Originally published on AO3 as part of Makoto Niijima Week. Just getting around to uploading it here.

If someone had told Makoto just two months earlier that she would be spending her Sunday with Ryuji Sakamoto of all people, she would have reprimanded them for the ridiculous joke.

And yet, here she was. Waiting for him in the streets of Shibuya, tapping her foot nervously against the sidewalk while stealing glances at the time on her phone.

It wasn't too long after she joined the Phantom Thieves that they learned that working out was an interest they both shared. When he discovered that Makoto usually just made use of the gym in her and Sis' apartment complex, Ryuji insisted on bringing her to train at Protein Lovers in Shibuya. Apparently, it was the unofficial gym of the Phantom Thieves, as he had also brought Ann and Ren on many occasions there.

Never having spent time one and one with him, Makoto was a little nervous as to how the afternoon would go. When she had offhand mentioned to Ann their plans earlier that day, the blonde had seemed amused at the notion, saying that it wasn't common for Ryuji to spend one-on-one time with a girl since most rejected his advances. Then she had leaned in, to ask in a hushed whisper, whether or not they were going on a date?

The thought hadn't crossed her mind when she and Ryuji had first made their plans, but she also knew that she could be quite clueless when it came to social conventions that involved the opposite sex or romance. She had also assumed that he was so enamoured with Ann that he would not have time to even see her that way.

And if this was a date, then she had a new problem on her hands. Because while she had become fond of Ryuji as a teammate, he was most definitely not her type. So she would need to find a way to let him down gently without causing any residual awkwardness when they were with the rest of their teammates. A notion which terrified her as it was way beyond her comfort zone or social skills. Not to mention that Ryuji was one of the original members of the Phantom Thieves, and the best friend of their leader. She couldn't help but feel like her standing with the group was still on thin nice, and so it was best not to cause any drama if she could.

"Yo, Makoto!"

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the blond lanky figure that was running up to her. Somehow no matter where he was going, Ryuji always made it seem like he was running late. Which he usually was, although today it was only by a few minutes. She greeted him with a polite smile.

"Been waiting long?" When she shook her head, he raised his hand into the air in some sort of victory pose. "Yeah! I'm so pumped. You're going to love this place, I'm telling ya. Come on, let me show you around."

She had to admit, he was right. While the gym in her building had a limited amount of equipment, this facility was extremely large with multiple of almost every machine and weight you would want to use to get a full body workout. Ryuji had also been correct in predicting that it would not be too busy at this time of day.

After changing into their workout clothes and a brief warm up, they split off to different sections of the gym. While Ryuji made a beeline for the treadmills, Makoto opted for a rowing machine. Lately, she had been determined to build up her core. Mostly so that she could still be useful in the Metaverse even when her stamina was running too low to use her magical abilities, but also so that she could feel more secure and strong in the real world. She couldn't allow what had happened with Kaneshiro and his men to happen again - she was still ashamed each time she thought about how she had allowed them to get the jump on her. Or what would have happened to her if Ren and the rest of the team hadn't intervened.

After she felt like she had adequately warmed up her muscles, Makoto made her way over the empty mats on the other side of the gym. Practicing her fighting form through refining her martial arts abilities was always the favorite part of her workout, especially when she was going through an especially stressful time. Which seemed to be annoyingly common lately. As she practiced, she imagined that she was landing some especially satisfying hits on some shadows and Principal Kobayakawa. To a lesser extent, some of her particularly annoying council members and Eiko's less than desirable host boyfriend. If she could dole out a hit on any of them in real life consequence free, it would most likely be that last one.

"Lookin' good, Miss Prez!"

At the unexpected voice, Makoto spun around quickly, coming nearly face to face with Ryuji, who was standing a little too close to comfort. Despite herself, she scowled a little at the intrusion. He had the decency to at least look a little sheepish.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya. You just looked real badass." He looked her up and down, and despite his previously perverse antics she recognized that he was admiring her skill rather than her figure. "So it's not just in the Metaverse that you can fight, huh?"

"My father taught my sister and I how to fight from a young age," she explained. "I'm partial to aikido, but I can hold my own in other types of martial arts as well."

