Vibrant
"Is the curry any good?" Sojiro asked from across the counter.
Futaba rolled her eyes as she scraped the few remaining grains of rice from her plate. "Sheesh, don't fish for compliments, Sojiro. You know your curry is always great."
"I'm glad you think so," Sojiro said with a chuckle, waiting for her to finish and then taking her dirty plate and spoon to the back.
Initially, Futaba had planned on staying holed up in her room all day. Despite the progress she had made in the past year, she by no means had fully recovered from her years of isolation and escapism; they were still her fallback when life felt too heavy to handle.
But when Sojiro had called her cell at noon asking if she wanted to come get lunch at Leblanc, she knew she had to go see him. She had picked up on the tinge of sadness in his voice, and despite him being her guardian, she felt like she needed to look out for him too. Plus, she figured he was probably trying to make sure she wasn't alone on this particular day, so she wasn't going to deny him that.
Futaba swung her legs and glanced sideways at the TV, glad it was on to fill in the gaps when it got quiet between her and Sojiro. She felt a little guilty that she didn't really have the energy to be a good conversation partner today. Still, his presence was comforting, and she knew he was always happier when she was around.
As he hand-dried the dishes, Sojiro remarked, "I can't believe we haven't had a single customer all day."
"Psh, I can believe it," Futaba replied lethargically, folding her arms on the counter and placing her chin on top of them. "People are out and about today. If Mom was still alive, I wouldn't take her here on Mother's Day either."
Sojiro frowned deeply, and Futaba immediately regretted the poor delivery of her words. Normally she could get away with saying something like that if she said it with enough enthusiasm and a little cackle afterwards, but this time it just came out flat.
"I'm sorry," she apologized vaguely, looking away from Sojiro.
After a moment of silence, Sojiro said, "Actually, I'm glad."
"Huh?" Futaba said, lifting her head to look at Sojiro, who was wearing an easy smile.
"Before, you never would have even brought up your mother. Heck, not too long ago, you would barely talk to me at all. You've come such a long way."
"Sojiro," Futaba said, exaggerating each syllable as she buried her face in her arms. She was still flustered anytime Sojiro launched into his Proud Papa Mode.
"Seriously though, if Wakaba was alive, you really wouldn't bring her here on Mother's Day?"
"Of course not! We'd be here all the time, so we would wanna take her somewhere different on a special day like Mother's Day."
Sojiro's eyes crinkled at the corners. "You said we would take her somewhere different?"
"Um, well… yeah," she replied softly.
In the moment, Futaba hadn't realized the implications of this AU she had constructed. In this universe where her mom was still alive, the two of them treated Leblanc like a second home, and Sojiro was still her father figure, and he would close up the café on holidays and go on outings with them and…
"So you weren't just trying to call this place a dump?" Sojiro asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Of course it's a dump!" Futaba said, forcing a cheeky smile. "You didn't think your back-alley café that also serves as a hideout for fugitives was a high-class joint, did you?"
"You've got me there," Sojiro said with an overdramatic sigh that drew out a genuine laugh from Futaba. "Maybe I'll close up early today, after lunchtime."
"All right. I'm gonna hang out here for a bit," Futaba decided, hopping down from her stool.
"Okay, let me know if you need anything."
"Will do, Sojiro," Futaba said, saluting him before turning toward the booths.
Today she chose the booth closest to the front door. This position had several advantages, one being that she could see any customers that came in before they saw her. It also had the best view of the Sayuri. Only Sojiro knew just how much time Futaba regularly spent sitting there and staring at that painting.
She sat with her back against the wall and her legs stretched across the length of the booth. She pulled her ever-present headphones up over her ears and opened her phone. There were a few notifications but nothing she was in the mood to deal with at the moment, and in one of her rare moments of wanting to be disconnected, she put the phone in airplane mode.
As soon as she did it, she felt a bit uneasy, but she knew she would feel relieved as soon as she put a good playlist on. She decided to go for something without words—electronic and experimental but not overbearingly so, with occasional orchestral sweeps that made her feel like she was floating. Once she got her music set up, the only thing left to do was stare straight ahead and follow her thoughts wherever they decided to go.
