8A/N: A novelized version of the latter parts of Hifumi's confidant. Dialogue is added or edited for better flow and so Akira isn't mute. Also deep gratitude to The Immortal Doctor Reid for telling me of the problem. It should be in fine shape now. Thank you for letting me know.
Ren isn't sure when the rules of the game changed between Hifumi and him. He's befriended so many fellow outliers and outsiders since his year in Tokyo began and he considers himself close or on the fast track towards being close to them all. And yet... He couldn't help but become personally enraged when he talked to her mother's shadow, even after it started apologizing and promising to change, his ire never lessened. He wanted to trample all over her for hurting Hifumi, until the shadow couldn't even stand. He could hear Arsene's voice laughing in his soul. Our Trickster, noble thief of hearts has gotten his own heart stolen by the Star. The Star... Ren's understanding of Tarot Cards and Arcana is limited but the soft voice that whispers in his mind's eye with a tarot card when growing bonds called Hifumi, the Star.
It suits her, Ren thinks to himself as her mother's shadow lies at his feet sobbing. Hifumi's eyes had seemed lit with too many stars, in their first meeting an intense stare that made her seem unwelcoming. The fierce glare had easily bled through as an act however, and underneath it was a deep loneliness with a few bright spots of weak light, like the stars of a clear sky reflected in a deep well. In their time together Ren had seen those weak stars brighten in a particularly fierce match between them or on that one night months before he his arrest where they'd gone looking for books on Shogi. It seemed brighter the more time they spent together. The media treating her like an idol, something she detested, had made the stars dim all over again. But her mother... Ren's hands itched to stab the sobbing shadow again with his knife... Her mother thirsted for stardom of her own, the flashing of cameras and the glint of lusting fans the dream she herself could never touch, going so far as to force her daughter to pursue it for her.
"Confess to your daughter," Ren says finally. "Allow her to announce to the world what you've done and leave her future in her hands."
Ren tries not to make a habit of creeping on his friends on social networks but once again, Hifumi's an exception. He's worried once her mother's confession goes viral and Hifumi gets re-dubbed "the Phony Princess." He's dead as far as the world is concerned but Hifumi is a star in the sky so she's not in this world and therefore can know. So on a frigid December night, Shido's raid basically finished planning, Ren pulls the hoodie over his head and heads to the church, Hifumi's sanctuary. He sits across from her noting her shaking though whether excitement, nerves, or something utterly different, he is uncertain.
"Hey," he says quietly, glancing at the beautiful shogi player. Its easier to think of her that way and not feel weird now since it isn't some name, some label dragged out by the media (or worse her mother) and instead just a statement about the girl sitting across from him.
"Ren-kun, hey," she says, exactly the same way. Her gaze is troubled, perplexed. "On the news they said you were..." A tone of panic has entered her voice now.
He shakes his head and lowers his hood slightly. "As you can see I'm very much alive. Mostly unharmed."
"I do want to hear about what happened to yo- the leader of the Phantom Thieves but I have to do something today. That exhibition match? I'm still going through with it. It'd mean a lot to me if... If you could watch as I do. You won't be able to watch in person, but there's a web cafe nearby where you could watch... and... I could meet you there afterwards? My father's still hospitalized and I really don't wanna see my mother but someone watching over me... I could use that right now."
Her tone, while nervous, is the most hopeful tone he's heard since his interrogation. Ren can't help the smile's spread across his face when he replies, "Of course. Anything to help."
The match went as well as Hifumi'd guessed as they walked over despite her vow of winning. She was easily pushed about the board by the vastly superior opposing player. To no surprise of Ren's and the evident shock of the announcers, Hifumi conceded the match. "I was utterly destroyed out there... It was like an ant had challenged an elephant. A shogi player should know her limits." Hifumi sighed after walking over and sitting next to Ren later that evening. "That was... That was the first time I'd ever conceded a match. I was so ashamed of myself. I didn't want to hurt the pieces any longer..."
Ren saw her eyes filled with the mix of emotion that spelled out distress and said with a gentle smile, "A very queenly decision."
It had the desired effect, Hifumi's dark eyes lit with the stars Ren knew burned within her as she asked with a small smile, "You remember? 'One must lose with grace... With dignity until the very end, as a queen should...'"
Ren just gave a small nod but thought to himself, Course I do. You said that to me on the day we met. I don't think I could forget if I wanted to. And then blushed a bit at how that sounded, even in his thoughts, hoping she wouldn't see.
Hifumi's smile slipped a little as she said, "But, I confess I am confused... Naturally I am disappointed that I lost... But I still feel happy... as if a demon has been purged from me. I played so disgracefully in front of you... Perhaps you can just view it as an example of what not to do... And understand there are times which require one to forfeit with valor and grace..." Her smile is a bit bigger by the end and she lets out a warm giggle with it.
Akira nods relief warming him, "For sure." He smiles a little hearing the good humor in her voice.
At his words though, Hifumi seems to sit a little lower in her seat, head bowing a little lower. "Um... I've been thinking about this awhile... Let's make today your last lesson... Spending time with me has only brought you pain... So this is goodbye..."
Akira knows that if he doesn't speak up now the girl he loves will be walking out of his life soon and that not even an acceptable friendship will be in the cards after that. "Hifumi... I want to stay by your side."
"Huh..?" Hifumi mumbles, completely graceless. "What do you... You're just trying to comfort me because I lost, right..?"
Ren denies this as he leans towards her with a simple head shake and a quiet, "No."
"I'm the Phony Princess... I mean I lied to everyone... And yet, you want to be by my side..?" her tone is hesitant now and yet somehow urgent, as though she desperately wishes to know what he means but desperately fears the answer.
