Chapter Text

Chapter Index

1. Judgement Day
2. Budding Something
3. Red Rose, White Lie
4. Katabasis︱Anabasis
5. Sub Rosa
6. Rose and Lotus
7. Giving Your Heart
8. Apples and Roses
9. Millennium Mission
10. Rescue at Dawn
11. Fidelio Amoris
12. Promises Kept
13. Hearts of Judgement

Judgement Day

The door shut behind her, the lock sliding into place with a definitive click.

Sae Niijima's vision adjusted to the dim interrogation room, the contrast between the harshly lit corridor and the murky atmosphere within. Professional assessment first: one empty chair, a metal table bolted to the floor, an observation camera mounted in the corner.

And him.

The figure sat hunched, shoulders collapsed inward, each breath coming ragged and wet. The air carried copper and sweat, laced with something chemical. Whatever they'd used to try and break the leader of the Phantom Thieves still lingered.

She sat down, case file pressed against her side, and then—

His head lifted. Dark hair fell across his face, parting just enough to reveal familiar stormy-grey eyes. Recognition flashed across them before the haze pulled them back down. His fingers twitched against the metal table, an aborted movement toward... what? Her? His pocket? She couldn't dwell on it.

"I didn't expect it'd be you...."

Ren's black and red uniform hung loose and tattered on his frame. Purple bruises mottled his hands where they rested on the table. Empty syringes littered the floor, catching pinpricks of light.

Sae's grip on the case file tightened until her knuckles went white.

"Those bastards…"

She hunched forward, meeting his gaze across the table.

"Can you hear me? It seems you've been through a lot."

His gaze was glazed, unfocused. Whatever they'd pumped into him was still working through his system. But beneath the haze, she caught recognition.

Or maybe it was regret.

"Almost anything can happen here, and I can't stop them. That's why I need you to answer me honestly. I don't have much time either."

The clock on the wall marked seconds with merciless precision. Outside this room, forces were already moving. Detectives would flood back in soon. Whatever window she had to uncover the truth was closing.

Two dead men. Countless lives in chaos. The Phantom Thieves' crimes stacked in the file under her hands. And sitting across from her, bruised, drugged and shackled, was the boy who'd remembered exactly how she took her coffee. Who'd made those quiet rainy evenings at Leblanc feel like a refuge she hadn't known she needed.

I trusted you.

The thought burned. She'd walked away months ago. Threatened his guardian. Chosen ambition over whatever had been growing between them.

And now this.

"What was your objective?" She kept her tone level. "Why did you cause such a major incident?"

The questions felt hollow even as she asked them. This wasn't how interrogations were supposed to go. She wasn't supposed to care about the way his shoulders curved with exhaustion, whether the drugs were wearing off.

"I didn't think it was a prank from the get-go, but I couldn't assemble a case for prosecution." She glanced up at the camera—disconnected, thank god—then back to him. "It's because I couldn't figure out the method behind it."

Through the haze, Ren managed what might have been his old subtle smirk. "Of course you couldn't."

Despite everything he'd endured, that spark of him remained.

"True." Sae allowed herself that much. "There's no way I could be convinced of such a 'world' just by reading the reports."

She leaned forward, studying his eye movement. Clearer now, more focused. Good. She needed him lucid.

"It seems you're coherent enough. When and where did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal another's heart?"

The small room forced a proximity their previous conversations had tried to hide. The warmth over coffee. The way he'd made her smile. All of it felt impossibly distant now, separated by months of choices and consequences neither could take back.

But she had to get the truth. She had to win.

"Now, tell me your account of everything." Sae held his gaze, her voice steadier than she felt. The clock ticked. Time was running out.

"Start from the very beginning."

Budding Something

[ return to index ]

Wednesday, May 4th

"That lady seemed pretty intense," Morgana said standing up from within Ren’s bag. "Asking all those questions about Kamoshida..."

Ren adjusted the shoulder strap, Morgana and the medal from Kamoshida's Palace a small weight inside. He didn't answer immediately.

"What are you thinking?" Morgana pressed.

Ren slowed his pace, looking back toward Leblanc. The way her chin rested on her wrist when discussing the psychotic breakdowns. The slight furrow between her brows when she connected the news to the Shujin incident. How she’d phrased her questions – not like she expected an answer, but like she was thinking out loud. Like she didn't have anyone else to bounce ideas off of.

"She seemed like she wanted someone to talk to."

"Huh. You might be right. She did seem like she was working something out in her head." Morgana's ears twitched. "You were paying pretty close attention."

He nodded. He'd noticed a lot, actually.

"You gonna talk to her if she comes back?"

His lips curved into a small smile as they continued walking under the overcast sky.

"Maybe.”

Five days later, the skies opened up, and so did his chance.

Monday Evening, May 9th

Prosecutor Sae Niijima steps into Leblanc's warmth, shaking droplets from her black goatskin bag as rain patters against the windows. Ren looked up from the counter, grateful that his patience had been rewarded.

Her eyes scan the cozy interior before settling on the tall, young bespectacled barista.

Ren Amamiya meets her gaze, a hint of curiosity in his expression. "Welcome," he says, his deep voice carrying a warmth that defied the chill outside. "What can I get for you?"

Sae settles onto a stool, her posture relaxing slightly as she breathes in the rich aroma of coffee. "House blend, please."

As Ren prepares her order, Sae finds herself observing him. His movements are precise, almost graceful. There was something about him that intrigued her, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She wondered where she’d seen him before.

"Here you are," Ren said, placing the steaming cup before her. Their fingers brushed momentarily, and Sae felt an unexpected jolt of... something.

"Thank you," she murmured. She brought the cup to her lips, her eyes closing briefly. "This is excellent."

Ren’s lips curve into a small smile. "I'm glad you like it… We met last week, I’m the part timer, that's where you remember me from.”

Sae tilts her head in surprise. "How did you know I was thinking that?"

"Shot in the dark… or a barista secret,” he replies, his tone playful.

Sae found herself smiling in return. “I have those too” she returns in kind, taking another sip of the concoction.

Ren returns his focus to what he was doing prior to when Sae entered, idly wiping, his eyes occasionally flicking to the sultry silver haired siren sitting before him. He glances up from the glass, mischief lighting his eyes behind his lenses. "I didn't peg you as someone who'd risk her reputation on their coffee addiction."

Sae smirks. "Some risks are worth taking. Especially for good coffee in hidden gems."

Their eyes hold for a moment. Ren sets down the glass he'd been wiping, his smile deepening as he dares himself to step closer.

"Speaking of hidden... I don't believe I caught your name before..."

"You didn't," Sae replies smoothly, taking a sip of her coffee. "And you're not in enough trouble to need it yet."

Ren raises an intrigued eyebrow, a bemused half-smirk forming on his lips. "I’m not looking for trouble, Madam, I'm only looking to make a friend."

Sae sets down her cup and cocks an eyebrow in turn, skepticism etched in her features. “A friend? I think you'll find we have more differences than similarities, young man.” She pauses. “And I don’t even know your name.”

"Amamiya," he offers. "Ren Amamiya."

"Niijima,” she returns. Sae’s posture remains as poised as her words are measured, yet there's a hint of warmth in her eyes as she banters with the young barista.

“Well, Amamiya-san," Sae continues, "Apart from us being in two different worlds, I’m afraid I don't have the time or inclination for deep friendships. My work keeps me quite busy enough as is."

"What kind of work?" Ren asks, his curiosity piqued.

"Legal matters," Sae answers vaguely, her tone brooking no further questions on the subject.

Ren nods and leans forward slightly, his voice dropping to a low tone. “How about this, Niijima-san? Even if we’re from two different worlds, when we’re both here enjoying coffee together, we can be friends – no expectations or obligations, just coffee and conversation.”

Sae studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. The high schooler’s youthful enthusiasm gave Sae pause. She reminded herself of the professional boundaries she must maintain, even as she found herself drawn to his easy charm.

She glanced to the deluge still raging outside, then took a long sip. Finally, she looked back at him and nodded.

"Very well, I’ll hold my judgement. It’s a deal."

As she spoke, Ren felt a strange sensation, as if an unseen Arcana bond had just been forged between them. He smiles, refilling Sae's cup.

"To new friendships," he says, raising his own cup in a toast.

Sae mirrors his gesture, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "To new promises," she corrects, but there is no bite in her tone.

They clink cups, the gentle sound mingling with the patter of rain.

clink

The warmth between them seems to suspend in that moment—

tick

—until it doesn't.

tick

...

tick

The sound of ceramic meeting ceramic dissolved into the sterile rhythm of a wall clock. The cozy amber glow of Leblanc faded to harsh fluorescent white. Steam no longer carried the rich aroma of coffee, only the cold, recycled air of an interrogation room remained.

Sae sat across from him now, her posture rigid and unbending. That ghost of a smile was long gone.

"Of course I remember that day," she said sharply, cutting through Ren's careful attempt at reminiscence. "I was there."

The edge in her voice hadn't existed in those past peaceful moments.

Did she smile like that?

Through the haze of drugs and exhaustion, Ren struggled to hold onto the details. The interrogation room kept threatening to swallow everything: the warmth of Leblanc, the sound of rain, the way steam had curled between them. But he could still see it, faint but persistent through the fog: that ghost of a smile on her lips as they'd clinked cups.

To new promises.

The memory felt precious, fragile, like something that might slip away if he didn't hold tight enough.

Behind her stern expression, Sae's own memories surfaced unbidden: quiet afternoons sharing coffee, the way he'd refill her cup without asking, moments when his eyes held more understanding than someone his age should possess. Kindness. Genuine concern.

Something deeper she'd refused to name even then?

The sight of him now, bruised, drugged, and shackled, made each memory a fresh cut. He was fighting to remember while she was fighting to forget.

Sae's fist tightened until her knuckles whitened. The clock's ticking grew louder, marking seconds they didn't have.

"We don't have enough time to talk about..." Her voice caught. She forced it level. "...whatever we had in Leblanc.”

The professional mask slid back into place, but the cracks showed at the edges.

"Continue your story," she ordered, her tone brooking no argument. "And leave out the compliments."

Red Rose, White Lie

[ return to index ]

This deal would be the start of an Aeon Arcana, unlocking Khepri.

Over several visits to Leblanc, Sae would find herself drawn into conversations with the enigmatic, byronic barista. At first, their exchanges would be brief and professional. Gradually, a rapport begins to develop over coffee, curry, and conversation. Sae doesn't discuss phantom thief-related events in great depth, beyond what she might say in a public news interview. Likewise, she wouldn’t discuss deep personal details about herself:

Ren wipes down the counter as Sae nips at her curry.

"So, Niijima-san," he begins, "what do you do to unwind from the demands of legal combat?"

Sae raises an eyebrow. "Unwind? I'm not sure I remember how," she says with a wry smile. After a pause, she continues, "But I do enjoy martial arts and riding my motorcycle when I can find the time. Which is a lot less than I’d like.”

"Martial arts and motorcycles?" Ren's eyes light up with interest. "That's quite the combination. I’d like to ride one some day. Ever had to patch yourself up after a fall?"

Sae nods, a hint of pride in her voice. "More times than I'd like to admit. But some thrills are worth the risk. With a motorcycle, you can go anywhere you want."

Ren leans in, intrigued. "Your hobbies are quite distant from what I expected from your professional image you know. The disciplined lawyer who seeks out danger in her spare time."

"I suppose there is a... contradiction there. People say Geminis often have those don’t they? Not that I put much faith into such things,” Sae muses, looking thoughtful. "Perhaps it's my way of balancing the scales. In court, I seek order and justice. On the road, or in the dojo, I find a different kind of freedom. Plus, no matter the game, I like to win.”

"That balance suits you," Ren says softly. “I think most people don’t notice that about you."

Sae meets his gaze, her eyes brightening with surprised appreciation. With a tiny smile, Sae says, "Those glasses help you to read people too, Amamiya-kun?” 

On a rainy evening on June 6th, Sae enters Leblanc, shaking water from her purple umbrella.

"Welcome back, Niijima-san," Ren greets her with a warm smile.

As Sae takes her usual seat at the counter, Ren notices a slight shift in her demeanour. "Everything alright?" he asks, preparing her usual order.

Sae hesitates, then says with a small smile, "It's actually my birthday today."

Ren's eyes light up. "Is that so?"

Sae nods.

Ren’s eyes drift to the fridge out of sight of the counter. He lifts his finger in front of his lips, silently asking Sae for her patience, before he disappears into the back for a moment, returning with two small plates bearing the two slices of rose apple tart he’d been saving for himself.

He places one before her with a flourish. "Happy Birthday, Niijima-san."

Sae raises her eyebrows, ”I didn’t see that on the menu, how much is it?”

”On the house,” Ren winks at her.

Sae looks at the pastry, then back at Ren, surprise evident on her face. "Is it cafe policy to give free dessert to customers on their birthdays?"

Ren's lips curve into a playful smile. "No."

A genuine smile spreads across Sae's face, softening her features. "Thank you, Amamiya-kun. That's... very kind of you."

As Sae and Ren enjoy their shared coffee and dessert, the conversation flows naturally to her past.

"I attended Shujin Academy too, you know," she says, between bites.

Ren's eyebrows rise. "Really? What was it like back then?"

"Different. Quieter I suppose, but some things remain the same. Kobayakwa-san didn’t have any hair back then either.” Sae muses with a smirk, before returning to her neutral expression. "I was always focused on my studies, preparing for my future. Even before high school, actually."

"Oh?" Ren prompts, intrigued.

Sae nods, a distant look in her eyes. "My childhood was... structured. My parents believed in discipline and hard work. I spent more time with textbooks than toys, or friends to be truthful."

"That sounds intense," Ren observes softly.

"It was," Sae agrees. "It was necessary but… sometimes I wonder if I missed out on just being a child, and later, a teenager, or even after that..."

Ren offers a sympathetic smile. "It's never too late to have some of that teen spirit."

Sae chuckles softly. "Perhaps. Though these days, my idea of indulgence is a bowl of eggplant miso soup and an evening at the opera."

"Opera?" Ren's interest is piqued. "Any favourites?"

"Fidelio, by Beethoven," Sae answers, her eyes lighting up. "I have a bit of an affinity for the themes in the play, although I suppose they’re a bit antiquated nowadays."

Finding herself opening up to Ren more than usual, Sae pauses. She straightens, composing herself.

She adds with a hint of self-deprecation, “My taste in music probably isn't fitting for the cafe ambience or suited for the younger crowd, if that's why you're asking."

Ren replies, with a playful glimmer in his eye, "I prefer the older ones anyway."

Sae blinks, surprise briefly flickering across her face. "That's... a rare preference for someone your age," she responds, her tone carefully neutral despite the faint colour rising in her cheeks.

Ren moves closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "Lucky me," he purrs.

"Thank you for the coffee." Sae says in a measured tone as she finishes her coffee before handing the empty cup back to Ren, their fingers lightly brushing as he takes it.

"Anytime, Niijima-san," Ren says softly.

As their conversations deepen over time, Sae finds, despite herself, looking forward to their shared moments in Leblanc. Ren feels the same, both of them seeking out the other as their shelter from the downpour in their own worlds.

During one of their later interactions, Sae describes him as being a rather curious cat with her.

Ren’s response is immediate, silver eyes gazing into her heart. "Only because I find you so interesting," he says softly.

Sae feels her heart quicken, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. She consumes the coffee quickly, her heart and her mind beginning to walk on two different paths.

Their exchanges continue to dance on the edge of professionalism and something more, every moment deepening the connection between them. As the days pass, both Ren and Sae end up savouring their time together, stealing respites of relaxation from the trials they face in their two opposing worlds.

Once Ren realised she was a prosecutor after Makoto’s awakening, their conversations would take on a new depth:

The evening clientele had filtered out, leaving Leblanc in a state of comfortable quiet. Sae sat at her usual spot at the counter, absently stirring her coffee as Ren wiped down the bar.

”A prosecutor,” Ren mused, punctuating the quiet as he nodded at her prosecutor pin and legal necklace, "that must be challenging work."

Sae looked up, a slow smile spreading across her face. "You figured it out, did you? I'm impressed."

Ren shrugged, a knowing feline smile flickering across his mouth. "I pay attention in class."

"I’m sure you do," Sae replied, her tone thoughtful. She paused, then continued, "It is challenging, but I find it rewarding. I've always been driven to pursue justice, to make a difference in the world… especially these last few years."

"And have you? Made a difference, I mean," Ren asked, his voice soft but curious.

Sae's expression turned pensive. "I'd like to think so. I've put away some truly dangerous criminals, protected innocent people. But sometimes..." she trailed off, her gaze distant.

"Sometimes?" Ren prompted gently.

Sae shook her head, refocusing on him. "Sometimes the system feels... flawed. But that's why I keep pushing, keep climbing. I want to reach a position where I can make real change. It’s what we were taught at Sophia – to never settle for the way things are.”

Ren nodded, understanding in his eyes. "That's admirable. It takes a lot of courage to fight for what you believe in."

Sae smiled in appreciation of his words.

