A/N: Yeah, I'm doing Ohya. I don't care, she's underrated. I don't give two shits about her confidant rewards. I've played the game multiple times now, and I don't remember a single reward from literally anyone except or Kawakami's and discounts. Confidant stories and characters are all I care about, and I find Ohya's intriguing. And, she's just a really fun character to me.

This is essentially my own take on these three confidant levels. I wanted to show more of a romantic tension between the two characters instead of their romance just showing up out of the blue like the game. You see that these two definitely have feelings for one another, and they both kind of suspect it (Mostly Ohya suspects it, as you'll see), but they're both extremely hesitant about it. Not just because it would be complicated, but because their are personal issues standing in the way.

I plan on making multiple chapters of this, just like my of P5 fics. So if you see something that you have questions about, they'll most likely be answered later on.

Now, for the five Ohya fans who read this, I hope you enjoy. This is for you.

Also, writing drunken slurred dialogue is harder than I thought.

(Crossroads: Evening.)

"Honey, you might wanna come back another time."

Ren raised a brow at Lala's warning, closing the door behind him. "What's wrong? Is Ohya not here? She sent me a bunch of texts."

Lala sighed, polishing a wine glass as she nodded towards the back lounge area. "No, she's here. That's the problem." Ren looked to the back to find Ohya passed out on the couch, a large handful of empty glasses covering the table. “She’s having it rough right now, we both know that. I’ve tried cutting her off, but...I honestly don’t know what to do for her. Work is getting to her.”

Ren nodded in understanding as he walked towards Ohya, crouching down and giving her shoulder a light shake.

She looked absolutely beat. Bags under her eyes, her hair frizzy, and clothes wrinkled. 

He hated seeing her like that.

Against his better judgement, Ren's affection towards the journalist grew to levels he never expected to reach. 

Ren did his best to be an honest man, so he couldn't lie and say he daily life wasn't surrounded by beautiful women. Ann, Makoto, Tae, Hifumi, Sadayo (not Becky, despite the darker side of his brain prodding him to admit it), yet Ohya…

Ohya was the one he could just never look away from. He thought she was stunning. He could see the tenacity behind her eyes, a quick wit, a sly undertone to her boisterous attitude, and a desire to expose the truth. Hell, slap a mask on her and she sounded like Phantom Thief material. It was painful knowing the chances of those dreams of being with her were slim to none, leaning heavily towards none. But, a man can dream, no matter how senseless it may seem.

Ren thought she was absolutely gorgeous in every sense and form.

Ohya jumped awake with a snort, her sunglasses jostling to hang on her nose. "Snrk! Wha-?! Who'shere?!"

...But, even he had to admit, this wasn't her best look.

"I've never seen you go this hard. What happened?"

Ohya's drunken daze focused on Ren, a sloppy smile growing on her face. "Ooooh!~ It'sh youuu. When'dyou get here, handsome?" 

This was the woman he fell in love with?

...Yeah, that seemed about right.

Clearing his throat at the name, Ren lifted up his phone. "Just now. You texted me to come over...eighteen times."

"...I did?"

Ren chuckled at Ohya's cute expression of legitimate confusion. "Yes, you did. And, you didn't answer my question. Why are you so plastered? What happened?"

"I'm the journ'lst here, buddy-boy. Im'ma do the interviewing here."

"You're drunk, that's what you are."

Ohya sat up, slumping into the back of the couch, "I'm not zdrunk."

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Ohya took a sip from the only glass on the table with a small bit of alcohol left in it, "Three!"

"I never raised my hand."

"...Okay, I'm just a little tipsy."

"Riiight," Ren scoffed as he sat down next to her, taking the glass in her hand and setting it down. "Now, what happened?"

Ohya blinked a few times as if trying to refocus her senses. She flopped her head onto Ren’s shoulder, causing the boy to freeze up instantly. If Ohya noticed, she clearly didn’t care. “Have you ever been completely, unjustly screwed over?”

“...Uh.”

“Right, criminal record. Stupid question. Sorry, I’m a liiittle drunk.”

“I’m aware, now go on.”

Ohya reached over and gulped down the last small volume of her drink before placing her head back down on Ren’s shoulder, once again to the poor boy’s hormonal dismay. “It’s over.”

“What is? Your investigation?”

