Chapter 33
“Marriage?”
Yu looked surprised. “Really? Me? With who?”
Seeing Yu’s genuinely confused reaction, Morgana relaxed.
So it had all been a joke, Ren teasing the pretty, but slightly misguided, idol. What a mischievous boy, making such bold pronouncements.
Just as Morgana thought this, Ren spoke.
“With me.”
“With you, Ren?” Yu pondered for a few seconds, then nodded seriously. “I’ll consider it.”
Morgana: …?!!
“Ren Amamiya is a valuable asset for any household. Marrying him would be a good investment,” Yu explained to Morgana. “If I bring Ren home, I’ll have 200 SP coffee and curry every day. He can cook, clean, fight Shadows, and he even has a cat. Perfect.”
“That does sound like a good deal… Wait, you idiot!” Morgana swatted Yu. “This isn’t something to joke about!”
“And I’m not a cat!”
Yu, unfazed by Mona’s attack, chuckled, petting his head. He then turned to Ren. “Finish your takoyaki. We should head to our seats soon.”
“Yes,” Ren placed the remaining takoyaki in front of Morgana. “Eat up.”
“Okay,” Morgana started eating.
As he ate, he glanced at Ren and Yu, who were chatting while sharing the remaining takoyaki, each holding a skewer.
It seemed innocent enough, but something felt off.
Sharing food wasn’t unusual… but after the marriage talk, it seemed strangely intimate.
Were they secretly dating?
“Yu, you have something on your face,” Ren suddenly said.
Yu looked up at him.
Ren reached out and wiped a smudge of sauce from the corner of Yu’s mouth. Yu’s gray eyes reflected Ren’s face. Despite the slightly charged atmosphere, Yu simply smiled and thanked him.
Ren stared at Yu for a moment, then looked down, murmuring “You’re welcome.”
Morgana: …
Something was definitely going on between them!
“Wait a minute,” Yu suddenly realized something, looking up at Ren. “Did you just call me ‘Yu’?”
“Yes, doesn’t Rise call you ‘Yu-senpai’?” Ren mimicked Rise’s cheerful tone perfectly, despite his expressionless face.
“So, can’t I call you ‘Yu’?”
Yu hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Fine, if you want to, Ren. You can call me whatever you like.”
Mona angrily bit into the last takoyaki. He would tell everyone about this when they got back!
Whether they were dating or not, they would face judgment!
After they finished eating, Inoue entered the dressing room, searching for his missing pen holder, intending to escort them to their seats. He spotted the pen holder on the table.
“How did this get here? Did I bring it in?” Inoue wondered aloud.
Yu/Ren: …
They both shook their heads, feigning ignorance.
Live concerts were always more impactful, and Rise’s concert was no exception. Several people had tried to buy their front-row seats, and after being refused, they had given them glow sticks and light boards instead.
The idol, a true professional, shone brightly on stage, the cheers of the crowd deafening.
Ren covered Mona’s ears to protect him from the loud noise.
Mona swished his tail, nuzzling Ren’s arm, then looking slightly embarrassed. He was a good cat, and he could sense Ren’s concern and care, even in this situation.
He was touched.
“The fans are so loud. As expected of Rise,” Yu said, gazing at Rise, his eyes sparkling. “It’s good. She’s working hard towards her goal.”
“What did you say?” Ren couldn’t hear him over the noise.
Yu chuckled.
He leaned closer to Ren, cupping his hands around his ears, and whispered, “After clearing your name, you should also pursue your goals, Ren.”
Ren felt his heart skip a beat, the surrounding noise fading away, replaced by a muffled hum, Yu’s warm breath against his ear the only clear sensation.
They were so close that Ren could smell the faint, sunny scent that always clung to Yu.
“…Too close,” Ren murmured involuntarily.
Yu met his gaze, seemingly realizing something, and pulled away slightly, but before he could fully retract his hand, Ren caught it.
In the late summer heat, amidst the roaring crowd, Ren held onto Yu’s hand.
“Do you know the Phantom Thief code?” Ren asked, his gaze locked on Yu’s, ignoring the idol on stage and the screaming fans.
“A Phantom Thief never lets go of what’s rightfully his.”
