Chapter Text
November, shortly after Securing a Route to Sae’s Treasure. Okumura died, the Phantom Thieves are at their lowest point, and Ren is doubting his every action. Maybe everyone at the school is right. He’s a worthless delinquent. Why does Kasumi approach him, then?
Ren wanted to answer this question for himself, and he knew the dangers that lied ahead. He didn't know how to inform Kasumi that the operation may kill him, but he wanted to find a way. While walking around Shibuya on the way to the train station, he saw an advertisement for a Ball. "This is it," he thought to himself, "If I can get one last dance with her, that will be good enough." He quickly scrolled through his contacts and texted Ann, asking her to help him find a nice suit. He informed her that he wanted to ask Kasumi out to dance at the Ball, but had no idea where to start. She happily obliged and helped him find a suit that brought out the best in him, physically. Mentally, he was winging it. He texted Kasumi, informing her that he wanted to meet at the Buchiko statue in Shibuya.
Meanwhile, Kasumi finally had a day off. After recollecting the past few months, she realized that when she thought of dancing, she thought of Ren. She couldn’t get him out of her head. When she practiced, she wanted him to be there, watching her. She was doing considerably better than before, thanks to his help, but she wanted more. While walking around Shibuya, she noticed an advertisement for a Ball.
"Maybe I can confirm my feelings through dancing with Ren," she thought to herself. With this thought in mind, she went to the Underground Mall in Shibuya and bought a dress and a matching pair of shoes. As she went to text Ren, she received the IM from him.
As Ren approached the statue, he noticed Kasumi standing next to it, one step ahead of him. Here goes... he mentally prepared himself.
“Hi," He nervously mumbled. Regardless of the number of times he saw her, her beautiful crimson ponytail and beaming smile blew him away.
Kasumi turned to him with a smile on her face. “Hello, Senpai.”
The two paused for a moment, with a sense of awkwardness permeating the air. Almost simultaneously, the two blurted out “I wanted to ask you if yo-”
Ren used this as his chance to re-evaluate the situation. Would she really want to go out with him? She didn’t seem to care about his past or reputation at school, but is he worth the trouble? These thoughts began to chain down his consciousness before he heard Kasumi’s voice break the chains.
“Senpai! Are you alright? You spaced out mid-sentence.”
Ren, flustered, replies, “Sorry, It was nothing, go ahead and say what you wanted to say.” Kasumi looked at him with a curious glance, and stated, “I wanted to ask you if you’d go to the ball with me. I’ve seen some advertisements for it and considering our deal, I thought this would be a good opportunity to ask you out.”
Ren internally panicked. Ask me out? Ask me out? Wait, last time this happened, she turned me down faster than I could think. Now she’s doing it again? Is she being serious? She can’t be.
At this point, Kasumi had gotten up to his face and is looked up at him, directly in the eyes.
“Are you okay, Senpai? You seem a bit out of it.” Kasumi asked after another moment of awkward pause.
At this point, Ren was completely flustered, his face red, his chest squeezed. He prepared himself to ask her out, not this! Normally he took everything in stride, but she was different.
Morgana popped out of Ren's bag and broke the silence. “ Hey, say something!” Ren haphazardly replied, still flustered, “I… would love to! Get a cold drink? Right now! Care to join me?”
Morgana audibly sighed at his response, “Not that! Give her an answer!”
Kasumi looked at him, still puzzled, “Of course, but I’d like to hear your answer first.”
Ren took a deep breath, internally berating himself. She asked YOU out. She wants to be with you! Stop doubting yourself and say yes!
After collecting himself, Ren stops holding back, answering, “Yes. Absolutely yes. Please.”
Kasumi’s puzzled expression turns into a smug smile, “Good.”
Ren's thoughts continued to go wild. "Why am I like this? Back in June, I said to her “Want a piece of this?” And offered her my umbrella. Why can I barely talk to her now without my heart
feeling like it’s going to burst? I’m in love with her, I get that, but I’ve always kept my cool! How is she different? Can I really do this?"
Kasumi noticed that he was still fidgeting awkwardly, trying to keep a distance from her. She moved closer and lightly nudged his side with her elbow.
In a bold move, she proclaimed to him: “If we’re going to the Ball, we should practice our form. Wrap your arm around mine.” In a quick motion, Kasumi wrapped her arm around his and looked up at him, gauging his response. Ren looked at her, baffled by her tenacity, only able to mutter in response, “I…….” before Kasumi interrupted him, excitedly saying, “There, like a
real duet!”
The two made their way to the cafe, receiving many curious glances from townsfolk.
A few Shujin students noticed them and whisper to one another.
“Look, its the delinquent and the princess honors student! Think he’s trying to play the part of the prince and take her to the ball?”
The second student, with an unamused look, whispered back.