“All of my connecto-...connecshu…” Ohya slapped her cheeks, trying and failing to sober herself up in the slightest. “My connections to everyone who knew where Kayo was are gone. Down the drain. Wiped from the records, all thanksh to my chief and publisher. I’ve been pulling all nighters everyday for a week, all becaushe my God-damn chief keeps giving me more and more to do. And if I don’t meet my quota, he’ll fire me. He’s tryin’to crush me before I can find Kayo. And, all the stupid fucking higher-ups like him, so I have no one to go to. So, I can't investigate Kayo, and now I'm basically jusht waiting for the ticking time bomb of my termination to go off. Long sstory short…” Ohya threw an arm around Ren, flashing a drunken smile, “I'm absolutely fucked! Hehehe!"

Ren was doing his best to hide his boiling anger. Ohya was being attacked from all directions, all because of that damn chief. Now, after everything she had gone through, she had finally given up. She may technically still have been fighting, but she had no hope.

Ren refused to not get involved anymore.

"What's the chief's name?"

"Hm?"

“Your chief. I need his name.”

“Hmm…” Ohya lifted up her empty glass, trying to take a sip even with nothing inside. “Why?”

“I just need his name.”

“...No.”

“Ohy-”

“I said no.” Ohya leaned up from Ren’s shoulder, shaking her head. “I may be drunk, but I have enough sense in me to know you’re about to start something. I...I can’t have that. Not over me.”

“Ohya, I’m not going to get into trouble. I’m not going to get hurt. All I need is his name.”

“Why?”

“You already asked that.”

“And you didn’t give me a damn answer.”

“Ohya, just…” Ren swiveled his full body towards her, leaning down so he could look her dead in the eye. “Do you trust me? And, I mean fully, completely trust me?” 

“...Yes.”

“Then, please, I need his name.”

Ohya looked at him for a few seconds, debating back and forth in her mind what she was going to do. Finally, she looked away before she began to tear up, “...I can’t. Not for me, of all people.” She bunched up her sleeve in her hand, wiping at her eyes quickly. “I should’ve expected this. I kept nosing my way in, and now I’m paying for it.”

Ren heard Lala begin to walk over, likely from hearing Ohya cry. But, he quickly put his hand out as a sign that he had the situation handled. Gently putting his hand on Ohya’s shoulder, Ren whispered, “You fought because you lost your friend. You sought the truth because you knew you were handed lies. You did all of that, knowing you’d be opposed. Do you know what that makes you?”

“A drunken fool.”

“No. Someone brave, with a good heart. Someone who wants truth and justice. A good woman, a damn good journalist, and a great friend. A friend who inspires me to work for what I love, no matter who stands against me for it. And, yes, a friend who from time-to-time is drunk,” Ren added, getting a chuckle from Ohya. “But, a friend I would give up everything for."

Ohya looked down at her lap, her rosy cheeks from the alcohol only growing darker from the blush spreading. "...You're a charming bastard, you know that?"

"I try."

"Thank you...but, I can't tell you his name."

Ren sighed, but nodded in relentment. He’d have to scour through the company website in hopes of getting a name, but not getting it straight from Ohya hurt a little. But, he understood where she was coming from. He didn’t like the implication of Ohya not thinking she was worth it, but she was having a rough night as it is. Prying into that territory would have to wait.

“Okay...Let’s just get you home. That's all I care about right now.” 

Ohya lifted up a full glass, taking a big gulp, “But, I’m not done.”

Ren quickly pulled it out of her hand, “Where did you even get that?!” 

She lifted up another glass, “I have m’waysh.”

Grabbing the glass, and making sure she didn’t have any more, Ren got up and returned to Lala at the bar. He placed the glasses down for Lala to take, "I'm going to get her home."

"Oh, honey you don't have to do that," Lala waved him off, "I can call her a cab."

"No, it's fine. I don't want her alone in this state, especially not on this street. I'll get her there."

"She can handle herself, trust me. But, knowing you, you won’t give in. Just know she's already a handful sober, and ten handfuls drunk."

"Reeen?!" Ohya called out from the sofa, "I gotta throw up!"

Ren's eyes widened, "Noted."

…..

(Ohya’s Apartment Complex)

‘What have I gotten myself into?’ Ren held back Ohya’s hair in one hand and rubbed her back with the other as she puked into the hallway trash can near her apartment. This was the third time on the journey they had to make trash can pitstops, along with four vending machine stops for Ohya to chug down bottles of water. "You done?"

Ohya took deep breaths, nodding her head as she stayed hunched over and looking at the ground, "Yeah."

"You still drunk?"

"Depends, did I always have four blurry feet?"

Ren smiled, rubbing her back and guiding her down the hall, "Okay, let's get you home."

Ohya unzipped her camera pack and fumbled through it until she pulled out a large roll of mints and threw them all in her mouth. “Alwaaays prepared.”  

“Uh-huh, well done,” Ren laughed. “Do you have your keys?”

“There in my back pocket, wanna grab ‘em for me?”

