Louise, got sore knees

Too much time playing 'round with what you need

A child, you've forgotten

Can't remember what you really wanted

"So, how's your health?"

Tae's pen stood poised over her clipboard, eyes scanning the woman in front of her. Less haggard, less tired, less nervous scratching of polish off the fingernails, whatever Sadayo was doing, it seemed to be working.

"Like, in general?" Her smile finally seemed to compliment the sunshine on her sweater. "Pretty good, honestly. My stress levels have gone way down, I'm working less and going out more. I know it's cliche, but if I had to sum it up, it's like I feel young again!"

"Excellent." Tae raised her eyebrows and sheathed her pen with a click. "I wish I could take credit for this recovery but it looks like all you needed was a little nudge."

"Yeah, I know I was pretty down in the dumps last time I came here."

THAT'S an understatement. The two of them thought simultaneously.

"So what changed? Was it some major life event or did you just need someone to talk to?"

"Bit of both, really. I might as well take it from the top." Sadayo breathed in. "I guess you already know if you've been paying attention to the news, but they arrested the coach at the school where I work."

"Right, Kamoshida." Tae's eyes flashed with recognition. "The one who was abusing those kids. They say he took some sort of sabbatical, then came back and turned himself in to the police. I'm glad they caught him, but the circumstances are odd, to say the least."

"Tell me about it, the police have been turning Shujin upside down trying to get the full story. Just about every student and teacher has been sat down for a debrief."

"Even you?"

"Especially me, I gave them my full cooperation and told them everything I know. Part of me still feels guilty about not speaking up sooner, but it still feels good knowing that I played a part in putting that bastard behind bars for good, now matter how small."

"Sometimes justice works out in the end. And you're not perturbed by all the media attention on the scandal, what that might do to your job?"

"To tell you the truth, it feels like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders, like I was staring at this big deadline in front of my eyes in size 72 font every morning when I woke up, telling me any day might be my last. Now, I'm feeling pretty good about job security. It's annoying to have the police and the reporters harassing us, but they'll find another story to chase soon enough, and the cops are only doing their jobs. About damn time too."

"Do you resent the police for not having acted sooner, or was it your lack of confidence in them that prevented you from going public with your prior knowledge?"

"I was scared. I wasn't sure they would be able to protect me or my students if that happened. The wheels of justice turn slowly, and I think Kamoshida was only one bad day away from doing something more drastic."

"He didn't, though. I guess it's fortunate for all parties involved that he had, what do you call it, a change of heart?"

Sadayo's eyes darted towards the long legged doctor. It was a common enough phrase, but the way she dropped it implied that perhaps she knew more than she was letting on.

What are the odds that I'm not the only adult in on Ren's little secret?

"Yes, I suppose it is. Did you hear about how the story got leaked? Apparently a group calling themselves the Phantom Thieves exposed Kamoshida for his crimes a week before his actual confession." Sadayo watched the woman closely to gauge her reaction.

"Oh yeah, they mentioned something about that." Tae turned the rear of her pen back to her lips. "Some sort of hacker group? Gang activity isn't the kind of thing you'd normally associate with Shujin."

"They're not a gang." Sadayo clarified, firmly. "Judging from their intentions, I'd say they're more like… activists."

"Call it what you want." Tae shrugged, uncrossing her legs. "They got one over on this Kamoshida fellow, so they're alright in my book."

Now it was Takemi's turn to study her under scarlet eyes.

"You wouldn't happen to know them, would you Sadayo?"

"Do I look like the kind of woman who'd get involved in something like that?" Kawakami brought a hand to her chest. "Please, I have enough trouble making rent without putting my cape on to go fight crime."

"So they're crime fighters."

Sadayo's throat caught.

"Of a sort, I guess. Just kind of the mental image you get from the name. Phantom Thieves. Batman. Robin Hood. Lifting up the downtrodden and giving them something to aspire to."

"Uh huh, what did you say you taught at Shujin again?"

"Japanese. And Literature. And Algebra when they need a sub. Same goes for Chemistry."

"Makes sense." Tae put her clipboard away. "You mentioned taking on fewer hours at work, is this from Shujin or your part time gig?"

"The latter, I think they got the message."

"And you're not worried about making ends meet? I don't mean to pressure you, but it was a concern you brought up before."

"I'm looking at other jobs right now, so I'm not too worried about making up the lost income. It's not like I planned on staying with the cleaning service anyway."

"I see. Any other changes to speak of?"

