14 The Power of Food.

After leaving the Palace, the group wanted to meet together to talk about the future plans. Ann and Ryuji were starving after awakening their personas. After some back and forth about where to eat, Ren suggested Leblanc. He was going to have to practice cooking for when he worked there on Sunday, so he might as well practice by making food for them.

As the group entered Leblanc, they felt as if they had just been hit with a gust of fresh, refreshing air. The sweet smell permeating the air made all of them take in a deep breath. As they stepped in, Sojiro's surprise was evident, his seasoned gaze taking in the group with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

Crashing into Leblanc, they saw Sojiro turn to look at them before letting out a surprised expression.

"Ah, what a nice smell~," Ann couldn't help but comment, her smile brightening the room further as she inhaled the comforting aroma of coffee and aged wood.

"This place looks so outdated… But I can't say I hate it, though," Ryuji's voice carried a note of genuine appreciation as his eyes roamed over the café's interior, its retro charm winning over his initial impression.

Shiho, in contrast, remained quiet, absorbing the café's atmosphere with a serene expression. The earthy scent of coffee beans and the soft murmur of conversation added to the cozy feel of the place, making her feel at ease.

Sojiro, ever the gracious host, acknowledged their presence with a warm, if somewhat teasing, welcome. "Ah, you all must be Ren's friends," he said, already moving to prepare some of his signature coffee.

Ann, bubbling with enthusiasm, responded with a bright "Hello!" before quickly adding, "Ren offered to cook for us!" Her announcement brought a hint of a mischievous smile to Sojiro's lips, an expression that didn't go unnoticed.

"Is that so? Ren, how about you follow me into the kitchen to help me pick out the ingredients?" Sojiro suggested, a twinkle in his eye suggesting that this cooking session might also serve as an impromptu lesson.

"You all should take a seat," he directed the group before leading Ren towards the kitchen.

As Ren and Sojiro disappeared into the kitchen, the rest of the group settled into their seats, the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of Leblanc enveloping them. As Ren walked into the kitchen, he could hear their animated conversations in the background.

"So…. which one is it?" Sojiro asked with a teasing smile as he grabbed some ingredients from the shelves.

Ren couldn't help but roll his eyes before answering sarcastically.

"I haven't a clue as to what you are talking about."

"Well, you got the right idea. People say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but they don't realize that the opposite is also true." Sojiro said with a chuckle.

As Sojiro laid out the ingredients, he handed some to Ren for slicing, setting about cooking the rice himself.

"Back in the day, I met this girl. She was someone unlike anyone else… There wasn't a single pickup line I could use that would work on her. Logic was more important to her than any emotion. She spent her whole life researching the human mind. She was a genius like no other." Sojiro began speaking with a distant look in his eyes. 

Ren, now cooking the onions, couldn't help but smile. The hierophant was a teacher, a mentor who would teach the fool the ways of the world. From what Ren could see, maybe the big lesson he was meant to learn from him was the way of the heart. It was a little strange in Ren's eyes, but who was he to question the path the 'world' had laid for him? It's not like he was going to complain either way.

"Oh really? A person even Mr. Casanova couldn't catch?" Ren joked.

With a soft chuckle, Sojiro's face lit up with nostalgia.

"ndeed... Wakaba was her name. She turned me down more times than I care to admit. After trying everything, there was only one thing that worked. That was when I gave her a plate of my homemade curry. The next day, she came to me asking me to teach her how to make it. And just a few days later, she handed me a scientifically-enhanced version of my recipe.

Looking down with slight sadness as he began preparing the broth, he continued.

"It was incredible… It may have used my recipe as a basis. But it was miles better than anything I have ever made."

"What happened to her?" Ren asked.

Letting out a deep sigh, Sojiro answered.

"She passed away…"

"I see… I would have liked to meet her. She sounds like someone I would get along with." Ren said as he got lost in thought.

An uncomfortable quiet settled over the kitchen for a moment before Sojiro broke it.

"You should stop by my house sometime for dinner. It might be good for…. Well, never mind." Sojiro's invitation was cut short by his own second thoughts. But after shaking his head slightly, Sojiro put on his usual charming smile.

"Anyway, dinner's served, and it's getting late. I'll be off then. I'm counting on you to tidy up here before heading to bed. And make sure your friends don't overstay their welcome, alright?" Sojiro said before heading out.

— — —

"Damn, dude, this food is effin' good." Ryuji couldn't help but exclaim as he devoured his meal with unrestrained enthusiasm.

Ann, in contrast, tried to balance her eagerness with a semblance of grace. However, the speed at which she ate showed how hungry she really was.

"Something tells me they like it." Shiho joked as she began eating slowly, savoring each bite.

After finishing their food the group sat around the booth before Ryuji suggested.

"Do you all want to join me for training? We are probably going to be doing a lot of running around and fighting in that other world, so we should probably work out if we don't want to run out of breath over there. I can't run the same as I used to ever since… Well, since Kamoshida broke my leg, I have been training to get back to where I used to be."

"Ah, working out… that sounds like-" Ann began to speak slightly hesitant before being interrupted by Shiho's enthusiastic agreement.

"A great idea! I'm used to training a lot since I was on the volleyball team, so I wouldn't mind joining. I actually would really like to be able to work out with my friends."

Nodding his head, Ren added.

"I actually had been meaning to start working out too. There is also the fact that our personas are connected to ourselves. There's a chance that by strengthening our bodies, we can also make our personas stronger. Any little bit helps, and I for one, would like to avoid the feeling of being ripped in half again."

Ann let out a slightly dejected sigh before speaking.

"What about our hearts? That's where our personas come from, no? So, we probably have to figure out a way to strengthen them. But how would you even make your heart stronger?"

"That's among the things I am looking into right now." Ren said as he pulled out a small notebook he had been using to take notes of all of his findings.

"Right now, I don't have much. But soon enough, I'll have a clearer picture of what that world is and the secrets it holds. I just have to see if I can get my hands on any books about cognitive psience. Either that or save enough money to book an appointment with Dr. Maruki. He is supposedly an expert on the topic."

"Alright! When I get home, I am gonna work on an exercise plan for all of us!" Ryuji said with excitement before adding a question. "When are we going to go to the castle again? We should probably go back there as soon as possible. I could tell that the castle was fixing itself, so we should probably beat up Kamoshida before that happens."

The group turned to look at Ren, who, by unspoken agreement, had taken the mantle of their leader. 

"I have to work here tomorrow and Sunday. So we should use those two days to prepare ourselves. After that, the sooner the better." Ren said, earning a nod from the group.

As the evening wore on, everyone eventually headed home. Yet, as they departed, Ren could feel the thread of fate connecting them all together.

~Confidants~

Ann Takamaki (The Lovers) Rank 1

Ryuji Sakamoto (The Chariot) Rank 1

Sojiro Sakura (The Hierophant) Rank 2