Ren blushed for the millionth time that night. Ren had only seen Ohya really drunk a couple of times, but she had never been so...flirty. True, this was the drunkest he had seen her, but still. It was different. And, it wasn’t that they hadn’t had flirtatious moments before. They were just that, flirty comments here and there. But, now there was an odd amount of sexual tension. Evidence still led to the likelihood of it just being the alcohol talking. Or, at least that was what Ren kept trying to tell himself. Best not to get his hopes up.

 “Very funny.”

“Hehe, I thought so.” Ohya pulled out her key, closing one eye and leaning in really close to her lock, “Now, let’s see if I can pick the right hole out of the three I’m seeing.” After a couple of attempts of her jabbing the door with her keys, Ren guided her hand towards the keyhole and opened it for her. Ohya patted Ren’s cheek as she slipped inside, “You’re far too good to me.”

“Are you going to be okay from here?” Ohya grabbed Ren’s hand and dragged him inside, closing the door behind them. “...I guess not.” She stumbled through her apartment to what Ren had to assume was her bedroom, and then her bathroom when he heard the sink faucet running. “Why am I here again?”

“Because I felt like it!” Ohya called from the bathroom, still sounding bubbly and drunk. Thankfully, it also sounded like she was brushing her teeth. Ren wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand the vomit breath, even with the mints doing their best to cover it up.

As he looked around, the apartment was very...Ohya.

Printed articles and notes strewn all around the living room area, the faint smell of wine under cinnamon scented candles. Or, maybe it was the other way around. Takeout boxes, coffee mugs, chargers for multiple different cameras, a fairly high end laptop on the kotatsu. Again, very Ohya.

...So, Ren kind of loved it.

“Urgh…” Ren’s attention was once brought back to Ohya as she walked back out into the main room. She lazily kicked off her sneakers and rolled over the back of the couch, flopping onto the cushions. 

“No, no, no. I didn’t get you all the way back here for you to sleep on the couch in your work clothes. You need proper sleep.

“Whatever, Mom .”

“If taking that title is what it takes to get you to go to bed, then I’ll take it.” Ren walked around the couch and stood next to Ohya, nodding towards her bedroom. “C’mon.”

She thrusted her arms out, a pout donning on her lips, “Carry me.”

“I’m not going to do that.”

“Yes, you are. Caush’you looove me!~ ” They both sat unwavering in their positions, neither willing to give up. Yet, it only took about ten seconds for Ren to deeply sigh, pick her up, and head towards the bedroom. “Hmhmhm, you love meee!~”

“Don’t push it,” Ren responded, doing his absolute best to pretend he wasn’t enjoying it. Which wasn’t helped when Ohya wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. Ren made a mental note to add “touchy” to the list of new things Ohya did when she was drunk.

“I said it once, and I’ll say it again. You’re too good for me.”

“...Don’t you mean, ‘to me’?”

“That's what I said...right?” Ren walked into the bedroom and set Ohya down. But, she was adamant on staying in the hug. He tried to coax her off of him, but alcohol must've given Ohya strength. She wouldn't budge. "...Ya know, 'sshides Kayo and LaLa-chan, you're the only one that's ever been nice to me," Ohya managed to slur out as she nuzzled into Ren's neck. "But, now Kayo is gone. And, Lala is probably sick of me by now."

"Enough of that. Lala cares about you, and so do I."

Ohya backed away, lazily nodding to herself, "I know. I'm just a depressing drunk. Ugh, I need a beer."

"Ohya. Bed. Now." 

She groaned, immediately beginning to strip down. Ren's eyes shot open as he quickly turned around to keep Ohya's modesty, covering his eyes and taking a few steps away from her. "You gonn'join me?"

"Ohya, just get in bed, please." He heard giggling and the bed groan from the shift in weight. "Are you under the covers?"

"Mhm."

Ren half expected that to be a lie, but thankfully when he peeked over his shoulder, she was covered up. "Good. And, you're finally starting to talk normally."

"I’m shober!"

"Well, mostly." He moved towards her, sliding her sunglasses off of her head and placing them on the bedside table. “Do you have any tablets for hangovers?”

“Bathroom cabinet.”

After grabbing the bottle from the cabinet, Ren walked back to her kitchen, scouring the cabinets for glasses. After finding one, he filled it up with water. Then, he picked up the small trash can and placed it next to the bed, along with the water and pills on the bedside table. "Here, in case your drinks come back to bite you."

"They always do."

Ren merely hummed in response, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest, Ohya. I promise you things will get better. I've gotta go, but I'll see you tomorrow." Ren internally sighed, her boss’ face flashing through his mind. 'I'll make your chief pay.' 

