Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! I meant to get this chapter before Christmas, but uhh. Yeah. Enjoy the chapter along with the New Year!
Ren stirred and shifted in his bed. His eyes shot open, revealing not an ounce of tiredness or exhaustion in his grey pupils. He blinks as gets up slightly and sees Morgana sleeping in between his legs, his attic room only barely illuminated by the open window and the moonlight shimmering in. Ren glances at his shelf and sees the wooden box. A pang of sadness hits his heart. It has been only a couple of days since his solo outing in Mementos. None of the other Thieves caught on to his secret rendezvous, but they seemed to notice that he was a bit more somber than usual. They tried to ask what was wrong, but Ren merely played it off with a smile and said "homesickness." That seemed to get them off his back, but the way Haru stared at him makes him think she knows better.
Ren shakes his head lightly to clear those thoughts. He glanced at the wooden box again. A day after he went into Mementos he hopped right back in for a quick moment. He retrieved the Gekkoukan Uniform, but when he held it up…it didn't feel as lively as it did the day before. And in that moment, Ren knew that he wouldn't be able to return to where he was… he saved Kotone from the Reaper, and in return… she saved everyone from themselves. Ren almost cried at the realization, and shortly left Mementos after composing himself.
But now as he sits awake, restless at such a late hour, a deep thought emerges from his subconscious, 'Don't you want to go back…? Surely Gekkoukan High's Uniform isn't the only "special" one…isn't it?' The thought seductively takes over his thoughts, it's enticing, attractive almost. The possibility that he can explore even more distant or strange places fills Ren with a sort of wanderlust he never knew he possessed. 'And maybe…it'll keep my mind off of Kotone…' Ren thinks as he glances somberly at the wooden box.
Shaking his head again, he slowly and silently extracts his legs from the bed and quietly puts on some warm clothes and shoes. He creeps across the attic floor, determined not to make a single noise. As he presses his foot down, about to descend the stairs, it makes a long and exaggerated creak. Ren winces hard and snaps his head back at Morgana's sleeping form, trying to estimate if he'll be stirred awake by the noise. Ren studies as Morgana mumbles to himself- something about Ann-, and rolls over in bed, still asleep. Ren lets out a silent breath of relief and walks down the stairs. Ren looks around the quiet and dark café as he reaches the door. He unlocks it and right before he opens it, he looks up at the bell that signifies when the door is opened by a customer. Ren blinks as he nudges the bell away as he opens the door slowly. The bell doesn't make a noise and Ren walks outside. He locks the door behind him and takes a deep breath of air. He can already feel himself relax as he takes in the cool night air as he walks to the subway station.
As Ren boards the subway, he's a little surprised at how much more space there is. During the daytime it's packed like sardines but during the night? Well… it's still a lot more people than he's comfortable with but it's still a noticeable difference from the daytime. Ren goes to instinctively check his phone, 'Ah. Wait. It's nighttime… everyone is definitely asleep…ah they'd all kill me if they knew what I was up to… but I think I deserve the R&R… even if it's throwing myself into Mementos…' Ren chuckles softly at the thought and departs the train as it stops at Shibuya Central Square. As the world pulses in black and red, Ren is taken to the entrance of Mementos. He makes a beeline to the costume box and immediately digs into it. 'Damn… we really have a lot of school uniforms in here… as much as I'm tempted… I don't think I can handle another Kotone-esque situation just yet…a power suit…? Not feeling it… hmmm. I don't remember this one…is this…?'
Rein pulls out what seems to be an extravagant butler costume. With a black blazer, a striped button up, a red tie, suit pants… and a monocle? 'Its… definitely a different look… but… I like it. It's snazzy…a badass but obedient butler? I'm a sucker for tropes, huh?' Ren chuckles softly as he puts on the butler uniform and fits the monocle. As he finishes putting on the uniform, Ren feels a wave of subservience, obedience, and tenacity wash over him. It makes him shudder a bit, 'Reminds me of the Velvet Room, in a way…far more enjoyable than chains and executions though…' Ren shakes his head clear of the stray thought and departs into Mementos. Eager to let some stress out and maybe find some sort of anomaly.
