Sae gives her apologies to the Sakuras, and Ren and Makoto have a mini heart to heart.
[10/02, The Present Day - Early Hours]
The clock read 1:25 AM.
"If Kobayakawa wasn't already seven feet below the earth, I'd kill him." Sae said, her voice a mix of tired and murderous.
Makoto snorted, her eyes still red from her earlier crying, but this time it was full of mirth.
"Not if I didn't pummel that blob back to his original planet myself first." She quipped.
Both sisters looked each other dead in the eye, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Damn you Makoto, I'm being serious." Sae said amidst chuckles.
"I know. What is wrong with me?" Makoto asked rhetorically, still laughing.
"I think all the bullshit we endured in the last 24 hours broke us both." her older sister concluded, while chuckling.
Makoto agreed by laughing more. It just felt really good to release all that tension.
After their laughter settled down, the younger girl hugged her own knees on the couch and leaned her head on her big sister's shoulder.
"Sorry for yelling at you earlier." She mumbled regretfully.
"It's okay. It is the least I deserve."
Makoto said nothing, she just lightly shook her head at her sister's self-deprecating comment, then snuggled closer to her.
They stayed in a moment of companionable silence. After a few moments, Sae let out a small huff.
"I'm still not sorry for questioning Amamiya, though."
The brunette let out an involuntary watery chuckle. "So you do admit that it was an interrogation."
Sae shrugged. "I just had to know how deep the whole Phantom Thief thing went, and I wished to hear about it from your leader first."
The girl pouted and glared playfully at her sister.
"Fine. But you guys should have warned me."
"It was a spur of the moment thing, and I told your leader to not tell you."
Makoto groaned, not surprised at all with Sae's controlling behavior. "Of course you did."
Then she saw her big sister roll her eyes. "Say what you will Mako, but I did the right thing. As it stands, after the conversation I had with Amamiya, I now fully believe that none of you are responsible for the mental shutdowns."
The younger Niijima seemed surprised at her sister's easy acceptance. "Really?"
"Yes, really. I know you, you'd never condone murdering or hurting innocent people."
Makoto let out a deep breath, relieved that Sae chose to believe Ren.
"Thank you." She said, her voice full of emotion.
In response, Sae just patted her hair.
They enjoyed the silence some more. Makoto couldn't remember the last time she had felt as relieved as she was at that moment.
It was actually kind of nice to just enjoy the silence in the company of her baby sister.
It almost reminded Sae of the times she'd self study for the bar exam with Makoto making her company as the younger girl read or did her own homework quietly. It used to be a really wholesome and comforting experience for them both.
Contrary to popular belief, the Niijima sisters grew up as best friends, even if the dynamics of their relationship had the complication of Sae stepping in as her baby sister's surrogate mother back when she herself was too, a child.
Well, Sae did promise her dying mother to watch over her sibling. Too bad she failed miserably in the last year or so.
Feeling that she was going down a difficult path, she decided to not dwell on the painful feelings associated with remembering the passing of her mother.
Sae suddenly remembered Amamiya's rebellious attitude and how similar to herself as a teenager he was.
"I have to say though, that boy Amamiya is… Gutsy."
Makoto chuckled. "He is, isn't he?"
"He defended you so passionately too. In all honesty, I think the guy has a massive crush on you or something." Sae joked, utterly amused.
Makoto got eerily quiet, and then blushed as she said nothing in response.
Sae looked at her, surprised at her reaction and the lack of denial or even an embarrassed protest.
An awkward silence fell upon them. As Makoto continued to fidget under her scrutiny, the older Niijima narrowed her eyes at her sister.
"...Makoto…" She started, her tone cautious.
The girl winced and looked away. "Yeah?"
"...Are you and Amamiya dating?"
Another, even more painful and awkward silence ensued.
"...Yes. We are." Makoto spoke after, in a tired tone, as if realizing there was no point in denying it.
'What in the actual fuck?' Sae thought as a knee jerk reaction.
A myriad of unidentifiable feelings coursed through her veins.
Her sister is dating.
She had a boyfriend.
Her first relationship.
And she hid it from her.
'She hid it for a good reason. Had thou known much earlier, thou would indeed try to break 'em young lovers apart.' Leviathan intruded on her chain of thoughts, amidst amused chuckles, to her own annoyance, and her thoughts continued to spiral.
Makoto has a boyfriend.
Her sister actually hit that milestone before Sae herself.
'Am I jealous?' She thought fearfully.
The woman truly examined herself. Was she jealous that her sister had a romantic life while Sae herself just had… Nothing?
