypical jocks? It doesn't take a genius to realize you're gonna be labeled as "The Weird One"."
"So not one of 'em ever tried to get to know you or invite you to hang out?" Ryuji asked in concern.
"Nope." Ren shook his head, "If they ever did talk about anything other than sports, I'd never know."
"For real?? Even the guys on the track team weren't as dimensional as those morons!" Ryuji exclaimed in exasperation.
Sure, him and his former friends at track were practically obsessed with running, but it doesn't mean there wasn't anything else they were into! The blonde was 100% sure if he ever got into a convo with a dude or chick who talked about nothing but their sole interest, he'd die of boredom in mere seconds.
"Were your classmates at your old high school as bad as those dudes?" Ryuji asked.
"Well they definitely weren't pea-sized hooligans like the ones at my middle school." The spectacled teen humorously answered, "The few friends I had actually talked to me and at least "tried" to include me in their activities in and out of school."
"But even with that, I still never really felt like I fit in… It felt more like I was among colleagues rather than people I could call friends." He stated.
"Jeez, man…" The blonde uttered, his empathy unwavering, "With how much shit luck you had with makin' friends, I'm surprised you didn't turn super anti-social…"
"I was well on my way, to be honest." Ren freely admitted.
"Seriously??"
"Yeah… I don't think I need to remind you of what happened with those "friends" after I got my criminal record..." Ren assumed, receiving a nod, "… but anyway, with me being labeled as a criminal, my already non-existent social life went to complete and utter shit… So when I started going to Shujin, I was fully prepared to shut myself off and not even try to make any friends for possibly the rest of my life…"
Suddenly, the spectacled-teen's melancholic expression shifted into that of a grateful smile.
"And then I met you."
"M-Me?" Said blonde was caught off guard by the sudden mention of himself.
"Yup. You, Ryuji." Ren affirmed, "You were the first person I ever talked to that didn't think I was weird and genuinely wanted to befriend me. Something I had been made to believe was impossible…"
"If it weren't for you, my first year in school would definitely be a lot less bearable, and I never would have gotten the sudden motivation to get stronger." He factually stated before looking directly at Ryuji, "So… Thanks for being my friend."
The aforementioned blonde stared at him in stunned silence.
"Uhh… Y-You're welcome, dude." He awkwardly replied.
Finding out he was the first TRUE friend Ren had made in his entire life was a shocker, and he really hadn't been expecting the genuine display of gratitude from him. Nonetheless, he was greatly honored.
A confused look appeared on Ren's face when the blonde suddenly started chuckling.
"Hm? What's so funny?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry, it's just… The two of us really are so damn alike." Ryuji replied with a grin.
"Wait, you had no friends in middle school too?" Ren asked in surprise.
"I mean, it's not like I didn't have any friends." He replied, "Like you already know, I was cool with Ann and Suzui, but there were a few dudes who I rolled with sometimes, though I never really vibed with them, and I pretty much forgot all about 'em after graduation."
"After I came to Shujin, I started track and drifted apart from Suzui and Ann, so for a while, the only friends I had were the guys on the track team, but…" The blonde closed his eyes as he trailed off into an uncomfortable silence.
It was obvious what he was struggling to say, which is why Ren placed a hand on his shoulder as a comforting gesture and shook his head, letting him know he didn't need to bring it up again, which Ryuji was thankful for.
"*Sigh*… After all that, I was the loneliest and moodiest I've ever been in my damn life, and I had nobody except my ma…" He solemnly admitted before cheerfully grinning at Ren, "But then I just so happened to meet your weird ass on that sidewalk, and uhh… Well, you already know the rest, don't ya?"
The dark-haired teen stared at him in surprise for a bit before letting out his own chuckle.
"At this point, I'm really starting to think we're brothers that were separated at birth." Ren commented.
"Y'know what? We just might be!" Ryuji enthusiastically agreed, "Heh, maybe you should dye your hair blonde too to match my look!"
"Yeah, no."
The two friends shared a laugh over the brief moment, and to Ryuji, it felt like their bond had gotten a bit stronger.
