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“Good work, team,” said Joker with a graceful flip of his weapon as they took down the latest group of shadows. “We should probably call it a day here. ”
Murmurs of agreement followed. They had already been at it for more than two hours, and he could tell that most of their energy levels were nearly depleted. As the team began to pile into the Mona van, Ren noticed that Makoto hadn’t seemed to react to his request. Instead, she was standing off the side, her hand on her chin with a furrowed brow as her eyes stared aimlessly in front of her: her thinking face.
He walked up to her, the sound of his team arguing over seat placements loud in the background. “Something bothering you, Queen?”
She turned to face him, still looking as deep in thought as before. “That shadow...didn’t you find that encounter odd?”
Ren instantly knew what she was referring to. One of the last shadows that he had unmasked had given rise to two forms - Anubis, which the team were unfortunately all too familiar with, and a second that they had yet to come across in any of the palaces or Mementos. He had been disappointed when he was unable to convince it to join his roster. Unfortunately, the shadow had forced them into an all-out-attack and they had taken it down with little effort.
“Why? It was pretty weak compared to the rest of the shadows on this floor.”
Makoto shook her head. “It’s not that. Remember how it tried to hit you right at the end of the fight?”
Right. That had been a little strange. He was used to shadows trying to get a fast one on them in a last ditch effort to save themselves. But this one had stared him down with such an intense look of fury that it had taken him off guard, a moment of hesitation which it took advantage of by lobbying a magical attack his way. A sensation had coursed through him similar to that of other state-inducing spells that they encountered, but nothing happened.
“The shadow’s low health probably rendered its attack ineffective.” He shrugged. “It’s rare, but it’s happened before.”
Makoto didn’t quite look convinced. “Well, there’s no way to know exactly what happened. If we come across it again we can investigate further.”
Ren simply nodded. Both made their way to the Mona van so the team could resume their ascent towards the exit of Mementos.
Once back in Shibuya, the team took a moment to right themselves before figuring out what they wanted to do with the rest of their evening. Ryuji in particular was trying to rally as many of them as possible to go get some ramen.
“I will be happy to accompany you, although I’m afraid I might be short on funds at the moment,” Yusuke announced sadly.
Ryuji rolled his eyes. “I’ll cover your bill. Like usual.” The artist instantly cheered up at that.
“Why is it always ramen with you?” Ann whined. “Why don’t we go get crepes instead?”
“I have to side with Ryuji here, ramen would probably be the more sensible option,” Makoto interjected.
“Oh, come on! Think of all the exercise we just got from kicking shadow butt. Especially you, Queen! You were on a roll! Don’t you think so, Ren?”
“Definitely, Makoto, in particular, did exceptionally well today. As always.” Ren felt strange as the words came out of his mouth, like some sort of wave of drowsiness was washing over him. Makoto looked slightly flustered at the compliment.
Ann was not done advocating for her sweet tooth. “Come on! If we can’t have crepes, how about cake? I know this amazing pastry shop not far from here. Almost as good as that buffet.”
Ryuji rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how you stuff your face with that junk and don’t balloon up.”
Ann stuck out her tongue. “Jealous much?”
“Of you?” He scoffed. “You can barely run a block without passing out! You’re weaker than my grandma.”
The conversation further devolved as Ann and Ryuji argued back and forth. Ren saw Makoto sigh in his periphery, rubbing her temples the way she often did when she was stressed. He decided to interject before his two friends ruined the evening with their squabble. “Why don’t we compromise? I’m sure we can find a dessert and ramen place close together. Then everyone gets their way.”
Ryuji pulled off an exaggerated eye roll. “Sure, whatever. Just don’t come crying to me when you can’t fit in your clothes anymore.”
Ann was not so easily persuaded. “Why are you always picking on me, you brute? It’s not like Yusuke and Futaba are any better at eating than me! Ren, can’t you knock some sense into him? Why does he always have to be like this?”
Ren felt another wave similar to the one earlier wash over him, but he didn’t have time to ponder what it could mean before he found himself talking. “Because he likes you but is too immature to admit his feelings.”
