Now What?
One bright August morning in the backyard of the Amamiya Residence, we see recent high school graduate, 18 year old Minato Amamiya laying down on an inflatable pool float as he watches a medical drama on his phone. That's pretty much what Minato has been up to since he graduated. Since Ren and Ann gave their son a 'gap year' to try and figure out his next move in life, Minato has been mostly lounging about and binging medical dramas. He was just flipping through the channels one day when he stumbled upon an episode of 'OR' (ER). He was so enthralled with what was going on on the program that he watched more episodes of OR, and even discovered more series like it.
Unfortunately, Minato's family and friends caught wind of his recent couch potato lifestyle, and decided it was time to put an end to it so he could find his passion in life and make something of himself.
Ren, Ann, Kimiko, and Morgana were seen approaching the pool Minato was relaxing in and they stood on the pool's edge as they stared down at him.
"Minato, what are you doing?" Ren asked his son.
Minato, in response, took his eyes away from his phone, lowered his sunglasses, and looked up at his family.
"Just hanging out here and floating," Minato answered in a lackadaisical tone.
"It's been two months since you've graduated," Ann said, "Have you thought about what you wanted to do next in life? School, jobs, career?"
"No," Minato said bluntly.
"Minato, the whole reason we decided to give you a gap year was so you could figure out what you want to do with your life," Ren said, "Laying around and watching videos on your phone is going to get you nowhere."
"We understand that you want some time off after working so hard at Shujin Academy after all these years," Ann chimed in, "But don't you think you've relaxed enough?"
"Meh," Minato said with the shrug of his shoulders.
"Okay, this ends now," Ren said, "Minato, it's time to take some stock of your life and find your calling!"
"And we're going to help you!" Kimiko chimed in.
"All of us," Ann added.
"All of us?" Minato asked.
"Yeah, you know, all of our other friends and their families?" Kimiko said, "We're all going to help you find direction in your life, Minato."
"Do I have to?" Minato asked, "I don't think there's any job out there that suits me, you know?"
"There's something out there for everyone, Minato," Ann said, "It's getting the drive to go out there and find it that's the trick."
"You're 18 years old, fresh out of high school, you should be grabbing life by the horns, Minato," Ren said, "And if it takes all of us to do it, then so be it."
Minato let out a sigh as proceeded to get out of the pool.
"Alright, I'll play along," Minato said, begrudgingly, "So, what are we doing first?"
"Get dressed and meet me at Cafe Leblanc, Minato," Ren said, "Don't be late."
With that, Minato went back inside of the Amamiya Household, and got dressed before heading off to Cafe Leblanc.
Job Attempt #1: Chef; Mentors: Ren and Sojiro
In Cafe Leblanc's kitchen we see Ren, Sojiro, and Minato. The former two are ready to teach the young man all there is to know about cooking.
"Okay Minato, the first step before you cook anything is to make sure you have all your equipment at the ready," Ren said, "Let's go down the list; Cutlery?"
"Check," Minato said as he held up some knives.
"Ingredients," Ren asked.
"Check," Minato said as he pointed at an assortment of spices, meat, and vegetables.
"Measuring tools," Ren asked.
"Check," Minato smiled as he held up measuring cups and spoons.
"Stove and oven," Ren asked.
"Check," Minato said as he stood next to said oven and stove.
"And finally, gloves and a hairnet," Ren asked.
"Check and check," Minato said as he pointed at his hairnet and showed off his food serving gloves.
"Alright, I think we're ready," Ren said with a nod.
"Okay, Minato," Sojiro said, "We're going to start by making a meal you should be very familiar with; curry."
"Awesome," Minato said.
"First thing's first, fill up this pot with water so we can boil the rice," Sojiro said as he showed Minato the pot they'd be using.
"Sounds simple enough," Minato said as he took the pot, went over to the sink, and filled it with cold water until it was a little more than halfway full, "Is this okay?"
"Perfect," Sojiro said, "Now put it on the stove so it can boil while we prepare the other ingredients. Make sure it's on a low flame; you need to turn the dial to the lowest number."
Minato did what was instructed of him before joining Sojiro at the cutting board.
"While the water is boiling let's work on cutting these vegetables," Sojiro said, "We'll start with these onions. Just hold your knife parallel to the cutting board and move your hand in a downward motion."
"Got it," Minato said as he started cutting the onion.
"Just make sure you're careful with those knives," Sojiro warned, "They can really put a hurt on you if you're not careful. A long time ago I remember cooking some curry. I got careless and I cut my palm wide open. I had to go to the hospital to get proper medical attention."
"That's rough," Minato said, "Since you had to go to the hospital I guess the cut was longer than ½ an inch and deeper than ¼ inch? Those are usually the minimum requirements for a cut to need stitches. And I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you needed anywhere from 6-8 stitches?"
"That's exactly right," Sojiro said, impressed, "How did you know all of that?"
"Been watching medical dramas for the last few months and the doctors on them had to deal with problems like that all of the time," Minato said as he continued cutting the vegetables.
"Hmm," went Ren as he noticed how his son properly guessed the severity of Sojiro's injury as well as the number of stitches he needed.
We then get a brief montage of Minato making the curry. We see him cutting up more vegetables, tenderizing the meat, mixing the sauce in a pan, pouring the rice into the pot of boiling water, and finally, Minato putting two plates of curry together to present them to his father and Sojiro.
"Bon appetit!" Minato said proudly.
"Wow, Minato, this curry doesn't look or smell too bad," Ren said in an impressed tone.
"Now let's see how it tastes," Sojiro said as he and Ren put a spoonful of curry into their mouths.
Unfortunately, the moment their tongues made contact with the curry, a look of disgust grew on their faces and they spat out Minato's curry.
"What's wrong?" Minato asked.
"It's very salty," Ren coughed.
"But I followed the recipe exactly," Minato said, "I added the right amount of vegetables, spices, and salt."
"Did you use teaspoons or tablespoons?" Sojiro asked.
"Tablespoons," Minato answered, "What else does 'tsp.' stand for?"
"Tsp stands for teaspoons," Sojiro explained, "Tbsp is tablespoons."
"Oh," Minato said with a frown, "Guess I messed that one up, huh?"
"Don't be too hard on yourself, son," Ren said, "It was a good first try."
