Chapter Text
anzu?
had to get a new phone. other one broke
worst week ever
dunno if this is you
srry
Ranmaru really should’ve transferred over his contacts when he had the chance. It would’ve spared him a lot of time and the onslaught of a migraine.
He couldn’t exactly blame himself. To say the past few days had been overwhelming would be a massive understatement. Breaking his phone and shelling out half of his savings on a replacement had only been the cherry on top. By now, the feeling of overwhelm had resolved itself to demoralization and familiar apathy. Dully, he picked up the pieces left in the wake of his week.
He did hope she responded soon, though. He could use someone to rant to. It was unusual. It wasn’t often that Ranmaru felt the need to talk about his problems. It was often up to him to stew in his emotions alone. He guessed it had all built up inside him enough to need to be expelled, like a nasty stomach bug.
First it was the newspaper club. They had some big idea about interviewing a bunch of the school’s clubs and whipping up an edition centered around the school’s community. The idea made Ranmaru lethargic from the announcement, but he had no idea that it would amount to be as exhausting as it was. He’d talked to enough strangers and spent enough extracurricular time on campus to drain his social battery for weeks. Then he got his hair cut. Haircuts were probably the thing he dreaded most in the world, but he’d put it off long enough. Of course, his hairdresser cut his hair too short, as she always did. It deflated his confidence. Finally, when he was laying in bed trying his damndest to escape it all, his phone dropped off the edge and smacked against the corner of his dresser.
Now, he’d forgotten Anzu’s phone number. The only phone number he knew off the top of his head was his mother’s and that was only because she’d drilled it into his head at a young age. Everyone else’s was taken care of by his contacts app.
He thought he might know Anzu’s, but he acknowledged that it was an educated guess. He was certain he got the area code and first few numbers right, but wasn’t confident in the last few.
His phone buzzed with a notification from the number he’d guessed. His eyebrows quirked up in mild surprise. Anzu never got back to him so fast.
Hey! I’m not Anzu, but I’m sorry you’ve had such a bad week. -S
I hope you like your new phone? -S
And that you find Anzu, wherever they are. -S
Now he was squinting down at his phone, bewildered by the mysterious person who responded to a wrong number text like that . He quite frankly had no idea what to do with it.
oh
new phone’s nice I guess
and thx… I’m sure I will
———
Sara couldn’t bring herself to ignore a wrong number text. Never could. For all she knew, the person on the other end could be counting on receiving a text back from whoever they were trying to reach. If she didn’t set them on the right track, they could think they had the right number and were being ignored. It was like holding the door for someone. A simple act of courtesy.
Plus, she felt for this person. After all, they apparently had the “worst week ever”. She couldn’t let having their message ignored by this “Anzu” person be another bump in the road for them.
Breaking your phone’s the worst. I’ve been there. Nice to get a shiny new one, though. -S
Anyways. Hoping the best for you, stranger -S
She really meant for that to be the end of it. Even if it had been the most entertaining thing to happen to her in days. Midterms were coming up and she had sequestered herself in her room since the beginning of the week. She had already put in four mind-numbing hours of studying that night. Where the stranger on the other end of the line apparently had a bad week, she’d had the most monotonous in recent memory. The distraction of getting a text from a mystery person offered just enough intrigue for her to break from the slump.
She didn’t hear anything back for the better part of the night. She tried to forget about the texts, but maybe for lack of something better to focus on, she kept turning it over in her mind. Frustratingly, it took her attention away from studying and she had to close her books for the night. In a mania that could only be induced by boredom and late night hours, she considered it like a puzzle. One that she didn’t have intention to solve, but wouldn’t hurt to lackadaisically click a few pieces together. She found herself reopening the messages and scanning them over. Who was this person? Were they young, old? A boy, a girl (something in between)? There was a non-zero chance of them being a serial killer or a kidnapper, but they didn’t really text like one. Not that she knew how serial killers and kidnappers texted.
uh well
got anzu’s number
thanks btw
whoever you are
Suddenly, a few notifications chimed out from the serial-killer kidnapper’s number. Sara jolted at the noise, then snickered at herself for getting so worked up over nothing.
Reading over the new messages, she chewed over whether to respond. Technically, her job was done and they’d found the right person. There was no need for her to keep talking to them. Stranger-danger PSAs and lectures from over-anxious adults looped in her head.
Ultimately, her curiosity and courtesy won over. One more response couldn’t hurt. And it wasn’t like she could leave them hanging now!
I’m glad! -S
And no problem. Just doing my due diligence by making sure you reach the right person. -S
wow. a public servant
who signs off every text with their initial or somethin
Haha! You’re funny -S
doin my due diligence -r
Aw! -S
And you signed off with your initial! -S
it’s clunky -r
I usually don’t do it past the first couple of texts. Plus, I think it's charming. It personalizes the message a little, you know? But this is fun. Adds to the mystery…! Especially now that you’re playing along. -S
guess I’m stuck doin this -r
Only if you keep texting me! -S
who the hell are you -r
Like I said, just someone who wants to make sure you got the right number. And signs off their messages, I guess. -S
nice of ya -r
Anyways, hope your weekend goes better, R. Happy Friday! -S
not friday yet -r
It is now. -S
It’s midnight -S
srry it’s late i’ll let you sleep -r
—-
Ranmaru had no idea why he even texted them back beyond their first message. Then he made the effort to thank them hours after the conversation was naturally over. Now it was midnight on Friday and he found himself dumbly smiling at his phone.
It had to be the fragile state of mind stress had put him in. It left him susceptible to be charmed by some nice stranger who texted with near perfect grammar and signed off all their messages. Their style conjured up the visual of a kind retiree or a middle-aged mom up past their bedtime trying to help him. The central image his brain settled on was of the professor of one of his general education art classes from a previous semester. He could easily imagine Professor Mishima, in all his friendly eccentricities, staying up late to help out a wayward stranger.
Upon the realization that it was midnight, Ranmaru closed his messenger app. He silenced his notifications for the night and did one final check of social media. He opened the platform he had found Anzu’s profile on earlier (he didn’t know why he didn’t do that first before guessing numbers). A few messages from her were waiting since he last opened the app.
Anzu (downtheclown726): Ranmaruuuuu I’m so sorry you’re having such a bad week!!! Like WHAT! ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ
Anzu (downtheclown726): did you wanna talk about it???
Ranmaru ( ranmaru.kageyama1): hey anzu
Hours ago, Ranmaru would’ve readily taken the invitation. The emotions had now smoothed over—not into begrudged indifference, but resolution. As ridiculous and probably pathetic as it was, a total stranger was to thank for it.
Ranmaru (ranmaru.kageyama1): its good actually
Ranmaru (ranmaru.kageyama1): wanna hear somethin stupid though
He explained the situation. Anzu was thoroughly amused by every part of it. She agreed that S was probably just a well-meaning older person. Though she did seem a lot more enthusiastic about the concept than he was.
Anzu (downtheclown726): this is like the COOLEST thing ever Ranmaru!
Anzu (downtheclown726): u could get like a pen pal out of this ! Like a movie (*'▽'*)
Anzu (downtheclown726): say hi to S for me in the morning??
Ranmaru (ranmaru.kageyama1): no way I’m doin that