A/N: Yeah, that vaccine kicked my ass... But between being sleepy, nauseous, and beating strikers, I managed to get out another chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 2. Inconvenienced Convenience
(June 6) Afternoon
Driving through the busy currents of Shibuya traffic, Sae wore a sour expression.
Ichiyrusai Madarame's confession and 'change of heart' had complicated things. One sudden and odd confession was something to keep an eye out for, but two was something to look into. Since the calling card and Madarame's confession, the entire precinct had been wild with theories and speculations. This was no longer just a school prank coincidence.
Along with the mental shutdown cases, there was no mistaking another rising concern.
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
The stir it caused in the prosecutors office left Sae running ragged as she handled the rising amount of paperwork and investigations. Alarming as the supposed supernatural ability to 'change hearts' was, Sae just found them to be another nuisance to deal with; another headache to tackle.
It was only now, in the late afternoon, that she was able to take a small break to grab a meal. Gritting her teeth, she berated herself for being in a rush that morning and forgetting to take the lunch she had made last night with her.
Parking her car in a small lot in Shibuya, she navigated swiftly through the crowds to the convenience store on Central Street. Stepping through its garish pink door lined with the brand '777,' Sae settled on a convenience store instant-meal. Knowing whatever she picked wouldn't exactly be good for her, she knew it was better than nothing. Enduring a work night hungry and sleepless was tantamount to torture.
One saving grace was the hope that tonight she would be able to slip out of the office for a bit to grab a drink at Leblanc. Sadly, she hadn't been able to return since her last visit.
From the five flavors of instant yakisoba, she picked spicy chicken and made her way to the register. Placing the product down on the counter, she paid little mind to the cashier, her mind ensnared by thoughts of thieves and stolen hearts.
How does someone steal a heart? It had to be something like blackmail, right?
"Good afternoon, will… oh."
The pause in the cashier's voice caught her attention and she set aside her thoughts. Looking up she caught onyx eyes examining her. Dressed in the bright pink uniform of all '777' employees, stood the young barista from Leblanc curiously smiling.
"Oh, it's you."
Pink didn't do him justice. She thought he looked much better in the muted and calm colors she'd seen him in. Momentarily caught off guard, she composed herself.
"I thought you worked at Leblanc?"
He chuckled softly.
"I do, but I also work here when I can. One can never be too careful about money."
Maybe her initial intuition of him wasn't too far off after all. The young man started scanning the item and the check out process. He seemed to be quite the hard worker.
"That's very sensible for someone your age. Are you in your third year at Shujin?"
Usually the older years tended to start worrying about their future and scrambled to any part time job hiring.
"Second, actually."
So he was one to think ahead.
"Impressive," she commented.
She paid for her instant meal, both sides knowing the drill as he handed Sae her purchase in a plastic bag. Looking him over once more, she noticed a name tag pinned to his shirt.
"Ren Amamiya, is it?"
She thought it suited him. The young man nodded back to her, a question of his own on his lips.
"And you are?"
Dispensing with the formalities and speaking directly with each other, she answered.
"Sae Niijima."
It may not have been the most normal interaction, but she found it refreshing. It was efficient and cut to the chase.
"Will you be at the cafe tonight? I could use another good cup of coffee."
This seemed to amuse him.
"Perhaps."
His playful smile danced on the edge of troublesome and exciting. She couldn't quite decide which.
"Well, perhaps I'll see you there."
After her last quip, she made to leave, turning toward the exit. Just as she was about to step out into the busy throngs of Shibuya's Central Street, he spoke.
"Have a good afternoon, Miss Niijima."
She didn't turn around, nor did she stop to give him parting words as well. In fact, she kept on walking until the automated double doors closed behind her. However, Sae couldn't help the small smile that had risen to her lips. It may have only been a few scant minutes, but she felt that her small break had been made worthwhile.
"Ren Amamiya," she tested under her breath.
What an interesting young man. She found herself hoping to see him later that night for coffee and company.
Sae made to take a step toward where she had parked when something strange caught her eye. Standing at the corner of the '777' street-side window was a girl with brown hair, dressed in a Shujin Uniform with an upside down book held close to her face save for a single crimson eye peeking out behind it.
Makoto?
Shouldn't she be at home studying, or taking care of student council business? That couldn't be her, could it?
The girl's focus was inside the store. Sae followed her line of sight until she was met with the young cafe dweller. While it wasn't strange for the younger generation to fawn over and be awkward around one another, however it would definitely be strange for her younger sister to be indulging in such behavior.
Obscured by a group of teens in front of her, and ducked low, it almost looked like the girl was trying to hide from Sae as well. This was not something she could just ignore. This was highly abnormal.
Sae checked her wristwatch. She still had some time to spare. With this in mind, she stepped around the group of teens until she stood a few feet behind the suspicious girl. Clearing her throat, she spoke authoritatively.
"Makoto? Is that you?"
The girl let out a shrill yelp and dropped the book she had been holding. She spun around and Sae came face to face with her blushing and slightly frantic little sister.