"There's been a few. I'm not sure it's strictly a medical concern, at least I hope not." Sadayo wrung her hands. "More of a psychological thing."

"Well, I'm not a therapist by any means, but I can refer you to one if you feel like you need help-"

"That won't be necessary." She smoothed her skirt. "I know it's not your field, but honestly, I feel more comfortable speaking with you, if that's alright. It's like you said, sometimes you just need someone to talk to, right?"

"Right, it's just that it would be unethical of me to psychologically profile you and pass it off as medical advice in a professional setting."

"And what about an unprofessional setting?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You know, like over coffee or drinks or something."

"It's a little early in the day, don't you think?"

"Oh come on, what else are you doing right now? I know the sign says no walk-ins but I never see anyone in the waiting room when I come around."

"It's been a slow year." Tae's brow twitched, and she sighed. "Alright, where do you wanna go?"

"Oh, you're back." Sojiro greeted Sadayo as she walked through the door of his cafe, leaving it open for Tae to step through. "And you brought a friend."

"Hello." The doctor waved brusquely.

"Hi Sojiro, this is Doctor Takemi. She runs the clinic just around the corner?"

"Oh right, right. That Dr. Takemi. I apologize, I didn't expect someone so..." He cleared his throat. "Can I get you ladies some coffee?"

"Yes, please." Sadayo took a seat at the booth around back, quickly flipping through the menu. "I'll have a cappuccino, with whipped cream on top."

"You got it, and for the good doctor?"

"Make mine black." The word lingered on her cherry red lips, clicking hollow like the empty chamber of a gun.

"Sure thing." Sojiro hurried away. It was no wonder she kept the office so cool, bringing the woman anywhere seemed to make the place a little bit hotter.

"So, ever been here before?" Kawakami tapped her fingers on top of the table.

"Can't say I have, I'm not a big coffee drinker." Tae rested her chin on her hand. "And I don't get out much."

"It's two blocks away." Sadayo scoffed. "And bullshit, how'd you make it through med school without coffee?"

"I didn't say that, I'm just not the biggest fan. It makes me jittery, and then I crash. I can't have that, I like to be in control."

Sadayo wondered to what extent that translated to the other aspects of her life.

"I dunno, I always feel like I need a cup to help me face the day. You know, it's like you put your armor on, drink your little health potion, and then you're ready to get up and get out there."

"Was that supposed to be a video game reference?"

"Not like, specifically." Sadayo blushed. "It's just little things I tell myself. It's silly, I know."

"No, I think it's cute." Tae smiled.

"Thank you! Chouno just thinks I'm nuts."

"Is that one of your coworkers?"

"Yeah, she's a friend from Shujin. Real piece of work too, but she's a good English teacher."

"Coming through!" Sojiro reappeared and placed two cups in front of them. "One for you, and you. Not that I mind, but what brings you around today, Miss Kawakami?"

"I took a sick day. The cops are still questioning the students and staff about the developing scandal, so I wasn't going to get much teaching done anyway."

"Yeah, I heard, horrible stuff. At least they caught the bastard." He crossed his arms. "I swear this world gets crazier every day."

"Hear, hear." Sadayo raised her mug.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to know if-" he lowered his voice. "If Ren got mixed up in any of this, would you?"

"His hands are clean, Mr. Sakura. As far as I know." The teacher took a sip, watching Tae's eyes once again. "You really should give him more credit, he's a good kid."

"I know. It's just that he's got this chivalrous streak, and going off and doing something stupid because of a guy like that, well, it's exactly the kind of thing he'd do."

"Consider it your charm rubbing off on him." Sadayo grinned. "Don't worry, I've got my eye on Ren. He won't get into any trouble on my watch."

"Thank you, Miss. You two enjoy now, it's on me!"

"Thanks!"

Takemi looked over her shoulder as he walked away while her companion beamed.

"Wonder what it says about me that you get along better with this neighborhood than I do. They treat me like I'm the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Maybe if you came out of that below freezing cave where you brew potions once in a while." Sadayo teased her newfound friend. "I think we could both stand to get out more."

"I'll drink to that."

They clinked their mugs together.

"So why did you invite me here again?"

"I just wanted to talk some more, not so much work related but relationship stuff that happens to be work adjacent."

"You're asking the wrong person, girlfriend." Takemi whistled. "I've just about given up on men."

"Well, hear me out, cause this is where it gets complicated."

"Alright, shoot."