No way , that would be too petty. Besides, she has long lost any genuine interest in dating for the time being after her puppy crush on her teacher ended up in a horrifying manner.
It had to be something else then.
She was broken out of her conflicting thoughts as Makoto's pleading eyes reached her field of vision.
"Please sis, don't be angry… We got closer and it just… Happened." The younger girl confessed, voice laced with insecurity and uncertainty.
The younger girl looked at her with a deep look of vulnerability that had Sae faltering. Reminding herself of Amamiya's fierce look and words as he defended Makoto, Sae decided to thread carefully.
Should she be angry with Makoto?
And if so, why? Didn't she already put her sister through so much? What kind of sister would she be if she didn't allow the younger girl to have some happiness for herself?
Of course she should be allowed to be in a relationship . Makoto is 18 years old, she is old enough to drive and vote, and she is going to college soon.
It's perfectly reasonable.
That's the only natural course of things.
...
But still, she is her baby sis.
The girl that ate glue when she was 2 years old.
The girl that, at 4 years old, used to affectionately call her Sae-Sae and cry out to her when it was too dark and stormy.
The girl that at 6, would demand to eat vanilla and chocolate ice cream for dinner, only to become a health nut that constantly deprives her poor, older sister of sugary snacks years later.
Makoto, who at 12 would become really disciplined in her studies to mirror Sae's own dedication.
The same girl that has a love for vintage Yakuza movies and who won junior martial arts tournaments twice, making their family immensely proud.
That girl is now growing up before her very eyes.
Her Makoto was no longer a child. Sae didn't know if she should feel overwhelming pride, or aching sadness with that fact.
Makoto once more broke her musings with her eyes starving for approval and understanding.
Okay, it was time for Sae to be a grown up too.
"...That's fine." Sae responded to Makoto's earlier plea, in the most painfully awkward tone possible.
Her younger sister looked up at her, surprised. "R-really?"
'Not really, Amamiya is a little shit.' The prosecutor thought.
"I think so? Actually, I don't know what to feel about this right now. Ask me in the morning." She replied, still stupefied.
Sae knew she was doing a poor job of communicating, but she was still trying to reboot her brain.
Makoto, of course, jumped to her boyfriend's defense, "If your concern is because of his record, then I assure you that-"
Sae held up a hand to stop Makoto from getting worked up. "Hey, it's not that. I cleared that up with him. The kid's good in my books."
"Wait, you… You believe him about his record!?" The younger girl asked, looking surprised that Sae of all people would believe someone with a record that easily.
Still looking a bit brain damaged, Sae just stared at Makoto with an expression that said 'duh?'.
"Of all the wild things he told me, that one had the potential to be the most truthful of his stories. Besides, it's pretty much a repeat of grandad's imprisonment situation."
"Right… That." Makoto said, wincing. It was a very sore subject on their mother's side of the family.
"I honestly actually feel pretty bad for Amamiya. Whoever he pissed off, really went out of their way to mess up with the kid's life."
Makoto nodded, making a cute angry face as she seethed over whomever ruined Amamiya's life. Then her expression changed to that vulnerable insecurity that melted Sae's heart again.
"So… If you truly don't have any issues with Ren, then-"
Once more, she halted her sister's usual spiraling behavior. "Makoto. I need you to give me some time to process things. You have been giving me a lot of shockers lately, okay?"
The younger girl stared at her for a moment, then acquiesced. "Okay. Sorry. Just please, promise me you at least won't change your mind about Ren being innocent tomorrow."
The elder sister squeezed her shoulder supportively. That was an easy promise to keep.
"I won't."
Makoto let all the tension bleed out of her and she leaned back on her sister. Sae continued to soothe Makoto by playing with her hair.
"Sorry. I was just on edge all night, afraid that something bad would happen." The younger girl whispered.
"Right, you thought I was working on arresting your companions." Sae stated simply, not a single heat left in her sleepy voice.
"Yeah…"
"I guess I deserve that, huh." The elder sister mumbled.
Makoto shook her head. "It's not that, it's just… My friends mean a lot to me."
Sae rubbed her eyes, tiredly. "Did you get in touch with them?"
Makoto grunted, also getting sleepy with her sister petting her hair. "I was avoiding them like the plague all day, until one of them cornered me earlier tonight. We spent the entire call with her asking me to stop freaking out."
Her big sis patted her on the head. "Sounds like she knows you quite well, you worrywart."
Makoto grumbled. "Shut up."
Sae just chuckled. "It's okay Makoto. Everything is going to be okay. We have all the time in the world to figure it out."