RANK UP!
DEATH: RANK 2
"Mkay! With all that mushy crap outta the way, let's go for another run!" Sakamoto suggested with renewed vigor.
"Wh- Right now??" Amamiya asked incredulously.
"Hell yeah! Now that we're all warmed up, this is the perfect time for us to go again!" The blonde answered, "Besides, you're the one who said ya wanted to improve your stamina, aren't ya?"
"*Sigh* Okay, you got me there…" The spectacled teen conceded in defeat, "Fine, let's go!"
"Yeah!"
After going for another run, the unbelievably sweaty and exhausted duo parted ways, somehow managing to get home without falling over…
Friday, April 22nd, 20XX
Days Until Ryuji And Ren's Expulsion: 10
After a few grueling hours of classes, lunchtime had finally rolled in, and every student headed out to satisfy their hunger.
Ryuji, on the other hand, didn't immediately head to the cafeteria and instead dashed like a madman toward the school store, hoping to snag a certain food.
"Yo, vendor! Hook me up with a yakisoba pan!" He eagerly requested after slamming his hands on the counter.
"Ah, you arrived just in time, Sakamoto-kun!" The vendor stated as they retrieved said food item and placing it on the counter, "This just so happens to be the very last yakisoba pan available."
"Sweet!" He cheered with a fist pump before paying for the bread and heading to the cafeteria.
The teen placed his bag next to him and eyed his food with a hungry grin, but just before he could chow down...
"Excuse me?"
He paused at the sudden voice and looked to his right to see an unfamiliar girl standing near his table.
The girl had long red hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon bow, along with bangs over her forehead and matching red eyes. She wore the Shujin Academy uniform with a black pantyhose and red loafers, and appeared to be holding a bento box.
Honestly? She was pretty cute.
"Um, sorry to bother you but do you mind if I sit here?" She politely asked, gesturing towards the seat next to Ryuji.
He was surprised by the sudden newcomer, but didn't see any reason to turn her down.
"Nah. You're good." He assured her, "Nobody's sittin' here anyways."
"Thank you!" She thanked with a smile and took her seat next to him, placing her bento on the table, "Every other seat was in the cafeteria was either occupied or taken, so I appreciate your kindness!"
"Eh, it's cool." He simply replied.
As she unboxed her bento box, Ryuji glanced towards it out of natural curiosity, and his eyes comically widened in flabbergastment.
Her boxed lunch was noticeably pretty large for a female student as it was packed with various foods such as octopi-shaped sausages, rice balls, an egg, and a variety of fried vegetables.
And this was supposed to be her lunch? It looked like an effin' dinner plate!
"Er!"
"Hm?" The redhead noticed his reaction, "What's the matter?"
"Are you, uhh... Gonna eat... all of dat?" He awkwardly questioned.
"Oh." She realized he was referring to her rather large bento, "Why of course! Why do you ask?"
"It's... well, uh, I don't wanna seem like I'm judgin' you or anythin' but... Ain't that a bit too much food for a girl...?" The blonde asked, averting his eyes while rubbing his head.
"Ah! You don't need to worry about that." The girl replied with a smile, "I can easily burn all of this off since I'm an athelete!"
'An athelete??' Ryuji mentally repeated in surprise.
"Besides, even though it looks like a lot, it's actually a little less than what I usually eat." She added.
The blonde comically swetadropped at the information but swiftly disregarded it, as he was more interested in the fact that she was apparently an athelete.
He suddenly found himself wanting to get to know this chick...
"So you're an athelete, huh?" Ryuji recited her claim before squinting his eyes, "Which team're you on? Volleyball?"
"No. I'm part of the gymnastics team." She proudly informed him.
"Wow, for real??" Ryuji uttered in surprise, "I forgot all about that team, to be honest." He bluntly admitted, eliciting a light giggle from the redhead.
"I don't blame you." The girl responded, "It isn't really known for garnering any traction. Or at least it wasn't until I came along."
"Wow. Talk about a humblebrag." Ryuji playfully commented.
