25Sunset Bridge Promise
Makoto had sorted a tall stack of papers into three neat piles when she heard two knocks followed by the sound of the door to the Student Council room slide open.
"Hey, Makoto." Ren stepped in, pulled out one of the chairs, and set his bag on it.
"Hi, glad you could make it. It's pretty chilly, huh?" she greeted. She rubbed her hands together and looked at the stack of papers waiting to be sorted and signed. Ren quickly looked around to make sure no one was coming then in one smooth motion, he doffed his blazer and put it around her shoulders, hugging her to him.
"R-Ren! Wait! W-we're being too conspicuous!"
"Just for a bit. No one's coming, don't worry."
She lightly rested her hands on his chest. "Fine...ten seconds."
"Okay." he said, laughing quietly into her hair.
She leaned into his chest soaking in his warmth. Ten seconds passed and neither one wanted to let go. She wrapped her arms around his waist. Maybe another ten seconds~
But then she heard footsteps approaching. Ren reacted faster. He released her, turned, and pretended to look out the window. She immediately sat down with his jacket still on her shoulders, as if she was fixated on the paperwork piled on the desk. Two female students walked by discussing the latest exam questions. After they passed, Makoto got up and handed Ren's blazer back to him.
"Thanks for that." Her cheeks were still red. Ren took his blazer with one hand and clasped hers with his other.
"Your hands are still cold." he said in a matter-of-fact manner but his eyes sparked mischief. "Shall I keep holding them till they're warm?"
"That's because y-you're making all the heat go to my face!" she protested turning a brighter shade of red. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and turned towards the desk.
"Besides, I've got to get this done by the end of today."
Truthfully, she wanted him to but if he did, she knew her mind would turn all fuzzy and work would be next to impossible.
She picked up her pen then paused. "But m-maybe later..." she mumbled.
"Alright." he said with an amused smile. He sat across from her and began to review his notes.
Makoto filled out forms and reviewed applications at an even pace. It was monotonous busy work, left naturally to the student council president, and deemed necessary for the school's approval process. Ren's quiet presence motivated her to complete her work faster. She stole a glance at him from time to time, happy he was by her side.
Ren laughed silently. She was never good at being sneaky. Even without looking, he knew when her eyes were on him. About the twentieth time Makoto snuck a glance at him (that he, in slight boredom was keeping track of), he locked eyes with her and asked if she wanted to take a quick break. She jumped and stammered that she was fine and that he was welcome to step out if needed.
One hour passed, largely uneventful, allowing Makoto to concentrate on her work. Their study time was briefly interrupted by one of the student council members and her boyfriend coming in to grab some items from the lockers. They seemed surprised to see the delinquent transfer student earnestly studying but refrained from saying anything. When they stopped and stared at him, Makoto addressed them coolly, inquiring if they had any more business in the room. They wilted under her gaze, politely excused themselves, and hurried out the door.
Ren smiled at her in thanks and Makoto responded with a small smirk and tossed her hair back before turning her attention back to her paperwork.
Ren finished reviewing his lecture notes and went to use the restroom just as the student council vice president burst in with a laundry list of questions for the student council president. When he returned, the vice president was discussing new ideas for the school board. He could hear Makoto pointing out the pros and cons of each topic. Ren waited outside patiently, scrolling through his messages.
Let's see. Rooftop garden? Oh, right. Haru's planters. The Sun Tomatoes should be ready to harvest. What else? I need to help Yusuke with his art competition and his quest for "aesthetics". Futaba wants to work on the next item on her promise list soon. And - huh? What's that?
A panicked text from Mishima blared red with a dozen exclamation marks following it. It was something about a weird but cute girl he met at the arcade and how he wanted to impress her with "exclusive info" on the Phantom Thieves but wound up digging himself into a hole. He grunted and swiped up.
As he set the ringer to "silent", the door to the student council room opened and the vice president flew past him, hauling three folders worth of completed forms.
He poked his head in and saw Makoto extending her arms and stretching her rhomboids.
"Welcome back." she said, moving on to an overhead triceps stretch.
"I'm back." he replied, mimicking her movements. Ooh, that's nice. I need to stretch more.
They mirrored each other which made her grin. "That was considerate of you to wait outside, but you didn't have to."
"I didn't mind." He smirked and stretched his obliques. "Sounds like you had a productive discussion."
"Yes. Although that's what we'll be covering at length during the next board meeting..."
He sat down and carefully rolled his neck. "How much more?"
"There's just the weekly agenda and a couple budget reports that require a little editing. I should be done soon."
Makoto tucked her hair back. "This took a little longer than expected. I appreciate you for being so patient, waiting for me." she said while mentally calculating the sums and figures before her.
He wanted to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her. But he wasn't going to interrupt her. Not when she was so close to being done.
He merely responded, "No problem."
And since he had some free time, he got through two chapters of Buchiko's Story.
Makoto lifted a stack of papers vertically and lightly tapped them against the table, aligning the edges. She repeated the process for four other stacks then laid them on the desk in a row, nice and neat. She stepped back to admire her handiwork. Ren racked his brain, trying to think of the word for aligning piled sheets of paper by hitting them on a flat surface. He gave up, deciding he would google it later.
