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*Shibuya*
Crowds of people walked to their destination as they traveled across Shibuya Square. This past year, the fever of the Phantom Thieves seems to have vanished from the public’s eye or maybe they just no longer bothered keeping the fame alive. Times pass, and the people do as well. Perhaps the era of the Phantom Thieves was a short one. Ren stopped by Shibuya Square as every time he came to visit Ann and the rest of the Phantom Thieves, he would feel a bit nostalgic as he recalled the day the legendary Phantom Thief first appeared before him in a pillar of blue fire. Ren put his hand over his heart and closed his eyes as he recalled that day.
“Arsene……..Will you ever appear before me again?”
While it sounds like Ren wanted to go on another journey with his Persona, it’s actually the opposite. Trouble always accompanied the thrill of the metaverse and for Ren, what he only wanted was a peaceful life with his friends. Ren was content with the adventure he had already as it had already given him more than he wanted. Like the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life. As Ren recalled his girlfriend, a smile inevitably appeared on his face.
“She’ll probably be surprised to see me waiting outside Shujin.”
Ren lied about his arrival time to Ann as he wanted to surprise her right as she got out of school. Ann expected him to arrive somewhere in the middle of the day. Ren began to wonder what kind of face she’d make as she saw him waiting outside Shujin. Many different scenarios crossed his mind, but the only way to find out is to experience it for himself.Ren started making his way to Shujin as it was getting close to the end of the school day. As he rode the train to Shujin, Ren turned his gaze to the gifts he had in his old Shujin bag. A cat was actually not inside his bag for once as Morgana decided to stay at home this time. Maybe he wanted to explore Ren’s hometown more or maybe he just didn’t want a repeat of the last time. The actual gifts were hidden in their gift boxes, but he still knew what was inside each one and he couldn’t wait to see Ann’s reaction to them. Still, there was always that worry in his mind.
“Would she like them? Are they maybe too average?”
The gifts themselves might not be the most eye-popping or the most unique gifts, but Ren still put all his heartfelt feelings into them, he just hoped Ann would love them as much as he loves her. His anticipation rising as the train took him closer to Shujin. Ren looked at his appearance for a bit and smiled as he wondered what Ann would think.
*Shujin, Classroom 3-D*
The school bell ringed as it signaled the end of the day. Ann started getting her things in her bag as she wanted to head home straight away to prep herself up for Ren’s arrival. Unlike Valentine's day, Ren would only be able to stay here for tonight and leave tomorrow. He had to beg his parents to allow him to come today as it was still a school day. It was difficult because they already allowed him to skip school for three days before for Valentine’s Day, so convincing them was very tough for him. The only reason they allowed it was because his entrance exam results for UTokyo came in and were much more impressive than they expected.Ann warmly recalled all those nights he spent studying for his exams. They always video chatted to study together and she remembered how hard he worked for his exams, yet still took the time to help her with her own study’s. Ann would always encourage him to fight on when he felt sluggish to continue. Ren always did say that her being there for him always gave him the strength to continue.
“Strength……”
Ann sadly sighed as she recalled her current predicament.
“But with my goal……I’m going to have to be away from him for a long time…..”
