2025-12-23: End of Summer Review

• Log: 2025-12-23 End of Summer Review
• Cast: Ryuji Sakamoto, Ren Amamiya
• Where: Shibuya Central Street, Shibuya, Tokyo
• OOC Date: December 23, 2025
• IC Date: August 30, 2012
• Summary: Reaching the end of their summer vacation, Ryuji and Ren hang out and chat--about their respective girlfriends and Sojiro's return--before heading to Leblanc to scramble to finish their summer homework with Ann.

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<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

It has been an eventful Summer break for Ryuji. Between his new relationship, the job search, and Phantom Thieves business, the young lad has been keeping busy.

 But not too busy to hang with his bro! There was always bro down time. Plus he had a lot to talk about and catch up on!

 Even if this was technically business, Ryuji was pretty stoked to spend any of his free time away from the dread that was coming in a few days: a new school session.

 For now, Ryuji is just going to live in the moment and enjoy the days he has left. A distinct memory of his grades makes him feel like a protagonist in a horror movie, fated to be doomed at a future date. He sighs, shutting his eyes tight as he reaffirms his goal to live in the moment.

 For now, he waits by the entrance, scanning the advertising materials with a skeptical look on his face. After a moment, he digs in hands into his pockets and reclines on a wall.

 When he catches sight of Ren, Ryuji grins and waves his head. "Yo! I hope you're not looking forward to trying that challenge cuz the last time I did I almost hurled...Err probably not the best way to greet someone but hehehe. What's going on, dude?"

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren probably should not be giving Big Bang Burger their business, given what Haru's told the group about the ethics of her father, who owns the corporation... but it's a convenient place to meet, especially after Ren's finished a shift right down the road at the Triple Seven. (Often it feels like Ren ends up eating at Big Bang Burger because it's in the area... The location is primo, and Ren is admittedly weak to the space theming.)
    
    They come in after changing into their street clothes and heading down the street, bag hanging from their shoulder. (Morgana has opted to continue to skulk around the area.) They spot Ryuji next to the entrance, and they crook a smile as they raise a hand in greeting back. "Hey," they replied. "Nah, not right now. It's cheaper at night."
    
    ...So they do plan on trying it?
    
    "Been keeping busy," they reply, leaning on the wall next to Ryuji. "Lots of part-time work... I made a lot of money this summer." Between Untouchable and Crossroads Bar, there's a lot of money to be made. "But the Boss finally came back, so I can breathe easier about finding somewhere new to stay." They lean their head back and stare up at the late summer sky. "Now we just have to worry about the new semester."
    
    Horror stories are always easier to deal with when you don't have to deal with them alone. Speaking of which: "Where're you at on your summer homework, by the way?"

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Ryuji is admittedly still trying to shake off the crushing defeat at Wild Duck Burger. Between the humiliation and what the food did to his athletic body---it wasn't a good time after.

He smiles when Ren recounts their life lately, rocking on the balls of his feet as he listens. "Heh. -I'm- still looking for work so pardon me if I'm a little jealous of all that sweet mula you're getting!" His smile grows when Boss is mentioned to be back. "Oh dude, that's great! I know you were rightfully stressin about that...Did he ever say why he just disappeared?"

It's true that horror movies are best in groups. For a moment, Ryuji is pretty happy to be amongst a friend.

 However, the question brings a slow descent of Ryuji's smile into a fearful frown before mild panic. "OH CRAP! I completely forgot! I think I did some of it but I know it's not done. Shit...I don't suppose you're already done."

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    That Mystery Burger is gonna get you...
    
    "Yeah? You should check out Ore no Beko. Feels like they're always hiring," Ren suggests, nodding at the beef bowl place down the street that Ryuji took them to once upon a time. "When it's really busy, they give good bonuses there. Otherwise, try checking out the hiring pamphlets down in Shibuya Station. That's how I found a bunch of my current jobs."
    
    Jobs, plural... No one can ever accuse Ren Amamiya of being lazy, at least. Their eyes light, and they add, "Oh yeah, try Chagall Cafe too--they've got a branch in the Paulownia Mall over in Port Island." No need to specify why Ryuji might benefit from a job all the way out there.
    
