Author's note:
Thank you for the continued support.
Chapter isn't the longest, but hopeful it has some enjoyable moments in it.
Later.
Chapter 18: Down time
Sunday June 19th, 20XX Noon
"Ahh… What is wrong with me?" Muttering to himself, Akechi took another sip of coffee. However, it was just one of those days. A day when he really didn't want to do anything. His mind was still brooding over the failures of Friday.
Following his deductive senses, Akechi had managed to pinpoint the thieves' entry into Kaneshiro's palace. It was what happened after that had upset him. All he could do was watch as they were accepted by the floating bank leaving him behind on the floor. Akechi had no way to induce a mental shutdown on the man.
The phantom thieves were doing something that Akechi could not achieve.
That was the reason his hands fell still. Why the weekend and come and slowly gone while Akechi lay idle. A burning resentment filled his mind as well as an image of that boy's face, Ren.
Akechi could see it now, a finger pushing up his glasses as they reflected the light, hiding his eyes from view; all the while, a sly smirk plastered on his face.
"I'm really starting to hate that boy…" Akechi muttered to himself.
Knock, knock!
Two repetitious sounds rang out from his door. Rolling his eyes, Akechi dragged his body from the chair. "Just a moment…"
As he called out, the handle was rattled, and without a care to his privacy, the door was flung open. Akechi didn't even have to guess who it was.
"Kasumi! What the hell are you doing!?"
The brown-haired girl sauntered in like she owned the place. A bag was slung over her shoulder and her hair shone like it was recently washed. Based on the happy smile as she pranced past him to the balcony, it was easy to tell that something good had happened.
Not answering his question, she flung back the drawn curtains. "What is this? Did you become a shut-in since we last talked?"
"That's not the point!" Akechi fumed, barely containing his rage. "What are you…"
"And what's this?" Kasumi interrupted, going back to the table where he was working. "Coffee for lunch? When's that last time you ate something?"
"Grr… I don't know, yesterday or something, it's not-"
"Not important!?" Kasumi screeched, whirling on him. Freezing in place, Akechi's eyes crossed as he stared down the finger almost resting upon his nose. "You don't get to tell an athlete that nutrition is not important!"
Growling, Akechi smacked her hand out of his vision and stalked away. Ripping open the fridge door, he analyzed its contents. There was… almost nothing. Hoping to avoid another lecture from the overeager girl, he swiped one of the final apples and took a bite from the mushy fruit.
Slamming the door shut, Akechi whirled on the intruder intent on finally getting an answer about why she was here and what gave her the audacity to charge into his apartment.
"Masayoshi… Shido, eh? Huh."
Time froze for Akechi.
Dropping the apple, he took a step towards the girl. "Where did you hear that name…?"
What has she seen on my laptop…? Do I need to do it? A mental shutdown?
"What's wrong with you?" Kasumi frowned. "All that caffeine go to your brain…"
"Where did you hear that name!?" Akechi repeated harshly, stepping up beside her and slamming his laptop closed which had been sitting beside her on the table.
"In the newspaper…" Kasumi replied taking a step back. "Look, he's right there, talking smack about the phantom thieves? Jeez, what the hell was that?"
"Ah…" Fuck. Akechi could only stare into Kasumi's confused eyes for a long second. Even as his brain remained stalled, his endless practice at living a lie saved him once again. "I see, please forgive my behaviour. I had a busy day yesterday and haven't fully woken up. The name reminded me of a criminal I helped catch in the past."
Too many lies, Akechi thought. Too many of them could be fact checked. This girl was quickly becoming a security threat to his plan.
"Uh huh…" Kasumi replied, not convinced. "Well, if you don't want to admit your fascination of bald forty-year-old politicians, that's your business, not mine."
Smiling numbly, Akechi went and picked up the apple. Tsking at the destroyed fruit, he picked it up gingerly. The force of the impact had been too much for the slowing rotting thing. Dumping it into the organic waste, Akechi shut the lid and reached over a paper towel to wipe up the floor. Before he reached it however, Kasumi was already there and doing the cleaning for him. Job taken, Akechi stood awkwardly.
In the middle of wiping up the sticky fluid, Kasumi kept talking. "So, have you made any progress?"
"…Progress?"
As she finished, Kasumi frowned at him. "About the exploitation of the students! Kaneshiro?"
"…Ah, yes." Stalking away from her, Akechi grabbed his coffee cup and took another gulp. The still hot liquid was almost too much. Forcing it down, Akechi stared out the window at the bustling city of Tokyo.
He had definitely not wanted to hear her mention Shido. But she had come to check up on Kaneshiro, the source of his first defeat… Hands shaking around the mug, Akechi tried to keep his voice level.
"I've been busy."
"Uh huh. It's past noon on a Sunday, you clearly haven't showered and are drinking your first pot of coffee. Busy."
Akechi bit back the angered retort. He hadn't expected her to be this aggressive about it. A few false promises and she would back off.
Of course she didn't, she Kasumi! Akechi raged silently in his thoughts.
On the other hand, Akechi could do literally nothing about Kaneshiro. Not only was he inaccessible in the metaverse by a strange coincidence, but he was also paying Shido for protection from the police.
Neither of which he could mention to Kasumi.
"Is that it!? No snappy comeback? No condescending smile about how I'm just a stupid school girl? What is wrong with you!?"
"Wrong… with me?" Akechi growled, unable to contain the anger this time. "I'm not the one who showed up announced at someone's private residence and barged in without waiting."
On a roll, Akechi turned around and glared down Kasumi. "I don't need to tell you that you're just a stupid girl, because you know that. That's why you need to come here and try to get beneath my skin. Because I'm the only one of us, that can actually accomplish things!"
Glaring at each other, Akechi used his height advantage to stare down at Kasumi. Before his disbelieving eyes, her glare slowly softened. After a few seconds, she averted completely.
She can't be…
Moisture slowly accumulated in her soft brown eyes. As time ticked past for a disbelieving Akechi, it finally welled over, one large tear tracking its way down her cheek from each eye.
"I know, okay? I know I can't help them… but they must be feeling so lost right now! Like I was! Please Akechi!"
Standing still, Akechi's body couldn't move as she stared back up at him, pleading. Even as her hands grabbed at his shirt, Akechi felt numb.
He'd never experienced something like this before. Someone who needed him. Someone Akechi found himself wanting to help. Someone he couldn't.
"I… I can't."
"WHY!?" Kasumi pled desperately. "Isn't this your job!?"
"No!" Akechi replied, his body finally regaining access to its functions. Whirling away, he tore his shirt from Kasumi's loosened grasp. Hiding his eyes from her emotions. "I'm a detective. I solve cases with an unknown perpetrator. This one was a known perpetrator; the police just don't care. Go plead with them."
"How… How can you be so heartless?" Kasumi spoke softly. "What about justice? Your justice?"
"Urgh…" Wincing, Akechi knew his mask was slipping. He could feel the desire to rising to tell her everything. To explain that he didn't give a rat's ass about justice. His entire purpose in life was to make Masayoshi Shido's into a living hell. The suffering of others, the ones he had killed by inducing mental shutdowns, meaningless compared to the goal.
"Answer me Akechi Goro! Will you or will you not see justice done?"