"Iwantustodate," Ren says, the words falling out in a messy, unplanned rush.
"Really? You really feel that way?" Hifumi asks, sounding like she's not even sure she heard the boy right, which consider his speed of blurring the words together isn't impossible.
"I do," Ren says, nodding his head his position on the seat now precarious from all his movement and leaning.
"If that's what you really want..." Hifumi says, her voice small and looking at anything but Ren.
Crap, Ren thinks, nervous and ready to apologize for saying anything.
Before he can stand or say anything at all however, she's looking at him again. And she's blushing but her eyes shine like a million stars and Hifumi is positively beaming as she says looking him straight in the eyes, "I will become a woman who's worthy of you."
Ren smiling widely, can only think, Hifumi... You're already that woman...
Before he actually can say those words however, Hifumi shyly says, "I-I look forward... To our relationship blossoming i-in the many years... ahead of us..."
Ren is scarlet and Hifumi isn't much better either. Trying to avoid any further awkwardness, Hifumi sinks herself into her chair and will not look at Ren as she mumbles out, "Oh wh-what in the world am I saying?"
Its a week, 3 days, and 36 minutes later and Hifumi is perched next to him on the couch in the room he's been crashing in for the better part of this year. She's all but invited herself this time, to be perfectly honest and to be even more honest Ren couldn't be happier for it. They've been sitting in a contented silence for the past few minutes, merely enjoying each other's company. Actually, this is the first day they've gotten together in a week. Justifiable in that Ren is dead as far as most are concerned and she's still working out where she goes from her confession and loss but it still bothers them, not having time together. "I quit the Ladies Professional Shogi Players' Association. I need to start over as an amateur," Hifumi says suddenly, looking directly at her boyfriend.
Ren gives her a grin that would make Arsene proud and says, "You'll triumph in the end."
"That's my intention," Hifumi says, giving him a feral grin for the first time he can remember. "There were a lot of people who covered for me by saying that I was just being used by adults. But I'm the one who was most at fault. I was overconfident."
"Hmm?" Ren hums, uncertain of what she meant, absently pushing up his glasses.
"If only I had taken a look at myself, and properly assessed my shogi skills. I believed with my skills, I could overcome being treated like an idol. And mm... There's nothing I can say about my mother. You didn't abandon me, even after learning about the fixed matches... Now I know how encouraging it feels to have someone believe in you," Hifumi says quietly the smile on her face growing wider after talking about how Ren didn't abandon her.
I couldn't ever, Ren thinks to himself. I couldn't ever abandon you. Not like that anyways... I know how it feels and I couldn't do that to someone I was friends with, let alone someone I was falling for.
"At first," Hifumi continues. "This was just a deal... You help me develop new moves and I give you shogi lessons. But before I knew it, you became... someone I couldn't do without. I'm not gonna pay attention to all the criticism anymore. This time I'll earn everyone's praise... With my own skills!"
"You can do it," Ren says immediately, hesitation completely absent from his tone.
Hifumi sits up a little straighter and smiles broadly at Akira, "The reason I'm able to think this way is because you stuck by my side. I'm really grateful."
Ren looks Hifumi straight in the eyes, not really sure what to say in the face of such gratitude. In his mind the soft voice whispers once more telling him he'd awoken to the "ultimate secret of the Star" and promising him infinite power. But at this moment Ren doesn't really wanna think about tarot cards, powers, or anything but the girl in front of him and whatever she wants to do.
"Well then, on to our final lesson..." Hifumi says, using the same tone she did when they'd first met and her eyes starry shine seemed like a glare. They walk over to where Ren keeps mementos of time with friends, along with laundry. Once she's facing the opposite direction she says, "I truly hope that you... No... That the Phantom Thieves find my lessons useful."
Ren would probably be more surprised by this comment and even remarked upon her knowing if he hadn't been arrested and "killed" those weeks before so his only comment as he glances at his girlfriend is a quiet, "We do."
Hifumi turns around with a wide smile across her face, "I feel honored to be told that by one of the Phantom Thieves. I spoke to you about my mother, and then my mother changed... I knew that couldn't be a coincidence."
Ren bites back a chuckle knowing this isn't the time at the statement thinking, So your very much alive boyfriend's death as their leader on national television had nothing to do with it?
"If there's anything I can do to help," Hifumi says. "Please know that you can rely on me."
"Thank you," Ren says sincerely, eyes locked on the girl who stole his heart.
"I will support you in whatever you want to accomplish," she vows.
Ren cannot help but wonder if he is dreaming in this moment or if it is some cruel simulation where he'll wake up and none of it will be real. After nearly a year of talking monster-cats, Personas, Palaces and their Rulers... The thing that's most strange to me is my girlfriend saying she'll stick by my side. I must have strange definitions of normal.
"Hey..." Hifumi says her tone suddenly very quiet and hesitant.
"What's wrong?" Ren asks leaning in a little closer worrying about the hesitation, wondering if he's said or done something rude without realizing.
"Being a hero," Hifumi says, still quietly but no longer hesitant. "Must keep you busy, trying to help everyone, huh..?"
Ren doesn't say anything or even have room for thinking because she's walking closer to him now and his thoughts are coming to a stand still.
"Well... I no longer have a ban on dating..." Hifumi says shyly, coming close enough now he could count the creases on her blazer's arms. She's looking up at him now, a faint blush discoloring her cheeks but she's still very much beautiful, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. "So for the time being, please let me have you all to myself..."
Ren's smile is gentle as he wraps his arms about her waist, as he pulls her closer, her arms around his neck pulling him down to kiss her. Hifumi... I love being by your side...
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