After Hours | Akiryu

Untitled part

Au: The metaverse doesn't exist in this fic, Morgana is a normal yet inquisitive cat. Ryuji and Akira fight Kamoshida in other ways. This is my grim idea of what might've happened without the metaverse and how it would affect characters, as well as how Akira and Ryuji would struggle to start a relationship.

4/14

After moving to Shibuya, the quaint little cafe where Akira worked became his only solace. Leblanc was a dimly lit tiny building that branched off of an alleyway, the interior was homey and felt somewhat peaceful; the soft yellow light providing a sense of comfort. Unfortunately, Akira was the only one who bothered to dust and organize the shelves, the shopkeeper, Sojiro was usually out running errands and would only occasionally check in with him. The teen worked very hard to keep everything orderly, otherwise, absolute chaos would ensue. It was nice to be trusted alone for a few hours of the day, it wasn't as hectic as his home life. At least in the dusty cafe, nobody yelled at him, well everyone except Sojiro on occasion. 

Still. Working at Leblanc was leaps and bounds more peaceful than whatever was waiting for him at home, Akira never complained though, at least he was never hit. It wasn't healthy to dwell on those sorts of things, he would much rather fixate on the good. One of his favorite things about his job was that he would observe the regulars; especially ones that would visit every morning, several students from Shujin Academy would come in every now and again. Shiho Suzui, his best friend since transferring was one that showed her face about once a month. Shiho was a kind soul with dead, tired eyes, and a very frail body; very timid and introverted. She wasn't always like that though; during Akira's first year she was much more lively. Over the course of a year he watched as the color drained from her increasingly sickly form. Shiho's face went from sunkissed and full to concave, hollow, and drained of any pigment it once held.

She seemed to despise talking about it though, so he never knew the full reason why she had changed so much. Kurusu worried but he also understood that talking about it made her uncomfortable, and he would never want to make her upset, when she looked down it was soul-crushing, it made him wish he knew how to help her. Desperation was a familiar feeling to him, Akira was even desperate to figure out why he felt so numb. He felt empty, and cold as if his bone marrow was made of ice, empty in the same way an endless void is, without purpose or meaning, but also very, very hungry. He couldn't remember the last time he felt genuinely content with eating something.

He was able to identify the usual customers and had most of their orders memorized to the point where he could almost recite them before the person even spoke. One of the usuals was Ryuji, he roamed the halls of Shujin Academy after school and would chain-smoke alone on the rooftop. Akira ran into him a number of times, an aggressive, yet dismissive boy. His order was an iced latte, Akira couldn't help but find it a little funny that such a bitter boy couldn't stand the taste of black coffee.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.... or something like that

He was in the middle of fixing an expresso for Takemi when the sound of the door opening drew his attention.

There was Ryuji standing in the doorframe, his eyes met Akira's stare with such fire and aggression it felt as if his soul was being judged. He quickly diverted his gaze, finishing the order for the doctor. He sat at the very back near the door, Akira went to take his order but hesitated at the sight of the punk. He was blonde with three piercings in each ear, Ryuji snatched a pack of cigarettes off the table and jammed them in his pocket, he gave a goofy smile, almost looking guilty for even owning a pack. His smile, that damn smile, such an abrasive person but his smile, and his eyes...

"Just the usual"

Akira jumped at the sudden sound and nodded, walking back to the counter to make his sugary drink. Since Ruji was the only other person in the cafe it was completely silent, he tried focusing on his work but couldn't help but stare at him, he wore a purple hoodie and ripped skinny jeans, bracelets lined up his entire left arm. Apparently, he was being a bit creepy.