"Thanks dad," Minato said, "But I think I'm going to see what other jobs you all have in store for me."
Job Attempt #2: Model; Mentor: Ann
Minato and Ann are seen on the rooftop pool of a luxurious hotel. On the roof with them was a photography team for Vague Magazine. They were both wearing some swimsuits, a pair of light blue swim trunks with purple lightning bolts for Minato, and a yellow bikini with orange flames for Ann.
"There are two parts to my passion, Minato," Ann explained, "Designing clothes and swimsuits, and then modeling in clothes and swimsuits. I figured I'd take you on the latter since it's more fun."
"And easy," Minato said, "Sitting somewhere while posing and looking pretty. Sounds like a no brainer."
"I think you'll find that there's more to modeling than just that," Ann said.
"Hey, Ann," The lead photographer said with a wave and an effeminate accent.
"Hey there, Kenzo," Ann waved at the lead photographer, "Minato, this is Kenzo Yokoyama. He's the lead photographer on most of Vague Magazine's modeling jobs."
"Nice to meet you," Minato said in a friendly tone.
"This is your boy, Ann?" Kenzo asked as he shook Minato's hand.
"Yup," Ann said, proudly, "We're trying to help him find some direction in his life. He just came from a cooking job with his father, so now he's going to give modeling a try."
"Interesting," Kenzo said before looking back at Minato, "You're very lucky to have a mother as beautiful as Ann, Minato. Despite having you and your sister, and approaching her 40s, she's in perfect shape and looks like she'd pass for 27 years of age."
"Easy there, Mr. Kenzo," Minato said, "If you're trying to come onto my mom, let me just set the record straight by saying she's spoken for."
"Kenzo knows about me and your father, Minato," Ann said.
"And don't worry, I don't swing that way," Kenzo said as he took out his wallet to show a picture of himself and his life partner, "My hubby Yuta and I have been together for 15 years. We're actually celebrating our 15th anniversary tomorrow."
"Congratulations, sir," Minato said with a smile as Kenzo put his photograph away.
"So, Ann, are we ready to go?" Kenzo asked.
"You bet," Ann said excitedly as Kenzo let out a sneeze, "Kenzo, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Kenzo said with a sniffle, "It's just these seasonal allergies. I must've tried every allergy medication on the market. I don't know what to do to get rid of them."
"Maybe you should try some home remedies," Minato suggested, "You know, saline nasal sprays, dehumidifiers, or my personal favorite home remedy, a little drop of honey. Those should make your allergies feel a whole lot better."
"If you say so," Kenzo said, "You sound like you know what you're talking about."
"Yes, he certainly does," Ann said with intrigue before turning back towards Kenzo, "Well, ready to get started?"
"Yeah," Kenzo said as Ann plops herself down on an inflatable tube in the pool and Kenzo gets his camera ready, "Now, just cross your legs and look natural."
Ann does as instructed so the photoshoot could begin. Kenzo and two other photographers took pictures of Ann as she lounged and posed on her inflatable tube. After a while, the photoshoot ended and Ann stepped out of the pool, one of the other photographers handing her a towel in the process?
"How was I, Kenzo?" Ann asked.
"Absolutely gorgeous," Kenzo smiled, "They're going to love these."
"Wonderful," Ann smiled as she and Kenzo looked at Minato, "Alright, Minato, your turn."
"No problem," Minato said, "How hard can it be?"
Like his mother, Minato got into the pool and placed himself onto the same inflatable tube.
"How do you want me?" Minato asked.
"Like with your mother, just look laid back and natural," Kenzo said as he readied his camera.
"Sounds good," Minato smirked, "Let's do this!"
Minato leaned back on his inner tube as Kenzo started to take pictures.
"Could you look a little more relaxed for me please?" Kenzo asked as Minato started to lean back further…and further…and further until he was about to lose his balance, "No, that's too much! You're going to…"
SPLOOSH!
Minato fell off of his inner tube and into the water. When he resurfaced he spat and coughed water out as he started to tread in the deep end.
"I probably should've mentioned that there's more to modeling than just sitting there and looking pretty, Minato," Ann said, "You have to have poise, elegance, and a more relaxed attitude about the whole thing."
"And how do I go about getting that?" Minato asked.
"That stuff usually comes with time and experience," Ann answered.
"Time," Minato said, glumly, "Something I don't have much of in this world."
Minato sank himself into the pool water having failed at another job.
Job Attempt #3: Production Assistant; Mentors - Hotaru and Kimiko
We now see Minato joining his sister Kimiko, their friend Hotaru Yajima, and a close acquaintance of Hotaru's as they're on stage in a theater house. Hotaru is ready to film a scene for his next short film, and Kimiko thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce her brother to the world of filmmaking.
"Why, Kimiko, I had no idea you had a passion for acting," Minato said, "What happened to wanting to be a comedian?"
"Oh I still have dreams of making the masses laugh," Kimiko said, "But about a year ago, mom took me on one of her modeling jobs, and she let me model with her. I had so much fun that I had a sort of epiphany. Since I love making people laugh, and, on that day, I loved being in front of a camera, I decided to combine these two passions and decided 'an actor's life for me'!"
"That's when I took Kimiko on some of my short films," Hotaru said, "No joke, your sister's a natural. I have to show you this last short film we made together."
"Maybe later," Minato said, "So, you want me to be a production assistant for your next film, Hotaru? What do I have to do?"
"Production assistants usually print out and distribute scripts, relay messages between crew members, and run errands for the director, i.e me," Hotaru explained, "I already have the scripts printed out if you can hand them to Kimiko and Saburo over there."
Minato took the scripts from his friend and gave them to his sister and Saburo.
"So, what's this new movie of yours about?" Minato asked.
"Just a comedic short film about a relationship between two totally different people," Hotaru explained, "The wife, a fun-loving, carefree, social butterfly. And her husband, a stoic, high strung, introvert."
"Sounds like a match made in heaven," Minato joked.
"It's guaranteed to have quite a few people rolling in the aisles," Hotaru said, "Anyway, we're probably going to go over this first scene. Can you run over to Big Bang Burger and get us some Comet Burgers and fries while we do that?"
"I'm already there!" Minato said as he ran out of the theater house.
