Mina could feel her ponytail swing back and forth as she jogged. She had taken to jogging since it helped her clear her thought and put some muscles on Midori's body; which was both out of shape and severely emaciated. Of course Mina steadily gained weight as the weeks went by but her new body sometimes refused to eat, despise her best efforts. She could also add insomnia to the problems that the aftermath of the overdose caused. She huffed as she stopped and sat down on a nearby bench. It was early morning and it was already this hot. Mina felt beads of sweat run down her back and chest. She reached for the small water bottle at her hip and took a much needed drink. She also took the chance to take a little peek at her phone while she caught her breath. She frowned deeply; there was this weird app again…A red icon with a black eye in it. It always came back even if she deleted it every time she saw it. She even approached her father about it, fearing that her phone might have been hacked in some way but each time…the app disappeared just as she went to show it to her father. Taking screenshots of it was no good either. That app was oddly sentient and it worried her. She made a 'tch' noise with her mouth and deleted it again before pocketing her phone, after briefly looking over her notifications. She stood back up, gave her body a quick stretch before restarting her jogging.
These quiet moments in the morning were Mina's favorite. The quiet, almost ethereal atmosphere of the neighborhood was soothing. She could see as it slowly come alive as people mechanically heading towards the train station with their briefcases in hand. How the shops lights slowly turned on and the shop owners would open their awnings and flip their door signs. She smiled at a few of them in a friendly manner, wanting to seem as amicable as possible. Some of them replied with a grin while others only shot her a mere glance. She didn't mind though.
She stopped for a brief walk just as she rounded the corner to Café Leblanc and saw a familiar figure in the distance. She bit her lip and faltered, slowly wringing her hands. She could approach her uncle and say hi or just continue on her way. She gulped, nodded to herself and jogged over the tall man slowly.
'Hey uncle Sojiro' Mina said softly and the man promptly startled with a curse. The man turned abruptly, releasing colorful swears that had Mina giggling.
'Mmm Midori, what are you doing here this early in the morning' her uncle inquired, stuffing one hand in his pocket while he used the other to flick ashes off the butt of his cigarette. She came to a stop in front of him and smiled.
'I started jogging a few weeks back' she explained, linking her hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. Sojiro gave her an apprehensive once over and gave a slight nod as if satisfied.
'I've noticed you finally getting some meat back on your bones' Sojiro said approvingly as he dropped his cigarette and stubbed it out with his shoe. Mina offered an amused chuckle as she trailed after Sojiro slowly and stopped once he reached the door to Café Leblanc and flipped the sign to open. Mina found herself freezing and blinked as she was once again assaulted with memories of Midori's life.
'Sojiro! Midori is 7 years old, she shouldn't drink coffee!' Hime hissed at the older man, pouting fussily as she watched her daughter swing her legs back and forth while she sat on the bench, a cutesy, steaming mug of coffee right in front of her.
'There's a lot of cream in there so you don't have worry about it' Sojiro waved a hand while he leaned against the counter and reached to ruffle young Midori's hair. The little girl leaned into the touch with a big smile that lit up her chubby face. Hime huffed and crossed her arms, still clearly not pleased but decided to drop it.
'It's really good Mommy, try it!' Midori said enthusiastically, holding out the cup to her mother.
'Hey kid, kid!' Sojiro snapped her out of her reverie. Mina blinked blearily and stared into the man's concerned, grey eyes.
'Huh?' Mina found herself saying as she gave her head a shake to clear up the fog. The older man gave a long suffering sigh and put his hands on his hips with a groan.
'Your mother told me that you keep spacing out like this' Sojiro said, fishing out the key of the shop from his pocket. He turned to unlock the door and gentle pushed it open. The man turned back to her expectantly.
'Want to come in?' The man suggested. Mina offered a weak smile and a nod of her head. Sojiro made his way across the shop with ease, with only the aid of the few sun rays that peeked through the door and casted shadows across the linoleum floor. Sojiro turned on the lights and slipped on an apron that hung on the wall. Mina watched as the man puttered around behind the counter, turning on the numerous appliances. The strong aroma of coffee beans slowly started to permeate the air as the machine whirred to life, making Mina hum pleasantly. She slowly made her way further into the shop and took a seat at the bar, the memory still fresh in her mind.
Mina watched Sojiro's work quietly, feeling some sense of peace in the way he seemed to do everything smoothly, honed by years of practice no doubt. Mina went to speak but it seemed like her stomach decided to do it for her. Sojiro turned around with an amused smirk and Mina ducked her head between her shoulders in embarrassment.
'I'll make you some curry, how about that? I'll make your favorite' he promised while he offered her a fresh mug of coffee. The mug was the same one as in her memory. It was pink with little red hearts. The paint on the mug was faded after so many years.
'Yeah I kept it, even after all these years, you drank your first coffee in this mug, remember?' Sojiro said with a tender tone, a quiet type of smile on his lips. Mina smiled softly and tried not to be choked by her emotions.