As Ren clears the first few levels of Mementos, he hears a bell chime in the distance. Without a doubt, if he were here with his fellow Thieves, the unfamiliar sound of a bell would freak them all out before they force themselves to confront it, but since Ren was alone wearing a butler suit… he actually felt rather calmed by the bell, but he increasingly got the urge to respond to it. 'That bell… someone needs me. How do I know that…? Instincts… is it the butler suit?' The bell chimes again, louder, 'I can't loiter around. They need me.' Ren thinks as he seemingly takes random turns in Mementos but he's so confident that it's the right way he doesn't hesitate.
After a few moments, Ren finds a Victorian-looking door. It's tall, white in color with gold trimmings and an ornate looking doorknob. Ren doesn't hesitate to open it, and suddenly finds himself in an exquisite hallway, extravagant paintings and marble statues line the sides as the red carpet seems to stretch into eternity. Ren blinks as he sees a series of doors with different designs. He hears the bell chime again and he glances at the door that has the words 'The Empress.' gilded into it. Without hesitation, Ren opens the door and walks inside. He blinks again as he's suddenly in a modern high-rise apartment, facing a giant window with the Tokyo skyline fading into the horizon. The bell rings softly again, and Ren zeroes in on the figure in front of the window. He walks quietly yet neatly to the figure and bows his head slightly, "You called for me, Miss Okumura?" 'What the…Haru?!'
True to Ren's words and thoughts, Haru turned to look at Ren. Her hair was down but it was clear she recently had it up, she was wearing a form fitting black dress, still in heels and a light but respectable amount of makeup on her face. "Ah, Amamiya, I'm happy to see you." She closed her eyes as she spoke softly, a slight smile on her face. Ren bows his head again, "Of course Miss Okumura, it is a pleasure to see you return from the gala. I trust it went well?" 'I'm so confused… I feel like I'm taking a backseat in my own body. This is different from how Gekkoukan played out… does every costume act differently as well…?'
Haru takes a deep breath and exhales, exhaustion beginning to seep through her body, "It went well… but I'm so exhausted Amamiya…" Haru admits. "Then please, Miss Okumura, is there anything I can do to help you unwind? Perhaps a cup of tea?" 'Gala…? I certainly don't remember anything like this… speaking of, I don't believe this is Haru's high-rise apartment either… it doesn't look familiar at all… and Haru herself looks a bit older… is this a glimpse into the future? But why am I butler then? A dream…?'
Haru chuckles softly, a mischievous glint in her eyes as her eyes flick to Ren's. 'That glint…that's dangerous…what is she scheming?' Haru lets a small grin on her face as she stretches her arms and massages her shoulders, "Ah…" she sighs, "All that socializing and discussion with the company bigwigs have me feeling so… tense, Amamiya… you wouldn't have an idea to help me…unwind, would you?" 'Her grin…it's almost predatory… She's not suggesting what I think she is…is she? Wait… my body isn't moving on its own anymore…Shit! Do I have to make a decision here? Damnit. This is too stressful; Fighting Shadows is easy but picking up on a woman's subtle social cues?! Okay… breathe Ren…think for a second… pick a middle ground… I can't misinterpret her actions…if I- Oh that's it!'
"How about a shoulder and back massage, Miss Okumura? I am a licensed masseuse." Ren suggests with a formal and respectful tone. Haru hums at this, her grin growing ever so slightly, "That sounds perfect, Ren!" She exclaims, a bit too cheery and excited for Ren's comfort. 'This is good… if she wasn't being suggestive… then this would be a simple professional massage… and if she does have some hidden intent…well the massage could lead into something else.' Ren allows a small smile to appear on his well-disciplined face, "Then please Miss Okumura, take off your heels and relax. I shall retrieve the massage bed." Haru smiles at this and takes her heels off as Ren fetches the massage bed and sets it up infront of the window.
"Please Miss Okumura, lie down on your stomach." Haru appears almost giddy at this line but tries to school her face as she lies down stomach first on the massage bed. "Please, relax. Take deep breaths and enjoy the massage." Ren says he lights some fragrance candles and rubs some massage oil on his hands. Ren places his hands on Haru's shoulders, she shudders at the contact and tenses slightly before trying to calm herself down.
