Work Text:
If Ann was being totally honest with herself, she didn’t love working at 4ZM0D3U5 . She didn’t really have an issue with the work; dancing was pretty fun, and the gymnastics classes she took with Sumire in high school definitely came in handy. The part she really had a problem with was her asshole boss, Kamoshida, who took a cut of their tips and creeped on the girls a little too much for it to be normal.
Still, there wasn’t a ton that Ann could do about him, especially when she really needed the money. Her parents had ditched her the second she was eighteen, and 4ZM0D3U5 was the only place that would hire her without a college degree. She was working on a degree through an online course, but it was slow going, especially with her working nights, leaving her with little energy in the mornings.
It wasn’t all bad, though. She and Shiho had become fast friends, and most of the other girls were nice enough. Even Mika, who was as prickly as could be, looked out for Ann, letting her know which of the clients to steer clear of and teaching her the ropes as best as she could.
4ZM0D3U5 was a pretty popular club, too, with a lot of clients. It was successful enough that they had started doing private events. Though Ann was concerned about the safety of it all, Kamoshida had sworn up and down that every client would be extensively vetted. Ann didn’t trust that dickbag as far as she could throw him, but Mika had corroborated his claims, so they were probably true.
One sunny day in July, Ann got her first request for a private event. Apparently, the birthday boy was turning 21, and his friends had hired her to show the guy a good time. Pretty standard fare, honestly. Shooting Sumire a text to let her know where she’d be (and sending her location, just in case the guy ended up being bad news), Ann made her way to the address.
Ryuji was having a kinda shit 21st birthday. He’d just broken up with his asshole boyfriend, Nakaoka, and really wanted to wallow in his sorrow for the rest of the night. Maybe eat some ice cream and call Akira to ask if he wanted to come over to play videogames or something. He could probably convince him if he played the pity card. Seriously, who broke up with someone on their birthday? Good fucking riddance.
Rolling over, Ryuji texted Akira.
Ryuji: I can’t believe Nakaoka pulled that shit.
Ryuji: I’m so pissed off…
Ryuji: Birthday ruined.
Ryuji: I don’t want to bother my mom either. She seems like she’s having a good time with her parents. She doesn’t need my drama…
Mayumi had gone for a short trip to visit Ryuji’s grandparents in Tatsumi Port Island, which had ran long when her train got cancelled. Ryuji had insisted he didn’t mind her missing his birthday, even though it did sting a little bit. He wasn’t a kid anymore, though, so he supposed it didn’t matter too much.
Akira: I figured you’d be pretty lonely, but I didn’t know it would be this bad.
Ryuji: Wow, just call me a loser at this point…
Akira: I never said that!
Akira: Just saying, sounds like you could use some company.
Ryuji: Yeah? That’s why I texted you?
Akira: I can’t, sorry…
Akira: But I can do something that's nearly as good?
Ryuji: Like… ordering me takeout or something?
Akira: Something like that?
Akira: Just trust me, bro.
Ryuji: Yeh, alr.
Ryuji: I’m not doing anything tonight, so whenever works for you, ig.
Akira: 👍
Ryuji wallowed on the couch for another twenty minutes, getting up to dig through the fridge for something sweet. His mom had left some cake in there for him, which was sweet of her. Getting out candles to blow them out on his own sounded mad depressing, so Ryuji grabbed a spoon and dug in right away. The cake was pretty good, honestly. Mom had been taking cooking and baking lessons, so that made sense.
There was a knock at the door, and Ryuji put down his cake to answer it. Probably a parcel, or Akira, plans mysteriously changed so he could spend time with his friend on the saddest day of his life.
… that might have been pushing it a little, but Ryuji was in a mood, sue him.
When Ryuji opened the door and saw a beautiful, blond girl standing there, his brain shut down. “Yeah, you have the wrong house, sorry.”
The girl bit her lip, taking out her phone to check something. “You’re… Ryuji Sakamoto, right?”
