Chapter Text
The sound of feet padding up the stairs at Leblanc made Makoto Niijima, Student Council President at Shujin Academy and current blackmailer of the owner of the room she was sitting in, sit at attention. She really didn’t know what she was thinking when she’d decided to shoot her shot and try and force the illustrious Phantom Thief to help with the Shibuya sharks hounding the student body, but here she was, waiting in his room until he was done changing Junya Kaneshiro’s heart.
Her initial impression of Ren Amamiya had been a quiet criminal, someone ready to snap if the wrong twig was stepped on. She’d steered clear, gods knew her sister would’ve killed her for associating with him, but that hadn’t stopped her from quietly observing him from the corners of the library.
Usually it was just a book return or pickup, always two at a time, but the receptionist usually didn’t remember to tell him that there was a rule about only picking up one. Even now, a few months down the line of the routine when the receptionist greeted the boy with a smile, she allowed him to take his two books as he returned two more. Makoto wasn’t supposed to let it carry on, but in exchange for keeping quiet about it, she had taken a quick peek at the log.
Study and mystery, like clockwork. A textbook for English and a translated copy of the tales of Arsene Lupin had been his first pickups, followed by a smattering of works like Sherlock Holmes and Phillip Marlowe. Was it just an interest? Something to do with his Phantom Thievery? She desperately wanted an answer, but the intensity of his stares always made her back down.
Speaking of which, she watched as the boy in question walked upstairs with his ever-present cat on his shoulder, looking as if he’d just come back from school. She blurted out, wincing as she forgot her manners. “Did you do it? Is Kaneshiro…?”
As if on cue, her phone rang, and Makoto picked it up and held it to her ear with a shaky hand. “H-Hello, Miss Niijima? I’m so, so sorry. I-I’ll delete the picture, w-with you and your boyfriend, and the debt is void. Y-Your sister won’t get any trouble either. I’m so sorry…”
The line went dead before she could reply, and she lowered it with a contented smile as the cat meowed up at Ren with what sounded like amusement as the boy in question raised his glasses up his nose in response. “So, our deal?” He asked to Makoto, shaking her out of her relieved trance. “Oh! Of course, I’ll drop everything on you, a-and Sakamoto and Takamaki.”
There was a question in her voice that he didn’t particularly care for, but he sighed as Morgana piped up encouragingly. “Takemi gets you medicine, Iwai gets you weapons and Ohya gets you information. Makoto can get you an alibi Joker, multiple!”
The cat made a lot of sense, but it was still a sore spot for him. Sighing, he made for the stairs and Makoto was worried that she’d just scared him off before he turned to her with an amused glint in his eye that set her cheeks ablaze. “Well, it has been a long day helping you with the budget Student Council President.” He said with a semi-cocky smirk. “I’ll be back with some coffee your majesty.”
Makoto gulped, nodding in way of agreement as the cat, Morgana she recalled, padded over and jumped up next to her. She was a bit wary for a second before he nuzzled his cheek against her thigh with a cute mewl, and Makoto giggled as she set a hand against his head with a fond sigh. “You’re much nicer than your owner. Morgana was it? It’s nice to meet you.”
She must’ve been hallucinating, but she was certain that the cat had nodded in agreement as it made itself comfortable against her heat. She’d had a lot of time to take in the bedroom in the day she’d spent up there, but the smell of coffee and curry had been tantalizing, but she daren’t go downstairs to inquire about getting some. Soon enough the footsteps returned, and Makoto smiled appreciatively up at Ren as he handed her a mug before scowling down at the smug looking Morgana. “Is my cat bothering you?”
He sat down across from her, and she suddenly felt bad about using the sofa. There was an underlying tiredness to his eyes, and the way he was using an upturned plastic crate didn’t sit well with her. “No, he’s an angel.” Makoto replied much to the cat’s pleasure. “U-Um, so, I-Is Mr Sakura okay with me having…?”
