Work Text:
A loud, irritating alarm echoed out through the small apartment. The chestnut haired man groaned sleepily as he stirred and began feeling around for his phone. Finding it, he pressed the button to make the sound stop.
After placing his phone back down, he began searching for his glasses on the bedside table. He let out a loud yawn as he sat up and slid his glasses onto his face.
"What time is it...?" He mumbled to himself, picking his phone back up to check.
6:15AM.
He tiredly groaned again as he ran his fingers through his hair and reluctantly pushed himself off his soft, warm, comfortable bed.
He glanced over at the photo frame on the bedside table. The photo that he adored. The photo of him kneeling down next to his son, his hands on his tiny shoulders. Both of them beaming widely. His son with his messy raven hair and his one missing front tooth. The fluffy haired man couldn't stop the loving smile that made its way onto his face.
He wandered over to the bathroom and began his daily routine. As he began brushing his teeth, he scrolled through his schedule for the day. He was actually pretty excited for today, since he was hired to help out students from Shujin.
The counselor remembered just how disgusted he felt when he read about the Kamoshida incident, so he couldn't wait to help out all of those students who had the misfortune of having to be in the same building as that monster. Now that he thought about it, his son would be the same age as these students now, right?
'I wonder what he's doing now...' He thought to himself. He hadn't seen his son ever since he split up from his wife and she got custody of their precious boy. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't still a little bitter towards his ex wife for not letting him see his son...
He quickly shook those thoughts from his mind, wanting to start the day with a positive attitude. Placing his toothbrush back into its cup, he shuffled back into his bedroom to collect his outfit for work. Not wanting to risk it getting wet as his showered, he quickly chucked his phone onto the bed.
After showering and getting dressed for the day, he wandered into his living room lazily.
"Now then... What to have for breakfast...?" He muttered thoughtfully to himself as he rubbed his hair dry with a towel.
In the end, he decided to just go quick and simple and have some toast and apple juice. Placing two slices of bread into the toaster, the man began furiously rubbing his hair in the hopes that it would dry before his toast popped. Lightly humming a little tune to himself, he began thinking about his job again.
He had a small group of students to check up on each day, and he would catch up with them every couple of weeks throughout the year. If he remembered correctly, the first group - today's group - included: a handful of students from the volleyball team, a student that was blackmailed into ruining another student's reputation, a female student that Kamoshida consistently harassed, a student that had their leg broken by Kamoshida, and a transfer student that Kamoshida tried to get kicked out of the school simply because he took a dislike to them. The counselor couldn't help but let out a small, stressed sigh.
"Well. I've just got to do everything I can to help them recover." He proclaimed enthusiastically with a determined smirk on his face. That didn't last long as the sudden sound of his toast popping up made him nearly jump out of his skin. He quickly pulled the towel off of his head and felt his hair. Still slightly damp.
"Eh, good enough." He sighed as he threw the towel into the washing basket and pulling his toast out of the toaster, quickly buttering the slices before they went cold.
Munching happily on his breakfast, he began rummaging through his fridge and cupboards; collecting anything he could eat for lunch or just for quick snacks throughout the day.
"Maybe I should take some snacks for the students?" He pondered out loud through a mouthful of toast. After all... Some of them may, understandably, get emotional. Maybe they'd like some comfort food as they opened up? Although, he didn't really have all that much in his cupboards…
"I'll quickly buy some stuff at the shop before getting on the train..." He mumbled, pulling out a notepad and writing a small list of snacks to buy.
"Maybe donuts? They're a good snack food, right? But, there's probably some students who'd prefer savoury food... Popcorn could be a good choice... Oh, but there could some vegetarians... Fruit's always a great snack! Although, maybe just the smaller ones... Blueberries? Maybe strawberries? Hmmm... I'll just get both... Ooh, I need to bring drinks too. I'm sure juice and tea will do. Ooh! I should probably buy some tissues as well, just in case they get emotional." The brown haired man muttered to himself thoughtfully.
After making sure that he had written down everything that he needed, he ripped the page out of the notepad and tucked it carefully into his pocket. After arranging his bag, he noticed two things missing. He began patting his pockets anxiously.
"Where's my phone?" He asked, knowing that he wasn't going to get an answer. He slipped his bag onto his shoulder as he began searching throughout his apartment.
"Oh. Yeah, of course. That's where I put it." He huffed, smacking his forehead after finding his phone on his bed. He also found the other item he was looking for on his bedside table. His lanyard. He carefully picked it up and glanced down at it with a smile. He proudly placed it around his neck. He loved this lanyard. It reminded him how many people he had helped. They'd always quickly read the card at the end of their sessions, just so they could thank him with his name.
Takuto Maruki.
After checking the time once more and making sure that he definitely had his keys, Takuto jogged out of his apartment, eager to start his work for the day.
Takuto groaned softly as he had a big stretch. He was glad that he was already having an effect on the kids. He chuckled contentedly when he thought about their smiles when he offered them snacks. Although, it did make him quite sad when one of them informed him that he was the only adult that had ever really listened to them.