"Alright, you two, let's get to work," Hotaru said as Kimiko and Saburo looked at their scripts, "This is going to be a dry run so you all can tell me what you think when we're done."
"Sounds good," Kimiko said as Saburo nodded.
"Okay," Hotaru said as he got his camera ready to record, "We're on in 3…2…1!"
Hotaru pressed the record button on his camera with one hand and pointed at Kimiko and Saburo with the other to give them their cue.
"Hey, sweet thing, I'm home!" Kimiko read from her script.
"Darling, are you drunk again?" Saburo asked.
"Hey it's gotta be Piña Colada time somewhere, am I right?" Kimiko asked.
"Baby, what am I going to do with you?" Saburo asked, "The Nomura's are going to be here any minute and I promised them a big dinner? What are they going to say when they find no dinner but a tipsy wife?"
"Uh, that you have an interesting lifestyle?" Kimiko joked.
"But what are we going to eat for dinner?" Saburo asked.
"It's called a telephone," Kimiko said, "Use it and order take out, silly."
"Oh, honey," Saburo sighed, "What am I going to do with-"
Before Saburo could finish his line, Minato came back into the theater house through the back door, meaning he's now on stage, to ask Hotaru something.
"Hey, I almost forgot, what do you guys want to drink?" Minato asked.
Before anyone could answer, however, Saburo confronts the eldest Amamiya child.
"What the hell is your problem?" Saburo asked as he walked up to Minato.
"Huh?" said an off-guard Minato.
"You're walking on the freaking set, you prick!" Saburo scolded.
"Uh, sorry," Minato responded.
"No, don't be 'sorry'," Saburo exclaimed, "Think for one second! Why are you walking through, la-de-da, in the middle of the scene?! What the fuck is it with you?! You have any idea about, hey, it's freaking distracting having somebody walking up behind Kimiko in the middle of the freaking scene? Give me a damn answer! What don't you get about it?"
"Look man, I was walking towards the Big Bang Burger when I remembered I forgot to take you guys' drink order," Minato said, defending himself, "So, I ran back here and entered through the back door for a shortcut."
"Ohhhh, goooood for you!" Saburo yelled, "Fuck's sake man, you're an amateur!"
"Saburo, I'm getting the feeling you're holding back some unresolved issues and you're taking them out on me," Minato asked, "Is that true?"
"What did you say, nerd?!" Saburo exclaimed.
"Minato, now's not the time to psychoanalyze somebody," Kimiko said, "Just apologize and move on!"
"I might be able to help," Minato said, "Talking things out with someone is a great way to reduce stress. Maybe we can get to the root of where all this anger is coming from. Because if you ask me, you're just making a mountain out of a molehill, my friend."
"Don't call me friend," Saburo scowled, "You're unbelievable man."
"Perhaps there's some issues with your mother?" Minato asked.
"The fuck did you say about my mama?!" Saburo yelled.
"Nothing!" Minato cried, "I'm just-"
"I'm gonna fucking kick your ass!" Saburo yelled as he charged at Minato only for Hotaru and Kimiko to get between the two of them before any blows could be traded.
"Saburo," Hotaru yelled as he held his friend back, "Saburo, it's cool!"
"Hotaru, if your friend walks onto this set one more time, I ain't working if he's still hired!" Saburo exclaimed, "I'm serious! He's a nice guy, but that don't fucking cut it when he's fucking around like this on set!"
"I understand, Saburo," Hotaru said as he continued to hold his friend back.
"Uh…I'm just gonna go now," an uncomfortable Minato said, "Thanks for the opportunity, Hotaru." Minato said as he jumped off the stage and ran out of the theater house like a bat out of hell.
Job Attempt #4: Writer; Mentor - Hayato
Now Minato is seen in the foyer of the Yajima Residence as Hayato welcomes him into his home.
"I know it may not look like it, Minato, but writing is a whole lot of fun," Hayato explained, "You get to use your imagination to craft stories you think people will want to read. I trust you have a vivid imagination."
"I like to think so," Minato said, "Remember Mr. Tibbles?"
"Oh your imaginary friend when you were three," Hayato said, "Of course I remember."
"Hayato, darling, can you come here please," Hifumi was heard from the living room.
"Coming, darling!" Hayato said as he ran into the living room with Minato following after him.
What the two men saw when they entered the living room was Hifumi leaning back on a reclining chair with her right ankle wrapped up in a bandage.
"What happened here?" Minato asked.
"I sprained my ankle yesterday while on a stroll through Inokashira Park," Hifumi explained, "The doctors told me to stay off it for a few days so it could heal."
"You know, you should probably elevate that foot more," Minato said, "If you keep your ankle above the level of your heart then it should reduce the swelling and it'll make your ankle hurt less."
"You think so?" Hifumi asked, "Okay, I'll try it."
As Minato grabbed a pillow and placed it under Hifumi's ankle, Hayato asked to see what his wife wanted.
"Anything I can get for you?" Hayato asked.
"Yes," Hifumi said, "If you could whip me up some lemon tea with honey, that'd be great."
"I'm on it," Hayato said as he turned to Minato, giving him a pen and a piece of paper from his pocket, "I'm going to get Hifumi some tea. In the meantime, we'll get you started on writing."
"What do you want me to write?" Minato asked.
"Poems are usually a good place to start," Hayato said, "Just write the first things that come to your mind and I'll be back in a few to check on your progress."
"Alright," Minato said as he sat down in front of the coffee table, starting his poem, while Hayato went to the kitchen to fetch his wife a mug of tea.
10 Minutes Later
Hayato returns to the living room with a warm mug of tea in hand.
"Here's the tea," Hayato said as he gave his wife her tea along with a peck on her cheek, causing her to smile.
"And here's your poem," Minato said as he held up his finished poem.
"That was fast," Hayato said.
"Well, once I wrote the first word the others just came pouring out," Minato explained.
"That's usually what happens to me too," Hayato said as he got ready to read Minato's poem.
"Can I have a look, too?" Hifumi asked.
"Of course," Hayato said as both he and Hifumi looked at the poem Minato wrote.
The couple read the poem and remained silent for a few seconds after the fact.
"What do you think?" Minato asked, "Is it any good?"
Hayato and Hifumi said nothing. Hifumi got up from her seat, sprained ankle be damned, as she and her husband walked over to a corner in the room and got in the fetal position.