Ren chuckled, an oddly warming sound to Makoto’s ears as he took a sip from the cup. He looked so right like this, not the quiet boy at school or the intense man he became when it came to the Phantom Thievery he committed. “He just chewed me out about hospitality before stepping aside. At least he thinks my coffee is good enough not to waste beans on by now.”
Makoto blinked before suddenly finding the inclination to take a sip of the coffee, knowing that it had been made by this cute boy instead of the sleazy man downstairs. It tasted… Sweet and balanced on her tongue, and it went down like velvet. “A-Amazing!” She couldn’t contain her exclamation. Her eyes turned back up to him with a newfound admiration. “This is incredible Amamiya.”
He looked particularly proud at that compliment as he stared down into his own mug, and it was almost like his pride sloughed off smoothly into a calm collectedness. Makoto wondered how he did it, to slip between faces so easily… “Ryuji and Ann helped with Kamoshida before they decided to step back. I talk to them, occasionally, but considering I continued… Well, it makes things tense. Madarame was a fluke all things considered, without a reporter friend I have, it would’ve been impossible to do what I do. There was this guy, Kitagawa, who I got some information out of but we haven’t been in contact since.”
There was a long moment of silence in the air as Makoto digested the news. She’d known that the three main suspects hadn’t been in contact much in real life, but that said nothing about phone conversations. They could’ve just been cautious, but hearing his voice’s near imperceptible warble when he said their names made her heart clench.
Taking another sip to centre herself, Makoto continued with a calm voice that she used when directing newer members of the student council. She was aware of her reputation as an unfeeling robot, but she hoped that she was good as a leader, and right now she needed to lead this conversation. “So, you don’t have any other close friends in Shujin? That must be… Lonely.”
She wanted to say familiar considering the start of the year, but even then he’d had Sakamoto. The thought of him friendless, alone, was something of a mirror to her. “I’m on good terms with my homeroom teacher, Miss Kawakami.” He smiled at a joke only he got as he continued fondly. “Maruki still invites me to his office frequently, and Yoshizawa and Hanako are quite the model underclassmen.”
That brought a smile to her lips once more as she took another sip of the coffee, only to frown when she realized that the heavenly brew had been depleted. Ren noticed this before chuckling and setting down his near full mug and sliding it across to her. “Here, you look like you’re enjoying it more than I am.” Makoto wanted to retort, to protest about how it was rather unfair, but the look of pride on his face had returned and she wanted it to stay for a bit longer.
Picking up the mug, she didn’t realize one crucial point as she lifted it to her lips with an appreciative nod. It was only as she felt the coffee hit her tongue with the familiar soft embrace of it’s flavour when she realized that they were both right handed. As she set down the mug, Ren looked like he wanted to question her newly crimsoned face as Morgana purred contentedly, though he knew the cat was laughing at them. Not wanting to call attention to the mischievous feline, Ren continued with a sigh as he closed his eyes, and Makoto mourned the loss of his mirth once more. “That’s about the long and the short of it. The less people who know about what I’m doing the better as far as I’m concerned, I am on probation after all.”
Ah yes, the other point she wanted to broach. The conversation was going down as smoothly as the coffee, and Makoto was feeling particularly bold as she replied with a small glow in her chest. “As to that, I think I’d like to help you some more, if you’ll have me.”
He tilted his head curiously, prompting her to continued nervously. She liked feeling useful when she’d gotten the location of Kaneshiro’s ‘Distortion’, whatever that had meant. He made her feel…
Useful
Gulping, she took another sip from her donated coffee before continuing and pulling a strand of hair behind her ear. “W-Well, today’s excuse, y-you could use it again? Kobayakawa thinks I’m the model student, s-so if you wanted me…”
There was a loud meow from beside her, and Makoto watched in surprise as both Ren and Morgana stared each other down for a long moment before he sighed and shook his head with a frown. Makoto lowered her head in defeat, had she been less useful than he’d needed? Was she just a burden to him, just like-
“Well, someone approves, and it seems as if the princess’ word has more weight than mine does.”
