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It was over.
It was finally over.
The thieves' battle against Maruki and Adam Kadmon had finally finished.
Everyone gasped for air, exhausted by their desperate struggle to beat the palace owner.
Ren's heart ached as he stared at his father, bruised and beaten as he crouched on the rubble. A glow caught Ren's attention as Takuto's treasure floated down from their battle's platform.
A torch.
A symbol of hope…
Ren winced as he grabbed onto it, whether it was from the pain from his injuries or the ache in his heart, he wasn't really sure.
"Why… I gave up everything else… I dedicated all that I have to this… But still… Why..." Takuto quietly lamented his defeat.
Ren tightened his grip on the torch.
"You're running from the past." He stated, hiding his pain behind a stern voice.
Takuto's eyes widened in shock at his son's blunt words.
"I'm… running from…? ...Heheh." A dejected chuckle left Takuto's mouth. "You nailed it. It's true that I turned my back on the original reality…"
A pained scowl enveloped the man's face.
"But where's the harm in that?! When it grows too much, too painful… Every person deserves to escape that!"
Sumire averted her gaze from her former counselor as those words hit a little too close to home. Takuto continued.
"In all honesty, it's best for a person's growth when they tackle their own hardships… But reality doesn't always make it so feasible! No matter how much you try, or work for so long, the smallest injustice can wipe it all out, leave you with nothing… Don't you, of all people, understand that?!" Takuto demanded desperately, his voice cracking as his emotions grew more immense.
Ren closed his eyes. Of course, he did… He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted at all by the perfect reality his father created… His memories came flooding back.
Being a small child in the courthouse.
The judge making the decision Ren had been dreading.
Being dragged away from the person who really cared for him.
… Dealing with his mother all those years.
Shido's words from that fateful night.
Everyone labelling him after being arrested…
Ren had lost everything multiple times… Even so…
Even so, he got back up.
This time was no different, no matter how much it hurt.
He took a deep breath to steady himself before opening his eyes and looking at his father.
"Even then, you keep going."
Takuto gasped at his son's response. When… did he become so strong?
"You know, there probably are plenty of people who'd ultimately benefit from your 'reality'. But what about the people who want to take on the world themselves? How's it right to rob them of those opportunities?" Morgana asked.
Sumire stepped forward.
"I don't think what you're saying is wrong either, Maruki-sensei… Some people want to run from their pain and cling to some other version of reality… Like I used to. But the knowledge I gained through that pain, and my desire to move on… Those are even more precious to me! And I won't let anyone take them from me again!" She declared with a burning determination.
"Yoshizawa-san…"
"It's not just her, dad… Everyone here fought through their pain to become the people they are today. I went through hell each and every day… Each night, I tended to another doubt and prayed that I wouldn't get another tomorrow… But, no one listened to those prayers… I was put down over and over and over… I started to wonder why I was even here to begin with. I was all alone because of one person's decision." Ren spoke up, needing to get this painful ache off his chest.
A confused frown appeared on Takuto's face.
"Put down…?" His eyes widened as he realised what Ren was suggesting. "Sh-She didn't…"
"But I fought through it. Because I was determined to make it to a better time of my life. Yes, I hit even more bumps in the road… Yes, my life was ruined by Shido… But, even so! I kept fighting! Whether it be from a desire to move on… or my desire to bring their crimes to light… Hell, sometimes I kept going through sheer spite… I found a reason to keep going! I never gave up! And I'm here now! I got to see you again because I kept fighting! Please, dad… Open your eyes to reality…" Ren quickly cut his father off, finishing his powerful speech, hoping that his feelings managed to reach his father.
Takuto stared at him with a stunned expression. How… How was this the same scared little boy he had to let go of all those years ago…?
A sad chuckle escaped his lips.
"So you truly don't want it… huh… Looks like I'm totally finished." He muttered with a sorrowful smile.
As Ren was about to speak up again, the ground trembled powerfully.
The thieves had to crouch down to keep themselves steady. The treasure had been stolen. The palace was beginning to crumble. A large piece of debris tumbled down, smashing into the ground close to the group. The floor cracked under the impact, sending dust flying everywhere.
"Whoa!" Gasped Ryuji as rubble crashed into the water, pulling Ann away from the wave caused by the impact.
"The palace is collapsing!" Haru whimpered, glancing around at everything around them fell to pieces.
"Maruki-sensei! Please hurry, it's not safe over there!" Sumire pleaded as the ground connecting the thieves and Takuto decayed.