Ren works his way down from her shoulders to her back, untying knots and ridding Haru's back of any kinks and soreness. As the massage progresses, Haru feels her face become increasingly more flushed, her breaths becoming rapid and shallower, letting out soft moans as Ren massages her back thoroughly. Ren, while unable to show much facial emotion with the butler suit, his mind is a different story, running at a mile a minute; 'This is… incredible! Even though I'm the one providing the massage, I can't help but love the physical contact and intimacy…my heart feels like it's about to pound of my chest. This may not be real… but something about this drives me wild.' Ren's stoic face betrays not a hint of a single thought that is shooting through Ren's mind.
As Ren's hands slowly get lower down Haru's back, Ren becomes increasingly more nervous. 'When should I stop? It seems Haru is enjoying this, but she hasn't stopped or encouraged me to continue- shit… fuck it I'll just continue.' As Ren's hands get closer to Haru's plump rear, her voice rings out sultry-like, "Ren…' she almost purrs. Ice floods Ren's veins as he stops and slowly looks at Haru's face, 'Shit! Did I go too far?'
"Yes, Miss Okumura?" Haru shifts and turns her body onto her side, her eyes full of intensity and staring holes through Ren's head. "Come here." Haru murmurs slowly. Ren walks over to the end of the table where Haru's head is looking at him. Before Ren could ask or say anything, Haru swiftly grabs his red tie and pulls him close, their faces both a mere few inches apart. Haru's breaths are shallow, and her face is flushed, but her usual shy demeanor is replaced with something much more…wanting. "Ren…" she whispers hotly, her breath assaulting Ren's face, "I find myself in need of a… thorough full body massage…and you're the only one who could satisfy me…would you mind…assisting me?"
Her voice is like a drug, intoxicating Ren's thoughts, and he knows it's not enough, that he needs more. "Of course, Miss Okumura, I live to serve all of your needs…and desires." Ren whispers huskily as they both move closer, eyes closed, the second their lips touch- Ren feels a sudden burst of movement, his eyes shoot open as he stumbles slightly. He regains his composure and looks around. He's no longer in the high-rise apartment, but rather the same elegant hallway he was before. He blinks and sees the door in front him. The engraving has changed, now it says, "The Star."
Before Ren can truly reflect and think about what happened with Haru, a soft bell chime rings out from behind the door. Ren subconsciously goes ramrod straight; his posture perfect. He feels himself take a backseat in his mind again as he brushes his suit clean and fixes his tie. He does a quick pat down, and once satisfied, opens the door and steps inside.
Ren found himself in a traditional Japanese-style house, 'a shoin-zukuri style house…if I were to guess anyway.' Ren looked down to see he was wearing a black pair of slippers instead of the usual black leather dress shoes the outfit came with. Before he could think any further, he heard the soft chime of the bell ring again. Ren straightened out and made haste towards the bell, his slippers gracefully leading him across the tatami floor panels. He reaches a paper sliding door and kneels before it. He bows his head low as he opens it slowly, "You rang for me, Togo-sama?"
'Hifumi?!' Ren's thoughts came to a screeching halt when he heard himself say that. Still not in complete control of his body, Ren can't look up at her as his head is still hanging low awaiting her response. He hears a soft clack, and Hifumi's soft and gentle voice chime out, "Ah, Amamiya-san, I'm glad you came. Please, join me at the table."
Ren looks up at Hifumi, unlike Haru, she doesn't seem to have aged at all from when he last saw her. Her long dark brown hair down, her long bangs just above her emerald, green eyes. She noticeably wasn't wearing her three-clover rope garment she typically puts in her hair, but she was wearing her familiar orange, black, and white checkered dress with thigh-high black stockings.
Ren quickly got up and sat at the table across from Hifumi, a shogi board set up between them. "Would you care for a game, Amamiya-san? I'd like to test a new strategy…and your way of playing is very…interesting." Hifumi says softly with a light red dusting her cheeks. 'She honestly doesn't seem different at all…Haru seemed a few years older and well…bolder. But Hifumi is the same age and has the same shy and soft-spoken demeanor…'
"Of course, Togo-sama, I'd love to play a match with you." The blush on Hifumi's face grew a bit brighter as she slightly twirls her hair with her finger, "Y-you can call me Hifumi, Amamyia-san, i-it's just the two of us…" she trails off nervously, looking down to avoid seeing Ren's reaction. Ren blinks at that and takes a second to think, 'Honestly… this whole situation is weird… I should've guessed that the butler outfit would make me an actual butler…but it's also different from the Gekkoukan High Uniform…it's like I am fulfilling a fantasy rather than being actually teleported to a different place or time. Mementos is the collective unconscious… so are these scenarios secret fantasies or dreams of the women they involve…? If that's true, then what was the deal with Gekkoukan? Ah… so damn confusing… just play along and enjoy this…even if it's not real.'