Yu blinked, then smiled after three seconds, his hand tightening slightly around Ren’s. “Who made that rule? Arsène Lupin?”
“No,” Ren pushed his glasses up with his other hand. “It’s a rule established by Phantom Thief leader Ren Amamiya. Give up. I’m going to win.”
“Such a competitive spirit, Leader.”
Morgana, witnessing the entire exchange: …
Weren’t they supposed to be just friends? Why were they being so suggestive?!
After the concert, the crowd lingered, refusing to disperse. Rise couldn’t come to see them off, and Yu and Ren, being high school students, couldn’t stay out too late.
They said goodbye over the phone, unable to meet in person.
Ren was truly tired this time. He yawned, heading back to his room above Leblanc with Mona, who looked at him hesitantly.
Seeing Ren, despite his exhaustion, message Yu to let him know he was home safe, Morgana couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Ren, what’s going on between you and Narukami?”
Ren yawned again. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“Seriously, do you two really act like friends? Would you say those things to me?” Morgana twitched his ears. “You two are so clingy, you might as well just kiss!”
“Kiss?” Ren paused, taking off his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes. “We haven’t kissed.”
“We’ll talk about kissing later.”
Morgana: …
Was this guy sleep-deprived and delirious?!
Watching Ren drift off to sleep, Morgana, unable to rest, grabbed Ren’s phone and opened the Phantom Thieves’ group chat.
He decided to share his discovery.
[Ren Amamiya: Do you guys know what’s going on between the leader and Narukami?]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: Huh? Morgana?]
[Ren Amamiya: It’s me. Ren is asleep. I’m using his phone.]
[Ann Takamaki: A cat using a phone! Amazing!]
[Ren Amamiya: Address my question first!]
[Yusuke Kitagawa: What about them? What’s so surprising? Did they hold hands or kiss in front of you?]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: Whoa, are those two actions equivalent to Tokyo exploding?]
[Makoto Niijima: They’re just friends.]
[Yusuke Kitagawa: Oh? Really? Unconventional relationships aren’t always accepted by society, so it’s normal for them to keep it a secret.]
[Futaba Sakura: Should I monitor their phones?]
[Makoto Niijima: …No, Futaba. Go play.]
[Ren Amamiya: They did hold hands! For a long time! And they were saying weird things, like who would win or lose!]
[Everyone: …]
[Yusuke Kitagawa: I knew it.]
[Makoto Niijima: No, even holding hands doesn’t necessarily mean…]
[Yu Narukami: Did it occur to any of you that I’m in this group chat and can see everything you’re saying?]
[Everyone: …]
Watching the ensuing chaos, Futaba almost kicking Yu out of the group before being stopped by Makoto, Morgana guiltily placed the phone back on Ren’s pillow and everyone quietly disappeared from the chat, unable to retract their messages, leaving behind a trail of awkward conversation.
They were even more embarrassed imagining Ren reading it when he woke up.
Yu sighed.
He wasn’t the proactive type in relationships, his gentle nature making him hesitant to impose on others, his cool demeanor masking a lack of aggression.
Ren, however, was the opposite. Quiet and reserved, seemingly innocent, he was surprisingly assertive, making quick decisions and judgments, which was why he had boldly grabbed Yu’s hand and refused to let go.
Romance?
…How did that even work?
Just as he was pondering this, his phone chimed. It was a message from Futaba.
[Futaba Sakura: Um, is what Mona said true? Are you and the leader really together?]
[Yu Narukami: I don’t think so.]
[Futaba Sakura: Oh, really? But if you two do get together, I’ll support you.]
[Yu Narukami: …I’m not sure what to say, but thank you.]
[Futaba Sakura: Ren is a good person, and you’re a good person too. Good people should be together! In novels and games, that kind of pairing always gets a happy ending. If it were anyone else, I would have a lot to say, but with you two, I think you’ll be fine.]
[Futaba Sakura: Take care of each other.]
Yu smiled faintly, reading her message.
It was nice to see someone care so much about Ren.
[Yu Narukami: Don’t worry. Whether we get together or not, we’ll be fine.]
As for whether they would actually become a couple, he would let things unfold naturally.