A comfortable silence fell between them for a moment. Sae sipped her coffee, taking note of the news channel on the television once again discussing Japan’s most notorious vigilantes.

Sae spoke again, her tone lighter. "What about you, Amamiya-kun? If you were one of these phantom thieves everyone's talking about, what would you do?"

"That's easy Niijima-san.” Ren turned towards her, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he slowly leaned right infront of Sae’s face. 

He whispered, his voice low and playful, "I'd ask you out."

Sae’s gaze met Ren’s, and for a moment, her eyes widened as she was left speechless… before she loudly scoffed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Very funny," she snorted.

Ren chuckled, turning away to attend to the coffee siphon. Behind him, Sae quickly raised her coffee cup to her face, using it to hide the sudden flush that had risen to her cheeks. She took a long, slow sip, willing her heartbeat to slow down.

The in-game musical notes of passion dance around her as she hides her face.

She would roll her eyes whenever Ren flirted with her during their conversations.

Ren would joke he’s, “bored of having near death experiences,” when she asked him how he’s finding Tokyo.

Ren unlocks Ouroboros and Nuit. As their meetings continue, the line between casual conversation and flirtation becomes increasingly blurred.

Last Call

Ren and Sae’s last summer night, Friday, July 15th.

[Alright - Elp version plays until the news interruption. When Sae hangs up her phone, Confession plays]

The evening rain drummed steadily against Leblanc's windows as Sae settled into her usual spot at the counter, halfway through her curry. The coffee shop felt more intimate than usual, the warm light casting everything in golden hues as the storm raged outside. Ren stood across from her, the comfortable silence between them broken only by the quiet clink of her fork against the plate and the steady rhythm of rain.

A harried lawyer in a rain-dampened suit suddenly pushed through the door, shaking droplets from his briefcase. He approached the counter with sharp, impatient steps.

"Coffee. Black. To go," he said curtly, not bothering to look up from his phone.

"Coming right up," Ren replied politely, his tone professional but distant. Sae watched as he prepared the order efficiently, handed it over with a courteous nod, and accepted payment without any of the warmth or playful banter she had grown accustomed to.

The man left as quickly as he'd arrived, the bell's chime fading into the sound of rain.

Ren stood quietly for a moment, letting the silence settle around them before slowly turning back to Sae. His shoulders eased, tension melting away as that familiar smile gradually spread across his face. Without hurry, he began preparing her usual coffee order, his movements unhurried and deliberate.

"Much better now that it's just us," he said with that knowing smile, moving with the easy confidence she'd come to recognise.

Sae's expression grew inquisitive, her eyes studying his face with a hint of skepticism. "Do you treat all your female customers like me?" she asked, a probing tone in her voice as she cocked an eyebrow.

Ren glanced up from the coffee siphon, his lips quirking into that familiar half-smile. "Only the ones I want to remember, Niijima Sae," he replied in a smooth, deep intonation, moving closer until only the counter separated them.

Sae's eyes narrowed slightly, a smirk tugging at her lips despite herself.

Her index finger slowly pushed the small glass sugar dispenser across the counter toward him. "You only have to remember my order, Amamiya–kun," she said, her tone measured even as a sliver of amusement coloured her words.

Ren playfully feigned a shot to the heart, hand over his chest in mock devastation, before turning back to the brewing coffee. The comfortable silence wrapped around them like a held breath.

"Long day?" he asked, glancing back at her as he adjusted the flame under the siphon.

Sae's expression softened. "They're all long days. But..." she paused, seeming to consider her words, "some are better than others."

"And what makes them better?"

She looked at him with a hint of her earlier smirk. "Good coffee. Quiet places… tolerable company."

"Only tolerable?"

"You shouldn't fish for compliments, Amamiya-kun," she said lightly chastening him, watching him work with an almost fond expression.

Ren was about to respond with further repartee when the small TV in the corner caught Sae's attention. The news anchor's words punctured their bubble of intimacy:

"As we have reported earlier, Yakuza crime boss Junya Kaneshiro has confessed to the police about his extensive human trafficking operations and connections to several high-profile blackmail schemes..."

Ren's hands stilled for just a fraction of a second on the siphon, his shoulders tensing imperceptibly before he resumed his careful movements. The change was so subtle that someone who hadn't been watching him closely might have missed it entirely.

Sae's entire demeanour shifted, the warmth draining from her features as she stared at the screen. Her fork came to rest on her plate, her meal forgotten.

"Kaneshiro," she said tightly. "We've been building a case against him for months. Had witnesses lined up, financial records..." Her hands clenched slightly. "And then he just... confessed. Just like that. And now the public keeps giving these criminals all the credit."

Ren kept his focus on the coffee, saying nothing, but his grip on the equipment had become just a touch more deliberate.

"You know what bothers me most?" Sae continued, her voice taking on an edge. "It's not just that they're criminals. It's that people actually support them. They think this is justice."

Still, Ren remained quiet, methodically working with the siphon. But something had shifted in the air between them, a suffocating tension that hadn't been there moments before.

Sae turned to look at him directly. "You never say anything when I bring them up."

"Nothing to say," Ren replied, not meeting her eyes.

"Really?" Her tone and posture sharpened, her gaze hardening. "Every time, every single time I mention the Phantom Thieves, you joke, change the subject, or go completely silent. What are you hiding from me, Amamiya–kun?"

The use of his name, coupled with the interrogative inflection, made him finally turn around. There was hurt in her eyes alongside the frustration.

"I'm not hiding anything," he said quietly, his expression carefully neutral in a way that felt almost practiced.

"Then tell me what you really think about them." She leaned forward further, studying his face. "Do you think they're heroes? Criminals? Something in between? I've told you how I feel, that they're dangerous vigilantes undermining everything about the law. But you? You won't even give me a straight answer."

Ren set down the coffee equipment, conflicted emotions warring across his features. He wanted to tell her. Wanted to explain about Ann, who'd been drowning in despair until they'd given her a way to fight. About Shiho, about all the people who'd had nowhere else to turn. The words were right there, burning in his throat, but how could he make her understand without revealing everything? Without destroying what little trust remained between them?

He cared about her, maybe more than he should for his teammate's older sister, but the truth was a line he couldn't cross.

"I think..." he started, then stopped, running a hand through his hair. "I think sometimes the system fails people who need help."

"That's not an answer. That's another deflection."

"Niijima-san—"

"No." She stood up, her patience finally snapping. Her dinner sat barely half-eaten on the counter, the coffee he'd been preparing forgotten and unfinished. "I'm trying to understand you, to figure out why someone I trust, won't trust me with their honest opinion about something that affects my entire career. But maybe the answer is simpler than I thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe, you don't trust me because you know I wouldn't like what you really think." She spoke more quietly, but now every word struck like a precise incision. "Maybe, you support them too, and you're just too much of a child to have a real conversation about it."

Ren went very still, something shifting in his expression. His eyes flashed with something, maybe hurt, maybe anger, before he looked away for a moment. When he met her gaze again, every word came out steady, almost cold.

"I'm not a child."

"No? Then stop acting like one. Tell me what you really think about them."

The challenge lay before him. Ren looked at her, truly looked at her, seeing the prosecutor who'd built her life around the law, who was struggling with cases slipping away, who needed to believe the system could work. And he thought about his friends, about Ryuji and Yusuke and Ann, about all the people they'd helped when no one else could.

"I think," he said slowly, a hint of resignation bleeding into his tone, "they help people who have nowhere else to turn. I think sometimes... sometimes the only way to get justice is to take it yourself."

The words shattered something inside her chest. Sae stepped back, her face cycling through disbelief, hurt, and finally settling on something colder. Her hands reached out for the support of the counter.

"I see," she sniffed, her words coming out quiet and cold. "So, when I'm talking to you about cases slipping away from me, about how frustrated I am with the system, you're sitting there thinking these vigilantes have it all figured out."

The weight of it hit her then: how much time she'd been spending here, how she'd let herself get comfortable with his teasing, how she'd started looking forward to these moments more than she should. How foolish she'd been to think that this easy rapport, the way she didn't mind when he stepped closer than he should, could be something she could afford to feel when he clearly saw the world so differently from her.

She couldn't afford to waste any more time on these misguided feelings she had refused to examine too closely. She had real work to do, real responsibilities, and no time for whatever misguided attachment had been forming here.

"That's not what I meant—"

The sharp ring of her silver Sony Xperia Z5 Compact splits their tension. Sae's eyes flickered as she saw the caller's name, something unreadable passing across her face. She answered quickly, her demeanor shifting to professional detachment.

"Yes? Yes, I understand. I'll be there shortly," she said into the phone, in a clipped tone.

Hanging up, she gathered her things, her hands trembling slightly. The argument had opened a chasm between them, and the phone call seemed to have pushed her into it completely.

She had worked too hard to get where she was. Her success, her reputation.

She couldn't afford to get distracted by... this.

By him.

"I have to go," she said, not looking at him.

Ren noticed her shaking hands and glanced at the deluge still pouring outside.

"Niijima-san, is everything alright?"

She paused at the door, one hand on the handle. Through the rain-streaked glass, the world outside blurred into indistinct shapes, yet it still felt easier to face than who she was leaving behind.

For the first time in years, she had allowed herself to let down her mask, if only for a moment, during these rainy evenings in Leblanc.

It was a temptation she'd been a fool to indulge in.

"I thought I could see people clearly, that I understood you," she said quietly. "Apparently, I was blind to everything that mattered."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out into the heavy rain.

Ren watched through the window as she disappeared into the storm, knowing he'd chosen truth over peace and wondering if he'd made the right choice. The clock on Leblanc's wall ticked on, indifferent and mocking, counting down time he'd never get back with her. On the counter, her unfinished meal sat cold and abandoned beside the coffee siphon, still warm but never poured.

That night, Sae fled into more than just the rain. After confronting and threatening Sojiro-san the following week, she never returned to Leblanc.

Months passed. Summer's light withered into memory. Autumn crept forward, and the Phantoms' failure in their mission claimed its price in the death of Kunizaku Okumura.

Then one day, on a cold October evening, Ren's chest seized as Akechi revealed the truth to the Thieves.

Her name blazed across the MetaNav screen, each letter slicing through the digital barrier to wrap around his heart like wire. He stared at the device, willing it to be wrong, but the black mirror in his palm offered only confirmation of what he already knew:

Sae Niijima had a Palace.

And she would be their next target.

The Aeon Arcana reverses, the last persona unlocked being Aion.

Katabasis

[ return to index ]

November 20th. The time frozen in their hearts since July begins to move again.

As Ren recounts the events that led to this moment, he would eventually attempt to reach her, not as the prosecutor interrogating him, but as the woman who he’d shared coffee and conversation with in a quiet café.

"Now that I think about it...she did start talking a lot about the investigation from summer onward."

"You're cute when you're figuring things out."

Sae stares at him in silence for several seconds.

"The drugs must be worse than I thought if you think you can flirt your way out of this," Sae says flatly. "Makoto aside, you mentioned one other important detail..."

As his testimony continues, something shifts. The lines between right and wrong, mercy and severity, corruption and justice, begin to blur in ways Sae had never allowed herself to question. And at the centre of it all sits this teenage phantom thief; bruised, drugged, and somehow still managing to make her question the very foundations of everything she'd built her career upon.

Eventually, Ren's recollection reaches the turning point:

"Well then, let's move on. At last we arrive at your most recent crime. You know what I mean, don't you? This calling card was delivered to your latest target—the one you had decided would prove your innocence. It was addressed to 'Sae Niijima.' Myself."

She paused. "Now, explain everything to me..." Her gaze dropped to the calling card between her fists on the table. Her eyes closed briefly.

"Wait." She lifted her head. "Before you do, I have to ask about our time at Leblanc. Why did you act that way with me? Were you trying to throw me off your trail? Did you target me to take revenge because of what I said to Sakura-san? Were you trying to get information out of me? What we had in Leblanc, your words to me... Was any of it real? Or were you just toying with me? Was it all a lie?"

He met her eyes.

(Romance/platonic route lock-in point)

[Romantic]

"I lied about being a Phantom Thief. But not about how I feel about you. It was all real."

(Shocked Sae sprite, then sad)

Sae's next breath took longer than it should have. "Continue with your story."

Another half hour passed. When Ren finally finished, Sae leaned back in her chair.

"I've listened to your whole story, so I may as well play along to the end. And that honest look in your eyes... I used to view the world the same way too, once. I couldn't see it all those times at Leblanc, but..." Her gaze shifted away, then returned. "I'll place my bet on you."

[Platonic]

"I thought of you as a friend."

(Sae blinks, then neutral sprite)

"...Continue with your story."

Anabasis

The interrogation room door creaked open with a metallic groan, and Sae stepped back in, her heart skipping a beat as wide eyes fell upon the battered yet defiant form of Ren Amamiya. He was still there, still alive – this teenage boy had outsmarted them all.

A weak but unmistakably cocky smirk flashed across his bruised features. Dark eyes locked with hers, triumphant relief giving way to something else that made her breath catch. Sae blinked, the realisation of him really still being alive washing over her.

"My angel," he murmured, the endearment falling from pale lips. As he tried to stand, the last dregs of adrenaline seemed to leave his body all at once, legs giving out beneath him.

Sae rushed forward with a startled "Amamiya!", managing to catch him before he could crash onto the concrete floor. That lean frame collapsed against her as she lowered them both down, cradling his head in her lap as his consciousness slipped away and darkness claimed him.

"Amamiya-kun? Amamiya-kun, are you alright?" Worry weighted her voice as she gently brushed unruly black hair from his face. Cool fingers came to rest on his forehead, noting how the skin burned with fever under her touch.

Ren's eyes fluttered open, his vision full of Sae’s beautiful face. Her sharp carmine eyes were now soft with concern, framed by silver hair that caught the harsh fluorescent light like a halo. 

A soft sigh escaped him. "I'm still dreaming," he said, a hint of that usual charm breaking through.

[Alternatively he says he was dying without her]

Sae's frown deepened. "Oh for - This is no time for flirting around!" she chided, though her touch remained gentle. She looked back at the door and then back to Ren.

"We need to leave, fast," Sae explained, her voice urgent. "I'm not sure how many of Shido’s men are still in the building."

Ren‘s lips quirked into a smirk. "Did you miss me?"

Sae brow furrowed, but a hint of amusement broke through her serious demeanour, appearing in her wry smile. "I think Akechi-kun must have missed you more if you're still alive."

For a moment, Sae's expression softened as she saw once again the glimpse of the Ren she once knew in Leblanc. Her eyes warming, she quietly admitted, "I missed you too." A gentle smile tugged at Ren‘s lips in response.

For a moment neither of them moved.

She gave him a final look over and took a breath. "We're leaving," Sae declared, as she looked towards the door and then back to Ren, extending her hand. "Together." Her voice resonated with renewed determination.

Ren grasped her hand firmly, their bond reborn.

They made their way out of the room and through the halls, rushing down stairwells, peeking around corners, Sae using her arm to hold him up against the wall, and moving as stealthily as Ren's condition would allow.

In the elevator, he stumbled, and Sae instinctively steadied him, her hand pressed against his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm. Ren groaned in pain.

"We're not far from where I parked," she assured him.

Ren smiled weakly. "Any chance of a bridal carry or piggyback ride for the rest of the journey?"

Sae shook her head in disbelief. "Please don’t make me regret my choice," she warned, but there was no heat in her words.

[With “Getaway V2” playing in the background]

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, revealing the cavernous underground parking lot. Sae and Ren emerged, their senses on high alert. The air was thick with tension, each shadow a potential threat.

Sae's arm was wrapped firmly around Ren‘s waist, supporting his weight as they moved swiftly between the parked vehicles. Their footsteps echoed in the confined space, each sound amplified in the silence. Ren’s laboured breathing seemed deafening to Sae's ears.

Finally, they reached Sae's sleek white 2016 Toyota Crown Athlete sedan with black tinted windows. She unlocked the car and eased Ren into the backseat, underneath the rear window shades. Her movements were quick but gentle, mindful of his injuries. She shrugged off her blazer in one fluid motion and draped it over him, her fingers lingering for a moment on his shoulders.

Just as Sae settled into the driver’s seat and closed the car door with a soft thud, the air was suddenly pierced by the sharp wail of a police siren. The sound sliced through the quiet like a knife, causing Sae's heart to leap into her throat.

She whirled around, her body instinctively coiling like a spring ready to unload. Her eyes darted frantically across the parking lot, searching for the source of the alarm. Adrenaline surged through her veins, her mind racing through possible escape routes.

The siren grew louder, the flashing lights painting the concrete pillars in alternating streaks of red and blue. Sae's thumb hovered over the ignition button, ready to floor it at a moment's notice. She held her breath, time seeming to stretch endlessly as she waited for the inevitable confrontation.

But then, miraculously, the police car sped past the parking lot entrance, its wailing siren fading into the distance. The threat had passed them by, oblivious to the high-stakes drama unfolding in the shadows. Sae released a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. Sae's eyes, sharp and focused, glanced at the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of Ren’s prone form in the backseat. Her jaw clenched, a spark of fierce protectiveness igniting within her.