To become the top worldwide model, it was eventual that she would have to travel the world and leave Japan for a while. That would mean leaving the ones close to her, especially Ren and Shiho. Ann left her classroom and found two people waiting for her.“Yo-Ho~♪~!”“Hey, Ann. What took ya so long?”Ryuji and Futaba were waiting outside the door for her. Ann switched to a smile as she didn’t want her two friends to see her downcast mood. Ann glanced at Futaba. Futaba always did come right away to Ann’s classroom and that caused a bit of worry to surface.“Hey, Futaba. Are you sure you should have spent your entire first year with us? You should’ve made some friends before we left.”Futaba smirked and rolled her eyes at Ann.“Who says I don’t have any? I just prefer hanging with you guys, I won't be able to do it again after you guys leave…Besides…..”Futaba looked at Ann with a grin.“You always worry too much, Ann. You’ve been trying to fill in for Ren since he’s gone huh?”“Huh?”Ann was blindsided by the question. Ren was always a bit of a big brother to Futaba, so maybe Ann subconsciously tried to fill that role while he was gone, except as a big sister. A pout formed on Ann’s face.“I’m not doing this because Ren is gone! It’s because I’m genuinely worried about how you’ll be after we leave….”Futaba kept her grin up as she nudged Ryuji’s side. Futaba thought differently of Ann’s excuse.“Look at Ann acting like a mom. Seems Ann wants to practice for when her and Ren have kids huhhhh….Ah, ~♪~ The life of being a practice child….”Futaba “woefully,” said as she brought her hand up to her head in a dramatic fashion. Having children was always a topic that would cause Ann’s cheeks to flush. Ryuji simply chuckled at Futaba’s teasing.“Save all that smothering for when Ren comes later today.”“Oh…She’ll smother him all right. She'll smother him all night long~♪~ Oh-Yeah.”Futaba cooed before she looked away from Ann and held her cheeks as if embarrassed at insinuating the most intimate act. Their conversations always seemed to delve to Ren at one point and unfortunately, this time seemed to be one of the times where Ann was getting teased about him. Ryuji looked at Futaba surprisingly after she said that.“You think they’re fucking already?!”The blunt question made Ann’s cheeks feel hotter.“RYUJI!!!!”“Nee-Heen~♪~ OH…. They’re fucking alright, I mean do you think Ren could help himself in front of that bod.”and Futaba didn’t help stop the conversation there. Instead, she was adding “oil” to the “fire”.“FUTABA!!!!”Ann’s face was as red as a tomato as she noticed Ryuji and Futaba giving her attractive body an analysis. Despite the number of photo shoots she’s done as a model, Ann always kept that sense of embarrassment in her personal life. It was easy to show it off when needed, but when it was unintentional, it always made her flustered.“I mean…You don’t find a chest as big as hers in Japan very often…”Ann covered her chest.“YOU-“And those hips definitely look like you could sink your hands into them.”Ann wanted to cover her hips but decided her chest was far more important to cover from those prying eyes. She only stared at Ryuji and Futaba like they were already dead men.-GUYS-“How do you think the view from behind looks like? I gotta ask Ren.”The final straw. As Ryuji and Futaba were about to bolt out of this scene like madmen…….-ARE SO DEA-“WHAT?! Are you serious??? He’s out there waiting???”Ann’s eventual punishment on the two was delayed when she overheard two girls speaking to each other. For some reason, Ann felt compelled to listen in on the two girl’s conversation next to them.“Yeah! For some reason, he’s back!!! People are even saying he’s in our uniform even though he doesn’t go here anymore.”“That’s strange….Even if he was coming back, he should be a third year…but schools ending and he should be graduating…..so why is he here?”Futaba and Ryuji also listened in and they both looked at each other as they both realized the same thing.“You think?”“It could be-Before Futaba could finish, Ann rushed for the entrance to the school suddenly, completely forgetting the fact she was about to dish out some punishment on Futaba and Ryuji. Futaba and Ryuji were a bit surprised by Ann’s sudden outburst but had helpless smiles on their faces right after. Ryuji shook his head, inwardly thanking his best friend for getting him out of that pickle.“He could have said something.”“Probably wanted to surprise Ann….and by the looks of it…It worked.”Futaba and Ryuji shrugged their shoulders and went down after Ann in a more relaxed manner. Maybe they wanted to give the two lovers some time before they met up as well.Ann was dashing towards the school entrance with only one thought in mind.
“Please be him!!!!”