Futaba occasionally glanced over at Sojiro, who seemed to be experimenting with different coffee blends. He looked focused, and content. He was more than she deserved.
After her train of thought had run back and forth across the universe a few times, she closed her eyes, nearly nodding off more than once. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when her playlist ran out of songs and she saw that Sojiro was cleaning up.
Pulling her headphones away from her ears, she asked, "Closing up?"
"Yeah, I doubt anyone will be coming in for the rest of the day," he answered. "You coming with me?"
Futaba shook her head. "I'm gonna stay here a little longer, if that's okay." She wasn't quite ready to leave her cathartic little corner just yet.
"All right," Sojiro said, reaching up to turn off the TV. "I'll have dinner ready when you come home."
Before Futaba could say thanks, the front door of the café swung open, and Yusuke entered, looking worn out and somewhat less regal than usual. He didn't appear to notice Futaba as he approached the counter, stopping short when he saw Sojiro pulling off his apron.
Normally, if she had been paying attention to her phone, Futaba would have seen Yusuke coming. She had only told Akira outright that she was still tracking his cell, but the other Phantom Thieves would be naïve to think she wasn't tracking them as well.
"Ah, hello, Yusuke," Sojiro greeted warmly.
"Hello, Boss," Yusuke said politely. "How are you this afternoon?"
"Doing fine, thanks. I was actually just about to close up early. Haven't had a single customer all day."
"None at all? That is truly baffling. I can think of no place with a better cup of coffee or a lovelier atmosphere."
Sojiro gave a hearty laugh. "You really know how to make an old man feel good about himself and this little dump of a café he runs."
"Dump? That notion is simply absurd. If I could afford it, I would come here at every opportunity."
If it wouldn't have given away her position, Futaba would have growled at him. His genuine love for Leblanc was making her look bad.
"Yusuke," Sojiro sighed, "I told you a hundred times you don't have to avoid coming here when you don't have any money. You're always welcome to anything I have here."
Every time Futaba witnessed the two of them having a conversation, she found it weird how pleasant they were with each other, especially considering how obnoxious both of them were toward her. There was a definite fondness there, as well as a certain sense of respect that Sojiro afforded the boy that seemed odd. She wondered if it was because Sojiro had a thing for taking in strays (there was Akira, Morgana, and heck, even herself), but then it had taken a lot longer for him to warm up to Akira or anyone else in the same way.
"But this is a place of business," Yusuke protested, as usual. "Although I must admit that it is the case today that I do not have any money. But I did not come here for a handout. I merely wished to spend some time with…" He looked sheepishly toward the Sayuri, but then he quickly looked back to Sojiro and said, "But if you are on your way out, I can simply return on another occasion."
"Ah, I get it," Sojiro said, glancing between the Sayuri and Yusuke. "Look, I know you gave me that painting, but it's just as much yours as it is mine, so whenever you want to come look at it, please feel free. Even if it's after hours. It's no bother to me."
"Thank you, Boss. You are too kind," Yusuke said, bowing. "If you truly do not mind, I will take you up on that offer today."
"I just told you I don't mind! Let me pour you some coffee before I head out, and then you can stay here as long as you want. Futaba is gonna hang out here for a while too, so she can lock up when you're ready to go."
Futaba's eyes went wide at the mention of her name. She had definitely not given Sojiro permission to give away her position. At the same time, it was a bit concerning that Yusuke hadn't had the wherewithal to sense her presence by now.
"Futaba?" Yusuke asked, obviously confused.
"Here I am," Futaba said awkwardly as she raised a hand in greeting, figuring there was no use trying to hide now.
Yusuke turned to look at her, and somehow Futaba felt like there was a spotlight on her, like when they used to get caught by too many Shadows in a Palace and the whole place would go on high alert.
"Oh, hello there," he said with a small smile that didn't quite make it up to his weary eyes.
"Hey, Yusuke," Sojiro interrupted, "I'm gonna give you two different types of coffee. I was trying out a couple of new blends and need an opinion. You can tell me later which one you liked better, okay? You too, Futaba."
