2025-12-19: The Boss Comes Back
- Log: 2025-12-19 The Boss Comes Back
- Cast: Sojiro Sakura, Ren Amamiya
- Where: Cafe Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo
- OOC Date: December 19, 2025
- IC Date: Tue, Aug 28, 2012
- Summary: Sojiro is back from wherever he suddenly vanished to. Ren is shocked, but pleased, to see him, even if he doesn't have any more answers for them than before, and Sojiro starts to teach them how to make the house curry.
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
---The night Sojiro 'returned' to Leblanc
Sojiro finishes watching the train of people leaving, just as he watched them enter. Turning he back he grabs his empty cup of scotch, his plate that held the microwave curry and ash tray and does the dishes. He runs the fan and sprays some deodorizer for the cigarette smoke, and apparently cat dandruff. He will have to do a full cleaning tomorrow night, for now he turns the lights off, turns off the open sign and goes home to sleep in his own bed. All without seeing the kid.
---The next morning
The smell of fresh coffee and curry, a smell that has unlikely blessed the cafe for the last few weeks has returned. Sojiro is standing behind the counter working in the kitchen, the open sign is still off for a moment but a note under it says re-opening this afternoon. A few people on their way to some commercial coffee shop light up as they pass by and see the note.
Sojiro himself is chopping veggies and doing prep work for an extra pot of curry to start as this one should be good to go by lunch. Finally he looks up at the roof above his head, "Hey Kid! Get down here, breakfast will be ready soon. " Turning back he flips a skillet on and puts a few eggs in the skillet before sweeping a handful of the more colorful vegetables into the eggs. It would appear Sojiro learned some new recipes wherever he was.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren had returned late last night after a shift at Bar Crossroads, the latest of their new part-time jobs that they've collected over the summer. It paid very well, and they got to re-paint their nails black for it too, but--it is a bar. Getting back before curfew was a close thing, and only because Lala was so scrupulous about letting them leave in time to catch the train.
When they returned, the inside of Leblanc was dark, and Ren was tired. They and Morgana both noticed the smell of deodorizer, but when finding the place empty, decided to leave that as a mystery for the morning. They turned in for the night, and...
'Hey kid! Get down here, breakfast will be ready soon.'
Ren's eyelids snap open as the scent of curry and coffee waft through the air. They fumble for their phone, charging on the shelves next to their bed. They slept in--they usually wake up early to work out and drink a cup of coffee, and Morgana's still asleep at the foot of their bed too--but Ren's always been good about falling asleep and waking up in seconds.
Their heart is hammering, though. It's frankly bizarre to hear Sojiro's voice like nothing happened. As such, when they descend the stairs in their sleep shirt and pants, it's with caution in their steps.
It really is Sojiro, though. They stare for a moment.
"You're back," they say blankly. They slip onto one of the counter stools. Not really expecting a proper answer, but unable to stop themself from asking, they wonder, "What... happened?"
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro didn't even turn around as he begins to work to turn the eggs into omelets. He moves through the kitchen as if he never left it. "What do you mean? I told you a friend needed some help, it may have taken a few more days than I intended." Sojiro answers as he shakes the pan to thin the egg out. Across the kitchen to the fridge, retrieving some cheese and moves back to the pan. A grater is used to sprinkle cheese across each egg before a pair of metal chopsticks are produced and Sojiro begins to tightly roll the egg into Tamagoyaki.
Finding a moment to rest he turns back and finally looks at Ren, examining him for a moment, even the black fingernails. "Well, you don't look like you needed me here anyways. Kids should have an opportunity to be on their own every now and then, especially in the summer. "
Turning back he grabs a cup and pours Ren some coffee and then moves to plate the omelet and puts them both on the counter. He turns back to clean his mess up. "Yeah, friend had a yakuza crime boss take over his village and outlawed coffee. Only allowing green tea. So myself and a few others went and had to prove the superiority of coffee." He explains as he sits at the counter across from Ren, with his own cup of coffee, a small smile on his lips.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Right... A 'few days,'" Ren replies, tone flat. This one's well-earned; it's been just about a full month by now, and Sojiro never did respond to any of Ren's calls or texts. At least he did leave notes and send the occasional message on his own, but anything Ren sent first...
