On the Possibility of Raiding the Phantom Thieves’ Leader 12

Chapter 12

While the Velvet Room was still under renovation, Ren had been leveling up relentlessly, reportedly encountering several Reapers.

But his efforts had paid off. His level was nearing 50, and he could easily defeat Madarame’s Shadows.

Yu didn’t enter the museum. He remained hidden near the entrance, hoping to encounter the “culprit” Ren had mentioned. Unfortunately, until Ren and the others emerged and the Palace began to crumble, no one else appeared. His efforts were in vain.

Ren and his friends were exhausted from their battle against the Shadows, while Yu, who hadn’t participated, was full of energy.

Yu decided not to go home just yet, stopping by the grocery store to buy fresh ingredients for tomorrow’s bento.

Returning home with his groceries, Yu saw the lights on in the living room. He opened the door and found his parents watching the news, seemingly preoccupied. They both noticed him immediately.

“Yu, you’re back,” his mother greeted him warmly.

“Were you out with friends?” his father, who rarely came home due to his busy schedule, asked with a smile.

It had been a while since Yu had seen both his parents home at the same time. He nodded. “I went somewhere with a friend. That’s why I’m late.”

“Well, now that everyone’s here, let’s have dinner,” his mother took the groceries from him. “Why did you buy so much?”

“I’m going to make bento later,” Yu replied.

“Really?” His mother ruffled his hair gently. “I’ll help you tonight.”

Yu smiled. “That would be great.”

With his mother’s help, Yu accidentally made too much bento. Looking at the double portion, he paused.

He asked his parents if they needed bento for lunch, and after learning their company provided meals, he hesitated, then opened his phone and messaged Ren.

[Yu Narukami: Ren, what are you having for lunch tomorrow?]

Yu glanced at the time. It was 10 PM. He wasn’t sure if Ren was asleep, considering they had been battling in the Metaverse tonight. Yu, having experienced dungeons himself, knew how exhausting battles could be, leaving one too tired to do anything but rest that night.

But to his surprise, Ren replied.

[Ren Amamiya: ?]

[Ren Amamiya: Bread, I guess. They sell it at school. It’s convenient.]

Yu was relieved. He wasn’t asleep.

[Yu Narukami: Do you want a bento?]

Ren, lying in bed, about to fall asleep, stared at Yu’s message, his mind filled with question marks.

A bento?

Before he could ask, Yu sent him a picture.

The picture showed two neatly arranged bento boxes, filled with vegetables, meat, and fried shrimp, looking incredibly appetizing. Ren wasn’t a good cook. Aside from curry, which Sojiro had taught him, he couldn’t make anything else. But even he could tell that whoever made these bentos was a skilled cook.

[Yu Narukami: I accidentally made too much. Do you want it? I can give it to you on the way to school tomorrow.]
[Ren Amamiya: …]

[Ren Amamiya: You made a bento for me?]

[Yu Narukami: Is there a problem?]

It wasn’t that there was a problem…

Ren turned on his side, staring at Yu’s message. Morgana was curled up at the foot of the bed, fast asleep.

If Ryuji had suddenly offered him a bento, Ren would have assumed he had lost his mind. But the offer came from Yu, the person who seemed completely oblivious to his own charm, radiating gentle naiveté, untouched by darkness.

Ren wondered: Did he realize that offering a bento was something girls usually did when pursuing boys?

[Yu Narukami: Ren?]

[Ren Amamiya: I accept.]

Now it was Yu’s turn to send a question mark.

[Ren Amamiya: I accept this challenge.]

[Yu Narukami: What are you talking about?]

[Ren Amamiya: Nothing. Just contemplating the difficulties of interacting with someone who has absolutely no concept of personal space.]
[Yu Narukami: …Are you talking about me?]

Ren didn’t confirm or deny, simply thanking Yu for the bento and bidding him goodnight. After turning off his phone, Ren yawned and drifted off to sleep.

His sleep was restless. He dreamt of being chased by Yu, who, upon catching him, force-fed him a bento filled with wriggling octopus tentacles.

…Terrifying.

Due to the strange dream, his affection for Yu increased (+1).

The next day, Yu made a detour to Aoyama-Itchome Station. Ren waited for him at the station entrance, dressed in his Shujin uniform, looking quiet and innocent. No one would suspect he was the flamboyant Phantom Thief who drove a cat bus and rammed into Shadows in the Metaverse.

“Ren,” Yu called out.

Ren turned to face him, as usual, not speaking, just nodding slightly.

“Here.” Yu took out the bento box from his bag. “Remember to return the box after school.”

“Yes,” Ren replied concisely.

Watching Ren head towards school with the bento, Yu smiled, about to leave as well. Just then, he heard whispers nearby.

“Is that a Sōyō student? Why is he here at Shujin? He’s so tall and handsome!”

“Huh? Isn’t that the person he was looking for…?”

“Who is he? Do you know him?”

