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Ren was walking home from his first day of school, his mind still pondering on all the wacky events that had happened today. Him and his new friend, or so he thinks they’re friends, had run into this cognitive castle and Kamoshida was there! To top it all off, Ren had made it to school late due to that entire situation and had gotten into slight trouble. His criminal record and probation didn’t help him to steer away from his upcoming lecture, obviously, who would believe an “assaulter”? He dug into his pocket, looking for his phone, and was met with nothing. Huh, strange. He searched his other pocket, and…Nothing again. Now Ren was going into a panic. Where was his phone?! Oh, this day can’t get any worse! He slips off his school bag onto one shoulder and digs through it, being sure to search every single crevice in each pocket no matter how big or small. Once again, he finds no device that could be a phone. He groans, burying his face into his pale hands. Suddenly, a finger taps his shoulder in a gentle manner. Despite his simmering frustration, he looks over at the stranger with a calm expression—that's merely a facade—and cocks his head to the side. His dark eyes land on a blonde girl with stunning blue eyes that almost resemble the ocean, or those waves which put you at ease and also lap against the crumbly, yellow sand. She’s ethereal…Hey, isn’t this the girl that sits in front of him during class? Ann, right? Ryuji mentioned her a few times in passing, talking about her as if they were related. She smiles gently at him and then holds up a phone. Ren raises his brows at that action, recognizing that device as his. “Is this yours?” She asks. Ren nods and carefully retrieves his phone, his grip tight. He returns her earlier smile as he speaks up,
“It is, thank you,” his voice is earnest, “where did you even find it?” He doesn’t ever recall dropping it, so now he’s curious, as he can’t be that much of a clutz. Either way, he’s grateful. She seems to ponder his question for a moment, most likely recalling his phone's previous whereabouts.
“Um…Oh! I found it near your locker. I assumed it was yours.” She explains. Ren nods, trying to ignore the flush creeping up on his cheeks. He was all worried and fretting over his device just because of his own stupidity. This is embarrassing. She doesn’t seem to share his thoughts, though, or maybe she’s just hiding it. Her face is free of judgement, instead overflowing with kindness.
“You’re lucky some thief didn’t take it.” She quips, trying to keep their conversation going. He chuckles, but deep down he was truly relieved. Sojiro would’ve been pissed if he had lost such an expensive and important belonging, especially because Ren promised to be responsible and be on his best behavior.
“Seriously. Thanks for giving it back,” he repeats, and she smiles once again in response. They fall silent, and it’s getting pretty awkward. From the way Ryuji spoke about her, he’d figured her to be a bit more difficult to converse with, but she’s genuinely sweet. Though, he should get going, and they don’t seem to have anything else to talk about anymore.
“Well,” Ren begins, “I should get going. See you at school,” he says, preparing to turn and leave. She smiles and bids him goodbye. On his way back home, his mind forgot about everything strange that had transpired today. Instead, his thoughts fixated on Ann; that earnest, gorgeous, and most definitely hilarious girl. Maybe they’ll hang out again?
*******
The next day, Ren was heading over to the rooftop for lunch, brushing past his gossiping classmates and the groups crowding the already bustling hallways. That was his and Ryuji’s hangout spot, even though the rooftop is off-limits. As he walks up the stairs, he feels a hand on his shoulder. Again. He cranks his head to the side to see who was behind him, and his eyes fall onto a blue-eyed beauty. His previous neutral expression turns into a slight smile, a giddy feeling seeping into heart. He fully turns around, giving Ann his full attention and gesturing for her to speak with a tilt of his head. “Hey!” She greets, waving at him, “um…Are you busy? I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with me.” She explains. Shiho wasn’t here today, which was nerve-wracking for Ann. Hopefully she’s okay. But, since Ann’s alone for the day, why not try and bond with the new guy with a foul reputation? Maybe it’ll also ease Shiho’s worries about the rumours if he gets a friend. Ren seems to ponder this for a moment. He really does want to talk with her, but would Ryuji be annoyed? Probably not. The two of them have known each other since middle school, and he talks about her as if they’re siblings.
“I’d love to,” he gives in, “Ryuji’s gonna be with us too, though,” Ann doesn’t seem to mind as she nonchalantly shrugs. If he is annoyed, which she doubts, then the blond delinquent can suck it up. They walk up the stairs together and quickly enter the rooftop, the smell of freshly watered flowers invading both their nostrils. It’s a welcome smell, and also a beautiful sight. Whoever takes care of these flowers--Haru, was it?--is amazing. They’re sprouting wonderfully, the stems standing high. Ryuji spots them and jogs over. Well, he attempts to. There’s an obvious limp in his steps. He cocks his head as he sees Ann.
