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“And to think all of this,” The woman with blonde twintails started and looked at the young man, “Would never have happened if Shido never went to Inaba that night.”
The door to the cafe jingled open as a familiar mop of black hair walked through.
“Happy birthday!”
“Happy birthday Ren-Ren!”
“Happy birthday Ren.”
A chorus of voices greeted from the belly of the cafe, a party popper going off and its red and black confetti exploding from the cone.
Ren, wide eyed, stared into the cafe with his mouth opened with shock before it melted into an awkward but happy grin.
“You all…how did you?” He asked in disbelief to the small crowd.
“Well~ we may have checked your student information from the teachers lounge buut~ It just means we were able to celebrate your birthday man!” Ryuji boasted and slung an arm around Rens.
The dark haired boy fidgeted with his bangs in embarrassment. “You all really didn’t--” He tried explaining before he got cut off by the faux ginger.
“Uh-uh!” Futaba waved her finger, “You’ve done so much for us and may as well given us the moon and stars. Give yourself a break and let us do something for you.”
“Futaba’s right.” Makoto chimed in. Haru and Sojiro were pulling out plates, a pie, a bottle of sparkling cider and a bottle of Moscato out from behind the bar.
“You have remembered and celebrated all our birthdays, let us return the favour.” Haru explained with a warm smile that was one that a loving mother would have for her children.
Ren's eyes went to the pie on the counter.
“You mentioned in passing you preferred pie over cake so…” Sojiro trailed off.
Ren smiled a bit and sat in one of the booths, “I guess I did.” He said and rubbed his neck. “But I really didn’t think any of you would have…”
“Nonsense Ren!” Haru cut in sternly with her airy voice, “You deserve to have your birthday celebrated.” she told and began putting in the eighteen baby pink candles.
One after one the candles began to be light to life, a small warmth as the string licked alive.
Five candles, five years.
“Ren.” An older woman huffed.
“Uhm…”
“You really think you need a birthday? God, what MORE do you need!?” She hissed, “Do you know how much we had to spend for your uniform, bag and school supplies?!” She asked incredulously to the child.
The young boy shuffled nervously “I..I’m sorry mother.”
The woman, who was Ren’s mother, huffed. “Fine. I’ll get you candy if it will shut you up.” She grumbled.
Eight candles, eight years.
Ren opened his eyes, the white ceiling of his bedroom greeting him. It was a special day, well, kinda.
“Maybe mother and father would have remembered and gotten me a cake at least for today.” The eight year old wondered aloud and sat up, pushing his dark green blanket off of his body.
The young boy soon left his bed and started his morning routine of dressing himself in his school uniform, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and making himself a simple breakfast of toast and a single egg with ketchup when he realized he was alone once again.
It wasn’t that he was not used to it. He was used to being home alone. After he turned seven his parents decided that now that he was able to get going in the mornings on his own, cook his own breakfast and do his own laundry they decided that little Ren was able to be left alone,
At first it was just the afternoons, then the day, to days to the longest being a week only to just make sure he wasn’t dead.
The small child with messy black hair with bangs that partially covered his eyes sighed and took the envelope with 500 yen and a short letter that was just a pleasantry and telling that they would be back in six days.
A shame. A wave of disappointment flooded over the child. He sadly sighed and took the yen into his wallet. “I guess I'll buy something after school.” He thought and left for school.
Twelve candles, twelve years
Ren awoke to the sky weeping its tears as if its heart was just broken. It was not unusual for it to rain a lot during the spring.
Now in secondary school, and soon time for entrance exams if he wanted to leave Inaba to go to a private school in the city.
The preteen unfurled his umbrella and raised it over his head as a shield against the weeping sky as he walked to school. Chatter from his peers were around him. A few girls were disappointed and complained it was raining and how it ruined their plans, some chattering about it being the perfect day to stay in and play some new game they got, some moping about how they needed to study.
Everyone had somebody.
Everyone but Ren.
Ren was used to it by now though, it wasn’t that he didn’t try to make friends, he did by all means. It was just that he was more of the extra or back burner friend nobody went to unless they had no one else to go to.
It was now the end of the day, puddles of tears splashed as Ren treaded down the street. The tears from the sky were falling harder and harder, it was likely to change into a thunderstorm sooner or later.