“Not really. He’s that transfer student, the one who was sent here for committing a crime. They say he’s a real troublemaker, might even be a murderer…”

“That’s scary! There’s actually a student like that at our school!”

Yu glanced at them. The two students were whispering about him. Their eyes met, and they awkwardly smiled at Yu before hurrying into the school, leaving Yu standing there alone.

After a few seconds, Yu turned and walked back to the station.

A transfer student, sent here for committing a crime? A troublemaker, possibly even a murderer?

Were they talking about Ren?

The Ren he knew didn’t fit that description at all.

Lost in thought, he returned to school, barely paying attention in class, almost failing to answer the teacher’s question. Fortunately, he had previewed the material, and the question was relatively simple, so he managed to answer smoothly.

After morning classes, Yu went to the rooftop to eat his bento, as usual.

He opened the bento box. Just then, his phone chimed.

Holding his chopsticks in one hand, he took out his phone with the other. It was a message from the Phantom Thieves’ group chat.

Ren had shared a picture of the bento.

[Ryuji Sakamoto: !!! Ren! Where did you get that bento?! Who gave it to you?!]
[Ann Takamaki: Wow, it looks so good!]

[Ryuji Sakamoto: @Ren Amamiya Where are you?! I’m coming to find you!]
[Yusuke Kitagawa: There it is! Something even more logo-worthy than a beef bowl!]

[Ann Takamaki: So who made it?]

Yu picked up a fried shrimp with his chopsticks and replied to the group.

[Yu Narukami: I did.]

[Ann Takamaki/Ryuji Sakamoto: ???]

[Yusuke Kitagawa: Can you be my food model next time?]
[Yu Narukami: No.]

[Yusuke Kitagawa: What a shame.]

Ryuji and Ann stopped messaging in the group, likely rushing to find Ren. Indeed, Ryuji barged into Ren’s classroom, only to find him absent. He met up with Ann, and after analyzing the background of the photo, they headed to the rooftop.

As expected, Ren sat at a dilapidated table on the roof, eating his bento.

The poor Phantom Thief leader was then bombarded with questions, demanding all the details, while Morgana, hidden in the bag, happily munched on a fried shrimp.

Narukami’s cooking was amazing!

After learning that Yu had made too much bento and given the extra portion to Ren, Ryuji and Ann raided the remaining food, exclaiming how lucky they were!

Next time they ate out, they would insist Yu cooked!

Seeing Ryuji and Ann reappear in the group chat, accusing Ren of favoritism for keeping the bento to himself, Yu smiled.

He placated the playful group, then sent Ren a private message.

[Yu Narukami: Did you finish it?]

[Ren Amamiya: It was raided.]

Ren sent him a picture of the empty bento box.

[Yu Narukami: Close enough. So, Ren, can I ask you something a bit personal?]
[Ren Amamiya: Ask away.]

[Yu Narukami: When I gave you the bento today, I overheard your classmates saying you were a delinquent transfer student sent here for committing a crime. Can you tell me what that’s about?]

Yu was a straightforward person, rarely hiding anything. His youthful recklessness had been left behind in Inaba. The whispers he’d heard this morning had bothered him, so he decided to ask Ren directly. He wasn’t afraid of gossip or rumors, but he wanted to hear the truth from Ren.

He trusted this secretive boy.

Ren paused, placing the bento box in his bag before typing two lines.

Then he hesitated, deleting the message and typing a new one.

[Ren Amamiya: You messaged me privately just for this?]
[Ren Amamiya: Worried about asking in the group chat and affecting my image?]

[Ren Amamiya: I have to say, you’re incredibly considerate sometimes.]
[Yu Narukami: Not really. I just thought asking in the group chat might hurt your feelings.]
[Yu Narukami: Being misunderstood must be painful.]

Ren stared at the message, speechless for a long moment, unable to type a reply.

Because Yu was right.

Being misunderstood was painful.

Ren had thought he no longer cared, even after being falsely accused of assault and having a criminal record, even after being abandoned by his parents and sent to live with a stranger in Tokyo, subtly ostracized and bullied at school. He had made good friends in Tokyo, forged irreplaceable bonds, and his life no longer felt lonely.

But Yu’s words had struck a chord. Ren suddenly realized: he still cared.

Back then, he had been truly hurt.

After a few seconds, Ren replied.

[Ren Amamiya: …What if I said yes?]

Almost instantly, Yu’s reply arrived, leaving Ren stunned.

[Yu Narukami: I’ll help you.]

[Yu Narukami: Didn’t we agree yesterday? You’ll accept my help, and I’ll do my best to help you.]

A breeze swept across the rooftop. It was June now, the weather warmer, but the rainy season was approaching, bringing a chill to the air. The wind ruffled Ren’s hair. He looked up, gazing out from the rooftop, a sense of relief washing over him.

He had never been more grateful.

It was good. He hadn’t missed Yu after all.