—So this is your home?— Home was a loose word for Ren. Leblanc was home, despite speding just a year there. Tokyo was home, despite not knowing most of it. This house was familiar to him, it was the place where he had lived for almost 4 years, but it wasn't truly a home to him. —Let's go inside, I'm dying to see what your actual room looks like!— Pushed by Morgana's enthusiasm, Ren rummaged in the bag hanging from his left shoulder, the same place where his companion left tiny cat hairs all over before jumping to the floor.
It had been an entire year since he had to pull out this house's keys. Part of him worried he might have forgotten them in Tokyo, although it would be a perfect excuse to get back and see his friends a little while longer. Unfortunately, that hope vanished the moment his fingers identified the cold, metal texture of those damn keys. Once in his hand, Ren approached the door and opened it, welcoming himself and Morgana to a place that had always been cold to him.
The place was dark, only slightly illuminated by the intense orange of the sunset coming from the windows. The silence, while underwhelming, was expected of an empty house, but Morgana wasn't expecting an empty house.
—Mhp... So they really aren't here, huh?— Morgana's excitement died immediately with the disappointing revelation in front of him.
—What did you expect? You read the message, they weren't going to be here.— And Ren, despite sounding as numb to any situation as he always was, let a slight, unvoluntary flinch of disdain leak through his sharp, piercing gaze. Eyes naked now that he no longer wore his fake glasses.
—I know but... They're your parents, aren't they? One would think they would take at least one day off to welcome their only child after being away for an entire year.— Morgana's disappointment morphed into a rightful indignity. This shouldn't be how parents treats their sons, especially their only son. That was uncalled for, unnecessarily cold and even insulting.
Yet, Ren's only reaction was a dry chuckle.
—You clearly don't know my parents...— Morgana waited for Ren to say something else on the matter. Anything. But all he received was the sound of his steps moving forwards, his feet already free from his shoes. —Come, I'll show you our room.— For Ren there was no point in talking about that the same way there's no point in talking about why the sky is blue. It just is, like it has always been and will always be.
There wasn't anything remarkable about his parents not taking a single day off for him, not for a school event, a special occasion nor his own birthday. The only times where they would take days out of work, it would be to spend them on a holiday trip for the two of them, leaving him completely alone for weeks. For them, this house was just a place where to sleep and left their son to his own devices while they spend their days outside, be it in or out of work.
On the bright side, thanks to that I learned to take care of myself.
Reaching the end of the hallway, Ren opened, for the first time in an entire year, the door to his old bedroom. The luxury of the orange light of the sun lighting up the their path didn't reach his room, not because it didn't have a window, but because it was shut closed just like Ren left it a year ago. Knowing what to expect, he turned on the light of the room, allowing him and Morgana to see the dusty, dirty state of the room.
—Wagh! This place stinks! And look at the size of those webs!— Morgana was quick to commentate on the care this place was putted through, or rather, the lack there of. —Hey, if we are gonna sleep here, at least make it a bit more presentable.
—At least they brought my stuff.— Ren dropped his bag to the side without much care while looking at the luggage sitting in the middle of the room, out of place considering its impeccable state in contrast to the mess all around it. He expected this. Before smelling the dusty sent of the room. Before arriving home. Before taking the train. Before even leaving for Tokyo a year ago. —Although, they could at least clean it once…
—What? You mean like, your parents didn't take care of the room while you were gone?— Morgana quickly caught up to Ren, understanding the true nature of the situation. Both not helping with his growing, selfless frustration and his already poor image of Ren's progenitors.
—I'll go for stuff to clean this mess.— Ignoring his question, Ren went back downstairs while Morgana sat looking at his bedroom once again.
—Jeez... just what kind of dead-beat parents does this guy has?
Ren wasn't fond of the TV as background noise, he would much prefer chatting while eating. At least that's how he felt when he was with his friends back in Tokyo, but his parents were a different deal.
These two didn't have the friendly, colorful faces of the Phantom Thieves. They didn't have Sojiro's wise charm or Sae's mature gentleness. What Ren had in front of him were two cold office workers who climbed up the corporate ladder by sheer stoicism and crushing those besides and beneath them.
Sharp suits. Emotionless dark eyes. Carefully placed make up. Combed black hair for his father. Meticulously groomed curly hair for his mother. And a permanent expression perpetually balanced itself in between blankness and disappointment.
Talking to them was as pleasant as it seemed.
