2025-07-23: The Dedicated Hobbyist
- Log: 2025-07-23 The Dedicated Hobbyist
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Haru Okumura
- Where: Shujin Academy, Tokyo
- OOC Date: July 23, 2025
- IC Date: June 14, 2012
- Summary: Encouraged by Morgana, Ren approaches Haru while she's gardening on the otherwise off-limits roof of Shujin Academy. Despite Ren's reputation at school, the two warm up to each other quickly, leading to them making a mutually beneficial deal.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The investigation of the mafia that's been plaguing Shibuya of late has been going surprisingly smoothly. Maybe it's because they're teenagers, the same demographic they're targeting and thus don't keep their guard up around them, but it seems like the members of that gang are more willing to appear before them and be suspicious in front of them. They've already had run-ins--they've gotten a name, thanks to Ren's reporter friend (no, not that one)--and they're ready to pool their knowledge and try to figure out Kaneshiro's key words, and from there, enter his Palace...
Which is why Ren is up on the roof of Shujin Academy at lunchtime, to pool their knowledge together and discuss their next move. Yusuke won't be able to join them, but he can at least confer with Ryuji and Ann and then let him in on it later so he can join them after school. He just needs to make sure the coast is clear before he calls his friends up.
Morgana is not a concern. He's been carrying this not-a-cat around in his shoulder bag for a while now. No one's given him trouble for it yet, despite the fact that teachers were dashing around trying to find and get rid of a "cat" only a couple months ago.
Ren makes it up to the roof door with no problem. Most of his fellow students love to gossip about him, but are terrified of even making eye contact with him. He can come and go with surprising ease, as long as he doesn't mind getting snubbed. (He minds, but he can deal with it.) He takes a look around just in case, then when he confirms there's no one else around, he opens the door and walks in casually.
And then spots someone else already there on the roof, over by the planters. He stops and stares for an instant. In that instant, Morgana pokes his head up and out of his back to peek over his shoulder.
"Is that..." Morgana murmurs. "Hey, Ren. Go over and say hi."
Ren glances at his companion, but Morgana's already ducked back inside his bag. What's that about? Well, if he says so... Slipping out, he pulls the door behind him, then looks back over at the other student as he slips his hands into his pockets and moves well out of the way of the door--just in case.
"Hi," Ren says to Haru. "What're you doing?"
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Luckily, Haru hasn't had any encounter with Kaneshiro's mafia as of yet - figuring out her Persona and the Dark Hour has been an ordeal of its own. She is familiar with the school's infamous transfer student, however - at least in rumour. They all say he's a dangerous criminal with a nasty record, who never should have been let into Shujin. And now that dangerous criminal is right here on the school rooftop during lunchtime. What could he possibly be up to?
On the school rooftop, Haru stays focused on her task. The vegetables she'd been growing have harvested and she wanted to collect some for Ooshiro-sensei this week, like she'd promised. She doesn't seem obviously distressed by the other presence on the rooftop, even if it's strange that someone else come up here. Haru hasn't actually met Ren, and she's always felt it rather rude to judge someone solely based on what she's heard from others. Dismissing people like that is the kind of thing her fiance would do, after all. Perhaps the rooftop is simply a place to find some solitude, as it is for her.
She wasn't really expecting him to come up and talk to her, though, and that catches Haru off-guard a little. She's not really the chatty type. "O-oh, hello there," Haru greets her kouhai, gesturing over to her little garden. "I finished my lunch early, so I wanted to check on the school garden." She explains. "It seems the vegetables are ready to be harvested." There's tomatoes and carrots both, shining in the sunlight. "I was going to save some of these for Ooshiro-sensei, but there's plenty." She wonders if that's why he came up here in the first place. There's not much else to see here. "...They should be okay to eat, if you wanted any for your lunch."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren at least keeps his distance--he stays well away from the door, he keeps a respectfully large distance between him and Haru, and his hands stay in his pockets... well, that's normal for him, but still. He does note that initial stammer in Haru's voice, but she otherwise takes his greeting in stride. He doesn't know who she is, granted, but probably most of the kids at school know who he is. Not that that's anything to brag about.