Closing his eyes, Akechi felt the mask slip back into position. Plastering a small smirk back on his face, he turned back around and raised his eyebrows tauntingly as Kasumi.
"H-Huh?"
"That's better. I was getting concerned you had lost your backbone when the tears started coming."
"Y-You…"
"I had to know you really wanted it," Akechi shrugged. "But I was being honest, it will be hard to make a case against Kaneshiro. However, the police are being too harsh on the students. I'll work with Sae to put pressure on them for clemency… Though will she even agree…?"
Akechi's plan came together as he talked. The mountain of work and phone calls this would take… Oh boy. The endless list of tasks was starting to make his head spin.
"Thank you."
"Huh?" Akechi had been in the midst of zooming out. Suddenly he was brought back by the sensation of being encircled by warmth.
Amazed, Akechi looked down at the girl that had pulled him into a hug. Unbidden, the smirk rose back to his face as he patted her back.
Oh Kasumi, you really are too easy.
Sunday June 19th, 20XX Afternoon
"Ah… This is nice…" Sumire spoke while claiming a place on a stool. Hugging her bag to her chest, Sumire's head was on a swivel as she tried to take in all of the unique sights.
Following Senpai's lead, Sumire had found herself in a "bar". The stools and long counter with bottles of alcohol behind it were exactly as she had seen in representations. Beyond that though, nothing was the same. A large portion of the open space was covered in pool tables. Each one of which was occupied by at two people.
Rather than a pool table, Senpai had led Sumire and the others over to what looked like a video game. Upon closer inspection, Sumire saw that she was half correct. While there was a screen displaying options and allowing for selection, the darts and the board they were throwing at were very real.
"You and me Ren, let's do this!" Ryuji spoke loudly, striding up to the game. In the hustle and bustle of the place on a Sunday afternoon, they had grabbed a dartboard on one side. With the bar and a dead space nearby, they had room to pull up a couple of stools and watch. Joining Sumire was Ann, the beautiful girl rolling her eyes.
"Men."
Sumire bit back a giggle. Ryuji's enthusiasm was undaunted as he continued plucking away at the screen, although Senpai did look a bit offended by Ann's claims.
"Here," Senpai said with a slight smile. "Hold Morgana, would you Ann?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, sure."
Biting harder on her lip, Sumire struggled desperately not to smile broadly at the knowing light in Senpai's eyes. No doubt this was Morgana's idea, and Ren was just mediating it.
The cat in question purred loudly from the confines of Ren's bag as Ann's hand ran down his back. "Oh yeah," Ann asked suddenly, "where's Yusuke?"
Morgana laughed. "Play it for them Ren."
"Of course," Senpai smirked, pulling the phone from his pocket. "I invited him, but he well… just listen."
Intrigued, Sumire leaned forward so she could hear. Ryuji sidled up as well, his head craning forward with interest.
"-Ah, what agony!" The message began randomly, Yusuke's distorted voice ringing forth from the speakers. He was clearly in the middle of a rant that they had missed the beginning of.
"The blank slate before my eyes wrenches at my soul! Ren, I cannot leave until I have drawn something! This excruciating slump tears at my being and wears away my self-confidence! Woe, Woe is me on this day! This vile temptress in her unstained beauty shall be defiled by my brush lest I not know of succor of sustenance again! Listen now, as I begin devolving true beauty for all of humanity to behold!"
"Umm…" Sumire was at a loss of words as Yusuke's words stopped but the recording persisted. Yusuke's cries and groans of pain continued at frequent intervals until it cut off a few seconds later. "Yusuke-Senpai is a little… different."
"Different?" Ryuji snorted. "Man's a bloody lunatic." Despite the degrading summary of Yusuke's character, Sumire caught a note of appreciation in his voice.
"B-Bloody?" Sumire asked. "Is that… a swear?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah, it's a bit old-fashioned, boonies even, but always a good change-up if you want to catch someone off guard, ya know? Like, you don't want to go round saying fuck every sentence. Get's a bit repetitive and…"
"Ryuji!" Ann cut him off with a glare. "Don't go teaching Sumire strange things!"
"N-No please," Sumire protested. "I don't need to be coddled."
"It isn't about coddling," Morgana sighed, looking immensely pleased basking in the presence of Ann's touch. "It is about not surrounding yourself with garbage."
"Exactly!" Ryuji agreed, nodding with a big smile on his face. "Like there are some issues going on with a new coach for the track team that's trying to start back up. They don't want garbage like that getting in and ruining… Hey, wait a second, you calling me garbage, cat!?"
"Ryuji." Senpai stepped in, putting a hand on his arm.
"Hey, he started it!"
"…It's your turn." Senpai answered with a tilt of his head. The deadpanned expression extracting a few giggles from Sumire.
"Oh yeah of course… wait you threw!?"
"…Yes?" Senpai answered. "You set up the game and handed me three darts…"
"R-Right…" Ryuji spoke hesitantly, stepping away from the stools to stand behind the line. "Wow, dude! 105 points!? That's some sweet throwing!"
"I got two of the bullseyes," Senpai spoke nonchalantly as if talking about something easy to do. "But I missed the triple 20 on my third attempt and got the single five instead."
"Wow, alright!" Ryuji smirked. "This'll be easy with an ace like you here!"
Sumire couldn't help but nod in agreement. The score that had once sat a lofty 301 had already been depleted to 196. Realistically, Senpai could finish it on his next round of throwing, two rounds below the limit.
Sad to have missed Senpai's throws, Sumire tried to focus on the game. However, Ryuji's focussed attempts were struggling to grab her attention. Sumire's gaze kept wandering over to Ann.
True to her job as a model, Ann's posture was perfect. Back straight, chest out, ready to conquer the world. Despite Kasumi's attempts, Sumire was still a natural slumper. Her hands were clasped together in front of her, bringing her shoulders in. "Hiding from the world", Kasumi had described it as.
"Umm, Ann-Senpai…"
"Ann."
"…Huh?" Sumire asked baffled.
"None of this senpai business please, it makes me sound old," Ann added a disturbed face on the end to drive the point home. "I mean, you don't run around calling me Panther-Senpai in the metaverse, right?"
"I-I guess not… A-Anyway," Sumire pressed on. "How are you so confident? I mean, Kamoshida forced you to… to do things with him, right? Your best friend, she…"
"Shiho…" Ann winced. Morgana's purring stopped in respect to their conversation as the boy's continued to discuss Ryuji's throwing. "Pretty heavy topic for a fun day out…"
"Ah, sorry…" Sumire replied automatically, "please forget about it!"
"No, please pay it no mind…" As Ann's thought turned pensive, the girl's eyes looked older. The ditzy blond was no more, her gaze reflecting pain and sorrow that one could spend a lifetime without accumulating.
"It is funny to hear you say that though, because I don't feel confident at all."
"W-What!?" Sumire gaped at her. "But you walk so tall and your outfit in the metaverse!"
Ann colored slightly as Sumire mentioned the rather alluring get-up. "I don't think that represents me at all to be honest with you. I think it represents the me that I want to be."
"Huh?"
"You know," Ann continued, but began to lose her way. "I wish I could put on a red latex suit and walk around totally comfortable in how badass I am. That's the goal, but not who I am, you know?"