"Anything for you, Boss."
"Yessir!"
As Sojiro poured coffee into four cups, Yusuke stood stiffly in place, silently observing.
"Have a seat, son," Sojiro said to Yusuke as he put all the cups on a serving tray.
"Oh, um, s-sure," Yusuke stuttered, promptly scooting into the seat across from Futaba.
Sojiro walked over to their booth and set the cups on the table, one white cup and one black cup for each of them.
"Thank you, Boss. It smells heavenly. You are most gracious," Yusuke said, his eyes looking a little less tired as they watched the steam dance up and away from his coffee toward the ceiling.
"Hey, I'm not the only one getting something out of this," Sojiro said as he gathered his things. "You two are my first testers on these blends, so don't let me down, okay?"
"I would never dream of it," Yusuke replied almost too seriously.
"All right, I'll see you kids later," Sojiro said, making sure his keys were in his pocket. "Don't forget to lock up, Futaba. Call me if you need anything."
"Yeah, yeah, we got it," Futaba said. "Now go on and get outta here before I change my mind about letting you off early."
"Heh, if you say so," Sojiro replied, putting his hat on and heading out the door.
He normally would have had a cheekier response, and Futaba wondered if he was just behaving because Yusuke was there, or if the heaviness of the day was affecting him too. He had been close to Wakaba, after all, and here he was all these years later, taking care of her kid on his own.
The door clicked shut behind Sojiro, and Futaba suddenly felt claustrophobic, alone in the quiet restaurant with Yusuke.
She watched as he lifted his black cup to his lips and blew on the surface of the steaming liquid, but then he frowned and set it back down on the table.
Staring into the coffee instead of looking at her, he asked, "No laptop today?"
"Nope. No sketchbook today?"
"No. Not today."
"Feeling down because it's Mother's Day?" Futaba asked bluntly, wishing she had been as direct with Sojiro.
Yusuke didn't flinch. "I'm afraid so."
"Me too," Futaba admitted.
Futaba felt that a layer of joking and sarcasm that was vital to their relationship was currently missing, and it left her not knowing how to act. It was as if this was a completely different person that she had to learn how to navigate. The pleasantness he'd had with Sojiro was gone, and his eyes were practically dead, devoid of their usual sparkle that was no doubt fueled by his eccentric artist brain.
"If you want to be alone, I can leave," Futaba offered. "I can go upstairs-"
"Please, stay." Yusuke finally looked her in the eyes. "I do love simply being here at Leblanc, and I did want to see the Sayuri today, but more than that, I… came here to not be alone."
"Okay," Futaba quietly agreed, decidedly unsettled by this deeply sad and vulnerable version of Yusuke.
"Thank you."
Yusuke picked up the same cup again, but it was still too hot to drink.
"You're gonna burn your tongue if you're gonna be that impatient."
"But it smells so good," Yusuke lamented, setting the cup down once again.
He started tapping his long fingers against the tabletop as he looked at the Sayuri, and Futaba watched with curiosity as each fingertip fell against the surface in a cascading motion.
Something about his drumming bothered her, and it took her a moment to realize that it wasn't the noise but the familiar anxiety behind the motion.
She had been so relaxed before he came in, but now she could feel the tension growing inside her again.
"Hey, stop it," she said, sliding her hand across the tabletop so that his fingers hit the back of her hand instead.
"Hm?" Yusuke hummed, as if she had just interrupted a thought that he had wished to linger on.
"Whoa!" Futaba exclaimed distractedly, grabbing his wrist and lifting his hand up in the air. With her other hand, she pressed her palm against his, seeing just how long his fingers were compared to hers. "That's crazy!"
Yusuke's brows furrowed. "Please explain yourself."
"Oh, uh…" Futaba drew her hands back and clasped them under the table, removing them from Yusuke's sight as if that would undo the awkwardness she just created. "It's just hard to believe that tiny thing turned into you."
"By 'that tiny thing,' are you referring to the baby in the painting?"