—So, the aggression charges were lifted?— Bored was the best way Morgana could describe Ren's father. His cold voice hit like blizzard and left one shaking by his tone. Anyone who faced him would be overwhelmed by the self-righteousness he basked himself in and how far down he looked on everyone else. It was weird. Morgana was expecting a pair of uninterested, good for nothing, dead-beat parents, but these two were everything but. By their attitude alone he could tell they were extremely strict and unbelievably severe. Strange coming from two parents who didn't call their son once in a whole year.
—Yes.— On the other hand, Ren's dry demeanor made Morgana's entire fur bristle. He always had a talent to say the right thing the right way to the right person, but this time he was unrecognizable from the man he knew. A change so drastic to the point of being unsettling, as if the feet he was resting next to belonged to someone else. Was this the persona he always had to put up with his own father?
—That's good. Make sure to tell that to people. The faster we get rid of that bad reputation, the better.— Mr. Amamiya did not care in the slightness if Ren did punch someone in the face or not. As far as he was concern, his son could kill someone and as long as no one finds out, he wouldn't care.
—Yes, father.
—As for the cat you brought...— Another chill ran down Morgana's back when Ren's mother spoke up with the same emotionless demeanor as her husband. —So far, he's been well mannered, so as long as you take care of him yourself and don't cause any trouble, you can keep it.— A sigh of relief left his catly lungs now that the growing possibility of being ditch out went out of the table.
—Thank you, mother.— Although imperceptible, Ren was surprised that his parents allowed him to keep Morgana so easily. Of course, he would have to cover all the costs by himself, but nothing he didn't accounted for nor was worried, considering the small fortune he had been building up for the last year.
«...In other news, the former prime minister Shido has finally been declared guilty...»
Immediately, the attention was moved from the dying chat to the TV. The news caught everyone by surprise, some more involved than others, but everyone with their ears open to hear what the reporter would say next.
—That was quick.— Ren's mother was the first to lose interest after a few minutes.
—No wonder. Justice moves faster the more people care about a case.— Follow right by her husband.
Ren soon did the same. Unlike his parents, he was emotionally invested in the case, but there wasn't anything worth of his attention after everything was said and done. Shido's sentence was nothing but the final remnant of his life as a Phantom Thief, the last loose end to finally close that chapter of his life and move on. The same was probably true for the rest of the thieves, and his phone vibrating with a rush of messages may well be the proof of it.
He swiftly glossed over the notifications, but didn't bother reading the continuous flow of messages from the group chat. It wasn't them who he wanted to talk to, not now at least. Neither it was Akechi if he was still around, not that that psychotic thick-head would appreciate it. No... The one Ren wanted to talk to, to at least have a quick word with, was...
«Surprise! Sorry for keeping it secret when you left, I wanted it to be a welcome home gift for when you arrived. Hope you liked it.»
A naked smile appeared on Ren's face. A smile he couldn't contain either because of the tenderness or the irony.
«You sneaky bastard. Now I have no choice but to go to the opera with you»
«Focus on your studies first. Then, once you graduate and become an adult, we'll properly spend time together»
«Yes, ma'am!»
Was he a horny bastard? Yes. Was quality time with Sae a goal worth pursuing? Absolutely. Was quality time with any of the girls a goal worth pursuing? Can't denied that. Was there a place in hell reserved just for him? As long as he doesn't get in an actual relationship with them, he should be good.
That aside, he was happier for Sae than he was for himself. She had put her soul into winning this case, into making Shido pay for what he did, not only to countless innocents, but to Ren himself. This was her way to repent for her mistakes and her final trial before abandoning her place as a prosecutor and become a defense attorney to continue to protect the innocent.
Just like the thieves, just like himself, Sae too could close this chapter of her life and moved on. To continue and keep the promise she made to Ren, "to let the adults lead society in the right direction".
—Is this funny to you?— The cold, accusatorial voice of his father pulled Ren out of his thoughts.
—Sorry?— Putting his phone down, Ren resumed eating his dinner, erasing the smile on his face in the process.
—The sentence of this Shido guy, is it funny to you? He was the one who sued you for assault.
—You could at least remember his name after suing your son and voting for him...— Ren whispered under his breath, low enough for his parents to hear him but not understand it.
—What was that?!
—That what if I'm happy? He got what he deserved. I think I'm entitled to some sense of satisfaction after everything I went through.— The him of a year ago would have known better than to talk back at his parents, but saying that something within him changed during that time would be an understatement.