"Ann…"
"Lady Ann…" Morgana muttered behind Sumire's word.
"Oh right, you were here too Morgana," Ann laughed slightly. "Don't tell Ren a word about this… Although I get the feeling he already knows."
Sumire could think of nothing to say as Ann trailed off, clearly finished answering the question. Sumire's mind whirled. Was it possible that they all felt the same way? That Ryuji, Senpai, even Kasumi weren't actually confident? They just acted that way? Fiddling with the straps of the bag she hadn't had time to deposit at home, Sumire almost missed Ann's question.
"Is that your gymnastics bag? Were you training this morning?"
"This? Yes, well no," Sumire corrected. "I mean it is my gymnastics stuff, but it wasn't training, I had a competition of sorts."
"You did?" Senpai asked, just catching the words as he came over for a quick break, Ryuji just now retrieving his three throws. "How'd it go?"
Sumire could hear the unasked question in his voice. Why didn't you tell me?
"It wasn't an actual competition; it was the club choosing the representative to go to a tournament near the start of next month."
"And?" Ann asked.
"My sister is going of course." Sumire replied calmly. "She gave two great routines. I messed up both my ribbon on Friday and my hoop today."
"Ah, that's okay," Ann continued, "I'm sure you'll beat her next time."
"Haha… Maybe," Sumire replied instinctively. "It's better this way anyway. I can't be distracted from this palace. Based on what you told me; Kaneshiro's cognition is beyond anything we've seen before. The man knows how well guarded he is and that is reflected in the palace's security."
"Hmm…" Ren muttered, clearly not happy Sumire changed the topic so quickly. He let it go and took the darts from Ryuji, going to the line.
This time, Sumire watched all three throws. There was a beautiful precision to how he accomplished it. His stance was relaxed, but focused, at the same time. From standing still, he struck like a viper, the dart a blur as flew the air.
"Daaamn!" Ryuji intoned, "a triple 20!"
"No," Senpai frowned, "it's a triple 5. Right on the border."
"Ah, shit. You're right," Ryuji frowned.
Senpai looked undaunted by the close failure at let his second dart fly. This time it struck true. Unfazed at his success, he did it again.
"S-Senpai!" Sumire uttered.
Ryuji was stunned into silence at the same time.
Ann just frowned. "Umm, shouldn't you be aiming for the middle?"
"Oh, Lady Ann…" Morgana moaned sadly from her lap.
"It's all you, Ryuji," was all Senpai said, retrieving the darts for Ryuji. The scoreboard read 6 as the number of points remaining.
"Err, yeah. Got to show you how dependable I am… right?"
Morgana chuckled. "Scared to screw it up, Ryuji?"
"As if, cat! I'm so clutch… so clutch."
"Just envision Morgana's head at the place you're throwing." Senpai suggested.
"Hey!"
Ryuji smirked, the words taking some of the tension from Ryuji's shoulders. Sumire knew the feeling. The pressure exerted in such scenarios. In a dart game between friends though… probably not necessary.
"Here. I. Go!" Punctuating each word with a fake throw, Ryuji let go on the third time.
The dart flew straight and struck home exactly where Ryuji was aiming. "Umm…"
"There we go!" Ryuji crowed. "One throw down, one left!"
"Ryuji… why did you throw a single three?" Senpai asked in a tight voice.
"Huh? Because two threes make six, right?"
"But…"
Ann rolled her eyes. "Okay, even I can tell that was a mistake."
"S-Shut up!" Ryuji replied embarrassed. "All I need to do is hit it again."
This time, the confidence in Ryuji was clearly shaken. Sumire was able to instantly recognize the jerky movements that came with the realization that he had screwed up. Accomplished something only to realize it was completely pointless and he was no closer than he was before.
"Uff!" Throwing suddenly, it was a decent effort. Craning her neck, Sumire thought for a moment that he had done it.
"Ahh… too bad."
"A triple 3!?" Ryuji cried. " God damn it!"
"Would you say it was a bloody throw Ryuji-senpai?" Sumire asked.
"Huh? What? No! That's not… just forget it…" Sighing, Ryuji handed the darts off to Senpai for the final round. What had seemed like a done and dusted deal was coming down to the final throws.
"So, what am I aiming at?" Senpai asked, sounding unafraid as he strode up to the line.
"Hit the triple 2," Morgana recommended. "End it with style."
"Ohh that's exciting!" Sumire agreed.
Ren nodded in agreement. "Got it." The difference in his easy stance from Ryuji's hesitance was plain as day to Sumire. As such, Sumire wasn't surprised in the least as Senpai's dart found its mark.
Clapping along with Ann, the game was over as the boys shared a high-five. "Now," Ann declared, moving Morgana's bag to the stool she had been sitting on. "It's time for us girls to show you how it is done!"
"…Eh? EHH!?" Sumire's reaction was delayed as she didn't understand what Ann meant at first.
"Come on, Sums!" Ann smiled at her. "Get up here and start us off."
"I-I…"
Sumire's excuses never materialized as Senpai handed her the darts with a wink. "Good luck."
"Eep!" Making another strangled noise, Sumire moved mechanically to the throwing line. Once here, she knew exactly how Ryuji felt. The distance looked short as a spectator. Standing here throwing now, Sumire understood exactly how far it was. How small the sections she was supposed to be aiming at were.
"Be brave, be brave…" Muttering to herself, Sumire took confidence from her success at the batting cage. Bringing her hand back, she let it fly. "…Oops."
The dart struck the electronic screen more than a foot above the board. The power in the throw left a small crack behind where it had impacted.
"S-Stop laughing!" Sumire pled as stifled chuckles spread throughout the audience. Frowning, she tried to learn from her previous throw. She didn't need a lot of strength.
With one last deep breath, Sumire focused on form over power as she let the dart fly. It traced a beautiful parabola through the air. It really was a nice throw. Right up until the moment it hit the floor.
"Umm…"
This time Ryuji actually broke out into proper laughter, Morgana and Ann weren't far behind. Strangely, Senpai just nodded solemnly while stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"S-Senpai?" Sumire questioned.
"Truly a clever technique." He spoke matter-of-factly. "You see, the game can only recognize throws that hit the board. It makes sure the thrower is behind the line via IR, but beyond that, it can't tell that Sumire has already thrown twice."
"S-Shut up Senpai!" Sumire cried.
His face slowly broke into a teasing smile as he gave the darts back to Sumire. Snatching them from his hand, she stalked back to the line and tried to focus.
Eyes glued to the red dot at the center of the board, Sumire just tried to trust her body and throw. One, two, and then three darts landed on the board. None of which hit the center.
"54, huh?" Senpai noted. "Not bad, but under the 60-average needed."
The qualifier Senpai added deflated Sumire slightly. Ducking her head, she retreated to the side as Ann got ready to throw. These hand-eye coordination things were more Kasumi's forte. It was why Sumire avoided the clubs and all the throws that they required to do a high-level routine.
"You'll get the hang of it." Senpai assured her.
"What about you?" Sumire questioned. "Have you played before today?"
