Hello everyone, thank you for reading the story so far. I have been enjoying writing this little AU very much so I hope to continue it. For those who have read anything of ScruffyTurtle's Adult Confident AU, I'm sure you're starting to see where things will differ. My goal is to take it in a different direction that what he has done, so they both stand on their own. If you like what you see so far, please leave a review, helps motivate me to keep writing more.

Something rumbled all around Sojiro. His body bumped and vibrated against the uncomfortable seat he now found himself in. He could make out the familiar sound of a carriage on train tracks, the distant conversations of strangers just meters from him, the buzzing din of a speaker updating the passengers on board. Sojiro hated taking the subway. He had a car for a reason, even if the train might have been more convenient, it was always the very last option.

He opened his eyes, and sure enough, that is where he found himself. The train was surprisingly light in terms of load, there were actually a few seats free, which ordinarily would be a miracle. It took him a few moments to calibrate himself, a few minutes more to come to grips with all that had occurred. And for a moment, he came to the satisfying conclusion that it had all been a truly bizarre dream.

"What a nightmare," he murmured, letting out a sigh of relief. "What am I even doing here?" His voice felt lacking in its usual smooth rumble. It was slightly higher pitched, but he chalked that up to his groggy state. He cleared his throat and looked around his surroundings once more, from what little he could make out from the intercom, the next stop would be Yongen-Jaya. He was nearly home. Sojiro sat back and breathed out slowly, letting out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding in.

Then something rumbled in his pocket. Instinctively he reached for his phone, pulling it out to glance at the notification. He had a message from someone called 'Necronomicon' telling him to meet them at the usual place. That was strange enough, considering he had no one listed under that name in his contacts. What was even stranger was this wasn't his phone. It recognised his thumbprint, even the same pattern he always used, but his phone was a much older model than this one. If it worked, don't replace it, that was the Sojiro way.

He stared at it blankly, his mind struggling to think of any explanation. He let the screen fall asleep, reflecting a black mirror to his person. The man staring back was far too young to be him. He recognised the visage, it was one he had not seen for far longer than he cared to remember. A head full of hair, not a wrinkle in sight, the faint beginnings of a goatee, a cheeky grin naturally fixed upon his boyish face. He was smiling. He didn't have a clue what was happening, whether he was even awake or not, but he was smiling all the same. He touched his face, his skin was as smooth as it had been a lifetime ago. He looked upon his hands, the marks and burns that had piled up over two decades of kitchen work were gone.

"That son of a bitch," he spoke softly, marveling at his own body. His clothes were different again, he was now in the shujin academy uniform. He checked the phone again and realised the date was different as well. He had jumped back nearly an entire year, it was twenty sixteen all over again. April Tenth to be exact, the day before school began.

"It's true, you've got to be kidding me." He stood up next, his body instantly feeling lighter and spriter than it had felt in what felt like a century. His knees didn't ache, there was no acute pain in his back, this was actually him. He was a damn kid.

His cheeks went pink as he realised he was speaking to himself. His eyes darted around the carriage, making sure no one was listening in. Thankfully the other passengers either had their heads in their phones, were asleep, or too focused on their own little world to care. All except the girl opposite him. She could be no older than what he physically was. She was dressed up in a maid outfit. She likely had just come off work at one of those cafes he always passed. She looked at him strangely, as if she was almost studying him, but she turned away when his eyes met hers.

He had to admit, she was cute. He felt like a dirty old man for thinking so, he had always stuck to women in his own age bracket, but outside of the tacky outfit she was beautiful. Fluffy brunette hair, a slim figure and face, smooth pale skin, but she looked tired. No, it wasn't just that, she seemed sad to him. He caught himself staring as she looked back at him, and quickly looked away himself.

"We will be stopping at Yongen-Jaya. This is the last stop for today. We apologise for any delay."

Sojiro could feel the train begin to slow. He grabbed hold of the closest bar to halt his momentum. In doing so, he noticed the bag by his seat that was likely his as well. He slung it over his shoulder, checking the contents. There was a small glasses case that matched his own, a set of pens and pencils, and a little black book filled with what he recognised as phone numbers, each with a young ladies name beside him.