"This makes me wish I'd never been born," Hayato lamented.
"It's so…sad," Hifumi said in a melancholic tone.
Whatever Minato had written, it must've been super depressing!
As Minato wondered what to do about the Yajima couple, their son Hotaru came downstairs from his room to see what was going on.
"What's going on?" Hotaru asked before noticing his depressed parents in the corner of the room, "What's wrong with them?"
"Read this," Minato said as he handed his friend the poem. Hotaru read the poem and then…
"I wish I'd never been born," Hotaru cried as he joined his parents in the corner.
Minato just stared at the sad Yajima family, unsure what to do next, when Ren, Ann, and Kimiko entered the scene.
"How are things going in here?" Ren asked.
"Dad, can you guys read this poem I made and tell me if it's any good," Minato asked as he handed his parents and sister the poem he had written, "I don't think Uncle Hayato and his family like it very much."
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sure your poem is just fine," Ann said as she, Ren, and Kimiko read the poem. Only for this to happen moments later…
"I wish I'd never been born," Ren, Ann, and Kimiko lamented as they joined the Yajima family in the corner of the room.
Still unsure on what to do next, Minato joined his family and the Yajimas in the corner saying, "I wish I'd never been born."
As the seven people huddled in the corner, depressed out of their minds, they had only one question, 'Who knew one poem would cause this much emotional damage?'
Job Attempt #5: 911 Responder; Mentor - Makoto
At the Shibuya Precinct where Makoto works, she's seen leading Minato somewhere.
"You're in luck, Minato," Makoto said, "One of the responders we have working here is on maternity leave, and we need someone to take her place while she's gone. We're going to use this as an opportunity to see if you can cut it as a 911 operator."
Makoto and Minato made it to the desk where Minato would be working, and the young man sat himself down behind the desk. On that desk were a computer, a note pad with a pen, and a telephone.
"It's an easy job," Makoto explained, "All you have to do is answer the phone whenever it rings. The person on the other end will tell you what their emergency is, and then you'll send one of us to go take care of it."
"So basically this job is just answering the phone?" Minato asked.
"Yup," Makoto said, "All you have to do is answer the phone by saying '911, what's your emergency?' and whatever they tell you, you repeat back to me or my coworkers, and then we go help them."
"Finally something easy," Minato said as the phone started to ring.
"Oh, here comes your first call," Makoto said, "I'll be watching you to make sure it goes okay. Good luck!"
With that, Minato answered the phone by saying, '911, what's your emergency?"
"Hello, 911?" Kamoshida was heard on the other line in pain, "I'm in Ginza District right now, and someone tried to mug me. Fortunately, I fought him off, but not before he stabbed me twice in the left forearm. These stab wounds are bleeding a lot and I was hoping you'd be able to send some people my way."
"That's pretty rough," Minato said, "I can call some paramedics for you, but until they arrive I need you to do something in regards to those stab wounds. Are you listening?"
"Yeah, I'm listening," Kamoshida said.
"Alright, are you wearing a belt?" Minato asked.
"Yes, I am," Kamoshida said.
"Alright, I want you to take that belt off and wrap it around an area on your arm above your stab wounds," Minato instructed, "That should slow down the bleeding some, and it should buy you some time until paramedics arrive."
"Alright, I'll do that," Kamoshida said, "I'm in front of G-Star RAW if you want an exact location."
"G-Star RAW, Ginza District," Minato repeated, "Alright, we'll send some paramedics your way, sir. Have a nice one."
With that Minato hung up and turned around to face Makoto.
"So we need to send some paramedics to the G-Star RAW store in the Ginza District," Minato said, "Someone got stabbed, but I gave him a helpful tip to slow down the bleeding, so they should get there in time."
"Alright, we'll have someone send some paramedics over there right away," Makoto said as she turned to one of her co-workers, "Call up the paramedics. Tell them to hurry over to the G-Star RAW in the Ginza District!"
"You got it!" The co-worker said as he ran off for the nearest phone.
"Hey, this is pretty easy," Minato said.
"Don't get cocky, kid," Makoto said, "That was only your first call."
"I'm sure my second call will be just as easy as the first one was," Minato said as the phone started to ring again, "Duty calls, and Minato answers!" Once again, Minato picks up the phone by saying '911, what's your emergency?'
"Hello?" a scared man said on the other line, "I live over in Jiyugaoka. My house number is 581, and I think some men broke into my house! I don't know what they want, but-"
"Hey, I think I hear voices," A menacing voice was heard on the other end.
"Oh no," The scared man whimpered.
"It came from in that closet," Another menacing voice was heard on the other end.
"No, no, stay away, don't, AUGH!" The scared man said as the perpetrators discovered his hiding spot. Minato's face dropped into a look of horror as he heard the thugs mercilessly beat up on the man.
"Uh…we'll send someone your way, sir," An unnerved Minato said as he hung up the phone and turned towards Makoto.
"Tried to warn you," Makoto said with a shrug.
"There's some bad stuff going on at 581 Jiyugaoka, Auntie Makoto," Minato said in an almost emotionless tone, "Uh…I don't think I want this job."
Minato got up from his seat and made his way out of the precinct.
"Where are you going?" Makoto asked, worriedly.
"To gather whatever innocence I have left and safeguard it for the rest of my life," Minato said as he left the precinct.
Job Attempt #6: Athlete; Mentors - Shiho, Ryuji, Himari, and the Tanaka Family.
Minato is seen in a gymnasium, standing in front of Shiho, Ryuji, Himari, Sumire, Ichiro, and Kas. Ryuji looks incredibly enthusiastic as he steps forward, ready to, of all things, sing a song!
"Let's get down to business," Ryuji sang to the tune of 'I'll Make a Man Out of You', "To go play some sports. Grab your fortitude and some comfy gym shorts! You're the frailest boy I've ever seen. But you can bet before we're through. Minato, we'll make a man out of you!"
"Enough screwing around, Ryuji," Shiho said before turning to Minato, "Minato, we're going to see just how good of an athlete you can be."
"Shouldn't be too hard," Minato said, "Remember that football game we played five years ago? Not to toot my own horn but I think I did pretty good."