The students from the volleyball club had been seriously traumatised by Kamoshida. They told him all about the brutal training exercises and how they would be punished for messing up and how everyone just seemed to turn a blind eye to it. Although, every single member seemed to be extremely grateful to the Phantom Thieves for changing Kamoshida's heart.
The student that Kamoshida blackmailed, Yuuki Mishima, seemed to be quite skittish during his session. It seemed as if he was one of Kamoshida's main targets. The monster had used the young boy's talent with computers to leak the transfer student's criminal record, and now Mishima was riddled with guilt. Takuto encouraged him to befriend the transfer student and talk about what happened.
The victim of sexual harassment, Ann Takamaki, was the one who opened up the most. It seemed that she had been holding everything in for quite a long time now. It wasn't just her feelings that came spilling out, her tears did as well. The counselor was glad that he remembered to buy tissues. Takamaki really enjoyed the donuts, too.
She opened up about everything Kamoshida did to her: making inappropriate comments, forcing her to give him her phone number, attempting to blackmail her into sleeping with him, driving her best friend to attempt suicide... Just hearing about it made Takuto feel sick. He wanted to hug the poor girl to console her, but he worried that would make her feel uncomfortable after everything she had been through. So, he just gently patted her hand and encouraged her as she cried.
The ex-track team member, Ryuji Sakamoto, was the least willing to open up. He didn't really seem to trust Takuto just yet. It appeared that he didn't trust many adults in general. Although, after hearing the basic story about Kamoshida, Takuto didn't blame him. He knew that he may have to bring up the father situation in a later session, but he'd have to slowly work up to that point. He didn't want to offend the boy after all.
However, the brown haired man just couldn't believe what he was hearing as Ryuji explained his experiences with Kamoshida. The fact that that man, if you could even call him that at this point, got away with breaking a student's leg and stealing his future just by claiming it was self defense was rage inducing! Takuto had to constantly remind himself to stop grinding his teeth while he was listening to the story.
"Phantom Thieves, huh? ...Are they really all that bad?" He muttered to himself as he thought back to the sessions.
He honestly couldn't even believe that Kamoshida was a real person. How could someone do all of these disgusting things? Why did all of the adults think that the Phantom Thieves were dangerous? They clearly did more to help the students than any of the staff did...
Lifting his glasses and rubbing his eyes tiredly, Takuto began thinking about something else he was told. Mishima, Takamaki, and Sakamoto all informed him that he looked similar to a friend of theirs. Hearing that once or twice could just be coincidental, but hearing it three times made him curious about what their friend looked like.
"Maruki-sensei? The final student for today is here, are you ready to start the session now or do you need a few more minutes?" Kawakami asked, poking her head around the door.
"Oh! Yeah, it's fine! Send him in. Thank you, Kawakami-sensei." He replied with a smile, stretching one final time before reaching for his folder.
"Alright, then." Kawakami responded with a nod of her head before exiting the room.
"Now, let's see... This student is... Ama...miya?" He mumbled as he read through the folder, trailing off as he read the name. There's no way... right? He was quickly pulled out of those thoughts by a meek knock on the door.
"Come in!" The counselor called out. Soon after, a tall boy with black, fluffy hair and large glasses over his ebony eyes entered the room, politely closing the door behind him.
"...Ren?" Takuto checked, in complete disbelief.
"...Yes...?" The boy cautiously confirmed, baffled by the fact that the counselor referred to him by his first name.
"U-Um... D-... Do you recognise me?" The brown haired man enquired hopefully.
It was actually him, right? The resemblance was uncanny...
Ren squinted slightly and tilted his head. Now, that he mentioned it, the man did look really familiar to him... The teenager's eyes snapped wide open when the realisation hit him.
"...D-Dad?" He gasped out, barely believing when he was seeing. Takuto smiled estactically as he rushed forward, wrapping his arms around the boy. Ren instantly mirrored his actions, wrapping his arms around his father.
"Oh my god, look at you! I haven't seen you since you were eight! You only just reached my waist then, now you're almost as tall as me!" Takuto exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly. He took a step back to get a good look at his baby boy.
"I thought you didn't wanna see me anymore...!" Ren choked out anxiously. His brain was going crazy, unable to comprehend what the hell was going on.
"Don't be so silly! I've wanted to see you ever since you left! Your mother just wouldn't let me..." Takuto whimpered, hurt by his son's words.
"Why...? I swear, I never understand what mum's thinking..." Ren huffed out in irritation. The father just gently hugged his son and ruffled his hair.
"I see you've still got your crazy hair." He snickered.
"Like you're one to talk." Ren sighed, smirking as he pushed his dad's hand away from his head.
"True enough..." Takuto chuckled softly. He waited until his son had sat down on the nearby couch before speaking again.
"How is your mother, by the way?"
"She's fine. She's working at a real estate company now... She got a new boyfriend when I was ten." Ren responded, seeming a little uninterested in the topic.
