Before you begin, note that this story has been heavily inspired by the Adult Confidant AU created by ScruffyTurtles. I heavily recommend you seek out their work, they are extremely talented. However this is not an adaption of their work, rather a different take on the same premise. I hope you enjoy the story.

Rain hammered against the windows of the coffee shop, the streets outside were already a pitch black, and the only soul that stood in this humble little corner of Tokyo, had come to the same conclusion he had reached a thousand times over; he was all alone.

It was a feeling that Sojiro Sakura had begun to greet like a tired old friend, one who inevitably came back into his life no matter how many times he tried to chase them away. It was a grim spectre that plagued his humble home until it finally tired of torturing him. This time though, he had a funny feeling that it was finally here to stay.

He looked over to the clock, exactly five minutes until closing time. No one else was coming tonight, not in this weather and not with it so dark out. He could close up right now and not a thing would be different, but when he considered moving from his spot he felt his legs lock into place and all his will power depart. Perhaps this was another crux of his old age, or maybe he was finally losing his mind. The reason didn't matter because regardless, he found himself forced to watch the clock as each second ticked away slower than the last.

He thought about what he might do tonight, likely grab something out of the fridge and fall asleep in front of the TV… again. He laughed, then grimaced to himself as the ticks and tocks drew further apart. He looked away and found his gaze move towards the now empty attic. It was strange, stranger than when the kid first moved into this place. Now it felt like something was missing and he knew it wouldn't be coming back, at least not for long anyway.

He detested the whole affair at first, he wanted nothing more than to pretend the kid never existed, that he was just another regular who he could stare straight through. Then the cat happened, then he started working in the store, they made food together, brought his friends over, dragged Futaba out of her shell, then before he knew it that kid pretty much saved the whole damn world and didn't ask for even a lick of thanks. Now he was gone, gone like all the others.

Futaba would be starting school again soon, she would finally move on with her life and become the woman Sojiro always knew she could be, the type of person Wakaba would be proud of. Typically she would wake him up before the start of the work day, if she was feeling generous she might even bring him something to eat, but tonight she was staying with her friends again, he was lucky to see her at home at all these days. Soon she would leave him too, to find her own life and story in this crazy messed up world they all struggle in. And as the earth kept spinning around him, he would remain here, the one constant in this place, trapped in this humble prison of his making.

He looked at the clock again, thirty seconds had passed. He sighed heavily and rubbed his tired eyes. Everything had been wiped down and prep was already complete for the next day. For the first time in far longer than he could remember, he would be closing the shop early tonight. He was just about to untie his apron when he heard the familiar sound of the little bell attached to his door. A figure walked in with a long red raincoat that covered them from head to toe. A hood was draped over their head, and Sojiro assumed his eyes were playing up, because what lay underneath seemed indistinguishable to him. The stranger remained at the door as it closed behind him.

"Hey, sorry, but I'm afraid I was about to close." Sojiro explained as he cleared his throat.

The figure did not move. For his part, 'Boss' couldn't even tell if he was looking at a man or a woman. They weren't much taller than him and if not for the coat they'd probably be on the skinny side. Despite this though, he couldn't help but tense up when he realised the stranger had no intention of leaving. Then quite suddenly, the stranger started to make their way towards his counter.

"Hey, did you hear me? I said we're closed!" He spoke with more authority, but the stranger did not slow down. They walked until they were face to face with the boss himself, and what did Sojiro see under the hood? Nothing, not a damn thing. Inside the void was nothing but pitch blackness, like there was no one there at all.

"I would like a coffee," the stranger finally spoke, their voice utterly hollow and barely above a whisper.

Sojiro wanted to get angry, he wanted to scream and shout at this person who dared to ask him for a drink. But he could not, strangely he found himself barely able to move at all, until his feet seemingly developed a will of their own and turned him straight around. His hands sprung to life and switched on his machine and grabbed the nearest cup, and on instinct he asked "What would you like?"

"Surprise me," they said.

Sojiro began the process he had perfected a thousand times over. He was at a stage in his life that if he were told he could only make coffee with his eyes closed, he probably would have no difficulty at all. To be frank, he felt like he had just done so, for soon he realised he had blacked out entirely and when he was awake, there he stood with a fresh mug in his hand. The stranger gently took it.

"Thank you," they said as they brought it to their lips. Sojiro could hear them chug down the mugs' contents as if they were an ice cool beer. They slammed the mug back onto the counter, the porcelain cup barely holding itself together under the pressure; there was nothing left inside. "Blue mountain, a lovely blend, and quite expensive too from what I understand."

"That stuff ain't cheap to get," Boss remarked as he crossed his arms in a huff. The stranger paid no heed to his comment and gazed around the room.

"This is your world then?" The stranger suddenly asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Your palace? Your kingdom? Your hideout? Depends how you look at it."

"You lost me," Sojiro breathed out in exasperation. It was going to be a long night. "If you're finished, as I said, I was about to close. So would-"

"Humans are so determined to carve out their place in the world. They crave territory. All they want is a place where they may do as they please away from prying eyes. They need their hideaway, their own perfect world."

