He knew exactly who it was, of course, but the sheer absurdity of being cockblocked by a giant, talking cursed corpse was almost too much to process.
Maki's eyes locked onto the caller ID. The flush of embarrassment on her face instantly vanished, replaced by an aura of pure, murderous rage.
"Give me that," she snarled, snatching the phone from his hand.
She stood up, her bare feet stomping across the living room floor. She slid the glass balcony door open, stepped out into the chilly night air, and slammed it shut behind her—though not quite hard enough to block out the sound of her voice.
Ren sat back down on the sofa, burying his face in his hands as he listened to his girlfriend absolutely unleash hell.
"What?!" Maki roared into the receiver, pacing like a caged tiger on the small balcony. "Do you have any idea what time it is?! No, I don't care if Toge is stuck in a vending machine! Why are you calling me about it?! Call Gojo! Call Ijichi! Call literally anyone else!"
Through the glass, Ren watched her pinch the bridge of her nose, her shoulders tense with fury. She swatted a hand through the air as if trying to physically hit whoever was on the other end of the line.
"I am busy! Yes, actually busy! No, I am not training!" Maki yelled, her face flushing pink again, though this time purely out of anger. "If you ever interrupt me on a Thursday night again, I am going to turn your stuffing into a rug! Do you hear me?! A rug, Panda!"
Ren leaned back against the cushions, letting out a long, tragic sigh.
He watched her through the glass. He let out another sigh and let his head fall back against the couch. He was frustrated, but mostly he just felt tired.
Through the glass, Ren watched her aggressively stab the 'end call' button. She stood out there for another few seconds, taking deep, steadying breaths to wrangle her temper before finally turning around.
She slid the balcony door open, stepped inside, and pulled it shut with a sharp clack that sealed away the noise of the city.
The murderous aura was gone, replaced by a heavy, guilty exhaustion. She tossed the phone onto the kitchen counter like it was a live grenade and rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding his eyes.
"Ren... I'm really sorry," Maki muttered, her voice dropping back down to that soft, hesitant tone from earlier. She walked slowly over to the coffee table. "My classmates are literal toddlers. They apparently can't function without me supervising them for a single night."
"It's fine," Ren said gently, keeping his posture relaxed on the couch. "It sounded like an emergency. A weird, zoo-related emergency, but still."
Maki let out a humorless half-laugh. Feeling exposed in the sudden awkwardness that had replaced their heavy tension, she reached down to the coffee table and picked up her wire-rimmed glasses.
"I really am sorry," she repeated, looking at him with a genuinely apologetic pout. "I'll make it up to you..."
The silence in the living room stretched out, thick and heavy with the sudden, jarring shift in the atmosphere. The dramatic orchestral score from the TV movie had ended, replaced by the low murmur of late-night commercials, making the quiet even more pronounced.
Ren watched Maki fidget with her wire-rimmed glasses, sliding them back onto her face. The lenses caught the dim light, momentarily hiding her amber eyes.
He let out a slow breath, deciding to break the tension before it completely derailed the rest of their night.
A slow, teasing smirk spread across his face as he tilted his head. "Make it up to me, huh?" he repeated, his voice low and deliberate. "That's a pretty broad promise, Maki. Exactly how do you plan to do that?"
Maki blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sudden shift from understanding boyfriend to playful instigator. The apologetic look melted away, replaced by a momentary flash of pure, unadulterated confusion.
"I don't know," she said, her voice dropping into a surprisingly innocent tone that she almost never used. She rubbed the back of her neck again, looking genuinely flustered. "I mean... I guess... I'll do whatever you want."
The words hung in the air, heavy and loaded with a sudden, dangerous implication.
Ren didn't miss a beat.
In one fluid motion, he leaned forward, his hand shooting out to lightly grab her wrist. He didn't pull hard. The sheer surprise was enough to throw her off balance. With a quick, smooth tug, he pulled her forward.
Maki let out a sharp squeak of surprise as she stumbled, her knees hitting the soft edge of the sofa before she pitched forward, landing squarely on top of his chest.
Ren wrapped an arm securely around her waist, trapping her against him. He looked up into her wide, startled eyes, his smirk widening.
"Anything?" he murmured, the word a soft, teasing challenge against her ear.
The bright red flush that had finally started to fade from Maki's cheeks instantly roared back to life, painting her face a brilliant crimson. She braced her hands against his shoulders, trying to push herself up, but she didn't put any real strength behind it.
"I—I said whatever I want to agree to, you idiot!" she sputtered, her voice rising an octave in a desperate attempt to regain control.
She glared down at him, though it was entirely ineffective given the circumstances. "Not everything! Only... only the things I say yes to!"
"Right, right," Ren chuckled, his chest vibrating against hers. "Terms and conditions apply. Got it."
"Shut up," she muttered, though she finally stopped struggling, letting her weight settle against him. She rested her chin on her hands against his chest, still glaring at him, but the sharp edge of her annoyance had completely melted away.
The faint blue light of the television flickered across the walls, casting soft shadows in the quiet apartment. Maki remained draped over Ren's chest, her rapid heartbeat slowly evening out against his ribs.
For a long minute, neither of them said anything. Maki's fingers idly traced the seam of his t-shirt, her gaze fixed somewhere near his collarbone.
The fierce, uncompromising sorcerer was completely gone, leaving only a girl trying to work up the nerve to say something terrifying.
"Hey," she mumbled, her voice so quiet he almost didn't hear it over the hum of the fridge.
"Hmm?" Ren hummed, his hand gently stroking the soft strands of her dark green hair.
She took a deep, steadying breath, though her fingers briefly clenched in the fabric of his shirt. "My schedule," she started, the words coming out slightly rushed. "My... track coach. He gave me tomorrow off. The whole day."
Ren paused his hand. He looked down, trying to catch her eye, but she steadfastly refused to look up. "The whole day?"
"Yeah," Maki confirmed, her voice dropping into a register so incredibly shy it almost gave Ren whiplash. The crimson flush that had just started to fade immediately rushed back, painting her ears a bright, burning pink. "I'm totally free tomorrow. So... we can... you know. If you want to."
She finally peeked up at him through her lashes, biting her lower lip. "Finish what we started."