"Yeah. Baby Yusuke," Futaba clarified, looking sideways toward the Sayuri. "It's just crazy, because the mom—your mom—is looking at this little baby version of you, and she's like, super enamored with you, but there's no way she could have imagined what you'd grow up to be like. I know she wasn't much taller than me, so-"
"How do you know that?" Yusuke interrupted.
"Because I, uh, kinda looked her up. You know, standard party member research… Anyway, I wonder if, in that moment, she could have even imagined that one day you'd be so tall that she would have to crane her neck just to look you in the eyes. Or that if she pressed her hand against yours, there would be a huge overlap…"
When she looked back at him, his face was buried in his hands, and to her horror, tears began to slide down those long fingers that she now regretted blathering on about.
"Gah, Inari! I didn't mean to make you cry!"
His shoulders were shaking, but he cried silently, giving Futaba the terrible feeling that he'd had to cry quietly by himself many times before.
She hadn't seen Madarame's palace herself, but from what she had gathered, the guy seemed like a real dick. She could only imagine how alone Yusuke must have felt all those years living with a man like that. Futaba found herself hoping she could talk to Yusuke about it one day, but in the meantime, she'd never forgive Madarame for what he did to Yusuke, or to his beautiful mother that Futaba would only ever know through a painting.
Her own eyes started to burn, so she squeezed them shut. And then she was back in her room, locked in and trying to muffle her sobbing in her pillow or a stuffed animal or anything so she wouldn't be heard. She had felt so lonely then.
No, Futaba thought, don't go back there to your dark place. You don't belong there anymore. And don't let him go back to his dark place either, wherever that is. You have to help him. You can do this!
She opened her eyes and proclaimed, "I can do this!"
Yusuke wiped at his eyes, looking defeated and embarrassed. "Do what?"
"I'm going to give you a motivational speech so that you don't go to your dark place!"
His voice rough, Yusuke said, "I can't say I'm sure of what you're talking about."
"Just shut up and listen, Inari!" Futaba ordered, clenching both fists in front of her with enthusiasm. "Our moms might not be here, but if they were here, they would be looking at us like that-" she pointed at the Sayuri, "-but with a 1,000,000x multiplier! And the fact that that kind of love was ever directed at us in the first place is amazing in itself, so we should be super grateful! And it's okay to be super sad too, because we can never replace them, but we can find different people to love, and while it's not the same, it's just as important!"
Yusuke was giving her a scrutinizing look, and Futaba slowly lowered her clenched fists, wondering why he was not responding with overwhelming positivity to her motivational speech.
"Futaba, could you perhaps do me a favor?"
"Uh, sure?"
"Please stand up for a moment," he requested, sliding out of his booth and looking down at her expectantly.
"Okay…" Futaba said uncertainly, sliding out of her booth as well and standing in front of him.
"You said my mother wasn't much taller than you?" Yusuke asked.
Futaba craned her neck up to look into his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, she was only a couple centimeters taller than me."
Yusuke bent his knees and lowered himself to Futaba's level, an unexpectedly charming smile taking over his countenance.
Suddenly, he tucked his arms under Futaba's and pulled her into a hug.
Alarms started going off in Futaba's head. She wasn't used to any of this: not being in such close proximity to another human being, not being needed by someone else for comfort…
Too much pressure! Figuratively and literally. This is a really tight hug. Gah, you can do it, Futaba! Be the comforter! If it'll make him feel better, just do it!
Mentally cheering herself on, Futaba looped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed as if her life depended on it.
She felt Yusuke take in a sharp little breath, and then he relaxed his grip on her, his hold warm and lingering but not as urgent.
He chuckled deeply and then exhaled near her ear, "Ha, Mother was tiny."
"Hey! I'm not tiny-"
Before she could finish, Yusuke's grip tightened around her again, and as he began to stand up straight, she reflexively shifted her arms up around his neck.
Futaba let out a surprised burst of laughter as soon as her feet left the ground, and then he was laughing with her as her feet dangled in the air.
"Ha! You're so tall! And strong! It's like I can see the whole world from up here!" Futaba exclaimed, filled with the childlike feeling of discovering something new and wonderful.
"This is quite amusing," Yusuke stated, his voice laced with traces of laughter.
