Chapter 1: Prologue - Sojiro Sakura

4/9

Another slow day in the small Yongen-Jaya coffee shop. A dark haired man with a matching goatee in a pink shirt stood behind the counter. Crossword puzzle in hand, the man barely noticed an elderly couple enter the establishment.

Turning to the pair, the man spoke up a half-hearted "Welcome. Take a seat wherever you like."

The elderly couple nodded and took a seat in one of the booths.

Slowly coming from behind the counter, the dark haired man introduced himself. "I'm Sojiro Sakura. Thank you for coming to Leblanc. What can I get the two of you?" He attempted to come off as friendly but instead came off as more bothered that he had customers.

The elderly man looked up towards Sojiro. "Umm what is the special blend of the day?"

"The Guatemalan Strictly Hard Bean." Sakura responded. "It tends to have a citrus like acidity which produces a fruity, chocolatey flavor."

"That sounds lovely!" Replied the older woman. "I think I'll have a cup of that."

The old man contemplated for a moment. "I heard good things about the Brazilian Bourbon. May I have a cup of that?"

"I'll get right on it." Sojiro turned and walked back behind the counter. Taking out the different types of expensive beans, the dark haired man got to work. With expert technique and years of experience, Sojiro prepared both cups. After a few moments, he returned to the booth with two cups on saucers. "Here you are. One Guatemalan for the lady." Placing it down in front of her with a bit of flirtation in his voice. "And one Brazilian for the gentleman."

Both nodded and took a sip.

"My! This is quite delicious." The woman exclaimed. "Thank you Sakura-san."

"Yes it is quite the cup. Seems the good things I've heard about this place were true." The old man added.

"It's my pleasure. Glad you both are enjoying it." Sojiro returned back to his crossword puzzle.

An hour passes. The elderly couple continue to converse with each other. No other customers arrived at Leblanc. The TV in the background was the only other noise, playing a news broadcast.

Sojiro was still stuck on his crossword puzzle, seemingly unable to figure out a few words. 'Man why do I even do these? I've never been good at them.' The man thought to himself.

Another hour passed. The old couple still talking away, not having ordered anything else. Putting down his crossword puzzle, Sakura took out a cigarette and lit it. Taking a long drag, he exhaled, smoke filling the air behind the counter. He didn't smoke for fun, it was just a habit of his when he was either bored or stressed out. It tended to relax him and helped pass the time. 'This really is a slow day. Wonder if something happened downtown? Or is it a holiday? I feel like I'm forgetting something.' Sojiro rubbed the back of his head, trying to remember but nothing came to mind.

The landline phone rang. Sojiro picked up quickly as to not bother his customers. "Cafe Leblanc in Yongen-Jaya. Sakura speaking."

A woman was on the other end. She seemed quite serious with a commanding tone. "Yes. I would like to place an order for two weeks from now for a cake." The woman began.

Sojiro looked down at his small array of desserts. 'Been awhile since I've had an order for cake. Guess I can make one.' "Sure. What kind of cake are you looking for?" He responded, a bit more cheery than before.

"It will be a birthday cake for the 23rd. It's for my sister. If possible, could it be delivered?" The woman requested.

The man smirked. "I think we can make that happen. I'll just need the address and any preferences."

The two exchanged information about the cake, address, and payment. Shortly after they hung up.

"Hoo boy!" Sakura had a smile on his face. He enjoyed making various foods and drinks. Getting into the coffee business let him experiment with various drinks as well as desserts. Though the only one that he could claim as truly perfect was his special curry. Nothing would ever top that masterpiece.


A bit more time had passed and a news broadcast of another mental shutdown incident began to play. The elderly pair tuned in, listening intently. Sakura could care less. He wasn't one for things outside his immediate reach. If it didn't directly involve him, then he tended to not get involved. Figured he could just enjoy his life in peace if he kept his head down and did what made him happy. Not that working at a coffee shop was the most fulfilling job but it had its perks, like the pretty women that came in from time to time. The new doctor in town was a prime example. He picked up his crossword once more and decided to give it another attempt.