"Well, I don't mean to make myself sound prideful, but my skills are definitely nothing to gloss over." She stated with a proud smile, "It's why I'm one of the top gymnasts on the team!"
"Hey, it's all good." Sakamoto assured her with a friendly grin, "There's absolutely nothin' wrong with bein' proud of your achievements when you've worked your ass off for 'em."
"The only time it's a problem is when you get to the point that you start seein' people as beneath you and treatin' 'em like shit." His face slightly darkened before reverting back to his positive attitude, "But I can tell you ain't like that. So just don't lose your way!"
His sudden advice caught the girl off guard, but she quickly gained an appreciative smile.
"You're right. Thank you for the kind advice!"
"No prob!" He replied with a grin before gaining a curious expression.
"Y'know... Now that I've gotten a good look at ya, I dont think I've ever seen you before..." Ryuji commented, "You a new student or somethin'?"
The redhead suddenly gasped.
"Where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself yet!" She exclaimed.
"It's alright. Chill!" He assured her with a slight chuckle.
"I'm Ryuji Sakamoto, a second year." The teen enthusiastically introduced himself.
His introduction, for some reason, had caused the girl's eyes to widen.
"Wait, you're Ryuji Sakamoto??" She questioned in surprise.
"You know me?" The aforementioned teen asked with raised eyebrows.
"No, but... Well..." She began to squirm a little as if she was afraid to say what was on her mind before just getting it out, "Um... forgive me if I offend you, Sakamoto-senpai but-"
"Lemme guess." Ryuji interrupted her with a knowing look, "You've heard all the crap people be sayin' about me?"
"*Sigh* Yes..." She confirmed, "I've heard some of my upperclassmen say some deplorable things about you."
"Things like you being a delinquent, a law-breaker, a truant, and many others..." She listed, "I remember, Mr. Kamoshida put you at the top of the list of students I should completely avoid."
"Of 'effin course he did..." Sakamoto uttered with an gritted smile.
If he somehow didn't hope that asshole would expose himself sooner, he definitely did now...
"I guess the question is... D'you believe what everyone's sayin'? Or do you think it's all a load of bull?" He asked, crossing his arms.
The redheaded girl placed a hand to her chin as she thought deeply about her answer. She seemed to be having trouble coming up with a response, but after a few seconds, she finally spoke up.
"I'll admit, after hearing all the rumors, I had a much different picture of you painted in my head, and I was ready to avoid the dastardly delinquent people detested so much..." She admitted.
Yup. He probably should've expected thi-
"But now I don't see why I should." The girl finished.
"Wuh??" He blinked in surprise.
"Everybody says Ryuji Sakamoto is a notorious hooligan and a rude and obnoxious troublemaker, but the one I'm talking to has been nothing but nice and pleasant to be around." She said with a smile, "You freely allowed me to sit next to you despite not knowing who I was and you even gave me some very helpful advice!"
"I'm sure you might have done some minor things that got you into trouble, but that doesn't mean you're as bad as people say. After all, I know very well how bad gossip can be at this school..."
"And after getting to meet you in person, I can confidently say that I believe those rumors are untrue and that you're a good person, senpai!" She declared with a smile.
Ryuji was utterly floored as he stared at her in pure shock.
This was the second person he's met at Shujin that didn't immediately disregard him as a useless thug... And it was a girl he just met!
Off of just one kind gesture and some advice he gave her, she already believed in him unlike every other jerk in this school!
It was so unexpected, one could say even unbelievable!
But it was enough to make Ryuji genuinely smile.
"You really are a cool girl." He complimented her, "Thanks for believin' in me!"
"You're welcome, senpai." She happily responded.
"Er- senpai??" He repeated in bewilderment.
"Hm?" The girl blinked in confusion, "You're a second year, aren't you? I'm a first year, meaning you're my upperclassmen."
"Oh." The blonde uttered at the information.
"Do you have a problem with me calling you senpai or-?"
"O-Oh nah! It just caught me off guard a little!" Ryuji hastily responded with an sheepish grin, "Since you're my junior, it only makes sense that you call me senpai,don't it?"