"So there's this guy at work. He's not really a teacher, he's more like a… chaperone, we manage the same after school club together."

"Uh huh, younger guy?"

"Much younger, like barely in college. And he's had this massive, obvious crush on me since day one."

"I'm guessing telling him to back off didn't help."

"I did, but the thing is, I also kept flirting and hanging out with him, so I can see how he might be getting mixed messages."

"I'll say. You might as well be wearing a neon sign that says Hard To Get. What's this guy look like, anyway?"

A bead of sweat formed on Sadayo's temple as she tried to think of someone who didn't look like Ren.

"Short." She replied crisply. "And he's got uh, yellow hair."

"Alright, so what's the deal with Spongebob? You gonna let him into your bikini bottoms or what?"

The both of them fell into fits of laughter so contagious that it invited a look over from Sojiro, who wanted to make sure they weren't choking.

"Okay, I'll give you that one. But he is pretty cute for his age."

"Sadayo Kawakami, cradle robber. Who'da thought, huh?"

"Please don't say that." Sadayo's face blanched for a moment. "Anyhow, that's not the end of this story."

"Oh? Do go on."

"I may have allowed him to take me on a date or two. Hanging out after school and such."

"What, like holding hands, going out to get ice cream, that sorta thing?"

"Maybe." Sadayo looked down at her shoes, as the woman wasn't very far off. "Might as well be."

"That's nice, you two are like a couple of high school sweethearts yourselves. So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that it's a breach of ethics, and given the nature of what's going on at Shujin right now, it's not something I want to encourage."

"So tell him. Say hey, I know we've got this thing going on, but I don't need these problems in my life right now, and maybe when things get better down the road we can meet up again?"

"That sounds... pretty straightforward."

"Yeah, you should try and broach the subject, see how he responds, and if he's a reasonable guy, he'll take the hint and back off. But that doesn't mean you can't be friends."

"Right, of course."

"But I'm guessing it doesn't end there."

Damn, she's good.

"I've been having these dreams lately. Sexual ones."

"Go on..." All the doctor was missing was a bucket of popcorn to announce her renewed interest.

Sadayo's face was beet red now, trying to find a low enough volume for her voice that could still be picked up by the doctor across the table..

"He's in all of them. Rescuing me, ravishing me, dominating me in some form or another. Real S&M kinda stuff… but also kinda nice, in a way?"

"Uh huh. Look, can I give you some advice strictly off the record?"

"Go ahead."

"I think you've been dancing on your own for so long, that you want someone else to take the lead. And perhaps that dance leads you to discover new things about yourself, with a guiding, protective hand." The low light of the cafe reflected in the inky contents of Takemi's cup. "The desire to submit, to relinquish control to another, can be seen as a way of absolving oneself of one's sins, to decouple from the guilt. It's not an uncommon fetish. You might just be projecting these desires onto your current object of affection, or perhaps it was something he did that triggered these feelings, thus the dreams."

The teacher flushed again, not having expected her analogy to land right on the money.

"I see, you're quite well versed in this field of study." Sadayo's eyes lingered on the black choker around her neck, not unlike the cat's collar, studded with steel and yet wanting for a leash.

"My college roommate was a psych major." Tae sipped with eyes closed. "And a big fan of leather."

"Lucky."

"Yes, she was." Takemi put her cup down. "Now then, anything else you'd else you'd like to divulge? Any clandestine criminal activities? Tax evasion, perhaps?"

"Not yet." Sadayo chuckled. "I missed this. Just hanging out with someone, outside of school, outside of work. We should do it again sometime."

"As long as you're buying the drinks." Her new friend shrugged.

"I thought you said you weren't big on coffee. Now here you are, selling your body for a cup of joe."

"Ha. I was thinking of something a little harder, honey."

"Try me. I was pretty wild in college myself."

"Oh I bet."

The doorbell signaled the arrival of visitors, interrupting both their conversation and Sojiro's ear from growing three sizes to listen in.

"Oh, you're back- Shit!" The older gentleman cursed as a stream of boiling coffee went over his wrist. "Pardon my French..."

"It's alright, Chief." Ren, tried not to show too much amusement, lest he have to pay it back with interest. "You good there?"

"Yeah, yeah." He treated the burn with a cold towel, waving the boy off. "You're back early. And you brought one of your little friends."

"Heya Chief! They let us out after the assembly." Ryuji's blonde head sprung from over his friend's shoulder. "Woah, everything alright?"

"I can take care of it, I'm not that old." Sojiro sighed. "Why don't you two go make yourselves useful, before I put you to work."