“Yeah?”
“Then, I have the right address!” The girl said, pushing past him into the apartment. “For a second there, I was worried.”
“I’m sorry, who are you again?” Ryuji asked.
The girl looked incredibly confused. “... I’m the stripper?”
Ryuji blinked. “You’re the what now?
“You’re sounding way too confused for this to have been your idea,” the girl said. “Let me check the booking information.” She took her phone out again, scrolling through something. “Says here that I was hired for Ryuji Sakamoto by… Akira Kurusu.”
If it had been any other day, Ryuji might have been able to laugh it off. Today, though, the whole situation with his Mom and Nakaoka had left him in a terrible mood.
“I have no idea why he thought I’d want you here,” Ryuji snapped, feeling awful about it the second the words left his mouth. “Sorry, it’s not you. I just… I had a really shitty breakup literally yesterday. This is the last thing I would want right now. He should know that.”
The girl sighed, flopping down on the couch, her head in her hands. “Honestly, I don’t want to be here either. Just cancel the booking.”
“Have you already been paid?” Ryuji asked.
The girl shrugged. “I don’t get paid until I get back to the club.”
Ryuji ran a harried hand through his hair. “That’s not fair. You already came all this way…”
“If you’re not interested, don’t force it,” the girl said. “It’s not a big deal.”
“No, we can work something out,” Ryuji said. “Want some cake? We can just… hang out?”
Hesitantly, the girl nodded. “Yeah, okay, I’ll have some cake.”
“What’s your name?”
“Ann Takamaki. You can call me Ann, if you want.”
“Sure! You can call me Ryuji too.”
Ann took a moment to change out of her heels - honestly, whoever decided that heels were the standard stripper shoe deserved to be shot in the head with a submachine gun - swapping them for a comfortable pair of flats. After grabbing her hoodie out of her duffle bag, which was full of the tools of her trade, Ann returned to the kitchen, where Ryuji was cutting up cake.
“Wow, you look totally different when you’re not…”
“Pandering to the male gaze?”
“I was gonna say ‘pretending to be someone else’, but I guess that works too.” Ryuji held up a plate with some cake on it. “Cake?”
“A man after my own heart,” Ann said, swiping the cake. “So… is this a horror movie and venting breakup or a romcom and crying break up?”
“There are different types?”
“Mostly depends on whether you still like the guy or not.”
“Not one bit.”
“Horror movie and venting it is,” Ann said, grabbing the remote from the coffee table. “Come on, it’ll make you feel better.” While Ryuji shuffled onto the couch, Ann took her first bite of the cake. It was absolutely heavenly! “Where did you buy this? It’s amazing!”
“Oh, my mom made that,” Ryuji said, his mouth still full. Swallowing, he added, “She’s been taking classes.”
“My compliments to the chef!”
Maybe this guy wouldn’t be such a bad client after all?
“And then, you know what he does?” Ryuji exclaimed, pausing to watch the terrible CGI blood splatter on the television. “He pulls the ‘I thought we were both seeing other people’ card.”
“Asshole!”
“Right? I mean, if we talked about it, that would be one thing, but that’s just…! Arghhh, he’s such a prick!”
Ann learned in and whispered. “Imagine he’s the next guy who dies in the movie. It’ll probably make you feel better.”
Ryuji shrugged. “Feels weird that I’m the only one complaining. You got any shitty ex-boyfriends?”
“I’ve had my fair share of ex-girlfriends, but I’m still friends with most of them,” Ann said. “But if you want a shitty guy, my boss is probably up there.”
“Yeah?”
“Absolute dickbag,” Ann grumbled. “He’s a total creep, and he takes a cut of all our pay for ‘managers fees’. I don’t think he’d know proper management if it bit him in the dick.”