Takuto flashed a sad smile at the teenagers as he took off his mask and flung it to the side. The debris continued raining down, causing a cloud of dust that overwhelmed the chestnut haired man. The thieves heard him grunt in surprise as he disappeared from their sight.
"Dad!" Ren cried as he went to rush over but was prevented from it by Goro firmly grabbing onto his arm.
"No! It's too late for him!" He informed Ren regretfully, pulling him away from the crumbling path.
Ren's eyes widened as he clutched carefully onto the torch in his hand.
"We're trapped as well!" Yusuke called out, drawing everyone's attention to their escape route, which has been completely ripped to shreds. They were stranded. "Is there any way…?!"
Morgana scowled determinedly. "Everyone, get over here!"
The rest of the thieves complied, not entirely sure what Morgana could do but trusting him. The black cat quickly transformed into his car form as the rubble tumbled down from the surrounding towers.
"Mona-chan! What are you-" Haru gasped as she gazed out at the destruction of each and every possible escape route.
The thieves glanced around as the cracks on the ground came closer and closer to their position.
"This is no time to act tough!" Makoto chastised the cat in a panic.
"Whoever… said it was an act? Heh…" Morgana shot back cockily.
The cracks reached the concrete underneath the bus, the ground barely staying in one piece.
"Mona-senpai! Can you fly?!" Sumire asked in a desperate attempt to find any way out of their predicament.
"But I'm a car! There's no way I can- No. It's now or never - I HAVE to fly!" Morgana exclaimed in determination.
He growled as the palace continued collapsing around them, each piece of crumbling rubble growing closer and closer to the group until finally the ground underneath them disappeared into the sea.
The sound of whirring blades filled the silence of the air. The wind whipped around them as they soared through the skies.
Mona… had transformed into a helicopter!
"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" The entire group gasped in disbelief. They had seen all manner of crazy things during their escapades in the metaverse, but this?! This was pushing it!
"A helicopter?" Yusuke muttered as he leaned out of the open door to inspect the spinning blades above them.
"If you could do this, then say so, dammit!" Futaba grumbled as she was squished between Makoto and Haru.
"Well, I didn't know!" Morgana shot back in exasperation. "Now I'm downright priceless to the Phantom Thieves, heheh…"
"Sorry to interrupt your moment of triumph, but… Couldn't you have made yourself just a little larger?" Grunted Goro, uncomfortably scrunched up on the floor of the vehicle.
The rest of the Thieves agreed, since they were all crammed in like sardines. The former detective's comment caused Ryuji to scan his eyes across the helicopter's passengers. Someone was missing.
"Hey, where'd Joker go?!" He asked anxiously.
"Don't worry!" Morgana reassured them, directing their attention to below the vehicle.
Ren was hanging underneath, gripping onto his grappling hook as tightly as he could as they soared through the skies to safety.
The rest of the Thieves couldn't help but let out relieved sighs at the sight of their leader. They had no idea what they'd do if they lost him.
As the Monacopter continued flying through the air, something suddenly yanked it down.
"What the-?!" Gasped Morgana as he fought against the pull.
The group looked down to discover one of Azathoth's tendrils clinging onto the helicopter, pulling it back down towards the ground. Takuto stood on a glass platform, propping himself up with his staff as he smirked up at the teens.
The Thieves held on for dear life as the helicopter tilted to the side.
"W-We're losing altitude!" Yelped Morgana as he continued his struggle against the persona's grasp.
Ren looked up at the helicopter containing all of his friends.
He looked down at his father.
Takuto would never hurt them… Ren knew this.
There was no way he'd harm them in any way. He was just trying to get their attention.
The leader let out a determined huff as he made up his mind, releasing his grip on the grappling hook. He ignored the erratic pounding of his heart as he dove towards the ground, ready to confront his father one last time.
"Joker!"
The phantom thief managed to land safety and gracefully on the platform, mere feet away from the chestnut haired man.
"Sorry to cut your flight short like that." Takuto awkwardly apologised as he struggled to keep himself standing upright.
"It's fine… It was low budget anyway, no food or movies or anything." Ren gently joked back.
Takuto shook his head as a soft chuckle escaped his throat. He glanced around at his crumbling utopia with a sorrowful expression.
"This place is done for. Along with the entire reality I dreamed of…" He lamented as he looked up at the glass stairway. The stairway he created to reach heaven.
He released his grip on his staff, letting it fall to the ground with a clatter.