Just as Ren was about to stand up, Ohya grabbed his arm tightly. "Mmn, stay with me." 

Ren cleared his throat, trying to fight his blush with no avail as he gently pushed Ohya back down into bed. "I can't do that. Especially not when you're like this, I couldn't do that to you."

"And if I asked you sober?"

"I...Well, I…"

"Mhmhm, someone's flustered." She giggled, nuzzling Ren's forearm and refusing to let go. "I just meant until I fell asleep...Please. I'm tired of being alone."

Ren took a deep breath as he sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard. "...Okay. Until I need to get to the last train." Ohya giggled with joy, sending Ren to an even further state of flustered stress as she decided to use Ren’s arm as a pillow. He cleared his throat again, trying to keep his voice from cracking out of nerves. “You’re enjoying this too much.”

“I could probably say the same for you if I just moved my hand down here…”

Ren immediately began to stand up, “Okay, I’m going home.”

Ohya laughed and held Ren in place, “Hahaha, I’m kidding! I’m kidding!”

“Are you trying to torture me?”

“Kind of.”

“...What?”

Ohya rubbed her eye and yawned, “I’m seeing just how much you’re willing to handle.”

Ren furrowed his brow, raising his hands up in exasperation, “Why?!”

“Because you keep taking care of me. You’re always looking out for me, and I don’t know why.” She looked up at Ren, her tired eyes gazing into his. Her drunken gaze had turned into only a slightly drunken gaze. “You came to me only for the info and articles, yet you stuck around. Every other day you’re doing things for me. You’re watching out for me, you’re distracting me constantly so I drink less than usual, yes I’ve noticed. You talk with me for hours about personal stuff, not even for the Phantom Thieves. Now, you’re even trying to save me from my boss. You’re escorting me home when I’m drunk, and now you’re letting me do whatever to keep me happy. I’m basically using you as a giant teddy bear right now. Why? What have I done to deserve any of this? And, you even took up being my fake boyfriend without question.”

“Would you believe me if I told you I have experience with being someone’s fake boyfriend?”

“You’ve been fake cheating on me?! You pig!”

Ren laughed at her joke before resting back on the headboard once more. “I just do my best to take care of my friends.”

“Really?” Ohya asked, suspicion in her tone. She propped herself, her face slowly moving to be  eye level to Ren. The blanket slid down, revealing her bra-clad torso underneath. 

Ren quickly averted his eyes, “Ohya! Cover!”

She ignored him, her voice dropping to a whisper, “You’d do all of this for your other friends? You’d take them home if they were drunk?”

“If I was worried about their safety on the way back, yes,” Ren responded, still looking away.

“Hold back their hair when they puke their brains out? Get them everything they need?”

“Yes, I would.”

Ohya leaned in a little closer, “...You’d carry them to bed? Let them hold you? Let them get this close?”

Ren’s eyes opened, carefully keeping his gaze up as he slowly turned back to Ohya who was now nearly nose to nose with him. “...What are you implying?” Ren asked, his voice low. They both sat still, gazing into each other’s eyes. The only noise being their deep, nervous breathing. Eventually, Ohya moved forward, causing Ren to close his eyes, expecting to feel something against his lips. But, all he felt was Ohya’s forehead against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I dunno what I’m implying. I’m just drunk.” She looked down at herself, blushing when she remembered she wasn’t covered anymore. Ohya sunk back under the blankets, returning to snuggle into Ren’s side. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Silence returned, this time with a tad bit of awkwardness to it. Yet, neither of them really minded. Ren was almost certain Ohya was sober enough to not have been joking, but he just couldn’t tell anymore. While probably not intentionally, she was toying with his mind and emotions. “Why do you drink, anyway?”

“...Partially because it’s fun. Partially because I’m stupid and use it as a form of escapism. Yet, somehow when I’m drunk, I just focus even more on my problems. And, partially because...because at this point it’s getting close to addiction. Hell, it probably already is an addiction.” 

Ren nodded, seeing the problem. “Do you have any intentions of easing back on it?”

“I want to say yes, but...now, with everything going on, I have a strong feeling I’ll just crack under pressure and make it even worse.”

“Come by Leblanc when you get an itch. I’ll make coffee and curry your substitute. Caffeine addiction is a thing, but it’s gotta be better than alcohol.”

“There you go again, trying to save me.”

“...Always.” 

Ohya looked up at him at those words, her expression softening. She stared at Ren in deep thought before sighed, “...Shinpei Honjo.” 

Ren looked down, his brow furrowed. “What?”