Makoto’s head snapped up again to see him staring down at Morgana in displeasure before he sighed and turned back to her with a soft smile. “I’d be grateful Niijima. I’m certain some of your model citizenry rubbing off on me will endear me to the powers that be in any case.”
The relief she felt blossom in her chest where the glow had once been snuffed out was definitely not just what she was calling an infatuation with his smile. No, definitely not, case closed. Taking another confident sip from the coffee, she stumbled when she realized that the mug had also been drained, and her moment of confusion had ripped a laugh from his chest that floored her.
It wasn’t a chuckle, a smirk or a soft smile. It was joyous, like bells tinkling in her ears or a nighttime breeze caressing her face like a lover… Okay, return that gentleman thief romance she’d definitely not taken out from the library only a week earlier at the earliest convenience. Makoto couldn’t help it, she got swept away with the laughter as well. It felt so good, just sitting there and laughing with a friend for once. Even Morgana began to purr contentedly, and it was a good long while before they sobered up.
Downstairs one Sojiro Sakura finished cleaning the counter-top with a large smile stretching across his face in happiness. Tae Takemi also had a smile on her lips as well as she raised a latte cup to her mouth. “Is that a smile on your face Boss?” She took a deep sip before continuing, unable to wipe now wide grin from her face. “Happy that your protégé’s finally following in your footsteps?”
He scoffed and leaned back against the wall, his shoulder-blades gently displacing some of the jars of beans, but not caring in the slightest. That kid really needed to find someone after those other two ditched him, and it seems as if the terrified girl he’d invited into Leblanc’s attic in the morning was it. “Of course not.” That laughter really was a relief to hear… “He’s a decade away from being able to even take the first step.”
The Next Day
The whispered words filling the street weren’t unfamiliar, but the volume certainly was. Ren thought he’d heard it all, that he’d be numb to it by now, but evidently he’d overestimated himself as Morgana watched him from a small unzipping in the messenger bag.
“I hear he broke the boss’s fingers until he stopped.”
“…She has to be sleeping with him, made him clean up the mafia so she can claim credit…”
“We need to get Hanako to stop serving that creep, I wonder what he’s planning with her…”
He desperately wanted to glare at them, make them shut the hell up about the rather cute girl he’d brewed coffee for and the helpful librarian underclassman who had even learned his preferences to give him recommendations, but it would be for naught. He’d glare, they’d cry, the rumours would get worse and the teachers would look at him warily.
Stepping into the classroom, he was a little shocked to see Kawakami get up in his face with a meaningful glint in her eye. Turning, he followed her out of the room as the whispers intensified behind them. She didn’t say anything until they reached the Student Council office, and peering inside, she sighed in relief to see that it was empty.
Closing the door behind them, Kawakami looked up at him with a concerned expression as she asked. “You didn’t actually… With Niijima and the Shibuya incidents…”
Ren blinked before replying with a slight smile. He always had time for her, mostly because she always did for him, especially considering how he’d found out about her moonlight job. “You give me too much credit Ms Kawakami. She’s way out of my league. I was just helping her with the budget, apparently she wanted to give me something to do after school.”
She gave him a long sigh before looking up at him with a similar smile. When he’d watched ‘Becky’ step out of a house on his commute home, there had been a long confrontation before she’d agreed to come to Leblanc for a coffee to calm down from her near panic attack. After a very confused glance from Sojiro as he left in his usual white suit, they’d talked things out, and after a few days it seemed as if she finally believed that he wasn’t going to rat her out to Kobayakawa. Ever since, he’d been hiring her maid services on Fridays as a tutor in exchange for allowing him to slack off during her classes. “So, helping with the budget is what you kids call it these days?” Her face devolved into a mischievous smirk before it softened again in concern. “Amamiya… These rumours are getting worse and worse. Seriously, one word and I’ll-“
He cut her off with a smile. She really was too good to him, much better than any of his previous teachers to be sure. “Don’t, just having you in my corner is enough. Wouldn’t mind a nap in fifth period though…?”