"I… have lost. Even if I were to try that fight over, I'm sure I'd only lose again." He admitted defeat.
Although… Despite his dream being crushed… He was proud of Ren.
He fought for what he believed was right. He never gave up. He was so unbelievably strong… He had become a wonderful young man.
"So I know… this is going to sound pretty stupid. I've been holding this all in for so long, just hiding it from myself… So, please… Help me kill every last one of my regrets. You're the only one I can ask to help me with this, Ren…" Takuto requested, feeling rather pathetic as he asked his son to help him with his problems.
Ren flashed him an understanding smile.
Takuto could have sworn that he saw a hint of relief in his onyx eyes.
"You don't even need to ask, dad…"
Takuto laughed quietly to himself as Ren readied himself.
He honestly wasn't sure how he was going to vent his regrets, but it seemed that Ren was more than happy to beat them out of him.
As he smiled at his son, his metaverse outfit dissipated, leaving him in his white suit.
Ren gasped in surprise as his mask faded from his face, disintegrating into sparkles and blowing away in the wind. Ren watched in wonder as they blended into the stars.
It felt as if Arsene was entrusting this task to him.
"The disappearance of my palace - of the entire metaverse - is drawing near. Seems like neither of us can summon our personas anymore." Takuto commented as he watched rubble tumble down from all around them.
He took a deep breath to prepare himself. "Let's begin."
Ren clenched his fists, ready for anything.
Takuto hesitated.
He knew that he asked for help, but the idea of hitting his son… It felt horrible.
Ren took the initiative, ready to vent his own frustrations.
"You could've talked to me!" He yelled, swinging his fist directly into his father's cheek.
Takuto stumbled backwards from the sudden strike. He held onto his aching chin as he looked up at Ren.
This was when he realised that Ren needed this too.
He took another deep breath.
"I gave up everything! Everything!!! So, why?!" He screamed at the top of his lung, expelling all of the crap filling his mind with doubt.
He punched Ren on the shoulder, not wanting to injure him too much.
The raven haired boy clutched his shoulder, hiding a relieved grin as he clenched his fist again.
"I would have helped you! So, why?! Why do you insist on struggling all by yourself?!" He demanded, ramming his fist into Takuto's chest.
The bespectacled man coughed as he stepped back, just about keeping his balance. He gritted his teeth as every painful memory flashed through his mind.
"Why… Why, Rumi?!" He growled, cursing the unfairness of her situation.
His fist collided with Ren's torso.
Ren sucked air in through his teeth as he backed away.
"Why did I have to go to mum?! Things wouldn't have ended up like this if they let me stay with you!" Ren lamented, remembering the face of the judge who handed custody over to his mother.
His fist slammed into Takuto's other cheek.
Takuto grimaced as he instantly struck back.
"A reality where… No one suffers…" His dream. He had to let it go. It hurt. But it was the only way to move on.
Ren wiped the sweat off his chin as he gasped for breath.
"All I wanted… All I wanted was to see you again! Why did it have to happen like this?!" Ren screeched, pouring all of his regrets and frustrations into this final punch launched straight into Takuto's nose.
Both of them stumbled backwards, exhausted by their long struggles to prove their ideals as right.
They huffed, each puff of breath creating small clouds in the cold air.
Everything…
All his hard work and effort…
His hopes and dreams…
His happy life with the woman he loved…
His chance to watch over his son while he grew…
All of it…
It was gone.
Takuto had lost everything.
He choked back sobs before letting out one last huge anguished scream, releasing every last regret he had left.
He gasped for breath as he collapsed onto the glass floor, exhaustion finally getting the better of him.
He stared up at the starry sky, watching the late winter snow flutter down. A welcome contrast to the mayhem all around them.
He reached up to catch a snowflake falling down right towards him, melting immediately on impact with his hand.
He let out a final cathartic sigh as his arm flopped back down onto the ground.
Ren stood close by, leaning his hand against his knee to keep himself standing upright. He watched his father quietly, hoping that he was able to save him from all of his overwhelming doubts.
"I'm done. I get it now. All thanks to you."
Ren looked at his father's sorrowful expression as he finally spoke up with a quiet mutter. He couldn't help but smile, despite the tears in his eyes.
A sudden rumbling made him gasp as he looked around.
The upper levels of the palace were finally losing their support and crumbling to pieces.
Ren's eyes widened in terror as the glass beneath his father began to crack.
But Takuto didn't move. Instead he closed his eyes with a contented expression, as if he were accepting his fate.