Silently, Ren's eyes surveyed the room, landing on none other than the woman of the hour. Sadayo felt like she was under a heat lamp, her wide eyes not going unnoticed.

"What's all the commotion?" Tae looked over her shoulder, making eye contact with the guinea pig in question. "Oh, boys."

"Hello Miss Kawakami, Takemi." The bespectacled boy made his way over to their table. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"That's Doctor Takemi to you, guinea pig." She corrected him, making her test subject stand a little straighter.

"Yes ma'am." He loosened his collar.

Sadayo marveled at the dynamic between them, the balance of power tipped far in the other direction from when she spoke to Ren. Still, he maintained that devil may care attitude around Takemi, which coupled with the pet name, led her to believe that perhaps she wasn't the only older woman he'd tried to charm.

"About time someone got him some home training." Sadayo teased. "What's your secret, newspaper to the snout when he tries to hump your leg?"

"Hardly, my guinea pig wouldn't hurt a fly." There was that nickname again, and the way her eyes fell on him, they weren't like that, were they? "Though his leash could use a tug every now and again."

"Woof." Ren seemed to take it in stride, not having foreseen this turn of events, but watching with great interest. "In addition to being her patient, on occasion I've helped Doctor Takemi as a test subject in her clinical trials."

"Right, those vitamins you mentioned."

"Precisely. They work wonders too, great for a pick-me-up after school."

"Honestly, is the chess club really that strenuous?" Tae drained the last of her mug.

"Depends on the coach you have." His eyes met with Sadayo's momentarily.

"We talkin' chess club over here?" Ryuji slid into place, all but edging his friend out on the way to introduce himself to the doctor. "Hi, Ryuji Sakamoto. Have we met? I feel like we've met."

"Down, boy." Tae talked to him as though he were an overeager labrador retriever, which wasn't far off the mark. "I've already got one puppy nipping at my heels. I don't need another."

"Tough crowd." The blonde winced. "How 'bout you, Miss K? What brings you around these parts?"

"Doctor's appointment." She nodded to the woman across the table. "How was school?"

"Eh." Both boys shrugged in unison.

"It's school." Ryuji continued. "Had this assembly where they brought out our new guidance counselor, gave us the usual come and talk if you're having problems dealing with the current crisis blah blah blah. Whatever man, I don't need no therapy. Kamoshida's behind bars, and that's good enough for me."

"It doesn't have to be therapy as such." Tae offered an alternative. "Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to, right Ren?"

"Everybody needs an outlet." The unusually quiet teen spoke up. "I have mine, and Ryuji has his."

"Yeah, it's called a punching bag with that mop-head King Fuckface on it." Ryuji coughed. "Sorry, Miss K."

"Such colorful wordplay, I can see your lessons are paying off." Tae had a laugh at the expense of her friend.

"Maybe if these two spent less time on their phones." Truthfully, Sadayo had been working up the courage to speak to him face to face since their last meeting at the bridge. The brief calls and messages and looks exchanged in class didn't quite suffice, and had Takemi pressed further, she might have revealed the woman's choice of cafe was part of a subconscious desire to force such a reunion.

Little more crowded than I pictured, though.

"Guilty as charged." Ren put his hands up. "We'll leave you to it then. Until next time, Doctor."

The dark haired boy nodded and his friend followed him, pumping a bit more bass into his voice up the stairs.

"So bro, where's the weights you said you were gonna let me borrow?"

The two women simply shook their heads.

"I think that's my cue to go." Takemi slid out of the booth and shouldered her purse. "This was fun, and I agree, we should do it again sometime."

"You bet!" Sadayo smiled. "It was a pleasure, sorry if those guys made you leave or something."

"No, it's fine. I should really be getting back to work anyway." The doctor leaned over to speak in confidence. "And by the way, you're a terrible liar. You didn't even look at the blonde one once the entire time."

"What? It's not like that-"

"Save it, sister." Takemi simply held a hand up. "Go do whatever it is you're going to do with you-know-who. Have fun, and for God's sake, be safe."

"Takemi-"

"Ah, I've said my piece." The doctor stopped her again. "'Til next time."

Sadayo watched as her high heels clicked away, pausing for a spell by the counter.

"Forgot something?" Sojiro asked, polishing a mug.

"Good coffee." She slipped some money in the tip jar. "Tad bitter for my taste, though."

"Come back tomorrow, I'll have something smoother. And I'll be sure to stop by your clinic sometime too."

