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Yusuke pushed open the door to the cafe, exhaling a deep sigh as he took in the calming atmosphere. "Um, Akira has work tonight.", Sojiro said, immediately assuming that he wanted to spend time with the boy. The facial expression the teen wore could be best described as...winded and exhausted, and clearly not looking to spend time with people who he hadn't planned on.
"...I'm not here to see him.", the dark-haired teen admitted, taking a seat at the counter. Realizing the purpose of the conversation, Sojiro continued to work while he quietly listened. The artist shut his eyes, holding his face with his hands. God, he was just so tired.
"Madarame is...gone.", Kitagawa slowly admitted after a moment of silence, slowly accepting the statement as fact, no matter how much he didn't want to. Sojiro just about dropped the glass he was cleaning in surprise. "I was pulled from class to the Family Court, where all, all, of his pupils were. The alive ones, anyhow.", Kitagawa scoffed at the last statement, shifting his head to one hand, using the other to absentmindedly tap at the wooden surface.
"I was sat down at the courtroom, and the judge read Sensei's will aloud to us.", he recalled in a far off manner. Yusuke had thought that he hadn't mentally left that courtroom yet. "I was left with a share of the inheritance that was distributed to everyone present, as well as all of his art supplies, and...the estate in Shibuya.", he listed, only showing an amount of emotion for the final item. That emotion was disgust.
"Oh. What are you going to do with it?", the man asked, knowing that 'shack' was a difficult place for Kitagawa, as made obvious that the other pupils didn't object or make a claim for it. "Easy. Sell it.", the teen stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh?" The boy nodded in confirmation. "I have no good memories in that place. I have no need for it, either. Its upkeep is expensive, time-consuming and has no prideful name attached there anymore.", Yusuke reasoned, noticeably removing emotion in his voice as he spoke. "Thankfully, his attorney is willing to help me. Apparently, he's gotten a few offers from foreigners already. They, fortunately, only see it as cheap real estate and nothing more."
"Could I get you anything?", Sojiro offered after a moment of thought; he knew how difficult the grieving process could be, and wanted to help out as much as possible. Yusuke huffed a short laugh. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I doubt you would happen to have any pleasant, familial memories that I could actually attempt to grieve over.", the teen remarked coldly. The man slowly sighed, recognizing this stage of grief all too well. "Hey, hey. Let it out.", Sakura coaxed gently, offering a hand out to Yusuke.
Yusuke hesitated for a moment, before moving the hand cradling his head to take Sojiro's. "I...I hate him. I hate him so much. He manipulated me from day one, chewed my spirit up and spit it out without as much as a second thought, he stood by and let my mother die, and yet after death, I still cannot find myself to carry on from his reign.", he ranted, holding on tightly to the calloused yet gentle hand as he did so. "Haha. He may likely never let me.", Yusuke remarked with a hopeless tone in his voice. The tears he had tried so hard to hold back, with all the grit and sarcasm and basically allowing his emotions to shut down, finally spilled out. "I'm pathetic. I hate this man and yet... I miss him. Why do I miss him?"
"Well, he was your caretaker. He was the one responsible for keeping you alive and healthy for all these years. And I imagine that took at least some care on his part.", Sojiro explained, reminding Yusuke of the time Yusuke was sick and Madarame called one of his peers for assistance in a panic. The memory made his emotions stir, and the first thing he attempted to do was suppress them. "Don't do that, Yusuke. It's not healthy.", Sakura advised, rubbing his thumb against the boy's hand. The teen nodded before breaking again.
But for every tear spilled, every time Yusuke had trouble getting a full breath in because he was catching it so much, it at least felt like he was breathing, in comparison to the robotic state of mind he's carried all afternoon. He may have gotten swept up in the emotion, in the memories, if it weren't for the hand he was holding onto so tightly to keep himself grounded. And Yusuke let his mental dam break, finally letting himself cry in the space he could call safe. Even if he couldn't tell you what he was crying over; whether it be the grief of losing a man he had looked up to for so long or the relief of being able to truly put his abuser's actions behind him.
And Sojiro was there with him in silent comfort, brushing his thumb against the artist's hand as he let Yusuke hold on as tightly as he wanted. The man knew Yusuke had a thing about touch, and so he never made physical contact that the teen didn't ask for.
They stayed there, in that place, as the clock bell rang several times, marking the passing of every hour. Once Yusuke had run out of tears to shed, he looked towards the clock. "As much as I would like to stay, I have a curfew that I cannot miss.", he thought aloud, finally changing position and realizing just how much he had wet his shirt. Sojiro was quick to give him a to-go cup of coffee, placing it in Yusuke's hands before the boy pushed open the door. "Thank you, sir. For...everything.", he muttered, gaze fixated on the beverage.
"Don't mention it. I take care of my kids.", Sojiro remarked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, before turning and getting Yusuke's tearful, shocked, and uplifted reaction. The man cupped his hand against the boy's cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the tears with a gentle smile. Kitagawa echoed the expression, slowly shutting his eyes in acceptance of the contact. His breathing slowed, and he likely would have fallen asleep if it not for the fact that he needed to get back to his dorm room soon. So, despite his own wants, he pulled away from the contact and walked out into the open, just as a cold rain started to fall over the area. He had taken a few steps into the storm when
"Hey.", Sojiro called out from the doorframe, making the teen quickly turn around. "See you soon?", he asked, leaned against the entrance with a calm, knowing look in his eye. Yusuke smiled towards him with a wave.
"Of course, Father."