Ren rushed over as the glass shattered, showering down on the platforms below, Takuto tumbling down with the shards.
Ren reached out his hand.
And grasped onto his father's hand.
"Huh?" Takuto blinked his eyes open in surprise as he dangled uselessly from over the side of the broken platform.
He looked up to find his son, desperately clinging on to him. His other hand holding onto the glass, his grip so tight that the glass cut him, blood dripping down the sparkling surface.
He looked back down, too ashamed of himself to make eye contact.
"Come on… I said I'm done…" He groaned in a defeated tone, his voice cracking as he spoke. "Please… Let go of my hand…"
Angry and fearful tears filled Ren's eyes.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe what he was hearing.
He gritted his teeth as pain seared through his bleeding hand.
"We're going back together." He stated, not giving his father a choice. He grunted painfully as he tried to pull Takuto up to safety while staying steady on the remainder of the platform.
Takuto's eyes softened as he looked back up at his son. A sad smile enveloped his face.
"Your eyes are as bright and honest as ever… You keep your head up, no matter what… I must have always been… afraid… Afraid you and I wouldn't wish for the same reality…" Takuto sobbed, looking back down at the abyss below him.
Ren winced as he tugged again, his father's hand slowly slipping out of his grasp.
"I… I went through all that trouble… I'm not letting… Letting you give up now…!" He gasped out as every muscle in his body screamed for mercy.
Takuto looked up at him with a guilty grimace.
"Ren… Please…"
"N-No…! I won't… let go…! No… matter what…!"
A loud snap caught Ren's attention. He glanced behind him to discover the rest of the platform cracking.
Panic coursed through his veins.
His body moved on instinct.
He grabbed Takuto's wrist with his other hand, staining the white sleeve a sickening red.
With every last ounce of his strength, he pulled and threw Takuto across the platform towards the stairs as the ground beneath him shattered.
Takuto's eyes widened in horror as Ren fell, disappearing from his sight.
"REEEEEEEEEEEN!!!"
"Holy shit…" Gasped Ryuji as the Thieves' feet landed on the solid ground. The sound of passing traffic reached their ears.
"We're… back in Odaiba… right?" Ann panted, too tired to lift her head.
"Yeah… Yeah, we are…" Makoto informed her, rubbing her aching shoulder as she glanced around.
Wait…
"To think there would be that much destruction…" Muttered Yusuke.
"But, everything should be fine now, right?" Haru asked.
"Should be. We stole Maruki's treasure after all." Morgana bluntly replied.
Sumire looked around with a sad expression.
"Akechi-senpai's… really not here…" She mumbled in a dejected tone.
Hang on… Someone else was missing…
"Where's Ren?!" Futaba yelped as the realisation hit her.
The rest of the thieves looked around for their leader. They found nothing.
"Shit…! You don't think he got stuck in there, do you?!" Ryuji gasped as he grew more frantic about the absence of his best friend.
"Don't you dare even suggest that!" Ann shouted, smacking the blond's arm.
"Why does he always have to take such huge risks?!" Yusuke hissed as he recalled the sight of Ren diving down back into the palace.
"He must have had a plan, he always does…" Makoto muttered, trying her best to stay calm. Haru gently patted Futaba's back as the orange haired girl began to panic.
"He probably felt as if he had to go back… You know… Because of his relation to Maruki-sensei…" Sumire pointes out, hoping that Ren did have a plan and didn't simply act on his emotions.
"Ren! Ren! Where are you?!"
The thieves were pulled out of their thoughts by a familiar voice desperately crying out. They turned around to find Takuto, running around with a frantic look in his eyes.
"E-Excuse me, Ma'am! Have you seen my son at all? H-He's about 5'9", got fluffy black hair, black eyes, wears glasses!" He demanded as he stopped a nearby woman, gasping for breath.
"N-No… I'm sorry, I haven't seen anyone like that…" The woman awkwardly replied. Takuto grimaced worriedly.
"Okay… Thank you anyway…" He muttered before quickly running off again.
"Maruki-sensei!" Sumire called out to him.
The chestnut haired man froze and turned around, eyes widening at the sight of the teens.
"H-Have any of you seen Ren?!" He demanded, running over to the group.
"No, we haven't…" Haru answered, the tone of Takuto's voice making her anxious.
The bespectacled man's eyes widened as he stressfully ran his fingers through his hair, his chest rapidly rising up and down as he gasped for breath.
"What happened?!" Morgana asked urgently.
