Chapter Text
Chapter 1
The day after May 29th, the day after my birthday. I can’t believe it now, I’m 23 years old now! It seems that time sure does go by fast. I’m sitting in the cafe, Cafe Leblanc, they’ve got the best curry and coffee here. I just got a plain curry with a coffee with cream, man it’s my favorite coffee. It probably isn’t very Japanese of me, but I can’t help but love it. I’m actually a regular here, whenever I’m in the mood I actually come here. The owner even knows my name, and I know his too. His name is Sojiro, but I just call him Boss because everyone else calls him that. I’ll walk in and take a seat at the bar, and then he’ll say to me,
“The usual, Hazeltine?”
He has a very deep voice, it’s almost intimidating if it’s your first time in the cafe. How I respond to him is that I smile and nod, then say,
“Of course, Boss. Don’t expect it to change anytime soon.”
It makes him crack a small smirk, and then he goes to make my order. Though sometimes he gets mad at me, it’s… It’s when I try to flirt with… With the women that enter sometimes. He says I’m practically harassing them, and he says that he feels secondhand embarrassment every time, and he says he can’t help but feel bad for me sometimes. I took the last bite of my curry, and the last sip of my coffee and paid for my meal. Though I didn't leave yet, Boss knows I like to linger for a bit before actually leaving. I like the atmosphere of the cafe, and also the aroma it has inside. I mean, who DOESN'T like the smell of coffee and curry? It's like they mix together really well. You wouldn't think that actually, you would think coffee and curry wouldn't mix well at all, but here's your reminder to go to Leblanc.
I'll tell you this now because… I just feel like getting it off my chest. Sometimes Boss asks me about myself, just for me to share about myself because I'm a regular and all he knows is my name. Well, I haven't really told him a lot. I'm actually… Not really comfortable with opening up. I don't want to share things about myself, it makes my stomach churn when I think about it. I know I sound like some mysterious assassin when I put it like that, but really I just don't want to say anything.
I told him I'm a college student though, and also the two jobs I work. He tells me that I'm going to have a heart attack one day and go bald at 30 if I continue all of this, but I tell him I'm going to age well and I'm not that stressed out. In actuality, I'm actually pretty stressed sometimes. What he doesn't know is that I actually taught myself English, cool right? I love western music and movies, and since I couldn't understand them but I thought they were awesome I used them to help me understand English. I can speak it, write in it, and understand it. Though besides that I'm not really that smart… My grades in school were average at best. Oh yeah, another thing I told him was the high school I went to, Shujin Academy. You probably know about it, it was the school with THAT gym teacher.
I told Boss about it, and he looked pretty shocked. He told me his daughter went there too, and that someone he had to foster for a bit went there too and had a bunch of friends. He asked me if I was on the volleyball team considering what happened, but I told him no and said I always kept to myself. Look, I kinda did keep to myself. I wasn't in any clubs, but I had one friend, Yuuki Mishima. I also had a tendency to flirt with the girls, and they always rejected me. Though that didn't really hit me too hard, I still got back up and kept trying! I still try, and it's just like Shujin Academy, rejection each time. I told him I had been a fan of the Phantom Thieves when they were in their prime, I must've been 15 or 16 at the time. I even added that I still support them, even if they aren't active anymore. That seemed to really make his day, and he told me that it was great that I was always some fanboy of them, and that it's funny I still am a fanboy.
Boss walked up to the counter, though he stood in front of me and looked at me while he cleaned a cup in front of me. His glasses shimmered in the light, and his usual neutral expression was equipped on his face. I had a feeling that he was going to start up a conversation with me, after all, I’m taking up space in HIS cafe. I looked up at him, I knew he was waiting for that.
“Look, Hazeltine. Out of every person here that comes and goes, you’re the only one that never really opened up. Shujin Academy graduate, phantom thief fanboy, and a young man who works himself until there’s nothing left but a skeleton.” I couldn’t tell if he felt bad or if he was amused, it looked a bit like both. “You remind me of when I was younger… Hoo boy, I was quite the ladies' man in my youth. With words, I really could woo any girl… Whenever I’m here I see you try to do the same, albeit unsuccessfully…”
I took offense to that, but still a laugh escaped my lips. I could feel my cheeks becoming warm, probably because I was embarrassed. “Yeah, you’re right… But…I don’t know, I just like to try… You could say it helps me sleep at night! Well shit… You got me now, Boss… I tried but I just… I couldn’t fucking hide it… You’re too smart for me, Boss. I guess because all of the experience you have with customers I couldn’t really hide from you.”
I think he actually enjoyed it, I could watch his lips form a small smile, he tried to hide his laugh but I was close enough to him that I heard it. “Look… I'm just worried is all. Maybe it's because I'm a father so I worry about people younger than me that could be my kids, so… I'm just worried. It's not all that good when someone like you refuses to open up, so… That's all.”
