Reminisce

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A Year Ago,

Ren stood in Kaito's cramped apartment, the scent of detergent and the turning of the washing machine filling the tiny space. As he sorted through the dirty laundry, he lifted a pair of underwears and in an unfortunate attempt to determine whether they were clean or not, he made the mistake of sniffing them. "This place is a mess.. so disgusting. " he said almost throwing up at the smell of it.

He picked up a white jacket next and his hands brushed against one of its pockets. Curious to what was in it, he emptied the pocket's contents; an opened cigarette pack, a condom and a half-eaten donut.

As he dug in deeper, a business card fell out, catching his eye. He turned it over in his hand, reading the name: 'Kissaten Sakura'

"What's this.. a coffee place?. " Ren wondered suprised. He flipped it over, studying the card for a moment longer before dropping the whole contents on the top of the washing machine returning to sorting out the remaining dirty pile.

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Present Day,

Ren had the card fixed in his hands. He had found it again a year ago when he was going through Kaito's belongings after his death. It seemed so out of place among his usual belongings that Ren chose to hold on to it.

The reason being that Kaito never seemed to be a coffee person and more of an alcoholic person. On one occasion when he was so intoxicated, he even tried to get Ren to drink too!.

With the memory still vivid in his mind, Ren knew the café might hold the answers he has dearly sought after for the past year. He continued walking, absorbing the sights and sounds around him.

The beauty of Yugen was undeniable, but Ren could sense a much darker undercurrent flowing beneath the fake facade. The rhythmic puffs of cigarette smoke, the quiet whispering of shady deals by men in the dark and the occasional loud bangs and silent grunts of fights in the quiet dark alleyways; this city was no saint.

The streets were brewing with activity. The vendors shouted out their wares at the top of their voices in the bustling marketplaces, children ran laughing through the crowds without a care in the world, and the scent of freshly made street food filled the air. Ren moved with purpose, absorbing the rich details with a critical eye.

Various shopkeepers tried to entice him with their goods, and even though Ren was reserved by nature, he exchanged polite nods and greetings with the ones who tried to sell him their goods, his manner courteous but distant.

The vibrant energy of the city was infectious, and Ren found himself distracted a handful of times but he quickly focused on his mission. After successfully navigating the crowded streets thanks to the app; Hoogle Maps, Ren finally arrived at his destination. He raised the card before lowering it against the sign on the building to make sure he was at the right one.

"Kissaten Sakura" was written boldly in an elegant script, but the sign on the shop read "Closed, " and Ren felt a pang of disappointment. He had come all this way for nothing.

Looking at his watch, he saw the time was 2:40pm and decided to wait for another 20 minutes before he returning home.

20 minutes turned to 40 minutes and before he knew it an hour had passed.

"3:51pm?!, " he gasped.

"Maybe they don't open on Sundays, " he concluded.

"It's going to get dark soon, I'll just come back tomorrow after school then, "

He turned around to leave when an old lady across the street who Ren had noticed monitoring him closely since he first arrived finally spoke to him.

"Hey young boy, are you looking for the owner of that cafe?, " she called out.

Ren nodded politely, holding up the card. "Yes, ma'am. Do you know when they'll be back? "

"Ah, she's gone to the fresh market to buy some supplies. I wonder why she's a bit late today but she should be back soon. "

"Why don't you take a stroll around?, there's a park nearby. It will be the Hanami viewing season soon and the chery blossoms are beautiful this time of the year, " she said with a kind smile.

"It really is, " Ren nodded in agreement before thanking the lady, deciding to take her advice and check out the nearby park.

He walked further down the street until his steps led him to the park, the sight of it brought back a flood of memories. It looked remarkably like the park where he and Kaito used to play in as children. Ren shrugged of the feeling as mere coincidence.

Ren was then distracted by two boys playing together without a care in the world, their laughter echoing through the air, and he couldn't help but reminisce about his own childhood.

The park was a tranquil, and for a moment, Ren let himself be consumed by the past.

He reminisced about a much easier time, when Kaito and him would sneak out of the house to come and play at the park. Their parents would always give Kaito an earful as Ren always returned in tears with bruises on his legs. Kaito was five years older than him so Ren was always left eating the dust as Kaito ran farther away from him till he was gone.

As he reminisced, He felt a sharp pang of sorrow hit him. Lost in thought, he didn't notice a small stone on the path and stumbled, grazing his knee.

"Just like old times, " he thought, as he wandered over to a swing set, the old chains creaking as he sat down on the swing. The gentle motion soothing him as he swung back and forth.

The memories of simpler times on the swing came too, when the biggest concern was who among them could swing the highest.

As he swung back and forth, he thought about the bond he had shared with Kaito, the brotherly love that had driven him to seek answers even after all these years.

Amidst all this beautiful memories, Ren's thoughts finally drifted back to his mission. The peaceful park was an oasis, but he couldn't stay there forever thinking about the past. He needed to find answers, and the cafe might hold the key to that.

He got off the swing, shaking off the lingering memories. "That's enough swinging around for the day, " he muttered to himself. "The owner should definitely be back by now. "

He stood up, dusting off his clothes in the process and with a final glance at the park he began the walk back to the cafe. As he walked back through the cherry blossom-lined streets, Ren still couldn't knock off the strange sense of deja vu he kept feeling, fleeting flashes of events he couldn't quite grasp.

The sensation was unsettling, as if he had been here before in another time, another life. Momentarily shaking off the feeling, he focused on the task at hand; the cafe, unaware of the true nature of his connection to the city and the power he was about to wield.

His day was just beginning, and the mysteries of Yugen awaited him ready to knock him out.