"No, but…"
"Humpf!" Pouting, Sumire glanced away from Senpai who was struggling to restrain his mirth at her ineptitude. "You're just like Kasumi. You're so in control of your body that you can instantly compete at anything sports related without practice."
"And you can't?" Senpai asked back with a small smile.
"Huh? Of course I can't! I made a fool of myself."
"Because you can't do it or because you overthought it and then gave up?"
"I didn't give up!" Sumire hissed back, keenly aware of everyone else pretending not to eavesdrop on them.
"Really? So you didn't just stare at the center of the dartboard and release mechanically?"
"W-Well…"
"Trust yourself." Senpai said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Learn from each mistake and get better. You'll be as good as me in no time. Well, almost as good."
"Urgh…"
Any chance Sumire had disappeared as Ann skipped over, three darts in hand. "I tried!" The girl apologized. "Here, I'm counting on you Sums!"
"Y-Yeah…"
Grabbing the darts, Sumire stole another look at Senpai who merely nodded once in encouragement.
"All right!" Squaring up at the line again, Sumire didn't just throw like last time. Instead, she called up the memories from last time. What it felt like, where the darts had gone. Recalling the sensation, Sumire paid attention to how her arm moved as she flung the first one.
Single 13.
This time though, she felt the way her hand had slipped to the right.
Learn from your mistakes.
Throwing again, Sumire frowned at the result. She had overcorrected to the left. A 14 this time. At this rate she was going to lose to her score last round because of a lucky triple she had landed.
Final throw, Sumire narrowed her eyes, breathed once and flowed. Moving gracefully, the dart carved a path and impacted right in the dead center of the board.
"Oh. I did it!"
"Yah!" Ann cheered. Sumire barely had time to turn before she was wrapped in a tight hug. "Yahoo, you did it!"
Sumire smiled broadly. She had done it. Even if she had only gotten a total of 77 points that round, a few more than the average they needed. Combined with Ann's 40 from last round, they were almost definitely going to lose.
Yet rather than point that out, Sumire smiled. She was here to have fun. And hanging out with these people that were struggling so hard to improve society was fun. As she thought that though, Sumire remembered something.
"Where are Haru and Makoto?" The newest additions that Sumire didn't know that well. Still, she figured that Senpai would have invited them.
"Be here shortly," he answered immediately. "Both of them were busy earlier."
That left just Yusuke missing, but based on that message he had more important matters to attend to at this time. As Sumire had on Friday.
"Here I go!" Taking the stage, Ann began throwing her last set of darts. The first two were uninspired, but her third, like Sumire's, smacked the center of the board. "Yahoo!"
"Nice one!" Sumire answered, clapping quickly.
"It's all on your now!" Winking, Ann left Sumire with darts, a wink, a high-five, and 55 points left on the board.
"Oh, boy…" Muttering to herself, Sumire felt a familiar heat building inside of her. A competitive drive to win. The feeling had been rare as of late. Replaced instead with the cold dread of another imminent defeat.
Even this friendly competition didn't matter… Sumire refused to lose.
"Yah!" Exhaling as she threw, Sumire's eyes widened. "Did I… No."
A single 20. Her dart was millimetres from the outer bullseye.
"Tsk."
"You got this Sums!"
Shooting Ann a quick smile, Sumire let the second dart fly. Another single 20.
15 left.
One dart.
Two options.
"Hit the triple 5." Senpai called.
"Oh, yeah!" Ryuji chimed in. "That would be a sick way to end it."
A triple 5, huh?
Sumire's eyes drifted to it. Just left of the twenty she had thrown. However, besides the one lucky time she had hit one, Sumire had no practice throwing at that target.
"Just keep learning, huh?" Before she could second guess, she went for it. Not for the safe option. The almost assured victory. Sumire took a chance.
It was exhilarating.
"Did I… I hit it!" Standing still for a moment, Sumire barely had time to break out into a wide grin before Ann squealed and dragged her into a back-breaking hug.
"Yay! We did it!"
Hearing Ann's excited words, Sumire hugged her back. They really had. Sumire could really get used to these team competitions. Having others to help you out felt amazing.
"And damn, the triple 5 finish!" Ryuji complimented them. "Although, I mean, it did make you two more darts than us…"
"Oh, stuff it, Ryuji!" Ann and Morgana chastised the boy at the same time.
"Haha, well me and my boy Ren here will be the first to clear 501! You'll see! Let's go!"
"That will have to wait," Senpai smirked. "Our final members have arrived, and a pool table opened up with some more room."
"Fiiine," Ryuji admitted.
Extracting herself from Ann, Sumire sidled over to Senpai as the group began its migration. "Thank you."
Senpai raised an eyebrow. "For what? You were the one throwing."
"…I guess you're right." Looking down at her right hand that had helped her accomplish the deed, Sumire stopped walking. "Hey, Senpai?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Kasumi will be competing in a tournament on July 10th… Will you come cheer her on with me?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Everyone needs a little support every now and then."
Sumire smiled sadly. "Yes, Senpai. I'm just not so sure why it took me this long to figure that out."
Sunday June 19th, 20XX Afternoon
"What the hell was that?" Growling to herself, Kasumi still couldn't believe her actions earlier. She had thrown herself on Akechi like some damsel in distress.
Just the mere thought of what she had done made Kasumi want to ram her head into a wall. Once again she had let her emotions take control. Away from the detective and on the streets on Shibuya, Kasumi could finally reason coldly.
It was the trauma from getting blackmailed by Kobayakawa. Knowing firsthand how powerless one could feel, Kasumi had wanted to save her schoolmates from the same fate.
"I can't let that affect me," Kasumi growled. "I gave another solid performance today. Just… move on."
Stomping around Shibuya, Kasumi didn't even know what she was doing here. Sumire had run away after the performance saying she had plans. After leaving Akechi to work on the cases, Kasumi had been left with nothing to do.
Did I come here because this is where Kaneshiro works?
Smiling wryly at the pointless effort, Kasumi forced herself to do something else. The problem was… Kasumi quickly realized she didn't have anything else to do. Focusing solely on gymnastics, Kasumi didn't have other hobbies.
She could watch professional routines, or read more on nutrition or training practices… None of that resonated with Kasumi's restless mind. Kasumi wasn't sure when she last felt like this. A desire to do something preferably with someone.
"Guess my popularity is for nothing…" Entering a small supermarket, Kasumi pretended to browse the shelves.
This peculiar mood she found herself in bothered Kasumi. She had beat Sumire in back-to-back routines, securing herself a spot at the upcoming tournament. This should have been a happy day, yet it was Sumire who had happily dashed off for plans with friends.
It was Kasumi that had sauntered into a detective's home and got yelled at appropriately. "Really? Jealous of Sumi again? I am a bad sister…"
Kasumi was barely seeing the shelves of items in front of her. Wandering pointlessly through the repetitive aisles of ingredients, she felt her shoulder collide with something. "Oh, sorry."
"Huh? Tsk, pay attention girl."
What's he so upset about? "Excuse me." Trying to shove her way past, Kasumi found her way blocked by the man she had bumped into. There were a pair of them, both of them needed a shower. Standing this close made Kasumi's nose wrinkle in displeasure.
"What? Not going to apologize?"