"Just hold on, Ren," Sae commanded, tension and tenderness threading through her voice. She turned to the dashboard. With purposeful precision, she flicked switches in rapid succession: headlights off, engine mode to sport, traction control disabled.

She gripped the steering wheel, eyes blazing, knuckles white with determination. She punched the ignition button, and the engine roared to life, a Leviathan in luxury. The sharp whistle of the turbo spooled up as she slammed the accelerator, the sedan lunging forward with sudden explosive force. Smoke curled from the rear wheels as rubber screeched against asphalt. The safety of Leblanc beckoned as they escaped from Hachioji.

Sub Rosa

[ return to index ]

"… Hey, are you all right? Don't fall asleep until we reach our destination... Are you listening?"

"… I don't want to die."

Ren's world goes dark as his consciousness slips away in the car. The only sounds are his ragged breathing and the smooth growl of the inline-4 engine – a stark contrast to the flashes of his ordeal that assault his mind: fists connecting with flesh, needles piercing skin, and cruel laughter echoing.

Through the haze of terror, a familiar, pleading voice breaks through: "Stay with me... please say something. It's me, Sa—"

"Sae," Ren whispers, his voice barely audible, as the warmth of her voice wraps around his heart like a blanket.

Sae takes a sharp intake of breath. Ren's eyes flutter open, adjusting to the dim evening light filtering through the car windows, the scent of worn leather and stale air filling his nostrils. He realises they're parked near Leblanc.

Sae's silver hair cascades around him like a protective curtain as she hovers above, her hands gently working at his shoulders to soothe away the lingering tension.

"I thought I told you not to scare me like that," Sae scolds softly, her shoulders relaxing with a smile as he looks up at her.

Ren tries to smile, but the lingering fear from his flashback still grips him. Recognising the panic in his gaze, Sae's voice takes on a gentle, commanding tone.

"Breathe, Amamiya-kun. Deep breaths," her words are steady like a metronome, giving Ren something to anchor to. The beat of her heart, her presence near him, serves as a lifeline, pulling him back from the brink.

Ren obeys, closing his eyes and syncing his breathing with Sae's steady rhythm. As they breathe in tandem, the dim light of the car seems to soften around them, the shadows cast by Sae's hair dancing gently across Ren's face. His chest rises and falls, each calmer breath a small victory against the terror that had gripped him. Sae watches, her eyes never leaving his, her expression a map of intense concentration and burgeoning tenderness.

Her hands continue their calming motion on his shoulders. "You're home. You're safe," she reassures him, her voice a soothing balm to his frayed nerves.

He blinks slowly, looking up at Sae as the colour gradually returns to his face. In the dim light of the car, their eyes meet, a moment of silent relief passing between them.

Sae gives a fragile smile upon feeling his pulse and breathing slow down. "You can rest more once you’re upstairs," she says softly, her tone laced with concern and something deeper, something she's not quite ready to name.

Ren nods. With effort, he raises first his right hand, then his left, grasping onto Sae for support as he lifts himself up. Their hands linger on each other's arms together in the dimness of the backseat, neither pulling away even after he's settled upright, a physical connection that neither Ren, nor Sae wants to break.

But they must.

"Lean on me," Sae instructs quietly as they exit the car. "I don't want you to fall."

They make their way to Leblanc, Ren's arm draped over Sae's shoulders for support. The short walk feels like a journey, each step a small triumph against pain and exhaustion. The familiar sight of Leblanc's door brings a sense of relief to both of them.

Sae reaches for the door handle with her free hand, and throws it open with enough force that the bell above jingles violently.

"Sakura-san!" she calls out urgently, her voice sharp with tension.

Sojiro, grieving, his back turned towards the door, visibly flinches at the intrusion and from hearing her voice again. His shoulders tense as he spins around, fury clear in his voice. “Niijima-san, just what the hell—" The words die in his throat as his eyes land on Ren's battered form. Worry and anger flash across his face, replacing his initial fury in an instant.

"Sakura-san, I’ll explain everything later, but right now, we need to hide him.”

Together, they help Ren up the narrow staircase to the attic, the creaking of the old wooden steps echoing the groans of pain Ren is trying to suppress. After laying him on the couch, Sojiro says Ren will need more treatment than what’s available inside the first aid kit in his room, and that he thinks he has more in his home. Sae offers to stay with Ren until Sojiro returns.

Sojiro gives Sae a long, piercing look, before turning to Ren with a questioning glance. Ren's nod confirms his agreement. The corner of Sojiro’s mouth and his eyebrow arches upwards, a silent understanding passing between the two.

He turns back to Sae. "I'll go look for some more supplies at my place, look after him until then," Sojiro says, his gruff voice softened by concern. He descends down the stairs, leaving Ren and Sae alone together in the attic.

The sudden silence feels heavy, filled with the weight of all they've been through. Sae takes a deep breath, composing herself before turning to the shelf. Sae retrieves the first aid kit.

As Sae opens the kit and lays out the supplies on the table, Ren struggles to undress with his shaking hands. Sae turns and watches for a moment, her heart aching at his struggle, before pulling a stool next to the sofa where he rests, settling close to him. She wordlessly offers her own hands to help him, placing them on top of his. Their eyes meet, and Sae silently seeks his consent. Ren nods, allowing Sae to undress him.

[With the opening part of “Alleycat” looping in the background]

The sounds of the street outside seem to still as Sae carefully removes Ren's turtleneck. The soft rustle of fabric gives way to a sharp intake of breath as Ren's bruised upper body is revealed. Sae's right hand covers her mouth, her eyes widening in shock.

"Amamiya-kun…" she whispers, her voice thick with emotion.

Sae's eyes trace the constellation of bruises and cuts across Ren's torso, her heart constricting at each mark.

Sae swallows hard, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. "These need proper bandaging," she says, her prosecutor's composure returning despite the tremor in her voice.

With gentle hands, she begins cleaning his wounds, her touch like a phantom. The sharp scent of antiseptic mingles with the familiar smell of coffee that permeates Leblanc.

Ren winces slightly but remains obediently still, his eyes fixed on Sae's face. Her expression is one of intense concentration, mixed with a tenderness that catches him off guard. As she works, Sae's fingers brush against his skin, leaving trails of warmth in their wake.

Gradually, Ren allows his eyes to close, surrendering to her gentle ministrations. Time seems to slow as Sae carefully tends to his injuries, each touch a silent promise of protection and care. The world shrinks to the space between them, the only sound the soft ticking of a clock in the distance.

As Sae secures the last bandage, her hand lingers in Ren's palm. The touch, meant to be clinical, suddenly feels charged with an unexpected intimacy. She finds herself acutely aware of their proximity, of the warmth radiating from his skin.

Ren's fingers thread together with hers through the bandages, gripping her hand with surprising strength. The sudden contact sends a jolt through Sae; she inhales sharply, her eyes flying up to discover his are open.

"Thank you," he whispers, his voice rough but sincere. The words hang in the air between them, weighted with everything he means in his gratitude left unsaid.

Sae pauses in her musings, feeling the warmth of his gaze. She smiles softly as she squeezes his hand in return.

“Anytime," she says, her voice carrying a weight of promise.

A small voice in the back of her mind catalogs all the reasons that should make her pause: their age difference, his friendship with Makoto, the impropriety of it all. But when she sees the trust and vulnerability in Ren's big grey eyes, those concerns fall from her mind completely.

"I never expected anyone to fight like that for me," Sae confesses. "Thank you, for saving me... for saving Makoto... and for pulling me out of my despair."

"I'd do anything for you, Niijima-san," he says, his voice low and intense. "I'd do it again if I had to."

The weight of his words hangs in the air between them. Sae feels her cheeks warm, her heart racing at the implication. She takes a moment to collect herself before responding, her hand never letting go.

A gentle smile graces Sae's features, softening the worry lines that have creased her brow. "I doubt that will be necessary," she says, her tone lighter. "Just... be more careful, alright?"

Her attempt at levity seems to break some of the tension. Ren's eyes twinkle with a hint of his usual mischief. "We'll see," he says, a slightly smirk. "It's not every day you get rescued by such a charming woman."

Sae shakes her head, but can't suppress the smile that forms in response. "Don't make it a habit," she chides gently. "I spent most of today yelling at you and threatening you, remember?"

"I could never forget you," Ren says softly, a hint of his usual charm in his tired smile.

Laughter bubbles from Sae's throat, genuine and warm, breaking the tension that had built up. It's a sound Ren realises he's never heard before, and one he immediately wants to hear again.

Sae’s gaze softens as she studies Ren’s face. "Your colour’s improving," she observes. "Your lips look less pale now."

A light smile plays on Ren's lips, a spark of his usual charm returning to his eyes. "Sorry Niijima-san," he murmurs, his voice taking on a playful tone, "but I might really die if you kiss me now."

Sae's eyes widen, a blush creeping across her cheeks. The sudden shift in mood catches her off guard. "That’s not what I meant!" she cries, her usual composure cracking.

Ren's impish grin grows wider, and Sae shakes her head in fond exasperation. "Honestly," she sighs, but there's no real reproach in her tone. The lightness of the moment feels like a balm after the intensity of the past few hours.

His expression turns serious once more, reminding Sae of the gravity of their situation. "We're both Phantom Thieves now, Niijima-san," he says, earnestness clear in his voice. "You'll need to be careful too."

Without thinking, Sae reaches out, her fingers ghosting over a small cut on his cheek that she hadn't bandaged. The touch is feather-light, almost reverential.

Ren leans into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. Sae finds herself holding her breath, afraid to break the spell of the moment.

"Don't worry about me," she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her thumb traces a gentle path along his cheekbone. "Just focus on getting better for now… You should get some rest when Sakura-san returns."

Ren's eyes open, lit with inner fire as they bore into hers. He gives her a tiny smile, the colour in his face now fully returned. "Stealing Morgana's lines now?" he teases gently. "You're already a natural thief."

"I'll have to take your word on that," Sae laughs, the sound lighter than before. She draws back her hand reluctantly, already missing the warmth of his skin beneath her fingers.

Ren's eyes dance with humor, a shadow of his usual self shining through his exhaustion. "My apologies for not giving you the grand tour of the attic," he says, gesturing weakly around them. "Or for you seeing me like this," he adds, indicating his bandaged state.

"Oh, without your glasses you mean?" Sae retorts playfully, her eyebrow arching. The banter feels natural, a welcome respite from the heaviness of their situation.

"I know it must've been a big shock for you," Ren teases, his voice warm with affection.

"Well, I'll forgive the state of you and your attic, just for today," Sae says, unable to suppress her smile. The ease of their interaction surprises her, given all they've been through.

For a moment they gaze at each other silently. The distant hum of the city outside fades away.

Suddenly, Ren's playful smile falters, a flicker of pain crossing his features as a dull ache resurfaces in his ribs. He closes his eyes and inhales sharply, trying to mask his discomfort. His hand moves to rest on his sternum, a small moan escaping despite his efforts to remain stoic.

Sae notices immediately, her brow furrowing with concern. She covers his trembling left hand with her own, as if she could transfer her strength through touch alone.

The warmth of her touch spreads through him like a soothing balm, anchoring him against the tide of pain. Sae's grip is firm yet gentle, her touch whispering reassurances against his palm.

She watches him intently, her eyes never leaving his face as she silently lends him her strength, wanting to be everything he needs in this moment. A flinch forms across Ren's features, the pain etching deeper lines around his eyes and mouth. Moved by an instinct she doesn't fully understand, Sae leans in, pressing her forehead gently against his.

Her left hand clasps his over his heart, while her right hand comes to rest softly on his cheek, her thumb lightly brushing his cheekbone. The scent of coffee and something uniquely Ren embraces her as they share breath.

They stay like that for a long moment, her presence surrounding him. Sae can feel the slight tremor in Ren's body, the lingering effects of his nightmarish ordeal evident in his quickened breathing. Slowly, their breaths fall into rhythm without conscious thought, like waves finding their tide.

As the seconds tick by, Ren's breathing steadies, the lines of tension around his eyes gradually softening. Sae holds on, her presence a steady beacon until the wave of pain recedes, leaving behind a newfound calm between them. A comforting silence engulfs them.

His gaze meets hers, a silent question in his eyes, seeking her understanding. The vulnerability in his expression tugs at Sae's heart, reminding her of the weight of trust he's placed in her.

"Don't tell the others," he pleads softly, his eyes flashing down to his battered bandaged body before returning to her face.

The vulnerability in his voice catches Sae off guard. This isn't Joker, the peacocking vigilante phantom thief who'd taken Japan by storm - this is Ren, trusting her enough to let his guard down completely.

Sae closes her eyes, her voice quiet as a breeze. "I won't."

The promise hangs in the air. Sae accepts the importance of maintaining his image of strength, even as her heart aches at the burden he carries.

A tiny smile touches Ren's lips, gratitude evident in his eyes.

For what feels like an eternity, they sit in companionable silence, the quiet punctuated only by the soft sounds of their breathing.

"Thank you," he whispers, his voice rough with emotion.

Sae pulls back slightly, just enough to meet his gaze, before it drifts back to his bandaged blotches of purple and red, her expression clouding with remorse.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, her voice thick with emotion. "For threatening Sakura-san... and for not rescuing you sooner. If I had known..." Her fingers tighten imperceptibly around his.

Ren meets her gaze, and something in his expression makes her chest ache. They look at each other in silence, the air filled with all the words they can't speak and everything they've just escaped.

"I understand the pressure you were under before, it’s ok," he says gently, his thumb brushing over her knuckles in a wordless gesture of forgiveness. “I'm just glad you're here now."

"Of course," she replies instinctively, gripping his hand slightly tighter.

Sae hesitates, pulling further back from him as her eyes search Ren’s face. "Is there anything else I don't know about you?" she asks, vulnerability seeping into her tone.

Ren holds her gaze, his words hushed and heartfelt. "That I really do care about you, Niijima-san." He pauses, turning his head away for a moment, before he adds softly, "But that doesn’t mean we have to keep talking like we used to, if you can't forgive me for hiding things from you."

His grip on her hand relaxes, not letting go, not forcing her to stay. Hoping she will.

Silence falls between them.

Sae breaks it with her soft question, “And if I do want to?"

A small smile forms on Ren’s lips. "Then I'll take you out for fancy coffee and cake when this is all over."

Sae gives a soft, skeptical smile, leaning back as her eyes drift closed, head tilting down and to the left. After a moment, she leans closer, arms crossed, one eyebrow arched with gentle amusement.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned with planning a revolution and uncovering conspiracies? Is coffee really so important?"

Ren's hand finds hers again, his thumb tracing a gentle path across her hand. "You always have to make time for coffee..." He sits up, maintaining his gaze on Sae. "Especially when you've found the right person to share it with."

Their eyes lock, Ren's skin glistens with a sheen of perspiration, heat radiating from his body as his toned chest rises and falls with every quiet breath. Sae finds herself drawn closer, her heart racing.

For a moment, she's acutely aware of their positions – a lawyer and a high school student, a phantom thief and a prosecutor, her baby sister’s best friend.

Yet, looking into Ren’s eyes, Sae sees someone who's lived through more than most adults she knows.

"Is that so?" Sae murmurs, her voice subdued to a near-silence. Their faces inch closer, the tension between them palpable.

Just as it seems they might close the distance, time suspends itself. The amber glow of the attic lamps catches in Sae's eyes, turning them to warm red honey. The familiar symphony of Leblanc – creaking floorboards, humming refrigerator, distant traffic – fades to white noise. There's only the sound of their mingled breath, the warmth radiating between them, and the electricity of forbidden possibility crackling in the narrow space between their lips…

The sharp chime of Leblanc's doorbell shatters the moment like broken glass. Sojiro has returned, the spell is broken.

Sae exhales shakily and stands, reluctantly releasing Ren’s hand. "I have to go, Makoto will be waiting for me. Thank you again - for everything."

As she turns to leave, Ren calls out, his voice tinged with concern, "Be careful, Niijima-san."

Sae pauses at the stairs. "You don't have to call me Niijima-san anymore..." She turns back, meeting his eyes as a soft smile forms on her lips. "...Ren-kun."

A warm smile spreads across Ren’s face. "See you soon, Sae-san." 

Their gazes meet one last time, filled with promise. Sae quickly turns away, hiding her flushed cheeks, unable to resist stealing a final glance at Ren as she descends the stairs.

Sae's footsteps fade down the creaking stairs, each step seeming to take a piece of his heart with it. Ren listens until he can't hear her anymore, until the only sound is the familiar hum of Leblanc's old heater and Sojiro's movements below.

He sinks deeper into the couch, exhaustion washing over him in waves. His wounds throb in time with his heartbeat, but it's a different kind of ache that occupies his thoughts - the phantom sensation of Sae's fingers against his cheek, the lingering scent of her perfume mixed with the scent of coffee. Maybe one day, they’ll be able to finish what they started.

The vision of Sae’s smile is Ren’s last conscious thought.

Fade to black.

Ren unlocks Serapis.