He looks at the planters. Tomatoes and carrots... They look well cared for. And if she's the one checking on them, then... "You raised them?" he wonders. "I'd--" He cuts himself off. I'd been wondering about that, he was about to say, but that would give away the fact that he's been here before when the roof is supposed to be off-limits. Not that she's called him out on that yet, but still.
"Really?" He stands up a little straighter when she offers to let him have some. Ren's eating habits are frankly atrocious--he does not get remotely balanced meals from day to day. He's guaranteed breakfast, but it's always curry and coffee; lunch is generally soda and a snack bread; and dinner is whatever he can afford. Sometimes he goes without. A healthy vegetable for a snack sounds great, actually.
"I'll try one of those tomatoes, then," he says, approaching to pluck one from the vine. He buffs it on his uniform shirt, then bites into it. He chews slowly, thoughtfully; when he swallows, he gives her a smile. "It tastes great. Tart but sweet." He proceeds to continue to eat, though he takes care not to spill any juices on himself.
He doesn't comment on Ooshiro-sensei, but that's not out of a lack of interest. He just hasn't seen a lot of her so far.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
The fact that Ren doesn't know Haru is precisely why she was so surprised he decided to speak with her. As a third year student, and one who isn't particularly socially active or in any clubs, she's not the most approachable person. Most people just seem to leave her be, even if she's friendly enough to everyone. But then again, Ren isn't the most approachable person either, thanks to all those rumours.
"Yes," Haru nods, as Ren asks her if she raised the vegetables herself. "The teachers I've spoken to don't seem to mind, though I don't always get a chance to check on them..." She admits. If he's asking her questions about it, though... "Does that mean you take an interest in gardening by any chance?" From the way people talk about him, that doesn't seem very likely. But he really doesn't seem so bad so far...
"Of course," Haru smiles. "I may have helped them grow, but they're still a part of nature. That means they belong to everyone, right?" Perhaps it's ironic of her to say that, considering her father is currently profiting handsomely from selling food at the bulk, without much care for the consumer, or the food itself. But it's really how she feels. "Besides, if you're here, that probably means you skipped lunch, didn't you?" Not that she can really blame him.
Haru watches with anticipation as Ren tries one of tomatoes. It will be good to get a second opinion on them that isn't her own... and it gets a shining review! "Do you really think so?" She smiles. "I'm so glad to hear that... I'm only a hobbyist, so I'm still quite inexperienced." She shakes her head. "And honestly, I wasn't expecting you to be so nice about it." She admits.
Her classmates had spoken of how scary looking the transfer student is, but when she looks at his smile, she doesn't really see it. At the same time, she realizes she hasn't actually heard him describes as anything except the transfer - so she doesn't know what to call him. "By the way, I'm Haru. There's no need to call me Senpai or anything like that." She pauses, as if expecting him to introduce himself in turn.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
That's good for her that the teachers are okay with her gardening up on the rooftop. When he thinks about it, Ren thinks he's seen her around on the grounds tending to various bushes and other plants, too... He hadn't read too deeply into it, since someone has to take care of the grounds, right? But even if he's mistaken, she does it up here on the roof, which is supposed to be off-limits. If she's that dedicated that she got permission to do it here, and she's a student--and she clearly is, with her uniform--she must really love it.
So when she asks if he likes gardening, he feels bad, but he shrugs. "Not exactly. But it's nice to see green things growing," he offers. He likes the city a lot more than his country hometown, but the abundant nature was never one of the things he minded about it. "I've never done it myself, but it seems cool to do."
Not least because one can grow delicious vegetables like this tomato. Which is technically a fruit. Shh. He nods agreement, smiling back in between bites. That smile turns chagrined at her assumption, and he swallows. "Haha..." Ren rubs the back of his neck. "I had lunch. It was just... not very big," he admits.
Snack bread and soda are better than nothing, at least.
"You're just a hobbyist? You seem dedicated," he replies. He gestures towards the tomatoes. The carrots are root vegetables so he can't see how they've turned out, but-- "There's so many there."
He pauses at what she says next. The only thing he can do is shrug. He goes on to polish off the tomato, once again careful to eat so he doesn't get himself messy. He's finishing it off when she introduces herself.
"It's nice to meet you, Haru-san," he replies. "I'm Ren."
There is a subtle stirring in his bag.