“The chief. That’s his name.” Ohya burrowed further into Ren’s side, her voice growing weaker as sleep began to overtake her. “I trust you. Just...don’t get hurt. Not for me.” With that, her breathing deepened, and her body relaxed. She was out like a light. 

Ren took a deep breath, carefully slipping out of Ohya’s grasp and standing up. He couldn't resist himself, stroking the top of Ohya's head. "I'll fix everything. I promise."

Ohya mumbled in her sleep, causing Ren to stand up and begin to leave, as he didn't want to wake her. 

He did his best to not get caught up on what he could have sworn was the smallest, barely audible "Love you" that was heard in her half awake murmurs, intended for whoever she was dreaming about.

…..

(Next Evening: Crossroads)

Ren walked through the door, a smile instantly appearing on his face when he saw the beaming grin on Ohya’s. She swiveled the chair around to him, patting the seat next to her. “Get over here, I’ve got news!”

“And here I was thinking I gave the info around here,” Ren joked as he sat down with Lala setting down an ice water in front of him. “What’s up?” 

Lala smirked, “She refused to tell until you got here.”

“Shush! I’m telling you now, aren’t I? The chief suddenly started acting all weird today! He apologized to me, reduced my quota, he’s letting me reopen my investigation on Kayo, and he even gave me a raise! And, I mean a damn good one. Who knew I’d be bringing home the big bucks?”

“That’s amazing!” Lala said excitedly. Ren nodded in agreement, doing his best to hide his smile behind his glass. He may or may not have added a small little tidbit when he was threatening the Shadow Honjo to give Ohya a raise. 

...And then he may have pressed his gun to Honjo’s head and told him to make it a really large chunk of money or he’d find him in the real world.

Okay, not exactly his noblest moment, but it worked out in the end. Besides, Ohya deserved it.

Ohya’s smile suddenly turned into her biting her lip in concentration, “Although, this brings us to the not so great part of this. What the hell happened?”

Ren stiffened, but relaxed quickly to not draw attention. “What do you mean?”

“Twenty-four hours ago the chief wanted my head on a mantle in his office, and suddenly he’s giving me everything I could have ever asked for. He’s apologizing? Him, of all people?”

“He probably reflected on his actions? I mean, aren’t you happy?”

“Of course I’m happy, but it’s all too convenient. Something fishy is going on. And now that I think about it…” She fully swiveled her chair to face Ren full on. “My memory from last night is fuzzy at best, but I feel like I remember you saying something about wanting to know the chief’s full name.”

Ren shrugged, “We talked about him, but I don’t remember asking about that.”

Ichiko squinted her eyes at Ren, “Hmmm…Sure...Anyway, there’s something else. I, uh...I know where Kayo is. As a part of his apology to me, the chief dug everything back up and did some investigating of his own. Apparently my journalist friend’s source was right. Kayo’s alive, but...she’s in a mental hospital.”

Ren blew a raspberry, leaning back in his seat. “Damn. I guess that explains why she never contacted you.” 

“Are you allowed to see her?” Lala wondered.

Ohya nodded with a sigh, “I am, but...I’m afraid. For once, I’m terrified of the truth. I’m afraid that...Scratch that, I know I’m not going to like what I find. How Kayo got there, what happened that night in the hotel, everything.” 

Ren hummed to himself, “I understand, but that’s not like you.”

“I know. I know, I just...I’m not going to let it stop me. I’ve gotten this far, all because of you.” 

“I really haven’t done anything.”

“You’ve done more than you know. You’ve given me the spirit and confidence to keep going through all of this. Thank you, Amamiya.” Ohya checked her phone, downing the rest of her drink as she stood up. “I gotta go, my visitation appointment at the mental hospital is coming up. Meet me back here tomorrow?”

“I’ll be here,” Ren agreed. As Ohya left, Ren quickly shot up and followed her out the door, “Hey, Ohya. Do you need me to come with you if you’re afraid? I’ll wait outside if you want.”

Ohya shook her head, “No, this is something I need to face alone. But…” She scoffed with a smile, “You’re too good to me.” 

Ren suddenly had flashbacks of the night prior, his own suspicions starting to form. “Hey, uh...How much do you remember from last night?”

Ichiko shrugged, “Like I said, not much. I do remember you taking me home and watching over me. Thank you for that, really.”

“Uh, yeah. Anytime.”

Ohya winked as she turned around, “Don’t make a promise you can’t keep, because I’ll take you up on that.” She walked down the street towards the train station, leaving Ren on his own.

He walked back into Crossroads, taking his seat again with a deep sigh. Lala refilled his water, giving him a pat on his hand. “She’ll be just fine, honey. Ohya is a lot of things, and strong is one of them.”