"Sis!? I umm… I… well you see..."
Makoto quickly picked the book back up and held it tightly, clearly at a loss for words.
"Calm down," she said gently.
Makoto nodded and composed herself, taking a breath and glancing back through the window.
"Thank goodness, he hasn't noticed," Makoto breathed out in relief.
Sae had never seen Makoto act this way before. Had her younger sister developed something of a crush? That would be inconvenient. Sae wanted answers.
"Now, explain to me what's going on."
Ren peered out from behind the register and through the street-side windows. He made sure to appear as if he wasn't looking but noticed as Sae approached the student council president.
Sae Niijima. He knew those eyes looked familiar. To think she'd be related to his stalking senpai. The student council president had been tailing him for the last couple days, it had made his operations as a Phantom Thief quite difficult.
It had been quite a surprise to see the beautiful woman from the other night at his day job. He had thought of her a few times since her visit that night. Now he had a name to place with the face.
Sae. How lovely.
A small tapping behind him caught his attention. Morgana was on the other side of the alley window and nodded toward the pair outside.
"Think I should snoop around? We might be able to get some good info on the student council president."
Ren nodded, perhaps it wasn't the most polite thing to do, but their duties as Phantom Thieves came first. Sorry to eavesdrop, Sae.
"So that's what I'm doing," Makoto finished with a sigh.
Sae thought she understood.
Makoto was investigating the transfer student under Principal Kobayakawa's orders. Amamiya was a suspect in Kamoshida's sudden confession. It was surprising to find out that the composed and put together young man she'd met, actually had a criminal record; and not just for some petty crime. Assault was nothing to take lightly.
Ren Amamiya…
Her eyes darted back to him through the window. Currently he was assisting a customer with something. His body language was calm and he seemed so… normal.
Her eyes narrowed.
In her line of work, she'd seen completely 'normal' people do atrocious things.
However, there was the chance that there was more to his story than just a record and a penchant for delinquency.
She turned back to Makoto, the girl awaiting her reply.
"Go home Makoto, you aren't the police. The jurisdiction of your authority only goes as far as the school gates. Kobayakawa should not have put this kind of pressure on you. I'll speak to him about this."
Makoto stepped forward.
"But I…" she paused, confidence waning, "...yes, Sis."
Makoto stepped back and looked away.
Sae nodded. There would be plenty of time for Makoto to get involved with the harsher ways of the world. But now was not that time.
"I have to get back to work, study hard, Makoto."
As she was turning to leave, Makoto caught her attention.
"Wait! Sis… I…"
Thinking for a moment, Makoto continued and spoke her mind.
"Don't talk to Principal Kobayakawa about this. I know following Amamiya around is a bit of a problem, so I'll stop. But please, I want to learn the truth of what's been happening in my school. Not for the principal, but for myself."
The words had come slow, building slowly into a steady resolve.
"I want to do this for my own justice."
Sae was taken aback by Makoto's display of strength. It had been a long time since her sister contested what Sae thought was best. While this may not be the most efficient way of handling things, it might be best to let Makoto handle this. Plus it would save her the trouble of speaking with Shujin's puppet of a principal.
Letting out a sigh, Sae smiled to herself. All of this was absurd.
"Alright, I'll keep this between you and me, Makoto. But head home for today, I'm sure Amamiya probably finds it weird that you've been stalking him."
Makoto's cheeks reddened.
"What? He hasn't seen me though."
Paranoia set in and Makoto spun around to look at the boy behind the register. His onyx eyes sent her younger sister a knowing look as the two made eye contact. To top it off, he sent them a friendly wave.
"Eep!"
Makoto quickly dashed away from the window. Sae laughed quietly to herself. What a strange afternoon. Checking her watch, the mirth soon left her eyes.
"I'll be going now, get home safe."
Without any farewell fanfare, she began walking to where she'd parked. The younger sibling shook the embarrassment from her head and saw her elder sister off.
"Oh, I'll see you later, Sis!" Makoto called after her.
It was a short walk, and an even shorter drive. It was as if the universe bent the laws of time to get her back to work faster. Sitting back at her desk, she prepared herself for the grueling hours to come.
Opening the first file for review, she caught herself yawning. Oddly enough this brought a smile to her lips. It would appear she was in need of a dose of caffeine in the near future.
Late Afternoon
"Sisters, huh…" Ren murmured to himself as he clocked out of his shift at '777.'
It made a lot of sense. Sae was far too young to be the student council president's mother.
Morgana popped his head out of the bag on Ren's shoulder.
"We learned a lot today. Seems like the student council president wasn't snooping on us just to assert authority. It's kind of sad, actually. That Kobayakawa is a real piece of work."
Ren nodded along as Morgana kept talking. They left out the back alleyway of the '777' and into Central Street.
"She's a lot different than I expected her to be, and her resolve, the way she spoke about justice. You felt that too, right? Maybe we could get her on our side."
"We'll see."