"No. Move." Kasumi replied. Staring down the man, Kasumi wasn't in the mood to bend to some misogynistic asshole.
"Oi, oi, don't you know to respect your elders? Nothing I hate more than hotheaded kids that don't know their place!"
"Grr… You know what I hate? Idiotic adults on a power trip looking for someone they can abuse."
Staring down the stranger, Kasumi felt her cheek twinge in pain. While the marring from the principal had faded, the memory was as strong as ever.
"Hey," his partner called, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Got a message, new orders."
"Huh? Yeah sure… Boss has been weirdly happy since Friday."
"I heard he struck it big on a new… client."
Could these two possibly be…
Narrowing her eyes, Kasumi turned around and walked to the end of the aisle. From the corner of her eye, she tracked their path out of the store. Noting the direction they went, Kasumi pursued them.
A new client potentially connected directly to Kaneshiro himself. If true, this could be the break that the police need to finally arrest the man. Kasumi refused to let it go.
Exiting the store, Kasumi crept slowly along the wall. Both of the men weren't hard to find, they stood out in a crowd due to their height. Kasumi meanwhile was able to easily disappear in a sea of heads.
Along the market, away from the nearby movie theater, Kasumi followed. As they left central street and entered more obscure areas, Kasumi grew increasingly worried she'd be spotted.
The crowd thinned out, and the men continued unerringly to their destination. It went on long enough that Kasumi began to wonder if she had made a mistake. What would she get out of this?
Eventually the streets opened up into the last thing Kasumi wanted to see: a parking lot. One of the men was already pulling keys from their pocket.
"Damn it!" Growling, Kasumi crept closer along the rows of vehicles. Thankfully, they eventually stopped at a low-slung vehicle.
"What a waste of a Sunday," one muttered. "It's too hard to find students without their uniforms."
"All the ones that do show up are in big groups anyway," the second agreed with a large sigh.
Come on, give me something! Kasumi pled silently. The men were moments away from getting in the vehicle and driving away. The license plate!?
Hit by a flash of inspiration, Kasumi leaned her head out. Thankfully, the men were distracted. Casting a glance at the one getting in, phone in his hand, Kasumi moved another foot to get a look at the back of the car.
White with green letters. Nothing strange there. A privately owned vehicle. It was registered to the municipality of Adachi in Tokyo. Scanning the numbers, Kasumi retreated. Maybe Akechi could do something with it.
"Oh, oh. I got some deets on that client!" One of the men spoke loudly, excitement filling his voice. The door was left open, forgotten in the man's excitement. Freezing, Kasumi waited eagerly.
"Oh yeah? The second one drawled. "Who is it?"
"Well that's the thing, there are two. One apparently has a bunch of money and the other one is related to that Nijima prosecutor bitch."
Nijima!? But that would mean… "Makoto?"
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"Naw, wasn't me. Close that door and let's get going. We'll hear the details in person."
Moving more by instinct than anything, Kasumi took the chance to crawl around the other side of the next car over.
Crouched behind a tire, Kasumi muttered to herself. Was it possible that they were wrong? Could it be someone besides Makoto?
Flashing through Kasumi's mind were images from the study session. It had been Makoto, Ren, Haru, and her. Kasumi had yelled at that student that had complained.
But what had Makoto gone and done since then? More importantly… Kasumi looked down at her phone with no notifications. "Why… Why didn't you tell me? I thought…"
We were friends.
Lost in her thoughts, Kasumi sat there as the car drove off.
Sunday June 19th, 20XX Evening
"Oh, nice shot!" Ren commented casually as Haru weakly hit the cue ball. Unlike most of her previous attempts however, it rolled straight and collided with the target ball.
Ren had lost track of how many rounds they had played at this point. At a certain point it became abundantly clear that Ryuji and he were a cut above a girls. Since then, they'd been letting them practice and get touches in.
The growth was the slow but consistent learning curve that most beginners experienced when faced with a new task.
"Hey, Ren," Makoto called. "Are you sure I'm sighting correctly? It seems like it doesn't move straight."
Going over, Ren did his best to help the older girl out. Truth being told, he'd played pool before, but certainly wasn't an expert by any means. Even before he walked away to let Makoto shoot, Ren felt that same sensation.
Shuffling beside Ryuji, Ren confided in him. "I don't know why, but I keep getting the feeling that people are glaring at me. Is it just my imagination?"
"Dude…" Ryuji sighed, closing his eyes. "Please tell me you aren't that stupid."
"Huh, about what?" Ren asked back. "I'm trying not to come off as a perfectionist harping on errors. They're the one's asking me to help them after all…"
"Urgh…" Ryuji moaned. "It really is just like all of those manga I've read." Tilting his head up to the ceiling, Ryuji muttered to an unresponsive deity. "Why? Why is it always the idiots that don't realize what they have that get blessed?"
"Hmm… Whatever you say." Yawning, Ren took out his phone for a quick glance at the screen. It was already past 7 in the evening. They'd essentially spent all day at this place. Ren's stomach rumbled appropriately in confirmation of this fact.
Watching the girls continue to play, Ren continued the conversation. "You're good at these games. You played before?"
"Huh? Well, yeah. Got a dartboard in my room. One of the guys on the track team has a pool table. Used to play occasionally after practice, you know?"
Ren nodded, not wanting to step on old wounds further. Just another time that had past for Ryuji. No wonder he'd been so happy to find this place.
"But seriously, you're the big surprise here!" Ryuji spoke, "I mean, is there anything you aren't fantastic at?"
"Of course not," Ren spoke seriously. "As the leader I'm the best at everything."
"Wait, seriously!?" Ryuji gaped back. "Is that how it works!?"
An eavesdropping Sumire rolled her eyes. "Well, he certainly isn't the stupidest at least…"
Ren struggled to stifle the giggle. Sumire's words were accurate, if not a little unfair. Ryuji's skills just lie outside the academic field. "You've been playing well, Sumire."
"T-Thank you Senpai. It's just controlling the cue and understanding how the balls will bounce."
"Just, huh?" Ren queried. Before he could make her admit that she actually was good at sports, Ann interrupted.
"No time for flirting partner, we're up and on the verge of victory! Going to teach these senpai of ours a lesson!"
"H-Hey!" Makoto protested. "This was supposed to be a friendly match."
"S-Sorry Mako-chan, if I hadn't missed that last shot…" Haru apologized.
"Ignore them," Ann declared, "win this for us, Sums!"
"Ah, that's Lady Ann for you," Morgana chimed in, "as beautiful as she is talented."
"Don't go praising her, cat." Ryuji rebuked. "She's getting carried by Sumire."
"Haha…" Ann laughed weakly, not disagreeing with Ryuji's assessment.
All the while, Sumire lined up the final ball and sunk it corner pocket. It was by no means a challenging shot, but the proficiency and confidence were surprising.
Ren constantly found himself surprised by the girl's growth. She had continually made strides to achieve her goals. Ren liked to hope that he had sped the process along.
Makoto sighed heavily. "I guess us newcomers can't win so easily."
"Oh, don't sound so down, Mako-chan. I had fun."
Listening to the girls talk in the past tense, Ren realized that they were all thinking the same thing. Their time here was coming to an end.