"Yeah, I remember you mentioning something about that," he said. He then paused, as if he was contemplating something. "Think you can teach me some moves? You know, just enough so that I know what to if someone throws a punch at me or something."

Her initial impulse was to deny his request, though she wasn't sure why. Maybe because she knew how hot-tempered he could be and didn't want to see her teachings be used badly. But then she remembered the little she knew about Ryuji's background from Ren and Ann - his father was an abusive drunk, and the entire trajectory of his life had been overturned by the bully that was Kamoshida. Learning to defend himself effectively could possibly help him feel more confident and therefore less likely to run his mouth.

So instead, she smiled at him and nodded. "Sure."

Ryuji looked ecstatic. "Hell yeah! So what do we do first?"

Makoto took him through some beginner self-defence maneuvers, showing him how to leverage his body weight to block and redirect various types of kicks and punches. He was very reluctant at first to throw a hit at her, but that quickly changed the first time she flipped him onto his back against the mat, knocking the wind out of him. After that, he looked at her with a sort of fearful admiration, not dissimilar to the way he reacted to Queen in the Metaverse.

It turned out that when academics were not involved, Ryuji was actually a fairly quick learner. Although he hadn't managed to get the best of her at any point (despite his determination to do so), she noted that his form and technique were already vastly improving. And each time she performed a rather advanced move, he became enthusiastic in his praise of her, which rendered her quite embarrassed as other patrons in the gym looked their way.

Soon, they were both out of breath and worn out, Ryuji more visibly so. He pouted like a child when Makoto suggested they wrap up for today.

The steam and hot water of the gym showers were so relaxing that she found it difficult to pry herself away. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten such a good workout. She would definitely need to come back.

Ryuji was already at the gym's entrance, having not taken nearly as long to get ready as her. He was fiddling with his phone as she walked up to him.

Makoto was just about to bid him farewell for the afternoon when he spoke first. "So, what are you feeling like for food?

That took her off guard. "E-excuse me?"

He laughed at her reaction. "It's a post-workout tradition, duh. When I'm with Ren we usually go for ramen or some hot pot. And Ann tries to drag me for crêpes because she's an idiot and doesn't get how calories work. This time's on me."

"Oh, I couldn't let you do that-"

Ryuji waved off her protest. "Think of it as thanks for teaching me some of those sick moves earlier. Can't wait to use that on someone. Joking! I'll just be using 'em on shadows." He added when Makoto began to glare at him.

"Well, alright then," she relented. Didn't she want to grow closer to her teammates? This was the perfect opportunity for some one-on-one bonding. "But since you're paying, you get to pick the place."

They ended up heading to Ogikubo, to what Ryuji repeatedly claimed was the best ramen shop in the city.

As they were nearing the evening, the place was a lot busier than the gym had been. As they sat themselves down at a table, Makoto couldn't help but feel herself get nervous again. She had never actually been out to eat with a boy before - now that she thought about it, the only time she ever spent one-on-one with a member of the opposite sex was school related. The little knowledge she had of social conversations suggested to her that this was a common date option. Ann's teasing comments from earlier plagued her thoughts once again.

She couldn't contain herself any longer. After they ordered, Makoto leaned forward nervously. "Ryuji, can I ask you something?"

He didn't seem to notice her rattled state. "Shoot."

She nervously pushed some of her hair behind her ears, looking away. "This-this isn't a date, right?"

There was a pause. Then, Ryuji let out a deafeningly loud guffaw as he leaned back in his chair, his laughter echoing around the corner of the room they were sitting in. Makoto would have thought to feel more offended if she wasn't so mortified by the stares they were receiving.

It took him a moment to recover. "No offense, Makoto. You're smoking hot and all, but you also scare the shit out of me. Some guys might be into that, but it's not my thing. So nah, this ain't a date."

Makoto sighed in relief, barely registering the compliment. "Thank goodness. I like you as a friend a teammate, but I don't see you that way either."

"Good, now let's stop this crazy talk." Makoto nodded in agreement, suddenly feeling much lighter as they began to discuss their favourite training techniques and how they could be applied to fighting shadows.

"So, Makoto," Ryuji said after their food finally arrived. "Your Dad sounds pretty cool if he taught you all that self-defense stuff. What does he do for a living anyway? He a prosecutor like your sister?"