Something was wrong.
"W-We- I- He-" Takuto struggled to form coherent sentences as his breathing grew erratic.
"Calm down… Please, tell us what happened…" Sumire pleaded, gently patting Takuto's arm to soothe his nerves.
He took a deep breath.
"W-We were on one of the glass platforms… It started to break while we were there, I-I almost fell but Ren caught but it started breaking even more. He-He… He threw me to safety and fell." He was finally able to explain, his heart pounding anxiously against his chest.
A tense silence fell over the group.
"Y-You gotta be shittin' me…"
"Senpai…!"
"Just… Just because he fell doesn't mean he didn't get out!" Ann declared, hoping to give everyone hope.
"B-But, how-"
"Remember Shido's palace?! Ryuji got caught in that explosion but was fine!"
"Th-That's right! Ren's probably fine!"
"Ryuji, where would it send him?!"
"I-I dunno! I barely remember anything from that!"
Takuto's hands began trembling as the panic coursed through his veins.
This didn't go unnoticed by Makoto.
"Have you tried calling him?"
"I can't. My phone's dead."
Makoto nodded understandingly and promptly pulled out her own phone, dialling Ren's number and shushing the rest of the group.
They heard the all-too-familiar music.
Ren's favourite song.
He was nearby!
Takuto turned around, frantically trying to figure out which direction the sound was coming from.
His attention was drawn to a nearby alley. The music was echoing out from the alley!
"Ren?" He called out as he poked his head around the corner.
Where…? The music was coming from the ground. Takuto looked down.
He found Ren.
Sprawled out on the floor. A pained expression on his face. A large cut on his hand. His phone was lying just out of reach. Blood oozing from his forehead.
"Ren!" Takuto screamed, collapsing onto his knees next to his son. He laid his head onto Ren's chest.
…
Ba-dum… Ba-dum… Ba-dum…
The father let out a shaky sigh as relief washed over him.
But… his forehead… Takuto carefully brushed Ren's hair out of the way, uncovering a large gash on the boy's head.
"Okay… Okay… Oh crap, what do I do?!" He uttered in a panic, his mind going blank as he tried to remember his medical emergency training. Head injury… head injury… Why did he have to forget now?!
"Ren!" The thieves gasped at the sight of their leader. Makoto hurriedly dialled on her phone again.
"119, what's your eme-"
"We need an ambulance! Please, he's bleeding from the head!"
"Okay, where are you?"
"I-In Odaiba, close to the stadium!"
"Alright, an ambulance is being sent out now. Is the bleeding steady?"
"Y-Yes."
"Okay, listen carefully. You need to lift his head so it's higher than his chest."
Makoto put the phone onto speakerphone so everyone else could hear the instructions. Takuto carefully lifted Ren's head onto his lap.
"Okay, what next?"
"Next, you need to wrap the wound in a clean material and gently apply pressure."
"I still have the scarf I bought at Christmas! That should do, right?!" Yusuke suggested, pulling out the bright piece of clothing and handing it over.
Takuto carefully wrapped it around Ren's head and gently pulled. He couldn't help but grimace as blood almost instantly stained the scarf.
"Done. Anything else?"
"Now, if you can, find some ice and hold it against the wound."
"There's a milkshake place nearby, I'll see if they have any ice to spare!" Ann yelled as she sprinted out of the alley at full speed.
"W-We're trying to get some ice now… How long until the ambulance arrives?"
"It should only be a couple of minutes. Until it arrives, keep applying pressure on the wound."
"R-Right…"
Takuto gently gripped onto Ren's hand as he desperately waited for the pigtailed girl to return. The raven haired boy's words echoed through his mind.
"I… I went through all that trouble… I'm not letting… Letting you give up now…!"
Takuto squeezed Ren's hand, praying that he wouldn't give up as they fought to keep him alive.
"I've got some ice!" Ann gasped as she flung herself back around the corner, a small bag of ice in her hand.
She promptly handed it over to Takuto, who pressed it against the injury.
Futaba worriedly sat next to Ren, trying to figure out what she could do to help. Ryuji wrapped his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down.
Sumire carefully picked up Ren's phone and glasses to make sure that they wouldn't get lost.
Morgana and Haru stood by the entrance to the alley, keeping watch for the ambulance.
It only took a couple of minutes for the ambulance to arrive.
"Over here! He's over here!" Haru called out to the medics.
The two hurried over with a stretcher. They wasted no time in carefully lifting the unconscious boy onto the stretcher and carrying him into the ambulance.