Sojiro stayed silent, the tension in his body climbing by the second. He hated the crazies, he used to deal with them all the time back in the day, but now his clients were the elderly and the occasional regular. The worst thing about people like this we're their unpredictable nature, they were as likely to hug you as they were to stab you. The smart thing would be to stay silent, to let them ramble on and hope for the best. Yet once again a strange impulse came over the Boss.

"What are you talking about?"

The figure stared back at him and was silent for a moment before clearing their throat. "Forgive me, I'm in a melancholy mood."

"You're not from around here are you?"

"You could say that," the stranger laughed. "I'm from very far away indeed. I guess you could say I was given a second chance in life."

"Second chance, huh?"

"You know something about that, I imagine."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, is that not what all mortals desire? To start again? To correct the mistakes of your youth?"

Sojiro went quiet as he focused on a single word that this stranger said; mortal. That was a curious word indeed, one that implied that the being he was dealing with was not exactly on the same playing field as him. Thinking back further, his eyes widened as he missed the curious choice word of 'human' just a moment prior.

"You've grown quiet?" The stranger noticed. "Have I said something wrong?"

"No, just thinking is all," Sojiro tried to explain away, but he knew in the pit of his stomach that the stranger wasn't buying it.

"I find myself drawn to this place, trying to find one with a power I have seen before, but I am too late. They are gone, and instead I find you."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but as you said, they aren't here. Isn't it best you head along now?" He crossed his arms again, trying his best to appear as tall as possible.

"Why would I do that? After all, I think you might be exactly what I need."

More now than ever before, Sojiro wished he had a weapon on hand. But he still felt himself being held back, as if someone was pulling at his strings and keeping him firmly in place.

"Get out!" He barked defiantly.

"Don't you want to go back, Sojiro Sakura? Don't you too wish to start again?"

"What the hell are you talking about!? If you don't leave immediately, I'm calling the police."

"Ah, yes, that would be unpleasant indeed." The stranger stood up and removed the hood that had been covering their head. There was nothing there. Where there should have been a head, instead was nothing but thin air. "But how does one arrest something that doesn't exist at all?"

Sojiro stared slack-jawed at the sight - or lack thereof - before him. He had always been a man of reasonable logic, having little time for rumor and ghost stories. Yet he now knew the world around him was not so simple. He knew the kid had faced down monsters and even gods in the last year alone, and standing right before Sojiro, was one of those beings. He did not know what to say? What could he say? Suddenly he felt as if he was staring down death itself.

"I will ask again; do you not wish to start over?"

"St-start over what?" Boss was losing his nerve, but held on all the same.

"All of this. From when you had your youth, your looks, your aspirations; back when your outlook on life was not so bitter and dull."

"Wh-what do you want from me?"

"To play a game. A simple game. One I think deep down inside your soul, you'd very much like to take part in." The strange man lifted up his arm and extended it towards Sojiro. "All you have to do is accept the deal I offer you?"

In every scenario that played out in Sojiro's head, he could not perceive one where he made it out of this. He could not call for help, he could not flee, hell, he couldn't move for the life of him. All he was able to do was listen to what this strange man had to say.

"Go on then." He responded gruffly, trying to sound as tough as he could.

"I will take you to a place where you can truly start again. To live a life of friendship, romance, adventure, all your hearts desires in one fell swoop. At the end of this journey, you shall be given a choice. To stay in the world that I have made for you, or to return home."

"... Just like that, huh?" He said slowly, eyeing the man between his outstretched hand and where his head should have been. "Just, what, live a week or two in some crazy world you make and go straight back?"

"It might be a bit longer than that," the figure answered, topped off with a dark chuckle. "But yes, as you said, you can go straight home, as if nothing happened at all."

The logical part of him was screaming at the top of its lungs that this was insane, yet Sojiro could not deny the small part that was buried in his subconscious that liked the sound of that. In this moment, if it had come from a reasonably sane source, he would've leapt at the chance. Yet it didn't take long for him to come to a single conclusion.

This guy was bluffing.

It was horseshit, the lot of it. Maybe he was a god, a monster, or some really deranged magician, but he knew a bogus offer when he heard one. This guy said it himself, he was after Akira, not him. This was all a ploy to buy himself some time. Likely he'd get kidnapped and this guy would bank on Akira, Futaba, and their friends to come rescue him. He'd have nothing to worry about. He'd just put his feet up and wait for them to kick his spooky butt into another dimension.

"Sure, pal," Sojiro said with a mocking chuckle. "You just whip up your new world there. I'll jump right in. Not like I got a whole life here or anything."

"So… we have an agreement?" The entire time, the strange man's arm had remained held out. He flexed his hand in and out, waggling the fingers, yearning for some contact.

"Deal." Solijro took his hand, and the moment he did so, the stranger grabbed hold of him so tightly he nearly crushed his hand entirely

"The deal has been made!"

Sojiro yelped in pain as the man refused to let go. The Boss could not pull away, his hand felt like it was trapped in a vice. As the pain dulled his senses, in his panic, he almost missed the world around him begin to melt away. What colours shone through the darkness trickled through the floor, the world outside his windows was expunged entirely. The walls started to creep in on him, his concept of reality was spinning round and round.

The one constant in all of this was what remained of the man in the dark red coat, his hood back up, and a toothy smile that had revealed itself to him. What little else existed between them vanished entirely as Sojiro found himself staring into the void. The last thing tangible to him was his own screams as he fell into oblivion.