“What does she see in him, anyway? Doesn’t he rob people? I heard he kicks stray cats and tries to light them on fire in alleys…”
Ren lowered his head and tried to walk ahead of Kasumi while Morgana hissed from the bag. Kasumi, almost effortlessly, spun around him using his arm as an anchor point, placing herself
in front of him, stating in a serious tone, “Senpai. I know you’re stronger than this. Stronger than them. Please, tell me what’s going on. I didn’t want to say anything, but I know something heavy is on your mind. You showed me how to succeed as myself. Let me help you.”
All Ren could see at this point was her face, directly below his, a fierce, determined look in her eyes. Ren, for the first time since being arrested, felt tears welling up in his eyes. All he managed to say was, “Haha, you’re right. I’m sorry.” in a choked voice.
The two made their way to a nearby cafe, ordered drinks, and sit in a far corner table.
Ren fidgeted nervously in his seat, still unsure of how to explain his situation.
Eventually, he spoke up. “The truth is, I’m going to be doing something soon that is dangerous. It’s nothing illegal or anything like the students say. I don’t know how else to say it, but you might not see me again.”
Kasumi’s facial expression shifted from that of amusement to dissatisfaction. She clenched her teeth and looked him in the eyes.
"Senpai… You know I won’t stand for an answer like that. We made a deal. We’re partners. I won’t let you leave until I say you can. Even then, I won’t. I never will. I want you to keep being my partner. You can do what you need to, but you are going to come back. No matter what, okay?”
Ren felt a cold sensation pulse through his body. It grew warmer and warmer, threatened to set his insides aflame. Eventually, it all focused in his chest. That does it. He’s been an idiot this whole time. He helped others solve their own problems but never let someone else help him with his. Kasumi was going to help him, no matter what he said.
Ren looked at her for a moment, her body visibly stiffened from anger and anxiety. He let out a sigh of relief and began to laugh. With a flick of his fingers, he wiped away a tear forming in his eye, and mumbled, “Thank you. I’m… really happy… Sumi…”
Upon hearing Ren call her Sumi, her heart skipped a beat. She lightly blushed. "He’d never done that before. He always called me Kasumi. He sounded so cute saying it...!" she yelled to herself internally.
Kasumi’s posture loosened and she begins to stroke her ponytail, smiling. “Good. I like it more when you smile at me. That smile is what lets me perform my best. Also… could you… keep calling me Sumi?”
Ren’s mood improved drastically. He had been an idiot to think Kasumi disliked him, or hated him! He knew he had to make the best of this night. His nervous expression turned into a wide smile. “Of course. But, I need to ask you a favor in return.”
Kasumi quickly blurted out an answer. “Anything.” Ren, smiling, made his request. “Pinch my cheeks so I know I’m not dreaming.”
Kasumi was caught off guard by this and began blushing even harder. She nervously blurted, “S-senpai? Where did this come from?”
Ren realized the full extent of what he had just said and began to blush in turn.
The two sat there in silence, too flustered to speak. Morgana piped up after a minute, exclaiming, “Sorry to interrupt your flirting, but you do realize the Ball is tonight, right? You have about an hour.”
The two quickly snapped out of their trance, with Ren blurting, “Oh! Sumi, we should probably get going, if we’re really doing this. I forgot it was tonight.” She nervously replied, “Ahah… right. Ummm, I already have a dress ready. What will you be wearing?”
Ren pulled out his bag. “I’ve got an outfit ready, it’s in my ba-” In a flash of realization, he remembered that, from sheer excitement and anxiety, he rushed out of the house to see Kasumi. He forgot the suit.
Morgana disappeared into the bag for a second and emerged holding part of the hook for the bag holding the suit in his mouth.
He looked at Ren with as smug of a look a cat could have, commenting, “It’s right here." before dropping the suit into the bag. “Don’t underestimate me. If I weren’t around, you’d be a disaster! Mwehehe.” Ren lets out a nervous sigh of relief and laughed. Kasumi smiled, looking at the two. “You two are really close. Let's get going. Shall we?”
Ren grinned ear-to-ear, his worries washed away.
“Of course!”
The two began to make their way to the dance hall, passing by several more Shujin students in Central Shibuya who made a variety of remarks about them.
"Why is she hanging out with HIM? She's gonna lose your scholarship is she's caught with a delinquent."
"Man... what does he have that I don't?"
While making their way through the Shibuya Underground, Kasumi spotted a store for prescription glasses.
Kasumi slowly turned toward it, her arm still tightly wrapped around Ren's. “Senpai, come with me. I have an idea.”
The two entered the store. Kasumi looked through a series of glasses displays and picked out a pair of bottom-rimmed black-framed glasses. She tried them on with the frames perfectly resting on her nose. She turned to Ren, smiling. “ How do I look, Senpai?”