"Oh yeah? What's he like?" Takuto asked, pushing for more details.
"He's alright, I guess. I really didn't like him during the first few months... Like, when mum first introduced him to me, I bit his hand."
Takuto had to stifle a laugh at that reply. "W-What did you do that for?"
"I dunno. Felt like it?"
The counselor shook his head with an amused smile on his smile. After staying silent for a few seconds, Takuto spoke up again.
"You know, I did try to keep in touch... I wanted to send you birthday cards but I didn't know where you lived, so I couldn't. Then, when you became a teenager, I started searching for you on FriendSpace, hoping that I could get back in touch with you..." He explained quietly, fidgeting with his hands.
"Oh, I'm not on there. That site's for old people." Ren bluntly replied. Takuto burst out laughing at that response.
"Gee, thanks!" He gasped out between giggles.
"Oh, wait, wait! I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry!" Ren frantically shrieked, his face turning a bright shade of red.
"No, no! It's fine! R-Really, it's fine!" The father chuckled, lifting his glasses and wiping away a single tear.
After finally calming down from his laughing fit, he let out a long sigh. Takuto picked up his folder in preparation for their therapy session. That's when it suddenly hit him.
"Wait... Ren, you're the transfer student, right? S-So... You have a criminal record?" He asked cautiously.
The black haired boy flinched at that question.
"I-I didn't..." He uttered under his breath, tensing up his entire body.
"Hey, hey, hey! It's okay! I'm not angry! Remember what I'm here for? I'm here to help all the students, so just calm down... And let's talk about it, okay?" Takuto quickly reassured him, rubbing the boy's back soothingly.
Ren frowned worriedly before whispering his reply,
"Okay."
After learning about Ren's experiences over the past few months, Takuto was damn close to tears. Working as a therapist for so long had helped him hold his emotions back; he didn't want to worry his patients after all. But... When that patient is your own son, holding back your emotions becomes a lot harder.
He desperately wanted to track down the asshole that framed his boy, but he knew that wasn't a very professional thought to have. Although, he was happy to see that Ren seemed a lot more at ease after letting everything out. The main problem that Takuto could see was that Ren clearly thought that he had to fight through his problems all by himself.
"Ren, you've got friends now. You don't have to carry the whole weight on your own shoulders." He assured him, patting his shoulder encouragingly.
"But... What if they don't care about me as much as I care about them?" The teenager questioned anxiously, staring at the floor.
"Don't be so silly! Now, you didn't hear this from me... But, three certain students named Mishima, Takamaki and Sakamoto spent some time of their sessions gushing about how their friend, the transfer student, tried his best to help them despite only knowing them for a few days... A certain someone, not naming any names, also happened to call this transfer student their best friend... But, again, you didn't hear this from me." Takuto whispered into Ren's ear, patting his back soothingly the entire time. The raven haired boy stared up at his father with wide eyes.
"They really said that?" He asked in disbelief.
"Why would I lie about something like that?" Takuto retorted.
Ren stared down at the teacup in his hands, chuckling bashfully as he wondered which one called him their 'best friend'. As he tried to figure it out, the alarm from Takuto's phone suddenly rang out, making the pair jump.
"Well, this session's over... You'll have to come see me, it's either every two weeks or every three weeks. I'm not sure yet, I haven't been given the full schedule, but your homeroom teacher will let you know once everything's been decided." Takuto informed his son as he began collecting his materials and placing them back where they needed to be.
"Hey, Dad?" Ren shyly called out to him.
"Hm?" Takuto hummed in response. Turning around, he noticed Ren holding out his phone towards him. It took him a little while to realise what the teen was trying to say. Takuto quickly pulled out his phone and exchanged contact info with his son.
"This way, we can keep in touch, right?" Ren said sweetly, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
"Yeah... Um, I know this is a really random question... But, uh, could we take a quick picture?" Takuto bashfully asked, holding his phone.
"Sure." Ren simply agreed. The father and son swiftly positioned themselves and took the photo.
"Thanks... Now, you should probably go back to your lesson, right?" The brown haired man suggested, swiping some hair out of his face.
"Yeah... Probably..." Ren huffed unenthusiastically as he turned around towards the door.
"Hey, Ren?" Takuto stopped him.
"Yeah?" Ren asked, turning back around to face his father. Takuto stepped forward and hugged his son tightly.
"I love you, kiddo."
Ren wrapped one arm around his father.
"I love you too, dad."
Takuto smiled gently at the teenager before ruffling his hair.
"Now, go on. Go have fun in whatever lesson you have." He instructed the boy lightly.
"That's a funny joke." Ren scoffed as he stepped through the door and into the hallway.
Takuto sweetly waved at the boy as he shut the door before turning his attention to the new photo on his phone. His hand on Ren's shoulder. The both of them beaming widely. He instantly made it his new phone wallpaper.
After making sure that there was no one around to see, Takuto let out a loud sniff as he lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes, trying his best to ignore his shuddering shoulders.