Still, when Sojiro notes that they've been doing just fine and that kids should get to be on their own sometimes, Ren doesn't have a retort for that. Being alone wasn't so bad--especially since they weren't fully alone; they still had Morgana (who is currently peeking around the corner of the stairs). It was the uncertainty that really bothered them.
The joke about the yakuza crime boss gets a huff of a laugh. Oh well. They weren't expecting a real answer, and if it was really that serious, he probably wouldn't want them involved anyway. They accept the coffee and omelet and pick up the mug. "Oh, that explains everything then," they say, deadpan. "I guess as long as you won."
They take a sip of the coffee--still better than their own, for all the practice they've had lately--and add, "Thanks for breakfast."
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro definitely earned the flat tone, but at least Ren was speaking to him. He takes a small sip and then adds, "Well you are drinking coffee today aren't you." As if to imply that if he lost they would be drinking tea.
Taking another sip of his coffee, "Least I could do after worrying you." Another sip and a deep breath, "Which raises the point, that if it happens again I am glad to know you can manage yourself without getting into trouble."
The old man stands and moves to get back to working on extra curry prep. However he hesitates before picking up his knife. " If it does happen again I want you to do me a favor. Watch out..." There is hesitation on what he is about to say before shaking his head, "Watch out for yourself. Even if I am not around your parents sent you here to get a do over, don't throw it away."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren snorts faintly at the insinuation. Still, they don't argue the point... even if they could survive on green tea. (It might even be better for them than their current model of drinking at least a cup of coffee a day.)
Their dark eyes do soften when Sojiro acknowledges he's been worrying them, at least. "I'd have worried less if you'd responded to my texts," they point out. "But yeah. I..." They hesitate a fraction of a second, then conclude, "Didn't want to worry you either."
'If it happens again.' Ren looks up, frowning. In other words, whatever's actually going on, it isn't resolved... or might need further handling in the future. The mention of their parents, though, makes them avert their eyes. "..."
They reach for their fork to dig into the omelet. "Don't worry. I don't want to get expelled again, either," they say quietly.
They know very well they don't have any other chances after this.
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro goes back to chopping veggies, he had been about to ask Ren to take more responsibility then Ren wassupposed to have placed on his shoulders. No, if anything it is just a reminder that whatever happens he still has to come back.
Speaking up over the chopping, "Don't worry about that, despite what everyone says I know you're a good kid." Sojiro moves the veggies over to a pot and pours them in as they begin to sizzle. "Trust me, I have lived long enough to understand good kids can get caught up in something they don't deserve to be." Out comes the meat for the curry as he begins to chop in a precise manner.
Finally he says, "Don't worry about covering any shifts till the summer is over. You should have a few days off from worry. "
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
'I know you're a good kid.'
Ren looks up in open surprise at that. That... Well, Sojiro did seem to warm up to them eventually, but at first and especially after disappearing lately... Their cheeks warm.
"...Thanks," they murmur, both of that and of not needing to cover any shifts until fall. They smile faintly and add, "Is this because I kept the place clean?"
(Not clean enough for Katsuya's allergies, but there's no helping that Morgana lives here too.)
However he answers, Ren falls silent for a moment to continue eating their omelet. It's tasty--but their eyes keep drifting to Sojiro chopping those vegetables to prep for the curry. It feels like it's been so long since they've had Sojiro's curry... Even while they're currently eating, they're looking forward to a taste.
"I've started cooking more," they mention, thinking of Hibari and her future lessons. "I'm not that good, though."
<Pose Tracker> Sojiro Sakura has posed.
Sojiro shakes his head as he continues to chop, "It's because I came back and you are fed, clean, and seem to be completely in one piece. On top of keeping this place in one piece."
At the mention of cooking he looks at what he is doing and then towards Ren. "Well, finish up real quick and then come over here and show me if you can manage to chop chicken." Sojiro says putting an emphasis to sound impatient, even if he really isn't.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren rubs the back of their head, but with a smile. Fed, clean, and in one piece, as well as keeping the place in one piece. ...It looks like all their diligence paid off. They're glad.
The offer/request to come over and help with the cooking gets a surprised blink. "Oh? ...Okay," they say. They'll take another minute to down the rest of their breakfast, and then another still to put on an apron and wash their hands, but soon enough they'll be in the kitchen, ready to help with slicing up that chicken.
It... it can't be that hard, right?