"Yes, I can see you've got a fever going already." Tae swung the door open and stepped out. "Get home safe, Kawakami!"

"Ha, she's a real kidder, that one." The man continued wiping down his mugs. "Hoo boy, if I were younger..."

Sadayo let that thought hang as not to encourage him, meanwhile the commotion from upstairs drew her attention.

"Thanks again for the coffee, Sojiro." She brought the cups and saucers to the front, polite reflex rendering her unable to leave the table dirty. "And sorry about mooching off your goodwill."

She procured a few bills from her purse, which Sojiro waved away.

"Keep it, Miss. Your money's no good here."

"Can I at least put it in the tip jar?"

"Well, if you insist." His attempt to be magnanimous drew another thud from upstairs, that had the man reaching for the broom. "Damn kids, how many times do I have to tell them not to go stomping around up there?"

"I'll go have a few words with them." Sadayo soothed. "I've been meaning to speak with Ren anyhow."

"Be my guest." The older man crossed his arms. "You know I caught him talking on the phone past midnight the other day when I came in to get something, and he had the nerve to tell me it was school related. Can you believe that?"

"Sure can." The red returned to her face. "Gotta go now, bye!"

"So what do you do up here, dude?"

"This, pretty much."

"Huh." Ryuji looked around the desolate attic room, picking something out of his teeth. "That kinda sucks."

Sadayo watched from her furtive perch, eyes peeking just over the stairs as the pair conversed.

"You should get some like, chairs and decorations up here, man. Chicks like that kinda shit."

"So I've heard."

"Yeah man, you could put some wall art up, get some posters. I see you got the TV on deck, I could let you borrow Assassin's Creed or something if you want."

"Ryuji, they sent me away to juvie. My parents weren't gonna let me bring the Playstation."

"Riiight." The blonde hunched forward, hands in his pockets. "But hey, we're makin' bank with all that sweet Mementos cash, you oughta have enough saved up to just buy one."

"That money is a nest egg for all the Thieves, Ryuji. You never know when we'll need it, running into the kind of trouble we do. It's not for frivolous expenses."

"Alright, I get it. Sheesh, blame a guy for trying to enjoy the spoils of victory. When are we celebrating our win anyway?"

"I'm making arrangements. I just wanted to wait for this first round of interrogations to pass, the police will lose interest once the lack of physical evidence becomes clear and the media presence clears out."

"You're telling me, they really gave it to me in there. Shit, you'd think I was the one doing the time."

"They're just trying to wear you down." Ren put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "But we don't bend, and we don't break."

"Hell yeah, brother." Ryuji returned the gesture, looking up to the thick wooden beam above their heads. "How many pull ups did you say you could do on that thing?"

"Fifty."

"Bullshit, I-" The blonde's phone began to ring and buzz itself into a frenzy. "Ah shoot."

"Is it Ann?"

"Nah, it's my mom. She needs me back at the house to help move something." He caught Joker's palm in one of their esoteric handshakes. "Catch you later, bro."

"Peace." They clapped each other on the back, and Ryuji departed, but not before loudly greeting Sadayo on his way down the steps. "Oh hey, Teach! Thought'cha went home already."

"Hello again..." She replied weakly. "I'm actually here to see Ren."

With Ryuji gone, the dark haired lad simply waited for her slow, awkward ascent.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

The buttons of Ren's uniform were undone, giving him a casual air as they stood apart, seemingly waiting for a tumbleweed to slide across the floor between them.

"How did your appointment with Takemi go?"

"Good, good. We uh, covered a lot of stuff." She circled around to take a seat on the couch. "Thanks for recommending her, by the way, she's great."

"She does good work, and deserves to have more business."

"I was going to ask about the arrangement you two have. This 'guinea pig' thing, does she pay you or something?"

"In a way."

"That doesn't answer my question, Ren."

"Let's put it this way, I don't keep the other Thieves on payroll. It's a voluntary thing, more of a favor for a favor type of deal."

"So she's a Thief."

"No." He stated flat out. "She's what you'd call a confidant. I imagine she has some inkling of what I do, but it's not something we ever really discussed up front, and certainly not to the degree that you and I have."

"So she doesn't know about the Metaverse?"

"Not to my knowledge." His eyes flashed. "Unless you let something slip."

"Hardly. I don't think she got much out of my rambling besides me being old, tired, and broke."

"That's not true." He took a seat beside her. "You're so much more than those things."