    Their smile turns dry when Ryuji asks about why Sojiro disappeared. "A friend of his got bullied by a yakuza crime lord into serving nothing but green tea, so he had to go help them take the boss down for the sake of coffee everywhere. ...is what he said."
    
    They grimace at Ryuji's burgeoning panic. "Not all of it," they say. "Maybe like four fifths." They rub the back of their head. Ryuji might notice that their nails have been painted black. "I got a bunch done while we were gearing up to deal with the latest mission. Helped take my mind off my nerves." Which didn't stop them from bringing Ichika to Untouchable to get an airsoft gun. Still. "If you want, we can swing by Leblanc after this and review--maybe call Ann over to join, if she's open. I bet she hasn't finished yet either."

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Ryuji nods as Ren begins listening off a few places. "Oh dude. Awesome. Yeah I got a few places I can still try also." After a moment, he yawns, already feeling tired from thinking about work, let alone actually DOING it. Still no pain, no gain.

 Yeah there was no way Ryuji could compete with Ren's work ethic. They were like a machine. Ryuji wasn't lazy but he wasn't about to break his back either.

 "Uh huh." That is about all Ryuji can get out as Ren reveals Sojiro's reasons. "He's gotta be messing with you, right? Like that's the kind of stuff we deal with...not a coffee...maker...guy. Kinda ticks me off that he can leave you out in the cold like that but what are ya gonna do?"

 "Yeah...Yeah. I had my mind on other things" He coughs nervously, smiling to himself as he recalls his summer again. Good times were had by all. Ren's offer does however snap him back to reality. "Oh, you're right. I bet she hasn't. Heh. Yeah lets get together and help each other out." But mostly the poor lil blonde body who is only less than half way finished. Please. His school record can only handle so much neglect.

 "So other than work, you do anything fun over break?" Ryuji grins. "Like I've had the best summer break ever...well not including the uhhh mission."

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    "Cool. Good luck," Ren replies. It does help that all the places they part-time at are extremely forgiving with their schedules; they can literally call in the same day and see if they need help and come in that day if so. They'll also reach out to them to let them know when they could use some help, but no pressure to actually come in. If only all jobs were this relaxed!
    
    "Yeah, he was definitely messing with me," Ren says with a shrug. "Well, it's probably something serious he doesn't want me worrying about... he implied it might become an issue again in the future." They smile when Ryuji says it kind of ticks him off. That makes Ren feel better about having felt abandoned from time to time. Now that Sojiro's back, though, they're much less stressed about it--but that doesn't mean the feelings were never there.
    
    "All right, I'll call her in a bit, then," they say. Their smile grows at Ryuji's nervous cough. The missions are always rough, but the payoff is worth it--in a lot of ways. "I bet. How're things going with Ichika and Seki-kun, on that note?"
    
    Did they do anything fun? Ren scratches their cheek with one finger. "Well... I got a girlfriend too," they say. If Ryuji's gotten himself two datemates, it won't sound like a brag to mention it, right? "We went to the pool a while back, and out to a festival in Iwatodai just the other day." Their smile turns fond. "It was fun."

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

"Thanks dude. I'm gonna need it." Unlike Ren, Ryuji was a little more delinquent looking and so he couldn't afford to be as choosey. Still he was going to find his job and take his girlfriend out to some kick ass places.

 "For real?! Like its not like you can afford a hotel everytime he needs to go run to the casino or on a beach with beautiful women." Ryuji is mostly kidding about Sojiro's destinations. Mostly. There was a part of him that kinda assumed Sojiro was some kind of lady killer. Just the vibe Ryuji got from the older man.

 "Awesome!" He blushes a little when Ichika and Seki are mentioned. Maybe he should start calling Seki by their first name. I mean they were technically pretty close, right? Finally he just has to let out his excitement. "Dude, it's like so great. Now that all of that stuff with Eiji is behind her, she seems to be a lot better. Like she really seems happy with everything. As for Tsubasa, they really seem to be flourishing with Ichika. Like I can't even be jealous since it's nice to see, ya know? Like its different from what I expected to fall into but I'm happy? Everyone else seems happy. "

 "Look at you! AAAA I'm so happy for you, dude." Ryuji leans over and attempts to ruffle Ren's hair lightly. "Oh yeah the festival was the other day. I was busy here so I couldn't make it."

