50 The Commercial

The bustling atmosphere of school had barely settled when Ann approached Ren with a flurry of excitement, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Without a moment to catch her breath, she quickly handed the phone to read the messages on screen.

[Manager] Ann, the director from our last shoot specifically asked for you and your friend again for an upcoming project since the models that were supposed to do aren't answering. Are you two up for it?

[Ann] Yes! But I don't know if Ren would be willing to go again. Modeling isn't his thing.

[Manager] Hmm, that complicates things a bit. The director is directing a perfume commercial and he liked the chemistry both of you had. Let me touch base with him and I'll update you shortly.

[Manager] Got word back. It's a package deal , both of you or it's a no-go. This director's quite influential, since he is best friends with a renowned movie director. They're scouting for a film featuring big names like Rissette, Yukari Takeba, Hiroyuki Sanada, among others.

[Manager] I remember you mentioned wanting to get into acting. This could be your big break. They're on the lookout for fresh talent for a significant supporting role.

[Manager] Send me a message as soon as possible since he expects the commercial shoot to occur this evening.

[Manager] This is a golden opportunity, Ann. Other candidates they considered haven't responded, and there's talk of frustration over no-shows last time. If we pass up, they might default to the newest up-and-comer model, Mika.

As Ren absorbed the information, Ann's anxious gaze met his, her eyes wide with hope and a hint of desperation. It wasn't just a photo shoot but also an opportunity for her to explore a new career. The urgency in her face was palpable as she began to speak.

"I know you said you hated it, and the timing is a bit weird since we are supposed to be preparing but-" Ann began, her voice trailing off, laden with anticipation.

"When do you need me there?" Ren interrupted her by placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

The moment of silence that followed was brief, as comprehension dawned on Ann's face, transforming into an expression of unbridled joy. She leaped forward, embracing Ren in a tight hug, her gratitude pouring out in a stream of enthusiastic "thank yous."

Emerging from their embrace, Ann swiftly tapped a response into her phone, confirming their participation with palpable enthusiasm. 

"Great! Follow me! Don't worry about getting dressed up since they will do hair, costumes, and makeup over there," she chirped, her excitement evident as she led the way to the location of their impending adventure.

The bustling journey from school to the shoot location near the park was a blur of anticipation. Upon arrival at the grand building set up for the commercial, the duo found themselves whisked away into the whirlwind of pre-production preparations. Still, both of them couldn't help but burst laughing as they heard the plot of the commercial.

The commercial's plot, revealed amidst the flurry of activity, is unexpectedly aligned with their lives as Phantom Thieves. The narrative revolved around a heart-shaped perfume bottle, the coveted grand prize within a museum's elaborate exhibit. 

Ann was to portray a cunning thief, her elegant dress allowing her to seamlessly mingle with the exhibit's guests as she aimed to steal the perfume. Ren, on the other hand, would embody a sharp-witted detective on the thief's trail.

The storyline unfolded as a playful chase, culminating in Ren's supposed capture of Ann. However, upon being enveloped by the perfume's enchanting aroma, his character succumbs to love rather than duty, leading to a romantic escape by boat under the almost full moon, which, with the magic of post-production editing, would become a perfect full moon.

It would have been perfect if it was a full moon, but that was only set to occur a few days from the shoot. Thankfully, the magic of editing would allow the nearly full moon in the shot to be completed.

The most amusing part was that the perfume's tagline was "It will steal your heart." Since that was one of the taglines the group had come up with for their calling card, the whole commercial played quite well with their Phantom Thief motif.

Dressed in their respective costumes, Ann and Ren adapted effortlessly to their roles. Their real-life experiences of stealth and strategy lent authenticity to their on-screen personas, capturing the director's admiration with each take. Ann's portrayal of the mischievous cat burglar was spot-on, while Ren embodied the detective's analytical prowess with smug confidence.

Since Ren was slightly uncomfortable being filmed, he focused his full attention on Ann, trying to forget about the cameras. As he did, he couldn't help but notice her playful smile and bright eyes. It took him back to the last camera shoot they had done, in which he had also gotten lost in her expression. His mind wandered slightly towards her phantom thief outfit before shaking his head and focusing on following the script once again. 

As the scene unfolded, with Ren's character tasked to "arrest" Ann's, reality seemed to blur with the roles they were playing. Engrossed in their performance, they momentarily forgot the presence of cameras, crew, and the artificiality of their surroundings. Ren, moving in closer, inhaled the perfume's scent from Ann's neck.

Ann's body shuddered slightly as she felt the breath on her neck, her reaction instinctive as she encircled Ren with her arms, pulling him nearer. The two of them remained close to each other as Ren's eyes lifted from her neck until their gaze met.