“I hope the next girl he sleeps with does everyone a favour and bites it off,” Ryuji said, then flushed. “That was… I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“Nah, fuck him. Say anything you want,” Ann said. “To be honest, he’s part of the reason I’m gonna quit soon. He’s just a shitty guy to work for. There are probably better clubs out there. I’m kinda sick of the work, too…”
“Damn, I’m sorry. That sounds rough.”
Ann went quiet. “I’ve never told anyone that before…”
“Guess I’ve just gone one of those faces?”
“Huh?”
“Mom always says I’m the type who’s easy to talk to,” Ryuji said. “Just comes naturally, I guess.”
Ann rested her head on Ryuji’s shoulder. “Yeah, you’re alright.
By the night, Ann almost didn’t want to leave. A good rant always made her feel better, and Ryuji was such an easy guy to get along with. It’d been a while since she’d had a good guy friend, not that Akira really counted, since she knew Sumire first.
That had Ann planning to do something she had never done before.
“Hey, pass me your phone.” Ryuji complied, passing over his unlocked phone. Ann navigated to his contacts, putting her phone number into his phone. “If you ever wanna rant, or just talk, give me a call. You seem chill.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Ann walked back to her apartment, sending Sumire a quick text to let her know that she’d gotten home safe, and went to sleep twenty thousand yen richer and in a great mood.
She almost forgave Sumire for her meddling.
Almost.
Things were pretty relaxed for a few weeks. Ann and Ryuji met up every now and then to catch up, with Ann even getting to meet Ryuji’s friends, including Akira, who was dating Sumire. Small world. They had both chewed Akira and Sumire out for their tactless plan, though they both admitted it went much better than it could have gone.
No harm done, in the end.
The funniest part of it all, besides Ryuji’s utter shock that Ann was a natural blonde, was hearing Akira’s younger siblings - Futaba and Morgana - teasing him.
In any case, things were going pretty good. Ann and Ryuji found they had similar tastes in video games, and Ryuji always had something delicious for Ann when she came over. They even went to the aquarium together, where Ryuji had bought a plushie, promising to pay Ann back. She assured him that she didn’t mind, and told him to consider it a gift.
Ann was spending as much time at Ryuji’s apartment as she spent at her own place. It was easy to feel comfortable there. Maybe a bit too comfortable…
When Ann left her favourite hoodie at Ryuji’s place, he told her to let herself in with the spare key, reminding her to lock up after herself. Ann was in the middle of doing just that, when the front door opened, and an older woman walked into the apartment.
“Yoo-hoo! Ryu-kun!”
Ann frantically scrambled for something to do, before deciding it would be less awkward to be upfront. Grabbing her hoodie, she stuck her head out of Ryuji’s bedroom door.
“Um… hi?”
The older woman paused for a moment, blinking owlishly, before smiling. “Ah, you must be Ryu-kun’s new girlfriend!”
“Not his girlfriend! Just a friend!” Ann yelped. “I’ll be out of your hair in a sec, promise!”
“Please, don’t rush out on my account. I was just about to make some lunch. Why don’t you stay and eat with me? I always make too much.”
“Are you his mom?” Ann guessed.
“Clever girl,” the older woman said. “I’m Mayumi Sakamoto. You can call me Mayumi, if you’d like.”
“Oh, sure, I’m Ann, by the way.”
The pair worked well together, moving around the small kitchen and each other with ease. They made BLT sandwiches for lunch, which was more American than Ann expected from Ryuji’s mom. They tasted good though.
Leaving some for Ryuji, Ann and Mayumi sat down to enjoy their lunch. Mayumi was as easy to talk to as her son, and Ann loved hearing stories about a baby Ryuji.
“I wish I had a mom like you,” Ann said, through a mouthful of BLT, when the conversation lulled.
“Are you not close with your mother?”
“I’m not close to either of my parents,” Ann admitted. “I haven’t spoken to them since my eighteenth birthday. They… they cut me off.”
“I’m so sorry, that’s awful.”