As sleep began to set in her, Makoto felt like she could finally believe her sister.
Goro could not fall asleep.
He tossed, he turned, and nothing.
He tried to suffocate himself with the pillow so as to pass out and fall asleep, and still, nothing.
Goro even took some medication to fall asleep, but he was immune to the vast majority of their effects thanks to Loki. So again, nothing.
He simply could not fall asleep. He noticed he had some minor tremors, and he wondered, where did they come from?
Robin Hood tried to sooth him out with gentle whispers, but Loki would constantly laugh maliciously in the background, so he could not find peace within his own mind either.
So Goro decided to get up and lit up a cigarette. Yes, the picture perfect, dazzling, amazing, cherubic detective prince was a smoker.
He adopted the habit ever since his first kill happened some years ago.
Goro trembled, remembering. Did he actually mean to maim Isshiki's shadow? He wasn't sure.
'She just got in the way.'
He actually liked Isshiki. He was the gateway and breakthrough to her cognitive psience research, but then he wanted to get closer to his disgusting father, and his father found that Isshiki outgrew her usefulness.
The detective prince had no choice but to choose his endgame goals over Isshiki's kindness.
Foolish, naive woman. She thought her research would be used for good, but all it did was to attract the attention of Shido, of all people.
They've had such a strange working relationship, too. He wondered, was that brat of hers his sister then? He had no idea if her father was someone else. If he dug up further, he would probably find out.
He would not investigate it, however. Goro had no family, he wouldn't be a simpering idiot crying out for his 'sis', like Makoto.
He then sneered.
Sae Niijima was another stupid woman, just like Isshiki. And Goro was still stupefied that Niijima no longer possessed a palace. It just made no sense at all.
He was positive the Phantom Thieves did not steal her heart. There was simply no room for that and he didn't notice their presence in his work vicinity. The woman wasn't behaving like a crying mess full of regret either, just seemed like she was faltering. He also had been spying on their trips to Okumura's palace and he hadn't spotted anything amiss.
So it truly meant a natural change of heart, and her shadow would eventually return to mementos at one point. He supposes it would take weeks for her shadow to reform, so he couldn't get to her that easily anyways.
Not that it would change anything. She would get killed as soon as Shido said so, shadow or no shadow. In fact, now that she no longer had a palace, maybe he'd have to speed up the process through conventional means.
The detective prince gritted his teeth at the thought.
No, he couldn't kill Niijima just yet. She had her uses, he was sure of it.
He didn't care about her. It wasn't like she was the first adult in years after Isshiki to give him the time of day.
It's not like she treated him like a younger brother. That imbecile Makoto didn't know what she had.
He can't care about her.
He just can't.
'It doesn't matter what she is to me. Niijima will still have to die.'
Goro smashed the remains of his cigarette with such force that he burnt his hand.
He heard Loki let out a shrieking laugh.
Makoto woke up in the morning to sounds coming from the kitchen.
She noticed that she was in her bed, but still wearing yesterday's clothes. Her sister probably moved her to her bedroom in the night. She sat up slowly, still a little sore all over, and checked the time.
10:23 AM
'I haven't overslept this much in years.'
Getting up from her bed and wincing at the pain in her left elbow, Makoto got herself ready to the best of her abilities.
Upon arriving at the kitchen, she noticed that Sae was preparing a simple breakfast, the smell of eggs and green tea overpowering her senses.
Her sister had her hair up in a messy ponytail and was dressed in a baggy shirt and pajama pants, a clear sign that her own sister also slept in.
"Good morning." Makoto mumbled in greeting
The older woman noticed her and smiled. "Morning, Mako. Tea?"
She nodded and sat down. Sae served her a nice portion of fried rice with eggs, and poured her the tea.
"Sorry, I know it's not much, but we can go out for lunch later. My treat."
"It's fine." She said and quickly dug in, realizing that she was starving since she barely ate anything yesterday.
Sae enjoyed her own tea and ate her breakfast. "How're you feeling?"
Makoto swallowed her food. "A bit sore, but much better."
"That's good. Do you still have enough meds? We can go and grab some on our way out to lunch."
"I do but… I think I prefer the meds from a clinic in Yongen-Jaya. They'll make me feel better in no time."
Sae raised an eyebrow and Makoto just shrugged. "Okay, we can go to Yongen-Jaya for your meds."
The younger sister mumbled her thanks as she continued to eat.
"Heh, maybe we should go to Leblanc as well. I need to formally apologize to the Sakuras." Sae said a few moments later.
Makoto beamed at her sister and reached out to squeeze her hand supportively. "That's a good call, sis."