"Yeah," Ichiro concurred, "Too bad though that American Football isn't a sport that's typically played here. So, instead, we're going to see how well you do in our sports; volleyball, track, tennis, and finally, gymnastics. Are you ready?"
"Do your worst!" Minato said as he cracked his knuckles.
And so begins another montage set to the song 'Gonna Fly Now'.
In the first part of the montage, we see Shiho and Minato on a volleyball court. Shiho has a crate full of volleyballs on her side and she sets the first one over to Minato's side of the court. Minato runs at the ball, dives at it, but misses. Shiho sets the second one, but it bounces off of Minato's head. As for the third ball she sends over, Minato manages to hit that…but it hits the net and bounces back at Minato for it to hit him in the balls, causing him to yell in pain.
In the second part of the montage, Ryuji has set up a line of hurdles for Minato to jump over, each one higher than the last. He manages to lead over the first few just fine, but when he gets to the last one, he leaps and ends up landing on the hurdle…with his balls, causing him to cry out in pain once more.
The third part of the montage has Himari and Minato square off in a tennis court. At first it looks like Minato is doing okay in this sport. He's bouncing the tennis ball back at Himari just as hard and fast as she sends it to him. Unfortunately, one particularly hard hit from Himari's racket ended up hitting Minato in, you guessed it, his balls. The worst part is that the ball moved so fast that he barely had time to dodge or try and hit it back.
In the final part of the montage, we see Minato trying to walk across a balance beam only for him to slip and fall, but not on the mat below him. Instead, he fell onto the balance beam…and landed on his balls. As Minato screams once again, he falls off the beam completely and is seen laying on the gymnastics mat, holding his groin in pain as Shiho, Ryuji, Himari, and the Tanaka Family all gather around him.
"No more babies…ever!" Minato cried as he held his groin.
"This is why cups were invented," Ichiro said as Minato slowly got up on his two feet.
"I'm done playing sports," Minato said, "Don't try and stop me, I've already accepted the fact that I'm not an athlete. I'm going home. There's an ice pack and a bottle of Ibuprofen with my name on it."
The six athletes just watch as Minato shuffles off to tend to his 'boys'.
"Well that was fun," Kas said as she looked at the other five, "Who's for Chinese?"
Job Attempt #7: Online Influencer; Mentors - The Mishima Family
At the Mishima Residence, we see Futaba, Yuuki, Riku, and Mai setting Minato up on the computer in their gaming room.
"Maybe you can be an influencer, Minato," Futaba suggested.
"How do I do that?" Minato asked.
"There are lots of ways," Yuuki answered, "We'll start you off with livestreaming. I assume you already have a ClipTube account?"
"LionTamer27?" Minato asked.
"Yeah," Yuuki said, "Just log into your ClipTube account and click the 'Start Livestream' button."
Minato did as he was instructed and the next thing he knew, he saw his face on the computer. He was being recorded from the face camera on top of the Mishima Family computer.
"Well, I'm on," Minato said as he turned to the family of four, who were standing behind him, "What do I do now?"
"Just say anything," Mai said.
"Okay," Minato said as he looked back at the computer, "Hey, everyone, my name is Minato Amamiya, A.K.A LionTamer27, and welcome to my first ever livestream!"
Minato looked at the viewer count of his livestream and saw that he already had one viewer.
"I already have one viewer!" Minato exclaimed excitedly as said viewer, 'SuperPwnage69', donated ¥15,000 to him and sent him a link, "Hey thanks the cash, SuperPwnage69!" Minato said gratefully, "But what's this link you sent me?"
Minato clocked the link and read the title of the video that it sent him to, "2 Guys 1 Mug?" Minato read, "I wonder what this video is about?"
Minato pressed play and immediately screamed in terror as he saw the video's contents. Quickly, Yuuki ran over to Minato, covered his eyes and shut off the livestream.
After Minato calmed down, the Mishima family were ready to give Minato another suggestion when becoming an influencer.
"Some influencers offer nuggets of wisdom," Riku said, "Why don't you think of a hot button issue affection Tokyo right now and offer some helpful tips on your Tweeter page."
"There is a pretty bad stomach virus going around our city right now," Minato thought, "Maybe some advice on that will help."
And so, Minato logged onto his Tweeter page and typed out a list of actions to take when trying to cure a stomach bug. His list of advice was as follows.
1: Let your stomach settle. Stop eating solid foods for a few hours, primarily drink soup and eat bananas and toast.
2: Try sucking on ice ships or take small sips of water often.
3: Ease back into eating while avoiding greasy or fatty foods
4: Get plenty of rest.
5: When all else fails, try anti-diarrhea medications.
Satisfied with how his list turned out, Minato leaned back in his chair and waited for someone to comment on it. 10 minutes later, Minato got the comment he was looking for…too bad though that the comment was a negative one that read, 'STFU you doctor wannabe! #FakeAndGay!
Seeing this made Minato let out a sigh of defeat.
Finally, the Mishimas presented Minato with the idea of blogging. Yuuki showed the eldest Amamiya child the blogs he made about the Phantom Thieves, and Minato, along with Riku and Mai, have no idea about the Thieves' true identity at this time. He also showed Minato his blog about wife Futaba's streaming career.
Seeing this inspired Minato to create his own blog. So, he logged onto HumFeed (BuzzFeed) and made his blog about his favorite chip flavors…with Salt & Vinegar being his #1 favorite. After positing the blog, Minato just waited for comments to come pouring in. Instead of comments, however, Minaot and the Mishimas heard an angry crowd outside the house.
The five of them looked out the window to see an angry mob holding pitchforks, torches, and signs that disapproved of Minato and his 'Potato Chip Flavor Blog'. Minato and the Mishima Family didn't say anything when they saw the mob. Instead they just looked at each other.
"All I did was express my honest opinion," Minato said, sadly, "I didn't think people would be that upset with me."
"That's the thing about posting your opinions on the internet," Futaba said, "Everyone has their own opinions to counteract yours. How they react to your opinion, that's where the fun part lies."
"What do we do now?" Minato asked as he looked back at the mob outside.
"If we stay quiet and hide, maybe they'll leave," Mai suggested as she, her family, and Minato just ducked down beneath the window, staying indoors until the mob disappeared.
Job Attempt #8: Waiter; Mentor - Haru
At Cafe Kitamura, Haru is seen giving Minato a pen and pad so he can take her customer's orders.