Excitement, yearning, joy. A myriad amount of emotions surged through Ann and they were all caused by the possibility of him being outside those doors. The person she wanted to see every day ever since he left in February, and even the time before that. It was a continuous cycle, but their time together during Valentine’s day made that wait even more excruciating.Ann arrived at the front doors of Shujin and went outside. What greeted her was the usual school gate and the street that lead to the city. The only thing different was there was a special someone loitering around the gate. It wasn’t odd to see people loiter around as they were waiting for friends or for their ride to pick them up, but this time there was only one person standing there. The sight was so odd and the fact that people were looking anyway and pointing at the person made it even stranger, but to Ann, it helped her find the one person she was looking for and hoping for.Ren was idly standing by, looking at his phone hoping to catch Ann by surprise. Ironically, it would be him that would be surprised.“REN!!!!!”The sudden shout made everyone in the vicinity glance at Ann, but she didn’t give a damm and ran towards Ren like he was the only one she could see right now. Seeing Ann come out at him when Ren least expected it, told him he failed his surprise. Still, the sight of Ann’s happy face brought a smile to Ren as he waited. When Ann was about to reach Ren, she spread her arms and wrapped him in a loving embrace to which he returned kindly. She rubbed up against Ren, not caring about the looks people were giving them. Right now, Ren is the only one in her sight. They looked very much like a loving couple to everyone’s surprise.“Why didn’t you tell me you were here already?!”“I wanted to surprise you, but I don’t think I did a good job.”Ann shook her head childishly which looked very cute to Ren.“I think you did a good job considering I ran out here to meet you!”Ann pulled his head closer to her lips as she started giving Ren a barrage of pecks on the cheek. Ren started getting embarrassed because they were being watched by a bunch of people.“I missed you so much!!”“Me too, Ann.”Ren pulled her closer to whisper in her ears. All the students outside Shujin had their eyes on them and he didn’t want any unwanted ears to listen in.“Are you fine with this? People are watching.”Ren’s comment made Ann glance around them and finally notice their small moment of fame together, but her attention was soon drawn back to Ren. She smiled as her lover’s face so close. Ann missed him so much.“Who cares what they think, I’m graduating soon anyway so I won’t be here any longer.”“If you say so….”As they were about to come closer for a full kiss, not minding the eyes looking in their direction…..“Alright, Alright, break it up. You face smoochers are making me uncomfortable.”Futaba came in and ruined the moment with Ryuji behind her. Ryuji came in between the couple and put his arms around the both of them, much to Ann’s annoyance. He ignored Ann’s glare and looked at his best friend.“So, since you’re here early, let’s get everyone to meet up?”Ryuji had nothing to do until their meet-up later today anyway. Still, it seemed Ryuji expected too much from his best friend.“…. Sorry Ryuji, I’m gonna go with Ann somewhere. We’ll meet at Leblanc with everyone later today like we set up.”“What?! Listen man, I know you and Ann are all together now but-“WA-TAH!!!”Futaba came in with an unexpected sucker punch to Ryuji’s gut, much to everyone’s surprise. Ryuji clenched his stomach as he never saw it coming.“W-Why’d you do that?!!!”Futaba sighed at Ryuji’s obliviousness.“Think about what today is, Ryuji, or even the reason why Ren is here?”After a couple of moments to himself, he suddenly remembered what today was.“Oh…Right…. White day.”Ryuji coughed in slight pain. Futaba looked at the two lovers and started dragging Ryuji away, he had no strength to resist, mentally anyway.“Come on, Let’s leave them alone.”Futaba gave an ok sign to Ren and Ann as she gave them their much-wanted alone time. As Ann saw Futaba drag Ryuji away, she was a bit relieved they didn’t mention what they were talking about earlier. Ren looked at them leave and laughed. Seeing a glimpse of his old life in Shujin.