Then the younger girl's smile dropped and she winced. "But… I don't know how I'm gonna face Ren and Futaba-chan."
Sae finished her tea. "It's going to be alright. Maybe just message them first? Start with an apology there, and then tell them we'll drop by."
"Okay. I'll reach out to Ren-kun after breakfast."
They continued their breakfast in companionable silence.
[Makoto Niijima Ren-kun]
[Makoto Niijima: Good Morning Ren-kun.
[Ren-kun: Morning Mako
[Ren-kun: Feeling better?
[Makoto Niijima: A bit, yeah.
[Makoto Niijima: Sis wants to stop by Leblanc today to apologize to Boss and Futaba-chan.
[Ren-kun: Sure, that sounds great. Did she apologize to YOU, for the way she treated you though?
[Makoto Niijima: Um, yeah, she did…
[Ren-kun: Hallelujah!
[Makoto Niijima: Actually, I can't believe she spent the whole night questioning you…
[Ren-kun: Nah, that was a necessary evil.
[Ren-kun: And I was the one to contact her and ask for a meeting.
[Makoto Niijima: I see…
[Makoto Niijima: Anyways, I also had a chat with the others last night.
[Makoto Niijima: Haru was very angry with me…
[Ren-kun: I just saw the logs. I can see where she was coming from
[Ren-kun: But I don't like the tone she chose.
[Makoto: It's fine, I smoothed it out with her in private… I think.
[Makoto: And I actually fully agree with her.
[Ren-kun: If you're sure. We can maybe have a meeting today too, if you want.
[Makoto Niijima: I guess that's for the best. But if we do, sis will be there, so…
[Ren-kun: Honestly sweetheart, I think your sister should definitely be there.
Makoto looked up from her phone and bit her lip. Was that wise?
"Um.. Sis?"
"Yes?" Sae asked, absent minded as she continued to perform her chores.
"Ren-kun wishes to have a team meeting later today… And he thinks that you should be there."
Sae stopped whatever she was doing and seemed to think for a bit. Then she looked at Makoto and nodded.
"Sounds good. Tell him I agree."
The brunette returned to her phone.
[Makoto Niijima: She agrees.
[Ren-kun: Great. Let's just rip the bandaid off, gather everyone, have an honest conversation
[Ren-kun: Maybe even get into a brawl and come out as inseparable friends, etc.
[Makoto Niijima: This is starting to sound a bit unhinged, Ren…
[Ren-kun: Trust me, it's gonna be okay. 3
[Makoto: Alright 3
[Nasty Crime Boy The Ghost Robbers]
[Nasty Crime Boy: My beloved children, shit went down last night.
[Nasty Crime Boy: I have so much to tell you.
[Bonehead: Are we going to jail?
[Alibaba: Nah the only jail ure going to
[Bonehead: Dude don't
[Alibaba: Bonk!
[Bonehead: NastyCrimeBoy come on man don't leave me hangin!
[Nasty Crime Boy: Morgana and I had the time of our lives roasting my sister-in-law while we got drunk together at a bar in Shinjuku.
[Nasty Crime Boy: Best night ever.
[Alibaba: Wat
[Bonehead: No effing way
[Ann T: Plz tell me you're joking.
[Makoto Niijima: He is joking. My sister doesn't drink when she drives.
[Ann T: What
[Ann T: Is that really the part we should be focusing on?
[Makoto Niijima: Well, she interrogated Ren-kun alone yesterday…
[Ann T: Oh my god…
[Ann T: Wait, is that good or bad?
[Nasty Crime Boy: Relax my friends. It's all good.
[Nasty Crime Boy: We're all going to get together and have a good time.
[Nasty Crime Boy: Meeting today with Makoto and her sister, what do you guys say!?
[Bonehead: Man, ure scaring me. Why the eff are you so hyped?
[Alibaba: He is just messing with you guys. It's all bait.
[Haru Okumura: Of course, Ren-kun.
[Haru Okumura: MakotoNiijima I assume your sister's presence at the meeting is a good thing.
[Makoto Niijima: Yes. I had a talk with her yesterday. She believes we are innocent of the mental shutdowns.
[Bonehead: Phew…
[Nasty Crime Boy: Morgana and I believe she is already on our side, but we'll need to hear it from her first.
[Haru Okumura: That's really great news. In that case, I wish to support Mako-chan.
[Makoto: Thank you, Haru…
[Ann T: Yeah, sure, I'm down to having a meeting today.
[Bonehead: I'll come around for sure.