She laughed aloud before motioning to the door, looking a little more invigorated for the conversation. “Fine, but ‘Becky’ will have to be extra harsh tonight. Let’s go, don’t want Niijima to think we we’re ‘balancing the budget’ before class in this room.”
His annoyance went unheard as they exited the room, and suddenly the wall of whispers returned. Ren slipped back into his usual public face as Kawakami grunted at them angrily. “Don’t you all have somewhere to be? Class starts in five minutes!” Neither of them noticed as one Makoto Niijima watched them go with a mixture of a frown and a small smile on her expression. Sure, she was glad that he was talking to Miss Kawakami, but the way she portrayed herself made her think she had just chewed him out about the rumours.
Sighing she returned to her classroom on the first floor and unslung her bag from her shoulder, setting it down next to her amidst the occasional stare. She was well aware of what they were all accusing her of, but it was no different from the dissatisfied rumblings whenever the budgets were rearranged. That was, of course, until she heard one snide voice speak up behind her.
“She doesn’t care enough for it to be for our sake. Amamiya probably just gets his rocks off with screwing authority figures.”
Her grip on her pencil grew vicelike as she took a long deep breath before turning around with a deadly smile to the boy who she had never bothered to learn the name of. “I would thank you to refrain from such comments in the future.” Her smile turned a little vindictive as she continued. “I’ll be certain to pass along your speculations to Ren.”
He wilted under her gaze as Makoto turned around with a small humph. The mumblings began again, and Makoto was about to let it lie, her piece said before a curious voice spoke up from next to her. “So you’re really in contact with Amamiya?” Asked one Haru Okumura as the girl looked over at her excitedly. “What’s he like?”
Makoto had never heard so much as an insult pass from this girl’s lips before, so she decided to indulge her a little. Besides, she was riding high of making her first real friend yesterday. Maybe this could make a dent in Ren’s reputation? “He’s actually very sweet.” She mulled over her words for a second before continuing. “Quite skilled as well. He makes an excellent cup of coffee, and he was a great help with my duties.”
Haru nodded thoughtfully as the class began in earnest, and for the first time in a long time, she daydreamed in class. Meanwhile one Ren Amamiya was subjected to the full brunt of the whispers as Kawakami stared out at him with a mix of remorse and anger. He knew that she could ease it up a bit, but she was already exhausted, she didn’t need his problems to deal with as well. It would’ve been much easier if Ann wasn’t glancing back at him as well every once in a while.
Class began and it gave the teacher a chance to call the class to silence. Ren went through the motions, his pencil twirling between his fingers in a simple pattern as he tried to ignore Morgana’s snickers from his desk, the tuxedo cat’s tail swishing back and forth contentedly. “So, what’s next for the great Joker and Makoto Niijima? Sweeping the floors? Reorganizing the files? A litter pick in a flower field?”
Oh how he wanted to stab this cat with this pencil, it would be so easy, so stupidly risky, yet so rewarding. Ann kept glancing back whenever Morgana spoke another dumb euphemism, but Ren just kept his head down to his work.
The lunch bell rang after what seemed like an eternity and Ren leaned down to grab his bag, whispering as he did so to Morgana. “You know, my shoulder’s feeling a little cramped.” He zipped up his bag without allowing Morgana to jump in like usual. “Maybe I’ll just leave you in here for lunch?”
Morgana looked up at him with bright blue eyes before groaning and muttering. “Fine, sorry about making fun of you and your girlfriend. I’ll even go panty raiding for you, though it’s a little under my paygrade.”
He exchanged a long look with him before sighing and re-opening the bag, allowing Morgana to jump down and into it deftly. Once he stood up again, he saw Ann staring him down with an unreadable expression. “Hey, Amamiya, could we talk?” A small smile crept onto her face as she tacked on. “I’ll get you something from the vending machine if you clear a path to the store.”
