September arrived much too quickly for Ren's liking. While his friends returned to their normal lives, Ren continued doing as he had been: working, occasionally studying, and looking into any schools he hadn't already been rejected by. Most days he helped Sojiro at Leblanc from morning to mid-afternoon, either tidying up or waiting on the occasional customer. Based on the number of people who came in, Ren was sure that the cafe would never have been able to stay open, had there been no other sources of income to the Sakura household. The longer he helped at Leblanc, the more starkly apparent it became.
Some days, only one or two customers came. On weekends, things were slightly better with a few younger couples visiting or the occasion group of young ladies. Few of them ordered curry though, preferring to take pictures of their coffee, much to Sojiro's confusion and dismay. To cater to this demographic, the older man agreed to add a couple of additional drinks to the menu. Most of the time, though, their customers were local seniors looking to get out of the house or take a day-trip back to the Showa era through the cafe's retro interior.
One weekend, Ren overheard a conversation between a trio of, who he assumed were high school girls, while wiping down a recently vacated booth.
"This place totally looks like something off of Insta. Look at the old-timey lights. And that phone! It's got honest-to-god buttons on it," one girl not-so-quietly whispered.
"I know, right? I think the only thing not out of my grandma's day is pro'lly the TV, though the channel is the same, I think," said another.
"That's 'cause it is. Off Insta, I mean. I found it while looking into trendy cafes. I wanted one without a mega-long line and didn't need, like, a month's reservation. There's this one account I follow, because of a friend of a friend who knows an upperclassman who really likes this sort of thing— anyway, I'm getting off topic— and this place was super highly recommended. Like, the poster said it was the best ever," the third girl supplied, pulling out her phone.
Ren finished loading the dirty cups onto the tray, looking over his shoulder in curiosity. He had no idea Leblanc was so popular online.
"Yeah, this is the one. Look at all the hashtags," the third girl turned the phone towards her friends.
"Whoa. Hashtag best-in-Tokyo, hashtag quiet-place-to-unwind, hashtag perfect-cup-of-coffee…" the first girl read aloud. "That picture, though. Not the greatest."
Ren chose that moment to clear his throat softly, causing the trio to look up. He steeled his courage, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Would you mind sharing that account name with me? I… wanna send a thank you to the owner."
"Oh," the girl holding the phone startled slightly, but nodded. "That's rather nice of you. This account introduces cafes from all around, but I'm sure the owner would be happy to hear from you. By the way, I noticed your cafe doesn't have an account. You should really do something about that."
"It's not exactly my cafe," Ren replied, taking out his phone and opening the app. He peered over the girl's shoulder as she held up the phone to give him a better look. He carefully searched by username. "And followed. Thanks."
"Well, whoever the cafe belongs to really ought to make an account. You're really missing out," the second girl said, finishing off her coffee— a cappuccino judging from the remaining froth lining the lip of the cup. "More people should know about this place and it's really out of the way so most people won't find it on their own."
"I'll bring it up with the Boss."
And bring it up he did during dinner.
"I… don't know. It seems awfully confusing, not to mention time consuming," Sojiro said, pushing his empty plate away. Futaba, meanwhile, continued to fill her plate with bits of chicken. Ren reached over, grabbing a bit of sauteed spinach with his chopsticks and added it to her plate, causing her to make a face at him.
"Not really. A lot of the hard work can be done through automation. All we'd have to do is take some pictures to post. Then I can write some code to do the rest. Could p'rolly bang it out in an afternoon," Futaba replied, trying to remove the greens from her plate and put them on Ren's.
"Still. I was under the impression that you had to update that thing regularly. That's going to be a lot of pictures and we only offer so much as far as food and drinks go," Sojiro watched the back and forth with amusement.
"Scheduling is a thing too, you know. You can take'em in batches and I can set them to appear later. Plus, it probably wouldn't hurt to update the menu a bit. Like seasonal desserts and stuff," Futaba took her plate and turned her back to Ren, hunching over it to try and shovel the remaining food into her mouth before he could do anything else.
"I already updated the menu," Sojiro scowled.
"Update it more," she said, opening her mouth wide to pop a piece of chicken into it. But before she could, Ren dropped a bit of spinach atop it. "Ugh! Are you trying to kill me?!"