Rose and Lotus

[ return to index ]

Post-interrogation Sae appearances are mostly the same, with Ren and Sae furtively exchanging candid glances at each other during group meetings, moments of Ren winking or smiling at her when nobody is looking, and being close or next to each other. Ren makes audacious, subtle flirty comments in public to Sae:

The Phantom Thieves gather in Leblanc, the air thick with tension and relief following Ren and Sae’s narrow escape. As Sae recounts the intense moments of their getaway, Ren’s eyes find hers across the room. A subtle exchange passes between them, unnoticed by the others.

"Last night was certainly... intense," Sae concludes, her gaze lingering on Ren.

Ren leans back, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "My heart's still racing." His eyes lock with Sae's as he speaks, the double meaning clear to her alone.

Ryuji, oblivious to the subtext, chimes in, "Maybe you should lay off the coffee, man."

Sae looks away, a faint blush colouring her cheeks as the group conversation returns to normal.

Sae walks into Leblanc every few days to check on him, and to get curry for Makoto, do some work or bring him snacks. They become closer, and they grieve over Akechi, regretting he had to suffer alone, even though Sae is glad it wasn’t any of the PT’s (not to mention Sae not being fond of his patricide, murder hobby, or being mean to Makoto). They discuss her own experiences with death. They relate to both having nightmares.

[With Confession: Piano version playing in the background]

On December 9th, 3 years and 7 weeks since her dad died at 47 years old, Sae begins crying when describing how much she loves and misses her father, Raito, how guilty she feels for when arguing with him and not spending more time with him when he was alive, especially after waking up from nightmares where she sees him. Ren gently holds her in his arms. Blushing, Sae softly murmurs he doesn’t have to hug her. Ren asks Sae if she wants him to let go. Sae pauses, then wraps her arms tighter around Ren in response.

Ren would tell Sae, “I’m here for you,” during the crying scene in Leblanc.

Ren gently wipes away her tears with the back of his hand. They’ve both been through too much pain, but it’s no longer a burden they carry alone. They have a phone call the day after where Sae thanks him.

Sae implicitly describes Ren’s qualities when she describes the qualities she admired in Raito. She discusses how he was her hero, gentle and strong, and how she would run and jump into his arms every time he returned home from work. She would describe how she struggled with raising Makoto on her own, having to be perfect under difficult circumstances when everyone expects and needs you to be (relating herself to Ren).

Sae is regretful over how she treated both Makoto and Raito; she was angry at Raito for focusing more on work and Makoto than her, leaving her to deal with a lot of the housework. She disliked that Raito would fail to keep his promises, prioritising work and not his responsibility to them instead. She wishes she had more time with them instead of focusing only on schoolwork, often only being able to talk with him via phone call when they were both busy and apart; she regrets how she lost friends after his passing, implicitly relating herself to Ren after the Shido incident.

Ren discusses how his past trauma affected him, his struggles with the burden of leadership; of being the only wild card in the phantom thieves, and what that says about him, and of needing to be strong while living a double life. Ren confesses he feels has to hide or fake his emotions to maintain morale amongst the phantom thieves. Sae tells him he doesn’t have to pretend or hide with her.

Later on, Sae describes how her mother, Seiu, was a shrine maiden, and that she loved opera, playing it when she was pregnant with her and Makoto; that’s why Sae likes it now. Even her watch and jewellery are inherited from her mother. She discusses how she wants her parents to live on through her actions/through the things she learned to like from them. She hates losing people she loves. She is ok with working hard but dislikes situations being forced on her, like Raito leaving her with the house chores when she was young or being burdened with Makoto. She describes not grieving with Makoto or others as it’s too painful and she didn’t have anyone. But she feels she can do so with Ren, relating to him more.

She apologises for wanting to run to him at times, Ren reassures her he’s sure he’ll end up doing the same to her one day, smiling as he does so. She tells him he must be able to get people to open up to him because of the ‘man of few words’ persona he has. She tells him he can talk to her too if everything is too much. He encourages her to talk with Makoto to repair their relationship after Sae mentions regretfully saying something awful to Makoto, she wasn’t sure if Makoto had told him. They exchange their numbers, with Sae sending him photos of her and Makoto being happy together and watching movies in Buchimaru clothing, as well as other phone and text conversations of some similar nature.

They’d discuss her childhood with Makoto, such as watching Godzilla, or the shinryoku together with Raito. Sae was jealous of how Makoto got Raito’s attention without the responsibility, or that her father would choose to work instead of looking after them, but nevertheless she accepts and understands why. She is envious of Makoto’s freedom but still wants her to have it. She wishes she could live in a similar way. Moreover, she wants someone who will offer her the love/attention/priority she truly wants. At school she was teased for various reasons such as her height, attitude and studiousness. Her dad would help her when she was younger but prioritised Makoto after. She learned to look after/defend herself from then on. She wishes someone would fight for her too, proving she can trust and rely on them so she doesn’t have to fight only for herself, by herself.

Ren relates to Sae in having Futaba as a little sister. They’d discuss funny things Makoto and Futaba have done in the past and how Sae is protective of Makoto. She’d mention apologising to both Futaba and Sojiro. During the December small meetings over coffee, they’d talk about life being rigged against the less powerful.

[This conversation on legality/law vs justice would be another good ‘lock in’ point for a romantic/chaste/platonic route]

They would discuss how they have both struggled with eating properly when they’re under pressure. They would talk about her guilt/mistakes in her relationship with Makoto/Sae’s self-doubts/insecurities/shyness.

She’d talk about getting a strong work ethic from her parents, but she missed spending time with her dad/mom/Makoto whilst she was growing up because of that. She felt powerless to save her family, and she doesn’t want that to happen again; she doesn’t want to push away the people she’s close to anymore.

Sae tells him about when she learned of her Raito passing, in the middle of the night:

"I've been thinking about the past," Sae says, her voice tinged with melancholy. "About the night I learned Raito had passed."

Ren reaches out, gently placing his hand over hers, silently encouraging her.

Sae takes a deep breath. "It was during a thunderstorm. The rain was lashing against the windows, almost drowning out the sound of the phone ringing." She pauses, lost in the memory. "After that night, Makoto developed this habit of holding onto someone she trusts when she's scared. Especially during storms."

Ren nods, understanding. "It's a coping mechanism. A way to feel safe."

"Yes," Sae agrees. "I think... I think I've been doing something similar all these years. Holding onto my work, my ambitions. But now..." She looks at Ren, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I think I'm learning to hold onto people again."

Ren squeezes her hand tighter.

She thanks him for being a good friend to Makoto and being there for her.

On another occasion, she complains about the lecherous/sexual harassing types she's had to deal with at work, such as the former SIU director, Gendo Fushima. Ren sympathises, having had to deal with one himself recently:

Ren's hand finds hers, squeezing gently. "I'm sorry you've had to deal with that."

Sae's gaze turns down to the coffee cup before her. "It's just part of the job, for as long as I'm there anyway."

She gives him a small smile. "But it's nice to have someone to talk to about it now."

They sit in companionable silence for a moment before Sae speaks again, her tone lighter. "You know, there was this one man who asked me out. For some reason, he had the strangest fixation on cabbages."

Ren chuckles. "Sounds like quite a character. What happened to him?"

Sae shrugs. "I turned him down. Something about him just didn't feel right. He took it very well thankfully." She takes a sip of her brew. "I wonder how he's doing now."

"Probably still thinking about cabbages," Ren jokes, earning a laugh from Sae.

"Well," Ren adds with a mischievous grin, "there are greater vegetables in the sea anyway."

Sae raises an eyebrow, amused. "Oh? And what would those be?"

"Eggplants, of course," Ren responds smoothly, watching Sae's eyes light up. "The truly superior vegetable."

"Good answer," Sae says, her smile widening. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

The lighthearted moment fades as Sae notices something shift in Ren's expression. His smile dims, his gaze becoming distant.

"Speaking of unwanted attention..." Ren begins, then stops himself, his brow furrowing.

Sae sets down her cup, her full attention on him. "What is it?"

Ren sighs heavily, leaning against the counter. "One of my classmates. Yoshizawa-san."

"The gymnast? Makoto's mentioned her a few times." Sae says in a guarded, cautious tone.

"Yeah." Ren picks up a cloth and begins wiping down the counter, needing something to do with his hands. "She's been through a lot. Lost her sister, developed some serious emotional issues because of it."

"That's terrible," Sae says sympathetically. "Grief can manifest in difficult ways."

Ren nods, his frown deepening. "I tried to be understanding. Patient. But she..." He pauses, choosing his words carefully. "She fixated on me. Wouldn't leave me alone. Didn't seem to think about anyone else... including herself."

Sae angles herself toward him, her prosecutor instincts engaging. "What do you mean?"

"Following me everywhere. Showing up wherever I was: at school, here at Leblanc, even places I never mentioned going to." Ren's expression darkens, his jaw tightening. "She even followed us into your Palace. We only learnt the truth after we confronted her." He lets out another heavy sigh. "Constant messages. Always finding excuses to be near me, no matter what I said."

"She was stalking you?!" Sae's voice rises sharply, her eyes wide with shock.

Ren glances toward the door, ensuring they're alone. "I wasn't going to bring it up, but... yeah."

"I never saw that coming." Sae shakes her head slowly, still processing. "How long did this go on?"

"Months." Ren's frown deepens. "She was much stealthier than Makoto ever was in Shibuya."

Despite the serious topic, Sae's lips twitch slightly at the comparison before her expression hardens again. Her fingers tighten around her coffee cup, something building in her eyes – concern, protectiveness, and perhaps a hint of jealousy.

"You shouldn't have had to deal with that alone. Especially with everything else you've been managing."

"We only confronted her about it a few days ago. I had to tell her to stop. Had to be firm." He pauses. "She put the whole team at risk."

"That's very considerate of you." Sae's voice softens, though there's an edge to it. "But you matter too, Ren-kun. Your boundaries matter. What she did was unacceptable, regardless of what she was going through."

Their eyes meet, and the air between them shifts to something warmer, more intimate.

"Thanks, Sae-san," he says, a small smile breaking through his troubled expression. "That really helps to hear."

A faint blush colours her cheeks as she takes a deliberate sip of coffee. "Well," she murmurs, "someone needs to look out for you too.”

On other occasions, they would lightly flirt:

In the quiet evening hush of Leblanc, Sae sits at the counter as Ren pours her usual drink, her eyes lingering on his hands as they work – the same hands she'd held and bandaged just a few days ago.

"You look good." Sae smiles playfully, raising an eyebrow. "For a dead man."

Ren's gaze lifts to hers, something warm flickering in his expression. "You look better."

A flush creeps up Sae's neck. She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, unable to keep the smile from reaching her eyes. She reaches for her coffee cup, the steam curling upward as she takes a measured sip. Setting it down, she loosens her blazer, revealing the slim-fitting turtleneck beneath, her fingers lingering briefly as she feels the weight of Ren's gaze.

Ren picks up his cup, taking a slow sip. His steady silver eyes track her every motion, catching the subtle shift in her posture as she meets his stare.

"It's funny," Sae says, a hint of amusement in her voice, "the last time we faced each other like this, there was a table between us. And considerably more hostility."

"I remember." Ren's mouth quirks. "You were terrifying."

"Was I?" A smile plays at her lips. "Strange. I don't recall you acting terrified."

"I'm good at hiding it."

"Not from me, you're not."

A comfortable silence settles between them. Sae takes a sip of her coffee, then sets it down with a soft clink.

"You know," she says, her tone lighter now, "you wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble faking your death if you'd just confessed during the interrogation that you were dating Makoto."

Ren flashes a cheeky smile. "You never have to worry about that. She's not my type."

"Oh?" Sae considers his answer, a glint of hope in her eyes. "Tell me then, is your true wish to be a playboy like Sakura-san?"

Ren places a hand over his heart, his smile softening. "I'm a one-woman man, Sae-san."

Sae tilts a little closer, resting one elbow on the counter. "If that's the case, why don't you describe this type of yours? You did mention plenty of women during your interrogation, after all."

Ren leans back against the counter. "That sounds like another interrogation, Prosecutor Niijima."

"Consider it follow-up questions. For thoroughness."

"And if I invoke my right to remain silent?"

"Then I'd conclude you're hiding something. Suspicious behaviour."

He laughs quietly. "Can't have that."

Ren shifts forward, narrowing the space between them. "Honestly? I don't really have a type. It's more about energy – how I feel when I'm with her." His eyes lock onto hers, his voice dropping lower. "But you seem dangerously close to my weakness."

Sae's breath catches. "And what weakness is that?"

"Someone who makes me want to be honest. Even when it's risky." He doesn't look away, his expression open in a way she's rarely seen. "Someone who sees through me but doesn't run."

Silence settles between them. Sae takes a slow sip, steadying herself.

"Sounds like you have high standards."

Ren's smile turns gentle. "Sounds like we share more than justice."

Sae traces the rim of her cup.

Ren meets her eyes directly. “Besides, I imagine someone like that would have high standards of her own." 

"And you'd be right." Her eyes flicker over him with quiet confidence. "Few ever measure up."

"Then I'd better not disappoint."

Sae’s mouth curves. "Prove it."

Ren holds her gaze. The silence stretches.

He doesn't fill it.

Finally, Sae looks away first, hiding behind her cup. But she glances back through her lashes, smiling.

Ren smiles back.

In another conversation, Sae would describe Seiu as being intimidating and intelligent, but Raito managed to win her over with his kindness and bravery. Ren comments that for the right person, people will risk everything. Sae would describe being jealous of the phantom thieve’s powers, speaking positively of Makoto’s bravery and other good qualities.

Ren would say she must get that from her, “You share more than your eyes.”

They would also joke about Sae’s table manners of hitting the table repeatedly during the interrogation, or of Joker’s extravagant moments inside the Metaverse, such as “Show me your true form,” “It’s showtime,” running around in circles after a mementos fight, turning into mice (“Cheesed to meet you”), mentioning his numerous “fake boyfriend” scenes, eating a massive burger, or “Making (Makoto’s) motorcycle noises” during a serious interrogation.

Sae would help Ren cook while wearing an apron and tying her hair into a ponytail (her favourite meal of eggplant miso soup as well as curry), gradually becoming physically closer to him. First they’d talk with the Leblanc counter as a barrier, then side by side, their knees touching. She would make herself more comfortable around Ren in Leblanc, discarding her jacket over the back of her chair. Sae mentions that she thinks red roses are the most beautiful. She tells him to look after Makoto in the Metaverse and for both of them to be careful.

They would have phone calls in the evening discussing the Shido case after Shido is transferred to a hospital after his boss fight. Ren tells her not to stay up too late working and get some sleep too.

”Now look who’s stealing Morgana’s lines,” Sae teases, evidence of enervation in her voice. “Sleep well too, Ren-kun.”

The Aeon personas for ranks 2-9 would be:

Surya (rank 2)

Ouroboros and Nuit (rank 3)

Aion (rank 4)

Serapis (rank 5)

Sanat Kumara (rank 6)

Maitreya (rank 7)

Enki (rank 8)

Kalki (rank 9)

Kalki unlocks in the final phone call with Sae before Ren fights Holy Grail and Yaldaboth.

Giving Your Heart

[ return to index ]

Christmas Eve, Shibuya Scramble. Snow falls softly through the neon glow as Sae finds Ren alone amongst the crowd, weary but alive.

"I didn't expect to find you alone on Christmas Eve."

Ren turns at her voice, and despite his exhaustion, something in his expression softens immediately.

"You'll get cold standing like this," Sae murmurs, and before she can stop herself, before duty and propriety and all her careful walls can reassert themselves, she reaches out. Her hand trembles as she brushes snow from his hair, fingertips lingering on his forehead.

He leans into her touch with such unguarded trust that her heart aches. Her hand falls away. 

"You did it." She tries to smile, tries to let herself feel the relief and pride she should feel. "Thank you, truly."

"Hearing you gave me strength." His words carry that same intimacy from their recent conversations, the ones that finally felt like they were building towards something.

Something she's now about to destroy.

Her eyes flicker downwards. "Can we... talk for a minute?"

The shift in her tone makes him straighten slightly, that perceptiveness she's come to admire reading the change. He nods.

Just say it. Quickly. 

"First off, thank you for taking my request." She bows formally, and the gesture creates exactly the distance she needs. "With your actions, I can only hope that public opinion changes… It will change, won't it?"

"I'm sure it will," Ren says, but there's a question forming behind his grey eyes now.

"I believe so too. Shido confessed to a variety of crimes. We can arrest him on those charges, but proving him guilty requires establishing the connection between the Metaverse and the mental shutdowns. Akechi isn't here… you and your teammates are the only ones left who can testify."

She watches him process this, sees the moment he begins to understand where this is going.

"I'll be blunt." The words come out unsteady despite her best efforts. "I want you to turn yourself in to the police."

"Turn myself in?" His voice is quiet, but she catches the way his shoulders tense, the barely perceptible shift in his stance.

The surprise, the confusion. It’s worse than anger would have been.