The whole group went deathly silent, including Ren himself. Both Ryuji and Ann were very pointedly not looking at the other, and the latter’s face was turning a bright pink. Futaba was hiding her laughter in her hands while Makoto frowned at him.
What felt like a full minute passed before Ryuji broke the silence. “Dude...not cool.”
Ren wasn’t sure what to say in response. Why had he even said that? It was definitely what he had been thinking, but he usually kept those ideas bottled up. He didn’t even remember forming the words in his head before they came tumbling out.
Futaba was cackling. “What a burn from our leader himself. I didn’t think you had it in you, Ren.”
Ren shook his head. “I don’t know why I said that. It’s like I lost control of my mouth there for a second.”
“You sick or something?” Morgana pawed at Ren’s arm from the railing where he was balancing himself. “You don’t look so good.”
“I believe Mona may be onto something,” said Yusuke. “You do look awfully flushed. Maybe a visit to Dr. Takemi would be in order?”
“No, I’m not sick. I-I just feel weird. I think I need to sit down.” He slid down the railing, letting his head hit the metal behind him with a loud thunk.
As his companions began to fret over him, Ren felt Morgana jump down from the railing to study his face. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the cat’s inquisitive stare. “Interesting…”
“What are you thinking, Morgana?” Makoto asked as she bent down to bring her face to Ren’s level.
“I’m sensing some weird energy coming off Joker. Like something that I would usually notice only in the metaverse.”
“A persona? Here in the real world?”
Morgana’s collar jingled as he shook his head. “No, more like a status ailment. Not sure what though. Could be poison.”
“Not poison,” Ren mumbled. “This feels different.”
Makoto was now the one studying him intently, and he couldn’t help but feel nervous under her gaze. “Ren, do you mind humoring me for a moment while I test out a theory?”
He nodded weakly. Morgana looked intrigued. “What are you thinking, Queen?”
Makoto didn’t answer, bringing a finger to her lips in deep thought. “How much money do you currently have on you?”
“21,000¥,” he answered, once again without thinking. The strange sensation from earlier passed through him once more and he groaned at the uncomfortable feeling.
She furrowed her brow before continuing. “And what’s a lie that you’ve told one of us?”
“Makoto,” Ryuji began, “I don’t get what you’re-”
Ren cut him off almost instantaneously. “When I told Ryuji that I believed he’d pass his exams.” As the words left his mouth, he felt like he got hit with a wave of nausea and rested his legs between his knees to reorient himself.
“Aw come on, man,” he heard Ryuji mumble. “Again? Why do you have to kick me when I’m down?”
“Shut it, Ryuji,” Morgana snapped. “Don’t you see what’s going on? Joker’s been hit with some sort of truth spell. And for whatever reason, it’s working outside the Metaverse...I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Poor, Ren-kun,” said Haru kindly. “How do we stop it?”
“I don’t know.” Makoto’s voice came from just in front of him. She must have still been kneeling by his head. “We should probably head back to Leblanc and strategize the best way to remove the effect.”
“Yeah, you two do that,” said Futaba with a conspiratorial edge to her voice. “I for one won’t be wasting this valuable opportunity.”
“Oh, I get it.” Ren looked up to see Ryuji smirking in his direction. “Hey, Ren, mind answering some questions for us?”
“Yes.” That only seemed to amuse Futaba and Ryuji further.
“It’s so rare that one gets to hear the unfiltered thoughts of their companions,” said Yusuke thoughtfully. “It would make for a rare look into Joker’s mind.”
Makoto scowled at the team. “We are absolutely not taking advantage of Ren’s condition. What is wrong with you?”
Ryuji ignored their advisor’s words. “No, we need to test this out. Hey, RenRen, what color boxers are you wearing right now?”
“Nah, forget that,” Futaba interjected with a wave of her hand. “When’s the last time you watched porn?”
As the answers started pouring out of him, Ren leaped to his feet and dashed towards the train, completely forgetting Morgana who yowled as he chased after him.
