23 The Faith, and the Lovers.

(Surprise extra chapter lol. Enjoy)

— — —

After waking up, Ren decided to leave Morgana back in Leblanc to familiarize himself with the area.

On his way to school, he bumped into Kasumi Yoshizawa again, the girl with the striking red hair. Unlike before, he had now fully awakened the power of the third eye, so as he focused on her, he could clearly see the unnatural mask she wore on her face. Judging by the sloppiness in the stitches that held the mask to her face, it looked as if they had been done by an amateur.

The scalpel Igor had given him seemed to buzz with anticipation as he focused on her mask, almost as if ready to be used.

"Senpai! Long time no see!" Kasumi greeted him with a dazzling smile. Though with his third eye still active, he could tell it was a bit off.

"Huh…" He couldn't help but be drawn in, stepping closer to get a better look at the mask that she seemed unaware of.

It was unnatural, yet it was as if even she didn't know it was. Ren could almost feel the curiosity inside him begin burning.

"Uh, Senpai, are you alright?" Kasumi said with a slight chuckle as she took a step back noticing his stare.

Snapping back to reality, Ren let out a soft chuckle to relieve the awkwardness before saying.

"Ah, sorry. You looked really familiar for a second there like I have seen you somewhere other than school.." he said, earning a more genuine smile from her.

"Do you watch any gymnastics? I'm a gymnast! Some of my performances have actually been on TV!" she shared, her eyes lighting up with pride.

Ren watched her, fascinated by how the mask seemed to have a life of its own, sometimes syncing with her expressions, sometimes not.

"A gymnast? That's pretty cool! To be honest, I have always wanted to try it out, but I never got the chance." Ren said with a smile that mirrored hers.

Hearing Ren's interest, Kasumi paused, seemingly contemplating something, before making an unexpected proposal.

"Would you like me to teach you? I've been told that the best way to master something is to teach it. And, to be honest, I have been having some trouble with my routines lately. So its worth a try."

Ren's eyebrows shot up, pleasantly surprised by the offer as he nodded his head.

"That sounds great. Is there anything else you might need in return?" Ren asked.

To him, this was a win-win scenario. Anything he learned from her would probably help him in the Metaverse, and he would also get a chance to get closer to her. Maybe if he spent enough time with her, he would be able to understand how the mask she wore worked.

In theory, he could probably use the power Igor had given him to examine the mask closer, but he didn't want to do anything rash. She had been nothing but kind, so he didn't want to hurt her by using a power he wasn't familiar with. Maybe once he got the hang of it he could try it, but for now, he was more than happy with just observing her.

"All I would need from you would be for you to lend me your ears from time to time. The other kids at Shujin treat me differently because I have a scholarship. To be honest, other than my gymnastics teacher and Maruki, I haven't really had the chance to connect with anyone else." Kasumi shared, her smile never fading, though Ren could sense the sincerity in her words.

"Maruki? As in Dr. Maruki?" Ren asked reflexively as he heard the name.

"You know Dr. Maruki?" Kasumi's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Yeah, he is a great counselor. I have been seeing him for some time now. To think we would have so much in common!" she said with excitement in her voice as they both made their way out of the train station and walked towards the school.

"Not personally, but I've been thinking of setting up an appointment with him. What's he like?" Ren asked with curiosity.

"He's very kind and understanding. I've tried talking to other counselors before, but none clicked like Maruki. He's like a cool older brother, always there to listen and help. If you want, I can send him a message to see if he would be willing to give you a free session to try it out!"

Kasumi pulled out her phone on the way.

"Let me get back to you when I'm free, and I'll also let you know what Maruki says. I look forward to when we have a chance to practice! I've never tried teaching before." She was all smiles, then suddenly glanced at her phone's clock and gasped.

"Ah, sorry, I gotta run. I got carried away talking and forgot that I had a meeting with Miss Kawakami. I'll see you later, Senpai!" She said before running towards the school with surprising speed. Leaving Ren behind watching her with curious eyes.

The longer the two of them spoke, the more interested Ren grew, which only made him more eager for their next meeting. 

— — —

To the Phantom Thieve's disappointment, nothing really happened during school hours. There was no sign of Kamoshida, but maybe that was to be expected. The 'change of heart' would probably take some time to settle in fully. So, for now, the group was left to wait for any news.