—After everything you...?— A chuckle was not something Ren was used to hear out of his father, but every time he did, a pain grew from his chest like a giant warning sign. —All you had to do is go to Tokyo and change school for just a year. You have no idea what true struggle is actually like. Furthermore, you go and laugh at an actual productive member of society while you do nothing other than cause problems.
—Huh?!— Morgana couldn't help himself. His voice left his mouth like spit of utter disgust. The sheer boldness and ignorance of those words left him speechless in disbelief, with his stomach so contorted into itself that he could vomit at any time.
—Excuse me?!— But Ren was far from speechless. —Wasn't he found guilty with charges of conspiracy and corruption?! And what do you know about what I went through last year?!— Adrenaline pumping through his veins, his skin getting rapidly warmer. Ren had forgotten how intense the mere act of talking back to his parents were, let alone raise his voice against them. Not that he intended to back down.
—Watch. Your. Tone. Ren. A kid like you clearly doesn't understand how politics, or life in general, actually works.
—Oh y-yeah?— For a second, the shift in his father's tone turned Ren into a child again, a helpless kid getting reprimanded by his parents. But that childhood fear didn't last long before his grown-up courage took over once again. —Enlight me.
—When it comes to politics there are two types of people: those that are dumb enough to believe the lies of the politicians and those who chose the lesser evil. Shido, like any other politician, was only looking for himself, but he was smart enough to understand that if he wanted to continue his career after being elected, he would have to make decisions for the greater good of the country and not for himself.
—You really think there are no good politicians? That there's no one trying to make a difference?
—Of course, there are. But foolish idealists have nothing to do against someone with actual money and influence. When you go up against someone that controls the media like their own propaganda apparatus, it doesn't matter how good intended or well prepared you are, people will only care about what the man on the TV says even if it goes against all reason.
—You think people are that stupid?
—If they weren't, Shido wouldn't have gotten as far as he did.
—That's...!— Ren stopped himself. "That was an evil god's fault" was not an argument most people would take well. Not that winning this argument would be of any use either, his father wasn't one to recognize when he was wrong (mostly because he hardly ever was). —Tch...
Sigh*
—Look, Ren...— His mother, while sharing the same opinions and coldness as his father, had a bit more tact than him. —We know you're smart, most of our coworkers can only wish to have half of your wits, but you let your naive, childish ideals hinder your potential. With enough time and experience, you'll grow out of it and understand why your father and I act the way we do. But until then, for the sake of us three, stay out of trouble, please.
—Stay out of trouble...? Like not helping a woman being assaulted?— The silence was enough of an answer. —What the hell is wrong with you?!
—Watch your tone Ren, I won't repeat myself again.— It had been a long time since his son raised his voice against them this many times in a row. Clearly the time he spent in Tokyo made him forget his manners.
—Hardly ever something good comes out of helping strangers, Ren. Most often than not you'll only get pull down along with them into their problems.— Even if Mrs. Amamiya sounded far more reasonable than her husband, Ren rejected that lazy and selfish way of life they both preached.
—But that's not true at all! It was the friends I made and the people I helped in Tokyo who...-!
—You did WHAT!?— Even if it was his father the one shouting at the top of his lungs, Ren's mother didn't have a good face either. —You had a probation and despite that you decided it was a good idea to get into other people's problems?! Did you even think about the problems that could cause not only to you but to us?!
—T-That's not the point, I...-!— Ren stutter against the voice of his father, trying to prove him point. But his voice wasn't strong enough to avoid being cut out.
—Yes, yes! I know what you're going to say...— Recovering his temper, Ren's father cooled down remarkably fast. —Those friends you made helped you getting your probation removed. A probation it would have ended anyway have you stayed out of trouble for. Just. One. Year.
—I saved lives!— Refusing to give in, Ren raised his voice once again. He couldn't be wrong, he refused to be wrong! The people he had saved had names, entire lives beyond what he saw. He didn't help them for his self-gain, he did it because it was the right thing. Because everyone deserves to be helped.
—I don't doubt it, Ren...— At this point, Mr. Amamiya was more exhausted than angry at what he saw as nothing more than his son's childish tantrums. —In the world there many more fools than actual competent people able to take care of themselves. But that's exactly why you shouldn't waste your time and effort in helping people how aren't worthy of it.