"I didn't know you started hiring waiters, Auntie Haru," Minato said.
"I'm not," Haru said, "But I'm willing to make an exception for you so you can see if you can make it as a waiter."
"Being a waiter doesn't exactly sound like a job that'll net me the big bucks," Minato said.
"Actually, waiters and waitresses make a lot of money from tips," Haru said, "Also, if you stay with a restaurant long enough, there's always a chance you can get promoted. But I'm rambling now, let's get down to business. Go up to that table over there and take that person's order, then bring it back to me so I can get it for them."
"Okay," Minato said as he approached a table that had a man wearing white robes. When Minato made it to the robed man's table, he turned to face him.
"Excuse me, sir, but have you heard about our lord and savior?" The robed man asked.
"Who, Jesus?" Minato asked, "Bearded fellow, walked on water, turned water into wine? Yeah, I heard about him."
"No, no, not that pretender," The robed man said, "I'm talking about the one and only Luther Von Cooper!"
"Uh, who?" Minato asked.
"Long ago when the fabled deity, 'The Overseer', created all universes, he also created nine crystals that controlled a different aspect of existence," The robed man explained to a very confused Minato, "The Life Crystal, The Construct Crystal, The Dream Crystal, The Nature Crystal, The Gravity Crystal, The Heart Crystal, The Power Crystal, The Light Crystal, and The Shadow Crystal. All of these crystals were given their own 'Champion' to wield them. But one champion, the Dream Crystal's wielder, a wicked man named Carlos Murciélago, sought to take all of the Overseer Crystals for himself. That's when the Nine Champion's personal ward, Luther Von Cooper, stepped in to oppose the evil Champion. Armed in with his Diamond Shield, Wings of Pegasus, Master's Blade, Two Godly Gauntlets, Two Passionate Pistols, Comet Boots, Helmet of Honor, and Titanium Breastplate, Luther defeated Murciélago, forcing the Mad Champion to seal himself away."
The more the robed man talked the more confused and uncomfortable Minato got.
"In the battle, however, Luther was fatally wounded," The robed man continued, "With his dying breath, Luther tore open a portal through time and threw his armor and weapons through it, sending them all to different periods in time so no one would abuse their power. Only when all of Luther's weapons and armor are all together, can their true potential be realized. All of this happened in another universe, and we're all hoping that Luther's descendant, whoever he/she is, will find his weapons and armor and usher in a new era of peace throughout the multiverse!"
As the robed man finished his tale, he stood up on top of his table, scaring Minato even further.
"Pray to our lord and savior, Luther Von Cooper!" The robed man exclaimed, "He will bring you all to the promised land! He will grant you all salvation! He will bring light to this poor, dark, multiverse once again!"
As Minato continued to watch the robed man sing his praises to a man and macguffins he's pretty sure doesn't exist, writing off his story as the ramblings of a psychopath, Haru comes up and takes Minato away from him, the floofy haired woman being equally weirded out by the robed man.
The next customer Minato had to tend to was a hyper looking individual who wouldn't stay still in her seat. Minato is seen taking a five gallon jug full of coffee to the hyper woman, placing it on her table and giving her a straw.
"Enjoy!" Minato said in a cheerful tone.
Within seconds, the hyper woman drank down the entire five gallon jug, letting out a hearty burp when she finished.
"Oh, mama, that's good!" The hyper woman exclaimed in a speedy tone, "50 more like that one please!"
"Uh, sure, you got it," Minato said as he went to the back to get more.
Finally, Minato is seen approaching his next customer, this one a man who is staring at an empty coffee mug. With a coffee pot in hand, Minato happily greets the man.
"Hey there, sir," Minato smiled, "Would you like some more coffee?"
"Yes, please," The man said in a friendly tone as he put his mug down on the table.
Minato poured more coffee into the man's empty coffee mug, but in the process accidentally spilled some onto the table. The man looked at the little spot of coffee on the table as Minato went over to the table next to him to take care of the patron sitting there.
"He spilled my coffee," The man muttered, catching Minato's attention.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry sir," Minato said in a friendly, apologetic tone.
"You freaking brat!" The man bellowed as he sprung up from his seat and grabbed Minato by the neck, slamming him down on his table, catching everyone's attention as they watched the events unfold in stunned silence.
"Let go of me!" Minato exclaimed as the man quickly grabbed the nearby coffee pot, which is full of hot coffee!
"How about a little coffee?!" The man angrily asked as he poured the hot coffee onto Minato's chest, causing him to scream in agony. Fortunately, Haru catches this and she pushes the man off of Minato.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Haru yelled, "He's just a kid!"
"He shouldn't have spilled my coffee," The man said in a nonchalant tone.
"Get out of here!" Haru yelled, "And if you ever show your face around here again, I'm calling the police!"
The man just waved his hand in disapproval as he left Cafe Kitamura. With the sadistic man gone, Haru and a few of the other patrons go over to Minato to check on him.
"Minato, are you alright?" Haru asked, worried.
"I've gotta get home and run my chest under some cool water," Minato said as he got up from the table, "That's how you treat scalds and burns. Run it under cool water for 20 minutes, then use ice."
"I'll take you home," Haru said as she guided Minato out of the cafe, "My bakers will hold the fort down while I'm out."
"Auntie Haru," Minato said.
"Yeah?" Haru asked.
"I don't think being a waiter is right for me," Minato said, "Too many weird or violent customers."
"I understand, sweetheart," Haru said, "Let's just get you home."
As Haru and Minato left the cafe, in the distance, they saw the sadistic man walking down the street away from them. Seeing him made Minato angry so he yelled, "YOU BIG PUNK ASS!"
"Minato, no!" Haru cried, but it was too late. The sadistic man had heard him and started running at Minato, causing him to scream and run away from him, forcing Haru to give chase to the both of them before any further harm comes to Minato.
Job Attempt #9: Rapper; Mentors - Daisuke and Ryuta
After treating his burns, Minato is now seen at a park gazebo where he's seen talking to Daisuke and Ryuta Watanabe.
"Rap music?" Minato asked quizzically, "I always thought you were a jazz nut, Uncle Daisuke."