As the evening dragged on, Ren received many texts and phone calls which he ignored. While Ann, Makoto, and Haru expressed concern for his predicament, Ryuji and Futaba were trying their best to send him the most embarrassing questions in the hopes he would slip up and respond. Yusuke simply remarked on how fascinating he found it that members of the team had so easily turned on their leader in his moment of need.
Even with the messages he was receiving, Ren found himself answering questions asked of him aloud. Fortunately, Morgana was his only audience. The feline expressed his sympathies at the situation.
When the next morning rolled around, a quick test with Morgana showed that he was still experiencing the same condition, although the effect wasn’t nearly as intense. He wished he could simply stay home and hide from the world, but he couldn’t risk missing even one day of classes with his reputation.
His phone continued to blow up through the morning but he ignored his texts for the most part. Ren kept his head down as he entered Shujin and navigated the halls to the second floor. As he approached the classroom, he saw that Ann and Ryuji were already waiting for him. It was rare that Ryuji would be outside their classroom first thing in the morning, and he doubted it was for any other reason but to torment him.
I can’t deal with this right now, he thought desperately, turning on his heels and instantly running into something solid.
“Oof!” Makoto exclaimed, faltering as she took a step backward from the force of their collision. Before Ren could apologize, she smiled widely in his direction. “Ren, I was just looking for you. Here.”
She handed him a small box and he couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked at the contents. “Earplugs?”
Makoto shrugged, nervously pushing some hair behind her ear. “I thought they might help. I wouldn’t normally advocate for a student to not pay attention in class, but I feel like this is an exceptional situation.”
He nodded. “Thanks. I think I’m going to need all the help I can get today.” He turned to look back at his classroom, where Ryuji and Ann were still sitting in the doorway. They seemed to have finally registered his presence. Ryuji waved at him with a smirk while Ann gave him an exasperated look. Ren let out a loud sigh; he was running out of time before class started.
“Ren.” Makoto's’ voice drew him out of his reverie. “Would you like an excuse to get out of class today?”
The relief on his face must have been obvious. “I would very much like that. If you don’t mind.”
Makoto nodded, suddenly all business. “Wait here.”
He waited patiently as she disappeared inside his homeroom, returning a few minutes later with a satisfied expression on her face. “It’s taken care of,” she explained. “I told Kawakami that I need your help with something for the student council. She looked a little suspicious but didn’t question me. I figure you can spend the rest of the school day in the student council room in peace. Follow me.”
Ren followed dutifully after her, sparing a glance behind him to see an outraged Ryuji staring back at him and gesturing wildly in his direction. He couldn’t help but grin as he chased after Makoto.
The sound of jangling keys was Ren’s signal that Makoto had returned to the student council room from her classes in the early afternoon. She flashed him a warm smile as their eyes met and he felt his heart constrict the way it often did when it was just the two of them. “How did it go?”
“Boring but relaxing,” he responded almost instantaneously. The persona’s magic was still in effect, it seemed.
Makoto took a seat across from him as Morgana jumped onto the table to join in their conversation. “Are you still feeling the effects of the persona?”
“Yes. Unfortunately.” He rubbed the back of his neck, leaning back in his chair as he did so. “But being able to hide out here for the day was a godsend. I can’t begin to thank you enough for this.”
She sheepishly avoided his gaze, and he wondered if he had said something to make her uncomfortable. “I was thinking of your predicament earlier in class.”
Ren chuckled. “How unlike you. Am I a bad influence on you, Niijima-senpai?”
Makoto rolled her eyes but looked away momentarily, a slight blush on her face. It instantly lifted Ren’s spirits. “It’s the first time we’ve seen a persona’s attack have repercussions outside the Metaverse and it makes me worry about the negative effects it could have on you in the long run. Has anything changed since we exited Mementos yesterday?”
“Barely,” he said, shaking his head. “I still can’t completely control what I say, but the feeling is less intense than yesterday.”
“I think if we avoid the Metaverse for a few days the effect should wear off,” Morgana affirmed with confidence. Makoto nodded at him.
