บท 51: The Hierophant's Advice.
As Sojiro sat next to Ren, he couldn't help but let out a loud chuckle as he heard him tell his story. Throughout their entire conversation, Sojiro continued to ask questions until he got a clear picture in his mind. Asking even questions that appeared completely irrelevant, but with each answer, Sojiro nodded his head wisely.
"Honestly, kid. You are just like me when I was younger, except you are clueless about it. I swear, you spend so much time lost in thought that I thought you had it all figured out." Sojiro said with a loud laugh, after which he sipped his drink.
Ren, looking at Sojiro's smug smile, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in question.
"Takamaki, Suzui, Nijima, and soon enough that Okumura girl. Honestly, who knows who else should be on that list." Sojiro muttered to himself as he shook his head, unable to hide the proud smile on his face.
"Oh," Ren couldn't help but let out as Sojiro made the list, slapping his face in realization.
Hearing him, Sojiro began laughing once again before speaking.
"Look, Ren," Sojiro started, his voice taking on a more serious tone as the laughter died down. "Navigating relationships isn't like brewing coffee. You can't just follow a recipe and expect the perfect result every time. It's more... nuanced than that."
Ren found himself leaning in closer to focus on Sojiro's words. Though he had a lot of experience dealing with people, it was mostly with criminals or people who asked for his boss. He hadn't lived long enough to experience an actual relationship.
"There are two ways to do this. One is to choose one person and ensure that nothing else will happen with the rest. The other… well, that one is a bit more complicated. But it is something I have worked out in the past. The other one is to try to have multiple relationships at once." Sojiro said as he adjusted his glasses.
"First off, honesty is key," Sojiro continued, locking eyes with Ren. "You've got to be honest with yourself and with them. It's the foundation of any relationship. But when it comes to being... involved with multiple people," he paused, choosing his words carefully, "transparency becomes even more critical."
Ren nodded his head, his mind drifting back to Tartuffe, Igor, and the scalpel. They were secrets he was keeping because he wasn't sure what to think of them, especially after his talk with Maruki. It was simply easier not to bring attention to them.
"Secondly, respect. Each person has their own feelings, desires, and boundaries. You need to respect those, always. It's not just about what you want; it's about what's best for everyone involved."
After a brief moment to let Ren process the information, he continued.
"But listen, and I mean really listen, to what they have to say. This isn't something to rush. And remember, each person is different. What works for one might not work for another."
Ren took mental notes of everything. It was a short explanation, but it was also quite intricate. It was clear that Sojiro had probably learned it the hard way with how heavily he was emphasizing it.
"And lastly," Sojiro added, "be prepared for all outcomes. Not everyone might be open to the idea, and you have to be ready to accept that. The most important part of all this is to ensure everyone's happiness, including your own."
"So, honesty, respect, and preparedness," Ren repeated, trying to etch the advice into his memory. Yet as he did, Sojiro burst out laughing.
"Jesus, I really threw everything on you, didn't I?" he said with a chuckle, his seriousness vanished, replaced with a nostalgic smile. "You haven't even had your first girlfriend, and here I am telling you how to have four."
Chuckling along with Sojiro, Ren nodded his head.
"No, I appreciate it."
Shaking his head with a smile, Sojiro looked at the clock before standing up.
"Just take it slow, kid, and remember what I told you. Don't worry about trying to start everything all at once; just go with the flow. I'm sure that Takamaki girl will act a bit uncomfortable next time you meet, but just give her some space and don't make it weird. I'm sure she is trying to figure out things as well." He said, walking to the door and opening it, turning around for one final comment.
"Just remember, I'm here if you ever need to talk." Sojiro said with a supportive smile before turning serious. "But don't go messing with my daughter. She's doing better thanks to you, but I'll beat you up if you break her heart."
With that, he left Leblanc. Leaving Ren to chuckle slightly as he cleaned up the cups and went to bed, thinking back to what Sojiro had told him.
— — —
The next day, Ren received a message from Futaba that she had hacked the billboards in Japan, as well as some of the top news websites in Japan, making sure not to leave a single trace to follow.