"You want to argue with my bank statements?" She huffed. "I appreciate the thought Ren, but there are some things you'll have to learn when you're older."

"Why do you do this to yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm serious. I know people who hold down multiple jobs, it's hard, but they don't suffer like you do. I think of the woman I saw come to life in the Palace, or the one smiling downstairs in the cafe, and I see her being ground up by a system that doesn't care until the light inside goes out" Ren's hand went for hers, but she didn't flinch. "I told you when we met again that I didn't want to see you like that."

"So you want to save me, is that it?" Sadayo's mind told her to tug and pull away, but she remained where she was. "You can't just wish away the realities of adulthood, Ren. No matter how much time you spend playing Peter Pan in the Metaverse."

"You and I both know this goes deeper than just making ends meet." His eyes were gray and piercing, trapping hers in their gaze. "You're carrying this cross all on your own that you won't tell anyone else about, that's not healthy."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Sadayo, I explained to you the secrets of the Metaverse, the otherworld that exists as a mirror to our own. You know just about everything there is to know about me and what I do, but transparency is a two way street. Meet me halfway here."

"Fine, you really want to know?" She huffed, finally taking her hand away to throw up her arms. "I owe a certain family a huge debt that I'm continuously paying off, and I've had to work soul-sucking menial job after menial job to try and cover it just to keep my head above water."

"How did this happen? Was it a loan shark?" His hands tightened into fists. "Are they threatening you?"

"No, it's more like a soft form of extortion, I guess you would call it." The woman rubbed her temples and sighed. "This is why I didn't want to tell you, because you'd get your blood up and then my business becomes the Thieves' business, and then it becomes this whole thing. So please Ren, could you just listen?"

"Alright, fair enough." He backed off. "You're not indebted to the yakuza or anything like that, are you?"

"Heh, might as well be." Sadayo shook her head. "No, I'm afraid things are more complicated than that. It's a long, sad chapter in the longer and sadder story of my life."

"Okay." He seemed more pensive now, looking not unlike the Ren she knew in class. "Take it from the top then."

"Thank you." She cleared her throat, though the sentence to come felt like a five story drop off a sheer cliff. "Before Shujin, I taught at another school, same grade as I do now. I made every effort to help my students succeed, including tutoring them after school if they needed it. There was one student in particular who needed it more than anyone else, a boy by the name of Takase."

Just saying the name felt like an admission of guilt, like it wasn't her right to speak on it. But this was her story too.

"He was a troubled young man who either fell asleep in my class or skipped it entirely, but he wasn't the juvenile delinquent everyone said he was. You see, his family expected him to hold down three part time jobs and still go to school. His parents died when he was young, and his legal guardians were out of work, so it fell on this kid's shoulders to support them. Can you imagine that? Seventeen years old and having to put bread on the table for a whole household?"

The woman scoffed as if to imply that she knew Ren was incapable of such a feat, but the truth was that she didn't think she could have pulled it off either, already at her wit's end trying to hold up Takase's end.

"It'd be a lot for anyone to handle, let alone a teenager." He agreed. "So you took him under your wing, mentored him."

"I tutored him every night I could. The staff wrote him off as an underperforming slacker, I saw a bright, motivated young man trying to fit in an education in between every waking hour that wasn't work. His guardians didn't like that, said I was distracting him, if you can believe it. They yelled at me to get out of their house, told me to stop coming around or else they would go and tell the school that I was harassing them. That was a fun conversation with my boss, having to explain that no, I wasn't pursuing an illicit relationship with a student, but was looking out for his best you know that he would have been the first person in his family to go to college?"

"Would have, huh?" Ren's hand slid over her shaking fist, enough to calm it for the time being. The irony was not lost on him, but he kept his tongue holstered until she was finished recounting her trauma, and maybe after that as well.

"Yeah..." Sadayo looked away. "After that, I wasn't welcome in their house anymore, so we had to start meeting elsewhere to help him get through his studies. The hours were erratic, but I didn't mind working around his schedule. Still, we used to stay out until pretty late."

The words struggled to find a way past the egg in her throat, and Sadayo realized that this was actually the first time she was telling this story to completion.

"It was one of those nights, we left this 24 hour internet cafe just past midnight. He'd gotten off a shift bussing tables earlier and had to wake up for school in a couple more hours. We left separately, I even sent him one of those 'Get home safe' texts."

For the first time all day, she could feel the darkness closing in, the weight on her chest that made her debate whether it was worth getting up in the morning now resurfacing.