"I can oblige that request, Hifumi… but if that's the case then please… call me Ren." Ren says with a shadow of a smirk on his face. At Ren's request, Hifumi seems to blush harder and nods slightly, still avoiding eye contact, "O-okay… Ren." She blushes even harder and takes a breath before looking back at Ren, seemingly regaining confidence, "Let's play."
Ren nods at this and makes the first move. As the game goes on, Hifumi seems… distracted. Stealing glances and seemingly thinking about…something. She doesn't even do her typical exclamations of moves or her visualizations of a shoji battlefield. It's quite eerie how quiet she is compared to her usual attitude, she's so out of it in fact, it takes her a second to realize that Ren put her into a checkmate.
Hifumi blinks, "Oh…Ren it seems you have won. That was a good match…" she smiles lightly but her brow is furrowed. "Hifumi…is something the matter? The entire match you seemed like your mind was somewhere else… you didn't even do any of your typical acting…" Hifumi blinks in surprise as her eyes widen slightly, "I.. suppose I haven't. I'm sorry Ren, my mind has been…occupied." Her face reddens at this. Ren leans forward, "Hifumi, is there anything I can do to help ease your thoughts?" Hifumi blushes harder at the question, she speaks softly and reluctantly, "W-well…my seat is uncomfortable…and I w-wish to analyze my defeat…" her voice gets quieter as she trails off. Ren nods. "Of course, Hifumi, I'll go get you a more comfortable seat." Ren moves to get up but-
"W-wait!" Hifumi exclaims, her face has some surprise on it, like she was also shocked by her outburst, "R-Ren… please… don't move…okay?" Ren glances at Hifumi with a confused look, and hesitantly sits back down. Hifumi's face looks like a tomato at this point as she nervously gets up and walks over to Ren. A bead of sweat rolls down her face as stands in front of him…and then turns around and sits on Ren's lap.
They both stiffen at the sudden contact, Ren with a fair blush on his face and Hifumi…looks like she might pass out. "I-is this alright… Ren…?" Ren nods slowly, moving his hands to Hifumi's waist, "More than alright…" he whispers. Hifumi shudders at his breath and his hands on her waist, but she slowly relaxes, closing her eyes and leaning back into his chest. She sighs contently, "I…can stay like this forever." She cranes her neck up to look at Ren, who's also looking down at her. She gazes into Ren's eyes with admiration, nervousness, and a hint of desire. She takes a quick breath, and raises her hand to stroke Ren's cheek, "I…is this okay, Ren…?"
Ren smiles at her, he leans close, "It is…only if you want it…" Hifumi's breath gets caught in her throat as she gazes into Ren's grey eyes, her own flicks down his lips, her beating heart seems to make itself known, thumping and pounding in her ears, as she closes her eyes and leans up to kiss Ren.
However, once again, before the lips can meet each other, Ren feels a sudden burst of movement, and he ends up in the hallway once again. Ren sighs in disappointment, 'I should've figured this would happen again…damn. I didn't think Hifumi would be so bold… well it is a dream I suppose…hmm wait does the two dreams or whatever they are mean that both Haru and Hifumi are romantically interested or…? I can't really assume that… Mementos is hard to understand… let alone these whole costume shenanigans…'
Before Ren can think even further about this, he hears a bell chime again. He snaps his head up to look at the door infront of him. This time, it simply reads, "Temperance." Ren looks over his outfit, does a quick pat down, and walks through the door.
Instead of an elegant traditional Japanese house or a luxurious high-rise apartment, Ren is met with the hustle and bustle of a…kitchen…? Ren blinks as he looks around, he sees a number of cooks… well cooking, but also a decent amount of similarly dressed men wearing butler uniforms. One of them notices Ren and approaches him with a smirk, "Heya, Ren… your favorite customer is here… we left her all for you." The man chuckles and pats Ren on the back as he walks away.