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Maybe Ryuji could invest in some nerdy-looking glasses to rehabilitate his image too?
    
    "Ha, no kidding. Well, it's not like he changed the locks to Leblanc, so it worked out in the end. Actually, he said he was impressed with me," Ren says, a little color rising to their face at the memory. "I kept myself fed and healthy and in one piece and kept the place clean while he was gone. I think I earned a lot of trust while he was dealing with whatever he was dealing with." Something they're clearly happy about, giving that little smile.
    
    Likewise, they smile as Ryuji gushes about Ichika and Tsubasa, nodding as he goes. "Yeah. Ichika and I hung out a bit afterwards, and you can tell a weight's been lifted off her. A lot like the rest of us, huh?"
    
    If nothing else, that's how they can tell they're doing the right thing by changing hearts. Each time it's been someone connected to one of them, all of them have been so much happier afterwards.
    
    They laugh and let Ryuji tousle their hair. It's already frizzy; what's a little more disheveling? "Ahaha, thanks. I actually spotted the two of them there too. Who knows? Maybe they've got a souvenir for you."

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

"Well I guess that's something." Ryuji says of Sojiro's praise. In truth, he still thinks its irresponsible for an adult to just drop that on someone in their care. Still, he didn't have the details so maybe there was something Ryuji was missing.

 "Yeah. I hope we can do that for more people." Ryuji nods to himself, thinking about each Change of Heart's results. It didn't seem to have a downside... except for the people in the wrong that is. But of all of them, Ryuji kinda was biased liking Ichika's smile most of all.

 "Eh. Really? I wonder what?" He suddenly dreads receiving a half dead goldfish or something of the like. "Honestly, I'm happy they're finding time together. Like Ichika and I have our time too...Speaking of, whats your girlfriend like? Maybe we can do something like a double date sometime"

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ryuji's not wrong, but what's done is done. At least it's ended up a net positive takeaway for Ren.
    
    "We will," Ren says firmly. "There's a lot of injustice left in the world that only we can do something about. And whatever or whoever gets in our way... we'll overcome it together."
    
    What kind of souvenir, though? Ren shrugs. "There were some game booths with prizes. Maybe one of those things? We were all busy, so we didn't get a chance to stop and chat."
    
    Indeed, Ren spent very little time chatting with anyone who wasn't Minako, even though they saw a number of people they know... When they're out on a date, they mostly want to focus on the person they're with.
    
    "She's sweet, and funny, and fun-loving--flirty too, but as a joke... until it became for real," Ren says with a fond smile. "She likes reading, but she's also outgoing and sporty--she plays volleyball, and she likes hiking and nature walks. Ichika does too, so a double date sometime might not be a bad idea."
    
    They pull out their smartphone, tap on it a bit, and holds out a photo of themself and Minako together at the festival, right after the fireworks were over. Minako's very cute, with auburn hair tied up in a messy bun and a bright, friendly smile; she's wearing an orange yukata tied with a green obi. Ren isn't wearing their glasses in this shot--but they /are/ wearing Yusuke's yukata. "Here she is. Her name's Minako--Minako Arisato. She's been busy with a lot of club stuff lately, but I'm going to hit up one of her matches in a few more days."

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Ryuji nods to Ren's confident words on their work. All he can manage is another smile and an impressed whistle. "That's why you're the guy in charge, dude. For real."

 Ryuji shrugs and shakes his head to close out the discussion on this supposed gift. "Well, whatever. I'm sure I'll find out soo enough..." He is very curious however, fighting the urge to text and ask like a kid.

 Really the man event today is Ren's new girlfriend. The blonde nods along with each descriptor, his grin widening. "She sounds awesome dude...Yeah, Ichika and I met kind of in a weird way too so maybe that's how one meets girls. Now that I think about it, I should thank you for being such a public menace since that's how we met." Actually? Ryuji really considers this theory, wondering if that is the secret he spent many times trying to figure out. It didn't matter now and it may never matter again. Weird.

 Ryuji peaks over at the phone, nodding. She definitely was cute but no longer did he look too long. No just a quick peek and he moved on. "So that's your type, eh? Hehe You two are cute together man. I'm seriously happy you found someone."