No sooner had he begun, the door opened. In walked a young man in a dark school uniform. His messy black hair and glasses were the only distinguishing features. Otherwise, he looked like he blended in with the crowd. Approaching the counter, the boy turned to him. "Excuse me. Are you Sakura-san?"

The man looked a bit confused before it dawned on him. "Oh that is today isn't it?"

The elderly couple rose from their seats and gave a polite bow. "Thank you for the coffee Sakura-san. The money is on the table." The two made their way past the student and out the door.

Sighing in disappointment, Sakura glanced at the table. "Two hours and just a single couple of joe." He raised his gaze to the boy. "I'm Sojiro Sakura. I'm guessing you're the guy?" He began eyeing the boy up and down. 'Mhmm he doesn't seem all that dangerous. But I guess you can't judge a book by his cover.'

"I'm Ren Amamiya. I'll be in your care." The teen politely replied with a bow.

Sojiro gave him one last look before turning and walking towards the back. "Follow me. I'll show you to your room." He lead Ren up the staircase to the dusty attic. 'Maybe I should've cleaned this up a bit' Sakura thought as he looked around the room. "This will be your room for the next year. It'll be up to you to clean it and keep it organized."

The boy looked around for a moment. "It's big."

Sakura turned to him. "Okay. Let's set the record straight. You are here on probation because of your assault case." Amamiya shook his head in confirmation. "You saw a man forcing himself on a woman and tried to help. He fell, hurting himself, and you got charged for it." Sojiro just shook his head with a disapproving look. "This is why you just keep your head down and don't get in others business."

Ren just nodded along. "Yes sir."

"Tomorrow we go to Shujin Academy. You can meet the principal and get your student ID. So stay up here and get comfortable. I have a business to run downstairs and don't need you causing problems." Sakura put on his most stern look. 'Need to lay down the law early. Have to be the strict guardian and take no nonsense from this brat.'

"Understood. Thank you for taking me in." The boy replied with a bow.

Sakura felt a bit awkward about. "Just stay out of trouble. I'll be back up to check on you before I leave." With that, the shop owner returned to back behind the counter.

Several minutes passed and he heard a bit of noise coming from upstairs. It wasn't very loud but it was a noticeable change that he would need to get used to. Grabbing the remote, he turned up the sound on the speakers that played the cafe's music.

Looking at his empty shop, the man let out another sigh. 'Oh who am I kidding? Bother who? I barely have any customers as it is.' The man returned to his crossword once more. He eventually just gave up and tossed it on one of the booth tables.


A couple more hours passed and Sojiro decided that he wasn't getting any more business today.

As he started to clean up, his phone rang. He quickly glanced at the name to see it was Futaba. "Hey. Is everything okay?" The man asked.

"Sojiroooo! I hunger!" The young girl exclaimed over the phone. "Are you going to be home soon?!"

The man shook his head. "I'll be there shortly. I'm closing up now so within the hour."

"Hurry! I need food! How about sushi?" She offered.

"What?" He shook his head. "How about I just make som-"

Futaba cut him off before he could finish. "But I want sushi!"

Letting out another sigh, the old man gave in. "Okay okay. I'll pick some up on the way home. Be there soon." He hung up the phone. 'Ugh kids...and speaking of kids.' Sojiro glanced at the stairwell. "Guess I better check on him."

Walking up the stairs, Sojiro looked in amazement at how different the attic appeared. A large amount of the dust had been swept away. Several boxes and books had been filled with the cluster of stuff that he didn't even remember were up here. It wasn't perfect but completely different from before.

"So that is what you were doing. I was wondering what all the noise was."

With another slight bow, the boy turned to his guardian. "Sorry if I was too noisy. I just wanted to make sure my room was clean."

"Makes sense." Sojiro put his hand to his chin and nodded. "Better get some sleep soon. We leave bright and early for Shujin. I'll drive you tomorrow but after that you have to take the train. Understood?"

"Yes sir." He nodded.

'Geez this boy is polite.' "Good. Now I'll see you in the morning." He got a few steps down before turning back. "And don't go messing with anything! If I find that anything is broken or tampered with or that money is missing from the register, I'm hauling your ass back to juvie!"