He was right, it's not surprising that he was suspicious. But he was up my damn ass right now, and fuck man I don't swing that way. All I did was nod and shrug, I could feel a frown forming on my lips. “I… I get it, Boss… I understand what you mean, I really do! You have every right to be worried about me. I understand it, but… I guess it's hard man… I don't know, it's just… It hurts to think about.” I shook my head and scratched my hair, I could watch one strand of my hair fall out and glide onto the counter. Well, my dark brown hair lost one of its strands, rest in peace my hair… I blew it off the counter, watching it fade away forever… Boss said something else, but I didn't hear him, though it was probably something interesting.
He placed the cup down and sighed, and he went in the back then soon came back with a pitcher of ice water. He poured the pitcher of ice water into my cup and pushed it closer to me. How could I not accept this gift of free water? I grabbed the cup and began to drink it for a few seconds, before placing it down again. Refreshing actually, like it felt like I was dying of thirst and this water saved my life. I looked back up at Boss, and he crossed his arms, opening his mouth to continue talking.
“If you really want to get a girl to like you, what’s best is that you don’t really jump into flirts, it’s a little creepy. Get to know them a bit first, and if you get to know them a bit more then. It’ll help you know if she’s even worth your time, to begin with. You can’t just rush into things like that, Hazeltine. She may even have a boyfriend.” As he spoke, he poured more water into my cup, so with a smile I sipped more. What he was saying actually made some sense. I understood it all, all I had to do was be patient. I was so used to rushing into things head first that I guess I didn’t understand. Huh, Boss really knows his shit! That's probably it, maybe women just want to get to know me first. Oh, I guess that makes sense. Oh and if I'm flirting with a girl that has a boyfriend then obviously she's not going to flirt back, it all makes sense!
“You're right Boss, I'm going to follow your thinking. Maybe I should just come to you for everything like advice!” Both of us laughed at that, and I went back to talking after our group laugh. “SO… When a woman walks in here and she’s beautiful, I’m going to follow your instructions. I promise I will, even if I slip up just a bit.” I made Boss smile and laugh again, I guess he enjoyed my company. “The next beautiful woman that comes in here Boss, leave her for me, alright? If what you’re saying is true, then… You might have her before me!” For maybe the third time now, both of us laughed. It’s weird, I’ve never felt so comfortable with someone before. I’ve never really had this experience before, it made everything feel fuzzy inside.
“You don’t need to worry about that, my days of dating are waay in the past. All I need is myself, the cafe, and my daughter.” He stifled a grunt, but it sounded more like a choked-back laugh. “You make me feel young again, haha… If I was your age talking to you I think our conversation would never end! I’d ramble on and on about all the ladies I had been with. I mean now I can, but it wouldn’t have the same effect you know.” As he spoke, I nodded. I didn’t know what to say or do, so I just nodded along. But what he said made sense to me, and I enjoyed it. I didn’t know what it was like to be a dad, but I guess I could sorta understand. Maybe I don’t have a lot of experience with fathers, but I guess I could understand it.
We continued to chat for a bit more, now it was around 13:30. Wow, I’ve been here for like an hour! I think it was time for me to leave, so I went to get up and walk out, though I was interrupted by the bell for the door ringing. I stopped and looked to see who it was. I could feel my face warming up as the person walked inside, and sat down next to me. This person, this woman, she was… She was beautiful! She was absolutely stunning! She had light blue-looking hair, but it looked a bit green. What do you call that? Teal? Turquoise? Well, it was something like that. She had like a braid that rested on her shoulder and a white dress that seemed to make her even more beautiful. She looked so… angelic… Like an angel just came down and walked into the cafe. I couldn't believe how stunning she was, my heart was POUNDING. I looked around to find Boss, maybe he could help me out, but all he did was smirk and nod at me. Oh god, I was so nervous! I had to calm down though, deep breaths deep breaths…
The woman ordered, her voice was so soft and adorable. She ordered a plain curry and a coffee with cream and sugar. Cream and sugar was too sweet for me, but I'm starting to think she liked it sweet because she seemed sweet. Boss went into the back to make everything, leaving just me and her… I took another deep breath and worked up the courage to talk to her. “You like coffee with cream and sugar? I personally think it’s way too sweet for me! Though that’s just me.. I personally like coffee and cream so it’s not so sweet. Good choice though at least. The cream doesn’t make the coffee too bitter, it kinda mellows it out. I’m Plant Hazeltine by the way!”