"Iron. It's important," Ren shot back, simply.
"Betrayal. And after I supported your idea too. You suck," Futaba scooted away slightly.
"Children," Sojiro warned, though it sounded more amused than disappointed. "Tell you what, I'll think about it. But, if I decide— I said, if!— to do so, I will be leaving all the technical mambo-jumbo and picture taking to you two. I'm too old to be fumbling around on social media. Deal?"
"Deal!"
"By the way, you mentioned wanting to get into contact with the owner of that account that mentioned us? What did you have in mind?" Sojiro turned towards Ren, who had finished his dinner and was continuing to try to slip extra vegetables onto Futaba's. At the question, he paused and put his chopsticks down.
"I figured a thank you for the review and maybe an invite to visit again," Ren replied with a lopsided shrug. "I didn't get much of a chance to look through the guy's account but…"
"Wait, who said it was a guy? Isn't this more of a girl thing? Foodie accounts and the like? Not that a guy couldn't…" Futaba asked, finishing her plate and returning it to the table.
Morgana took that moment to poke his head up from the pillow he was curled up on to ask, "Didn't Akechi have a food blog?"
When things went quiet, Futaba with eyes wide asked, "Oh my god, you don't think…? I mean, it can't be, right?"
"Hold on now, what did I miss?" Sojiro interjected, looking wildly between the teens and Morgana, "I don't speak cat, remember?"
"I am not a cat!"
"Uhh, Morgana brought up that Akechi used to have a food blog. He used it to review places as part of his cover. It reminded us of that."
"You mean that kid you used to hang around with? The one with the long hair?" he asked, looking at Ren.
At Ren's quiet nod, Morgana stood up from his cushion and climbed into Ren's lap, curling into a black ball and purring slightly. Two small paws stretched out from the mass of black fur and started kneading against the material of Ren's shirt.
"But it can't be him," Futaba said in a small voice, pulling her legs up to chest and laying her chin atop them. "He's…"
"Gone."
Over the following few days, Ren tried his best to return to his usual routine, while looking into the owner of the Insta account and helping Futaba set up one for the cafe. By the following weekend, the coding to control the bots that would be doing the majority of the heavy lifting was done and Ren had a folder full of cafe pictures saved on his phone. The last thing was to get Sojiro's blessing to go ahead.
Ren, Futaba, and even Morgana cornered him Sunday evening, after the door sign had been flipped to closed. The day had been stormy, leading to only a few customers who seemed more interested in getting out of the rain rather than anyone making a special trip. Ren couldn't help but think it would play into his favor.
Futaba perched on Ren's usual chair, laptop on the counter and pointing towards the two men behind it. She had already taken the liberty of extracting the necessary images from Ren's phone remotely and had them in a folder on her desktop. She had the program she had created running in the background as she opened up the desktop version of Insta-Pic.
"So we are gathered here today to present our plan for—" she started, curling around her laptop to tap at keys upside down.
"The social media account you mentioned," Sojiro said, nodding.
"Way to take all the drama out of it," Futaba groused. She seemed to deflate slightly before perking up.
"Sorry, sorry. Please continue."
"Mmmn, fine. Ren and I worked together to make an official account for Leblanc. I did all the coding and made it so we won't have to do everything manually, and he took some cool pictures. It isn't live yet, of course 'cause we still need your permission, but everything's already done and you won't have to lift a single old-man-finger. Promise!"
"T-thanks? I think," Sojiro replied, looking between Ren and Futaba.
"Mona helped too. He was the support supervisor on this project. He helped Ren find the best shots and made for a great pillow when I needed a break from typing. Very helpful," Both she and Ren nodded their thanks to Morgana while Sojiro raised an eyebrow.
"Well, seeing as you… three… already put in the work, and I won't have to— how'd you put it, lift any old-man-fingers, I don't see why not. Might drum up some business. Though I will be expecting the two of you to continue to keep it going."
Smiling, Ren and Futaba high fived over the laptop screen, as Morgana raised a paw to join them. Futaba quickly turned the laptop back to face her and started typing. Morgana watched from his seat next to her.
"I noticed you said two of us," Ren murmured, leaning towards the older man.