Ren laughed lightly, though Morgana could tell it was a bit hollow. He smiled at her, and again, it had the same artificial twinge to it. “Of course, lead the way.”
They walked in an uncomfortable silence until they reached the store. Much like Ann had said, there was a small parting of the sea of students allowing them towards the front where they got what they wanted. She picked him up a can of cool soda from the vending machine before motioning to the stairs. “Eat on the roof?”
He nodded, and after the climb, they broke out onto the roof. Ryuji was sitting there already, and he raised his hand and smiled over to him in way of greeting. Ren reciprocated it, but the smile didn’t particularly reach his eyes. “Hey Renren, Morgana! Long time no see!”
Ann went over to sit down next to Ryuji, and Ren sat across from them as opposed to next to them. It was a bit of an unspoken boundary, but neither of them called him up on it as he asked them. “How’re you two? Is Shiho doing okay? How’s the leg?”
Ann beamed at him as she recounted proudly. “Yeah! She’s absolutely killing it in her therapy, she’s saying she’ll be out of the wheelchair in time for summer.” Ryuji followed up with a proud grin as he stared down at the appendage. “Much better, getting back into training’s really got me fired up!”
They came back down before exchanging a look, and Ann turned back to Ren with a bit of a nervous look. “U-Um, well, the reason I asked you to talk is about the rumours today. So, you and the President…?”
Ren chuckled quietly, though Morgana could tell it was more at the memory of yesterday rather than the rumour. Peeking out of the bag, he replied for him. “It wasn’t anything like that, though someone looked a little happy when she complemented his coffee.”
He scowled down at the cat before sighing and leaning back as Ann’s question persisted in her pointed look. “Kaneshiro, the mafia boss, was my doing. Makoto blackmailed me into doing it by threatening me with what she had on us three as suspects, but she’s on side now, so don’t worry about it.”
Ann winced though Ryuji was still oblivious. The underlying message that he’d been trying to convey had been clear as day.
‘You’re not in danger, so it doesn’t concern you.’
Clearing her throat, she persisted under the pretence of a pleasant conversation. “T-That’s good then, I’m glad it worked out. So, is it still… The same?”
Ren sighed and was about to speak up again before the door opened again, revealing Makoto. Ryuji paled in fear at being caught up here after they’d been explicitly told not to, but the President’s expression was more focused on Ren as she put her hands on her hips. “I thought I asked you to be at the Student Council Office at lunch? Oh, Sakamoto, Takamaki, it’s nice to see you again.”
Ryuji gulped before asking nervously as Ren stood up, wondering what she was talking about. “U-Um, you ain’t gonna throw us to Kobayakawa for being up here?”
Makoto shook her head and replied evenly. “No, but please, be careful. Ren?”
The boy bowed to the former Phantom Thieves as he followed Makoto back into the building and down the stairs. There was a long moment of silence before a large grin broke out on his face. “You were waiting to get me out of there, weren’t you?”
Makoto giggled as she responded just before they re-entered the main gaggle of students, glancing back at him with those red eyes that had captivated him. “Hmm? What could you possibly be talking about?”
They made their way towards the Student Council office and when they stepped inside, Ren blinked when he found himself face to face with a fluffy haired third-year that he vaguely recognized. Makoto stepped inside, closing the door behind them as she introduced them with a hint of pride in her voice. “Ren, this is Haru Okumura. Haru, Ren Amamiya. She wanted to meet you in person considering the… Rumours.”
That was a surprise, but what was more surprising was when Makoto hid her face from him at the mention of the rumours. She didn’t understand why the hell they hadn’t phased her in class, but being confronted with them in front of the boy she’d been ‘soliciting’ was a heart-stopping thought. Ren just shrugged it off before turning to Haru with a nod. “Any friend of Makoto’s is a friend of mine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Haru giggled before replying, walking around him as if inspecting a sculpture. “And to you too Amamiya. So, do you actually carry a knife around in your bag?”