“What’re you doin’ here?” He questions, but his tone obviously lacks bite. He’s just curious, “wasn’t expecting you here,” he explains.
¨Shiho’s not here today, so I decided to hangout with Ren,” she pauses, “and you too, I guess,” she grins. Ryuji scoffs, but a small smirk tugs on his lips. They’re obviously close enough to banter like this.
“Not excited to see me, huh?” He teases. Ann snorts and nods, a fond smile appearing on her face. Ren just observes their bantering before Ryuji tugs on his arm, pulling the black-haired dork closer. He also tugs Ann closer, bringing them to a nearby bench. They chat for a while, snacking on their lunch. They shared inside jokes, laughed loudly, and Ren was having a blast. He thought he’d be lonely this entire year, just like how depressing his social life was back in Inaba. But, it seems these two blonds proved him wrong. He’s actually content that they befriended him, despite his criminal record. They aren’t judgemental, and they’re genuinely kind. Also, Ann had this certain charm to her that was drawing him in. He didn’t understand how people talked bad about her behind her back, forming these gross rumours. She’s such a good-natured person. How could anyone hate her? Of course, he isn’t crushing on her or anything! That would be…crazy, haha. Yeah. Totally wild.
******
Soon, lunch ended, and after a few agonizing hours, school was also over. Ren was walking at the gate before turning around as he heard footsteps approaching him, getting louder with each step. It was Ann! But, why was she here? Did he forget something again? He swears he didn’t. “Ren!” She chirps, “can I walk home with you?” Oh, okay. So he didn’t forget something again. He nods in response, and she immediately walks by his side and matches his chill pace. This is probably the best he’s ever had since coming to Shibuya. He didn’t expect to become friends with Ann either. Actually, he didn’t think he’d be able to befriend Ryuji, either. It seems that their experiences are similar, though, making it easy to bond. He’s also extremely amusing. It’s a bummer that he can’t walk home with them today. They talk about school, how annoying some of the rumours are, if Ren’s settling in fine, and they brush up on a topic about Shiho. All in all, it was a chill walk. He drops her off and walks back to the Leblanc. This repeats a couple of times. Ryuji and Ann hang out with him for lunch, and then they walk home together. Sometimes it’s just him and Ryuji, him and Ann, or all three of them. A week after is when everything changes.
*********
It has been a week and Ren is settling into Shujin. They did this thing where they changed Kamoshida’s heart and Shiho had…jumped prior to that. But, she’s fortunately not dead and is severely injured. That still sucks, but it’s better than her dying. The rumours also still bother him a bit, despite him putting up a facade of nonchalance about them, but Ann and Ryuji are there for him. Speaking of Ann…He gets a text from her as class finishes up. It reads, “hey, could you please come to the rooftop? It’s just gonna be us two,” Ren cocks his head to the side, raising his brows. Just the two of them? A private conversation? Suddenly, Ren’s heart starts to race, but he attempts to reel his emotions back in. It’s probably not that. Scratch that, it’s definitely not that. He can’t be getting his hopes up. Maybe she just has a very important question to ask? One that Ryuji can’t hear? It could be about Shiho. Or perhaps Ryuji himself. Realizing that he’s too deep in his thoughts, he shakes his head, trying to get rid of everything swarming in his head. He follows what the text says, soon finding himself standing in the middle of the rooftop. He feels nervous and tries to school his expression into a calm one, which works, but his nerves betray him. He surveys the area and only sees those beautiful plants. Where’s Ann? Just as he began to think he was stood up, she appeared, seemingly nervous as well. She avoided eye contact and fidgeted with her tan fingers, sometimes picking at her well-manicured nails. He stared at her in silence for a moment, waiting for her to speak up. It was her who invited him, and he couldn't read her mind. Fortunately, she does just that, “um, Ren…Thanks for meeting up here with me,” she says, her tone awkward. He gives her a short nod, his gaze falling to the floor,
“Of course,” he says, realizing just how quiet he sounds, “so…what’d you need me for?” It seems that she takes a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking, because she then mumbles,
“Wouldyouliketogooutwithme?” In quick succession. Did he…hear that right? No, his mind was obviously playing tricks on him. She was just speaking far too fast.
“Could you repeat that?” He asks, and she takes a deep breath, preparing herself for her confession that could cost her this friendship.
“Would you…like to go out with me?” At that, his whole world seems to…brighten up, or something. He doesn’t know. He can’t really form thoughts at the moment. Or words, it seems. He keeps opening his mouth like a fish on land, as if he’s trying to speak but his words just refuse to come out. Ann just looks at him strangely, nervous that she said the wrong thing. He dumbly nods, feeling rather ecstatic. He heard that correctly, no doubt. Is he dreaming? Maybe hallucinating? No. No way. This is the real deal, her confessing…God, he’s just so content right now! She seems to brighten up as he shyly nods, clasping her hands together in delight.