Makoto tensed. Oh, right. She hadn't divulged to the rest of the Phantom Thieves that her parents had passed away. The only one who knew was Ren, and he had been tactful enough not to share that information with the others.

"He was a detective actually, but he passed away three years ago."

"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that. What about your mom?"

She shook her head. "She died when I was a baby. So it's just my sister and I."

"Man, that sucks. Sorry, Miss Prez." Ryuji said sympathetically. "Do you get along with your sister at least?"

"I used to," Makoto sighed. "But she's gotten so much colder lately. The stress of her career and taking care of me has really worn her down."

"Man, adults suck sometimes. You already know about my Dad, right?" Makoto nodded. "He's kind of the reason I got into running, funny enough. It was an easy way to work out my frustration. Whenever he was in a bad mood, I'd use it as an excuse to just get out of the house and as fast as I could away from him. I was really close to even getting a scholarship. But that's over now." He added solemnly, patting his bad leg.

She shook her head. "It's not all over. You'll find something else that you're as passionate about, I'm sure."

Ryuji shrugged. "Maybe. I just want to make sure my Mom is okay. She works really hard to support us, and she acts like everything's fine, but I can see that it tires her out, you know? I wish there was more I could do for her."

"I'm sure she's proud of you. She sounds lovely, from what you've told us about her."

"Yeah, I guess," he said sheepishly. "I get worried sometimes though, when I get really angry, that I'm going to turn out like my Dad. She'd be so heartbroken if that happened."

Makoto reached out and laid her hand gently on his arm, a gesture that seemed to surprise both of them. "Ryuji, listen to me - you're nothing like your father and you never will be. You're too caring for that. You wouldn't have joined the Phantom Thieves if that weren't the case."

Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. "Geez, Miss Prez, you're going to make me blush. Guess a troubled home life is kind of part of the job description, huh?"

She pondered that for a moment. Sure enough, none of her companions had traditional or happy histories. "It would appear so."

"At least we got the Phantom Thieves. Lately, I feel like it's the only thing in my life that's worth anything. My grades suck, I'm always broke, and not to mention I can't get a girlfriend. Makes me feel like a loser."

"You're not a loser," she told him sternly. "You're very kind, you're in good shape, and you're brave and willing to do what's right. I've seen guys with much less succeed with women. Your problem is that you're trying too hard to get a girl."

Ryuji was listening intently, seemingly hanging on her every word. "How do you figure?"

Makoto suddenly felt like she was on the spot. Who was she, of all people, to be dispensing relationship advice? She'd never even flirted with anyone, much less done anything else. But he seemed so eager to learn, she might as well give it her best shot. "You can't force a relationship. You have to meet someone and let things happen naturally. Become friends first, and then ask her out when she's gotten to know you."

He pondered her words for a moment. "I guess that's good advice. I'll give it a shot." They way he said it, Makoto couldn't help but wonder if he had someone particular in mind.

Ryuji leaned back in his chair, a hint of a smirk on his features. "And how about you, Miss Prez?"

"What about me?"

"How's your love life?"

Makoto fidgeted a little in her seat. She wasn't quite comfortable with the way this conversation had progressed, but she figured she should share with Ryuji since he had opened up to her. It was only fair. "Um, I….I guess I don't really have one. No time for it, between getting ready for the entrance exams, student council and now the metaverse. And it's not like I have any offers."

"Aw, well now I'm feeling guilty for turning you down! Just kidding, kidding!" He added when she began to glare at him. "Anyways, you sure about that - that you ain't got any offers?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean?"

"I definitely know some guys that would want to be your boyfriend."

Makoto's hand stopped mid-trajectory to her mouth. What was he going on about? "Is that so?"

Ryuji suddenly looked nervous. "W-well, yeah, I've overheard some guys talking about you. You know, around the school. You are the president after all, people know about you."

"Well, actually, I kind of have a fake boyfriend." Makoto mused, and continued when she saw his confused expression. "Ren is helping me investigate one of our classmates who may have fallen in with a bad crowd. She's convinced he's my boyfriend so he's been playing along."

"Oh, yeah, he did mention something about that. About how you went on a pretend double date."