'…So I'm at a restaurant now…? It doesn't look fancy either… and these outfits aren't typical waiter attire either… shit am I at a butler café?!' Ren shakes his head and takes a deep breath, 'Time to face the music… it shouldn't be hard to find who my "favorite customer" is, most likely it'll just be someone I know.' Ren nods and leaves the kitchen and enters the main dining room. It seems quite busy, as most of the tables are filled (mostly comprising of women) and a number of butler-clad waiters walking around. Ren scans the room, looking for someone who even looks vaguely familiar. Eventually his eyes land on-
'K-kawakami?!' Ren shouts in his mind as his body walks him over to her. Kawakami is wearing her usual long-sleeved yellow shirt with red and white stripes, along with her blue denim skirt. A bit strange, however, is that she's wearing her white straw sun hat, 'The one she wore for the fishing pools at Ichigaya…' Ren recalls. She seems to be almost covering herself with the menu and hat like she doesn't want to be recognized.
Ren smirks at this, and hastily makes his way to her table, he leans close, "Good Afternoon, Mistress, how could this lowly butler be of service to you, today?" At this, Kawakami almost jumps up, with a scarlet blush on her face she glares at Ren, "Really? You just can't help scaring me, can you?" Ren smirks knowingly at her, "Here at this fine establishment, each butler strives to provide the best possible experience for their patrons…even if it means giving them a little scare." Ren chuckles softly as he leans back. "Can I get you a drink?"
Kawakami sighs, her blush fading as she sighs and glances down at the menu, "An iced tea. Please." Ren nods, "I'll be right back, Mistress Kawakami." Ren smirks at her before turning to leave.
As Ren walks away, Kawakami sighs as she gazes at Ren. She wouldn't admit it, but she had something of a strong crush on the butler/waiter. She knew it was wrong to feel attracted to a former student of hers, a recently graduated one at that, it was at the very least, ethically questionable. She thought she'd be free of such thoughts when he graduated, as much as it hurt her heart to think that, so when she found out that Ren started working at a Butler Café… well what harm would there be in one visit? Well… one visit turned to two which turned into three and so on and so forth.
Kawakami sighs with a small smile on her face as she realizes how much of a hopeless romantic she truly is. Her eyes flick back to Ren as he walks back with her iced tea. He sets it down in front of her and smiles at her as he pulls out a notepad, "Mistress Kawakami… have you thought about what you'd like to eat?" The tone of his question sent shivers down her spine, she can't help with the light blush on her cheeks as she stutters slightly, "I-I would like the French onion soup, please." Kawakami curses herself for the stutter and hands the menu back to Ren. "An excellent choice, Mistress Kawakami. I'll place your order right now."
Kawakami sighs almost dreamily as Ren walks away, this was bad, she totally was falling hard for him, and she really had no idea how to deal with this infatuation. She glanced around warily, looking around for anything to distract her thoughts. Though of course, her eyes eventually drifted back to Ren, this time he was taking the order for another table, some high school girls if their uniforms are any indication. She sees all of them blushing red as Ren presumably teases them with a wide smirk.
At this, Kawakami feels a pang of jealousy in her chest. It's not necessarily a new emotion to her, but she's never felt this strong nor felt it concerning Ren. Damn… she really had it bad, huh? Getting jealous over some high school girls who have a slight crush on her Ren- oh yeah, she just called referred to him as hers… Kawakami sighs. This is almost pathetic, but despite it, Kawakami can't help but feel possessive over the young man.
Kawakami is snapped out of her thoughts as she realizes she's been indirectly staring at the group of high school girls who Ren was taking orders from just a moment ago. Ren is now gone of course, likely placing the orders the girls had placed… which means she's been staring at the high-school girls for a while. Kawakami blushes in embarrassment and glances away as the schoolgirls snicker and laugh at her, Kawakami barely hears some of their utterances, "…she's probably just jealous…" and "…some hag jealous of some beautiful girls like us? Who would've thought?"