“Yeah, I know. Actually, Lala, quick question. Um...When Ohya's really drunk, is she...touchy? As in, uh...likes to hug a lot."

"Not from what I can remember. Why, what did she do?"

"Nothing, just...she was really touch craved on the way home, that's all."

Lala squinted in curiosity, but let it slide for the moment. "You've been a good friend to her. The best she's had in a long while. With everything she's going through, she probably latched onto you for comfort."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"You don't sound convinced."

Ren dropped some yen on the countertop, shaking his head. "It's nothing." He handed his glass back to Lala, and then gave her Ohya's left behind glass. "I can't believe she's drinking after last night."

"Actually, it was ice tea. She said besides the hangover, you convinced her to take it easy on the hooch." Ren's brows knit together as he looked back towards the door.

Just how much did Ohya actually remember?

…..

(Next Evening: Crossroads.)

“...You wanna what?”

Taking a sip of his drink, Ren turned back to Ohya. “I wanna help you. I don’t give a damn about being a target.” After living up to his promise of coming back to Crossroads the next night, Ohya explained what happened with Kayo. The true story was just as bad as everyone didn’t hope it would be. Ren’s attention was also grabbed by the fact that apparently a politician named Shido was involved. He had heard Yoshida mention that name before, and said he had a bad feeling about him. He would have to keep an eye out on that.

But, after telling her story, Ohya told Ren he shouldn’t interact with her anymore out of fear that pursuing the story would make her a target for those in high places.

...To which Ren laughed.

“No, Amamiya. I can’t have you gett-”

“Ohya, I think we both know how this is going to end. You tell me not to get involved, I disagree, and then eventually I just end up getting involved anyway. I want to help you.”

“Well, not this time. Getting you involved with my other problems is much different than this. We all know what happened to my last partner.”

Ren’s eyebrows rose in realization, “Ohya...I’m not Kayo. Trust me, I know how to handle myself in more ways than one. I’ll be a silent partner.”

“If I may,” Lala interrupted, capturing the attention of the two of them, “Ichiko, honey, you two are both too stubborn and persistent. Neither one of you will back down if left to just the two of you. So, I’ll just say this…” She turned to Ren, “Are you fully aware of the possible dangers? Is it all worth it?”

Ren nodded immediately, “Of course. Ohya’s worth it.”

Lala looked over to Ohya, who was spotting a blush from Ren’s comment. “I don’t think you’ve had a bigger supporter than him. Be honest, who has listened to your tipsy ramblings for hours on end more than him? You’ve been fighting this battle on your own for a long time now. Now, yes, Amamiya is completely crazy for doing this. But, you have to admit, he’s your kind of crazy. If there’s going to be anyone you should have by your side, it’s him.”

Ren smirked, “Sooo, two against one?”

Ichiko grumbled, “It’s not a vote! But...I can’t stop you, can I?”

“Not on your life.”

She sighed, crossing her arms, “...Fine. But, you’re my silent partner! Silent! No one knows you’re a part of this, and I do the work. I’ll keep you updated and I’ll say when I need you.”

“Keeping quiet is my specialty. And, only if you actually keep me updated and not hide things to protect me.”

“Deal.” Ichiko slid down in her chair, covering her eyes with her arm, “Uuugh, what is my life becoming?” She blew her hair out of her face and leaned against the bar, “Well, might as well have a kickoff party in celebration of our newfound partnership.

Lala began heading for the back, “I’ll go chill a bottle.” 

“Ah, actually…” Ohya interrupted, “...just get me some tea, please.” Both Ren and Lala gazed at Ohya with wide eyes, a shocked silence ringing throughout the bar. “What?! I just...I’m not in the mood right now. The other night legitimately made feel sick at the mere sight of a bottle.” Ohya’s eyes wandered off as she tried to play it off smoothly, “Maaaybe I won’t be in the mood for drinking for a while...Heavy drinking...Not everyday...I’m working on it, okay!”

Ren gave a curt laugh, “I’m proud of you.”

Lala pulled out three cups from under the counter with a smile, “I’m proud of you, too, sweetie. But, I’m going to miss my best and somehow worst customer.”

“Oh, I’ll still be around Lala-chan,” Ohya retorted. “You can’t get rid of me. I”ll just clean out your refrigerator instead of your liquor cabinet.” Lala rolled her eyes, walking to the back to boil the water for tea. “We’ll take it in the member’s lounge, Lala-chan!” Ohya turned back to Ren, nodding her head towards the back room. “Now, c’mere. I wanna talk to you.” As he followed her, she hummed to herself while she sat down, “Still doing all this for me, and our deal is basically over.”