"Wow, you actually sound like yourself now!" Futaba declared as Yusuke lowered her back to the ground.
Slowly releasing her from his grasp, Yusuke asked, "And how is that?"
"Uh, you know, happy, and like… vibrant."
"Vibrant?"
Futaba took a step backwards and clasped her hands behind her back, looking up at him. "Yeah. Actually, now that I think about it, that's the perfect word to describe you! Hey, what's that face for?"
"To my knowledge, no one has ever called me something so flattering before."
"Seriously? That's the most flattering thing anyone has ever said about you?"
"Well, most people don't speak to me, let alone take the time to compliment me personally. My art does garner the occasional praise…"
"But that's not the same," Futaba said sadly. She had to admit that she had not always thought highly of Yusuke, initially finding him to be annoying and even arrogant, but she knew better now. He was kind and resilient and talented and dedicated, and his head-in-the-clouds demeanor was part of his appeal.
Futaba held her chin in between her thumb and index finger, the gears in her head turning. "But wait, maybe it's like the Sayuri? Yeah, that's it! What a great metaphor! I'm a genius!"
"I'm not sure I follow…"
"You were always there in the painting, and you were always vibrant. It's just that up until recently, you were covered up, and the world couldn't see you for what you really are!"
"Futaba, I…" Yusuke regarded her with wide eyes, appearing to be momentarily disarmed.
"Cat got your tongue? That's okay. Here, sit down and drink Sojiro's coffee while you bask in my genius."
Futaba pushed Yusuke back into the booth and then scooted in beside him. She then pushed his two cups toward him and pulled her cups across the table toward herself.
After some silence punctuated by sipping noises and thoughtful hums, Yusuke asked, "Which do you prefer?"
"Black cup, definitely."
"I prefer the blend in the white cup," he said with a smile.
"Ha, figures. I must report this to Sojiro as soon as possible!"
"Ah, yes. I suppose it would be ill-mannered of me to linger in his café and keep you from him for much longer," Yusuke said, already looking lonely again as he stared into the bottom of his cup.
"Inari… what do you plan on doing with the rest of your Mother's Day?"
"I'm not sure."
"Wanna go spend it with my dad?"
Yusuke turned and looked at her, and the look in his eyes reminded her of the subject matter of one of his recent paintings: hope.
"That… sounds wonderful."
"Sweet! Sojiro will be so happy!"
"He will?"
"Duh! Sojiro thinks the world of you. Of course he'll be happy. And I'm happy. So… you be happy too, okay, Yusuke?
"I can think of few times when I have been happier than I am right now."
"Oh… I forgot, um, Sojiro's making dinner. He always makes a ton, s-so make sure you eat a lot!"
"Well, now I'm even happier."
Futaba didn't know what to say after that, so she turned away to finish her coffee, taking the time to enjoy its warmth. When they had both finished, she took their cups to the sink and quickly rinsed them out, quietly humming one of the songs from her playlist and feeling at peace again.
Coming out from behind the counter, she proclaimed, "All right, enough lollygagging! Let's go! I'm sure Sojiro is dying of loneliness without us."
"I wouldn't want him to die of loneliness," Yusuke said, exiting the booth and heading toward the door.
"Exactly!" Futaba agreed, ushering Yusuke out of Leblanc. "No one we care about is gonna die of loneliness on our watch!"
He held the door open for her while she turned the lights off and fished her spare key out of her pocket to lock up.
"Sounds like a new mission to me," Yusuke said as Futaba jiggled the handle to double-check that it was locked properly.
"New mission?" Futaba said, eyes glinting as they began to make their way toward the Sakura residence. "Mission accepted! We will not fail!"
Yusuke nodded, looking far off into the distance and contentedly declaring, "You are right; we shall not fail."
"Ha, you really think so?"
Yusuke stopped walking, making Futaba do a double take before stopping herself to return his gaze.
Looking at her in the eyes this time, he repeated, "We shall not fail."
"Wh-whoa! So dramatic, Inari! You have the clenched-fist starry-eyed determination of an anime protagonist!"
"Huh?"
Futaba laughed wildly, dragging him along after her. "I'll explain later! Let's go!"