“Well I’m sorry the others are giving you such a hard time with this,” she said sympathetically. “I can’t imagine the stress this situation has caused you. Especially since I know all the secrets you’re carrying for everyone.”
“Thank you, Makoto.” Sighing, he placed his head in his hands. “At least I have one friend looking out for me.”
“Well, I know if I was in the same situation you would be looking out for me, right?”
“Absolutely.” He winced.
“Sorry,” she said with a small laugh. “I should probably stop phrasing what I say like a question.”
“It’s okay, I know you mean well.” He shifted in his seat, pushing his books into his bag. “Maybe it would be better if we changed the subject. How’s it going with Eiko?”
Makoto perked up at the mention of her friend. “Oh, we’ve been talking a lot lately. She’s still eager for us to go on that double date with her and Tsukasa.”
“Right. Sorry we’ve been putting that off.”
She shook her head. “No, I understand. Helping Haru is more important.”
“We should be ready to send Okumura’s calling card soon,” he said. “Once that’s done with, we’ll make plans with Eiko.”
Makoto nodded. “While I’m eager to finally settle this situation with Tsukasa, I have to admit that it’s been fun investigating together.”
Ren couldn’t help but smile at her words. As they had become closer since she joined the team, it was nice to see Makoto becoming more upfront and less reserved around him. “Same. I’m going to miss playing detective with you.”
“Really?” she teased. “Are you sure you’re not fed up with playing the role of my pretend boyfriend?”
“Of course not. If anything, I’d like to be your real boyfriend.”
Listening as the words tumbled out of his mouth was similar to realizing he was about to crash the Mona van but not having enough time to stop his momentum. Makoto’s eyes widened, her mouth forming a circle as she stared at him in disbelief. He could already see the blush beginning to form on her cheeks, which he usually found adorable but at the moment terrified him. He could feel his neck and his face beginning to heat up as well.
“Um…,” she began, her voice trailing off as she continued to stare at him.
Ren didn’t wait to see her full reaction. He quickly grabbed his bag and moved to leave, yelping as he banged his knee against the top of the table in his haste. Not allowing the pain to stop his escape, he hobbled out of the room leaving a still-flustered Makoto behind.
“Well, that was embarrassing,” Morgana said as he caught up with Ren outside the entrance to Shujin. “Can’t believe you just left her there.”
“Leave me alone,” he groaned, burying his face in his hands. He still couldn’t believe what had just happened.
“Yo, RenRen, there you are!” As if the situation wasn't bad enough, Ryuji and Ann had finally found him. “We’ve been looking all over for you two.”
Ann rolled her eyes. “He was obviously hiding because you won’t stop harassing him, Ryuji.” She must have noticed the defeated expression on his face since she frowned.”What’s wrong, Ren?”
“Crippling embarrassment.” He didn’t even bother trying to control his answer.
Ann looked rightfully confused. “What’s he talking about, Morgana?”
“Joker just confessed his love for Queen,” Morgana said matter-of-factly.
“For real?” Ren cringed at the volume of Ryuji’s voice. “You seriously told Makoto you like her?”
“Yeah,” he mumbled, grateful Ryuji and Ann were already aware of his more than friendly feelings for their advisor. “I couldn’t help it. This stupid status effect is trying to ruin my life.”
Ryuji clapped him on the shoulder in sympathy. “That sucks, man.”
“Well?” Ann asked impatiently.
Ren looked back at her with a blank expression. “Well what?”
“Well what did she say?”
“Nothing. I ran off before she could react.”
Ann pouted. “You didn’t even give her a chance to respond? What if she feels the same way?”
“And what if she doesn’t? I can’t deal with that right now.” Especially when he couldn’t control what he said. He might end up just making the situation even more embarrassing for himself.
“Fine.” Ann stretched out her response as she rolled her eyes at him. “But it’s not like this is going to go away. You’ll have to face her eventually.”
“Just drop it, okay? At least for today.”