"I am not seriously expecting a cat to run our social media account. Did he really help you take pictures?" Sojiro replied, keeping his voice low.
"Yeah, and he was a total slave driver while at it too."
"Aaaaand… DONE!" Futaba shouted, punching both arms into the air above her head, "We are live people. First post is up. Next one is scheduled for Wednesday and another for Friday night. I think this calls for some celebratory sushi, don't you think?"
"I want fatty tuna!" Morgana added.
They ended up ordering takeaway online with Sojiro braving the elements to drive and pick it up. Morgana got one piece of fatty tuna that night.
Contrary to Ren's expectations, business wasn't suddenly booming after their Insta account went live. Of course, they did get a decent amount of likes and follows on the account, along with a few comments complimenting the composition of the photos— many from Yusuke— or how delicious the fare looked. The cafe did get a few extra customers, the majority on Saturday afternoons or Sunday, but many of them were not repeat customers. Some had their interest piqued after the account crossed their feed or from word of mouth. Some claimed it had been high on their search results, which had been an interesting addition written into the code Futaba made. Others simply stumbled in, lost in the winding back alleys of Yogen-Jaya.
It was on one quiet afternoon Ren found himself leaning against the counter, scrolling through his phone. He had of course followed the cafe's account via his personal one, but he had also taken to following the person who had indirectly caused its creation. It was interesting. The owner never posted pictures of himself—Ren was still convinced that it belonged to a man— nor did he seem to adhere to any particular posting schedule. There didn't seem to be any pattern to his post, sometimes going weeks between. Additionally, the owner didn't restrict himself to any particular type of food or location. Many similar accounts focused on one, maybe two, types of cuisine, but so far as Ren was aware this guy seemed open to try anything. There were posts detailing cafes, quite a few describing seafood restaurants, and a couple of bars. The only thing in common was that they all had positive reviews, usually in the form of hashtags.
Ren looked up when he heard the door chime ring to see Sojiro slip in carrying a bag of groceries. Before Ren could come out from behind the counter, he was being shooed away. He watched as Sojiro put the bag atop the counter so that he could remove his hat and jacket. The weather had been getting much cooler as they neared November.
Ren put his phone face down on the counter and made a grab for the groceries. Sojiro let him and as Ren turned to put the ingredients into the refrigerator, he heard the door again along with the familiar sound of the sign being turned.
"After you're done with that, I want to have a talk," at Ren's sudden hesitation, he added, "It's nothing bad. Promise."
Once the ingredients had been put into the fridge, Ren returned to the counter, only for Sojiro to wave a hand to the center booth. Sitting, Ren looked up to see the older man slide into the seat across from him, two cups of coffee in hand.
"Look, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now but have been putting it off and putting it off. Here. I've been thinking about the past year. I know you've been trying like hell to get into any university that'll take you. And you've been working a bunch of odd jobs to save up some money as well as to help around the house. Don't think I didn't notice," Sojiro said, gripping his cup with both hands. He leaned in with elbows on the table and tried to catch Ren's eye. "I appreciate it, you're a good kid, but I'm worried about your future. Have you thought about what you're going to do?"
"I," Ren trailed off. He thought about all of the rejection letters and thought about Futaba's offer to plant his name into a university's database through hacking. And although he wasn't one to blindly follow rules or accept injustice sitting down, he didn't feel right using such power for personal gain. It felt too much like changing a heart only to save himself and the thought made him sick. It felt too much like something someone like Kamoshida or Shido might do.
'Oh, so it's fine when it's to save your own skin?" a soft voice whispered in the back of his brain. "Or will you justify it as justice? Or as a way to save the masses? Use it as a stepping stone to put yourself in a position of power… something like a certain doctor, perhaps?'
"I don't know. I am trying though," Ren said, putting his head in his hands. "Please, just give me a little more time."
"Whoa, calm down! I'm… not disappointed… or mad," Sojiro was quick to explain, his hands leaving the tabletop, probably raised in surrender not that Ren could see it. But he knew Sojiro well enough to picture the gesture in his mind's eye. "I'm asking. Because I want to help you. If university is still something you want to do, then fine. We'll find a way to make it work, be it here or someplace else. If not, we'll figure something else out."
Ren let his hands fall away and looked at Sojiro, who gave him a small smile.