She gratefully took it and took in the bitter scent of coffee and hummed in pleasure, the warmth seeping into her hands pleasantly. She smiled gently when she noticed he had set down small packets of sugar and small creamer on the counter for her. The older man offered a tender smile before turned his back to her and busied himself into cutting up some vegetables. Mina prepared her coffee to her liking and took a first sip and sighed at the exquisite taste. The taste of the coffee itself seemed to bring back even more memories. Mina bit her lip, tears suddenly flooding her eyes as a wave of nostalgia hit her hard, twisting her heart. She quickly wiped at her eyes as she heard steps come from the stairs on her left. Sojiro however didn't seem to be bothered as he continued to prepare the curry. Mina glanced at the stairs landing curiously, the wave of nostalgia pushed into the back of her mind.
A black haired boy wearing what appeared to be a school uniform came down the stairs, steps smooth and somehow elegant. His steel grey eyes met hers as he approached, seeming mildly surprised by her presence at the bar. He was tall, probably standing near 5''8-5''9 and a lanky built and leg for days. His raven hair was tousled in a seemingly constant bed head and fell into his glasses covered grey eyes. Mina flushed and offered a smile in greeting. He returned the smile and Mina practically felt herself melt on the inside. Wow…
'Mornin' Akira' Sojiro greeted gruffly as he set down a plate on the empty spot beside Mina. He gave Mina her plate and offered her a smile. She beamed and looked down at her food. It smelled and looked delicious but she felt a stab of apprehension. She…Mina…never ate curry in her life… It was no doubt very tasty but Mina had always been a little picky with her food in her past life… She nearly startled when she heard a meow coming from below. Mina looked down and saw a black and white cat looking up at her with gorgeous sky blue eyes.
'Oh what a beautiful kitty, hello' She cooed, trying to reach down from her high chair to touch the cat. Her fingers barely grazed its head before she heard a chuckle come from the raven haired boy. She flushed in embarrassment and puffed her cheeks in a pout. He was looking her with an amused smile and mirth was dancing in his eyes.
The cat meowed again and Sojiro gave a long-suffering sigh.
' I got your food right here you spoiled cat, c'mere' Sojiro said gruffly with a hint of amusement, holding up a much smaller plate and the cat meowed in delight, trotting behind the counter with its tail high in the air.
'You must be Midori, I've heard a lot about you' the raven addressed her while Sojiro was feeding the cat.
'Y-yeah and you must be…' Mina tried to remember, her mom and Sojiro did talk about the 'kid that lived in Café Leblanc's attic'.
'I'm Akira, Akira Kurusu' the raven supplied helpfully with an amused smile.
'Nice to finally meet you' Mina said, giving him a genuine smile and a bow of her head.
'The pleasures all mine' Akira said smoothly with a charming smile.
Mina sputtered as she blushed and tried to refocus on her plate before it got cold. She gulped as she grasped her fork and reluctantly dug in. She took a deep breath and popped the fork into her mouth. Her taste buds were suddenly assaulted by the amazing flavors the curry contained. A hearty mix of spices enveloped everything together nicely. She had finished her meal before she could even blink. Mina heard the deep rumble of a chuckle come from Sojiro.
'You were far hungrier then you thought huh?' He said as he picked up her practically licked clean plate. Mina's cheeks heated up for the umpteenth time as she mustered an embarrassed giggle.
Mina nursed her cup of coffee as Sojiro took away her plate. He set it down into the sink before fixing another plate and set it in front of the raven haired boy.
'Eat up or you'll be late for school' the older man said sternly, but Midori could clearly hear the hidden softness in his words.
Akira nodded without seeming to mind Sojiro's attitude.
Mina heard a faint meow and she looked down to see the cat looking up at her. She smiled and reached for it hesitantly, gouging if it would like being picked up. She grasped it under its armpits and lifted it up into her arms.
'Hi you, such a gorgeous kitty you are' She found herself gushing, scratching the cat behind its ear. It meowed in appreciation and purred in earnest. The purr reverberated from its chest to hers and she felt some of the tension she's been feeling lately suddenly leave her, only leaving peace. The blond haired girl rubbed her cheek against the cats with a content sigh. An amused chuckle came from the boy beside her. Mina froze and ducked her head in embarrassment.
'Sorry… that was weird' she mumbled, looking down the cat, which seemed pretty happy where it was.
'Don't worry about it' Akira said softly' Morgana seems to like you a lot, he doesn't let just anybody touch him like that'
Akira briefly glanced at the wall and stood up from his seat.
'I'm heading to school' Akira announced and the cat perked up and hopped into the teen's bag when it was presented to him. Akira offered a wave and a smile and stepped out of the Café with a jingle of bell. Mina just stared after him in confusion.
'He…took the cat with him' she said in disbelief and Sojiro let out a huff of a laugh through his nose.
'Don't question it' Sojiro said dismissively with a wave of his hand as he picked up Akira's dishes and went to wash them.