"Is there anyone who will come to hospital with him?" One of the medics asked as their partner jumped into the driver's seat.
"I'll go!" Takuto instantly yelled, desperation in his eyes. The medic simply nodded and ushered him into the vehicle.
"All of you take care, okay? Just stay safe and go home." He requested before shutting the door.
The thieves all glanced at each other with nervous expressions. They were glad that Ren was being taken to hospital but they couldn't help but worry.
All they could really do right now was just hope that the doctors would be able to save him.
Sumire glanced over at Futaba, who was anxiously fiddling with her fingers as she stared down at the ground with wide eyes.
"W-Why don't we all head to Leblanc? We could all probably use a good meal after exerting all that energy." The redhead suggested, wanting to keep Futaba company.
Ryuji clicked on immediately after noticing Futaba's expression.
"Sure thing! I know I could go for some curry!" He agreed, forcing a cheery smile onto his face to help the orange haired girl feel more at ease.
As every thief agreed to Sumire's idea, Futaba realised what they were doing. A grateful smile appeared on her face.
"Yeah… Sounds good. I'll call Sojiro; let him know we're coming."
Ren's eyes slowly fluttered open.
Too bright…
Wherever he was it was too bright.
He waited for his eyes to adjust before looking around at his surroundings. His vision was blurry. Was he not wearing his glasses?
Everything ached, he couldn't tell where he was. He decided to rely on his other senses.
He couldn't taste anything. Not helpful at all.
He could feel a cool breeze blowing onto his face.
He could smell flowers and an overwhelming scent of hand sanitizer.
He could hear a steady beeping and… someone breathing? Was someone else in here with him?
It was this revelation that made Ren notice that someone was holding his hand. He glanced over to the side. He couldn't really tell for sure, but it looked like someone was asleep, leaning on the bed Ren was laying in.
Wait… Flowers… Hand sanitizer… Beeping… Bed…
Was he in a hospital? That would explain why everything ached…
Why was he in the hospital? What happened? He scowled as he tried to figure it out.
Oh wait… He fell. He fell in his father's palace.
All he could remember was the ground crumbling beneath him, tumbling down amid the shower of glass, and his father reaching out for him with a terrified look in his eyes.
And then nothing. He couldn't remember anything after that.
The sound of soft breathing caught Ren's attention again. He squinted as he tried to figure out who this person was. All he could see was a brown blur.
God, his head hurt… Seriously, what the hell happened after that fall?
"Nngh…" The person groaned, squeezing Ren's hand gently as they began to stir.
Well, they were a guy. Ren could at least figure that out. The blur of brown moved upwards as they woke up. Ren continued staring at them, still trying to figure who it was.
He heard them gasp.
"Ren…! You're awake!" They exclaimed as they flung their arms around him. "Oh, thank god…"
Ren carefully put his hand on their back as they began sobbing from the sheer relief. "...Dad?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm right here. Are you okay? How are you feeling?" Takuto asked, pulling away from him to take a look at his son's face.
"My head hurts… What happened?" Ren answered quietly.
"You fell while my palace fell apart. We found you in an alleyway in Odaiba with a pretty big head injury… You've been out for three days…" The chestnut haired man informed him, clutching onto his hand with both of his own as if he was scared to let go.
"Th-Three...?"
He heard his father sigh shakily.
"... Are you okay?" He asked.
Takuto looked up at him in surprise.
"M-Me? Ren, you're the one in hospital, you should-"
"But you're the one who had a change of heart. Are you okay?"
Takuto stared at him in stunned silence. Even at a time like this, Ren was still prioritising everyone else.
"I'm fine. All thanks to you and your friends."
Ren frowned at him.
"Wh-What? Do you need your glasses?" Takuto asked, pretending that he didn't notice the doubt in Ren's eyes.
"Well, yeah, I'd like to be able to see, but-"
"I brought your glasses with me. I had no idea when you'd wake up but I knew you'd want to put them on when you woke up." Takuto interrupted, pulling Ren's glasses case out of his bag and slipping them onto Ren's face.
He could finally see clearly. His father's eyes were a little red.
"Thanks, but-"
"Are you hungry? I brought some snacks with me just in case. I've got salty stuff and sweet stuff. I know you love both, so-"
"Dad."
Takuto fell silent.
Ren looked down, almost shamefully.
"Can we talk?"
Takuto's breath hitched as Ren stared straight into his eyes with a pleading expression.