"Oh yeah, this is definitely my stuff," he chuckled in his own head.

The train came to a stop and the doors flung open. He moved quickly to get out first, dodging any chance to get swept away by the small crowd of other passengers. As the hustle and bustle of the world surrounded him, Sojiro took a moment to catch his breath. He spied the maid pass him by, throwing another strange glance at him as she vanished somewhere ahead. She proved only a momentary distraction, the reality of his situation still dawning upon him.

This was his life.

If what those strange men said was true, this was him now, his reality. He was starting out with all the wisdom and experience of a man nearly three times his physical age, but was clueless where his place in the world was. He quickly spied a bench and sat down. Pulling out his phone he pulled up his contacts and scanned through them. There were not many, no mother or father seemingly, nor any siblings. So nothing new on that front. He didn't even keep the names of the girls in his little book here either. Likely they were only called on a burner phone. There were a handful of messages of friends wishing him well, a few threats left by unknown numbers, and a direct line to an adoption agency.

Sojiro did not reflect often on his childhood, nor his parents either. He had always been an orphan, an unwanted in the world. He never cared for a family, at least not till Wakaba and Futaba came into his life. It seemed even in a world made for him things had played out not so differently. He obviously was going to Shujin judging by his uniform, which he had never attended before so that was different at least. Since this was the last stop, he could only assume that Yongen was his destination. But where? Surely not LeBlanc? That shouldn't even exist at all.

The longer he waited, the stranger he started to feel. His minding was reaching to dark places, especially when it came to what that Shelley woman told him. Had he really destroyed his world? No, no way, he couldn't have. That was never part of the deal. Yet even if it was so, what would happen with him gone? How would Futaba and the rest react, would he lose his store? His mind started to spin at a dangerous rate, only interrupted by his phone vibrating.

"Where are you?" Asked a message from Necronomicon.

"You again?" Boss muttered to himself. He was still unsure who this could be, but at least it was a direction. "I'm at the station, just arrived in Yongen." He replied.

"C'mon slowpoke, been waiting all day for you. Just come round to Doyle's, I'll be at the counter as usual."

"Doyle's, huh?" He read aloud.

Sojiro brought himself up to his feet and remembered the app Futaba had showed him that was essentially a map of where he was. Sure enough, Doyle's was not far. In fact, it seemed unnervingly close to where LeBlanc should have been. He put that thought out of his mind though and walked up the steps and out of the station.

His block was only a few minutes away. Having ignored the time before, it wasn't until he was back in the open world that he realised it was the early evening. When he first stepped into the alleyway and took in the whole scene, it felt like he had never left at all. A few steps further in and it became apparent that wasn't the case. The cinema was completely abandoned; now boarded up entirely. The doctor's office wasn't there, just a regular pharmacy instead. The bath house was a chinese massage parlour, the laundromat was much larger than before, and that wasn't the only thing strangely bigger.

Doyle's wasn't just close to where LeBlanc should have been, it was exactly where it had been. It consisted of over three buildingings sandwiched together, and while they served coffee, it was clearly not the same establishment as before. Drawing closer, Sojiro's face contorted in horror and his eyes threatened to burst past his spectacles as it dawned upon him what had happened to his beloved store.

"An internet cafe?" The disgust leaked from his every pore. "Ugh."

Everything about it was wrong. Gone was the wooden brown varnish and the vintage style, now replaced by ugly modern eccentricity, tacky tube lightly and a dull dark blue. He wanted to puke. He held his nose and looked over it once more, noting the 'twenty-four hour' sign attached to the store.

"Maybe this is a nightmare after all." He closed his eyes and hoped to wake up back in his cafe, but reality was cruel to him once more. "Fine, let's get this over with."

A shrill beep boop rang out, signifying a new customer. He never realised just how much he could miss the little bell attached to his door. The front desk was a plain white a blue surface, covered in stickers from anime shows and what he recognised as Featherman characters. While he was no expert - all his knowledge came from Futaba's rantings - they seemed a little off to him, but again he chalked that up to alternate reality shenanigans. Behind the counter was a till register, several rows of snacks and three instant coffee machines. He wouldn't dare sully LeBlanc with anything of the sort, seeing them there hurt his soul.