"Ah, we're done then?" Ryuji commented. "It was pretty cool though, right? Damn, I've missed hanging out in a group."
"Yes," Makoto smiled, "it was a first time experience for me, but I would be up to do it again… after Kaneshiro has been dealt with."
"I agree…" Haru spoke sadly. "I'm not of any use to you currently, but I know if spend more time fighting I'll be able to fully awaken my abilities!"
"That's a good idea…" Ren spoke slowly. "There have been a couple of requests on the Phansite that Mishima has told me about. Might be mementos time."
"Oh, hell yeah!" Ryuji pumped his arm.
"Me-Mementos?" Haru asked.
"You'll see," Morgana spoke haughtily, "to be blunt, it is the public's palace. We use it fix minor distortions before they blossom into entire palaces."
"I see," Makoto muttered, seizing the information. "So, you are saying there is a latency in palace formation. One does not become distorted instantly, their views and morals just continue warping until a palace develops… I wonder what that point is."
"Err… right! A-Anyway, I guess that is true. The palaces aren't static though, they…"
"Glurg!"
A rumbling almost like an earthquake stopped all conversation. Slowly, their gazes tracked as one to Sumire. The girl was crossing her arms over her stomach, head bowed.
"I-I'm so sorry…"
Ryuji broke the tension by snickering. "Hungry huh? Don't worry, I'm sure Ren here would be more than happy to take you out for dinner."
"That's a good idea," Ren agreed with a nod.
""HUH!?"" The girls spoke almost as one.
"Yeah," Ren smiled at them. "We should all get dinner before splitting up for the night. None of us have eaten, right?"
"Oh…"
Somehow feeling like he had managed to disappoint, Ren swiftly led them out into the Summer evening. With the solstice only a month away, the sun was still visible despite the late hour.
"F-Follow me!" Ren spoke, unable to muster the courage to turn and look at their faces. "There's a restaurant over here that's pretty good…"
"Haha, that's our leader for you…" Ann laughed weakly.
"Oh boy," Makoto laughed. "At least its entertaining, right?"
"Oh yes," Sumire agreed, her frigid voice carrying with it a cold wind that sent chills down Ren's back. "It sure is a fantastic pleasure having a wonderful leader that manages to be extremely observant about everything."
"Haha…" Idly scratching his head, Ren tried to figure out what went wrong this time. It was a little challenging in a group. Maybe if he sent Sumire a text…
As his hand was drifting down to his pocket, Ren felt the phone buzz. Surprised, he pulled it out and stared at the sender: Kasumi.
Sumire says that she is getting supper with you.
I know it's a pain, but could you walk her home after? I don't want her out by herself at that hour.
Ren nodded. That answered the issue of why the girls were upset with him. He had suggested that they stay out late without a thought about their safety. Shooting back a quick affirmative text, Ren spoke up.
"I'm sorry I didn't consider the late hour before suggesting this. If any of you aren't comfortable staying out this late, please don't feel bad about returning home."
"Uhh…"
"Why thank you Ren, that's very thoughtful." Haru giggled. "Don't worry, I sent a message to my father's Butler, he'll send a vehicle for me and Mako-chan when we are done."
Shooting her a relieved smile, Ren was glad that they had tied up that loose end. "What about you Ann?"
"Oh yeah!" Ryuji interjected. "You're pretty thoughtful, you know that? Don't worry about her, we live pretty close. I'll make sure she makes it."
"…Thanks." Ann replied, rolling her eyes. The girl appeared completely unconcerned at the prospect of heading home late.
"Lady Ann… with that Ape?" Morgana muttered from Ren's shoulder. "No, I will accompany them on their journey as well!"
"You sure?" Ren asked the cat. "You'll probably need to spend the night with one of them…"
"Hehe… A night spent laying at Ann's side, swapping stories until the sun rises again from the eastern horizon, illuminating our prone bodies!"
"…You sound like Yusuke right now," was Ren's only response. However, with everyone having a way home, there should be no issues left with the supper.
Reaching the door to the restaurant, Ren held it open for everyone to troop inside. It was fairly low-end. The place offered a mixture of conveyor belt sushi and ordering of other staples like ramen. These sorts of mix-ups were common in a desire to appeal to a wider variety of clientele.
"Please, go ahead," Sumire smiled at the others, stepping aside so that she would be last. Rather than follow them through, she stopped beside Ren.
Not looking up, her cheeks slowly colored. "Umm, did Kasumi… message you?"
"Yes," Ren nodded. "I'll be happy to walk you home after supper, don't worry." Saying the words now as he watched Sumire's cheeks color, Ren felt the butterflies in his stomach begin to stir.
"T-Thank you… Senpai."
"It's my pleasure."
As he was following behind her, Ren realized that their group had become somewhat lopsided in terms of men to woman. The addition of Makoto and Haru had given them two more beautiful girls. Each of the four of them were quite gorgeous in their own way.
Back in middle school I'd have been jealous of someone hanging out with a group like that…
Smiling at the naïve thoughts that seemed to have been a different life, Ren reached the table the others had selected; all the while never realizing how close he was to figuring out the reason for his treatment at the bar.
Sliding in beside Ryuji, Sumire followed Ren in to complete one side of the booth. Across from him was Makoto, Haru at the end and Ann opposite Ryuji beside the conveyor.
All three of the girls were suppressing giggles. Hands over their mouths, they kept taking surreptitious looks at Ryuji whose cheeks were continuing to heat by the second.
"Yes mom… No, I'll take good care of her… No, that's not…!"
Ah…
Smirking, Ren couldn't help but stare as well as Ryuji talked on the phone with his mother. The boy had probably thought he could get away with a text message. When he got called, he couldn't run away.
"Yes…" Ryuji spoke in a strangled voice, "you can talk to her…"
With a shaky hand, Ryuji held the phone away from him and toward Ann. Before she could even grab it, a woman's voice came out. "Hi Ann darling. Are you sure this is fine? I can come pick you up after supper is done."
"No, I'm perfectly alright Ms. Sakamoto. I'm sorry Ryuji is missing supper with you."
"Oh no, I'm fine. I'm just so happy he is out having fun with friends again. I was quite worried about him for a while there. Every day all he did was…"
"Hey, hey!" Ryuji yelled bringing the phone back to his ear. "We got to go mom. Yeah, I know. Do I…? Urgh, of course I do! Say it? …Urgh. I love you too, bye!"
Smashing the end call button, Ryuji's hand was still shaking as he slotted his phone back into his pants. Ren was biting his lip. It wouldn't have been funny if Ryuji wasn't so clearly embarrassed.
"So cute!" Ann and Haru squealed.
"Argh, shad up!"
Ren shared a glance with Sumire who was clearly of a mind with the other girls. The worries of the day had disappeared from her face. Her eyes were sparkling, scattering bright red light.
"Grrr…" Head whipping around, Ren locked on a Morgana who was standing straight in the bag, hair bristling. "F-Fret not Lady Ann! I will be there as well to make sure you get home safely!"
"Aww, are you jealous?" Ann smiled. Reaching over she scratched Morgana's head. "Don't worry, you're cute as well."
"Can we please start eating?" Makoto sighed.