He took a deep breath as he stared back with a thoughtful expression.
"Yeah. I think it's about time we talked about… Well, everything…" He eventually agreed.
Ren flashed him a thankful smile. There was so much he needed to get off his chest, and it was obvious that his dad did too. Ren looked down at his lap.
"I… Uh. I don't really know where to start." He admitted with an awkward giggle. Takuto quietly chuckled back.
"Then… Can I start by asking about your mother?" The father suggested. Ren's heart pounded slightly.
"I… I guess that's probably the best place to start…"
"So… Um… What was it like growing up with her…? I remember you really didn't want to go to her…" Takuto asked clumsily, not entirely sure how to talk about this.
Ren looked to the side as he considered his response. He had to be honest.
"I… I hated it. I didn't want to go to her because I thought she was scary when she was angry… Not to mention, you actually spent time with me a lot while she didn't…" Ren explained, remembering that day at the courtroom.
The way he cried when the judge handed custody to his mother.
The way he clung to his father before being dragged away by his mother.
It didn't matter how much time passed, he always felt bitter whenever he remembered that.
"I tried to keep in touch, you know…"
"Yeah. I know. I caught mum ripping up one of your letters once. I tried to collect all the pieces from the bin and put them back together, but… I couldn't find all of them."
Takuto frowned mournfully at that news. He still couldn't figure out why she didn't allow contact between the two of them…
"So… It's just… Something you said in the palace has been bugging me… About being put down… Wh-What did you mean by that?" Takuto asked, a little scared to hear the answer.
"Nothing really… Just… Mum would insult me and complain about me a lot. That's all. It was my own fault most of the time anyway." Ren replied vaguely.
"... What kind of stuff did she say?"
"N-Nothing, just regular-"
"Ren. Be honest with me."
"... J-Just… Stuff like calling me stupid and useless whenever I messed up… Calling me ugly… A waste of space… She'd say that she wished I'd never been born sometimes… B-But, it was my own fault! I kept causing problems for her! I-I was just-"
"Ren." Takuto's soft but stern voice pulled him out of his spiral.
It was at this point Ren realised that his hands were trembling. Takuto grabbed onto his bandaged hand with a sad expression.
"I'm so sorry, Ren… If… If I had known that she was abusive, I would have-"
"Sh-She wasn't abusive! She never hit me! I-I just annoyed her a lot!"
"Ren, what she did is still abuse. Emotional abuse. Be honest, do the things she said still bother you? Do you look in the mirror and hate the way you look? Or break down whenever you get a bad grade? Or… Sometimes regret just existing in general?"
"W-Well… I mean… Yeah, but…"
"There you have it. Her words scarred you. And let me guess, she told you those things because 'she loves you and wants you to do better'. Well? Am I right?"
Ren stared up at his father with wide eyes.
All of a sudden, everything made sense.
All the panic attacks over failed assignments, all the self hatred, all the pinning the blame on himself, all the fear of being abandoned, all the times he wished he wasn't alive.
"O-Oh…" was all he could say as tears spilled from his eyes.
Takuto shifted from his chair and sat beside Ren on the bed, pulling him into a comforting hug.
"It's okay… I know it can be a little overwhelming when you realise it was wrong." He murmured, assuring Ren it was fine to feel what he felt.
The confused boy sobbed into his father's chest as Takuto gently patted his back.
"You know… I… I think the one that… the one that hurt the most was… when she told me that you didn't want me anymore…" Ren mumbled as he clung to his father's shirt.
A pang of pain shot through Takuto's chest. How dare she say that?!
"That's a load of crap. I never went a day without wanting to see you again. And you know what? Words can't even begin to describe how happy I was that day I saw you at Shujin." Takuto replied, cupping Ren's cheeks and smiling at him lovingly.
Ren smiled tearfully back at him.
"... Me too."
Takuto softly stroked Ren's cheek with his thumb before planting a sweet peck on it. Ren smiled at him, eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"... Why the cheek? Whenever you gave me kisses as a kid, it was always on my forehead?"
"Well, be fair, there's a lot of bandages on your forehead. You wouldn't have felt anything."
"Fair enough."
The two chuckled quietly amongst themselves. Ren really felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his chest.
"So… Is there anything you want to ask me?" Takuto asked, eager to continue this conversation while they were on a roll.
Ren looked out the window as he tried to think of what he wanted to know.
"... What was Rumi like?"