She packed up her pens and pencils and zipped up her Buchimaru-kun pencil case. "Finished. Shall we walk home together?"
They passed through a sleepy residential area. Ren offered his hand and Makoto took it with a smile.
She linked their fingers together and playfully swung his hand. "Say, when did you realize you liked me?"
He brought his thumb and index finger to his chin and tilted his head skyward. "It was love at first sight when I noticed the lovely student council president was 'investigating' me."
She sputtered. "Look, I'm sorry I did that! You know why I did. Wait - you're just teasing me!"
"I'd say it was around the time you confronted Eiko. That slap of yours worked wonders." he chuckled.
She was starting to regret asking him such an impulsive question. "You're never going to let me live down my most humiliating moments, are you?"
"No, wait! I know for sure it was when we were looking for Futaba at Sojiro's house when the lights went out and you clung on to me-."
"Geez!" She let go of his hand and smacked him on the shoulder. "I'm seriously asking!"
"Seriously, huh? Alright then." With a devilish grin, he grabbed her and pulled her close. One arm snaked around her waist and the other tilted her face towards him. He towered over her, staring into her eyes. In a low voice he said, "The moment I fell for you was..."
Makoto squeaked. Her lower lip trembled as she tried to speak. Her face and ears fluctuated between varying shades of scarlet and crimson.
Adorable. She's too adorable. He blinked and felt his face grow hot.
Ren suddenly released her but kept one hand on her shoulder keeping her steady. He turned away and coughed nervously into his fist. "...I...I forget."
A minute went by and they both stood in silence trying to collect themselves. Makoto couldn't even bring herself to retort in mock anger. The blush in her cheeks slowly faded but her ears remained bright red.
"Uh, Makoto?" She was frozen. "Makoto, can you hear me?"
She nodded robotically. He smiled in relief. "Good. Um, I'm- I'm sorry. I went too far." He rubbed the back of his neck. "How about I get us something to drink? But we should probably find somewhere to sit first."
They came to a neighborhood park surrounded by a mix of ginkgo trees and recently pruned shrubs, sloped grassy hills perfect for playing tag, and a patch of sand that contained a small playground and a freshly painted jungle gym in the shape of an arched blue and yellow double helix. The metal slide and swings looked sturdy despite their weather-beaten appearance. Ren imagined they had seen good use by the locals who were now grandparents, their children, and their children's children for decades. He almost went for the swings if not for Makoto, who walked past him stiffly and dropped down on a curved granite bench that was built into the stone wall.
He set his bag down next to hers. "Be right back."
She tugged at his sleeve. He looked back. Wordlessly, she pressed two 500 yen coins into his hand. He sighed softly. He loved the way she always tried to help. "Thanks."
He returned, bearing an Earl Green for the health-conscious Makoto and a 1UP for himself.
They sat close together quietly sipping their drinks. Ren finished his drink first and tried balancing the bottle on tip of his fingers. He glanced at Makoto who seemed lost in thought. He looked at his shoes and toyed with his bangs. "To answer your question, I honestly can't name the exact moment. I just know I was irked seeing those sleazy hosts trying to drag you into their shop back when we were trying to help your friend. And when her crap boyfriend tried to threaten you, I got angry. I knew you could take him but he was gonna have to go through me first."
Makoto lowered her eyelashes, smiling at the memory. How gallant Ren was stepping in, ready to defend her. "Your fight's with me." That day, his words lingered dreamily in her ear and she continued to carry those words in her heart.
"Yes, I remember. I was really surprised. You were only supposed to be my pretend-boyfriend at the time but you still stood up for me."
"I'm just glad he didn't call any of his buddies. That would've been bad."
"And you got us out of there. If you hadn't reacted so quickly we would've caused a scene." She adopted The Thinker's pose and gave him a coy smile. "So all of that wasn't just an act for you back then."
"What do you think?"
She gave a low chuckle and nudged his elbow with hers.
The silence returned but the atmosphere between them was more relaxed. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked wistfully at the spindles of light refracting through the ginkgo trees. The air was warm and still. Time seemed to slow to a halt and it was as if they were they only two people in the world.
"I love you."
Ren blinked rapidly several times and nearly dropped his drink. A slow blush crept across his face. He felt his heart swell within his chest. I'm happy. I'm actually happy. It felt strange to acknowledge this feeling. He thought he would spend a year on probation quietly stewing in bitterness and resentment, under the scrutiny of his peers and adults. He had planned on keeping to himself, never expecting anyone to give him a chance, but now?
He looked at Makoto in wonder.
Was it possible for one person to give him this much joy? Yet there she was, right at his side. The girl who faced him with unwavering eyes, who saw past the mask and the labels society placed on him. The girl who placed her trust in him and confided in him both in battle and her own troubles. The girl he never wanted to turn his back on nor ever see hurt.
Makoto looked directly into his eyes. "That's why, Ren, no matter what we face next, no matter what comes our way, I'll stand by your side. I want to be with you." There was strength in her voice and resolve in her eyes.
The sun began to set through low foreboding clouds and for a brief moment, the glow of the sunset bathed them in a strange red light. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light or perhaps it was a harbinger of something supernatural.
Ren took both her hands in his. "I'm counting on you, Queen."
She smiled warmly. "Likewise, Joker."