—Ren, don't listen to him!— Morgana didn't have to say it twice, he didn't even have to say it once. He knew better than to think Ren' rebellious spirit would be influenced by the words of a rotten adult. But... the way Ren looked so… scared... made him doubt for a second.
—What we are trying to say is: you have a lot a potential, Ren. We have no doubt that you'll go far beyond than what your father and I have achieved. But you still have so much to learn and get those misguided ideals out of your head.— Once again, Mrs. Amamiya was the, even if cold, bridge between father and son.
—But... until then, for yours and our sake, you must stay out of trouble. I don't care if someone's life depends on it, you will stay on track because if you don't, you will regret it. Do you understand, Ren?— There was no answer.
Morgana's assessment was correct: he was scared. It wasn't a rational fear of something tangible, his parents weren't going to punish him beyond giving him a lecture. His fear ran much deeper than that, far beyond the fear of a perverted teacher, manipulative artist, a mafia boss, a company's CEO, a prosecutor, a corrupt politician or a fucking god. His was the fear of a child being reprimanded by his overly severe parents. A fear so imbedded, so hard coded in his mind that it completely shut him down.
He tried to fight it. From the beginning of the conversation, he took all the courage the past year had given him and canalized it all into trying to fight that fear. But when his father asked again...
—Do. You. Understand?
Morgana himself saw something none of the other Phantom Thieves will ever see. Something Ren would never let anyone else see. He was shaking. Like a scare puppy in a middle of a storm, he was shaking by just having his parents look at him. He was absolutely terrified, to the point that Morgana got scared. Seeing Ren, the cocky and overconfident Joker, the representation of humanity's rebellious spirit, like this, so transparent yet so powerless, the very antithesis of the leader of the Phantom Thieves everyone knew...
—Yes, father.
It was gut wrenching.
—What was that?!— It took around 2 hours for Morgana to have the courage to ask that.
—I don't wanna hear it.— Having come out of the shower, Ren washed his teeth as the black cat om top of the toilet questioned him. Unlike Morgana, he was once again as calm as he has always been.
—Ren you...— He stopped for a second. Yes, of course this is a delicate subject, it would be best to treat it as such. —Do you wanna talk about it?
—There's nothing to talk about, Morgana.
—But... Ren... What they said... The way you reacted... It's not normal. If...-
—It was my fault.— Finishing with his teeth, Ren started cleaning his toothbrush. —I know better than talking back at them. Hadn't I done it; the discussion would have ended way sooner.
—What?— Morgana couldn't believe what he was hearing. —Ren, that's not the point!
—No, the point is that you have to accept some things for what they are. The sky is blue, dogs and cats don't get along, toast always fall on the butter side and my parents are the way they are.
—But it doesn't have to be like that! A Phantom Thief doesn't just accept the injustices of the adults! You of all people should know that!
—The Phantom Thieves are gone, Morgana.— Finishing with his brush, Ren turned off the light switch and walked to his bedroom along with Morgana. —There's no Metaverse, no palace, no shadow and no treasure. All we have left are the means of our old, boring world and, believe me, I tried them all a long time ago.
—Ren...— Morgana could tell it from both his words and voice, Ren was exhausted. No doubt that he had tried the impossible to change his parents or at least change the relationship he had with them. Efforts that in the end were all in vain. —Have you really lived your life like this all this time?
—You make it sound worse than it is. They're just... a bit too strict... at least when they're home. But when they aren't, like most of the time, they always made sure I had everything I needed to survive. Of course, I had to learn by myself the hard way how to do chores, cook my own food and go buy stuff on top of having to study; but they always lend me the money I needed.
—Wait... let me get this straight... They spend most of their time out, but when they're home... they act like that?!
—Oh, no. That was a pretty chill chat compared to what we used to have when I was in elementary school.— Reaching the bed, Ren laid down and Morgana accompanied him laying on top of him.
—What the...? With what right do the feel they can do that?!— Morgana was beyond of only being concerned.
—Honestly, I can't figure out what goes on in their heads most of the time. They can call me an idiot and the greatest disappointment of their lives while at the same time call me the smartest person they know.
—That's definitely not how a parent should treat their son! That's no different than emotional blackmailing!— Ren said nothing, to which Morgana sighed. —Fine. If you're just gonna put up with it, I'll stay with you as your loyal companion!
—You sure about that? I'm sure Futaba or Makoto and Haru would be more than happy to take care of you.