[Alibaba: K
[Yusuke K️: I shall be present as well.
[Ann T: Yusuke, what's with the new nickname format? Are you making fun of me!?
[Yusuke K️: I am not at fault, ask the bespectacled she-demon among us.
[Alibaba: Come on Inari I need to do something thought provoking at least once a day, or this chat is gonna be boooorinnnng
[Nasty Crime Boy: Children, behave. I have to go now.
[Alibaba: Yes dad
Makoto shook her head as she pocketed her phone. Across from her, Sae finished up cleaning the dishes and was now taking stock of the items in their cupboards and fridge, while chewing on the end of a pen and holding a notepad in her hand.
Seeing her older sister looking so tame and domestic on a sunday morning was enough to make her feel relaxed.
As if sensing she was being watched Sae turned to her and asked. "All good?"
"Yeah. The others agreed to be at the meeting this afternoon..." She mumbled, still feeling bad about the situation.
The elder sister approached Makoto, and gave her a head pat. "It'll be fine."
Makoto sighed. "I hope so."
She promised to herself to do better and regain their trust.
"Now, let's go get ready. I think we should run for some groceries first. Then, we can go to Yongen." Sae said as she gave her notepad and pen to Makoto to review their joint shop list.
The younger girl groaned as she surveyed it and started scratching off some items. "Sae! You added a lot of unhealthy junk to the list again!"
Sae rolled her eyes, already expecting the complaints. "Excuse me, but I had a really shitty week. I deserve some treats."
Makoto let out a chuckle. She could relate to her sister.
"Fine, but after we burn through this batch, you need to start eating normal again."
"Deal."
Futaba leaned back on her gaming chair, her chin on her hand as she contemplated Makoto's situation..
While the others expressed concern and disappointment over their friend's actions, Futaba understood where she had come from.
Futaba had tragically lost her mother, and she doesn't even know who her father is. She was pretty sure he was some scumbag who took advantage of her mother's kind nature.
She knew it would be over for herself if she lost Sojiro, because all her other relatives were awful, terrible people. Remembering the dark times she survived under her uncle's thumb always made Futaba shiver.
Turning her errant thoughts away from her own traumatic experiences, the young hacker considered her friend's situation.
Makoto never really knew her mother, who died when she was really young, and she also lost her father. The older girl's sister was too important for her, so she acted out of desperation.
She hoped that she was okay, and that she wouldn't let this discourage her from being a Phantom Thief. Makoto and Ren both helped Futaba out of her shell this past summer, and she has seen Makoto as a big sister figure ever since. She wants to be there for her too, but couldn't express that with words.
Futaba preferred to be behind her keyboard, shitposting and messing with her friends because it gave her the confidence that she normally didn't have to banter with them outside of her phone or her computer. In her element, she could express herself to the fullest, with no fear of judgment. She knew that she could be a gremlin, but she wasn't that bad.
'Well except when I send Inari some cursed Sonic fanarts to mess up with his artistic sensibilities mwehehehe.'
Shaking herself out of her internal thoughts and checking the time, Futaba got up. It was almost time for the Niijimas to arrive, so she'd like to eat a little bit of curry before facing Makoto's big bad sister.
As soon as the sisters finished their grocery shopping and dropped it at home, Sae drove them towards Yongen-Jaya.
Makoto spent the whole trip fidgeting and chewing on her nails, and Sae tried to distract her sister by shitting on her coworkers.
"Seriously, Satoshi is such a son of a bi-"
"Language." Makoto mumbled as she chewed on her nails.
"...Fine, he is such a son of a kind woman. Just last week, he made the new junior in our department trip and spilled coffee all over an extremely important case file. I was furious with the guy until I found out Satoshi did that on purpose just to make the junior's life harder."
"That sounds like terribly juvenile behavior coming from government workers…" Makoto commented while frowning.
Sae snorted. "I know right. It's almost as if they think the workplace is a frat house. Don't even get me started with the collaborators from the Tokyo police. I think Akechi-kun does more work alone than ten of those guys together."
Makoto huffed, clearly annoyed. "Ugh, right, Akechi."
Sae quickly glanced at Makoto, genuinely curious. "What? What's wrong with Akechi?"
The younger girl crossed her arms. "He is just so fake, and annoying. He thinks he is better than everyone else."
"Well, he is a bit of an asshole. But he is not that bad. Just a bit cocky, insufferable and sarcastic, but you get used to it when exposed to his other qualities." Sae said as she defended Akechi in a backhanded manner.
Makoto seemed to think differently. "He is probably the most two-faced person I have ever met in my entire life. Do you remember the mock college entrance exams back in June?"