The boy frowned slightly but once again nodded in confirmation.

The shop keeper locked up and started walking to the grocery store. "That kid is too polite. Can't believe he got charged with assault. Oh well. As long as he stays away from Futaba, we shouldn't have any problems."


Arriving home. The man placed his wallet and keys on the counter and began to walk upstairs. He bought two small sushi samplers from the convenience store. He made his way down the hall to a door with caution tape on the outside.

Knocking, Sojiro leaned close. "Futaba. I'm home. I bought sushi."

A moment passed. rumbling was heard from the inside of the room. Things being knocked over and pushed aside as she made her way to the door. Opening the door was a young 15 year old girl with long orange hair stuck her head out. "Ooh la la! Thank you Sojiro!" She quickly grabbed the box from his hands and went to close the door.

Sakura tried to stop her for a second. "Umm hey Futaba. If it's alright with you, do you...want to...eat downstairs with me?" He awkwardly asked.

The girl looked at him. She thought for a moment and was about to answer but suddenly tensed up. It looked almost as if she was in pain. "Nah I'm good." She quickly slammed the door.

Sojiro sighed as he looked at the door in the dark hallway. 'I hope one of these days something will help you get through this. It takes time but I'll be patient Futaba.' The man walked down the stairs into his living room. He turned on the television to some crime show and began eating his sushi. Shortly after he finished eating, his eyes began to get heavy. He quickly fell asleep on the recliner, lightly snoring into the night.


4/10

The next day, Sakura quickly got up. Realizing he slept in the living room, he quickly got up and prepared himself.

"It's gonna be a busy day." The man stated as he grabbed his fedora and drove over to Leblanc. He must have slept funny. He seemed a bit more irritable than usual. Most likely because of how he had to spend his Sunday.

Outside the door, he took out his phone and texted Futaba.

-I have some errands to run today with the new kid. I'll be back this evening.-

The girl didn't reply. Sojiro knew the girl wouldn't be up but figured it be best to at least let her know what he was doing in case anything happened.

Heading inside, everything seemed to be in place. He walked up the attic to find Amamiya sitting on his bed, waiting for Sojiro. "Ready to go kid?"

"Yes sir." He stood up and followed him down the stairs.

Sojiro rubbed his head. "Stop calling me sir. Call me Boss if anything. Sir makes me feel old."

Ren let out a small smirk. "Gotcha Boss."

Heading outside, the two went to Sakura's car. "Okay this will be the one time I drive you. Guys aren't typically allowed in my front seat but I'll make an exception this time." The two got in and Sakura drove towards Shujin Academy.

The trip didn't take very long. Ren was quiet the entire way. 'This kid is real quiet. Do I make him nervous? Or is he nervous to meet the principal? Either way he better behave.'

The two park their car in the school lot and make their way inside. No students in sight. "Get used to this now because starting tomorrow, these halls are going to be packed with students. Don't tell them about your record and you should be able to get by if you keep your head down."

Ren looked him in the eyes with a small smirk growing on his face. "Can do Boss."

"Good. Now let's go meet this principal so I can get back to work. Waste of my Sunday." He mumbled at the end. The pair made their way to Kobayakawa's office.

Sojiro knocked on the door before hearing a man inside shout "Come in!" The room had only two people. The first was a man who Sojiro was convinced was a living egg. The man was incredibly obese and seemed to lack any form of neck. He also had on an ugly yellow suit. Standing to his left was a woman who appeared to be mid twenties. She had almost shoulder length dark brown hair, a yellow striped shirt, long blue skirt, and a very tired looking face.

The egg man spoke up as they entered the office. "Good morning! I am Principal Kobayakawa. Thank you for bringing our new transfer student in today Sakura-san." The egg smiled at Sojiro.

"Your welcome. Just trying to get this over with. I have a business to get back to." Sojiro replied, not trying to hide the disinterest he had in being here.

"Yes of course." The principal quickly replied. The man's tone turned serious and glared at the boy. "You must be Ren Amamiya."