—Do you take for a coward? My honor as a Phantom Thief and as your friend wouldn't allow to leave you by yourself!
—Heh... Thank you, then. Although, don't worry. The quicker I readjust to living with my parents, the less scenes like that we'll have to go through. Just... be careful with what you do in the house, ok?
—Gotcha!— With that final confirmation, Ren closed his eyes, ready to open them up again with the sunrise entering his window...
...
...
...
But something was wrong.
The silence Morgana finally gifted him by shutting up didn't brought him the calm Ren needed to rest. Like an itch he couldn't scratch, an uneasiness grew making him all the more anxious. It took a solid 5 minutes of searching withing his own brain to make sense of it and give it a form he could understand.
"Stay out of trouble"
"You shouldn't waste your time helping people"
"I don't care if someone's life depends on it"
It was the voice of his father, echoing in his head like a ring in his ears. Had the other Phantom Thieves been with them, they would have jump at his father's throat on the spot. That same way of thinking was the one that cause all of them so much pain, and hearing it from the father of their beloved leader must a least be infuriating.
The others... what would they be up to? What would they think of this? What would they think of him? Would they be disappointed?
No, don't be stupid, you know they're better than that. They would react like Morgana, feeling sorry for you while trying to help.
Feeling sorry... They sure don't have time for that. They all have their stuff to take care of, worrying about you should be the last of their concerns. It would be better if they don't find out.
But what if they do?
Nah, that's impossible. They have no way of knowing.
Morgana is here. He could tip them off.
He wouldn't do that, he's trustworthy.
He sure is, but he's also worried and really wants to help you. Besides you didn't tell him he couldn't talk to the others.
...
—Morgana?
—What's up?
—You'll tell no one about this, ok?
—Sure...
—Morgana. You. Will. Tell. No. One. Ok?
—Ok.
—...Thank you.
The cold wind with its metallic sent shocked him to his core. He wasn't in the warm comfort of his bed anymore; he wasn't in his bedroom or house. He was, in fact, not even in the same dimension.
Behind him was the hard, cold concrete of the floor, and in front of his eyes was a circle made of prison cells piling up to the red sky, beyond what his eyes could see. Although he had only been here a few times, he would never forget this place. This was the Holy Grail chamber, the deepest part of Mementos, and thus, the deepest part of humanity collective subconscious.
Ren's mind started to wonder. How was this even possible? Without Yaldabaoth or Maruki, Mementos shouldn't exist anymore, so how was it possible that it was still here? Furthermore, how did he get here in the first place?
With his usual tranquility despite the situation, Ren, or rather, Joker, stood up and looked around for answers. To begin with, there was no sight of Maruki's cables/tentacles, the place looked like the first time the Phantom Thieves got there with one tiny exception.
The Holy Grail was gone. In fact, the place where Joker woke up was the same place where the Grail was originally. What it should have been a relief only made Joker the more paranoid, especially when he realized that the cells surrounding him had people on them. Prisoners of their own sloth, giving up their free will to worship and be ruled by the Holy Grail, except there was no Holy Grail, the only standing outside of those cells was...
—It's him!— A voice in the distance echoed through the chamber. After it, whispers started to grow until they overshadowed the constant whistling of the wind until they became screams.
—IT'S HIM!
—A PHANTOM THIEF!
—PLEASE SAVE US!
—PROTECT US!
—GUIDE US!
The individual screams of the prisoners quickly merged with each other, creating this earth-shattering sound that shook the deeps of Mementos. And in the middle of all of it, Joker stood as the target of their screams. His bones victims of the violent vibrations cause by that infernal collective screeching. He tried to cover his ears to protect his eardrums, but the sound was so loud that it went right through his hands.
—Shut up...— Joker whispered as a pointless plea while the screams of the people became louder and louder, to the point that his eardrums could burst out of his ears at any second. —SHUT UP!
—MYAAHHH!— Morgana jumped from the bed, getting scared at Ren's sudden scream. —For god's... you scared me!— With the roof of his bedroom entering his eyesight, the warm, comfortable touch of his bedsheets and the annoying voice of Morgana, Ren immediately understood he was back at home. —Did you have a nightmare? What happened?— Ignored, Morgana asked for reason why he was pulled out from his sweet dreams with lady Ann.
—Sorry... I just had a bad dream... that's all.— Ren said that and immediately got himself comfortable in the bed again.