Their laughter and sneers grow louder and more noticeable as a tick mark appears on Kawakami's forehead. 'Is that how they want to play it? I'll show them how a mature woman like me handles a man…'
An idea forms in her mind. Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. A way to convey her emotions to Ren and to get back at the little squirts who don't know who they're messing with. Kawakami's eyes light up as she sees Ren carrying her order over, ignoring the snickers from the girls, she smiles at Ren. "Ah, thank you, it smells delicious." Ren places the bowl of soup in front of Kawakami, "Would you like anything else, Mistress Kawakami?" Ren smiles politely.
Kawakami hums as she looks at the bowl for a moment. "Is there something not to your tastes, Mistress Kawakami?" Ren asks with a slight tone of concern laced into his voice. "Hmm, do you see that, Ren?" Kawakami points to the edge of the soup bowl. Ren leans close, "I'm afraid I don't see-" Ren is caught off guard suddenly as Kawakami pulls his red tie down, forcing his face even closer to Kawakami as she smashes her lips into his, kissing him with passion. Ren freezes at this but quickly reciprocates. Mid-kiss, Kawakami opens her right eye and looks at the table of high school girls, their eyes all wide and their jaws open. Kawakami sticks her middle finger up at them and breaks away from the kiss. Suddenly realizing what she just did and its implications, she blushes red and bites her lip, "S-sorry. Uh. Surprise?" She smiles weakly at him.
Ren blinks as he also realizes what just happened, he looks at Kawakami's face, and before he's able to say anything, a sudden burst of movement occurs this time, wind howling in his ears as he feels the world twist and turn, before blinking and finding himself back at the entrance of Mementos. He looks down and still sees the butler uniform on him.
As he takes it off and folds everything, he thinks about the last segment with Kawakami, 'That time… the kiss actually happened and wasn't cut off right before our lips touched, like with Hifumi and Haru… assuming that those…visions or segments or whatever were actually peaks into their respective individual consciousnesses, then does that imply that due to Kawakami's older age, she actually has experience with romantic matters, so she's able to actually dream of such things? I've heard that when you dream and get too excited, your brain will force you to wake up, thus ending the dream. Is that what happened? Am I reading into this too much? I'm tired. I want to kiss Kawakami, no I want to kiss all of them. I'm tired. Is it still nighttime? I want to sleep. What do the other outfits do? That was fun. Is Morgana's subconscious mind available in Mementos?'
Ren's thoughts quicky spiral downwards into inane, tired ramblings as he exits Mementos and heads back to LeBlanc. It's still nighttime, almost two in the morning now, '…which means I can still sleep a bit…' Ren smiles weakly as he unlocks LeBlanc's door. He takes a step inside and winces hard as the door hits the bell, and a chime rings out in the quiet and solemn store. He freezes, his eyes glued to the staircase, waiting to see if it awoke Morgana or not. The only thing Ren hears is his pounding heartbeat, knowing that if he got caught now, he'd have no real explanation.
However, seconds pass by, a minute or two crawls as Ren hears nor sees a peep. Exhaling in relief, he closes the door slowly, making sure the bell isn't rung again. He locks it and quickly but silently makes his way back to his bed, gently nudging the sleeping Morgana aside as he crawls into bed, and lets his eyelids fall as he finally gets the rest he couldn't before.
Too soon however, the sunlight creeps through the window and casts light onto Ren's eyelids. He stirs slightly, trying to move away from the light even though he knows he won't fall asleep again. His eyelids flutter open, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He hears his phone buzz, and he rolls over to open it, idly noting that Morgana isn't in bed. He turns on his phone and opens the messaging app and sees three new notifications.
Haru: Morning Ren! Are you free later today? I want to show you some of my new plants growing in my home!
Hifumi: Good morning, Ren. I hope your night was peaceful. May I inquire about your availability for today? I wish for a match, if that is okay.
Sadayo: Hey, are you free later? Let's grab some lunch, my treat. Uhh, preferably somewhere far from Shujin.
'…huh…'
And Done! Woo I think this chapter is almost double the length of the first. I won't lie, I definitely hit a lot more writing blocks in this chapter than I expected, which probably made the chapter get released later than I would've liked. Maybe the amount of blocks I run to just means I suck at writing, but I know if I force myself to write or adhere to a schedule, then I'd never write anything. So it's for the best. Maybe. Probably.