"Futaba's worried too, you know. Don't tell her I told you, though. We both will never hear the end of it," he joked. "She thinks she's so slick— and don't get me wrong, she is. Just like Wakaba— but she's been floating the idea of you taking over the cafe, what with me and my old age. Mind you, I am nowhere near that old YET, but I do think the idea has merit."
"But I'm not experienced enough for something like that."
"Good to see you have some sense," Sojiro agreed. "But, no you're right. You aren't bad at making coffee and you know a lot from helping out here, but there's more to making a good cup of joe to running a business. I think you're getting a feel for it working here, with your and Futaba's little pet project. And I'm not going to lie and say it's going to be easy because it certainly is not."
"There's the customer service aspect, finances, and general business operations, right?" Ren asked, to which Sojiro nodded. "Then there's marketing too."
"Mmhm, that's right. The customer service part shouldn't be a problem. You're good with people, always have been. Plus you do have training from the weekend job of yours. How you managed to get a job in a bar during your second year of high school is beyond me and before you start, no I don't want to know the whys or hows you did it. Better I don't know."
"You'd like Lala— my boss."
"I'm sure I would. Seems like she's taught you a lot," Sojiro agreed. "Business operations you could probably learn from your friend Haru. And as for financial things, I can help you with those to an extent. As for marketing, I obviously haven't got a clue, though Futaba may be able to help, along with that artist friend of yours. Yusuke, was it?"
"Yeah. He'd probably jump at the chance. He's always liked this place. And we wouldn't even have to pay him much either. Just promise him free food and he's onboard," Ren joked, though he fully intended to give his friend adequate monetary payment as well.
"I'm glad that boy seems to have put on a little weight last summer. You bunch really are like a pack of strays. You even have a cat for your mascot."
Ren chuckled, but quickly sobered.
"I like that idea. Of one day looking after Leblanc," Ren began, crossing his arms atop the table. "But it isn't very realistic unless we get more business. There won't be a cafe to inherit. That cafe review and our official account helped a bit, but I worry it isn't going to be enough. 'Taba, Morgana, and I've been racking our brains, but…"
"You're right. But I'm going to let you in on a secret, okay. It's up to you whether or not you want to tell them or not, but I think it's time I'm honest with you. If you are going to be my successor, we are going to need honesty going forward," Sojiro mirrored Ren's pose, though his back was much more rounded. "This cafe was never meant to be a viable long-term solution. At first it was a place to lay-low from people like Shido. I told you I used to work for the government, right. That put me in a position to hear a whole lot of things I probably wasn't supposed to. After things started going south— and no, I will not elaborate on that— and I resigned my position, I needed a new start. At that time, places like these were the rage with the older generation and few people asked questions I wasn't at liberty to answer."
Ren nodded, imagining a younger version of Sojiro starting his cafe. He imagined the booths and counter full of older folks with a few middle aged salarymen grabbing their caffeine fix between visiting clients or during their short lunch breaks. He imagined the cafe filled with the smell of cigarettes and coffee and curry. It must have been something back in the day.
Ren hoped that it could be again someday.
"But things started to change once Futaba came into the picture. I didn't just have myself to worry about anymore. And she didn't have anywhere else to go. So, I had to work extra hard to make sure to have enough to take care of both of us. And for a while we were managing. It wasn't great or easy, but it was like treading water," Sojiro continued, drinking his now cold coffee and making a face.
Ren took a sip of his own, expression unchanging, having long been used to cold or iced coffees.
"But then I came into the picture."
"Yeah. Initially, I took you in because I was offered a tidy sum to do so. But I think I also felt a bit sorry for you. I, of course, had no idea that the person who accused you was that bastard Shido. But I long since learned that most people usually have reasons for what they do, especially some kid from a small town in Gifu. And I was right."
"You don't regret it; harboring a known criminal?" Ren asked, clutching his cup.
"Do you really have to ask?" Sojiro smiled.
The moment stretched on, but it wasn't awkward. Not for Ren and not for Sojiro as far as Ren could tell. It felt, to Ren at least, that his bond with the older man had changed in some small way. But it also felt stronger.
"Think about it, alright. You don't need to give me an answer now or even soon. But think about it. And we'll work around whatever you decide."