"Your testimony is necessary to prove Shido guilty, but the moment you're hailed as a hero, the police and prosecutors will move against you." She's speaking faster now, the words tumbling out like if she says them quickly enough they'll hurt less. "They'll lose face to the Phantom Thieves, and they won't tolerate that."

Ren's expression doesn't change, but she sees his jaw tighten almost imperceptibly.

"If you turn yourself in, you'll be arrested. Your past record, your probation, they'll use it all. They'll revoke your probation and send you to juvenile hall." Her hands clench at her sides. "Solitary confinement, most likely."

She forces herself to hold his gaze. "They'll be content as long as they get testimony without the Phantom Thieves being hailed as heroes. But it should guarantee your teammates' safety. I'll make sure of it. I'll close every case surrounding Shido and expose everything." Her breath comes shakier now. "That's what you want too, isn't it?"

It sounds like my testimony is necessary to find Shido guilty, Ren thinks, his mind racing even as he maintains his calm exterior. But there's no knowing what the police would do once they have me. They'd never let a Phantom Thief be the hero...

He opens his mouth, perhaps to protest, perhaps to accept—

"Sae-san—"

"I'm so sorry." The words burst from her before he can continue. "We were supposed to talk tonight, and instead I'm asking you to—" Her voice breaks completely.

"Don't blame yourself," Ren says softly, stepping closer. The gentleness nearly undoes her completely. "The only one responsible for this is Shido. You're trying to protect everyone, just like always."

"How can you say that?" Tears finally break free, catching the Christmas lights as they slip down her cheeks. 

He closes the remaining distance between them, near enough now that she can see the snow melting in his dark hair. He studies her face; the guilt written in every line, the way she's trembling despite holding herself so still, the tears she can no longer hide.

"Because I know you never wanted this."

She nods, a small, trembling movement, as if his words have given her permission to feel the full weight of her guilt.

My testimony would at least keep my teammates safe. And she'd make sure of it. I know she would. They'd know I was acting out of line whilst under probation, he thinks. Solitary confinement. Juvenile hall. His chest tightens, but his resolve doesn't waver. This might be the only way to ensure all our efforts don't go to waste. That my friends stay safe.

That she can see this through without them destroying her too.

The silence stretches between them, neither quite able to look away. Finally, Sae straightens, drawing on every ounce of her prosecutor's composure.

"This is almost like... a final deal between the two of us." She can barely keep her voice steady. "I'll ask you once more. I'd like for you to turn yourself in to the police, of your own accord."

Ren exhales slowly, as if releasing something he'd been holding tight.

"I'll do it. I told you I'd do anything for you." His grey eyes lock to hers. "And I meant it."

"Ren… I can't do this without you.”

Snow silently settles on their silhouettes, even as the weight of his decision and everything slipping through their fingers draws them closer.

"You know what this means don't you?"

"I know." Ren's hand finds hers, warm despite the winter chill. "But it's the right thing to do."

She stares at their joined hands, memorising the feeling. "You're very brave, you know?"

"I learnt from the best." That small, knowing smile, the one that's always made her heart race, appears despite everything.

Around them, couples laugh and Christmas music plays, the world celebrating whilst theirs narrows to this single moment.

They share a moment of silence, both acutely aware that this might be their last moment together for a long time.

[This is another ideal spot to lock in a romantic/chaste/platonic route]

The snow continues to fall, blanketing the city in white.

"Well then, let's go," Sae exhales as she lets go of his hand and turns to walk back to her car.

Ren follows, but they make only a few steps before his phone begins buzzing insistently in his pocket. He knows without unlocking it that it's the usual Christmas Eve messages: invitations from friends and his found family asking if he wants to spend the evening together.

"Is something wrong?" Sae asks, pivoting to face him more directly.

Who he'll be with tonight is the last free choice he'll make in his entire life. Without hesitation, Ren silences his phone and slips it back into his pocket, his mouth curving into a smile. As he looks into the eyes of the only woman who could steal his heart, Ren already knows his answer.

"I want to give you that coffee and cake I promised you first, Sae-san."

Sae's eyebrows raise then furrow slightly as she turns fully to face him. Her expression flickers, a brief stillness crossing her features before the wariness settles back in. "Why would you still want to do that? After everything that’s happened?”

Ren steps closer, his stormy grey eyes holding hers. "Because I like you and want to get to know you better."

Sae goes still, searching his expression for any trace of insincerity. Ren meets her gaze steadily, letting her look.

She finds none.

She glances away, but not before Ren catches the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, I wouldn't want you to be tired or hungry if I brought you in tonight." She pauses, then adds, as if reminding herself, "And it is important to keep promises."

Hope blossoms in Ren’s chest.

She shifts her stance, turning to fully face him once more. "Did you have a place in mind, Ren-kun?"

"As a matter of fact, I did." Ren smiles with a small nod, his usual confidence returning. He turns his head, glancing in the direction ahead, then looks back to Sae. His eyebrows raise slightly as he tilts his head towards their destination, a silent invitation.

Sae follows his lead, a small smile at her lips as she does, and they begin walking together side by side towards the cake shop. The winter chill fades, replaced by a heat that has nothing to do with the weather.

As they walk to the shop, Sae receives a call from Makoto saying she’s made plans and will be staying with her friends tonight.

In the Royal Christmas scene, after Ren has told Sae that he likes her and wants to get to know her better:

"There's no need for that." A familiar voice spoke out to the duo. The slim silhouette approached Ren and Sae, holding a pleasant smile.

Sae's stance was deliberately protective, her body angled to shield Ren as she recognised the voice’s identity walking towards them.

“You!” Sae said in shock.

Akechi's pleasant smile didn't waver as he explained his plan: turning himself in and providing his own testimony.

“For the time being at least, I’ll take your word that you’ll cooperate with the investigation,” Sae said, still reticent about Akechi’s sudden change of heart.

“That would save a lot of time,” Akechi smiled. “Now, will you escort me, Sae-san?”

Sae hesitated, then shook her head.

"I’m afraid not, Akechi-kun. I already have... personal matters to attend to tonight," she said, her eyes sliding briefly to Ren. "You’ll have to turn yourself in."

"Wha—" The sound escaped Akechi's lips before catching in his throat, his eyes darting between the pair, before the implications hit him all at once. His jaw slackened, his perfect composure cracking for just a moment as he uttered a quiet chuckle. "Ah. I see.”

A strange mix of emotions crossed his face before settling into something approaching genuine warmth - though laced with what seemed like physical pain.

"Well," he managed, his voice straining to maintain its usual lightness, "what can I say? I couldn't be happier that my two favourite people are... connected like that."

The slight sarcastic undertone in his voice made Sae raise an eyebrow, but before she could respond, Akechi had already turned away with a wave. "Do enjoy your evening," he called over his shoulder, disappearing into the snowy night.

As his footsteps faded, Sae turned to Ren with a slight smile. "Well, I must say, I never saw that.."

"Happening?" Ren offered with a small smile.

"To put it mildly." She brushed some snow from his shoulder. "Now, shall we? I know a place in Osaki near mine that serves excellent octopus sashimi. Though we should try to find that Christmas cake nearby first."

“I’ll trust your judgement, Sae-san,” Ren smiles as they walk together side by side on their quest for cake, feeling much warmer than the December air gave him any right to be.

                                                                                                   ***

"You never gave up hope," Sae notes as they wait for the final Christmas cake to be wrapped.

Ren adjusts his glasses, unable to stop a sly smile. "Faith can be the most important treasure."

On Sae’s couch in her maisonette on the 36th floor in Park City Osaki Tower:

"I think there’s still some cake left to enjoy," Ren says with a playful smirk, turning to face Sae.

"What are you..." Sae's voice trails off as Ren leans in, his face inches from hers. Her breath catches in her throat.

In one fluid motion, Ren swipes the cream from her nose with his finger. Sae's eyes widen as he deliberately brings the finger to his lips, maintaining intense eye contact as he tastes the cream with a low, appreciative "mhm."

"You planned that," Sae accuses softly, her cheeks flushed pink despite her attempt at composure.

"Guilty," Ren grins, drawing a quiet laugh from her that makes his heart skip.

Heavy snow begins to fall outside, painting Tokyo in white. They turn to watch through the window, unconsciously drawing closer until their shoulders touch.

"I can't remember the last time I’ve been this happy on Christmas," Sae confesses, her voice hushed. "I wish it didn’t have to end."

"It doesn’t have to," Ren replies softly. Their hands find each other on the couch as they kiss, the moment reflecting in the lenses of his glasses.

Fade to black.

In the vanilla Christmas scene, after ordering together at the counter:

The bustling Shibuya mall was a sea of festive cheer, but Ren only had eyes for Sae as they stood at the counter of the cake shop. He couldn't help but smirk as the cashier ran off to fetch their treasure: the last Christmas cake in the store.

“That was certainly easier than how you usually get treasures, I imagine,” Sae said with curved lips and arched brow.

Ren nodded in reply, "And you didn't even have to slam your fist on the table. I'm impressed," Ren teased, leaning in close to whisper in Sae's ear.

Sae playfully bumped him with her elbow, a small smile betraying her mock annoyance. "Very funny," she muttered as she rolled her eyes.

Ren's expression brightened at her touch. He glanced down at his arm where she'd bumped him, his lips curving upward as he looked back up at her. Sae glanced back to him, and something in his expression left her lost for words.

A loud commotion near the entrance made them both turn from each other, as a flurry of snowflakes swirled in, along with a crowd of shoppers seeking shelter from the sudden storm outside.

Ren's eyes darted between the growing throng and Sae's face. "Why don’t we enjoy the cake somewhere less crowded?" he suggested softly,  "Like your place.”

Sae's eyebrows rose slightly at the suggestion. She turned back to Ren, her expression thoughtful. "My place..." she echoed, as if testing the words.

"It’s quieter..." Ren justified, his gaze penetrating.

Ren held his breath, watching as various emotions flickered across Sae's face, her eyes turning downwards in contemplation. He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind, weighing the implications of his suggestion. The din inside the mall’s interior intensified as the crowd continued to swell.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Sae’s eyes turned back to him and she spoke. Her voice was carefully neutral, betraying nothing of her inner turmoil, “I'll walk you back to the subway after we're done."

Ren simply nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, the weight of unspoken possibilities hanging between them.

As they stared into each other's eyes in silence, the cashier finally returned with their cake, refocusing their vision simultaneously.

Cake in tow, Ren and Sae made their way through the crowded mall. Ren's hand instinctively found its way to the small of Sae's back, guiding her through the throng. Sae felt her cheeks warm at his touch, but couldn't help leaning slightly into it, her heart quickening at this small intimacy.

"My car isn't far," Sae said as they finally stepped outside, her eyes brightening at the sight of the heavy snowfall. "We should hurry."

Their cold hands found each other, fingers intertwining. Electricity shot through them; the thrill of holding hands in public, of letting themselves have this moment. As their pace quickened, their eyes met, and twin hearts raced. They recognised the absurdity of their situation – the prosecutor and the high school student, running hand-in-hand through the snow with the last Christmas cake in Tokyo. Ren's barely contained smile broke free. Sae caught it, and her unguarded laughter followed. Ren joined her, their joined hands tightening as they ran underneath the crescent moon.

They reached her car breathless, cheeks flushed from the cold and exertion, snow crystallising in their hair and on their shoulders. The moment felt surreal for the couple, but their Christmas night together was still young.

The drive to her apartment passed in comfortable silence, but their shared smiles and quick glances spoke volumes, their hearts still racing from more than just their dash through the snow.

They settled on her couch and conversed, the playful energy from their snowy dash still lingering in the air between them, their cheeks remaining flushed from both the cold and something unsaid. Their cake sat half finished on the coffee table when the sky outside behind them erupted in a dazzling display of fireworks.

"Turn off the lights please," Sae murmured, her voice softer than Ren had ever heard it. Her eyes turned to meet his, holding a vulnerability she rarely showed. "We'll see better."

Ren obliged, plunging the room into darkness save for the flickering glow from outside. The shadows played across Sae's features, highlighting the elegant curve of her jaw, the delicate arch of her brow. As he returned to the couch, their hands found each other in the semi-darkness, their fingers interlacing with a familiarity that belied the new surroundings.

A particularly vibrant burst of colour illuminated the room, and Sae's breath hitched as she turned to find Ren gazing at her, his eyes reflecting the kaleidoscope of lights from the sky. Her heart stuttered and she stood abruptly, turning her back to him, her arms wrapping around herself as if for protection.

"Ren, I need to tell you something," she began, trembling slightly in her words. "Confess, I suppose."

Ren remained silent as he stood up in turn, giving her the space to continue.

"When my parents died, I lost two pieces of my heart," Sae said, her voice carrying the delicate weight of tearful memory. "Makoto has one, and the other..." Her fingers pressed against her sternum as if to physically locate the missing piece. "I've kept it locked away, hidden from everyone else. I threw myself into my work, built a life for us, achieved so much. And now..."

She inhaled sharply, the sound rising above the distant boom of fireworks. "Now I'm terrified of losing it all if I admit the truth. To myself, to others... to you." She turned back to face him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her mask, the armour she'd worn for years, finally cracked. "That I love you."

Her confession hovered in the air, impossible to take back. In the distance, Christmas fireworks painted muted colours across the sky.

Sae's voice caught slightly as she continued, her eyes glistening. “And now I have to arrest you.”

Ren slowly stepped forward in response, steadily closing the distance between them.

"You can arrest me tomorrow," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "But tonight..."

Sae's eyes widened slightly at his words, her prosecutor's instincts immediately assessing all possible risks.

"There's too much at stake," she cautioned. "We shouldn't do anything reckless just because..."

Ren took another step closer. "We shouldn't have any regrets," he countered, his eyes never leaving hers. "Not after everything we've been through."

Sae's brow furrowed, doubt clouding her features. "Don't you find it strange anyway? The age difference between us..."

A tiny smile emerged on Ren's lips. "I prefer it this way," he replied with a mischievous glint in his eye, "I don't mind that you're a little young for me."

Despite herself, Sae felt a smile tugging at her lips even as her face frowned and reddened. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly at his ability to make light of her concerns. But her fear wasn't so easily banished.

"What about Makoto? What if the others find out?"

"We'll be discreet. Everything between us—" he promised, his hands finding her arms, gently pulling her closer, "—stays between us.”

Instinctively, Sae's hands came to rest on his arms as she looked up at him. Still, she turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze.

"You fool," she murmured, the words meant as much for herself as for him. "Making a move when I don't know if I'll ever see you again."

Ren's heart clenched at her words, but his resolve remained unshaken.

"I know," he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. "But all the time I have left belongs to you."

Time seemed to pause as the weight of Ren's words settled into her bones. Sae felt the final piece of her heart – the one she'd kept locked away for so long – finally break free from its chains.

Slowly, Sae lifted her head back up to face him, her hand coming to rest over his chest, feeling the steady rhythm beneath her palm.

"Only your time?"

The sky had fallen silent, as if the night itself was holding its breath for his answer. For a moment, there was only the sound of their breathing, the space between them charged with months of unspoken feelings. His hands moved slowly up her arms, their eyes locked in silent communication as the world seemed to fade around them.

When Ren finally spoke, reverence filled every syllable.

"Everything."

His hands cradled her face with infinite tenderness as he leaned in, and the moment their lips met, the night sky ignited behind them. Cascades of magenta painted their intertwined forms, crimson bursts illuminating their faces as the light kissed them with the same gentleness they showed each other. For a moment, Sae was frozen, overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotions, by the feeling of finally surrendering to something she'd denied herself for so long. Then, as if a dam had broken, she melted into him, arms wrapping around his neck as she returned the kiss with equal fervour, their mouths moving in perfect harmony, tilting and exploring as the kiss deepened. Neither of them noticed the spectacle above, lost in their own private explosion of long-suppressed love and desire.

Fade to black.

[“Swear to My Bones” plays for the buildup before the kiss, the guitar crescendo kicking in during the kiss before the song outro plays as they break apart, just as the screen begins to fade]

Sae’s Aeon confidant summary changes to:

“Your pursuit of justice intertwined, you bound your hearts together as lovers.”

Rank 10 completes when Ren agrees to testify to Sae, granting him Helel.

Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on Ren's bare toned shoulders as he sat perched on the edge of Sae’s bed. His silver eyes, usually glimmering with mischief, now held a somber weight as he gazed out the window into the midnight cityscape. The sheets rustled behind him, and he felt Sae's warmth as she slid up beside him, her hip pressing against his.

"Ren…” Sae murmured, her voice husky from their earlier exertions. “You’re worried?”

Ren shook his head, his unruly black hair falling into his eyes. "Just thinking."

Sae leaned her head on his shoulder, her silver hair cascading down his back.

[The camera pans behind them, mirroring the romantic Christmas scenes in Royal]

"About tomorrow?" Sae asked, though she already knew the answer.

Ren's jaw tightened. "Not being with you... it's not exactly a comforting thought."

Sae exhaled heavily, her gaze turning downwards to her fingers now intertwined with Ren’s.