The young man's short journey ended as he stood in front of Aiya’s. He usually went to Aiya’s when he had a bit of extra yen when his parents were returning back from their weeks away, but today could be an exception. Not only was it his twelfth birthday but it was also a rainy day, and a rainy day at Aiya’s meant that they served the Mega Meat Bowl challenge.
Fifteen candles, fifteen years
Ren sat by a gravestone with the name “Amamiya Akira” engraved on the headtone, a small bouquet of Chrysanthemums and a bottle of sake he stole from his parents liquor cabinet. (It wasn’t like they would even notice it was gone anyways)
Twelve years since the passing of his twin Akira. Twelve years since he was blamed for his death on their fourth birthday. Twelve years since he started being resented for being the one to live.
Ren poured himself a whiskey glass of sake and knocked it back. “Hey…” he finally said to the grave.
The teen wasn’t really sure what he was supposed to say. He never really visited his brother’s grave, never felt a reason to nor felt strong enough to. He then poured himself another glass this time however he was going to nurse the glass.
“Well…” he began, “Things have been… well, they have been I guess. Uh… high school applications are going out if we wanna go out to the city ‘r somethin. I’m thinking of maybe taking an exam to transfer to Tokyo and school there. Cause, like, I’onknow…ugh!” he groaned and flopped onto his back, the partially filled glass spilling into the grass.
Ren was silent for a while, his mind starting to buzz from the alcohol. The sun was finally starting to set into a painting of red, pink, purple, and blues. A wonderful fading of colour with light yellow streaking clouds cutting the sky.
“Happy birthday, ‘kira. I miss you.” He murmured and got up and left the mostly bottle and placed one single candle by the grave. “I love you.” he said before leaving.
Seventeen candles, seventeen years.
How unfortunate.
“I swear, I didn’t push him, officer!” He cried as the police officer pushed him into the back seat, his hands cuffed together.
“Save it punk!” The officer barked.
“Please, I only was trying to help her-!”
April 2nd 2016, Amamiya Ren’s trial for “assaulting a politician."
The trial went through with Ren being found as guilty and sentenced to one year of probation in Tokyo city.
Ren felt his world crumbling around him, he had just finally found himself a friend who saw him as a first choice, her name was Dojima Nanako. She was pleasant to be around, nice, they could fall into a silence and have it not be awkward. But now he was being sent to the city to live under a man named “Sakura Sojiro?” Apparently he was a family friend.
April 8th, 2016
“Sweet seventeen to me.” Ren whispered to himself, his voice was weak as if he was holding back tears and from breaking down. He was sitting in an attic above Cafe Leblanc, the cafe his guardian owned and ran. The ‘room’ was large and spacious, dusty and cluttered though and his bed was a mattress on wooden crates with a simple pillow and a comforter. It wasn’t horrible and he wasn’t one to be ungrateful but he felt…awful. Like he really was criminal scum.
Tomorrow was the day he would officially be transferred and starting his schooling in the private high school of Shujin Academy he was accepted into only because nowhere else would take a young man with a criminal record and all they were thinking about was how it would benefit the school. He wasn’t really looking forward to tomorrow, the only hope he had was that he had a clean slate, nobody knew him and nobody knew he had a record.
Ren laid back onto the bed and wiped his eyes as he let himself freely cry himself to sleep.
Eighteen candles, eighteen years
Ren smiled fondly and blew out his candles after everyone wished him a happy birthday all at once.
“Hey, hey, what did’ja wish for?” The not cat Morgana asked.
“Yeah, what’d you wish for Ren-Ren?” Ryuji asked after.
Ann shook her head, “Hey, he can’t say or else it won’t come true!” the blonde shot back.
“Ahh,” Ryuji waved off, “That’s gotta just be an old superstition Ann.”
“No-!”
And then the thieves all started the debate on whether its good or not to say your birthday wish aloud or not, all while Sojiro sliced a piece of the custard pie and plated it for the thief.
“Happy birthday, kiddo.” the older man wished.
“Thank you.” Ren thanked.
“...Thank you everyone.” He murmured to everyone, adoration in his voice as he took the first bite of his pie.
Twelve months, friends who genuinely love and cared for him, a guardian whom he considered to be more of a dad than his father ever was, adults who cared for his health and wellbeing..
The only thing that was missing was…no/ :ingering on the past and wishing for a do-over wouldn’t be fair.
Ren did have regrets and wishes he could have done things differently. Ultimately though? He wouldn't have changed anything.
