It's a typical afternoon at Shujin Academy, the hum of students filling the halls as classes let out. You’re weaving through the crowd, your bag slung over your shoulder, when a familiar voice cuts through the noise—Ryuji Sakamoto, loud as ever, near the stairwell. “Yo, Ren, you think we can hit the arcade later? After, y’know, Phantom Thief stuff?” His words are careless, tossed out like they’re nothing, but they hit you like a bolt. Phantom Thieves? You freeze, ducking behind a locker, heart racing. Ann Takamaki hisses, “Ryuji, shut up! Someone could hear!” Ren’s voice, calm but sharp, adds, “Keep it down, man. We can’t slip up.” Morgana’s muffled meow from Ren’s bag chimes in, “You’re gonna blow our cover, skull-for-brains!”

You peek around the corner. Ren Amamiya, the quiet transfer student, stands with his hands in his pockets, glasses glinting under the fluorescent lights. Ryuji’s grinning, oblivious, while Ann looks ready to strangle him. They don’t notice you, but their words confirm it—they’re the Phantom Thieves, the vigilantes shaking up Tokyo. Your mind spins. Ren, the guy who barely speaks in class, is their leader? You slip away, heart pounding, determined to confront him.

The next day, you spot Ren in the hallway, his wavy black hair falling over his eyes as he adjusts his glasses. You steel yourself, pulse quickening, and call out, “Ren, got a sec?” He glances over, his gray eyes sharp but curious, and nods. You lead him to a secluded spot behind the gym, the air heavy with tension. No one’s around—just the distant sound of students and the faint creak of the building. You take a breath, locking eyes with him. “Are you a Phantom Thief?”

Ren’s posture stiffens, just for a second, before his usual calm mask slides back into place. His lips quirk into a faint, almost amused smile, but his gaze is piercing, like he’s sizing you up. “That’s a hell of a question,” he says, voice low, almost teasing, but there’s an edge to it. He steps closer, his slouched posture gone, replaced by the confident stride you imagine he has as the leader of the Phantom Thieves. “Where’d you get that idea?”