Makoto wanted to scream in frustration, this was just supposed to be a meeting! She’d wanted to show off this boy to at least one person their age, one person who wouldn’t do something like this, and a guilty part of her wanted him to thank her for it- “No, but I do have a very sharp tongued cat. Say hi Morgana.”
Morgana peeked out of the bag and Haru promptly squeed at frequencies only the cat could hear. She gently wormed her hands into the bag and pulled a protesting Morgana out, though that only lasted until she was cradled against her chest comfortably. “Oh he’s so precious!” She scratched him behind his ear, and finally Ren had some blackmail of his own on the cat as Morgana groaned. “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.”
Ren shifted his weight to one foot and gave a slight smile to a shocked Makoto. “He’s quite the troublemaker, though I suppose his role model could be better.”
Makoto was wondering exactly who’s side he was on, his or… Not his, before Haru offered. “Well I’d be glad to take him off your hands if you’re worried about his future prospects.”
His laugh sounded just like how he’d laughed last night, and Makoto felt a surge of pride at having gotten him to sing like that once more. “Afraid not, he’s the lady magnet after all.”
They sat down at the table and Makoto took her seat at the head of the table, pulling out a lunch box from her bag as Haru allowed Morgana to step out and onto the table, his tail swishing around languidly as he spoke up at Ren. “I like this one.” He smirked as his chin laid against the table. “Careful, what would you do without me?”
Ren deigned not to respond to that as he grabbed his own lunch, the can of soda laid at the bottom forgotten. Tearing open the bag, he took a bite from the bread as Makoto spoke up with a frown. “That’s hardly what I’d call a balanced meal Ren.” She said as she picked up a small clump of rice with her chopsticks. “Do you not think you could bring some curry from Leblanc? I’m sure Boss wouldn’t mind.”
He blinked before considering it with a far-off expression. She wasn’t entirely wrong, it wasn’t a balanced meal, but having curry and rice for every meal of the day didn’t sound appealing no matter how good Sojiro’s recipe was. Haru spoke up again, her own lunch box sat in front of her as one hand stretched out to continue petting Morgana. “Makoto tells me you make very nice coffee, what’s your secret?”
Ren polished off the bread roll quickly before replying with a shrug. “Not entirely sure.” That wasn’t even a lie, Sojiro’s explanation had gone over his head no matter how many times he’d tried to understand how intent affected the taste. “Practice and good beans, I guess.”
Haru nodded as if it made perfect sense before explaining proudly. “That’s quite interesting.” She pulled out a small container from her bag full of what looked like vegetables. “I’m the only member of the gardening club, and I’ve been trying to grow my own vegetables. I was wondering what made good coffee beans, but I’m afraid the city isn’t particularly up to the task.”
The small talk was amiable and a nice change of pace for Ren. It had been so long since his conversations with Ryuji and Ann had been anything but terse, and he hardly wanted to make life harder for Kasumi or Hanako by bothering them during their lunch breaks and spreading rumours. Leaning back in his chair, he cracked open a book as Makoto and Haru continued to discuss some aspect of their classwork.
All too soon the bell rang and the three stood up. Making their way to the door, Haru turned to Ren with a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” He tilted his head with in amused curiosity before she giggled and explained. “That the school delinquent is actually a big softie. Rest assured, I won’t… Let the cat out of the bag?”
Ren let out a long, suffering groan as Makoto hid her smile behind her hand. Walking back out into the rush of students, he went to go towards the stairs before he felt a hand grab onto his sleeve to pause him. Turning back, he saw Makoto refusing to meet his eyes as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I-I’ll… See you around?”
He took a quick glance around at the students who were gawping at them in shock before letting a small smirk grace his lips. Leaning down, he watched her face grow bright red as he whispered into her ear. “Sure, call me any time.”
Walking away, he felt his head raise much higher than it usually was when he walked around Shujin as he left a flustered Makoto behind. Sure, there would be rumours, but he didn’t particularly seem to mind those at that particular moment.