“..I miss you guys. Let me tell you it’s just not the same over there without you guys.”Ann latched onto Ren’s arm.“Well, as soon as you graduate, you can come move back right?”“Yeah! I’m looking forward to coming back!”The mention of it brought a smile to both of them. It would mean they’d be together again. Ren started pulling Ann’s hands under the watchful eyes of all the students of Shujin. Ren and Ann paid no mind and started walking towards the train station.‘C’mon, we only have a little bit of time before we have to meet with everyone at Leblanc.”“Wait a minute! I need to go home to dress up and-“C’mon Ann. Why do you think I dressed up like this?”It was only now that Ann noticed his old Shujin uniform. She always did like when Ren was in his uniform as he looked like a proper gentleman in the black attire. The only difference was that he wasn’t wearing his old glasses, which if Ann was going to be honest, he looked much better than he did with them. Ren gave her a charming smile as he noticed her staring at his body.“Is there something you like? We can go somewhere else if you’d like to see what’s underneath.”After listening to what Ren was insinuating, Ann lightly coughed as she was slightly embarrassed at her probing. Her cheeks had a light tint of red on them.“So-Sorry. I just thought you always looked handsome in your Shujin uniform.”The honest compliment and cute giggle afterward made Ren’s cheeks turn a deeper shade of red then what Ann had before. Ann smile grew wider after noticing. Like Ann, Ren also had his weak points.“So, where we goin then?”“Well…. let’s go to our favorite spot.”“Oooo Sounds nice! We haven’t been to the park in a while.”The journey to Inokashira Park was a peaceful one which was just Ann and Ren catching up on what they’ve been doing the past month while they were away from each other. Despite the fact they talked about some of these conversations over their phones already, it was still nice to hear it from each other personally.
*Inokashira Park*
After some time, they arrived at the park. Ann went ahead of Ren and started taking in the nice atmosphere the park usually gave. Ann started stretching her arms and legs as she admired the scenery.“It always seems to be peaceful when we come here.”“Yeah, I’m happy you showed me this place when we first started talking.”Ann gave Ren a reminiscent glance as she fondly recalled when she first brought Ren here. Back then, she had no idea how special he’d become to her. After finishing her stretching, she merrily made her way back to Ren’s side.“I thought It’d be nice to start you off with something simple. I knew you hadn’t been to Tokyo long back then, so I didn’t want to give you too much of it yet.”“Thanks for the consideration.”Ann locked arms with Ren as they started calmly walking along the trail next to the pond. Ren watched the pond to their right as they just silently took the scenery. Every so often, they’d stop and just give themselves a couple of moments of rest while teasing and flirting with each other during those small moments. After a while, they arrived at their favorite spot in the park. Ann found their favorite bench empty and sat down. When she noticed Ren still standing, he was still looking at the pond’s surface. She noted it during their walk, but Ren seemed entranced by the pond.“What’s got you lookin at the pond instead of your girlfriend?”The straightforward comment made Ren pause for a second before lightly laughing.“Are you getting jealous of the pond?”Ann’s cheeks swelled up in minor frustration. She looked away from Ren in a childlike manner.“I’m so not!!.... I’m just craving your attention is all.”Ren warmly smiled as he started making his way next to Ann. She didn’t look him in the eye even when he sat next to her. Ann was definitely “upset” with him. He loved it when Ann got like this, it made her more adorable than she already was. Ren grabbed her hand which was still on the bench.