"Make no mistake, I love jazz music with all my heart, but rap music comes at a close second," Daisuke said, "I have a rather eclectic taste. Anyway, back in high school, I used to perform rap duets with Ryuta all the time. We wouldn't mind showing you the ropes by performing one of the first raps we made together."
"We can even let you perform the backing vocals," Ryuta chimed in, "How does that sound?"
"Sounds great," Minato smiled.
"Alright," Daisuke smiled as he handed Minato the script, "Now let's get started."
The three males took their place on the gazebo as Ryuta turned on some rap instrumentals on some nearby loudspeakers. Without further ado, Daisuke and Ryuta start rapping.
Ryuta: We Watanabe boys like to give you fools a fright!
Daisuke: Don't you mess with us unless you're looking for a fight!
Ryuta: When we hit the streets all the girls come running!
Daisuke: They just love our rhymes; so cool and so cunning!
Minato: (Reads from the script) Watanabe, remember that name. Kings of the hood, and lovers of fame. All the girls around can't resist their charm and class. They all line up to get a slap on their ass…eww.
Suddenly, Minato throws the script away and starts ad-libbing.
Minato: Shujin honors student at the top of his game. But what else can he do? He's lost and looking lame. Can somebody help me? Show me the way! What's my purpose in life? Will I be okay?
Hearing Minato ad-lib their rap seems to have gotten under Ryuta and Daisuke's collective skins.
Ryuta: Dude, follow your lines, no one wants to hear you whine!
Minato: Excuse me, gents, you want to play this game? As if you're any better, your lyrics are lame!
Then things got competitive.
"Okay see," Daisuke said as he changed the music to a more fast paced beat, "Now you messed up."
"Bring it, old men!" Minato challenged as a rap battle was surely brewing.
Ryuta: Please stop crying about your former glory! No one wants to hear your stupid story!
Minato: You've done more with your lives! You're better than this! These raps have no hits! They only miss!
Daisuke: You used to be cool! Now you just complain! Bringing everyone down, being nothing but pain!
Minato: You think that hurts me, or it makes me feel bad? Guess what, Daisuke, at least I have a dad!
That last line hit Daisuke right where it hurts as he gets a shocked look on his face before huddling in the corner of the gazebo to bawl his eyes out. Minato watches as Daisuke cries over his dead father while Ryuta comforts him. Not sure what to do next, Minato runs away from the area, leaving the two Watanabe men behind.
Minato then tried a bunch of other jobs…but he sucked at all of them!
When Minato arrived back at his home, he opened the door and collapsed over the threshold, landing directly on his face. But he's so spent and disappointed that he didn't seem to care. Ren, Ann, Kimiko, and Morgana come up to the downed young man and look at him with worry.
"Minato," Ann asked, "Are you okay?"
With that, Minato quickly got up, with tears in his eyes and began to vent to his family.
"No, I'm not okay!" Minato shouted, " I cook as bad as I write! I think I unintentionally burned the bridge with Uncle Daisuke! I'm traumatized, brutalized, humiliated, scalded, and my 'boys' are destroyed! This whole day is a bust!"
"Don't give up hope, Minato," Kimiko said calmly as she put a hand on her brother's shoulder, "You can still find your calling. Just tell us what you want to do in life."
"That's just it, Kimiko," Minato said, "I don't even know what I want. That's part of the reason why I spent the last two months just laying around. I figured something would fall in my lap and I can just go from there."
"It'd be nice if life worked out that way," Ren said, "But 99.9% of the time, it doesn't."
"I'm sure there's something out there for you, Minato," Ann said, "We just have to keep looking."
"Well, what other jobs are there?" Minato asked, "I've tried just about every occupation under the sun. Well, every legal occupation, but I don't want to sink that low."
"I think there might be one left that you haven't tried yet, Minato," Ren said to his son, "I couldn't help but notice how you guessed the number of stitches Sojiro needed when he brought up his story on how he cut his hand, as well as the requirements a cut needs to get stitches."
"Don't forget about how you handled Kenzo's seasonal allergies, too," Ann chimed in.
"And when you tried to psychoanalyze Hotaru's friend," Kimiko said.
"Not only that, but we got a call from the likes of Hayato, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru," Ren said, "They all noted how you gave medical advice, and in Haru's case, you knew what to do to handle a burn."
"Where are you all going with this?" Minato asked.
"Well, you clearly have an interest in those medical dramas," Ren said, "And you have a knack for giving others medical advice. Have you ever considered becoming a doctor?"
Suddenly, Minato's eyes widened with realization.
"I never really thought about that, dad," Minato said.
"Becoming a doctor does make sense for someone like you," Kimiko concurred, "You're caring, you always look to help people, and your habit of 'playing doctor' extends beyond today. Remember last month when Kas failed her history exam, and she got so mad that she punched a wall so hard that her fist started to swell up? Do you remember what you told her?"
"Well, don't punch walls first of all," Minato said, "But after that I gave her an ice pack and told her to keep it on there for at least 20 minutes or until it stops swelling."
"And what about when we were kids and we were playing outside?" Kimiko asked, "When Kaito tripped and fell, scraping his knee. Do you remember what you did?" Kimiko asked.
"I ran into the house to grab a bottle of clean water, some disinfecting ointment, and a bandage," Minato answered.
"Sounds like you were born to be a doctor, Minato," Ann said.
Minato gave it a few moments of thought before nodding.
"Yeah," Minato smiled, "Yeah, me being a doctor, I can see that! But how will we know if that's really what I should be in life?"
"Tell you what," Ren said, "I'll call Dr. Takemi right now to see if you can work with her tomorrow and we'll see how you do."
"That sounds great, dad," Minato smiled, "Thank you."
With a new plan in motion, Ren calls up Dr. Takemi to confirm that Minato will be working with her at her clinic tomorrow.
Job Attempt #Whocaresanymore?: Doctor; Mentor: Dr. Tae Takemi
The next morning we get another montage that shows how well Minato did while working with Dr. Takemi at her clinic for the day.
First, we see Minato helping Takemi organize all of her shelves and cleaning up her clinic before the first patient arrives.
In the second shot, we see Minato giving a patient a physical. He's using a stethoscope to listen to the patient's heartbeat, before grabbing the small hammer to test the patient's reflexes. As Minato continues to work, Takemi is by his side giving him advice while also typing out the patient's physical results.