The young woman turned to me, her eyes practically matched her hair, they were just a tad bit darker though. Her eyes practically glittered in the light, like diamonds. My eyes were just like hers, people used to say to me my eyes were as blue as the ocean and practically embodied it. Though, I don’t believe those people, they’re just plain ol’ dark blue. She wore a necklace, the steel part in the middle rested just barely below the base of her throat. Her cheeks seemed to have a natural blush to them, they were peach pink. She kinda had pointed ears, not like an elf but they were pointy. It was cute, she kinda just looked like the word “cute.” After a little bit of me taking in her looks, she finally spoke up. “Oh um… Yes, I find it easier with cream and sugar…! If there’s not enough cream then it might be too bitter, but too much cream then it’s… Icky? Ah, something like that! When you put cream and sugar in it you can balance it together easier and make it really good! Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself, I’m sorry! I’m Fuuka Yamagishi, it’s very nice to meet you, Plant!”
I didn’t think I’d get this far, I’m not used to this! Try not to panic, try not to panic…! Deep breath, In and out is the key. I had to calm my nerves down. I audibly exhaled, though I made sure I wasn't exhaling in her face. "Wow, uh.. Yeah..?" I was still stumbling over my words. As I stammered, she giggled with a soft smile. Gee Fuuka, you're not helping…
“Are you a foreigner then, Plant? Your Japanese is perfect for a foreigner! You even have an accent, but you have a foreign name… It is both cool and interesting to think about. Were you born here then?”
A good question she was asking, but the answer was obvious. No, I wasn’t actually born here. I was always reminded that I wasn’t, always some asshole going on and on about how Plant Hazeltine wasn’t born here but was actually born in another land. Of course, Fuuka's question didn’t trigger me, it’s not like she’d know I wasn’t born here, but it’s getting annoying when someone asks you a question and the answer should be obvious. I wanted to change the subject at this point, I’m tired of having to give the whole damn story of it all.
“No, I wasn’t born here. I was born in Los Angeles, a city in a place called California. California is apparently in America.” When I said that, Fuuka's eyes widened a bit. I could tell it was from surprise, and her lips made a smile. It was a good surprised face, I could tell because of that heartwarming smile. “America, I know. Two bombs went boom and now we’re best friends forever.” Fuuka giggled a little bit at my joke, I thought she might actually take offense to that but she actually enjoyed it. “Anyways, enough about me. Tell me about yourself Fuuka, gimme the cool stuff! What do you do to keep the lights on?” I wanted to try and seem cool and wanted to change the subject. Fuuka doesn’t need to hear the story of how I got here, it’s pointless and stupid. I don’t even know how I remember any of this stuff anyway, I was just a little kid at the time.
Fuuka had to ponder it for a bit, letting out a gasp when thinking about it. Was it a touchy subject, I couldn’t tell. Though that smile of hers didn’t fade away, and stayed on her face like the blush on her cheeks. “Well… I used to be ashamed of this, but… I’ve learned not to be! I was thinking of being a doctor because everyone in my family is a doctor but my parents. I thought I should be one too, but I’ve learned that it’s ok and that I don’t need to take on that responsibility like how my parents didn’t. It made me sad all of the time that I wasn’t going to be a doctor, but now… It’s fine. I’m a computer scientist! Well, more specifically I do software security because I’ve always loved computers!”
Computers huh? I used to be terrible with technology, but now I’m just alright. I used to struggle with using my phone, and sometimes I still do! I don’t actually have a computer, but… I feel a spark in my head when I think about this! I…. I’m going to say it…! I am! “Fuuka… It’s crazy that you like computers because I recently bought a computer for myself but I have no idea how to set it up and stuff! Do you think… You would- uhhh- mind if- if you helped me out with it?”
I was expecting a no, or maybe a flat-out rejection and she’d storm off, but this didn’t actually happen. Quite the opposite actually, she looked like some sort of excited puppy. Did she like computers that much? I could barely wrap my head around computers, but the look on her face is like a fan at a rock concert. I wish I had this excitement for something I like, maybe then I could be like her, all cute and smart and stuff. A tiny thought popped into my head that… Maybe she was excited because… She wanted to… Spend time with me? No, no way, that’d be impossible actually. That’s 100% impossible, no no no way. I kept swirling around in my own mind, but suddenly I was pulled back into reality by the angelic sound of her voice and a stifled giggle. “Oh, I’d love to help you out, Plant! I’m off from work for a bit, so I’d love to help you out! I can do it tomorrow if you want, sometime in the afternoon works for me! Let me have your number, I’d be happy to help you!”
No. Way. No way. No FUCKING way! No way no way no way. I’m dreaming, I’m actually dreaming. Boss spiked my coffee. I'm asleep at the counter right now. I put my hand on my face to cover my mouth, wanting to stop any words from escaping my mouth, good lord my face was red hot though. I was hot as the curry boss made for me earlier, I felt as if I was fresh out of the damn oven. I uncovered my mouth and barely could croak out a word, it was as if the words were stuck in my throat.