Experience had taught Morgana that bad dream usually meant something, but considering what happened a few hours ago during dinner, he nodded and went back to sleep.
Ren missed many things about Tokyo, the public transport wasn't one of them. Being able to actually breath and not being crush amongst a sea of people while going to school was a pleasure he had long forgotten.
—Waah... Even if you didn't get a place to sit, there's much more space than in Tokyo.— Morgana, as it was tradition, meowed from inside Ren's bag, accompanying him to his first day of school.
Ring Ring*
A notification caught Ren's attention. Checking his phone, he saw the one group chat he looked forward the most.
[07:45] Makoto: Guys, did you saw the news this morning?
[07:46] Futaba: The accident in the nuclear power plant? It's all over the internet.
[07:46] Futaba: Apparently there were some shady agreements between the local government and the powerplant manager that led to poor safety precautions.
[07:46] Ann: I saw that too.
[07:46] Ann: I even heard that at least a dozen people die that they know of, and several towns ran out of electricity.
[07:46] Haru: How horrible...
[07:46] Makoto: Yeah... But there's something more that caught my attention.
[07:47] Makoto: People are starting to talk about the Phantom Thieves again.
[07:47] Ryuji: Wait, for real?
[07:47] Makoto: Yeah. Because the accident was caused by the manager's negligence, people began to ask for us to change his heart.
[07:48] Yusuke: Well, it is not like we can do something about it now.
[07:49] Ryuji: Aww man... I just checked the Phan Site and it went up again.
[07:49] Ryuji: It's almost at 100.
[07:49] Haru: Still... we can't do anything about it.
[07:49] Haru: I feel bad, people hope that we do something we won't.
[07:49] Haru: It almost feel like we are betraying them.
[07:50] Sumire: I don't want to sound mean.
[07:50] Sumire: But I think it's better this way.
[07:50] Sumire: People should be the ones to take care of their problems instead of waiting for someone else.
[07:50] Ann: Sumire is right. That's why we took the Holy Grail after all, right?
[07:50] Ann: So that people could think and act for themselves instead of leaving everything to someone else.
[07:50] Ryuji: I know tha' but damn.
[07:51] Ryuji: I would have wanted to enjoy the fame a little more, y'know?
—Ryuji is helpless.— Morgana, as usual, read the conversation along with you as the messages came by. —But lady Ann is right, that's why we defeated Yaldabaoth. And even if we wanted to do something, Mementos doesn't exist anymore, so that's out of question.
Ren chuckled over Ryuji unchanging attitude, yet something about this made him uncomfortable. People asking for the Phantom Thieves to save them... Did it have anything to do with his dream? Discarding that idea as soon as it came, Ren denied with his head as if he was physically getting that idea out of his mind.
It's just a coincidence.
Before leaving Tokyo, Sojiro and Sae told Ren that even if he had been proven innocent, people would still be prejudice with him. At first, he didn't though much about it, but now that he was back in the hallways of his old school, he could see, and hear, that the old man and the gorgeous prosecutor were right.
—It's him...
—He's back?
—I heard that he was found innocent...
—It's that true?
—Maybe he met dangerous people in Tokyo...
—I bet he paid to have his sentence removed...
—Don't look at him or he'll catch us...
—Mhp...!— Even if Ren could easily ignore the whispers around him, Morgana could hardly keep himself calm. —Even here nothing's changed... Didn't you have any friends?— "Yes" would been an easy answer to that question two years ago, but things were a little more complicated.
Not many years ago, little Ren was a newcomer to this town. Having moved in with his parents, any and all ties he used to have in his hometown were all cut by the unilateral decision of his parents. He was all alone with no one to come to for help. All he could do was start all over again by himself.
In a matter of months, students, teachers and neighbors knew Ren as that new boy in town who would always say hi and ask if you needed help. If you had a problem, you called him and before you knew it, he already made it disappear.
Quiet yet assertive, easygoing as a leaf and as good of a listener as a microphone, without mentioning his unhinged sense of humor. Ren had always been that guy that didn't say much, but every time he did it was pure gold. But that was before the probation, before the sue, before Shido ruined his life.
It was unnerving seeing how quickly all those people that spent so much time around him, people that asked for his help again and again, turned on him at the flip of a switch. He didn't show it, of course. By that point in his life Ren had already developed that characteristic skill of his of hiding all his emotions behind the blankest poker face anyone had ever seen. But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt seeing all he had worked to build from scratch falling over once again.