With their infiltration route and billboards ready, that meant one final thing. It was time to deliver the Calling Card. So, as a last group meeting before their infiltration, Ren sent out a message for the group to meet in Leblanc.
Ryuji was the first one to arrive in Leblanc, followed shortly thereafter by Shiho and Ann. While they waited for Makoto and Morgana to arrive, they all sat down at one of the tables to eat some food Ren had cooked.
At first, Ann seemed a bit embarrassed and wouldn't look Ren in the eyes, but after Ren gave her a warm smile and a cup of sweet coffee, she seemed to relax slightly. Now that she was more relaxed, she noticed that Ren wasn't acting strangely around her.
She had been worried that after pushing him away and fumbling over her words, she might have made things awkward between them, but noticing that the only difference was an extra smile here and there directed towards her, she was able to relax and act normally.
In the back of her mind, she knew that they would have to eventually address the elephant in the room. But for now, she decided to change her focus on the few sample calling cards she had prepared.
Shiho, on the other hand, kept exchanging subtle glances between Ren and Ann, almost as if deep in thought. She nodded and shook her head to herself from time to time as if having a conversation with herself. It wasn't until Ren sat next to Ryuji and gave her a curious look that she seemed to snap back to reality.
"Shiho, are you okay?" Ren inquired, a hint of concern in his voice as he noticed Shiho's distant demeanor.
The question seemed to ground Shiho back to the moment, a slight flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks as she brushed her hair back.
"Ummm," she began, hesitating as she gathered her thoughts. "I've been talking with Circe... After our initial attempts to connect with our personas didn't work out, I continued trying. Then, yesterday, after, erm... Well, I managed to make contact. It's not like a full conversation, but she's been speaking to me ever since." Shiho shared, her confession drawing astonished looks from the group.
Her words caused the group's eyes to widen with surprise as they stared at her.
"For real? What's she saying?" Ryuji leaned in, his curiosity piqued by Shiho's breakthrough.
With a bit of awkwardness, Shiho cleared her throat before elaborating.
"Erm, nothing much. It's difficult to hear her clearly unless I'm really focusing. It feels like there's static that fades away only when we're in the Metaverse."
Ann, equally taken aback by Shiho's revelation, murmured in response.
"I should probably try to reach out to Carmen too… But I fall asleep almost right away every time I try.."
Ryuji, feeling a tad sheepish, admitted to his own lack of effort.
"Man, I haven't tried at all since we all tried together." he said, scratching his head.
As the group delved into discussions about their personas, the atmosphere in Leblanc shifted with the arrival of Makoto and Morgana. Morgana had been diligently monitoring Kaneshiro's movements, ready to trail behind the Yakuza man if he appeared again. While Makoto was momentarily preoccupied with her responsibilities as the student council president.
With the Phantom Thieves now fully gathered, Ren sent a message to Futaba and began a phone call, putting her on speaker so that she could hear what the group was discussing.
"So, we all have our sample calling cards, right?" Makoto initiated, producing several notes from her bag. "We'll need to remake one using gloves to avoid leaving any DNA or fingerprints, but we can decide on the best one among these."
Ryuji, upon hearing Makoto's prompt, nervously laughed as he presented his own calling cards. Crafted with a certain dramatic flair, they resembled the classic look of a ransom note, meticulously pieced together from magazine cutouts.
"I- forgot to wear gloves when making these ones… so we can't really use them." he sheepishly admitted, his voice tinged with disappointment over the oversight.
Morgana couldn't help but respond with a burst of teasing laughter.
"Well, at least some of us were paying attention…" His mocking was cut short as he caught Ren's side-eye, prompting him to focus on the mission. "Well, never mind. What do you all have?"
Shiho and Ann followed suit, carefully presenting their own contributions to the group's discussion, each laying out a few notes they had prepared.
The table became a canvas of creativity and strategic thought as the Phantom Thieves leaned in, their heads together, scrutinizing the various options laid before them. They finally decided on their final version, one that they would send the very next day, making the date of their heist May 21st. The same day the Phantom Thieves would make their first public appearance.
~Confidants~
Sojiro Sakura (The Hierophant) Rank 4
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