“Hey, we’ll be back in a bit. Sorry, your present’s ready to be picked up.” Makoto stated, “Go ahead and open presents without us.”
Sojiro raised a questioning eyebrow but didn't say anything.
Ren looked at Makoto and Haru with his head tilted and left wondering what they could possibly be getting him before the mention of “go ahead and open presents without us.” registered in his pretty head.
“W-wait, presents?”
“Hm?” Ryuji hummed and looked back at the leader, “Yeah! Of course bro, that's like part of a birthday.” he grinned.
“I don't--"
“Yeah! That’s why we’ve been highkey sneaky-sneaky.” Futaba grinned and pulled out a medium sized bag from behind the bar. “This’s from me and Sojiro!”
“Oh…You really didn’t...-”
Morgana batted a soft paw at Red, “You do so much, let us give you something as gifts.” the tuxedo not cat explained and sat his paw back down on the table.
Ren smiled shyly, an embarrassed blush dusted his cheeks. A rare sight from the usual cool and suave leader they knew him as.
He pushed his cleaned plate of to the side and took the red and white bag from the faux ginger and gingerly went through the bag, his eyes widening when he pulled out boxed coffee maker that looked like one on the counter and two bags of coffee, one of Nicaraguan coffee blend and the other Lacanzza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee.
“I-” the raven haired boy was surprised.
“I picked out the beans>” Futaba stated proudly with a grin.
The elder of the cafe chuckled, “Figured since you were leaving soon, may as well get you your own maker and means.”
“Thank you,” Ren thanked and set the bag down and took a largely green wrapped present.
“That one is from me, I hope it is to your liking.” Yusuke claimed as he leaned against the bar with a slice of pie in hand.
It was obvious that it was a painting that the young artist had made, not that it was a bad thing of course. Whatever Yusuke made was always of great high quality.
As the wrapping paper tore as it was opened. Colours of red, magenta, yellows, azure blue, cyan, lime green, magenta, a dark grey with navy spirals within and a violet all painted the canvas in a wonderful abstract manner.
The painting was a representation of the thieves and their main colours, red for himself, yellow for Morgana, a more deep and golden hue for Ryuji, a pink for Ann, an azure colour for the artist himself, cyan for Makoto, a lime green for Futaba, a magenta for Haru, violet for Sumire and…a dark grey with navy spirals for Akechi.
It’s been twenty-two days since Goro Akechi “died” for the second time after the collapse of Dr. Maruki’s reality. Ren tried not to dwell too much on his crush? Lover? Rivals passing and was trying to grieve “properly”, and by that it meant not going to a therapist and only talking to close trusted friends so a repeat of Dr. Maruki’s reality didn’t happen again. Y’know, just in case. Can’t go taking down another therapist with a savior and god complex for a second time this year.
Ann had gotten Ren some basic makeup and a chain necklace, Ryuji got a deluxe set of one of Ren's current favorite mangas and Morgana had presented himself with a brand new fancy yellow collar with a small yellow handkerchief tied to the back of it as well as a nice name tag in the front.
“Hm-hm~ My present to you my dear Ren is me! I am legally bound to you now.” The cat stated proudly and puffed out his white chest and adorned a happy cat smile on his face.
Ren’s face softened, “Mona…” he said in surprise and gave the tuxedo cat some well deserved ear and head pets.
“Wonder what Makoto and Haru are gettin. They've been more secretive than we were.” The box blonde wondered aloud while wiping his bottom lip of excess custard with his thumb and licked it off.
Ann shrugged while pouring herself a cup of sparkling cider, unsure as to what the two older girls of the group were doing.
Sojiro was pouring Ren a small glass of Moscato wine. “Yeah you’re not of legal drinking age yet but it’s technically private property and you deserve a drink after all that’s happened this year kid.” The elder huffed.
Ren graciously accepted the glass of wine and took a drink, it tasted good. “Thanks dad.” he thanked before his face pinked a bit at him calling Sojiro “dad” slipped out.
Sojiro simply chuckled and patted the young thief’s head.
Another two hours had passed, the first pie was emptied dry with no crumbs because Futaba went and licked the pie tin clean, Ryuji was a little buzzed from drinking some of the wine instead of the sparkling cider. Yusuke and Ren had fallen into a nice conversation while doodling something abstract with crayons to see what the mind could make when just talking with another person, and Morgana had happily decided to take a nap next to Ren, his small fluffy body in a perfect cat loaf with his paws all tucked in along with his tail.
