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Ryuji jumped up from where he was lying on the couch as Ann came storming into the room with fire pouring out of her ears. “Sakamoto Ryuji what the fuck is this?!”
He ended up propped on all fours as Ann shoved her screen into his face. The boy squinted at what was on screen. “It’s a picture of you.”
“It’s a horrible picture, is what it is! And you took the picture!”
Just in case she was right, Ryuji looked at the phone more closely while he returned to a reasonable sitting position. It was a photo he’d snapped earlier today when they’d gone to eat Mont Blanc for Ann’s food blog. The dessert itself had looked bizarre–apparently the long noodle things were made of ground-up chestnuts, although they mostly reminded him of brains–but it had been pretty tasty in the end.
Ann, however, had absolutely adored the treat, and the picture she was so upset about proved it. An absolutely euphoric smile was painted on her face, her eyes turned skyward and a few strands of chestnut trailing out of her mouth. Apparently a dollop of whipped cream had gotten onto the top of her nose, too.
“What’s wrong with it?” Ryuji asked. “You said you wanted me to take a picture that looked genuine.”
“Yeah, but not ridiculous!” She pocketed her phone and flopped onto the couch next to him. “These were supposed to be for my Pinstagram, and now they’re worthless.”
“I mean, don’t you think Shiho will get a laugh out of them?”
Ann made a sound that was scarily similar to choking. “I c-can’t show her these!”
Ryuji groaned. “Ann, we’re in college now. You’re going to have to admit that you’re in love eventually.”
“I am not, you dumbass!”
Ann stood up and spun around to face him. “But I will send these pictures to her. And when she agrees that they’re atrocious I’ll rub it into your stupid, horrible face.”
The blonde stormed back off to her room while grumbling under her breath, leaving Ryuji exactly how he’d been three minutes ago.
He slouched into the couch a bit more, brought his feet to rest on a coffee table, and grabbed his chemistry textbook. “Why’d I decide to be her roommate again?” he asked no one in particular.
It was probably worth it for the desserts, he thought with a shrug.
Takamaki Ann sent 4 pictures
Ann: Shiho can you BELIEVE these
Ann: I had Ryuji take them because I thought he would have figured it out by now
Ann: since he’s been coming to some of my shoots and taking that photography class
Ann: but LOOK at this
Ann: LOOK
Ann: I need you to agree that they’re awful because he refuses to admit it
Ann: so respond asap bb ily
Ann sent the final text and laid down on the bed of her room, her arms splayed out. Squeezing a dessert trip in between two of her three lectures had been more exhausting than she’d expected, and all she wanted to do now was curl up in her blanket and fall asleep.
After a moment’s indulgence, she forced herself to sit back up. She still had a few chapters of a book to get through for literature class, not to mention that statistics homework she needed to start on. Whatever undergraduate advisor had told her that stats was one of the more trivial quantitative reasoning requirements had been a goddamn liar.
Besides, she didn’t want to fall asleep and miss Shiho’s response. With the exception of sleep and emergencies, it was basically tradition that they’d respond to each other as soon as they could. If it hadn’t been for Shiho getting accepted to a different university in Tokyo, the two of them would have been attached by the hip at this point.
Because they were friends, of course. Not because of Shiho’s abs or the way her smile melted Ann’s heart or anything.
Her phone vibrated in her hand. She lifted it up to her face quickly and started reading the texts.
Shiho: Ann these are the best pictures you have EVER sent me
Shiho: oh my god these are amazing
Shiho: I’m sorry I know I’m supposed to be on your side but oh my god
Ann facepalmed.
Ann: how can you be on HIS side??????
Ann: if these showed up on my pinstagram I would fucking die
Shiho: okay that is very true
Shiho: but also these pictures make you look adorable
Shiho: I literally cannot get mad at a face this cute
Ann could feel her face burning. Did Shiho just…
Ann: cute?
Ann: you think I’m cute in these?
Shiho: utterly adorable
Shiho: also the most beautiful woman in the world
Ann: okay now you’re just flattering me
Shiho: no really! maybe it’s not photogenic but you look so genuinely happy
Shiho: and seeing you happy is all I want out of life really
Shiho: so how could I not like these pictures?
Ann’s heart was racing. Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths. You don’t need to be nervous. Nothing scary is happening. It’s just the prettiest girl you know saying that you’re beautiful and your happiness is the most important thing to her.
Okay maybe something scary is happening. Think think think.
Ann: I mean
Ann: uh
Ann: if you really like the pictures that much I guess I can’t get too mad at Ryuji
Ann: also
Ann: thanks for calling me beautiful
Ann: because you are too
Shiho: tysm Ann
Shiho: and I only speak the truth <3
Shiho: anyway are we still good for that mochi stand on thursday?
Ann: oh absolutely
Ann let out a long, loud exhale. Situation resolved, crisis averted.
Shiho: good
Shiho: because I wanna see that face again
Shiho: and in person this time!!!
She put her phone under her blanket, shoved her face into her pillow, and squealed.
“This ain’t Leblanc curry, but it’s damn close,” Ryuji said as he shoved a mouthful of the dish into his mouth. “Good job picking this restaurant out, Ann.”
“Oh, totally,” Ann said in between another mouthful of her own, although the words came out slurred because of how much she was relishing in the subtle flavors of the food. “I think it was Yusuke’s recommendation, actually.”
“Makes sense, the prices are amazing.”
After a moment of chewing Ryuji seemed to remember something. “Hey, I wanted to ask about something.”
He pulled out his phone, flicked through it for a second, then handed it to Ann. She took a look at the screen–
She nearly gagged and had to take a second to lean over her plate and swallow properly.
“Y’know, I thought you said you didn’t like my picture,” Ryuji said with a grin. “I was just wondering how it got onto your modeling Pinstagram with the pictures you took.”
“Th-that’s…” Ann tried to regain her composure as she sat up straight. “I just wanted to seem more… approachable, right? Don’t want my fans to think I’m trying to present a false image or anything.”
Ryuji turned the phone back to himself and gave it a look. “Huh, guess that makes sense.”
“Yeah, I’m glad you–”
“See, based on the muffled screaming from your room the other day, I assumed it was because of Shiho or something. Guess not.”
Ann’s mouth fell open as her face turned redder than the curry. “Were you listening in on me?”
“You left your door open.”
“That’s… that’s…”
Ann covered her face with her hands and let out a little whine. “Fine, I’m in love with my best friend. Is my tormentor happy now?”
“Not at all. We gotta take way more pics like these.”
Ann looked up at him. “Huh?”
“I mean, based on how you reacted, it seems like she really likes these. So we gotta send more of them her way until there’s no way she isn’t in love with you. Makes sense, right?”
She gave him a blank stare as the gears turned in her head. “You’d really…”
“Of course I would.” He gave her a huge grin and took another bite. “Can’t sit around and watch you be a useless lesbian forever, can I?”
Ann’s smile widened as she lunged across the table and gave him a massive hug. “Sakamoto Ryuji, what would I do without you?”
“Shit, Ann, you’re getting curry on my tank top!”
Ann apparently didn’t hear him, or maybe she just didn't care, since she started laughing without a care in the world, and even with a stained shirt Ryuji couldn’t help but laugh right along with her.