"But uh, that's enough about me." Ryuji waved it off, "What's your name?"
"Ah yes! I still have to introduce myself!" She exclaimed, "I'm-"
Unbeknownst to the two teens, there was a small puddle of juice that had been spilled on the floor, and a student that was passing by let out a yelp as they slipped on it, the apple they were eating flying out of their hand.
The spectacle caught their attention, and while the blonde was surprised by it, the redheaded first year, however, dashed into the scene and performed a roundoff backflip before striking a pose, flawlessly catching the apple with her outstretched hand.
"...Woah." Ryuji uttered with wide eyes.
Although, he noticed a certain item that was lying on the girl's seat.
"A Shujin pocketbook?" He muttered as he picked it up, "She must've dropped it when she got up."
He inspected the pocketbook and found a certain name written inside.
"Kasumi Yoshizawa..."
"Here you are." The girl handed the unlucky student's apple back to them, to which they got up and thanked her before walking off.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to run out on you like that." She apologized as she sat back down next to Ryuji.
"Eh, it's all good." Ryuji assured her before smirking mischievously, "Yoshizawa."
"Wait what??" The redhead widened her eyes at his sudden mention of her name, "How-?"
She stopped when she noticed the pocketbook in his hand which belonged to her, causing her to giggle.
"I guess you sleuthed me out before I got to tell you." She said with a smile.
"Pfft, you're makin' me sound like I'm some kinda detective." He remarked, prompting her to giggle.
"Well you did crack the case." She joked as she collected her pocketbook, making both of them laugh.
"But yes. Like my pocketbook says, my name is Kasumi Yoshizawa." She finally introduced herself, "A first-year transfer student at Shujin Academy."
"You're a transfer student?" Ryuji asked in surprise.
Looks like Ren wasn't the only new student around here.
"Yup!" Yoshizawa confirmed, "I transferred here thanks to a scholarship I received for my gymnastics!"
"For real?!" He asked with wide eyes, "Huh. I guess you really are that good."
"Speakin' of which, that was some real impressive ass stuff you did earlier!" He praised her earlier display.
"Oh, that back there? It was just some basic gymnastics." She dismissed it with a wave.
"That was basic?!" The teen repeated incredulously, 'The hell's the advanced stuff gonna look like then??'
"It's actually not that difficult once you get the hang of it." Kasumi informed him, "Just a hop, skip, and a jump!"
"Yeaaah, Ion think it's that simple..." Ryuji uttered with a sweatdrop.
"Psst... Hey...!"
Ryuji turned to the source of the sudden voice, which was coming from his bag. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was in there.
"Don't you think some of those moves would be awfully useful?" Morgana asked.
"Wait, were you watchin' tha-?"
"I was just thinking about how the Phantom Thieves need to get some sweeter moves, too..." The not-cat uttered, "Maybe you should try asking her to teach you some of her moves!"
"Hm? Is there a cat somewhere around here?..." Kasumi suddenly asked in confusion.
"Quick! Back inside!" Ryuji hastily instructed, to which his feline companion complied.
Honestly, he couldn't say Morgana was wrong. He knew jack shit about gymnastics but even he could tell that the move she pulled was impressive. It reminded him of how he and his comrades moved in the Metaverse, although they'd lose all of that skill whenever they came back to the real world.
If he could get as good as her, would that improve his movement as a thief in the Metaverse even more? It didn't seem implausible, and considering all the shit he's seen in that world, anything was possible over there.
'Guess it's worth a shot.' He mused with a shrug.
"Is something the matter, senpai?" She questioned.
"Yo, Yoshizawa." He called out, "You think you can show me how to do some of your moves sometime?"
"You want to learn my moves, senpai?" Kasumi asked in surprise, "*Gasp* Does that mean you're interested in gymnastics??"
"Eh, sorta." He responded, "I've been outta the athletic scene for a while and I'm tryin' to get back. I thought it'd be a good idea to work on my flexibility too, and since you obviously know all about that acrobatic stuff, I figured maybe you could teach me some gymnastics."