The door to the cafe opened, the ringing of the bell breaking the mellow atmosphere of the cafe.
“Hi senpai, I’m sorry, I didn’t get the message from Takamaki-senpai until just a little while ago. Happy birthday! I’m sorry I don’t have a present for you.” The ruby haired kohai explained.
Ren looked up and smiled, “Hey Sumire, thank you, and it’s okay. I wasn’t even expecting any of…” he gestured around to the few bags around him and chuckled, “...this anyways.”
Sumire looked relieved “I see. Well, I still figured I should stop by and wish you a happy birthday. You’re…seventeen now?”
“Eighteen.” Ren corrected.
Sumire was surprised by his age, “Oh! You’re a year older than I thought you were.”
“I get that a lot.” Ren chuckled and took his faux glasses off and set them on the table. He had a slight flush to his face from the alcohol he had been nursing the past few hours.
“You do look mature for your age, if I didn’t know better I would have assumed you were in your mid to late twenties.” Yusuke piped. He was also a little buzzed from the small cup he also had been nursing.
Ren chuckled again and got up, careful to not disturb the napping Morgana and stood in front of his kohai. “I’m glad you were able to make it even for a few minutes, Sumire.” he said with genuinity in his voice.
“Of course senpai.” She beamed and gave her saviour a hug of which Ren reciprocated, “You did a lot for me.” she said, alluding to how he broke her out of her imposter syndrome and made her realize her true self and pretending to be her dead sister won’t fix anything and that she needed to move on in life as herself.
“Hey, the Olympics are this year, yeah? Keep me updated and if you get invited to represent Japan. I’ll make sure to watch and support you.” He said.
Sumire nodded enthusiastically, “Mh! I will. I’ll make sure to tell you all if I am accepted into representing Japan this year.”
The box blonde butted into the conversation from his booth “Hell yeah! That’d be fun to- mmh, watch.”
Sojiro went and took the bottle of wine away from the boy and put it on the counter, “That’s enough of that for you, brat.”
“That wasn’t juice?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Futaba snorted. “I place down this and the colour is now red.”
“Huh? No, that’sa six! It was a nine.” Ryuji tried refuting.
“No, Ryuji, it was a nine.” Ann tried explaining.
Ren chuckled at his friends and gave Sumire one last squeeze. “Thank you for stopping by at least Sumire. It was much appreciated.”
“Of course senpai. I’ll see you around.” She said and moved back from the hug and waved him off, “Goodbye everyone.”
“Bye Violet!”
“Goodbye Sumire.”
“See ya kid.”
“Goodbye Sumire-chan.”
Everyone said their goodbyes to the red haired girl as she left the warmly lit cafe, the bell to the door jingling as it opened and closed.
Yet another hour had passed. Three more bottles of sparkling juice, a convenience store trip, and Ren’s curiosity just kept growing on where the hell Makoto and Haru were and what they possibly could be getting him that was taking three hours to obtain, he was also starting to worry if something happened to them despite the fact they were both strong and capable women who could take care of themselves.
And as if the universe had heard his wondering thought, the bell to the red door into the cafe rung and a familiar, fluffy auburn haired woman poked in through. “We’re back~” she chimed, “Sorry for taking so long.” She apologized.
Ann looked Haru up and down with her eyes and removed her lips from her straw, “It’s okay but, uh, what exactly did you two go out and get that took three hours to get?” the blonde asked.
Ren, the rest of the thieves and Sojiro all were just as curious on what they could have possibly been going to get that took three hours.
The auburn haired girl stepped to the side and held the door open.
“Nijima, I can assure you, I can walk on my own.” Said…
No. He was-...
Ren’s eyes widened to saucers, like a cat that saw their favorite person after them being gone for the day and carefully stood up as if he were trying not to startle a skittish animal.
And then he walked in. Well, walk was an understatement.
The same honey brown hair and blood red eyes that he fell for, the eyes Ren found himself fantasizing about, longing for at night. The voice he found himself wishing to hear once again constantly, the voice he had found himself hypnotized to- Akechi Goro.
Ren gave a breathy, lovesick sigh, “Well, this certainly is better than I could have ever wished for.” he said breathlessly with hope that he was not dreaming.