“I’m sorry. I was just thinking…..we can come here anytime when I come back…..we can go back to those old days when I was staying in Tokyo.”Ren saw Ann slowly turn her head back to face him. The sun was starting to set, and the sunlight made Ann’s hair appear as if it was glittering in the presence of the sun. Her bright blond hair always made Ren think he was dating a real goddess despite him knowing she was just an ordinary girl. He pulled in closer to which Ann naturally responded and closed in as well. Their lips met in the middle while they both closed their eyes as they savored the feeling. A feeling they’d never get tired of. After a couple of moments, they separated. Ann’s face would always have a tint of red after kissing, but compared to their early days, they were completely lighter.“We’ll get to spend every day with each other when I get back.”What should have been a heartfelt moment, took a turn Ren didn’t expect. Ren noticed Ann’s mood drop when he said that. She dejectedly looked down at her red leggings.“Ann? What’s wrong?”Ann sadly sighed and looked at Ren. This didn’t look good to Ren.“Ren…..I need to talk to you about something.”Those words. Those terrifying words that forebode bad news Ren wasn’t prepared for. Ann noticed Ren’s face go pale once she said that and after a few moments of thought, she realized the misunderstanding. She quickly grabbed his hands to hopefully reassure him.“I-I’m not breaking up with you!!! That’s not what I want to talk about and I never want to either!!!”As Ren just experienced the feeling of his heart being plunged into a dark abyss, it was quickly followed up with the feeling of reaching heaven itself. Ren clenched his heart as he let a huge sigh of relief out.“Thank goodness….I was beginning to think about what I did wrong.”Ann hurriedly grabbed Ren’s face and gave his cheek a bundle of kisses to which he happily received.“I could never just dump you like that?! You’ve done nothing but been good to me, so how could I think that?! In fact, I always feel like I’m lucky to have you.”Ren pulled Ann in closer after she said that. He rested his head against hers as he closed his eyes.“I feel the same, Ann.”The warm embrace Ren had Ann in, gave her a sense of contentment. If she was in his arms, she didn’t care about anything else……and that’s what brought her to her current predicament. Ann stayed peacefully in Ren’s arms as she wanted to continue their previous conversation.“So about what I wanted to say….”“Right….I’m all ears.”Ren opened his eyes again and pulled his head away from Ann to give her some space. Ann took a couple moments to prepare herself. It was a topic that would affect her life. After gathering all the courage to say it…..“I’m thinking….about giving up on my dream to be the number one model…….”Silence followed after Ann’s confession. Ren was shocked at what Ann said, and after a few moments of silence, he finally muttered a reply.“A-Ann….Why would you give up on it? Didn’t you say before you were set on it?”Ann lightly sighed as she expected this reaction.“Are you disappointed?”Ren quickly shook his head in denial.“Never! Whatever you decide to do with your life, I’ll support you….as long as it doesn’t cause you any harm that is, but still! I’ll never be disappointed in you.”Ren couldn’t see her face as she was facing the pond, but a smile came onto her face as she heard his reply. Ann knew Ren would say something along those lines, but as always, there existed those negative thoughts in the mind of every person, ones that couldn’t be avoided. Ann gazed at the reflection of the setting sun on the pond. She wondered what Ren would say.“…The time we spent together on Valentine’s day….It made me realize something. I really love being with you. I-I mean I already did love being with you, but it was an eye-opener to see you there…waking up in the morning to know you were just right next to me and then it being the same the next day. After ….that “night”, that’s where I started thinking…..It wouldn’t be long before I’d have to say goodbye to that….. "married” life with you.”The path to becoming the number one model in the world. Even when Ann thought she didn’t underestimate it, it turned out she did anyway. The more she asked her parents and even her modeling agency about what it took to be that model, the more she realized the time and effort she’d have to put in. Effort was the easy part for her, no matter how hard it was, Ann felt she wouldn’t give up no matter what…….it was the time that got to Ann though. It wasn’t a one- or two-year process, it might