Giving her a confused look, Ren watched as Makoto's eyes flicked down. Most likely at the screen on her phone, exchanging messages with her parents like everyone else had.
"Oh, grab me a piece of fatty tuna!" Morgana declared.
With that the deluge of orders came and ruined Ren's chance of figuring out what was wrong with Makoto. Had her parents not responded? Or did she want a call like Ryuji got?
With Morgana continuing to mewl for food, Ren was forced to shut the cat up before the confused staff figured out there was a cat in here and kicked them out.
"Oh, can you get me another one of those big rolls!" Sumire asked many minutes later.
"…How?" Ren muttered. He thought he understood the depths of Sumire's stomach yet was surprised once again. Everyone else was stuffed, leaning back and sipping water. Sumire was acting like she'd barely eaten despite having the largest pile of dishes.
"Dude," Ryuji muttered. "I know about nutrition and training but uh… Are you certain you need all those calories?"
"Ob curse!" Sumire muttered back between mouthfuls of food. "I burn it all in no time! I'm famished!
"Umm…" Ren muttered, staring at the pile of plates. "Sumire can you uh… pay for all that?"
The girls hand froze as she went to point out another dish to get grabbed for her. "Uhh…"
"Haha…" Ren laughed weakly. He had quite a bit saved up from the metaverse, but he had been planning on upgrading their guns soon. Consigning that fantasy to be pushed back, Ren tried a smile. "Guess I'll cover it all."
"Huh?" Haru asked with a tilt of her head. "Do you want me to pay? How much will it come out to, 100,000?"
"W-What…" Ren joined everyone in gaping at the clueless girl. "O-One hundred…"
"No way dude," Ryuji spoke stunned, "she has like… no idea."
"Oh no…" Haru blushed. "I-I'm so sorry, but did we really eat more than that? I thought from the prices I saw…"
"Haru," Makoto cut the girl off in a pained voice. "I may have lost track, but the total amount of food we ate is approximately 10,000 yen."
"Huh?" Haru blinked and looked around the table. "Well why are you worried about paying for it?"
"That's not… never mind." Ryuji sighed.
"Rich people really do live in another world," Ann shook her head sadly. "Just think about how much clothing I could buy with that money…"
"Why do you need more clothes?" Ryuji asked, "you wear a school uniform like everyday."
"Well yeah, but I like buying the clothes I model," Ann blushed sadly. "Actually, I probably need to put a weekend aside to try and refold my closet…"
"A-A whole weekend?" Makoto asked.
"At least," Ann muttered. "It's only collected more since last time…"
"That could be fun!" Sumire spoke up. "We could have a girl's day and deal with Ann's clothes."
"Oh!" Haru squealed. "I've never done anything like that. Sounds fun."
"Haha, sure…" Ann spoke, somewhat sadly, Ren thought. "Thank you everyone for agreeing!"
"Umm, so Haru…"
"Yes Sumire?"
"…Can I have another roll?"
"Haha of course! Its my treat for inviting me out. I'm honestly just glad to be able to help."
"Hehe, well you heard the lady, another roll please!"
"I think I'm going to be sick just from watching you eat…" Makoto spoke weakly. "Also, it's getting pretty late."
"Twew!" Sumire spoke through a full mouth again.
Rolling his eyes, Ren hit her lightly on the top of her head. "Speak clearly."
"Yes Senpai."
Ren blinked at her tone. Is she… Happy? Shooting her a glance, Ren confirmed his hunch. Sumire looked oddly pleased with his reprimanding.
Ren didn't have time to consider why as the waitress approached and Haru spoke with her. Even knowing the girl was rich and wouldn't miss the money, Ren felt guilty. He wanted to curl into a little ball that he had been unable to properly treat everyone.
"Oh, that's my butler, come on Mako-chan!"
"Y-Yes, goodbye everyone!"
With quick waves, Ren stood up and grabbed his bag. It felt oddly light with Morgana having transitioned to Ann's. Nodding at the cat, Ren waved goodbye to the rest of them and departed with Sumire.
Almost instantly, the two of them split from Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana. In the dark lit only by streetlamps, Ren felt like they may have overdone it. They were constantly reminded that children shouldn't be wandering the streets at night, especially women.
Ren knew firsthand what could happen in such a situation.
Barely conscious of it, Ren took half a step closer to Sumire. He would not let a repeat of that night happen.
"I-Is something wrong Senpai?"
"Huh? No… everything looks calm."
Sumire tilted her head slightly. "Then what's with the scary look?"
"Scary? Ah, just some bad thoughts."
"Oh… Umm, you know you don't have to do this, right? I'll be fine on my own."
"Ah, you must be kidding," Ren smirked. "Kasumi would kill me if you showed up on your own."
"Hmm, true." Sumire laughed in agreement. "She does have a weakness for ice cream though."
"I'll keep that in mind. Can't use it too many times."
Conversation continued to flow slowly back and forth. Both of them were filled with a slight tension. By this time though they were comfortable enough to find something to talk about.
Ren looked at his phone as they finally approached Sumire's home. The tall apartment complex was a fairly rich part of town. It was clear that her family was well off. The streets were clean, no drunks or homeless wandering around unlike Jongen. By the time they reached the door, it was almost 10 pm. As far as Ren knew, this would be the latest he had ever returned to LeBlanc.
Chances were he wouldn't have time to visit the bathhouses or do any laundry. Hoping he wouldn't stink too badly at school tomorrow; Ren's mind was already thinking about bed when the door opened.
"Hmm, it would appear that you have completed your task successfully," Kasumi commented, leaning against the door frame. "Your reward is one extra special headpat from yours truly."
Before Ren could respond, Kasumi had already skipped out and extended her hand. Caught mid word, Ren endured the embarrassing time the best he could.
"K-Kas! Stop that!"
"Eh? Why?" The girl fired back teasingly. "It's not like he's in a closed relationship. Is he?"
"W-Well, no… but he isn't a pet!"
"Hehe, are you sure? He looks like an overgrown puppy to me."
"S-Stop teasing me!" Sumire yelled back. "T-Thank you for your time today Senpai. I really enjoyed it!"
Before Ren could formulate a reply though, a far scarier person than Kasumi filled the doorway: their father.
"Ah, well look who it is! Ren, right?"
Ren struggled to reply as both of the Yoshizawa girls flushed. "Y-Yes. It is a pleasure, Sir. I am sorry that Sumire was out so late. It is completly my fault."
"No need to apologize, please come in, come in!"
Left with no choice, Ren followed at the man's behest. Walking slowly, Ren spoke more out of instinct than conscious thought. "Please forgive the intrusion."
Taking off his shoes, Ren's eyes widened with horror. He couldn't do this. "I-I don't have a present."
"Hmm?" The man looked surprised. "You already have. More than I know most likely."
"Umm, Sir?" Ren spoke hesitantly. While Ren had grown rather frigid to most people in positions of power, this was one that he didn't want to make angry at him. Sumire was an integral part of the phantom thieves. Things would quickly grow complicated if he disapproved of Ren being friends with his daughter.
"Sit, sit… I guess I can't exactly give you alcohol, can I?"
"No Sir…"
"Umm dad, what exactly are you doing here?" Sumire asked. Her voice sounded strained.