“Great,” she whispers, in disbelief, “um, I-I’ll send you the details, yeah?” He nods, and her smile broadens in response. Suddenly, the bell rings. Time flies by when you’re having fun, huh? They walk to class together, and on the way their hands find each other, intertwining their fingers. Neither of them say a word.
*********
After school, he had collapsed into bed, feeling giddy at the prospect of going out with Ann. Ann! But the excitement had also worn him out. He’s in the mood for a nice, long nap, with Morgana snuggling on top of him. Yeah, that sounds amazing. However, his plans were disregarded as his phone pinged with a message. He groans, sits up, and reaches for it, but his discontent promptly turns into contentment as he sees exactly who texted him. It was Ann! She sent him the details of their date. Her message reads, “Ren, hi!!! I planned out our date. It’ll be pretty simple; I’ll pick you up on Saturday at 1:00 PM, then we’ll be going to this cute restaurant. Afterwards, we could get some coffee and go to the park. If you need to change something, tell me!!! See you there!! <3” He smiles at the message, and his nimble hands respond with,
“Sounds good. I can’t wait!” Send. Okay. That was smooth, right? Charming, in fact. What level is his charm anyway? He shrugs and then tosses his phone as his bed, collapsing onto his rock-solid mattress once again. A deep sleep soon envelops him.
******
Three days later, it’s Saturday. It’s an hour before his date with Ann, and he can’t help but overthink. What if he messes up? What if he blurts something that makes her detest him and then dump him? He takes a deep breath, combing through his messy hair. His black curls just won’t settle down. Seems like he’ll be showing up with a bird's nest in his hair…Wonderful. Isn’t that handsome. He sighs, cursing under his breath. His comb is set down and his hands move to flatten down his white button-up top, paired with a pair of black slacks. Look, there’s a lack of formal clothing in his wardrobe. He is indubitably going to embarrass himself. Him showing up like a hot mess is not going to win her over. He sighs once again and leaves Leblanc. Right. The restaurant. She sent the address to it. He walks down the gray sidewalks, his shoes creating a rhythmic tapping. The sun glared down at him, hard, his modest attire making things worse. Hopefully the restaurant has cooling. He soon arrives and sees Ann standing at the door. Holy crap, she’s drop dead gorgeous! He practically gawks as he spots her, his mouth open wide—as if he were catching flies. Her thick, blonde hair is done up in a perfect bun; she’s wearing a light pink dress that lacks straps and falls just beneath her knees, perfect for the weather; she’s wearing cute sandals with flowers on them; she has this elegant pearl necklace on, paired with pearl earrings, and a light pink headband; and her makeup…She’s talented, is all he can say. He finds himself at a loss for words. Ann is that captivating. She chuckles lightly behind her hand, revelling in the way he was so…enthralled. But, as amusing as this is, she can’t lie that she also adores how Ren looks. “You look so handsome!” She praises, clasping her hands together. His gaze suddenly fixates at the floor, a blush creeping onto his pale cheeks,
“um…Th-thanks. You look breathtaking,” he says shyly, fidgeting with the cuffs on his sleeve. She giggles before taking his hand, leading him instead. He squeaks as she takes his hand, feeling how clammy his skin is and how it sticks to Ann. Despite how uncomfortable that must feel, she makes no comment on it. They simply walk to their table, sitting across from each other. She grabs her menu, flipping through it, and so he follows. “So many appetizing items,” she says, her voice filled with awe. Ren chuckles. She’s always been a foodie, especially when it comes to sweets,
“right? Most of these don’t sound half bad,” he says. Currently, he’s surfing through the appetizers. You can get chicken wings, nachos, quesadillas, egg rolls, and many more things. Ren has always been a bit basic and decides to stick with what he has already eaten, “I’m thinking chicken wings would be good to start with,” and Ann nods,
“maybe the egg rolls too? I’m a sucker for those,” she adds, and he nods. That sounds perfect. Four chicken wings, and four egg rolls. The waiter walks over to them and Ann places their order for appetizers. As they wait, they fall into a comfortable silence before Ann decides to speak up, “Sooo…I’m so sorry if this is insensitive, but why are you here on probation?” She asks, and Ren glances to the side. She picks up on his nervousness and immediately feels guilty,
“y-you don’t have to answer! I’m just…it’s weird how a kind guy like you is on probation,” they both go silent after that. Ann’s worried that she messed up and asked the wrong thing. Of course that would make him feel uncomfortable! Meanwhile, Ren is attempting to…gather his thoughts. He has to tell her the truth, and really, he knows he isn’t at fault for what happened. He was protecting someone. He’s worried that she might think he’s lying. Many do, but then again, she’s kinder than most. And, if they are to actually get together, he’ll have to tell her the truth eventually. He takes a deep breath, “I’ll tell you,” he says. She raises her brows, before smiling slightly, “it’s fine—”
“No, I want to,” he reassures, and Ann nods, leaning back in her chair as she devotes her full attention to Ren. Him telling her this definitely says a lot. By the end of his explanation, Ann is practically fuming. Not at him, never at him, but at the messed up legal system! Ren had stopped a criminal, why is he at fault? Now everyone’s blaming him, spreading rumours about him, and avoiding him as if he’s the plague. They’re not even making an effort to befriend him, or at least try and become acquainted with him.