To his left as he entered he realised why the store was so much larger than before. Two rows of small cubicles stretched all the way downward, with a narrow walkway to reach them. What little he knew about these places, he was certain there were people practically living here. It was disgusting to him, a truly miserable way to live. But Sojiro took a very strong 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy. He certainly wasn't breaking it for a bunch of weirdos living in a space the size of a large dresser. The one closest to him though was watching something obnoxiously loud, and what it was saying caught Sojiro's attention.

"Once again, the newly elected Prime Minister defended the lockdown measures by assuring the general public it was in the interest of the country's cultural standards. There have been numerous accusations of the ministers-"

"There he is!" Cried a voice from the top of the stairs. A frighteningly familiar one.

Sojiro craned his neck to look up and found a surprising tall older woman coming down from the attic. She had long bright orange hair, while most of it was tied up behind her head, two long strands traveled down her lithe frame. She wore a long sleeved green t-shirt with a cute design on it, with a messy apron around it. Instead of trousers, she had black and white striped leggings with mismatching black military boots. She seemed a weathered, shambles of a woman, who retained a cheeky side of her chaotic youth. She gave Sojiro a smile through her slightly wrinkled face that rang scarily familiar to him, and the longer he stared at her, the further his dread rose internally. All at once, he knew exactly who this fully grown woman was.

"Futaba!?"

"In the flesh, kiddo!"

She pranced downward before bringing him into a tight hug. His face was sandwiched between her very modest chest as she nearly spun him around. The thought of being in this uncomfortable position with what essentially was his foster daughter would ordinarily be enough to send his mind over the edge, but seeing Futaba like this at all, let alone somehow taller than him, remained his current mental crisis. She released him from her hold, only to switch to a headlock as he gave him a nuggie.

"Still got your hair I see," she teased as she tortured him.

"Ow, quit it," he protested, trying to pull away.

"C'mon, what's the password."

"What?"

"Won't let you go till I hear it."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Stop it young lady!" He pulled himself free, as Futaba stared at him dumbfounded. She then gave him a crooked smile.

"That just might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

His cheeks went red as he realised exactly what he just said. He shouldn't be embarrassed, for him it was a statement as natural as breathing, but in the context of this world, their roles were clearly on the opposite ends of what they once were. This was going to take some getting used to.

"You trying to scold me now? I am looking after you for the next year y'know."

"You are!?" He said louder than he intended.

"Well I hope so. No one else is gonna take your sorry butt in, are they?"

Once or twice in his dreams, he could picture an older Futaba taking over the store from him. It had always been a happy thought, but from where he was standing now, it was all a nightmare. This place was soulless to him, devoid of any culture or tranquility. He bit his lip as he felt the need to rant grow ever higher.

"Hello? Earth to Sojiro?"

"Whu-" Sojiro stammered.

"What a troublesome kid I've taken in," she clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. She pulled out a pre-rolled cigarette from her apron pocket, lighting it up right in front of him and taking a long drag.

Sojiro felt his fatherly instincts kick in immediately. He wanted nothing more than to smack the smoke stick out from between her lips. He had to remind himself of his position, that their dynamic was now on the complete opposite end. Not to mention he'd be a hypocrite as well. He himself was not exactly free from the habit. Her choice of words started to play back over and over in his head; he had heard that phrase somewhere before, from what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Well no point wasting time around here, let me show you the room." She turned on the spot and headed back up the stairs. Sojiro found himself staring back down the line of cubicles, simmering in his displeasure. "You coming or not?" Futaba teased, already halfway up the staircase.

Sojiro let out a sigh and followed behind her. A pit formed where here his stomach should have been. He realised where Futaba was taking him, and he felt karmic forces in play. Sure enough, they arrived in Akira's old room, yet it somehow seemed worse than before. There was a constant buzz that grew louder the further he stepped through, caused by the large servers placed on the far right. A collection of junk lined the haphazardly made shelves; filled with broken tools, discarded figures and random computer junk he wouldn't have a clue as to their purpose. There was a thin line of dust on everything, the only fresh thing was the bed which seemed to have been added recently.