"Ren Amamiya," he adds. "A second year." Not that she needed to know that much, clearly. But at least this way she heard it from him directly.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Someone has to take care of them. Shujin Academy cares a lot about the image it projects to the outside world, but even still, the responsibility of something as simple as a garden falls upon one of the students. Haru does indeed love doing it, though - it's exactly the kind of activity that's her speed, after all.
Haru was hoping to meet someone else she had that in common, but she can't exactly fault him for not being that into it. Because of that, she opts not to ask him if he'd be willing to help her out with it sometimes. "That's fair enough," She replies, her tone graceful as before. "It takes a while to get results... but that's exactly why I find it so rewarding. There's a bit of a thrill of anticipation as to whether or not the crops will turn out, don't you think?" ...Well, that's a unique take on gardening.
She does keep in mind that she should maybe offer him some extra food for his lunch more often, though. "I can understand that. I often pack a light lunch myself." She nods. As for what he says next... "I'm certainly no professional," She admits. "But there isn't much I'm skilled at in the first place... so I'm happy to spend time here, in the garden. I suppose that is dedication, isn't it?" She smiles, a little. "Actually, I'm also trying to grow some coffee beans right now." She gestures to another corner of the garden. "But I haven't actually tried blending them into coffee before." Ooshiro-Sensei suggested working with a skilled barista, but... "Do you like coffee?"
"It's nice to meet you too, Amamiya-kun," Haru smiles, though she does notice the bag rustle a little... it must be fairly windy for a hot summer day. "...I don't know exactly why you got in trouble, but I wish our classmates didn't give you such a hard time." She considers something for a moment. "So if you ever wanted to use the roof to get some fresh air more often... I could cover for you. Even if you're not that into gardening, hehe." It's a kind thing to offer someone she'd only just met, but that might just be exactly the 'in' Ren needed to get his hideout.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The thrill of anticipation... in gardening? Ren blinks. "I never thought about it like that before," he admits, and he sounds more interested now. "I always thought of it as--well, slow. But that just means the anticipation's drawn out more, huh?" He doesn't see himself doing it himself, if only because he doesn't have any planters to make use of, but it does help change his perspective on the matter. "What's some of the more exciting harvests you've had?"
It's gracious of her to call it 'packing a light lunch.' Maybe it's true, but the implication there is totally different from if you eat light because that's what you can afford. She doesn't seem to think too highly of herself, though, with what she says about not having much she's skilled at. Not knowing her, Ren can't meaningfully disagree, so he leaves it at that. At least the talk of coffee beans is something he can get in on.
"Yeah. I've been learning to make a better cup lately," he replies. "I don't know anything about the roasting process, but if your beans turn out, it might be fun to give it a try." He offers a small smile. "...Though you'd probably want to talk to a professional about that first." As opposed to a guy with a bad reputation whom she barely knows.
...Though it seems she's willing to give him a chance, unlike a lot of their other classmates. She really is a sweet person, and Ren is touched that she would make that offer. He grins a bit back, that feeling outweighing the lump in his chest on why he got in trouble in the first place. (He does not offer an explanation; she didn't ask, and he won't waste her time.) The roof isn't really viable as a hideout long-term anyway--Makoto's gotten on their case already, and it would be hard to sneak Yusuke in every single time--but it would be nice to have somewhere quiet to just hang out at school.
"Thanks. That'd be great, actually," he replies. "In return... how about I help you out with your gardening? Carrying heavy bags of planting soil, things like that?" He's not a gardener, but he is a country boy. He knows at least that much about growing plants in a small space. "If there's a reason for it to give anyone who asks, we're both less likely to get in trouble," he adds.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"It takes some patience," Haru nods. "But there's also a bit of luck to it... the soil conditions, the pattern of weather, can all have an impact no matter how diligent you are." She considers. "In that way, it's almost like gambling... but not quite so high stakes." It's a bit of a funny comparison. "Honestly, it might be this one... just because I'm able to share it with someone." She says, of big harvests. It's a humble little garden, so that's the most she can really say.
"Oh, you brew your own?" Haru looks interested, as Ren talks about making a better cup. "I usually prefer tea myself... but I've recently been trying coffee from a few of the local chains, and I quite enjoy the taste and atmosphere. But... I'd love to try the process from start to finish myself sometime." She nods about speaking with a professional first. "Yes, that's a good place to start." She'll keep Ren in mind, still.