"Can't you tell?" Kasumi taunted. "Its time for the scary father to investigate the boyfriend. Make sure he's trustworthy and all that."
"EH!?"
"Umm…" Ren felt bad, but he did need to say it. "We aren't dating…"
"I know that," the man smiled kindly. "I just wanted to talk to you. Last time we met I could barely get your name before I was shoo'd away. Ah, right. My name is Yoshizawa Shinichi."
"Amamiya Ren, second year." Ren repeated his name for good measure.
"Ren, huh? A good solid name." Shinichi replied, pouring each of them a cup of coffee. It was a little late for a caffeinated beverage, but Ren didn't decline.
"Thank you, Sir."
"Ah, no need to be so formal. So, what are you into? Sports? Athletics? Music?"
"Umm, I'm not actually in any school clubs."
"Neither are the girls," Shinichi shrugged like that was obvious. "Surely you do something outside of school to keep yourself busy?"
"Err…" Steal hearts in the metaverse? "I have a couple part-time jobs to help pay for things."
"Pay for things? Don't you have parents for that?"
"Ohh…" Ren realized now why he was being so friendly. He didn't realize that Ren was a delinquent. Prepared for his attitude to change, Ren explained swiftly. "Shujin was the only school that would accept someone like me. I live with a man who lets me stay in a café attic."
"…Huh?"
Ren struggled to contain his embarrassment. This was always the worst part. When the judgement came. Ordinary glances changing from mutual respect to disgust. "…I'm on parole for assault."
"I know that."
"…What?" Ren gaped back.
"I'm just shocked that anyone would force a person to live in such circumstances. What about your parents? Aren't they helping you with this?"
"…No." Ren replied bitterly. "I haven't had contact with them since I moved out."
Shinichi's face went dark. Slowly, he spoke. "I don't offer this lightly, and I'm sure there would be things to work out, however… there is a chance you could live here. If that is something you desire."
"Huh?" Gaping, Ren felt much of his composure begin to fade away. Staring into the man's earnest brown eyes, Ren felt something stir in him.
Is this… what an adult is supposed to be?
Smiling softly, Ren cast a brief glance at the two girls that were both hanging awkwardly around. They were both left stunned by their father's words. Neither of them seemed to dislike the idea, however.
Focusing on Shinichi again, Ren spoke. "I can see why your daughters are the way they are. They had an excellent role model while growing up."
Shinichi smiled wryly. "Flattery is unnecessary, although I won't say its entirely unappreciated. I'll be able to throw that in their faces for a while. Does that mean you are interested?"
"…Not right now." Ren replied. "I can't burden your family like this. Also… I've grown used to living by myself. I'll stick to the café until the man who took me in makes good on his threats to kick me out."
"If that's your decision, that's fine."
Standing up, Ren drank the last of the coffee. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I really have to get going now."
"Well, it was a pleasure to talk to you again, Ren."
"You as well, Mr. Yoshizawa." Reaching out a hand, Ren received a firm handshake.
Walking back to the front entranceway, Ren had both of his shoes on before someone spoke again.
"Girls, don't you have anything to say?"
"Y-Yes! Thank you for today Senpai! I had a great time." Sumire blurted out.
"Later Senpai! Don't do too many weird things to my sister, k?"
Stunned, Ren whipped his head to examine their father who was still there. The man didn't seem to care though, just releasing a sigh. Ren's respect for the man rose again. No doubt he wasn't free from Kasumi's blithe teasing either.
As Ren waved goodbye and began to close the door behind him, he could already hear the argument breaking out.
"Stop saying those things! Senpai would never…"
The words cut off abruptly as the door clicked softly shut. Sighing, Ren smiled once at the door and began his trek home. Each step felt like he was leaving home behind.
All that was awaiting at LeBlanc was an empty restaurant, its dark and dusty interior devoid of life. Not even Morgana was around this time to keep him company. Thinking about the cat, Ren wondered if Ann would really let Morgana stay. If she didn't he would have to go with Ryuji… that would be something.
Mind filled with various idle thoughts; Ren got on a late-night train. Disheveled businessmen were most of his companions. The people trapped working Sunday evenings had sunken eyes, as if their very souls had been drained.
"No wonder mementos looks as it does…" Ren muttered, unable to contain the burst of insight. There was no happiness, no joy in this place.
Can I really give these people hope? Ren wondered. It seemed nearly impossible. They were conditioned to expect brutal hours and being exploited by those with more power.
Unsettled by the sight, Ren finally exited at Yongen. It was swiftly approaching 11 at night. The detour to the Yoshizawa's had taken longer than Ren had expected.
Mind drifting, Ren didn't notice the discrepancies in his surroundings. Grabbing the handle, Ren tried to unlock the front door, but didn't hear the click. Body on autopilot, he pulled the door open.
"…Huh?" Finally, Ren froze. There was a shape along the wall, fiddling with something he couldn't see by a small light.
LeBlanc is getting robbed!?
Hearing him, the figure jumped to their feet. They were extremely short for a thief Ren thought. Their figure was childlike.
"S-Stay back!" Ren yelled.
"A-AHH!" The figure staggered back, falling down.
They sounded like a little girl…
Puzzled, Ren forget to call the police. Instead, his hand reached for the electric lights of the shop and flipped the switch.
With the interior illuminated, Ren was able to assess everything. That small light was the flashlight on a phone. The burglar was a small child with a curtain of bright orange hair. Ren figured it had to be dyed.
"Umm, who are you?" Ren asked.
"P-Please don't hurt me!" The voice pled. "T-The battery was almost dead on the camera and I thought you were sleeping!"
"…Huh?" The camera? Glancing at where the girl had been working, Ren found it. It was small, easily hidden on an oft ignored wall. If Ren had to guess, it was connected wirelessly to a receiver somewhere. "You're the girl living in the Sakura house."
"P-Please go away!"
Blinking, Ren was shocked by how she continued to back away, body shaking. On all fours she looked tiny. Her body had no fat on it at all. She appeared to be on the verge of anorexia. Ren's entrance may have been shocking, but by how she was reacting, one would think he was brandishing a weapon.
"Does Sojiro… abuse you?"
"No, of course not!" She barked back; her voice steady for once.
As Ren met her brown eyes, which appeared to hold a strange violet light, the girl withered again. Once she backed into the wall, she stopped moving, her body only shaking.
"Well, this ought to be good…" Sighing in resignation, Ren was glad that he had alternative living conditions lined up already.
Pulling out his cellphone, Ren quickly dialed Sojiro. After a couple rings, a grumpy voice answered.
"This better be good…"
"I think so… There's a girl living at your house with you, yes?"
"None of your god damned business! I swear, if you think that…"
Cutting him off, Ren tried to quickly explain. "Yeah, she's at LeBlanc right now."
"…What?"
"She's at LeBlanc."
"Impossible!"
"Check her room then!" Ren bit back. "But I'm telling you, she's here. Long hair, bright orange. Bit of a strange getup, short shorts and a jacket, has some headphones on as well…"
"Futaba!"
The screamed word was followed by a dial tone. Bracing himself for the imminent arrival of Sojiro, Ren sighed, rubbed his eyes, and took a place at the counter.
It was going to be a long night.