Time seemed to stand still as Ren's face drew nearer to Ann's, their mutual anticipation tangible in the dwindling space between them. Their eyes fluttered shut, and just as their lips grazed each other, the moment was interrupted by the loud voice of the director shouting from a distance.

"Cut!"

Startled back to reality, Ann's reaction was immediate, her hands pushing Ren away as a blush of realization painted her cheeks a vivid crimson. The director's interruption had exposed the raw emotion of their performance, leaving Ann flustered and struggling to articulate her feelings, especially in light of her best friend Shiho's unspoken affection for Ren.

"I'm sorry, I was just startled. I got a bit carried away, and well it would be wrong for me to… especially since…" Her voice trailed off, her words tangled in the complexity of her emotions.

The director, oblivious to the turmoil beneath the surface, praised their performance with enthusiastic delight.

"You two are literally perfect! It's truly a shame that Ann's contract states that there would be no kissing scenes allowed, but oh well, the show must go on! I would have let you two lovebirds continue, but I don't want to get sued by your manager," he exclaimed, his excitement palpable as he hurried off to prepare the next scene.

Ann, still visibly shaken and flushed, attempted to regain her composure. 

"Ah, that's right. I forgot about asking my manager to add that…" she muttered, her embarrassment evident.

After being pushed away and suddenly snapping back to reality, Ren felt a small wave of embarrassment pass through Him as he tried to apologize; however, Ann interrupted him.

"No—no, it's not that it's just—well… I'm sorry I can't really talk about it." she admitted in a defeated tone.

Ren found himself at a loss for words, but before he had a chance to think of something to say, the two of them were dragged away for the finishing shot in the boat as they 'ran away.' The small break from the interaction gave the two of them some time to wash away the embarrassment and enter the role they were supposed to be playing.

As Ren rowed the boat away, with the fake cop lights in the background of the shot, the two of them heard the director yell out "Cut" for the last time, leaving the two of them in the middle of the lake.

"Well-" Ren ventured, the beginnings of a thought forming, only to be halted by Ann's interjection.

"Can we pretend that didn't happen?" she asked, a flush of color betraying her embarrassment.

"Oh." was all Ren managed, his disappointment barely concealed, prompting a rush of clarification from Ann.

"No, it's not that I didn't-" she stammered, keenly aware of Ren's disheartened look, hastily trying to rationalize. "I mean, it would be kind of weird if something happened while we were in the middle of working."

Realizing how her words might be interpreted, she stumbled once more.

"I-" only to succumb to a resigned sigh, unable to fully articulate what was on her mind.

Ren, perceiving her turmoil, let out a light chuckle, an attempt to ease the tension that hung between them. 

"Alright. I'll pretend for now." he conceded, his words laced with an understanding that brought a smile of relief to Ann's face.

To be honest, he wasn't quite sure what to say or do. Given that they were currently surrounded by many unfamiliar faces, he reckoned it was probably better to wait for a bit more privacy

 Since they were currently surrounded by strangers who were observing them, he decided it would probably be best to wait until a better time. Usually, he was pretty good at reading people, but right now, his mind was running all over the place.

As he rowed the boat back to the park, the two of them spent some time with the filming crew, getting back to their regular outfits and gathering their things to head back home. Though, the moment Ann finished getting changed, she ended up heading home immediately under the excuse that she had to prepare something for school tomorrow.

Upon reaching home, Ann wasted no time in reaching out to Shiho, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"Shiho… um… do you remember that thing you told me about?" Ann began with some nervousness as she looked down at the picture she had taken with Ren on their first photo shoot.

Meanwhile, Ren returned to the familiar confines of Leblanc, where he found Sojiro tallying the cafe's dwindling supplies. 

"You're home late. Ended up having to clean up all by myself." Sojiro joked, noting Ren's entrance. A more observant glance quickly followed his light-hearted remark, as he noticed Ren lost in thought.

"What's on your mind?" Sojiro inquired, setting aside his list to focus on Ren.

Ren met Sojiro's gaze, a small laugh escaping him as he responded.

 "Well, Mr. Casanova. Maybe I actually need some of your wisdom." The request, half-joking, half-serious, caused Sojiro to let out a knowing smile as he quickly began brewing a cup of decaf coffee for both of them.

~Confidants~

Ann Takamaki. (The Lovers) Rank 5

(It's only fair that "The Lovers" have the first "kiss". I know, I am such a tease lol, but let me cook. 

Let me know what you think. I have never really written love scenes or things like that in the past, but I am really happy with how it turned out. Maybe a bit out of place considering the previous chapters, but when I get started writing I just go with the flow. Depending on the feedback, I am actually open to come back and revise the chap if needed.)