"He got hit by a car on the way home. I wanted to believe it was because of a drunk or negligent driver, but the EMTs and witnesses said he just collapsed in the middle of the street from exhaustion. Of course, the family blamed me, called me every name in the book, threatened to sue me and the school into the ground, et cetera. They might not have been able to prove anything in court, but now that their workhorse was gone, they needed someone else to provide for them. They came to me, in their time of grief, and said that since I was responsible for his death, I should be responsible for the weight he carried after he was gone."

"That's horrible. They manipulated you, stole from you." Try as he might to remain calm, the all too familiar passion in his eyes burned brighter than his empathy. "They bled him dry and tried to pin it on you."

"What was I going to say, no? Trust me, I've heard it all before." Sadayo was more disappointed in herself than angry, her flame for that fight having burned out long ago. "The point is, I owe them big money, and I don't think they intend to stop until I drop dead too. And that's the way it's been, first of every month, they come for their pound of flesh."

"Did they say what would happen if you ever failed to make a payment?"

"Ruin my life, soil my name, basically make it impossible for me to be employed as a teacher anywhere. I've had a few months where payments have lapsed and I'd rather not call their bluff. That's how I ended up in the maid business, sure the hours are hell and the clientele are worse, but the pay is pretty decent. Hell, if I really wanted to, I could do this full time and probably make more than my day job, which is pretty sad now that I say it out loud."

"I would have thought Shujin paid its teachers better than that."

"I thought Shujin was gonna be better in a lot of ways." She melted into the couch. "I was so ready for a fresh start, I was practically begging them to let me in, which I didn't expect them to actually do. I let them pile all this crap on me because I wanted to show I was a good worker and I could handle it, but I just ended up self-destructing instead." Sadayo put face in her hands. "Pathetic, right?"

"I'm not gonna kick you when you're down." Ren lowered his head next to hers. "Even if you want me to."

"Then what are you gonna do?"

Ren mulled it over for a moment before speaking.

"How much do you need for the next installment?"

"Ren, you can't honestly-"

"How much?" He repeated, his eyes as grave as she had ever seen them. "Ballpark estimate."

"Oh, I don't know. A hundred thousand yen?"

"Done."

"Thought so- Wait what?" She sat up straight at once. "That's not an insignificant amount of money to just go throwing around, especially at your age."

"I can afford it. If it's enough to throw off the yoke the slave drivers have on you for a month, then it's worth it."

"You know I can't take that money, Ren." Tempting as it was, she already felt guilt about the smartphone, and a smaller part of her wondered if she wouldn't be trading one debt for another. "And it's actually more like five hundred thousand yen..."

That ought to shut him up.

"Hmm." He scratched his chin. "Give me two weeks, plus or minus a few days, and I should have your money."

"You're joking." She scoffed.

"Well, I could do it in less time, but I'd rather not involve the others if I don't have to and I do have exams around the corner so appearances have to be kept up." Ren put his hands behind his head. "But I'm totally serious."

"What happened to not making any frivolous expenses?"

"Lending you a hand is not frivolous. I founded the Thieves with the intention of helping people without the means to help themselves. If I turned a blind eye to one of our own in their time of need, that'd make me a pretty sorry excuse for a friend, don't you think?"

"My problems are not your problems, Ren. These people, they're like parasites, you can't appease them by waving a few bills around and hoping they'll go away."

"Oh I don't intend to do that at all." The smile returned to his face. "This is just a stop-gap measure, something to hold them off."

"What are you planning?"

"Isn't it obvious? The healthy human mind doesn't wake up every day with the intention of making an indentured servant out of an innocent woman while they sit on their ass and collect a check. I'm going to change their hearts."

"Ren, you can't." Sadayo couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Why not?" He shrugged. "It worked for Kamoshida."

"Yeah, this time! Which we're not even sure about the long term effects of!"

"Ah, he'll be alright." Ren waved her concerns away. "You saw him at the assembly. He might not be back at one hundred percent yet, but that was Kamoshida up there, and not some vegetable or puppet."

"Be that as it may, young man, you can't wield this power all willy-nilly. Just zapping anyone you don't like isn't justice. These people aren't evil."

"You just described them as parasites not five minutes ago. Feeding off your youth and the income you provide while acting as a constant detriment to your physical and mental health. That might not stack up to the crimes committed at Shujin, but that doesn't mean we have to lie down and take it. These people don't care about you, Sadayo, just look at the position they've put you in! What's the endgame here, work you to the bone until you drop dead?"