The man quickly went over the procedure of Shujin and the rules he would have to follow. Sojiro tuned most of it out, showing zero interest in what was going on. The only thing of note was when the young woman introduced herself. 'Kawakami huh. She seems nice enough. A bit too tired though. Working too hard?' Sojiro thought for a second. 'Nah none of my business. But if she needs some coffee, might be able to wake her up a bit.'

A few moments pass and Sojiro finally interjected. "Thanks for the introduction Principal Kobayakawa but I need to be getting back to my shop." He glanced at Kawakami. "I run a coffeeshop. If you ever want some, feel free to stop by."

Kawakami nodded. She seemed to like the idea. Looked like she could use it to as she fought back a yawn.

The principal quickly finished up. "Ms. Kawakami will meet you in the faculty office first thing in the morning. Don't be late." He said to Ren with plenty of venom.

Amamiya just seemed to smile, unfazed by the egg's attitude. "Of course." He nodded as him and Sojiro left the room.

Walking down the hall a bit, Sojiro turned to the boy. "Doesn't look like it'll be easy for ya."

Ren shrugged as he began to clean his glasses. "It's not too bad. About what I expected."

Sojiro gave him a side eyed look. "Right...just don't go getting yourself in trouble." The two made their way back to the vehicle and prepared to head home. 'Alright. Plenty of time to get back and open my shop for the afternoon.' Sakura hoped.


Sakura's hopes were dashed as the traffic was terribly backed up. Looked like nothing was moving.

He rolled down the window and stuck his head out slightly. "Come on! What's the hold up!" The man shouted from his vehicle.

"Is Tokyo traffic always like this?" The boy asked from the passenger seat.

Letting out a sigh, Sojiro tried to calm down. "Not normally. This is a bit unusual."

"Maybe an accident?" Ren suggested.

Sakura turned on the radio to hear a report of a subway incident that caused a massive backup in the area.

"Another accident huh. There was a bad one last month." Sojiro's voice took on a more somber tone. "A real sad one too. A young girl about your age was hit by a car." His mind flashed to Futaba. 'I'll never let anything happen to that girl'

Ren stayed quiet. The mood in the car became a bit somber. That lasted for just a moment as horns started blaring for the traffic to move.

"Oh come on!" The man grunted. "Waste of my damn Sunday!"


They arrived at Leblanc. The time was mid afternoon.

"Damn. Too late to open shop." He faced the boy. "So I'm heading home. Same rules as I said yesterday. Get a bath and go to sleep. You got an early day tomorrow and you don't wanna be late on your first day."

"I'll do just that." Amamiya nodded with that blank look he defaulted to. "The bath is across the street?"

"Yea. It's either that or use the bathroom shower. Whichever you prefer." Sakura glanced at his phone to see that Futaba had texted him asking for some ramen. He quickly put it away. "I gotta run. I'll be here when you head out in the morning to make sure you go to school." He waved to the kid. "Lock the door when you come in. If anything goes missing, its on you and your back in juvie!"

Sojiro headed out, stopping by the convenience store to pick up some ramen.

On the rest of the walk home, the man chuckled to himself. "Kid probably thinks I'm a hard ass. Hopefully I can keep that up for a year." He smirked. "Seems like a good kid. Maybe he'll take my advice and stay quiet and out of trouble." A laugh escaped his mouth. "Maybe the kid will turn out to be a ladies man. Hoo boy! Those were the days."

The dark haired man strolled home as he went down memory lane of the days of his youth. Little did he know of the dramatic events that were yet to unfold.


Hello! I hope you enjoy this little intro prologue chapter. My idea for writing this is that most stories are about what happens from Ren's perspective. I'm planning on writing this entire story without ever telling it from Ren's side of things. This chapter was the first two days as Sojiro. Next chapter will be from Ryuji's perspective. This will have a divergence from the canon story, it will be very evident how next chapter. I will not make OC's that have any major effect on the story. The important characters will remain the same throughout. However, I will make some that flesh out other stories along the way, such as a member of the student council for Makoto or a repeat customer at Leblanc for Sojiro. Hopefully you all enjoyed and like my idea! Let me know your thoughts and what I can do to improve! I'm not the best writer (math major) but I'm giving it my best shot! Stay tuned for more! See ya!