Crossing the busy foot traffic in Shibuya, Ren made his way to the employee's entrance to Ore no Beko. He'd picked up a dinner shift earlier that week. Ren opened his locker and set his school back on the top shelf as he began to change out of his '777' uniform and into Ore no Beko's. From his bag in the locker, Morgana's voice lowered and spoke softly.
"Hey Ren, I wanted to ask, are you okay? The student council president kind of spilled the beans about you to her older sister. Isn't that the woman you were telling me about?
Morgana brought up a good point. He had tried not thinking about it too hard, but there was no escaping that Sae knew about his past. She probably put two and two together and realized he had left out the reason for why he moved to Tokyo on purpose.
Would she come back to Leblanc? Or had his past burned yet another bridge.
"I'm fine, I'm used to it by now anyway."
He finished buttoning up the front and tying the apron behind his back.
"Ren…" the cat whispered sadly.
Morgana seemed unconvinced, so Ren reached out and ruffled the cat's head softly.
"I'm really okay, thanks for asking Morgana."
His companion perked up, if a little hissy that he'd just been pet like a cat.
"Come on out of the bag, I assume you want to walk around while I get us some supply funds?" he asked while propping open the back door.
Complying, Morgana hopped out of the bag and padded toward the door.
"I'll do some reconnaissance, and see if I can get us another target."
Ren nodded as the feline slipped out and the door closed behind him. He stood in the break room for a moment, today's findings and events sinking in.
"Hey Amamiya! You here? Get out here ASAP, it's another busy night!" called the manager.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Ren spun on his heels and toward the service door. Quickly swapping to Shiisaa, he mustered all the strength his persona would give him.
Late Evening
"Are you sure you're alright? You look exhausted," Morgana chirped behind him.
True to the cat's words, Ren felt quite faint. Hours of working the hot pans, and constant pressure had worn him out. He had been so tired that he hadn't bothered to change out of his Ore no Beko uniform yet. Nothing sounded better than a soak in the bathhouse, a quick meal, and then, blissful sleep.
"I'll manage," he assured his companion, "Did you find any intel on the streets?"
"Not quite," Morgana said, embarrassed.
The duo rounded the corner coming from the station and down into Leblanc's alley entrance.
"Better luck next time," he encouraged.
Morgana hummed in appreciation.
"Hey Ren, we should let the others know about the student council president."
His hand, previously about to reach out and push Leblanc's door open, halted. Right, Makoto and Sae Niijima.
Funny enough, the investigation conducted by the younger Niijimia didn't concern him too much. What was she going to confront them with? It's not like their palace endeavours left behind tangible evidence.
His thoughts turned to the elder Niijima.
Sae had mentioned stopping by Leblanc tonight. He wondered if she changed her mind after learning about his past.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, he continued and reached out to the door. There was no point mulling over things like that. He'd better just focus on his 'rehabilitation' or finding a new target.
Pushing the door open with a small chime, Ren's eyes widened as he stopped and stood in the entryway.
"Ren? What is it?" Morgana asked quietly.
Sitting counter-side, jacket hung on the chair, Sae Niijima sipped at a steaming cup of coffee as she looked over some papers spread out on the counter. She set down the cup and turned to regard him, her crimson eyes passing judgement.
An honest smile worked its way to his lips.
She nodded to him in greeting, and he reciprocated.
"Where have you been? It's about time you showed up. Here put this on, I have to run an errand," Sojiro barked, taking notice of his arrival.
An apron was tossed his way and he caught it deftly as the old man rushed past him. Throwing on his coat and hat, Sojiro departed with a quick chime of the door.
Ren sighed, set down his school bag behind the counter, and secured the apron. He came to stand across from Sae, her gaze unwavering. It was just them now, plus Morgana who had opted to stay quiet upon seeing the elder Niijima.
"So Amamiya, how many part time jobs do you have?" she asked, nodding to his shirt.
Looking down, he laughed. That's right he hadn't changed out of his Ore no Beko uniform. Counting them off in his head, he hadn't realized how much he had on his plate until now.
"In total, four so far."
Sae seemed impressed.
"You're quite the hard worker for your age."
Ren beamed at the compliment.
"You'll find I'm full of surprises, Miss Niijima."
Sae laughed at that. It was a calming expression of amusement. He thought it sounded wonderful.
Sae was happy to find herself pleased with her decision to stop by.
Learning of his past certainly changed things. But she wouldn't let that alone determine his worth. In the few moments she'd interacted with him, he seemed like such a nice young man. There was a mystery about him, but nothing sinister.
She'd learn to discern people's true intentions long ago.
Sae would be the judge of his character.
And so far, as they shared a laugh over coffee, she couldn't help but like what she'd seen so far.
As Sae left the shop with a soft chime, Ren stood thoughtfully watching her figure disappear into the night. He could still feel the tingling rush of energy that accompanied an unlocked Arcana.
"Judgement, huh?" He pondered quietly.
A/N: I enjoy writing but this build up always tends to bore me and I get the urge to speed along. I had to re-write this a few times because I started rushing the story and dialogue. I hope it turned out well, until next time.