[The camera shot shifts, focusing on their faces from the collarbone up]

Sae's eyes were filled with concern as she squeezed Ren’s warm hand, while Ren's held a mixture of fear and resignation.

"Sae," he began, his voice subdued, "do you regret this? Being with me?"

She lifted her head, meeting his gaze. "Never," she said softly. "However many seconds we can steal together... I want to share them with you."

Sae's hands came up, framing Ren's face. Her thumbs traced his cheekbones, memorising every curve and angle. "I’ll bring you home, I promise," she swore, her voice thick with emotion, crimson eyes burning into silver. "I couldn't do anything in that other world, but I will give everything I have to protect you in this one. We’ve lost too much already; I’m not going to lose you too."

Ren's eyes softened, a small smile tugging at his lips. He reached up, covering her hands with his own, placing his justice and his life in hers once again. "You'll never lose me," he assured her, his voice a tender whisper.

Sae's expression melted at his words. She leaned in, pressing her lips to his in a tender kiss, sealing their promise.

You spent every second with Sae.

Alternatively, this scene can be in her car the morning after, where they’re both clothed, of course. Or they could be naked/wearing sleeping clothes/pyjamas/nightgowns, side by side in bed, like how human Morgana slept on Ren (or the scene could be the same as in the paragraph above with the sleeping clothes/nightgown/pyjamas attire, side by side as well).

During the vanilla Christmas scene, Ren would have a fail scenario in Sae’s apartment:

Ren sat on Sae’s couch, his lanky frame relaxed as he sipped from a mug of hot cocoa. Sae sat drinking next to him, her posture slightly rigid despite the casual setting.

Their conversation had been light, buoyed by the holiday mood. A comfortable silence settled between them.

As Ren’s eyes wandered over Sae's features, a daring glimmer appearing in his gaze. Without warning, he leaned forward and said, "You know, Sae, you're much sexier than Makoto."

The words hung in the air for a moment. Sae's eyes widened, shock evident on her face before it quickly morphed into anger. In one fluid motion, she stood and stepped towards Ren, her hand connecting with his cheek in a sharp slap. His glasses flew off, clattering to the floor.

"Don't talk about her like that," Sae said, her voice controlled despite the fury in her eyes. She took a step back, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Ren blinked, taken aback by her reaction. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sae cut him off.

"I think you should go," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. She gestured towards the door, her gaze cold and distant.

Ren slowly got to his feet, retrieving his glasses from the floor. He looked at Sae, a mixture of confusion and regret on his face, but her expression remained impassive. Without another word, he made his way to the door, the Christmas cheer from earlier now completely dissipated.

As the door closed behind him, Sae let out a long breath, her shoulders sagging. She turned off the lights, plunging the apartment into darkness, the evening's events weighing heavily on her mind.

Apples and Roses

[ return to index ]

A cashmere coated Ren encounters a kimono’d Sae at the shrine on New Year’s Day. They reminisce over their false memories of the previous year, after having had them implanted by Maruki (Makoto locking the two of them in a room for hours as a blind first date, Ren having loving parents, etc.). Ren and Sae both sense something is wrong, but shake off their worries on the day.

Later, Ren would attempt to wake up Sae from the false reality when he meets the Niijima sisters. Sae’s the one who invites Ren over to eat with the Niijima family in this scenario, rather than Makoto, justifying it based on him being someone her dad would find admirable, although she can’t exactly remember why. It’s a dramatic and sad event compared to when he ‘hints’ the truth to Makoto: after Makoto leaves, Ren takes Sae’s wrist before she can leave too, pleading with her to remember the true reality.

Sae gets angry at him for telling the seemingly hurtful lie that her dad is dead (“Ren, please stop saying crazy things, you’re not even making any sense!”), but Ren needs to know if he’s making the right choice to fight Maruki.

He grips her arms gently, staring deep into her eyes, his condensed breath kissing her lips. Sae shivers as she recognises her reflection in his silver eyes. She cries out in pain, holding her hand to her temple as the pain and loss that she tried to forget attacks her mind.

She leaves, “I need to find Makoto.”

On the penultimate day in the manufactured reality in the middle of the night, Sae calls Ren and asks to talk to him at Shibuya Crossing. Sae calls him as he gets closer. Meanwhile, Ren is rushing through the light rain and the crowds against the fading green traffic crossing, his eyes fixed only on her. Sae, looking for him through the crowd, is grateful and relieved as she spots him while she is holding her phone. 

Ren runs into her arms and clasps on to them, returning her smile. He apologises for the second loss of her dad. She turns away from him, choking out her words and fighting back tears, telling him it's ok, and that she was able to say goodbye to Raito again. She turns back to Ren, her voice regaining her usual firmness. She says that Makoto explained the truth and Maruki's plan to her, and she apologises for denying/forgetting the true reality.

Ren and Sae discuss it: Ren asks if she wants to have a happy family in Maruki's reality. She says tearfully that he and Makoto are her family; she doesn't need someone else choosing/deciding her life/happiness for her. She wouldn't be with the real people she holds dear in that reality.

"Those fake memories Maruki made for us... they were wrong," she continues, her voice quieter now. "Even that New Year’s felt hollow compared to what we really shared, why we really became close. I want the real you, Ren. The real us."

[Alternatively, if Ren says he wants to stay in Maruki's reality, she'll react coldly and tell Ren that Maruki can make her forget, but she'll never forgive him, and that Ren isn't the man she fell for if he does that]

They realise that Ren will be back in prison once they return to the original reality. Sae says she wanted to tell him something before he fights Maruki. It starts raining harder; they don't care, and they both forget their umbrellas. She regrets that she'll never be able to tell everyone about how heroic Ren is and how proud she is to be with him (in the original reality). It doesn't look like she'll ever get that chance.

"But no matter what happens next, no matter who wins, in whatever reality we end up in, I want you to know… I really do love you."

[ Cue dramatic romantic sad music as the camera pans to show Shibuya's towering structures – the massive video billboards already dark for the night, their screens black since midnight. As Ren and Sae lean toward each other, even these remaining lights fade to black, leaving only the red traffic lights glowing in the background across the wet pavement. The ubiquitous black umbrellas of the crowd move like shadows behind them as they kiss slowly and passionately in the thunderstorm, Ren's hands on the back of her head and stroking her back, Sae’s arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

The camera 'blinks' as a pedestrian walks by to show Ren in his metaverse outfit sans mask, kissing Sae in her suit, a metaphor for how he is her hero and can hide nothing from her]

As they slowly separate from the kiss and return to reality, their foreheads rest together for a moment. Ren touches her face gently and whispers, "I love you too."

Sae nods, her voice steady despite her tears, the words coming out like a solemn vow.

"You'll win. You’ll free everyone. And then, I'm going to free you."

Ren nods in return, his faith in her absolute. He reluctantly pulls away and walks off into the night, ready to face everything that comes next.

Fade to black.

Millennium Mission

[ return to index ]

The noon sun of Christmas Day filtered through the frosted windows of Sae Niijima's car, casting a pale glow across her face as she sat motionless, one hand resting on the steering wheel, the other hovering over her phone on the dashboard. With a deep breath, she initiated the call to her sister, already at Leblanc.

"Sis?" Makoto's voice came through, tense and worried. "Where's Ren? What's going on?"

Sae closed her eyes, her free hand gripping the steering wheel of her parked car. "Makoto, I need you to listen carefully. Is Futaba there with you? And Boss?"

"Y-yes, we're all here at Leblanc," Makoto replied, her anxiety palpable even through the phone. "Sis, please, what's happening?"

Sae took a deep breath. "Ren is in custody. He's agreed to testify against Shido."

The silence that followed was absolute. Then, a cacophony of voices erupted.

"What?!" Makoto cried. "No way!" Futaba's voice cracked. "You've got to be kidding me," Sojiro growled.

"He did this to protect all of you," Sae explained, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. "And to ensure Shido faces justice. This... this is how the system works. It's the only way we can achieve the society you all fought for."

"But Sis," Makoto pleaded, "there has to be another way. We can't just let Ren sacrifice himself like this! Why does it have to be him? Why can't someone else testify?"

Sae sighed, wishing she could explain the complexities of the legal system in a way that would ease their pain. "He was your leader, Makoto. His testimony carries the most weight. Without it, Shido might walk free.” 

Sae's voice hardened at the utterance of his name. "This isn't just about him or the Phantom Thieves anymore. This is about stopping a conspiracy from destroying our country. He wants to keep you all safe, he’s doing this to stop the police from going after everyone he loves. He wants all of you to live. Sometimes... sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good."

"Greater good?" Futaba's voice was small and bitter. "How is this good for anyone?"

"I know it's hard to understand, Futaba-chan" Sae said, her tone softening slightly. "But this is the reality of our justice system. It's not perfect, but it's what we have to work with."

"So we're just supposed to accept this? Turning him into a scapegoat to satisfy the police?" Sojiro's gruff voice cut in. "After everything he’s been through?"

"How could you let this happen, Sis?" Makoto said, her voice cracking as shock and grief battled within her. Her tone turned accusatory. "Do you even care about him?"

Sae's hand clenched involuntarily around the steering wheel, her knuckles going white as her body trembled. The accusation cut deeper than Makoto could possibly know – deeper than any professional duty could account for.

Sae forced herself to breathe, even as she felt a lump forming in her throat. "I'm not asking you to accept it. I'm asking you to trust me. This isn't the end."

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

"I promise," Sae said, her words slow and deliberate, fighting to keep her voice steady, "I will do everything in my power to save him. But it's going to take time, and it's not going to be easy. We have to play by the rules of the system to change it."

The line went quiet for a moment. When Makoto spoke again, she could barely find the words. "How long will it take?"

Sae closed her eyes, feeling the weight of their expectations. "I don't know. But I won't give up, no matter how long it takes."

Another heavy silence fell. There were no words of comfort, no reassurances. The gravity of the situation hung over Leblanc like a shroud. Sae bit back the words she longed to say: that she won’t let them ruin him, that she loves him, that she'll protect him no matter what. That she wouldn’t be another person who had betrayed or failed him. That she wouldn’t let what they’ve become to each be destroyed.

"I have to go now," Sae finally said. "Stay safe. I'll be in touch."

She ended the call before anyone could respond, not trusting herself to maintain composure any longer. The weight of Ren’s struggle threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn’t bear the thought of him slipping away, of never hearing the wry smile in his voice again, of him and his future, their future, being taken away. The world had been so cruel to him, when he’d done so much for others. He should never have to endure such suffering alone anymore. 

As the screen went dark, Sae stared ahead at the long road in front of her. Her eyes were red-rimmed, filled with a mixture of determination and barely contained anguish. In that moment, her tear-streaked face looked eerily similar to the Phantom Thieves after tearing off their masks: raw, pained, but resolute. 

Sae reached into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the omamori Ren had given her last night, a secret token of their love. She clutched it, drawing strength from the memory of his smile when he pressed it into her hand.

Sae started her sedan, the engine roaring to life, mirroring the fire in her eyes. She pulled away from the curb, driving into the cold Christmas day, the weight of her promise to fulfil justice heavy on her shoulders. 

There is a cutscene or gameplay segment of Ren in solitary confinement at night, before his scene in the Velvet Room, the calendar time skipping to show 1000 years passing, as a representation of how Ren’s confinement is affecting him:

The small, dimly lit cell felt suffocating, the concrete walls closing in around Ren as he restlessly tossed and turned in his prison bed. The constant silence was tomb-like, broken only by the occasional patter of the rain outside. Ren ran his hands through his hair in frustration, the familiar weight of his mask no longer there to ground him. He was trapped, isolated from the world, from his friends – and from Sae. His heart ached at the thought of her. His mind withdrew to the memories he’d made with her, the way her crimson eyes had shimmered with unshed tears at night, the soft caress of her fingers against his cheek as she'd whispered those three words he never thought he'd hear, the treasure he never thought he’d possess.

"I love you."

Ren closed his eyes, allowing the memory to wash over him. He could still feel the warmth of her embrace, the way she had held him close as if she never wanted to let go. In that moment, everything had felt right, the world fading away until it was just the two of them. A shudder ran through him as the thunder crackled outside, and Ren sank down onto the hard cot, his back against the unyielding cold concrete wall. He had to hold onto that, that fleeting feeling of peace and contentment. It was the only thing anchoring him, the only light in the oppressive darkness that threatened to consume him. Sae was out there, fighting for him. He knew that with every fibre of his being. And as long as he had that, he wouldn't give up. He couldn't. He would endure this, for her. No matter how long it took, he would find his way back into her arms.

Rescue at Dawn

[ return to index ]

The harsh fluorescent lights flicker to life in Ren’s cell, jarring him awake at dawn on February 13th. A gruff voice, reminiscent of the police who arrested him back in Fujieda, bangs on the cell door and barks an order through the slot.

"Prisoner 508954! Shower and get dressed, now!" The familiar tone sends a chill down Ren’s spine, a bitter reminder of how this journey began.

Stumbling to his feet, Ren mechanically goes through the motions of what would be his final morning in captivity. The lukewarm water of the shower does little to ease the tension in his muscles. As he dresses in his old clothes, a guard – Yagami-san, according to his name tag – thrusts a box of belongings into Ren’s arms. The guard’s face remains obscured by shadow, but his voice drips with disdain.

"Come with me, there’s a car waiting for you outside.” Yagami explains as they walk down the entrance hallway. Yagami’s eyes notes Ren’s thinner physique, awakening a smirk on his lips. “Seems we treated you too gently in here.” Yagami-san pauses, his voice dropping, “Next time, you'll be eating dirt."

The threat hangs in the air. Ren’s steel gaze shoots straight through him. With a scoff, Yagami steps aside.

The heavy metal door creaks open, and Ren steps out into the biting February air. The sun, barely risen, assaults his eyes after months in the dimness of his cell. Ren steps onto the pavement just beyond the prison walls. He finds himself in Nerima, a quiet district on the outskirts of Tokyo. He turns his head left and squints, trying to make out the figure standing by an unmistakeable white Toyota Crown Athlete. His heart skips a beat as he recognises Sae’s silhouette – long legs, confident posture, and that unmistakable curtain of silver hair catching the morning light like a halo.

"Thank you again, Sakura-san," Sae says into her phone, one hand resting on the sedan's trunk, appreciation shining from her smile. "I'll bring him over once I've explained everything to him." With a final nod, she ends the call and lowers her phone from her ear.

The reflection in the rear window catches her attention and she freezes mid-motion, her mouth falling open in momentary shock. Her eyes widen, eyebrows lifting as she registers who stands behind her. Slowly, the corners of her mouth begin to curl upward as she begins to turn toward him, the surprise in her expression melting into something warmer.

"Long time no see," she says as she turns, her last syllables finishing the moment they come face to face. Her voice is a soothing balm to his weary soul, her expression now a radiant smile, mauve eyes alive with love and devotion. The wind tousles her hair as sunlight paints her visage in shades of gold.

Ren stands rooted to the spot, overwhelmed by the sight of her. What feels like a thousand years of waiting has culminated in this moment, yet he struggles to believe it's real.

His throat constricts, but he manages to force out a single word, "I'm..." The question hangs unfinished in the air between them, like the wisp of Ren's breath in the winter air.

Sae nods, understanding perfectly. "You're free," she confirms, a single tear escaping down her cheek, leaving a glistening trail in its wake.

In an instant, the paralysis breaks. Ren surges forward, practically falling into Sae's open arms. They cling to each other desperately, his fingers tangling in her silky hair as she buries her face in the crook of his neck. 

Ren’s carefully maintained mask of stoicism finally cracks. His body trembles as silent tears fall, months of pent-up emotions finding release in Sae's comforting embrace. She holds him tighter, her own tears dampening his blazer.

As they slowly part, still holding on to each other’s arms, their eyes meet again. Both are laughing through the tears, finally letting go of their shared heartbreak. Sae gently takes Ren’s hand, her touch grounding him in this moment of newfound freedom. 

"Welcome home," she says softly, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

The camera lingers on their intertwined fingers, a quiet emblem of their reunited hearts, as the new dawn ignites them in the fire of sunshine.

Fade to black.

Fade in, inside the dimly lit interior of Sae's sedan, parked in her garage:

Ren and Sae are nestled together in the backseat, their bodies intertwined as if afraid to let go.

Ren cradles Sae's face in his hands, his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. He places a tender kiss on her forehead, his voice no louder than a breath. "My Sae-chan... my angel."

Sae's eyes glisten with unshed tears as she manages a soft smile, one reserved only for him. "I missed you too, Ren," she whispers, her usual composed demeanor giving way to raw emotion.

Her fingers trace the contours of his frame, noting the changes with a pained expression. "You're thinner..." she says, guilt evident in her voice.

Ren turns away slightly, embarrassed. "I'm with you now. That's all that matters."

Sae squeezes his hand, her voice gaining strength. "I have more good news. We finally managed to prosecute Masayoshi Shido. He'll certainly be found guilty. Thank you for your cooperation with the trial. Your testimony proved to be very useful."

"I'm glad it was all worth it," Ren replies, his voice tinged with relief.