After that they fell back into comfortable silence as Sojiro puttered behind the counter while Mina just sipped her coffee in contentment.
'Is it as good as you remember?' Sojiro asked as he dried the plate in his hand.
'It's great, I wish I could make it that good at the bakery, I'm awful at it, I can never do it right' She said with a slight pout, rubbing her finger along the side of her mug.
'Tch and to think she would teach her daughter how to make proper coffee, what a shame. Have I taught her nothing' Sojiro said in disappointment, giving a slight shake of his head.
'You know what? C'mere, I'll teach ya how real coffee is done' Sojiro motioned her over.
Mina stood from her seat and sheepishly shuffled behind the counter.
'Grab an apron and watch as the master perform' Sojiro gave her a confident smirk as he grabbed one of the numerous can of coffee that littered the wall behind the counter. Mina found herself giggling and slips on a spare apron that was hanging from a hook on the wall. She slipped it around her neck and tied it behind her back before smoothing it out with her hands. The apron seemed to have been already worn since a nice smell, aside from the smell of coffee, clung to it. She tightened her ponytail and stood straight in front of her uncle, giving him her undivided attention. He looked down at her with a fond smile and he gently patted her head. She felt herself leaning into the touch unconsciously.
'Alright' Sojiro cleared his throat, breaking their small tender moment.
'First you got to'
Mina tried as best as she could to memorize what Sojiro was patiently showing her, but she often found herself spacing, an old trait that seemed to have transcended to her new body from her old one. She felt something swat at her head. She whined and held the spot with a pout.
'Get ya head outta of the clouds' Sojiro chastised, holding a rolled up magazine in his hand.
'Good grief, you got the same air head as your mother' Sojiro sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. Mina ducked her head in embarrassment, a blush blazing onto her cheeks.
'And yet' He said leaning the counter while crossing his arms' She isn't one of Tokyo's best lawyers for nothing. Quick as a whip and so freaking clever.' Sojiro smiled fondly and Mina felt herself smile, loving to hear more of her mother.
'Alright, back to business' Sojiro said, then menacingly brandished the magazine at her face 'this time pay attention'
They went back to making coffee and they decided to take a break. The both of them leaned against the counter, sipping their freshly brewed coffee.
'Mmm, not too bad' Sojiro said, smacking his lips as he set down the steaming mug. Mina beamed at the praise, clutching her own cup to her chest. Sojiro reached into his pocket and pulled out his packet of cigarettes. Mina watched as he slipped one between his lips idly and found herself craving one. Sojiro caught her stare and she looked away, it was probably bad for her to indulge in it.
'Here, your mother would probably kill me for encouraging this but you seem like you need one pretty badly' Sojiro said as he held a cigarette out to her. She gently plucked it from his fingers and slipped it between her lips. Sojiro lit his cigarette with his lighter and held out the flame to her. She dipped her head and lit the end of her cigarette. She took a deep puff and let it out with a content sigh, some tension leaving her body.
They stood there, smoking in silence until Sojiro broke the silence.
'I'm glad you shaped up kid' Sojiro said, grey plumes of smoke leaving his mouth as he talked.
'When I learned that you overdosed in that little bastard's apartment, I didn't know if I wanted to cry or go hunt down that little fucker. Your father really wanted the latter but your mom talked us out of it' He gave her a sad look and she felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest.
'I'm glad that you finally broke out of that stupid rebellious phase of yours and finally came home…I really missed you brat' Sojiro said, stubbing out his cigarette. Mina's own lay forgotten between her fingers, the ashes getting long and prompted Mina to stub it out.
Just how many people did Midori hurt with her careless rebellion?
Mina nearly startled when the doorbell rang and a girl with long red hair entered the Café.
'Ran out of food in the house?' Sojiro jibbed playfully at the girl, who flustered and pouted.
'Yeah, we need to go grocery shopping soon' the girl answered then her focus shifted to Mina who stood there, wide eyed.
'Futaba, this is my god daughter Midori, Midori this was Futaba' Sojiro loosely introduced. 'I don't think you two have met before have you?'
Mina wracked her brain for memories but she came up with a blank. She shook her head and offered a bow at the younger girl.
'It's nice to meet you Futaba' she greeted cheerily, trying to not let the talk from earlier weight her down.
'Nice…to meet you' Futaba said hesitantly, suddenly seeming shy and uneasy. Social anxiety perhaps? Mina knew that feeling all too well. She opened her mouth to talk when her phone pinged. She reached into her pocket and looked at her messages.
(Mommy dearest): Need you at the shop ASAP! Love you
'I've got to go, my mom needs me' Mina said, pocketing her phone again.
'Alright, I've got business to attend to anyway, come by any time kiddo' Sojiro gave her a small smile.
I am thou, thou art I…
Though hast acquired a new vow
It shall become a beacon that will guide you back to the light
With the birth of the Hierophant persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.
Hierophant Arcana Rank 1