"Yes, what of it?"
"I met him on my way to take them, a bit back before I joined the team. He baited me with some questions about the Phantom Thieves, and we debated a bit, until he tossed a bait that I couldn't dodge. Then he just called me a good girl type of pushover and left." The younger girl said, in an annoyed tone.
Sae raised her eyebrows in surprise and irritation at Akechi's words to her sister. "Wow. That's a real dick move. I'm gonna have a few words with him."
"Don't even bother, I can defend myself. I just… I don't know, I hate his whole vibe. And you sort of spend too much time with him." Makoto grumbled.
Sae tried to hold back a surprised laugh. "Makoto, are you jealous of me spending time with Akechi at work?"
"What? No!" The younger girl protested vehemently.
"Aww you don't have to get jelly, lil Mako. I'll spend all day today with you, I promise." She teased Makoto while messing with her hair.
The younger girl was all red and looked annoyed. "Hey stop that, I'm not five anymore! Also, don't drive with just one hand, and pay attention to the roads!"
"Okay, mom."
As soon as Futaba walked inside Leblanc, she could see Ren helping Sojiro. He waved to her and she grinned.
"Sojirooooo… Fooood!" She whined.
Boss just rolled his eyes and started to make her a plate of the hot, steaming curry goodness.
"Hurry… I'm going to die if I don't eat!"
"Alright, alright, just settle down." He said as he put a plate in front of her. She grinned at him and dug in like a beast.
Sojiro merely chuckled under his breath and went back behind the counter. Ren finished his cleaning duties and sat down across Futaba.
"Let me know if you get uncomfortable in any manner, alright?"
"Okay, thanks." She mumbled, then resumed her eating, albeit at a much slower pace.
After she finished her plate, Futaba looked up to Ren again, his face sporting a contemplative expression.
Before she could ask what he was thinking, the door to the café opened.
Sae parked their car a few streets away from Leblanc. Makoto started to drag her feet.
"Come on Mako, don't be a wimp and come face your friends." Sae said while beckoning her over with a teasing grin.
Makoto crossed her arms and started walking. "I'm starting to miss when you were a bit more stern and dismissive of me, the whole non stop teasing is a little too much."
Sae paused and looked at Makoto seriously. "Hey, don't even joke about that. I was awful to you."
Makoto looked chastised "Sorry. I guess I'm just nervous."
"I know. But it's gonna be fine, I'm with you." She soothed her baby sister with a gentle voice as she pushed her forward by the shoulders.
They entered Leblanc together. She immediately spotted Futaba and Ren.
Before she could greet them, Futaba got up and launched herself at Makoto at an incredible speed.
"Makoto!"
"Oof!" She squeaked and hugged the redhead back. The hacker was shaking, clearly on the verge of tears.
Makoto winced at the younger girl's strength, since she was still sore, but she soon hugged Futaba back. "H-hey Futaba-chan, I'm alright now, please don't cry…"
"What the- What is all that commotion?" Boss asked from behind the counter, leaning to look at the front door.
At her side, she saw Sae shift awkwardly. Boss eyes widened, then he looked at them sternly. "You again?"
"Sakura-san, good afternoon." Sae said stiffly.
Hearing Sae talking seemed to jolt Futaba into action. She untangled herself from Makoto's arms and hid behind Ren.
Ren gently reassured Futaba with a few whispers, then approached them. The boy smiled, and put his hands on his pockets.
"Hello Makoto, Niijima-san."
"Hello Ren-kun." Makoto said with a shaky smile.
"Hi Amamiya-kun." Sae mumbled awkwardly.
Makoto saw her sister turning to Futaba with a gentle, regretful smile. "You must be Futaba-chan. Hi."
The younger girl just let out a timid, barely audible 'hello'.
Boss crossed his arms, not letting his gaze wander away from the young prosecutor. "Hey, don't talk to her!"
The younger Niijima saw her sister pale, her face full of shame and regret, so she squeezed her hand supportively.
"What do you want now!?" Sojiro barked again.
"Sakura-san, I swear I come in peace." The elder Niijima said, voice trembling.
"Is that so? Give me one reason to not toss you out of my shop this very instant."
Sae swallowed dryly and approached the counter.
"I realize now that my behavior towards you and Sakura-chan this past summer was incredibly unethical and unfair." She said, trying to sound as sincere as possible.
Sojiro stared at her with a hard, cold look. "Unfair? It was a straight up abuse of authority. You had no right to come barging into my shop and threatening to take away my daughter like that."