"I get it, there's no need to be so dramatic." She hadn't even told him about the sister company to the maid service that offered "extra" with its services, but his blood was plenty hot already. "You know I asked you once what gives you the right to judge people like this, and you still haven't given me an answer."

"I don't know why I was chosen. All I know is that I am chosen, and you are too. The rules to this arrangement might be obscure, but there are rules, so I believe there has to be a purpose."

"And that's how you see yourself? This hero chosen by divine mandate to bring justice to the downtrodden? To rescue the princess and save the day?"

"Call it what you want, but I'm not a bystander. Not while I have the capacity to protect the people I care about."

"Where does it end, Ren? Are you just going to go running to the Metaverse every time you have a shitty boss or something, don't you see how selfish that is?"

"I'm disappointed that you would think I'm that petty." He looked hurt, but resolute. "This isn't about payback for some imagined slight, this is about changing your life for the better, and that can't happen while these people are treating you as their slave."

"Is that how you're going to change society? One heart at a time?"

"If I have to." He nodded. "I won't see you fall."

"I've accepted enough of your help, Ren. I can't just keep taking your money."

"Then don't." He raised himself from the couch and offered her a hand. "Come with me, to Mementos. We'll earn the money, pay off your debt, and make sure they never come after you again, together."

She looked at the outstretched palm, promising more adventures to come, but at a cost potentially higher than any sum of yen.

"Why is it always an ultimatum with you?"

"You can always walk away, Sadayo. I'd never force your hand."

"Yes, but how can I be sure you'll give this up even if I told you not to lay a finger on them?"

"Well, you got me there." He admitted.

"Thought so." She took his hand. "Now I'm pretty much obligated to go to make sure this is all happening above board. I don't want them harmed, I just want to send a message."

"Oh, they'll get it, loud and clear."

"And stop talking so ominously. It weirds me out."

"Sorry." He hung his head.

"Oh Ren." Sadayo embraced him, to his and her own surprise. "What am I gonna do with you?"

He returned the hug, eventually, basking in the fact that he'd never been as close to her before this moment. His memories of the Metaverse had a dreamlike quality to them, the same energies that allowed bullets and blades to register as mere phantom pains also turned the more pleasant touched into grains of sand between his fingers. Fun as it may have been, it was now substitute for the here and now, he thought, idly tousling a strand of curly hair.

"Lean on me." He whispered. "And I'll protect you."

"And who's going to protect you, Ren?"

"Is that an offer?"

"Someone has to do it." She huffed, sending a lock of hair blowing upwards. "We have to lean on each other. That's the only way this is gonna work."

Ren bit his tongue, not wanting to push the definition of what "this" was just yet. Still, with his hand at her hip, and the other in her hair, she could have stopped him at any time if she didn't want him roaming, but she didn't. Instead, her head seemed to follow his movements, eyes looking up into his as their lips were slightly ajar.

"Ren..." Her voice snapped his eyes open, the two of them swaying to some music unheard. "Do you think we could start tomorrow night? With the Metaverse?"

"Sure. Of course." He answered as soon as his throat cleared, the pair extricating themselves from each other's warmth to look for their missing composure. "Just say the word."

"Good." Sadayo grinned. "And Morgana can come too."

The cat grumbled as he was called out, traipsing out from under the couch and muttering something about "the good part" as he rubbed himself against their legs. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn her foot came off the ground in his attempt to swoon her, and if the butterflies in her stomach were any indication, it was working.

I don't know why I come here

I don't know why I stay

I've been breathing in the corner with the reasons I shake

The sensations that suggest me come equipped with a haze

It's the pinch of every soul I never choose to embrace

Song: Bobby - Sore Spores

A/N: Quick update, shorter chapter too. I was gonna tack on another scene at the end here but it felt at odds with the tone I wanted to close on. Ironically, I enjoy writing these sorts of chapters more where it's just characters airing some shit out even if there's not a lot of overarching plot progression more than the ones where I have to power through the stations of canon like I'm making bus stops. It's all good though, I understand the concerns that things might be moving too fast or two slow between them, though generally it always comes down to me figuring if there's something cute or interesting I can toss them into and see what happens. I also really liked the conversation Sadayo and Tae had back in Chapter 3 and I enjoyed the dynamic so much, I decided to make it a recurring bit. I've got a bunch of ideas as to how things can branch off from here, but hopefully you'll see those next time in a meatier update.