Ann shrugged. “They weren’t around enough when I was a kid for me to really miss them.”
“That’s still awful. No parent should leave their child like that. It just isn’t right.”
The conversation turned a little awkward there, but Ann and Mayumi quickly regained their footing. Once lunch was over, Ann left, hoodie in hand, and a spring in her step.
Later that day, while Ryuji was still at his part-time job, he got a message from Mayumi.
Mom: Met a friend of yours.
Mom: [Ann.jpg]
Mom: Take care of her, Ryuji. She needs it.
Ryuji: Course, Ma.
Mom: Good boy.
A few things happened in short succession after that.
The first was Kamoshida taking things too far and assaulting Shiho in the girls dressing room. Mika hit him over the head with one of her heels, beating him unconscious, and Kamoshida was hospitalised. Police were called, but everyone stood up for Mika, so she didn’t face charges. The second Kamoshida got out of hospital, he was arrested.
The second was Mika offering Ann a job at a club she was planning to open. It would be in a better area, the pay would be better, and the hours would work around her college commitments. Ann thanked Mika, who scoffed, and told her not to be so sentimental. Mika could be sweet, when she wasn't trying to hide it.
The third was Shiho’s sudden confession. They’d been friends for a while, but Ann was somehow still surprised. They’d agreed to take it slow, but Ann was sure this would be a relationship that would last. When Ann called Ryuji to tell him the good news, he told her about how he had met a girl too. What a coincidence! Haru was good to Ryuji, so Ann approved.
In early November, with Ann’s birthday fast approaching, she was spending the night at Ryuji’s apartment, when he hit her with an odd question. “Have you ever had someone propose to you at work?”
Thinking it was just a matter of morbid curiosity, Ann replied, “No, thank fuck. I had a couple guys who were creepily attached to me, but that’s about it. They all moved on eventually. Why do you wanna know?”
“Just curious, is all.”
Ann raised an eyebrow, but didn’t pry any further.
A week and a half later, she found out why Ryuji had asked.
Ryuji’s apartment was deathly quiet, with all the lights out, which was weird, because he’d texted Ann minutes ago, telling her he was home. Right as Ann went to pull out her phone to call him, all the lights flicked on at once.
“Surprise!”
Ann almost burst into tears on the spot, but managed to hold it together, as all of her friends gave her gifts and they exchanged hugs. She had honestly thought they forgot it was her birthday. Even Mika came!
The party was amazing, full of joy and laughter on all sides. Ann opened her presents, receiving thoughtful gifts from everyone, though Ryuji and Mayumi insisted on saving their gift for last, when the rest of the guests had gone home for the niight.
The box was small, but Ryuji handled it as though it contained something immensely precious. Ann carefully unwrapped it, revealing a red jewellery box.
“Open it,” Ryuji said softly.
Ann complied, opening the box to reveal a ring with a beautiful pink gem in the centre. She was momentarily too stunned to speak.
“They’re family rings,” Mayumi said, revealing that she had one of her own. Ryuji wore his on a chain around his neck, since his job required him to work his hands, and the ring might have gotten damaged if he wore it on one of his fingers. “They symbolise the bonds of family.”
“Family?” Ann repeated.
“Yeah, I mean… I love you like a sister,” Ryuji said. “Y-You don’t gotta if you don’t want to.”
“No, I… I want this,” Ann insisted, taking the ring out of the box. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Shit, she was crying…
“Sweetheart, would you like me to hug you?” Mayumi offered.
Bursting into sobs, Ann opened her arms and allowed Mayumi to hug her.
For a girl who had spent so much of her life without a real family, finding her own family - a family that she had chosen - was more meaningful than she could possibly explain. It meant having a home. A family . People she could come back to, again and again.
Ann had found a family with the Sakamotos, as unusual as her and Ryuji’s first meeting was, and she intended to keep them in her life for as long as she possibly could.
That was a promise.