Ren merely shrugged, “I take care of my friends.”

“Yep, I remember.” Ren froze as he sat down on the couch. “And, now that I’m weaning myself off of drinking for a while, I expect you to live up to your promise of coffee and curry.”

Ren immediately felt his stomach clench in anxiety, “So, you did remember that night…”

“I have a lot of blurry spots, but...Yeah, I remember pretty much everything from when you got here to falling asleep back at home.”

Ren bit the inside of his cheek, trying to act as naturally as he could. “So...You remember the part where you were asking me if I would do all the things I do for you for my friends?”

“...Yeah. That’s actually why I wanted to talk to you back here.” Both of them avoided eye contact after that, each of them apparently finding the table to be the most interesting thing in the world at that moment. Ichiko looked down at the table, her brow furrowed as she thought about her next move, wondering if she should take the gamble running rampant through her mind. 

“Ohya...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortab-”

“You didn’t,” she interrupted. “If anything, I was the one who made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry. But, if you wouldn’t mind I...I don’t think we ever really concluded that conversation.”

“I...I guess we didn’t.”

“I remember being in a position kind of like this.” Ohya slid closer, her face hovering mere centimeters from Ren’s. 

“And...what were you implying?” Ren’s voice was quiet on the chance that Lala came back earlier than expected. 

Ohya followed suit, lowering her own voice. “I was implying that...maybe I get special treatment from you. That, maybe...it was because you like me more than you let on.”

“...And, if that was true, how would you feel about that?”

Ohya hesitantly pressed her forehead to Ren’s, a small pout on her lips. “That depends. What you want and what you’re trying to gain are two different things. Let’s say, hypothetically, my reaction was positive. That the feelings were...mutual. What we would have...Well, complicated is a massive understatement. So, you might want it, but you’re not trying to achieve it. I guess that means my first question is...did you mean what you said? Am I worth all the trouble? I know my answer, but I have a feeling you’ll disagree.”

“Yes. Yes, you’re worth it. You’re more than worth it.”

Ohya’s hands moved up to rest on Ren’s shoulders, “...Do you want me?”

Ren gulped, moving his hands to gently rest on Ohya’s waist. “Yes.”

“Are you going to try and have me?”

“...Yes.”

Ohya closed her eyes, her nose rubbing against Ren’s, “Then have me.” 

Ren didn’t know what to expect it to feel like, but whatever he could have come up with wouldn’t have lived up to the real thing. Her lips were addictingly soft, and their taste even moreso. They tasted of cinnamon gum and mint, the spice leaving a tingle on his own lips. The warmth on his face spread throughout his entire body as his mind tried to process just what was happening. 

They separated, but didn’t move two far away from one another. Ohya chuckled, “Did I steal your first kiss?”

“I was that bad?”

“Haha, nope. I was just wondering. Trust me,” Ohya pecked his lips again, “you’re a natural at this. If this is how you felt about me this whole time, you must’ve had a heart attack when I asked you to fake date me.”

“You have no idea. Although, it’s suspicious how that was your first choice of excuses to trick you chief.”

Ohya giggled, “I’ll admit there was a little bit of wishful thinking behind it.”

“...And was there wishful thinking behind you making me take you out to dinner multiple times to keep our act up, even though your chief wasn’t going to be there?”

“It’s called method acting.”

“Ah, I see. My mistake.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back with something better than money,” Ohya whispered seductively, trailing small kisses from Ren’s ear to his lips. “But, each kiss isn’t worth that much on it’s own. So, I guess I’ll be paying you back for a while. At least until you wise up and dump me.”

“I have absolutely no intention of doing something so stupid, Ichiko .”

“Good answer, Ren .” She gripped his collar, pulling him in again.

“Tea’s done!” Lala walked through the door, the smile on her face replaced with a look of confusion. “...Why are you sitting like that?”

Ohya, who had flung herself back so fast she was now laying down on the couch with one foot dangling over the edge and her other foot in Ren’s lap, simply shrugged, “Just...relaxing.”

Lala then peered at Ren, “And why are your lips puckered?”

Ren quickly realized what he was doing and sat back, trying to act natural, “No reason.”

Lala looked back and forth between them before rolling her eyes and setting down the tea. “For the love of God, please be careful you two.”

Ohya scoffed, “It’s just tea, Lala-chan. Even I can’t get buzzed off of this.”

“Not what I was talking about.” The both couple’s eyes widened as they looked at one another, a heavy blush spreading across their faces. “As much as I was waiting for this to happen, don’t make me regret not intervening.”

Ohya sat up, avoiding eye contact with Lala as she took her cup, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lala-chan.”