Ann and Ryuji both looked like they had more to say, but relented when they saw the crestfallen expression on their leader’s face. They begrudgingly allowed him to head back to Leblanc alone.
Ren would have liked nothing more than to immediately climb into bed and wallow in self-pity when he reached Leblanc. He’d tried to tell Sojiro he wasn’t feeling well, but the older man insisted he help out at the cafe before isolating himself for the evening. Hours passed before he had the chance to drag himself upstairs and flop down on his bed.
He barely had time to feel sorry for himself before he heard Sojiro calling for him again. “Kid, you got a visitor! I’m sending her up.”
Ren groaned. He assumed it was Futaba, who had been texting him all afternoon to try and trick him to come see her so she could torment him with more embarrassing questions. Lifting himself out of bed, he was about to tell her off when he realized who it was. It wasn’t Futaba after all.
“H-Hello,” Makoto said timidly, hovering near the attic stairs. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”
Morgana must have picked up on the awkward energy as he hopped down from the couch where he had been napping and moved to the windowsill. “I’m, uh, going to take a walk. Good luck, Joker.”
Absolute silence followed. Ren stared dumbstruck at Makoto, not wanting to open his mouth and risk saying something stupid.
She entered the room hesitantly, smoothing her skirt nervously as she got closer to him. “I’m going to sit down if that’s alright.”
He nodded, watching as she took a seat cautiously on the couch. She stared expectantly at him for a while before he realized that it would probably be polite of him to sit down as well. He did so, making sure to sit as far away from her as possible on the other end. He couldn’t quite look her in the eye, but he could tell from his periphery that she was glancing at him. The silence was unnerving.
Ren sighed, rubbing the back of neck. “Makoto, what are you doing here?”
She fidgeted, crossing her legs and locking her arms in front of her. “Well, we never finished our conversation.”
He lifted his eyes to look at her. There was a faint hue of pink across her cheeks, less pronounced than it had been back in the student council room but still noticeable. He wished he knew what was going on through her head. “I-I’m sorry for running out like that. And for what I said. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t make me uncomfortable. You just surprised me.” She began to chew on her bottom lip. “I-I want to ask you if you, um, really meant it, but I feel like that’s a stupid question considering your condition.”
By now, he could feel his neck and his cheeks warming up as they had earlier that day. Part of him wondered if he could follow Morgana out the window and escape the embarrassment of this situation.
But he was backed into a corner now, and he couldn’t do anything but be truthful with her. He locked eyes with her before answering. “I did. I meant it.”
“O-oh.” Makoto looked away, the flush on her face deepening. Her lips curved into a small smile, and he felt his heartbeat accelerate at the possible meaning behind her expression. “Um, in that case...I’d like it if we could start dating. For real this time. I-if it’s okay with you!” She added that last part in a quicker, more flustered tone.
Ren let out an awkward laugh, relief, and excitement washing over him at her words. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s okay with me.”
Emboldened by her confession, Ren scooted closer to her until their knees were almost touching. Makoto was wringing her hands nervously, chewing on her lip again as he closed the distance between them.
He reached out with one hand, hesitating before taking ahold of one of hers and intertwining their fingers. The smile on Makoto’s face, nervous but genuine, widened until it reached her eyes. The sight of her happy, and the knowledge that he was the cause of it, was intoxicating. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to lean over and kiss her, but they had gone through enough that day. If he actually went through with it, one or both of them might spontaneously combust.
Instead, he settled for relishing the warmth of her hand in his and the feeling of her side pressed against him. She shifted slightly so that she was leaning against him and Ren felt the rate of his pulse quickening once again at the closeness and intimacy of the moment.
Makoto’s voice was soft and low as she broke their silence. “I look forward to, um, growing our r-relationship, um... together.”
His grip on her hand tightened. When he’d awoken that morning in a panic over still being affected by a mysterious Metaverse ailment, he had never expected that the day would end this way. He didn’t quite know what he’d done to deserve it.
“Me too,” he answered, nuzzling the top of her head. “Nothing could make me happier.”