After school had ended, Ren headed back to the library in hopes of finding Makoto. She had told him she would give him the recordings of Maruki, but when he got there, there was no trace of the brown-haired girl. Since he was already there, he decided to sit down and continue researching his books.

After some time, Ren was approached by Ann, who had a very determined expression on her face.

"Hey! Do you remember our conversation back at Leblanc?" Ann dove straight into the heart of the matter, her presence pulling Ren away from his studies.

After a brief pause to collect his thoughts, Ren nodded.

"You talked about wanting to strengthen your heart, right?" His response brought a soft chuckle from Ann.

"Yeah, you actually remembered…" Her voice trailed off for a moment before she regained her determination. "You and Morgana know the most everything that's going on, so I wanted to get your take on it… How do you think I should do it?" She asked with curiosity as she peeked at the psychology books Ren was reading.

Ren took a moment, his eyes closing as he gathered his thoughts. The Arcana that represented Ann was that of The Lovers. Unlike its name would suggest, The Lovers meant much more than just simple romantic love, though love was one of its central themes. The whole card signified relationships and how one could grow by observing one's struggles through the lenses of others. 

"Hm… I have an idea." Ren said as he opened his eyes and stood up from his desk. "Follow me.

Leading the way, the two of them eventually arrived at a park. A quiet space amidst the city's chaos, where people from all walks of life crossed paths. Children played, couples strolled, and old friends chatted on benches. A perfect example of the essence of The Lovers.

As they walked, Ren shared with Ann a simplified version of the fool's journey, placing particular emphasis on The Lovers. So, by the time they arrived at the park, Ann had a general idea of his plan.

Offering his hand, Ren asked. 

"Are you ready?"

A blush tinged Ann's cheeks as she tentatively accepted his hand.

"Is this really how I can strengthen my heart?" she questioned, a mix of skepticism and curiosity in her voice.

With a playful wink, Ren reassured her.

"It's a start."

As they meandered through the park, Ren's gaze settled on an elderly couple sharing a quiet moment.

"See them?" he nudged Ann. "What's their story?

"How am I supposed to know?" Ann hesitated, unsure of how to answer. 

"Just make something up." He encouraged gently.

After thinking for a moment, Ann began her story. She pictured the older couple as young lovers. The man steps in to prevent the girl from being robbed as their first meeting. The two of them taking casual strolls through the park as they grew older. Facing opposition, navigating through the ups and downs of life. Yet, in the end, knowing everything would be alright.

Noticing Ann's now relaxed expression, Ren pointed to a group of kids playing before asking.

"How about them?"

Ann smiled, watching the children's carefree play, their disputes over the game rules, and their quick reconciliations.

"They remind me of when I was a kid... I bet they'll be inseparable, just like me and Shiho," she mused, her voice tinged with warmth.

As a transfer student and someone who had lived in another country for most of her life, she had been a bit of an outcast. It wasn't until she accidentally let slip how ugly she thought Shiho's painting was in art class that the two became friends. Rather than take offense, she had simply laughed it off. 

Ann had carried away telling all sorts of random stories about Shiho and her, and before they knew it, the sun had begun to set in the distance. Noticing the sunset, Ann suddenly let out a charming laugh.

"Ah, I get it now…" she said, a light of realization dawning in her eyes.

Letting go of her hand, Ren encouraged her to explain.

"I do have to admit… My heart does feel lighter. I never would have guessed that something as simple as just watching people could get me to open up so much." Ann mused, her smile broadening as she took a moment to bask in the glow of the sunset. When she reopened her eyes, they sparkled with a fresh resolve.

"It's strange... I feel like my persona has grown stronger, even though I can't quite put it into words until I can summon her again." She let out a giggle before stating. "Alright, next time, it's your turn! I wanna hear what kind of stories you can come up with… Huh, actually, now that I think about it, I don't really know that much about you."

Ren responded with a playful smirk, his tone light and teasing.

"That's part of my charm." Ren joked with a wink before speaking. "But sure, next round is on me."

~Confidants~

Ann Takamaki (The Lovers) Rank 2

Kasumi Yoshizawa (The Faith) Rank 1