“I… Thank you- very much. I- My numbers… 003-0555-0404… Thank you so much for doing this for me…”
I looked at her, my face slowly rotating back to her face. I watched as she pulled out her phone with a blue case and began typing in my number. She called my phone, so I waited until the call finished and added her to my contacts. There we go, Fuuka Yamagishi has made it into my contacts. That’s 3 contacts now! I feel like a celebrity! I put my phone back into my pocket, and so did she. Her food and drink finally came, so we chatted for a bit more until she finished up. Long conversation, I could tell she was paying more attention to me than her food, the whole time I felt like my heart was going to explode. I was going to ask if I could pay for her food, but she paid before even a letter escaped from my lips. Since she was done, I got up first and she followed after me. We chatted for a bit more until we walked out of the cafe, and just stood outside for a bit in that small alleyway.
It was 15:30 now! That means it’s been two hours since I've met her. I couldn't believe it, but we… We were actually friends! I wish I didn't have to leave her, I really wish I didn't have to. At least we made a plan to see each other tomorrow, but the thing is… I don't actually have a computer. How was I going to pull this one out of my ass now? Well, I gotta fake it till I make it I guess. We said our see you tomorrows and we parted ways. Now it's time to take the train back to my apartment. My apartment is right down the block from the college I go to, it's my last year now! After this it's law school, it's my dream to be a defense attorney. I want to help people you know, it's just something I've always enjoyed.
Now that I'm finally home, I guess it's pretty late now. My usual routine before I sleep is to finish any work I have to do, so I quickly got that shit over with and went on to my next thing, video games. I play video games until I'm tired, which is actually earlier than you think. It's 22:00, that's when I feel tired because of the damn workload I'm forced to do and my jobs too. Well, today I didn't have work but that doesn't mean I didn't have to do a damn workload today. Well, after some playing I finally headed to bed and closed my eyes…
I wish my day ended there, but it didn't. In my dreams, I woke up in a blue room, a prison cell-looking thing, but it's actually a mental asylum room. I'm wearing a straitjacket, and in front of the bars in the middle of the blue room is a very thin and tall-looking man sitting in a chair, his legs crossed and he had a very peculiar nose, it was looooong. He was also balding, he had the bottom part but no hair on top. Next to him stood his assistant, some person in a blue uniform. They kinda looked like a waitress but in a blue outfit. They also had bright yellow eyes and fluffy-looking silver hair. I couldn't tell you what gender they were, to be honest, they literally look like both a man and a woman. They even sound like that too, definitely not my type. Anyways, the long-nosed man is Igor, and the blue thing is Kaede. This is the velvet room, apparently, it's a realm that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. I first had these velvet room dreams when I was 17, and I was told every time I woke up here that this exists between dream and mind whatever the fuck. It's hard to explain what the hell this is all about, but… Yeah, I'll explain it later. Anyways, long nose has something to say.
“Well, if it isn't my latest guest. It seems despite many hardships… You haven't exactly found out your reason, have you? seven years now but it seems you truly haven't found it. But, it seems fate has given you a second chance. Not only did you run into Fuuka Yamagishi, but… The evil from seven years ago has come back, and the evil simply wants nothing more than to eliminate you.”
I didn't have time to process the terrifying words that Igor said to me, because Kaede immediately chimed in afterwards.
“Hazeltine… By the evil, my master means… Kage Akuma. Kage Akuma has come back, Hazeltine.”
I need to get everything together now… Not only does the long nose know Fuuka somehow, but… Kages returned…?! I thought I'd never see him again, it's been like 6 years! I'm in this whole mess because of him, and now he's returned?! He's come back and he wants to kill me?! Somehow the long nose knows Fuuka as well!
Igor looked dead into me as if staring right into my soul. “You, the wild card, are set on a path. You will find others like yourself, with bonds and with powers like you. Wild Card of the Magician and not the Fool, you must seek these people out. You must make bonds, or else the destruction of the evil will be impossible. You are special, you are not of the fool arcana…” He raised up two fingers, and in front of him floating near one elfish ear and the other were two cards. Near his left was a card that had… Some sort of court jester, like the ones I’ve seen in books, and a wolf clawing at his legs. Was the jester laughing? Was he afraid? I couldn’t tell, but the card was quickly engulfed by a blue flame, before disappearing completely. Next up to his other ear was… Some sort of criminal with a large hat standing in front of a cluttered table, with a knife in a pool of what was probably blood. “This is you, Hazeltine. The Magician, show me your uniqueness, show me why you are different. Save humanity, Hazeltine.”
A chill ran down my spine, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t even move. What did he mean by creating bonds!? Why!? I wanted to ask so many questions, but before I knew it I shot awake.
My room. The sun was beaming down from my window. I scramble to check my phone.
10:00.