While Haru is curious as to what Ren did to land such a reputation, it feels a little rude to ask, and way too much like prying. So she doesn't. Although, she finds herself wondering if he's really a 'bad' guy or just misunderstood somehow. Students of Shujin Academy love to look down on each other, after all. Of course, Haru also doesn't know that he's the leader of the infamous Phantom Thieves, either.
Her eyes light up just a little, when he offers to help her out. "That'd be a lot of help, actually! It's been difficult, transporting supplies up the chairs... even if I can probably carry more than it looks like." She nods, with a smile. "It's a deal, then. I guess that makes us a bit like accomplices, don't you think?" A beat. "I'm just kidding, hehe." They are breaking the rules by doing this, even if it's in such a harmless way.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren hums thoughtfully as Haru goes into the 'thrill' of gardening. It is a funny comparison, but it's interesting that she makes it at all. He looks over at the tomatoes. "Looks like you won the jackpot on this one, then." He assumes. Maybe harvests can get even more bountiful than this! ...Relative to the size of the garden, of course. "I hope Ooshiro-sensei likes it as much as I did."
He pauses slightly at her question. "Yeah... but it isn't as impressive as all that. I work part-time at a cafe, and I've been learning there. That's all." He also lives there, but there's no need to go into that much detail. Ren's already talking more about himself than usual, and only because Haru seems genuinely interested in what he has to say. Maybe if or when they get to know each other better, he'll point her to Leblanc.
Better to make sure she won't change her mind about associating with him first, anyway.
But in fairness to Haru, Ren already has a vibe that that's unlikely to happen. She seems excited to accept his deal, and he laughs a little in return. "Deal," he echoes. "For today..." He nods towards the vegetables. "I could help you pick them, if they're ready to go. Otherwise, there's always next time." He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm in Class 2-D, if you ever want to swing by after classes to ask for help."
Or they could exchange phone numbers, but Ren will let Haru make that offer. It's kind of an overstep coming from him.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"It seems so," Haru smiles. "I don't usually plant this much, after all." As for Ooshiro-sensei... "I hope so, too. It was kind of her to take an interest in the garden, at least." While the higher-ups of Shujin Academy don't seem to care about the students at all, at least that isn't always the case for those that teach here.
"Oh, I see. But I wouldn't call it unimpressive, either?" Haru points out. Balancing a part time job with Shujin's rather demanding academics isn't nothing, even if she imagines he's more motivated by the necessity for extra work. She doesn't ask where exactly he works, because that feels a little forward for someone she literally just met.
Haru laughs again, as Ren quickly accepts her deal. "They should be all ready to go, and we should have enough time to get them all before lunchtime is over." She nods. "Otherwise, if you have time after school, we could stop by to pick up the rest?" There are a lot of vegetables, but two people will make the workload considerably quicker. "I'm in Class 3-A myself." She makes a mental note of Ren's class.
She hestitates for a moment, and then starts again. "I don't use my cell much, but I could give you my number to make coordinating easier, too." She suggests. Sugimura might get weird about her suddenly having another guy's number on her phone... but 'Ren' is a name that could theoretically belong to a girl, as well. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with making more friends at school, is there?
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Balancing a part-time job with Shujin's academics is tough. Balancing several part-time jobs and everything that goes into Phantom Thieving is a sight harder... but Ren's not about to complain about that. He just gives Haru an affable little shrug.
It is kind of Ooshiro-sensei to take an interest in Haru's gardening. At the least, she seems happy about it, and that's worth something.
He makes a note of her class back. 3-A... He probably won't swing by directly too often--he doesn't want to cause her trouble--but it's good to know. "May as well do it now, then," he says. "Let's go."
But then Haru does offer to trade phone numbers. Ren's eyes widen behind his thick-rimmed glasses, but he nods and takes his own smartphone out. It's a brief effort to exchange numbers from there. It stands out to him even more now that she didn't give her family name, but... just "Haru" is fine for now.
Especially since Morgana took an interest in her, and Ren bets he's got more to say about her. (Not that much more, it will turn out. Morgana will give him a mysterious kitty smile and say something like "You'll understand soon enough" and that'll be that. But it will make Ren glad that Haru's such a nice person at baseline.)
Ren sure is a unisex name. It's convenient for both of them!