Takuto's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting that question. Ren looked back at him expectantly. The father couldn't tell if Ren was just curious or if he thought that talking about her would help him move on… Knowing Ren, it was probably a mixture of the two.
"Oh. Um. Okay. Wow, uh… Where do I start? Uhh…" Takuto tapped his thigh as he tried to think of what to say.
"Rumi was… incredible. She was so sweet and caring but she was strong-headed and easily took matters into her own hands. She… God, I don't even know how to explain it… She made me feel like I could do anything, just because she was supporting me. I remember one night… I… I broke down a little bit. I missed you and I was confused and angry because your mother never let me see you… and Rumi comforted me. She gave me hope. She made me feel like I would finally get the chance to see you again." Takuto struggled to find the words to convey just how much Rumi meant to him.
Ren smiled softly at his father; the look of his father's face when talking about Rumi said it all.
"She sounds amazing. I can see why you fell in love with her."
"Yeah… She said that she wished she could meet you before… I showed her pictures of you and she always went on and on about how adorable you were." Takuto reminisced with a nostalgic smile.
Ren's cheeks flushed a light pink as he let out a bashful giggle.
"I thought she was pretty too."
"Heh… Yeah. She was beautiful."
A melancholic feeling washed over Takuto as all of those happy memories flashed through his mind.
"She… didn't deserve any of what happened to her…"
Ren's smile was replaced by a serious expression as he averted his gaze.
"No one deserves something like that."
"Hm… I was terrible after I lost her… Now that I think about it, I still need to apologise to Shibusawa… After my research was cut off, I completely cut off contact with everyone… But no matter how calls and texts I ignored, he kept trying and trying…" Takuto chuckled with a guilty look in his eyes.
"Yeah, that sounds like Uncle Shibu. I remember one time he visited me on my birthday to give me a present from you. And no matter how many times mum took it away from me, he'd give it right back." Ren giggled as that memory popped into his head; the sight of Shibusawa's cheeky grin and his mother's irritated scowl amused him endlessly.
Takuto couldn't help but laugh.
"Yep. Definitely Shibusawa… He looked so proud of himself when he told me that story…"
The two laughed quietly with each other as the wind gently blew through the open window.
Ren looked out the window. The sky was a bright, brilliant blue. It had clearly rained during the night because everything was still soaked, raindrops dripping from every surface.
The sunlight glimmering off the rain reminded Ren of the Palace's starry sky.
"Y'know…" he muttered as he stared up at the sun.
"Hm?"
"When… When you told me to let go of your hand… That really hurt."
Takuto couldn't see Ren's face. But he knew from his tone that he was tearing up.
A shameful grimace consumed his face.
He… honestly had given up at that time.
He didn't care if he died.
He didn't care about anything anymore.
But… looking back... That was foolish.
He had gotten so used to not having anyone waiting for him, that he'd forgotten that he had his son again.
The fact that Ren saw the weakest part of him… It made Takuto feel pathetic.
"... Yeah… I know… Although… I could say something similar to you…" Takuto huffed quietly.
Ren looked back at him with wide, red eyes.
"I'm not an idiot, Ren… I saw that distant look in your eyes… and how you'd always hide them with a smile. I know what they generally mean. It's part of my job." The chestnut haired man softly explained, giving Ren's hand an encouraging squeeze.
Ren looked away.
"T-That's…"
Silence fell over the two, the only sound in the room being the heart rate monitor.
Ren shakily sighed.
He always hid things like that because he didn't want to trouble anyone with his own problems. But… It was probably useless to try and hide things like that from a counselor…
"... How about this?" Takuto spoke up, making a suggestion. Leaning back as his head began to ache again, Ren looked up at his father.
"We keep going for each other. And if one of us begins to falter or stray from their path… The other will help them back to a better place. Well?" Takuto suggested, gently brushing Ren's hair away from his forehead.
The raven haired boy looked down thoughtfully as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Yeah… Yeah, sounds like a plan." He agreed happily.
A shy chuckle left Takuto's mouth as he softly rested his head against Ren's.
"It's a promise, then."
"Yeah… Promise."
"What on earth…? He's awake?" The voice of the nurse making her rounds pulled the father and son out of their moment. She stood at the door with a stunned expression. "Why didn't you call for a doctor to give him a check up?!"
She quickly jogged off to find the nearest doctor while an awkward expression took over Takuto's face.
"Oh… Right… I forgot about that…" He mumbled with a bashful blush.
All Ren could do was laugh at his father's forgetfulness, happy that they finally had their new beginning.