"To be frank, it seemed almost hopeless at one point. But thanks to the civil protests, some of the more indecisive prosecutors came to our side. It will likely be some more time until the hearing begins, but this is the first step to true change. The only charges right now are for breaking election laws, breaking funding control laws, and bribery. I knew that proving the Metaverse's existence would be difficult… but I still find myself dissatisfied. Shido did admit to all of his crimes though, including everything you know about. Fortunately, Shido's confession brought light to the truth of your case. We were able to prove your innocence in the original assault charge that led to your arrest."

Sae pauses, her expression softening. "You have such good friends," she says warmly. "They never gave up on you. They did everything they could for you."

Ren pulls her closer. "I'm lucky to have you too, Sae. Thank you for believing in me, for coming through for me, and for being with me before. You kept me from feeling alone."

Sae nuzzles his neck in response, her breath warm against his skin. She continues, "Bringing in the woman who was the victim in your case as a witness was the turning point. That wasn't all… An unbelievable amount of support has come in from various other places as well. To think they'd be able to track down someone involved in a case from well over a year ago… Regardless, the righteous Phantom Thieves are gone. All that remains is for us adults to lead society in the right direction."

"I believe in you," Ren says softly.

"I know," Sae says with a smile. Her eyes fill with tears once more. "Thank you for your faith in me. I hadn’t cried so much in my entire life the day they took you," she admits. "But I'm so glad you’re free now. I'm not quite sure how to put it, but... saving you meant more to me than my own career."

Ren's heart swells at her words. He hesitates, then asks softly, "Did you mean everything you said before? Before I went to prison?"

Sae's gaze is unwavering as she whispers, "Everything."

She draws him in for a kiss, pouring all her love and relief into the gesture. Ren responds in kind, his arms encircling her, holding on as if he never wants to let go again.

As they part, Sae smiles bashfully. "I'm sorry for rambling, I just... I thought a lot about all that I wanted to say to you, when we were together again."

Ren gently tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't apologise. I wanted to hear it all."

Sae takes a deep breath. "You make my heart brighter, Ren. You give me hope – for the world, and for myself. Love like this... it makes all the pain worthwhile."

”You gave me hope,” he smiles in return.

She pauses, then adds, "Um… By the way, there's something that's been on my mind. What did the Treasure of my world turn out to be?"

"It was your father's notebook," Ren answers.

"Oh. Of course," Sae says, her voice tinged with emotion. After a moment, she continues, "One more thing. According to your testimony, you could have stopped after taking Kamoshida down, couldn't you?

Why did you continue acting as the Phantom Thieves…? Perhaps I'm thinking too much into this, but… Doesn't this seem a little too perfect, it's almost as though someone planned it all... Was this your goal all along?"

"It was all a game," Ren says with a hint of his Joker smirk.

"A 'game'.... That's so you," she smiles, shaking her head fondly.

A wan smile on his lips, Ren asks softly, "Do we have to go to Leblanc now?"

Sae glances at her Orient Star watch. She meets Ren's gaze once more and places her hand on his neck. "Just a little longer," she breathes, before capturing his lips in another kiss.

                                                                                                    ***

As afternoon approaches, they reluctantly make their way to Leblanc. Sojiro stands on the street outside, arms crossed even as the corners of his mouth twitch upwards.

"Kept me waiting, huh?" he grumbles good-naturedly to Ren as he steps out of Sae’s sedan.

Ren gives a sly smile in reply.

Fidelio Amoris

[ return to index ]

The snowy February air carried promises of romance as Sae stepped into Leblanc, her Burberry cashmere camel coat and scarf cutting an elegant figure against the warm glow of the café. The doorbell's gentle chime announced her arrival.

“Good evening," she greeted Sojiro, her voice as smooth as the coffee he brewed.

Sojiro looked up from behind the counter where he and Ren were cleaning up for the evening, eyebrows rising in surprise. "Niijima-san? What are you doing here—?"

Just then, Ren stepped out from behind the counter in his apron, Morgana peeking curiously around his legs, big blue eyes widening to comical proportions.

Sojiro glanced rapidly between Ren and Sae, confusion giving way to sudden comprehension. "Oh!" He placed a hand over his heart, the dish towel in his other hand dropping to the counter.

“My son," he said with a sniff, voice thick with emotion, "I raised you so well." He took off his glasses and wiped away a tear before turning to both of them. "You two make a beautiful couple." With a prideful smile, he gestured toward the door. "Come on Morgana, let's leave the Lovers to their evening."

Morgana fixed Ren with a pointed stare. "We're going to have a talk about this later," he meowed sternly, though only Ren could understand his true meow-ning.

As Sojiro closed the door behind him, Sae's professional demeanour melted away completely.

"Hey you," she breathed, her voice warm honey to Ren's ears. From outside the cafe walls, a muffled "Hoooooo boy!" could be heard echoing back through the entryway.

Their eyes met, happiness radiating between them as wide smiles bloomed on both their faces. A soft, joyful laugh escaped Sae's lips, mirrored immediately by Ren's own, both overcome with the simple delight of being together again. Without hesitation, Sae rushed to jump into his waiting arms, giggling with delight as he caught her and spun her around.

"I missed you," she whispered, peppering his face with quick kisses.

"I missed you too," Ren murmured against her hair, breathing in the faint scent of her warm, musky fragrance.

Their date unfolded naturally, the café transforming into an intimate haven only for them, just like their first moments of shared coffee.

Rising from the booth seat opposite him after gifting him boutique Valentine’s chocolates, Sae offered a mischievous half-smile as she cocked an eyebrow.

“I hope that seat isn't taken."

“Only by the most beautiful prosecutor in Tokyo," Ren replied, eyes twinkling.

"Flatterer," she laughed, taking off her coat to reveal her sleek sleeveless black turtleneck underneath, which hugged her curves perfectly. She slid in next to him, not needing another invitation.

As they settled in close to each other, the atmosphere grew heavy with the inevitable question of staying together despite the distance. Her eyes softened as she took his hand in hers.

"Ren," Sae began, her voice soft but steady, "I know you'll be leaving soon. But I want you to know - I'd wait a thousand years for you if I had to."

Ren's grey eyes shimmered with emotion. "Likewise. How could I love anyone else?" he whispered, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I haven't come this far to give you up," Sae murmured, her fingers tracing gentle patterns on his hand. Her lips curled up as she added, "Besides, I'll only end up falling in love with you all over again when we reunite."

"You make it sound so easy," Ren said softly.

"Nothing worth having ever is," she replied. "But I'm here for you, now and always. No matter what you do, where you are, I'll support you. You've been strong for so many people... so you can let me be your strength now. We can help carry each other, we can face everything together."

Her gaze turned contemplative. "I don't know what the next part of our story looks like… but I want to live it with you. My father would tell me how important it was to choose how you want to live in this life, but I realise now who you choose to live it with matters just as much. Whether we have seconds or weeks left, I want to spend them with you."

Ren offered that she could come with him if she ever changed her mind about the legal industry.

A teasing lilt entered her voice. "And we'll rob the yakuza for a living? I'll consider it."

When she asked if he's had any more "long nose man" related dreams, Ren simply shook his head.

With a contented sigh, she rested her cheek on his shoulder. "Good. Even in your dreams, you're still my man."

Ren smirked, wrapping his arm around her waist. She responded by tapping a finger on his chest. Looking up into his eyes, she let her voice drop to a sultry tone as she spoke.

“At times like thisss,” she purred, drawing out the final syllable with a seductive hiss, her eyes narrowing with lustful intent, “the older one should take the lead, right? So, close your eyes..."

Fade to black.

Sae wears her opera OVA outfit to the restaurant on White Day, while Ren is tuxedo attired. Ren is standing facing the curtain behind his seat. Sae appears, he turns to face her.

[“Encounter” plays in the restaurant as Ren notices her]

Ren’s eyes widen, his breath catching in his throat as he takes in the sight before him. His face blushes madly in admiration of her mature beauty. Sae's lips curve into a knowing smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"See something you like?" she teases gently, smiling slyly.

Ren checks her out and says, “Too many choices” as he kisses her knuckles.

She blushes crimson and turns her head away. They converse like any other romance date, but longer.

You’d have romantic lines like “Everything else fades when I’m with you," “You’re in a league of your own,”  “You’re the heart of my heart,” “You’re the world within me,"  “You beat my heart,"  “I only want to look at you," “You’re the light in my heart,” “You’re the light in my eyes,” “You’re my angel in disguise” etc during Valentine's and White Day. Perhaps a “God gave me you” or “Heaven sent me you” line.

Sae is smitten after the curtain unveil and receiving Ren’s red roses (25 in total), remarking, “Never a dull moment with you is there?” 

“Guilty.”

She says she’s never been so happy in her entire life and that he taught her how to live, “I love who I am when I’m with you Ren.”

She tells him he saw her at her worst and decided she was worth his love, so she decides he is worth hers too. Ren says he’s happy to be the only one to know her cutest self too, and that he loves all of her. Sae and Ren would discuss their future plans during White Day.

Sae squeezes Ren’s warm hand as she asks, “Do you still have some time left? I don’t want to say goodbye just yet…”

Fade to black.

During their final month together, there would be afternoon options to spend time with Sae: playing darts or billiards, watching a Godzilla movie at the cinema, strolling through Odaiba Seaside, rowing together in Inokashira Park during hanami, or visiting Tokyo Skytree, the Odaiba ferris wheel, or the Planetarium together.

[Sunset Bridge would play during the Odaiba/Inokashira and Skytree scenes]

Ren and Sae would have evening text conversations and phone calls, full of fluff and pet names as you can imagine. It would also be fitting to have “Everyday Detective Agency“ from Devil Summoner 2 play during her route, in the restaurant or in Sae’s apartment. During the curry cooking scene post-investigation, as well inside Sae’s apartment, there would be a bowl of red apples.

On Saturday February 25th, Sae would take Ren to the aquarium, coincidentally meeting there as cover. She laments she hasn’t visited one in quite a while. After asking him to be her escort, Sae would then take him for sushi at Skytree, after explaining there’s someone who wants to meet him.

As they wait together at the elegant Sky 311 restaurant, Sae removes her black blazer, attired once again in her sleeveless black turtleneck. The mystery woman arrives, wearing a white blazer and black knee-length skirt, and introduces herself as Saya Amano, the struggling woman Ren saved from Shido. She regretfully apologises for what she put him through. Ren forgives her and, with genuine appreciation in his voice, thanks her for allowing him to meet Sae, secretly squeezing Sae's hand under the table. Saya smiles knowingly and mentions that Sae had spoken similarly about him. A satisfied smile crosses Sae's smitten face as she sips her sencha.

With a playful smirk forming on his lips, Ren adds, "I should probably apologise for putting your last boss behind bars.”

Saya laughs and waves it off with visible relief, clearly grateful to be free of her former predator. Before departing from the duo, Saya leans in to whisper that they look cute together, sparking a reddening to Ren’s cheeks.

Now alone, Ren and Sae continue their sushi date, now sitting even closer than before – all according to Sae’s keikaku¹.

Promises Kept

[ return to index ]

The March morning sun slants through the Kichijoji jewellery shop window, catching on silvers and golds. Ren stares at his own reflection in the display case, his adolescent face staring back at him. He probably looks too young to be buying an engagement ring.

Probably is too young.

His eyes keep returning to one in particular: simple silver, elegant, with a subtle inlay that catches light like her hair does in the sunshine. The clerk is explaining something about band width and he's not listening. He's thinking about how kissable Sae's fingers look wrapped around a coffee cup. How they'd look if they had this ring on them.

He couldn't do this before – before battle, before prison, before wondering if he'd ever hold her again. But he's here now. Sae kept her promise. She brought him home. Now it's his turn to make a promise.

His hand moves to his wallet before any rational part of his brain can intervene.

The velvet box sits in his blazer pocket like an ember, burning against his ribs as he sits with Makoto on the platform at Aoyama-Itchome station. She's stirring her tea for the third time, with that unconscious fidgeting that reminds him she's still young despite how seriously she carries herself.

"My sister and I are actually going to look at my new place soon," Makoto says, excitement breaking through her usual composure. "Finally moving out on my own. It'll be good for both of us, I think. Some space."

Ren nods, takes a sip of coffee he doesn't taste. The box feels heavier.

"By the way, Sis told me to tell you she can't make it today," Makoto continues, apologetic but not surprised. "She's been drowning in paperwork since her career change." She pauses, and that soft, knowing smile crosses her face, the one that makes his stomach drop. "But between us? I think that's not the only reason she's been so distracted lately."

Every nerve in Ren's body goes still. "Oh?"

"There's someone." Makoto's practically glowing with secretive joy. "She hasn't said anything directly, but I can tell. She's been... different lately. Happier. She hums while making breakfast now, can you imagine? Sis, humming." She laughs, delighted by this evidence of her sister's humanity. "And she's been staying out late more often, coming home with this look on her face like she's got a secret. A good one, for once."

Her eyes are bright with sisterly affection, completely missing how still Ren's body has gone. "God knows she deserves it after everything. After Dad, after freeing you, after burning herself out as a prosecutor... Whoever they are, they must really love her."

The irony sits between them like a third presence. Ren lets himself smile inwardly, knowing, aching with everything he can't say.

"Who wouldn't?"

Makoto laughs and beams, completely oblivious to the depth behind his words. "I'll tell her you said that. If she was here I bet she'd get a kick out of it."

She would, Ren thinks, the ring box still heavy against his ribs. She really would have.

The afternoon darkens into night. Ren closes up Leblanc alone. Tomorrow he goes back to Fujieda. Tomorrow this chapter ends.

He's drying his hands when he hears it: three soft knocks on the locked front door. Deliberate. A pattern he knows.

He opens the door, and the whole world narrows to just her.

She's still in her lawyer clothes, the charcoal suit that probably costs more than his entire wardrobe, heels that put her almost at his height, silver hair pinned up with that same clip he's memorised the shape of. But her jacket's unbuttoned, and there's something softer in how she carries herself now that the world's asleep and it's just them.

Those sharp eyes find his and everything in them melts.

"Hello," Sae says, and her mouth curves into that small private smile she saves for him, the one her colleagues and opponents never see.

"I didn't expect it’d be you." He can't help his own smile, knows it's probably too open, too obvious, doesn't care. "Thought you were buried in work."

"I was." She steps further in, heels clicking on old wood. That playful fire he loves sparks in her expression, the attorney becoming just Sae. "Would you be willing to extend your hours for me?"

"For you? Always." Ren gestures toward the stairs with a tilt of his head. "Coffee?"

"Please."

Ten minutes later they're settled on the worn sofa in his attic, steam rising from cups that are rapidly being forgotten. Sae fits perfectly in his lap, something they discovered weeks ago and have been shamelessly exploiting ever since. She's kicked off her heels, unpinned her hair, and is curled against him like she belongs there.

Like she's always belonged there.

She nuzzles into the curve of his neck, and Ren feels her smile against his pulse point. His hand moves automatically to her hair, fingers combing through silver strands.

"Makoto told me you said something interesting today," Sae murmurs, fingers tracing idle patterns on his chest.

"Oh? I have no idea what she could be referring to." He can't help the slight smile tugging at his lips.

"No idea," she repeats, laughing, low and warm and doing things to his nervous system that should probably be illegal. She brushes a strand of hair from his forehead. "You're terrible at keeping secrets, you know?"

"Says the woman who showed up at my door the night before I go."

"Fair."

She's smiling, settling back against him with a contented sigh that makes his chest ache.

Something in her expression softens, grows distant with memory. "You know, I spent months chasing you during the case. The infamous leader of the Phantom Thieves, the criminal mastermind corrupting Tokyo's youth." Her laugh is dry. "I was so convinced I knew exactly who you were. Built this entire profile. And then I actually met the real you and you were just..."

"Just?"

"You." She touches his face gently, thumb brushing his cheekbone. "Quiet, kind, and so damn stubborn. Taking the blame for everything because you thought it would protect your friends. Letting me interrogate you for hours without breaking, without hating me even though you had every right to." Her voice drops. "It turned out I spent my whole life looking for you. I just didn't know it until you were sitting across from me in handcuffs, refusing to let me win."

"I gave you the win eventually."

"You gave me the truth, which is what I actually needed, even if I couldn't admit it then." She leans forward, presses her forehead to his. "You changed my life, Ren. Everything I thought I knew."

He tilts her chin up, meets those eyes that once dissected him in an interrogation room and now look at him like he hung the moon. He presses a kiss to her forehead, then another to the tip of her nose. Her smile could rival the sun.

"Makoto doesn't know then," he states softly. "About us."

Sae's expression grows complicated. "Not yet. She knows I'm seeing someone. I just..." She pauses, choosing words carefully. "She's only just starting college. Idealistic. Wants to reform the police from within, she still believes in the system. I don't know if she'll succeed where I failed, but I have to let her try. Let her make her own choices without my cynicism poisoning the well."

"Experience, not cynicism."

"Charmer." But she's smiling again, the tension broken. "When she gets her own place next month, things will be easier. No more sneaking around quite so much. Makoto told you we're looking at her apartment soon?"