even take Ann’s whole career as a model to reach that position. Would that time spent be worth it in the end? The time spent away from Shiho, all her friends in Tokyo, and…. Ren, after reaching that spot, would Ann feel content knowing she used that time for her career than rather spending it with the ones she cherished? After Valentine’s day, Ann fully understood that the time she spent with Ren was short and she wanted to cherish every second she could get with him.Ren silently listened to Ann. Ren had done his own part in researching Ann’s dream and realized the hurdles she’d have to face, but it seemed what was holding her back now……was himself. Ann closed her eyes as she leaned into Ren’s chest more, resting her head.“That year….in Shujin….I told you that the relationships I manage to make are ones to be treasured right?”Ren recalled their date on the Ferris wheel. It was where they had their first kiss after all.“We only have a limited amount of time in this world…..I know this is what I want to do!! To help give courage to people who need it….”Ann looked up to face Ren where she saw him looking back at her, listening to every word she said. Her “light” that always gave her a sense of security and comfort, and leaving it for so long would no doubt be difficult for her.“Just like what you gave to me…like what you gave to everyone……but….if I have to spend a good portion of my life…away from those people I treasure…..wouldn’t I lose them eventually?”Becoming friends with Shiho made Ann realize the value in a relationship with someone and the incident at Shujin made Ann realize the consequences of ignoring the other person in said relationship. Ann didn’t want something to happen like that again and she feared, if she went away abroad for her modeling career, would something even worse happen?Ren gave Ann’s thoughts some serious thinking, but in the end, he thought Ann was scared of going through another case of what happened to Shiho. Ann would be away, and she couldn’t do anything herself if something were to happen. Ren thought to himself. What could he do to calm these fears Ann had? In response to Ren’s question, a small card glowed in his heart. His bag dropped off the bench and onto the floor which cased two little packages to fall out, exposing themselves to Ren and Ann.Both of their attention was drawn to the white gits with red ribbons sealing them. As soon as Ren saw them, an idea came to mind. He had no clue if it would get rid of Ann’s fears, but hoped it would. Ren knew Ann’s future would be a bright one if she went on to become a model, and he knew she really wanted this.Ren picked up the gifts and set them on his lap.“Since you know now, guess I should give them to you huh?”“Ren…We can do that later, just-“Ann…..These gifts are my answer to your dilemma.”Ren handed one of the gifts after ensuring it’d be the right one to start with. Ann gave the gift a glance before looking back to Ren. His encouraging smile made her wonder what he got for her. She’d been waiting for this day ever since Ren left after Valentine’s day, but now? She killed her own anticipation with her problem. Ann slowly worked on unraveling the ribbon until finally, she could open the box. She slowly pulled the circular object from the gift box. It had a flat surface where there was a beautiful design of roses and thorns on both sides.“A beautiful rose has thorns huh? You used to say that a lot back then.”Ann looked back at Ren to see him chuckle as he saw Ann’s eyes getting all misty. The phrase brought back so many memories. Ann noticed a latch on the edge and unhooked it, the circular object opened like a clam. Inside, Ann saw her own reflection, realizing what the gift was.“Models are always going to have to make sure they’re at their best, at any moment right? So I got you this…..”“A pocket mirror….”After noticing her reflection, Ann’s attention immediately focused on the engraving on the bottom section of the pocket mirror. Words that she’d always see if she were to use the mirror.No matter how far you manage to go, distance will never be able to erase those beautiful memories we had together. True love doesn’t mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes.
I love you, Ann, and I’m always cheering for you.