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren smiles broadly when Ryuji whistles. They don't do this for the praise... but they're happy to bask in it when it comes.
    
    As for the souvenir, Ren doesn't know they got Ryuji one, mind--only suggested that they might have. At this rate, though, hopefully they did. They didn't mean to get his hopes up!
    
    "She is," they say fondly of Minako, taking a moment to admire the photo before tucking their phone away. "Thanks." It isn't often that they talk about personal matters like this... It feels good to have friends who'll listen without getting jealous.
    
    "That's how I met her, too," they say dryly of Ichika. (They and Ryuji have technically talked about this already, but that group chat conversation was a while ago, and got quickly overshadowed by Ichika's request to The Phantoms.) "She and Seki-kun have a friend at Shujin, and they came to check me out after hearing the rumors. Fortunately, we got things cleared up pretty quickly." Their expression turns curious. "How exactly did it go for you?" They'd mentioned Ryuji and Ann both to Ichika when they hung out later at the Underground Mall, but not by name, they're pretty sure...

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

Ryuji is that set on a souvenir but he also hopes he got some little knickknack. Still he isn't about to hound those two for anything but their time. Not like Ryuji could get Ichika or Tsubasa much of anything until the job search bared fruit.

 Ryuji is happy to be that friend because he knows he would've been jealous had this all not worked out. However, on THIS SIDE, Ryuji was thriving.

 "Oh man...So like as I recall she came to the school to find out your deal. I told her that you weren't like that and we got to talking. Kinda went like that. She's totally my type too so it just kinda worked out like that."

 "So how did you meet Arisato? She also looking for a bad boy?" He gives Ren and playfully poke and grins mischievously. "She's gotta know about your situation right?"

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    Ren hums thoughtfully, nodding once, as Ryuji explains. "So that's how it went... That is funny." And familiar. The two of them did talk about this already, didn't they? Oh well. They still smile. "I'm glad it worked out for you, Ryuji. She's a fine lady."
    
    They scoff good-naturedly at the idea of Minako on the hunt for a bad boy. "She does, but that's not why we started dating. She actually came by Leblanc to try the curry one day I was working alone, and then we ran into each other again at a book store she recommended to me, so we started hanging out. Then one day she came by the school, and she also heard the rumors about me." They shrug. "Pretty unavoidable. But we talked about it afterwards, and... she understood."
    
    They look off into the distance. "I actually had more trouble with a couple of her clubmates. They also heard about it, and they came by to check me out to see I wasn't trying to scam her or whatever. This was while we were still just friends, though." And Minako's worth it, but it's exhausting to think of how they might have to field those kinds of fears and suspicions for the rest of their life... At least her brother approves of them.

<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.

"Yeah. She's too good for a guy like me but she seems happy so who am I to judge?" He laughs again. While Ryuji is getting more confident, he still has the urge to self deprecate every now and then.

 "I...For real?...I mean it's good she has friends who check up on her but that's gotta be awkward." Ryuji thinks about what he would've done and can see nothing good. "I'm glad it worked out, dude. So much has been going wrong that it's nice when things just work out."

 "So we should probably go head toward Leblanc before Ann gets there. Think Boss will mind if we get some snacks for the sess? Like Curry might be a little heavy for a study meeting but then again the heat might help us somehow? What do you think?"

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

    "It was definitely very awkward," Ren says wryly. "Fortunately, we worked it out."
    
    They wonder if they ought to mention these clubmates are Persona Users--ones they encountered in Kaneshiro's Palace, even--but ultimately choose to mentally shrug it off. It's not like it's got anything to do with Minako herself, who is surely a normal person, much like one of Ren's many confidants and collaborators. It's fine.
    
    "Yeah, though. It feels good to have things going right for a change in my personal life," they continue. "Not to mention everyone else."
    
    They check their phone then. They haven't called Ann yet, but they may as well do that now to make sure she can meet up with them. "He won't mind, as long as we clean up after ourselves," they reply as they pull up her number and hit CALL. "Give me a sec, then let's hit up the Triple Seven. I get an employee discount there, so I'll pay, and you can pay me back your share later. How's that?"
    
    Which neatly circumvents the likely issue that Ryuji might not have much money right now.