Ren’s heart practically burst out of his chest. He was at a loss for words. He thought she was cute before, but now he can’t even find words to describe how he felt.
Kasumi’s smile turned into a confident, mischievous grin. “I know you wear your glasses to appear more studious, but I think they make you look even better. So, I thought, why not match? That might get the students to quiet down, and we’ll be a real dance couple.”
At this point, Ren practically collapsed on the floor, clutching his chest, in his head.
He took Kasumi’s hand, unable to contain his gratefulness. “You look amazing. I’m more motivated than ever before. Let's do this.” His voice was filled with confidence.
Kasumi returned the glance with the same spark in her eyes.
“Yes! Lets!”
Ren realized how tightly he was holding Kasumi’s hand, and Kasumi realized in turn. The two began to fidget in place and stare at one another, blushing. Ren tried to let go, but Kasumi held tight. Hand-in-hand, they went to the counter to buy the glasses. Kasumi had a smile on her face and greeted the cashier.
“Hello, I’d like to buy this pair, thank you.”
The cashier beamed an excited smile at the two. “Oh, honey! You look absolutely gorgeous. You two are just adorable together. I almost want to give you the pair for free.”
After buying the glasses, the two begin to walk away, holding hands. Ren, having been too focused on Kasumi the whole time, took a second to think about the cashier. He swore he’s seen them before, somewhere…
The two made their way to the dance hall, holding hands, walking in strides, both of them bearing wide grins. They finally let each other when they reach the lobby go so they can change. It nearly took Morgana intervening to break them apart. The lobby was finely decorated, the walls painted a fine white and yellow, the floor a fine, dark-brown wood grain, with a beautifully adorned set of double-doors separating the lobby from the dance hall. Behind a white counter stood a black-haired young man in a white tuxedo, wearing a black silhouette mask resembling a rabbit. "Greetings. The men's changing room is on the left, and the women's on the right."
Morgana hurried them along. “You two don’t have much time! Get changed!”
The two went to their separate changing rooms. As Kasumi opened her bag, she noticed that the dress shoes she bought were missing. “Oh no. What happened to my shoes? I don’t have enough time to find another pair…”
Meanwhile, while Ren changed, Morgana snuck off holding a pair of seemingly transparent dress shoes in his mouth.
Kasumi began to make her way out of the changing room to see the receptionist and ask if he had any spare pairs, but as she stepped out of the door, she saw a pair of glass dress shoes on the ground in front of her, with a small slip of paper in one. She picked them up, and unfolded the piece of paper. It read:
“To my Princess Kasumi Yoshizawa. You have committed the sin of being too cute for your own good. As such, I will steal your heart and make it mine on the dance floor. From, Joker the Phantom Thief.”
Kasumi teared up as her heart swelled with love and excitement. She quickly returned to the changing room and put on her dress. The glass slippers fit perfectly. The two make their way from the changing room and into the lobby once more.
Before Kasumi stood Ren, wearing a full black suit, with a white collared shirt underneath and a bowtie, neatly made. Kasumi saw a bit of cat hair on it. His hair was freshly fluffed, and he sported a pair of red gloves, which he adjusted while looking her in the eye.
Before Ren stood Kasumi, wearing a beautiful black dress. She wore the same pair of glasses she had picked out but not an hour before, her hair is tied into a ponytail by a black ribbon that almost matched his bowtie. She sported a beautiful necklace, and finally, the glass slippers.
Kasumi reached out her hand toward Ren. “With you?” Ren’s smile turned into a cocky grin. “It’s showtime!”
The two lock hands once again and made their way to the ballroom. They gaze upon a beautiful venue, with several couples already dancing. The floor was spotless, sparkling white, and the walls were decorated with a fine gold tapestry. The ceiling was rounded off, about 30 feet tall, with beautiful paintings lining it. They noticed a few Shujin students among the crowds of couples. Many of them sported masquerade-like masks of many shapes, sizes, and animal varieties.
Wordlessly, they began to dance. With each step they appeared to glide across the floor effortlessly. Ren twirled Kasumi around him and then lifted her. They continued dancing, with the audience gradually stopping their own dances and watching in awe. They found themselves in the center of the floor. There were more whispered remarks, but only those of shock and awe. As a final show, Ren spun Kasumi around once more, put his arm around her waist, bending one leg forward. Kasumi followed his movements perfectly, wrapping her arms around his neck, and her legs around his straightened one.
The two gazed at one another, sweat dripping from their foreheads. Kasumi, in her grace, stared into the sea of his soul. “You already stole my heart back in May. You’re mine, and I’m yours.”
The lights faded, but not before Kasumi saw Ren leaning in toward her, their eyes locked.
The clock tolls midnight as the two kissed.
In the back of the crowd, a man wearing a white suit with a red, long-beaked mask observed silently.