-Ren AmamiyaAfter Ann finished reading the engraving, streaks of tears rolled down her cheeks. Ann’s heart melted under the tender words she read. Ren only lightly laughed in response to Ann’s reaction.“They might not be original….but I spent a long time searching for the right set of words. The right words to have engraved on there. I’ve also been thinking about it too. Thinking how it’d be without you here and in some other part of the world for a long time.”Ann finally tore her eyes away from the engraved words and looked at Ren who scooted over closer to her while he gazed at the pond in front of them.“I prepared myself the moment I fell in love with you. I knew you’d be a star when you moved up in your modeling career….It’s just I didn’t expect you wanted to be the number one model in the whole world. The surprise you gave me, hah.”Ren chuckled at the ambitious goal.“But I thought it didn’t seem so far-fetched or impossible. I thought if it was you…..you could definitely do it. I could definitely see you be number one in the whole world.”Ren felt something bump into his arm. Without even looking, he could tell Ann just buried her face in his arm, crying her heart out.“That oath you made…the goals you set for yourself….I know you can do them…and I’d cheer you on whether you’re with me in Japan or not. I’d still love you even if you’re on the other side of the world while I stayed here. So, don’t feel like you’ll lose me…or anyone else for that matter. We’ll all be cheering for you.”After saying that, Ren handed the other gift to Ann. Ann tore her face away from Ren’s arm and looked at the gift on her lap. With tears still dripping down her cheeks, Ann wondered what else Ren had gotten her.Ann prepared herself to give up everything for Ren and yet here he was, encouraging her to continue to follow her own dreams, knowing they’d be apart from each other much longer than this present long-distance relationship they had.After unraveling the second gift, Ann opened it up to see a small case tucked away. A box inside another box would normally make you think the other was playing a joke somehow, but Ann’s eyes froze on the small case. It’s because it resembled something she’d imagined many times before. Ann only stood there gazing at the box making Ren think he’d have to step in or else she’d never move.Ren reached over and pulled the small case out. It was better this way as he did want to present it to Ann himself. Ann’s eyes only followed the small case as if she didn’t believe it was actually before her. Ren chuckled as he saw her slightly shocked expression.“I know…It’s too early to ask “that” question, but there’s a close second I can do…..and…it basically means the same thing…”Hearing Ren made Ann confirm it really was what she was thinking. Ren opened the case to reveal a pair of ruby rings. The gem was in a very basic circular shape, but Ann didn’t give a damm about it at the moment. She was very ecstatic to see the gift itself, the significance it held. Ren pulled a ring out and immediately turned his gaze to Ann’s delicate hand.“Do you mind?”The question made Ann blushed the hardest he’d ever seen. It’d been a while as he believed Ann had gotten accustomed to everything about them in their relationship.“…Yes….You can….”Ann managed to stutter out. Ann held her left hand out, fingers extended so Ren could easily slip it through. As Ann suddenly started fearing whether the ring size was wrong because she knew she had never told Ren, Ren seemed to read her fears. He started slipping the ring through her finger.“You know, I’ve prepared for this day for a long time. Whenever you fell asleep during our movie nights at your place, I always secretly measured your ring size. I wanted to be sure it fit just….right…”As soon as he said “right”, Ren finished slipping the ring through Ann’s finger, but he didn’t let his hold on the ring go. He looked up to Ann as she still had that crimson blush on her face.“We have to make a promise of sort for this to mean anything, so…I’ll start us off.”Ren closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. Finally opening his eyes with earnest resolve, Ren spoke.“I promise. I’ll love you forever. No matter where you are in the world, you’ll be the only one who has the special place in my heart. I’ll make sure you can travel the world without any worry for anyone else. I’ll take care of things here while you accomplish your dream…. That is my vow to you, Ann Takamaki.”Ren’s vow took the breath out of Ann. It was everything she hoped it’d be and maybe even a little bit more. As she saw Ren release the grasp on her ring and reach for the other one, she stopped him.“STOP! I-I want to do it…..”Ren paused for a second before allowing Ann to grab his ring. She pulled the ring out of its case carefully as if it was the most precious thing in the world. Ann took a glance at her ring for a second. Well, the second most important thing in the world. Just as she was about to slip it into Ren’s finger, she froze.“What’s wrong?”Ren asked as he noticed the awkward pause. Ann looked into Ren’s eyes, a slight hint of guilt in her eyes.