"Yeah. She's excited about it."

"Good. It'll be good for her. For both of us, really." Her eyes glint with something softer. "And better for us too. More... freedom."

"I'll take what I can get."

Their conversation drifts – talk of opera tickets she's already purchased months from now, opening night of Fidelio. "Something concrete to look forward to," she explains. "Proof that this isn't goodbye, just... intermission."

Her hand finds his, threading their fingers together. "You know what we're risking, right? What this means? If the wrong people find out..."

"I know."

"And you're okay with that? With hiding? With sneaking around and hiding us from people you're close to?"

Ren is quiet for a moment, really thinking about it. "Makoto's your sister. Ann, Ryuji, the others, they're my friends. I don't like hiding us from them. But..." He tightens his arm around her. "This isn't negotiable. You're not negotiable. So yeah, I'm okay with whatever it takes."

"Even if we can't go public for a while?"

"Sae." He waits until she looks at him. "I spent a year hiding the fact that I'm a Phantom Thief. Keeping secrets is basically my love language at this point."

She laughs despite herself, swatting his shoulder. "That's not funny."

"Little bit funny."

"Little bit," she concedes. Then her expression grows serious again. "I spent too long denying myself happiness because it was proper or expected or safe. After Dad died, I convinced myself that work was enough. That winning was enough. That if I just became successful enough, proved myself enough, the pain would stop." Her hand presses over his heart. "But this is real, Ren. What we have is real. And I won't let anyone take it from us."

He pulls her closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You know," Sae continues, voice softening, "when I was building the case against you, I never imagined... this. You were just a target. A means to an end. Another rung on the ladder I was climbing." She touches his face gently. "But now I can't imagine my life without you in it. You've become... essential. Like breathing."

"You're a poet now?"

"I learned from the best." Her thumb brushes his lower lip. "My dad used to say that justice is about protecting what matters most. Protecting the people who can't protect themselves. And you matter most, Ren Amamiya. You matter more than anything."

"Even more than winning?"

She pretends to consider it, tilting her head. "Mm... we might be tied."

He laughs, the velvet box pressing against his leg through his pocket. Not yet. Not tonight.

"I won't let life take anything more," Sae says quietly. "I spent too long being passive, accepting fate, playing by rules written by rotten people. Never again." Steel lines her soft words. "You're family now. I'm with you no matter what. Even if everyone in Fujieda looks down on you."

"Even my parents?"

"Fuck your parents." The viciousness in her voice surprises him. "They threw you away like trash when you needed them most. Believed the worst without even asking for your side. You don't deserve that, and I will personally eviscerate anyone who tries to make you think you do."

Something in Ren's chest cracks open. "You're my home, Sae. The place I want to come back to."

She kisses him then. Fierce and claiming and tasting like coffee and promise. When she pulls back her eyes are bright. "Good. Because I'm not letting you go. Not now, not ever. You're stuck with me."

"I can live with that," he smiles genuinely.

She settles back against him with a sigh. "Just promise me you won't get into trouble while you're gone. Don't make me worry."

"You can rely on me."

"I know." She's smiling, settling deeper into his embrace. Then her hand moves unconsciously to her ring finger, rubbing at the bare skin there. "That's a good quality to have."

Her fingers keep moving, keep circling that empty space.

Ren notices. Of course he notices. He catches her hand, stills the movement, waits until she looks at him.

"When I come back to Tokyo," he says, each word deliberate, knowing she'll understand what he means, "I want to make you miso soup. Every day."

The air between them crystallises.

Sae goes perfectly still. Her eyes, those sharp, analytical amber eyes that have dissected countless testimonies and demolished witnesses, the same eyes that stared down yakuza like a dragon, now search his face with something approaching wonder. This woman who never flinched now trembles in his hands because of a question about soup.

"Ren..." She whispers his name. "Are you—"

"I'm serious." His fingers tighten around hers, steady and sure. "I want to wake up and make you breakfast. I want to come home to you. I want." He pauses, makes sure she's really hearing him. "I want everything. With you. For as long as you'll have me."

He watches emotions flicker across her face; surprise giving way to joy giving way to fear giving way to hope. The prosecutor weighing evidence, the attorney building her case, the woman trying to believe this is real.

"Ren," she whispers. "Are you sure? The age difference, people will—"

"Sae." He says her name firmly enough that she stops. "I don't care. I want this. I want you. Everything else is just... logistics."

She laughs, this broken, hopeful sound. "Logistics, he says." But her eyes are wet. "Ren… I love you." The words spill out like a confession. "I love you so damn much and it terrifies me because I could lose everything…"

"But?"

"But I think I'd lose more if I let you go." She touches his face with shaking hands. "I think I'd lose myself. And I just got myself back."

"So?"

The prosecutor, the attorney, the woman who never shows her hand until she's sure she'll win, closes her eyes. Takes a breath. Then opens them again with certainty.

"So yes. Yes. I want that too. The miso soup and the mornings and everything. I want all of it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She laughs, kisses him hard. "Heaven help us both, but yeah."

The silence stretches taut between them, weighted with everything they've just promised, everything they're about to risk. Ren stands slowly, reluctantly releasing her.

Sae looks up, confused. He smiles and presses his finger to his lips as he crosses to the music player, the one Makoto bought him months ago, unknowingly giving them the gift of privacy.

Soft music fills the attic. Something slow and smoky, all brass and piano, the kind of jazz that's definitely not suited for the younger crowds.

He turns back, offers his hand with a slight bow, mirroring how she once offered her hand in that interrogation room when their entire world shifted.

Sae takes it without hesitation.

They move together in the small space, swaying more than dancing. She rests her head against his shoulder and he can feel her heartbeat through their clothes, rabbit-fast despite her calm exterior. His hand spreads across the small of her back, holding her close. The music swells, and suddenly she's jumping into his arms, laughing against his neck.

"You know," he murmurs into her hair, "you're the better thief. You didn't need any magic to steal my heart."

She pulls back to look at him, shaking her head with a soft laugh. "I think your romantic declarations need work."

"I'll have plenty of time to practice."

"Yes," she agrees, eyes shining with unshed tears and joy and terror and love. "You will. I love you, Ren."

Outside, Tokyo sleeps. Tomorrow will bring separation and uncertainty and all the complicated logistics of loving someone you can't love publicly. Tomorrow they'll have to be careful again.

But tonight? Tonight they have each other. Just like Ren promises to Sae as they begin to kiss and kiss as much as they can in the time they have left.

"All yours."

Hearts of Judgement

[ return to index ]

For the endings, either:

Ren sees Sae’s text message of her saying she misses him and that she’ll wait for him, with a photo attached of her wearing the ring next to her necklace, during the ending cutscene when Morgana is sleeping (or while Ren is walking to the van in the original ending).

Or alternatively:

Ren couldn't hide his bittersweet smile as he spotted Sumire leaving the station entrance, gym bag slung over her shoulder, onigiri in her left hand. He raised a hand in farewell; she waved back with her free hand, then turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ren alone with his thoughts and memories.

He stood there for a long moment, his black cashmere blazer, turtleneck and trousers offering little warmth against the cold ache of solitude. Around him, the station flowed like water around a stone. Commuters rushed past, their faces blurred and unfamiliar, none of them aware of the battles fought in the Metaverse, the hearts changed, the future saved. Ren looked up at the station entrance. The setting sun painted the sky in magenta hues, casting long shadows across the pavement. The city he'd saved, the place that had become home – it was time to leave it all behind. He adjusted the strap of his shoulder bag, drew a slow breath, and prepared himself to move forward and say goodbye to Tokyo.

The low purr of a motorcycle engine. Ren turned to see a red Honda Phantom 2016 pulling up beside him, its chrome accents gleaming in the fading sunlight. The rider was clad in a sleek black goatskin leather biker suit, their silhouette stark against the fiery light. They lifted their helmet free.

Sae Niijima.

Sae shook out her low ponytail, tied back with a purple hair band, the motion catching the shine of her silver earrings, hair glowing gold in the last rays of the setting sun. She hooked the helmet over the handlebar, its curved visor briefly mirroring the world before settling still, the high collar of the suit and the glint of her necklace catching Ren's eye.

"Seems I caught you just in time," she said with a mischievous edge to her smile as she winked.

Ren's surprise melted into warmth.

"I remembered you saying you'd love to ride one someday. So I thought we could take the scenic route back to your hometown." Her eyes flicked to the motorcycle beside them. "Spend as much time together as we can—" She patted the seat invitingly, then looked back to meet his gaze. "If you want to."

I do want to.

Ren replied with a smile, a nod and a quiet grunt of agreement. Sae smiled at that, unhooking her black helmet from the handlebar – grey visor still catching the dying light – and offered Ren a white one, along with a pair of red gloves. Securing the helmet on his head, he swung his leg over the bike and settled in behind her, the seat vibrating gently with the engine's idle rumble. As they pulled away from Tokyo station, the city blurred around them, buildings casting long shadows as the sun dipped lower on the horizon. The wind rushed past them, carrying the mingled scents of exhaust, street food, and the distant river. Ren wrapped his arms around her waist, her warmth breaking through the chill.

They approached Eitai Bridge, its graceful arch spanning the Sumida River. As twilight deepened, the bridge's lights flickered to life one by one, bathing the structure in a soft, ethereal glow. The water below mirrored the burning sky, its surface a canvas of reds and purples rippling with the gentle current. In the distance, the Skytree stood tall against the sunset, its illuminated spire rising into the gathering dusk.

As they crossed the bridge, the motorcycle's engine humming beneath them, a shiny black car appeared, driving in the opposite direction. As it passed, Ren's eyes widened behind his visor. Through the tinted window, backlit by the descending sun, he glimpsed a silhouette that looked remarkably like Akechi's leaning against the partially open window. A quiet gasp escaped Ren's lips, lost in the rush of wind and the ambient noise of the city.

Sae slowed the motorcycle as they reached the end of the bridge, stopping at a red traffic light. Ren lifted his visor and turned his head, craning for certainty, for confirmation of what he thought he'd seen. The black car was already some distance away, taillights glowing like embers as they blended with the warm hues of the sunset, fading into the lengthening shadows of the cityscape.

He tightened his hold on Sae's waist, drawing comfort from her solid presence, from the weight of her against him. Sensing his tension, Sae found his hand with her own, the reinforced knuckles of her riding gloves brushing over his fingers where they gripped her body, then pressing down just enough that he could feel her reassurance through the layers of leather. She tilted her helmet back towards him briefly, a silent question and answer both.

As Ren looked up at the sky, a golden butterfly fluttered across his vision, wings catching the last rays of sunlight like fragments of a dream before it vanished into the burning orange orb of the sun.

He turned his focus, meeting the gaze of the camera, the warm light casting a soft glow on his face, happiness and certainty reflected in his eyes. The light turned green. Ren flipped his face shield down, and Joker's phantom grin flashed across the dark surface as Sae's engine revved beneath him.

Cut to black.

Roll credits.

The credits show several Ren and Sae scenarios, such as

• Artwork of a ponytailed motorcycle jacket and ring wearing Sae kissing Ren on her motorcycle with a magenta sunset in the background (or on Miho beach together, with Mt. Fuji in the background)
• Joker kissing Shadow Sae
• A Ren and Sae sunset wedding in Hawaii, with dancing and karaoke
• Yukata attired Ren and Sae eating sweet candied apples together
• Hot springs/beach/Hawaii Ren and Sae
• Sae happily showing a pregnancy test result to Makoto
• Sae being pregnant with the Joker baby while Morgana looks at her belly in astonishment
• Having a family of (minimum) 3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10+ babies with the older Ren (like in Catherine’s new ending)
• Makoto as the single aunt now, with a little sister (niece), etc.

The normal credits roll afterwards. Alternatively, the credits can be unchanged apart from additional Sae screen-time.

The ending cutscene description is:

As lovers, Ren and Sae ride onward, their hearts bound like the pages of their story.

End Notes

In the non-romantic routes, ideally, you’d have options for a purely platonic friendship or a chaste romance due to wanting to hold back until things are less chaotic.

Platonic Ren and Sae would have hugging on Christmas, going to Skytree Tower, or having coffee and cake outside, Ren and Sae hugging each other as well as Makoto, and a family dinner scene.

Chaste Ren and Sae would have explicit handholding and hugging but no kissing (as well as a slightly romantic Valentine's or White Day, while promising to date after he graduates, as well as romantic chocolate gifts). Or indirect kissing after sharing hot chocolate mugs at Christmas, Ren turning the shared mugs so he can drink from Sae’s lipstick stained part, causing her face to turn as red as her eyes.

Naturally, the chaste and platonic routes would follow the same story as the romantic route up until Christmas, choosing the chaste or platonic dialogue options as desired. The third semester would be unchanged from the original if you picked the platonic route. The platonic or chaste routes post-prison would have Sae still be available to hangout for social activities already mentioned post-prison release (Sojiro would pick Ren up like in the original), and she would still invite Ren to meet the struggling woman.

Ideally, you’d also have the option of asking Sae out for the first time not only on Christmas. E.g., for Valentine’s Day after leaving prison. Or asking her out when she brings chocolates after Valentine’s in the platonic route. She’d fluster and turn beet red as you told her you were waiting for her when she asked if you spent Valentine's Day with someone special. It would also be nice to have chaste/platonic dinner with Sae and reciprocate her giri–choco on White Day.

If you cheated on Sae:

February 15th early morning. The Leblanc door bell chimes ominously through the quiet cafe. Sojiro looks up from wiping the counter to see Sae Niijima's imposing figure filling the doorway, her silver hair reflecting the morning light like polished steel. Ren's hands tremble, coffee pot frozen mid-pour as cold dread washes over him.

“I’m in danger…” Ren thinks to himself.

"Sakura-san," Sae's voice drips with honeyed venom, her courtroom smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Would you mind giving us the cafe for a moment? I need to have a... private discussion with him."

Sojiro glances between them, catching the thunderous look in Sae's eyes. "...Right. I'll take a walk." He unties his apron. "Try not to destroy the place."

”Thank you,” Sae smiles sweetly.

The second the door closes behind him, Sae stalks forward, backing Ren against the counter. Her heels click menacingly on the floorboards.

"Rennn," she purrs, like a lioness who’s cornered her prey. "Tell me, did you really think you could fool a prosecutor? And I had just bought these chocolates specially for you.” Her knee slides between his legs, pressing upward with precise, threatening pressure. “So much for being faithful!”

Ren swallows hard and raises his hands placatingly, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Sae-san, I can explain—"

"You can explain later," she cuts him off, eyes flashing dangerously as sadistic anticipation dances across her face. "But right now..." She produces a pair of handcuffs with practiced ease, letting them dangle from one finger. “On your knees." Her irises swirl as they bleed into the molten gold of her shadow self.

"Wait—" Ren's protests die on his lips as Sae seizes his blazer and slams him to the floor with frightening strength. Her stiletto heel plants firmly on his sternum, the pressure just shy of cracking bone.

"You've broken the rules of our relationship," Sae’s smile turns completely feral as she looms over him like a Hawk. "And now..." The cuffs snap closed around his wrists with brutal finality. "I’m going to break YOU.”

Fade to black…

When Sojiro returns an hour later, he finds Ren collapsed on the floor, his face a mask of pain and regret identical to his post-interrogation state.

"I, uh, managed to calm her down somewhat," Sojiro coughs awkwardly. "Anyway, at least that's the worst thing that’ll happen to you today, eh kid?"

The bell chimes once more. They both turn to see the rest of Ren’s jilted lovers, their expressions promising an extended sentence of punishment.

“Anything you have to say for yourself, playboy?!”

“… Wasn’t me?”

As the consequences of his actions close in on him, Ren has one final desperate thought:

“I need an adult…”

Of course to emphasise Sae’s ‘specialness’ you could alternatively make it so that you can’t romance her if you’re in a relationship with anyone else (with the hand waved explanation that Sae will realise since she is an investigator or because she will kill him).

You’d need to have perfect stats and to have ‘friendzoned’ Makoto to be able to romance Sae on Christmas Eve.

Gifts for Sae would include: Fruit, chocolates, beauty products, perfume, jewellery (such as lapis lazuli or omamori), opera, martial arts and motorcycle related gifts.

Sae would gift Ren: ‘Phantom’ cologne, jewellery, omamori, food, white roses (his favourite) and books.

Completing the Aeon confidant would unlock Helel as an Aeon persona for New Game+ (or the 3rd Semester if Sae became a phantom thief in the New Year).

There’s no ‘intimacy counter’ as such in the game, so I imagine programming the game to have all 3 routes of romantic, chaste, and platonic would require ‘lock-in’ flag point(s) where the player decides on a romance, chaste, or a purely platonic route.

I think starting an Aeon Arcana in Leblanc, completing the Judgement Arcana during the interrogation, and then finishing the rest of the Aeon Arcana by Christmas Eve would fit the game best, reflecting Shusae’s unique bond, with Ren and Sae having to balance their personal connection with their professional roles. Combined with ‘flag’ choices, this allows the most player flexibility.