"But only if ya want to, though."
"I would love to, senpai!" Kasumi enthusiastically exclaimed, "It'd be an honor if you allowed me!"
"Hey, I'm the one who asked!" Ryuji remarked with a laugh, making her giggle as well, "So, when do ya think would be a good time for us to start?"
"Mmm... I'm not too sure..." Yoshizawa carefully pondered.
An idea suddenly popped into the blonde's head.
"Oh, I got it!" He exclaimed before pulling out his phone, "How bout we swap numbers so we set up our first session when we're free?"
"That's a great idea, senpai!" She beamed before pulling out hers as well, "Here you- Huh?"
"Hm? What's up?" Ryuji asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It shut down again..." Yoshizawa muttered before sighing in exasperation, "Sorry, my smartphone's been acting up lately and it's really getting on my nerves."
"Whew! Do I know what that's like." Ryuji empathized, "My last phone was bein' a real pain the ass before I got this new one."
"I don't know when this started happening, but it's gotten more and more frustrating as the days pass by..." She eyed her device in frustration before her screen suddenly flashed on.
"Ah, it's back on!" She cheered.
"Great!" The older teen grinned, "Now let's switch info before it can act up again!"
"Right!"
They swiftly swapped phones and saved each other's numbers.
"Okay! I'll contact you when I've got free time, Sakamoto-senpai!" Yoshizawa stated as they gave their phones back to each other.
"No prob!" Ryuji grinned, "I'll try and do the same, Yoshizawa!"
The aforementioned girl smiled at him, and he could tell she was really enjoying his company, a feeling that he mutually shared.
Something told him there was a slight bond forming between them...
Iamthou... Thou art I...
Thou hast acquired anewvow...
It shallbecomethe wings of rebellion thatbreakeththy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Faith Persona,
I have obtained the winds ofblessingthat shall lead to freedom andnewpower...
FAITH: RANK 1
"Oh my... I just realized we haven't touched our food in the past few minutes!" She exclaimed.
"Holy crap, you're right! I totally forgot about my yakisoba pan!" Ryuji nearly shouted with comically wide eyes.
Was their conversation really that interesting?
"C'mon, let's eat up and talk at the same time!" He suggested.
"Good idea, senpai!" She agreed as she took her chopsticks.
Ryuji and Kasumi spent the rest of their lunchtime discussing various topics as they ate their lunches. After lunchtime ended, they separated and went to their respective classes.
After taking his seat as lessons resumed, a sudden realization came to Sakamoto that made him raise his eyebrows.
'I got a girl's number!'
Ryuji's Confidant List:
THE DEATH - Ren Amamiya: Rank 2
THE FOOL - Igor: Rank 2
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 1
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 2
THE FAITH - Kasumi Yoshizawa: Rank 1
Well, uh... This is pretty awkward XD
How long has it been since this was last updated? 3 months? Damn...
Well, I don't wanna waste too much time on this note so I'll try to explain my absence pretty briefly.
Now, I didn't lose motivation to write this. Not at all. I've said it countless time that I love this story and intend to keep working on it until the very end.
The main thing that's been keeping me busy? I'll give you one word.
HELL-*Cough* Sorry, I meant school.
Ever since I entered my last year of high school in January, I've been REALLY busy and have rarely had time to keep writing fanfics. To tell you the truth, I've been working on this chapter for 3 WHOLE MONTHS, using whatever little free time I had to finish it. Being a senior is not easy at all, and the fact that my finals are coming up in August have made it even harder since I REALLY need to pass.
HOWEVER, this does not mean I'll continue taking long breaks from fanfiction. Until August, I'll try my best to regularly update my fanfics, including this story, because I do want to see them finished just as much as you!
I hope you guys can forgive my absence and I promise to stay active a bit more in the next few months, cuz I love each and every one of you!
Anyways, Ryuji's done some more interactions, and even gained a new, interesting confidant!
Next chapter will finally conclude the Kamoshida arc, so make sure you stay tuned!
Until next time, y'all!
RinOta, out!