“Right…” Lala side-eyed Ren, “Don’t mess this up.”

Ren nodded, “If I knew what you were talking about, I’d say I promise.” 

“I suppose that’ll have to do for now.”

…..

(A Couple Hours Later: Tokyo Skytree)

“Is this our first date?”

Ichiko shook her head, turning away from the window. They had found a spot that was mostly secluded. It was getting late, so not many were up there. “No, I just wanted to come here. This spot is impor-”

*Ding*

“Oh! Sorry, hold on.” Ichiko checked her phone, her grin coming back. “Ah, it’s the chief. We got greenlit to do more articles on the Phantom Thieves. This next one is about their origin and the root of the issues they’re trying to solve. The higher-ups don’t like it, but they only care about the statistics, and our readers adore the Phantom Thief articles. So, they can’t do anything about it, or us. And, it’s only just the beginning.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah, and...With this, Kayo’s case finally making some leeway, and now you...Life is finally starting to make sense again…” She leaned into Ren as they looked down on the city lights. “This is where I asked Kayo to be my partner. And now, you’re my partner in more ways than one. You’re the reason I made it this far…” Ohya took Ren’s arm, making two fingers walk up the length of it slowly as she whispered, “...My little Phantom Thief.”

Ren tried and failed not to tense up, hiding his eyes behind the glare of his glasses. “Excuse me?”

“I’m a journalist, remember? Truth is my specialty. With the perfect timing of the chief’s change of heart, you being the only one who knew about my situation, and a certain someone persistent about knowing the chief’s full name…”

Ren clenched his eyes shut, “Oooh crap, I forgot you remembered the other night.”

Ichiko’s smirk grew wider as she nodded, “Uh-huh.”

“...Would you believe me if I said Lala was the Phantom Thief?”

“Lala-chan’s a Phantom Menace, maybe. But, not a thief. Don’t tell her I said that.”

“My lips are sealed, but...you’re okay with this?”

“Ren, for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been nothing but a kind, good-hearted person. And, as I’ve looked deeper into the Phantom’s the more I see them as valiant. They go after evil, fight for good, and seek truth and justice. I say we have the same objectives. I just do it behind my laptop while pestering people, while you...actually, I have no idea how you do what you do.”

“Long story.” 

“You’ll have to tell me sometime. But, for now, I say we keep this united front against evil going.”

Ren took Ohya’s hand in his, “I agree.”

Ohya looked down at their intertwined hands, a chuckle escaping her lips, “You know, it’s funny. You ended up changing my heart, too...Wait, you didn’t make me fall in love with you, right?”

“No, that’s not how what we do works,” Ren laughed. “Speaking of work, what are some of the things I’ll be doing to help you?”

“For starters…” Ohya pulled her camera out, throwing the strap around Ren’s neck. “I'll make you my personal photographer when I’m too busy with other stuff. Although, there are a few pictures I wanna take with you for a... personal collection I'm going to start."

"Oh? What kind of photos?"

“You’ll find out when we’re ready.” Ohya grabbed the camera, pulling it down to drag Ren with it. "Now, shut up and kiss me while no one’s looking." Ren happily obliged, making it quick before turning back to look down at Tokyo.

“So...what now?”

Ohya leaned against the railing, looking down below as well. “My suggestion is our first official date. We can go to a restaurant, an amusement park, or maybe…”

Ren’s sly smirk appeared, “Your place?”

“Geez, you’re so damn forward.”

Ren chuckled to himself, “I know, I was only ki-”

“I was honestly going to suggest that though.”

“-dding…Wait, really?”

Ichiko shrugged, “I’m not a great cook, but I’ll make us something. We can eat, relax, lie around, and...after that? Well…” She walked past Ren, brushing her hand across his chest. “...that’s up to you.”

Ren shivered, trying to keep his heart from stopping, “Sweet Mother of God.” He turned around to follow her. “Wow, and you said I was forward.”

"Then just stay with me! Hold me. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've been cuddled?”

Ren took her hand in his, “I can do that...and then we’ll see where that takes us.”

“Ohoho! I’ve got you wrapped around my finger, don’t I?”

“No comment.”

They stepped into the elevator as Ohya giggled, “By the way, be honest with me...it was the jeans, wasn’t it?”

Ren raised a brow, “What do you mean?”

A sly grin grew on her face, “I mean, you like to see me arrive, but you love to see me leave.”

“...It’s a perk.”

“Aha!” 

The elevator closed, sending the couple off to their next adventure together. An odd adventure it would be, filled with dangers of all kinds. But, they knew no matter what, they would be good and true to one another. 

...And that Lala was a Phantom Menace.