Strange things have occurred in virtually every corner of the world; events that defy rational explanation, that hold captivity over the collective fascination and bafflement. The blackout in a small town within the coastal city of Kawasaki hardly stands out among such odd occurrences. The event was briefly described within a small column in the newspaper as a peculiar incident taken place on a September evening. Everything had gone dark within the confines of the fishing town. Services, electronics, and power lines went unresponsive, and communication was cut off in and out for a span of two hours. No serious incidents occurred during that time, and no infrastructure damages were reported that could explain the sudden blackout.
The Kawasaki Blackout. It would have gone forgotten entirely if not for a brief series of coincidences unfolding in a small café in Tokyo. It began with a young couple dropping by for lunch at their favourite hangout - a place of memories, coffee and curry. The owner, Sojiro "Boss" Sakura had a hefty share of culinary skills, jaded charisma and business wisdom to keep LeBlanc a favourite among his customers. The young couple, however, had more than one reason to frequent the café. At some point, LeBlanc became the anonymous headquarters to the infamous Phantom Thieves, a group that sought justice from the shadows. Ryuji Sakamoto and Ann Takamaki were both part of the fold…
… As was his adoptive daughter Futaba, much to his initial bemusement. Although she partook of the same perils as the rest of the Phantom Thieves, her involvement pulled her out of her seemingly pathological reclusiveness. A year and a half ago, he would have not dared dream Futaba would now be a first year student in high school. She joined them that afternoon, taking her usual spot at the counter.
"Sojiroooo! Where's my curry?" The girl with bright orange hair demanded.
"Have you done your homework yet?" Sojiro faked a gruff reply.
"I need sustenance to start it! My education depends on you providing me curry! Massive, massive amounts!"
"Hey, Futaba! We're trying to have a romantic moment here!" Ryuji protested from the booth.
"Ugh, teenagers…" Futaba made as if to gag.
"Hey now, Ryuji. We're supposed to encourage Futaba to take her studies seriously." Ann joined in.
"You're not the boss of me!"
"Futaba!" Ann raised her voice.
"Hey now, you three. Don't make me call mum and dad." Sojiro gave an affable threat. From the moment he learned about the full extent of the Phantom Thieves' work, he easily spotted the functioning hierarchy in the group. Though all regarded each other equally, there was a clear axis of leadership maintained by Akira Kurusu and Makoto Niijima. The former was the young man under his care during his wrongful transfer to Tokyo for a year, and the latter was an honour student and student council president at Shujin. As far as Boss could see, the pair looked over their friends as if they were family; in the end, they proved just as close and dear.
"Yes, Boss." Ryuji, Ann, and Futaba spoke in unison.
"Good behaviour. That's what I like to see." Sojiro smirked.
"By the way, when is Akira visiting?" Ryuji asked.
"I'm guessing sometime in November, before he chains himself to his desk till January." Boss said. "See, he's taking his studies seriously."
"That's too long!" Futaba complained. "He's coming back for good, right?"
"If he managed to convince his parents. Kid has a high mountain to climb there." Boss remarked as he grabbed the newspaper to try and finish the crossword he started that morning. Something at the corner of his eye snatched his attention, though.
"I bet he'll make it." Ann said with conviction. "Still, I was hoping he'd be around for Christmas. I've been wanting to go on a double date for a while."
"Yo, we can make it a triple if Futaba asks Yusuke." Ryuji teased.
"Shut it! There will be no Inari talk at the table!" Futaba yelled.
"Damn it." Sojiro growled. He reached for his cell phone and walked outside.
"Boss?" Ryuji asked in confusion.
"What was that about?" Ann asked.
"Who knows? Maybe he doesn't appreciate Inari talk at the table." Futaba snarked.
"Hmm, weird to see him like that, though." Ryuji said. "Come on, let's go. Maybe it's important."
"Hey, it's rude to snoop!" Ann protested, as she nonetheless followed her boyfriend outside.
The three found Sojiro outside the café, his cell phone held between his ear and his shoulder as he lit a cigarette. He turned to look at the Futaba and his friends, but did not seem to particularly mind them.
"Hey, I just read what happened in the paper. You guys okay?" Sojiro asked. "Good to know. Accidents happen easily like that. How's your husband?" The cigarette's end glowed hot as he inhaled a mouthful of smoke. "Okay, things are good at home, I see. And, uh, how's the kid?"
There was a pause. His sharp eyebrows rose with undecipherable emotion. It then became clear to the three youths who Sojiro was calling. They had met Akira's parents when they accompanied their friend and leader on his return to his hometown in Kawasaki. Despite the bittersweet farewell, the Phantom Thieves returned to Tokyo with serenity and hope. Judging by Boss' sudden call, something had occurred in the vicinity. But the brief reassurance lasted only so long, as now a chill crept down their spines.
"I see." Sojiro's tone betrayed concern. "Yes. Has a doctor seen him?"
The incompleteness of the conversation made them uneasy. Ryuji felt his foot descend into a tapping frenzy against the ground. Ann fidgeted with a string on her sweatshirt. Futaba was frightfully still. Amidst the tense atmosphere, Sojiro seemed to maintain his composure; his experience dealing with tremulous situation outlasted the time they lived. Still, the worry slowly pierced through his stoic demeanour.
"Tell me, is the cat around him?" Sojiro asked, referring to Morgana, a manifestation of humanity's hope shaped into a feline package – a most peculiar one amongst the Phantom Thieves. "I see. Good, let him be around Akira."
"S-Sojiro?" Futaba asked with a whimper of a voice, involuntarily.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'll let her know. Thank you, Masako. Keep me posted." Sojiro ended the call. His reluctance to turn and look at Futaba, Ryuji and Ann was palpable.
"Boss?" Ann pleaded to know if something had happened to Akira. Ryuji said nothing, though a shake in his lip and the distress in his eyes said it all. Futaba looked to be on the verge of tears.
He let out a long sigh.
"You may want to sit down, and call the others."