She looked away regretfully, but soon turned her attention back to Sojiro. "I understand sir. I… I truly had no right to do that. I know I cannot excuse my actions, but I… I was lost. And desperate."
"That doesn't change anything. You have no idea how close you were to destroying our lives! Futaba has been through too much to deserve something like that."
The younger girl looked withdrawn at being mentioned and she hugged Ren's arm, who stood near her supportively. Makoto looked uncomfortable with Sojiro's words, torn between defending her sister and letting him rightfully air out his grievances.
Sae continued, her posture defeated and engulfed in shame. "I… Of course sir. It was beyond wrong of me. Please, allow me to make amends. At the very least, I owe you both a formal apology."
Sojiro looked angry and said nothing for a long time. But then he just sighed as some of the anger left his body. "By all means, go on."
Sae gave herself some space, then bowed deeply. "I am deeply sorry for my actions. Please forgive me."
Sojiro nodded, seeing how serious and formal Sae was being. "Fine. I accept your apology. "
Then she turned to where Futaba was, and also bowed deeply.
From behind Amamiya, Futaba stepped out and adjusted her glasses. She tried to look cool and collected like the older teen, but failed. "If Sojiro's cool, I'm c-cool, yeah…"
She resumed a normal posture and nodded gratefully to both of them. "Thank you."
Sae glanced at Amamiya and spotted him sending her a shit eating grin, clearly happy to see her all meek. She ignored his provocation.
Sojiro was a lot less petty. "Now, come sit down and have a cup of coffee. Honestly, all that formality made me feel like an old man."
Makoto, who was smiling supportively at her sister, decided to sit down near Ren and Futaba in the booth nearby.
Sae sat down across from Sojiro as he brewed her a cup. "I understand, but it was necessary. I have wronged you both."
Boss shook his head and continued to perform his brewing.
"If you don't mind me asking, what made you change your mind? You were pretty intense back then."
Sae hesitated, but shook her head and tried to formulate a proper response.
"I have come across a few recent developments that completely changed my perspective on the shutdown cases. If I'm to be honest, I have been going on several fool's errands the past months, and all to no avail." She confessed, sighing in a bit of defeat.
She saw the older man share a meaningful look with Amamiya.
'Does that mean that Sakura-san knows about their operations?'
She was broken out of her musings as the older man slid a cup of Jamaican blue mountain in front of her.
"Damn, sounds pretty tough for you. Here, on the house." He said.
"That's not really necessary, I can pay." She said, feeling embarrassed with the man's kindness after all she did against him and Futaba.
He waved her off. "I insist."
Sae gave him her thanks and relaxed, enjoying the amazing cup of coffee. "God I missed this. I have been surviving on that awful slop they serve at work."
Sojiro grunted. "Don't worry, your customer privileges are tentatively returned after that little performance. Just don't go around harassing more innocent people and you'll be good in my books."
She felt another spark of shame, but nodded. "I promise."
Sojiro then turned his gaze to Makoto, his expression a lot gentler. "You want a cup too, missy?"
The younger girl smiled at Sojiro. "Please. The usual Boss, thanks."
Sae also ordered them curry for lunch, and then continued to enjoy her cup of coffee in absolute heavenly peace.
Makoto turned her attention to Futaba. "Sorry for scaring you, Futaba-chan."
Futaba nodded, leaned on Makoto, then pulled out her phone and started typing.
Makoto felt her phone vibrate. She saw Ren-kun pull out his own phone as well.
[Alibaba Mom & Dad]
[Alibaba: Holy crap your sister looks scary up close
[Ren Amamiya: Nah she is all bark, no bite lmao, did you see how she cowered?
[Makoto Niijima: Ren, behave, she is trying her best.
[Ren Amamiya: Yes dear
[Alibaba: Wait, does she know you guys are dating?
[Makoto Niijima: …Yes.
[Makoto Niijima: Apparently, Ren was too obvious.
[Alibaba: lmao why are you still alive glasses-kun?
[Ren Amamiya: Yeah, why am I still alive?
[Makoto Niijima: Because it would make me very sad if she did anything against you.
[Alibaba: Aww maybe she is just waiting for the right time to commit murder
[Ren Amamiya: It's ok we can just recarm my ass off
[Makoto Niijima: Nobody is getting killed. Period.
Makoto put her phone away and noticed Futaba snickering at Ren, who winked back at Makoto, then put on his usual poker face.
She was broken out of their shenanigans when Boss set down a hot plate of curry and a mug in front of her. "Here you go, young lady."
"Thank you boss."
The man nodded and went back behind the counter.