If you asked his parents, they would say that the destruction of his social life was probably the one good thing to come out of all that mess. They never liked the rebellious influence that Ren's older friends back in their old hometown in the countryside had on him. Apart from their jobs, getting him away from them was the main reason they moved to their new house.
Their rule of "staying out of other people's problems" was one Ren had made a sport out of breaking it. That's why, when the hammer social judgment fell upon him, they hoped that he'd learn his lesson.
If everyone stays away from him, surely, he will stop meddling into other people's business, right?
If everyone he thought were his friends start to despise him surely that will knock some sense into him, right?
If the people he's helping treat him like a monster, surely, he'll stop playing hero, right?
Right?
—I told you I don't have anything!
As if.
—Oh really? And how exactly are you going to eat at lunch then?
The ones attracting more attention that Ren himself in the hallway were a group of buffed bullies surrounding a boy that could easily be described as a Mishima type of guy. The scene and the people in front of him was so stereotypical it wasn't even funny.
—Come on, do everyone a favor and just give it up.— Despite how obvious of an intimidation the scene was, none of the students around did anything to stop it. The cowards passed by, while the morbid discreetly watched.
—Just leave me alone!— The guy being intimidated was pinned against the wall, while the bully who looked like the leader keep him in place with his hand pressing against his shoulder.
—You really want to make things complicated do yo-...
—Enough.— With his hand on the bully's wrist, Ren interrupted him with his usual serenity but with a strong grip.
—Ren! Long time no see! How was your little trip to Tokyo?— Of course, Ren knew personally both the Mishima-looker and the bully. There was a time when they would all spent time together during lunch or out of school... —I heard they found you innocent of that little fight and removed your criminal record, must be nice, isn't it?— ...but not anymore.
—Take your hand off him, Tomoki.— Ren didn't hesitate.
—Oh? And what would you do if I don't?— Tomoki was confident, not only because he wasn't alone but because of Ren's seemingly harmless appearance. If his charges weren't true from the beginning, then there was nothing to fear of.
—...— Ren remained silent, instead, he allowed the increasing strength of his grip to talk for him. At first Tomoki wasn't surprised, but as the seconds passed and his wrist began to hunt more and more, he understood either he did as he said or he would have a broken arm. —Take. It. Off.
—Ok, stop!— With a sparkle of fear in his voice, Tomoki pulled out his arm as Ren let go of it. Once free, he immediately grabbed his sore wrist. It wouldn't be surprising if Ren caused a small fracture on it. —Agh... You're a sick man, Amamiya... Let's go!— Followed by his lackeys, the bully left the scene as fast as Ren had entered.
—You ok, Shinji?
—Please don't talk to me, Amamiya.— Shinji immediately turned down Ren's question. —I prefer having them take my money than being seen talking to you.— He didn't let Ren respond before leaving for class.
—What a dick.— Ren didn't react Morgana's murmuring inside his bag, experience had made him numb to the situation. Now, Ren expected this reaction everytime he tried to help someone instead of a (much more reasonable) thank you.
—Carefull, Amamiya, you don't want to get expelled after just coming back from a probation.— The voice calling from behind was familiar but not pleasant. Back in the day, Ren made the particular effort to have this teacher on his good side, not out of the goodness of his heart, but out his infamous reputation of passing and failing his students depending on how he felt that day. Of course, nobody did anything because his academic reputation gave the school a good light.
Reminds you of someone else, doesn't he?
—Go to your classroom, your first class of the day is mine.
—The class doesn't start up until ten minutes, and I have to go meet the principal to-...
—If your chat with him takes more than ten minutes you'll be late. And you know what I think of late students.— He won't let him in... tsk
Asshole
—Right. I'll be going.— Of course Ren would be smarter than insulting him on his face, but that didn't mean he didn't have the impulse to do so. Considering the consequences of something as meaningless as insulting an egocentric teacher; Ren would much rather bite his own tongue realizing that if he warned him for "attacking" Tomoki, he surely saw Tomoki bullying Shiji and did nothing about it.
"Stay out of trouble" The words of his parents were so engraved into his brain he could hear the echo of their voices reverberating in his skull.
He hated it. He hated what it was, where it came from and what it represented. The philosophy of the lazy, the selfish and the coward. The easiest, safest way of living: without risks, without compromises, without a care in the world.
It disgusted him, infuriate him, but it also horrified him because, sometimes deep inside, he wished he could live like that.