“I-I don’t know what to promise you….”A vow to forever love her, even if she was out there accomplishing her own dreams while he stayed behind. He’s willing to wait for her while she accomplished her personal dreams in some other part of the world, what could she promise in return that would match his love for her? Ann looked towards Ren.“Do you have anything you want me to promise?”Ren was surprised at the question, before letting an amused smile out.“The promise has to be from yourself to mean anything so-“Your words….are the same as mine!! So just tell me!”Ren lightly laughed at Ann’s answer. It sounded very much like her. Ren considered what he could get Ann to promise and soon a flash of realization came before him. The smile that came onto his face made it seem he was plotting something.“Are you sure? You’ll do anything I ask?”“…Yes. I will.”Ann knew Ren wouldn’t play any jokes at this moment. Ren continued to have that smile on his face.“Once you become the number one model in the world…..You retire…and you come back to live in Japan….-Just as Ann was about to say that was a given, Ren continued.-And….we get married…..”Ann’s mouth stopped moving before she could even get a single word out as her eyes widened. Ann could even see the once smug face turn meek and have a faint tint of red on his cheeks.“You come stay with me…for the rest of our lives…. That’s your promise….right?”Despite the embarrassment he felt, Ren didn’t falter in his words. He was completely serious. After Ren said that last line, both of their faces turned as red as tomatoes. As Ren looked away for a slight second, he felt Ann quickly slip the ring all the way through his finger. Ren faced Ann as she let go of the ring, but Ann looked away as she couldn’t face Ren properly after what he said.“Th-That’s my promise to you…Yo-You got that?!!”Ann meekly muttered. The way she said that made Ren felt he was struck with an arrow to the heart. In his sudden emotional state, Ren suddenly embraced Ann in a swift manner, catching her off guard. Ann was already overwhelmed with her inner feelings for Ren, so feeling him physically made her fluster.“RE-REN?? I-“I LOVE YOU, ANN!!!”The sudden declaration made Ann get swept up in the mood as well. Ann’s tears which just stopped coming out started coming out once more. She buried her face in his chest.“I love you too, Ren.”Ann now had another reason to be the number one model in the world and she was going to give it her all to reach that position as quickly as she could. Ren teared up a bit as well as he cheerfully laughed at her reply.“I’ll wait as long as I have to. So, go show the world how amazing you are. You are my girlfriend after all.”Ann giggled at the sassy remark. She started wiping the tears off her cheeks and eyes.“You mean your fiancée, right?”The word sent a shock throughout Ren’s whole body. He liked the sound of that. As Ann finished saying it, she thought about the next step afterward.
“Then I’ll be your wife….….”
At that moment, Ann recalled her conversation with Futaba and Ryuji earlier today.[Look at Ann acting like a mom. Seems she want to practice for when her and Ren have kids ….]
“Kids……”
The possibility was up there and now that they basically engaged themselves to each other, wouldn’t it be normal to think about it now? Ann squirmed out of Ren’s embrace.“Say Ren….Can I ask you something?”“Do you need to ask? Go ahead.”Ren was in high spirits. He was basically engaged to his fiancée so life was good for him.“….Since…We’ll be married one day….what do you think about having kids?”The sudden and shocking question made Ren start coughing from surprise. After Ann helped him calm down, Ren looked at her with surprise.“Ki-Kids huh……Um….I’m not opposed…to it….”Ann blushed as she realized how blunt she was, but it was better to bring it up now.“O-Ok…I was just checking.”“We-We still have a lot of time to think about that down the line. Besides, you can’t go having kids right now. It’d affect your career.”“I’m talking about afterwards obviously.”Ren rubbed the back of his head in slight relief, but Ann’s question made him anticipate that possible decision. A family with Ann. Ren imagined Ann having a baby in her grasp with a loving smile on her face as she looked at their child.....“That’d be nice…..Like I said….”Ren tenderly grabbed the hand that had her ring on.“We have all the time in the world.”Ann looked at the ring on her finger and at Ren’s as well. They did have a lot of time, but Ann wanted to spend the most she could with Ren.“Yeah…We do… and I’ll make sure we spend as much time together as we can…”Ann quietly rested her head on his shoulder. The two closed their eyes as they enjoyed each other’s presence. They were now each other’s soon to be husband and wife. As the sun was about to finish setting, Ren pulled Ann closer for another long-lasting kiss.The future between the two would be smooth and steady for the both of them. They both shared the same fate now due to their vows to each other and would treasure each other until and after the fated day arrived.