In the third shot, we see Minato handing another patient, an elderly woman this time, some pain medication. He's seen talking to the old woman, going over instructions on how she should take this medicine. The old lady nods before leaving the clinic, and Minato sees her off with a wave.
In the fourth shot, we see Minato distracting a little girl by making funny faces as Takemi administers a vaccination to her. She gives the little girl her shot with very little trouble, and the girl didn't even cry afterwards. After the shot was given, Minato happily gives the little girl a lollipop before ruffling her hair, causing her to giggle even more.
In the fifth and final shot, we see Minato listening to whatever problem his next patient is having while Minato writes down everything he says. Takemi looks in with approval as she loves how eager of a listener Minato was.
At the end of the day, Ren comes to the clinic to pick Minato up. He's seen with Minato and Takemi outside of the clinic.
"How was he today, Tae?" Ren asked.
"Your son has a real talent with this kind of stuff, Ren," Takemi said happily, "I think he'll make an excellent doctor someday."
"That's terrific," Ren smiled before turning to Minato, "How did you like your first day of being a doctor, son?"
"Dad, it was awesome," Minato said, enthusiastically, "I feel like I actually made a difference in these people's lives today. It feels great!"
"And the more you do it the sweeter it gets," Takemi said.
"Sounds like we finally found your calling, Minato," Ren said.
"Yeah, I think we have, dad," Minato said before hugging his father, "Thanks for believing in me, dad."
"I knew we'd find your passion in life if we kept looking," Ren smiled.
"So, Dr. Takemi," Minato asked, "What school did you go to to get your degree?"
"Well, I graduated from Nagoya University, and with honors too," Takemi boasted, "While you'll still have to write an essay of application and attend an interview, I'll put in a good word for you with the higher ups over there."
"That'd be great, doctor," Minato smiled, "Thank you."
With that, Ren and Minato went home as Takemi went back into her clinic to lock up.
The rest of Minato's gap year came and went. After learning his true passion in life, Minato went straight to work on writing an essay before mailing it to the Office of Admissions at Nagoya University. What ensued was the longest two weeks of Minato's life, but when those two weeks were up and Minato got a letter that stated that the dean wanted to organize an interview with him, the eldest Amamiya child felt like he was on top of the world.
A month after that, Minato and the rest of his family went to Nagoya University to attend the interview and get a tour of the campus. Minato really liked what he saw of the university's campus and all that it had to offer, and during the interview with the dean, Minato answered his questions as clearly and honestly as he could, giving the dean a firm handshake and a 'thank you' before and after the fact.
A few weeks later, Minato got another letter that stated his acceptance to Nagoya University. In celebration, Minato, his family, and all of their friends went to Destinyland Tokyo to celebrate.
The rest of Minato's gap year was spent getting ready for when he had to leave home and live in one of the campus' dormitories. He made sure to buy all of the essentials; school supplies, a new wardrobe, toiletries, and deciding what things from home he'd like to bring along so he doesn't get homesick (i.e: photographs, posters, video games, etc.). Whenever Minato wasn't preparing for his time at Nagoya, he was spending time with his family and friends, cherishing each moment with them like it was his last, especially when it came to Haru and Yusuke's daughters, and his two girlfriends, Mana and Mitsu.
Eventually, the gap year was over and the big day came: Nagoya University's Student Move-In Day.
On that day, Ren, Ann, Kimiko, Morgana, Mana, and Mitsu went with Minato to Nagoya University to help him move and get settled into his dorm room. After that, it was time to say goodbye as all of the new students were seen walking up the stairs to the main lecture hall so orientation could begin. Minato stares up at the stairs then back at his family and girlfriends.
"Why don't you guys come take one last picture with me before I go?" Minato suggested.
His family and two girlfriends agreed and they grabbed a nearby professor who was on his way to the lecture hall so he could take a picture for them. The Amamiyas and Mana and Mitsu posed in front of the lecture hall before the professor took the picture. When the picture was taken, the professor handed Ren's phone back to him before continuing on his merry way.
"Well, I guess this is it," Minato said.
"Yeah," Mitsu said.
"This is it," Mana said as she and Mitsu walked up to Minato and hugged their boyfriend. Minato heard the Kitagawa Twins take short gasps as they hugged him and he knew they were trying to fight back tears.
"Oh, it's okay babes," Minato said, "You two will see me again."
"We're just going to miss having you around, babe," Mitsu said.
"Text and FaceTime us often," Mana begged.
"Don't worry, I will," Minato said as the twins freed him from their hug, only to be hugged by his parents, sister, and cat, "Oh, mom, dad, Kim, Morgana, I'm going to miss you all."
"We'll miss you too, Minato," Kimiko said.
"We're all very proud of you, Minato," Ren said, "We're proud of the man you're becoming, and we know you'll do great here."
"Just promise us you'll call us often," Ann begged.
"I will," Minato promised, "Every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed at least."
With that, Minato's family released him from their hug.
"Well, I'd better get in there," Minato said looking back at the stairs leading up to the main lecture hall, "I'll see you guys around."
"Yeah," Kimiko nodded.
"Make smart choices, sweetie," Ann said.
"Be safe and have a great time," Ren smiled.
"We love you!" Mana and Mitsu cried.
"I love you all too," Minato said, a small tear rolling down his cheek, "See you around."
Minato waved his family and girlfriends goodbye before ascending up the stairs, occasionally turning back to see that they're still at the foot of the stairs watching him. Even when Minato approached the double doors, he turned around one last time to find his father, mother, sister, cat, and girlfriends looking up at him.
"I love you all," Minato whispered to himself one last time before entering the lecture hall so he could join the orientation.
With Minato safe inside the lecture hall, Mana and Mitsu started to bawl their eyes out, their separation from their boyfriend breaking their hearts. Kimiko just watched as the Kitagawa Twins cried and held each other for support.
"Yeesh, what saps, right mom and dad?" Kimiko asked, waiting for a response from her parents, "Mom and dad?"
Kimiko looked over at Ren and Ann to see that their lips were quivering and tears started to pour from their eyes. The blonde teenager and Morgana looked at the weeping parents and then back at the wailing Kitagawa Twins. Kimiko and Morgana then looked at each other and shrugged as this fanfic draws to a close.
THE END