Sae, who had just finished her own coffee and was enjoying her food, turned around to stare at the kids.
"Thank you for watching over Makoto for me these past months. I admit I have been very neglectful of her…" She said regretfully.
"It's no problem. Makoto is a good friend."
"Yeah M-Makoto is the best…" Futaba said timidly.
Sae smiled. "Nonetheless, I am grateful to know she has good friends."
Then she narrowed her eyes on Ren. "Even if some of them are complete smartasses."
Ren smirked. "Pot, meet kettle."
Futaba held a look of mischievous apprehension, and Makoto looked disapproving between the two of them. Sae rolled her eyes and decided to enjoy her lunch instead of engaging in Amamiya's baiting.
The kids left her alone, and spent a few more moments chatting idly between themselves as the sisters finished eating.
Then, Makoto got up. "Sis, I'm going to Doctor Takemi's clinic to pick up some meds. I'll be right back."
'Takemi? now, that sounds familiar…'
"Don't you want me to come with you?" Sae asked.
"No need, you can stay here and relax."
"I'll walk her there just in case." Ren interjected.
Sae sent daggers with her eyes at the boy, but relented and waved them away. "Alright then."
The two left Leblanc.
They walked in the direction of Takemi's clinic in tense silence.
But before she could realize what was happening, Ren gently grabbed her hand and brought her to a secluded spot between buildings, then swept her off her feet and gave her a passionate kiss.
Makoto clumsily fisted his shirt and righted herself, then kissed him back just as fiercely.
After a moment, they parted ways, both out of breath.
Ren closed his eyes and leaned closer to her, their foreheads touching tenderly. "Don't scare me like that ever again, okay?"
She just nodded, then cupped his cheeks and leaned in for another loving kiss. "Okay. I'm sorry I scared you."
He responded by hugging her tightly.
After enjoying several moments of their embrace, they parted ways once more.
They resumed walking, holding hands. Makoto leaned on him, squeezing his hand, and they resumed walking to their destination
"You two seem to be getting along better." He commented.
Makoto beamed at him. "Yeah, we had a… Heart to heart, so to speak."
"I'm glad." He said, warmly smiling back at her.
"I'm happy as well. I admit I didn't expect her to make an effort so soon."
Ren chuckled. "So she did listen."
But with his words, Makoto faltered a little. "Do you think… She only did that because of the talk you two had last night?"
Ren, sensing that this could cause further issues down the line, decided to nip it in the bud. "I just gave her some advice, but I can't make her do anything. In the end, it had to come out of her own volition."
The girl looked down. "I know. It's just… After months of living with her cognitive distortions, it was just hard to come to terms with her change..."
"Give it time. Who knows, maybe she'll show you she's changed." He said, while bumping shoulders with her playfully.
"Yeah..."
They walked a couple more steps in an enjoyable silence, until Makoto sighed and stopped. Ren turned to her with an inquisitive gaze at her pause.
"Ren, I have been meaning to ask…How did Morgana know I was at my sister's palace?"
The boy seemed to contemplate her question as he adjusted his glasses. "I noticed you were acting a little weird in the past few days, so I asked him to keep an eye on you for me, just to make sure."
Makoto tensed. She felt a little annoyed that her boyfriend decided to have their friend stalk her. "That's-"
Ren made a gesture with his free hand, halting her. "Makoto, I asked you multiple times the past week if you were okay, or if there was anything amiss. I told you you could come to me for anything." He said, disappointment lacing his voice.
Makoto looked chastised. "I just… I just didn't want to burden you."
"I know. Doesn't mean I agree with your choices. But I also understand that having Morgana following you was a breach of trust on my part."
She looked away, feeling both irritated with Ren and herself.
He continued, assertively, but also trying to be gentle. "You might not appreciate that, but I truly thought it was necessary, and wouldn't have asked that of him if it wasn't an emergency."
Makoto considered his words. Could she really blame Ren? She basically forced him into sending Morgana to spy on her.
She felt that her irritation was justified. However, remembering that she did much worse as far as breaking trust went and that if it were not for Morgana, she and Sae would've been done for, she decided to accept his reasoning.
"I guess I can't blame you." She finally said, trying to mask her hurt with some self deprecating humor.
Ren shook his head, and squeezed her hand. "No, I admit I was wrong too. And I do apologize. I was just worried about you."
She cupped his cheek and caressed his face. "It's okay, it turned out for the best."
He nodded, then hugged her. "We'll be okay. We'll get through this." He assured her.
Misty-eyed, Makoto gently embraced him back.
To Be Continued…