“Are you joking?” She scoffs, and for a second Ren fears that she’s upset at him, “you got in trouble? You were protecting her!” Ren let out of a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. She’s not mad at him. Awesome.
“I was confused too, but…he was a political figure. He turned the tables on me,” He sighs, shrugging. She frowns, and reaches over to gently rub his shoulder. His pale cheeks redden and he averted his gaze. He’s attractive as hell. Their romantic moment is disrupted as the waiter comes back, placing down their appetizers and two drinks, a coke and water. Ann picks up a chicken wing, ripping off a piece of the meat before beginning to chew. These are the best chicken wings she has ever eaten. The sauce has a spicy tang to it, but the flavour almost overwhelms the spice. “Oh my God, this is amazing!” She chirps. Ren chuckles, quickly agreeing as he takes a bite of his own,
“you aren’t lying, they really are!” Somehow, their compliments turn into a conversation about the food and restaurants back in Inaba and some here in Shibuya. “You really love your sweets, huh?” Ren quips. Ann giggles and nods, scratching the back of her neck,
“is it that obvious?” she asks bashfully.
“Trust me, it is, but I think it’s cute,” his voice is quiet, “your sweet tooth,” he then clarifies, and she blushes. He’s so cheesy, and she finds she likes it! For some reason. She quickly changes the subject, and soon they get to order. Ren gets a bowl of ramen for 1000 yen, and Ann orders a tonkatsu, along with some mochi. They start chatting again and soon their plates are cleared off and their glasses empty. Ren offers to pay, but Ann insists they half it, and so the black haired boy relents. They both pay and once they make it outside, the duo stops by the back of the restaurant, leaning on the wall. “Are you still up for coffee?” He asks, and Ann shakes her head, rubbing a palm over her stomach,
“Honestly? No. I am stuffed!” She groans. Ren snickers behind his hand, although he, too, is full. She quickly brightens up, pushing herself off from the wall and tugging on his hand,
“I am still up for our park outing!” She grins, and he smiles, ecstatic that they can bask in each other's company for longer. They got to walking, and it was way cooler compared to their earlier stroll to the restaurant. The sun had decided to hide away behind the white clouds, and the sky had dulled. The chill wasn’t unbearable, fortunately. It was actually quite nice, a perfect mix and cold and hot. Their hands find each other once again, and Ren finds himself adoring her touch. Enjoying their fingers intertwining. It’s…nice. Comforting, even. The two of them make it to the barren park, save for the old equipment, and take a seat at the bench. Silence washes over them for a moment before Ren looks over at her, “so, did you have fun?” He asks, and she hastily nods, clasping her hands together.
“Fun would be an understatement.” She says, and Ren chuckles, feeling giddy that she had enjoyed their date. Then, he asks the question he’s been fearing to say,
“Would you like to...get together?” She nods, without hesitation. He raises his brows, baffled. She didn’t even ponder it! I mean, he wouldn’t have thought about it either, but still! She’s pretty, popular...He’s nothing compared to her. As if picking up on his overthinking, she leans her head onto his shoulder, patting his arm. “I can tell what you're thinking,” she teases, shaking her head in a faux disappointed manner, “and I don't like it.” Ren looks off to the side, a small sigh escaping his lips. Is he truly that easy to read? He didn’t think Ann would catch onto his negative thoughts. Without giving him a chance to retort, she speaks up again,
“I wouldn't have said yes if you weren't a wonderful person,” She says, this time a lot more serious, “I love you, Ren.” And suddenly, he feels a pair of lips peck his cheek. Holy crap, this isn't real! His hand ghosts his cheek once she pulls away, stammers and only stammers escaping from his mouth. Ann giggles behind her hand as his pale face turns beet red. When he finally regains his composure, he mutters,
“I-I…love you too.” She smiles warmly, leaning into him. Ren could get used to this.