"Tada! What do you think?"

"You want me to answer honestly?" He blurted out, unable to mask his opinion.

"I know, I know, but this is the best I can do. There's nowhere else to really put you."

"So living in your place is not an option?"

"Kiddo, this is my house," She said slowly, looking at him as if he had two heads. "You alright today? You don't seem with it."

"N-no I'm fine. Just a long journey is all," he tried to cover up.

"Well okay, just so you know, my room is on the other side if you need something," she chimed in, pointing back from where they had come. He had noticed before, but the entire upper floor was now one long corridor with two doors on either end. She was right, he really wasn't with it right now. "So why don't we cut the chase here, yeah?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't hear from you in years and suddenly you've uprooted your whole life just to come out here? To Shujin of all places? You are aware it's one of the worst schools in the country."

"I mean I know it's rough, but it's not that bad." He rubbed the back of his head, a nervous tick of his he suspected had contributed to his hair loss. The Shujin back home at the very least had a good reputation, but the look Futaba gave him told him this was not the case here.

"You're not stupid, Sojiro, as much you're pretending to play dumb right now. You know I'll always give you a place to stay, kiddo. You're practically family. But dont get any stupid ideas running through your head about revenge or any nonsense. Under this roof you're a normal high school student. No crusades, no schemes or plans of any kind. You just focus on graduating and living your life. I make myself clear?"

Sojiro's mouth went numb as the full weight of Futaba's words settled upon him. He didn't have a clue as to what she was referring to, and it was dawning on him just how out of his depth he was.

"Crystal."

"Atta boy," she beamed, bringing him in for a quick hug. "I'll let you get some sleep. Remember, first day of school tomorrow. Don't do a me and stay up too late, okay?"

"I'll try not to."

She waved him goodbye and closed the door behind her. Sojiro was alone again. He stayed in the centre of the room, filled to the brim with anxiety and worry. When he regained the feeling in his limbs, he took note of what he was left with. The room was smaller than the one he had left Akira, as it had partially been taken over by the servers. He was thankful they only emitted a low constant hum, in the right mindset it would make things easier to drift off too.

There was a small computer desk with an old games console, a laptop with a ribbon around it, and an antique monitor. A note was attached, simply telling him not to make her regret the purchase; it was definitely from Futaba. There was a drawer full of tools, a large box that simply read 'Sojiro's Stuff.' It seemed he had sent the rest of his belongings before he arrived.

"What have we got here?"

There was little inside of actual interest to him. There were some weights, a few outfits, and a bunch of other junk he could sort through tomorrow. The stress, shock and confusion had left him in a fatigued state. He hoped if he might drift off now this nightmare might be out to bed as well. He began his usual routine, even reaching for the meds his doctor prescribed, realising too late they were not needed in his now youthful form. He noticed the mirror behind him, nailed into the wall.

He stared back at the man now only in his underwear. He would never get used to this sight, it felt too alien to him. Something then occurred to Sojiro, this was all on borrowed time anyway. That strange man said the deal meant he could go back home when he was given the choice, he just had to wait for him to call. When that was though, he couldn't be sure. He was but a toy in a world seemingly made for him, but in reality was created for a malevolent being's amusement.

He sighed and collapsed on his bed. It was clearly an old mattress, it groaned with his weight and felt lumpy and uncomfortable. A bed was a bed though, and his younger body could survive roughing it for one night. Just as he felt himself drift off, his phone rumbled again. He eyed it with a flash of anger, snatching it off the nightstand to switch it off, but quickly he noticed something that hadn't been there before.

"What are you?" A new app had appeared, a small icon with an abstract red eye at its centre. Sojiro took an immediate dislike to it, and deleted it straight away. "Well it's gone now."

Finally, the sandman had come to call. His heavy eyelids drifted close as he started to lose himself in slumber. Yet sleep is a strange sensation, when your subconscious is at its strongest and every errant thought and image passes through the brain at lightspeed. And even the deepest sleeps can have that one thought that rouses them straight back to consciousness. Sojiro's eyes shot open as a realisation came crashing down upon him.

"Oh brother, I actually have to go to school tomorrow?"