Makoto felt her face heat up slightly. "He told you about that?"

"Well, of course he did, we're best bros. We tell each other everything." Well, not everything she realized. She'd told Ren about her sister and her parents, and he had not shared that with any of the Phantom Thieves. It relieved her that she could trust him with her secrets like that. He was a good friend.

"And he always tells me when you guys see each other," Ryuji continued, then looked flustered. "N-not that he talks about you a lot! He just mentions when he hangs out with girls in general ...N-not that he hangs out with a lot of girls either - just a couple of friends he has! No one special. Want to order some dessert?" It all came out quickly in a jumble of words, as Ryuji lifted his menu to hide his face. Makoto made a mental note to figure out what was going on with those two later.

She decided to let it go for now. "That sounds like a good idea. Want to split a piece of cheesecake? I don't want to go over my calorie count for the day."

"Definitely," Ryuji said. "Man, it's so much different than coming here with Ann. Last time, she ordered two pieces for herself, and then wanted to stop on the way to the station for ice cream. I don't know how that girl does it. No wonder the other models hate her."

As they were leaving the ramen place after finishing their meal, Ryuji stopped on the sidewalk and took out his phone. He gestured for Makoto to come closer to him. "Hey, why don't we take a picture? As kind of like, a souvenir, for the day?"

Makoto agreed and posed next to Ryuji. After a couple of tries, they both looked over the results. They were standing next to each other, wide smiles at the camera. Ryuji was making a peace sign, while Makoto had her arms pulled up to her chest. She never quite knew what to do with her hands in these types of photos.

"That's a good one," Ryuji said. "I'm gonna post it to the chat."

Before she could protest, Makoto felt her phone buzz in her pocket, a sure sign that he had already done so. They began to walk back to the station, keeping an eye on their phones and the chat.

Ryuji: Protein Lovers + Ramen today. Found my new training partner.
Ryuji: She can fight circles around Ren and Ann. Makes you two look like kids. Especially Ann.

Ann: Screw you, Ryuji.
Ann: And you look very pretty today, Makoto!

Makoto: Thank you, Ann.

Yusuke: Despite your contrasting personalities, I have to admit that you photograph well together. And that Ryuji did a good job with this picture.
Yusuke: Also, any chance that there are leftovers?

Ryuji: Of ramen?
Ryuji: Dude, gross…

Ann: Just head over to Leblanc, Yusuke. I'm sure Ren can feed you.

Speaking of Ren, thought Makoto. He's noticeably absent from the chat. Surprising as he's almost always online.

Yusuke: I will have to consider it.
Yusuke: Also, does the two of you spending time together alone mean you are now an item? I've been led to believe by my female classmates that this is how these things work.

Ann: You don't just say stuff like that! Geez…
Ann: But since he already asked, ARE you on a date?!

Makoto: Definitely not.

Yusuke: That is good news. What a wreck that would be. Although that would probably be the case for any relationship Ryuji found himself in.

Ryuji: Oh, shut up.

Makoto rolled her eyes. By now, they had reached the station and were waiting for their train to arrive. She noticed that Ryuji's phone was still blowing up even though the chat had fallen silent. He started laughing to himself.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Seems like someone is trying very hard to get your attention."

"Nah, it's nothing," he said, still laughing. "Just looks like someone's a little jealous."

"What?"

"Nevermind," he waved off her questioning look. "I had a good time today, Miss Prez. We should hang out again soon."

She nodded. "Yes, we should. I'll definitely be going back to that gym, regardless. It made for an excellent workout."

"Told ya it was great!"

Makoto shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Actually, Ryuji, if I'm not being too forward - there's a movie that I want to see next Saturday and I don't have anyone to go with. Would you come with me?"

"Wish I could," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I already promised my Mom I would help her that day." He paused, then his eyes lit up. "You know what, you should invite Ren."

She pondered that idea. "You think so?"

Ryuji nodded vigorously. "Definitely! He uh, loves movies. All movies. Trust me, he'll want to go. You know, for the movie."

A humming sound signalled that their train was finally approaching. As they made their way into the thankfully not-too-crowded compartment, Makoto mulled over Ryuji's suggestion in her head.

I wonder if Ren likes Yakuza movies...