SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

4/11 Morning

With its exquisite curry and a globally diverse selection of coffee beans, the worn down storefront hid a local treasure. Cafe Leblanc. Kept away in a corner of the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya, the unassuming cafe was an oasis in the urban landscape. Worn down benches and scratched up table tops emanated a feeling of home, the aroma of roasted coffee beans only amplifying it. It was Sojiro Sakura's haven.

Underneath heavy rain, Cafe LeBlanc quietly opened for the day.

Sojiro sighed at the weather. The cafe always had low sales during the rainy days and today was no exception. Four hours passed before Sojiro was tempted to close for the day, the rain showing no sign of ending. Untying his apron, the soft chime of the bell finally rung, signalling the first customer of the day.

"Welcome," Sojiro greeted the customer. "What'll it be?"

"Hello," the rugged man greeted back, "didn't expect a storm on my first day here."

Sojiro nodded, eyeing the man. He was a new customer. Drenched from the rain, the man removed his trenchcoat and placed it at the hangar. Shaking his silver hair dry, Sojiro saw a glimpse of a scar on the man's head. Upon closer inspection, Sojiro stiffened in anxiety. Large scars covered the man's arm as if he was attacked by an animal of some sort.

"I mean no harm," the man joked, easily seeing Sojiro's discomfort.

He took a seat at one of the bar stools, ordering LeBlanc's specialty curry. Sojiro simply nodded and started the stove. Quick with his hands, the aroma of something special quickly overtook the cafe.

"Tokyo sure is a big place", the man started, looking at what Sojiro assumed was a map on his phone. "I've recently moved across the street and I heard this place was something special."

"You're a country boy, eh?" Sojiro commented.

The man shook his head. "Port Island actually," he corrected. "Tokyo is massive compared to that place still though."

Sojiro nodded before grabbing a spoon and placing a plate of curry with a side of rice in front of the man.

"One LeBlanc curry."

Saying a quick thanks, the man dug into the rich curry. A smirk of satisfaction graced Sojiro's face as the man's face lit up in surprise. A visible reaction of happiness from his customers was one of the few things he truly enjoyed. Rather, it was one of the only things kept him from closing down.

"This... is… amazing!" The man spoke between bites. "This oil… it's different," he observed, relishing the deep flavours with each bite.

He was surprised at the man's quick deduction of one of the curry's secret main ingredient. Sojiro let out a chuckle, a friendly atmosphere developing between the two.

"And how'd you figure that out, young man?" Sojiro said, leaning on the counter behind him.

"An old friend of mine would use this oil for his curries," the man explained. It was only less than a few minutes after the curry was finished. "I'll be coming back for sure after that."

Sojiro laughed out loud. "Well tell your friend that he is doing something great with his curry. Great minds think alike it seems."

The man looked up. "You heard that Shinji?" he said to no one in particular with a laugh.

RING RING

"Pardon me," Sojiro said and retreated towards the kitchen.

"What do you mean he's not there? He left early in the morning."

"..."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be sure to talk to him once he gets home."

"..."

"I understand. Sorry to cause you any trouble."

A large sigh escaped his lungs after placing the phone down. Rubbing his temples, Sojiro groaned in frustration. He cursed inwardly at boy he took in. It was only the first day and the boy had already missed half his classes. It was as if the boy wanted to be expelled immediately. Sojiro had to wonder what other kind of trouble that boy would be in.

"That boy is nothing but trouble to me," he muttered.

The man raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Teenager problems?"

Sojiro nodded and sighed. "The boy's been sent here for a criminal offense," he explained. "Although I shouldn't really be saying that to someone I've just met."

"A troublemaker of some sort?" the man inquired with a laugh. Relishing the last bit of the curry, he leaned into the countertop. "I remember my youth and all our shenanigans."

"Of some sort, yes," Sojiro replied. "He seems a good kid that got caught into some bad shit, to me at least."

"He'll come around," the man commented.

"I hope so."

A brief moment of silence fell between the two.

The rain has slowed down to a drizzle and other customers started to trickle in. Kept busy, Sojiro was left taking orders. The smell of roasted coffee beans took over the cafe, much to the delight of the customers. A sudden rush of customers proved to be too much for Sojiro. After the rush had died down, finished plates were strewn over the tables. Much to his surprise, the man stood up and started taking finished plates from other customers and placed it near the kitchen.

"Out of habit," the man said with a sheepish smile, "my apologies."

Sojiro was delighted. "Oh no, that was very helpful. Thank you. It's nice to see young men cleaning up after themselves without being told so."

The man smiled and sat down again at the counter. "It was literally and figuratively beaten into me," he replied, laughing to himself.

"Sojiro Sakura, the owner of this place," Sojiro introduced himself and extended his hand towards the man.

"Akihiko Sanada."

"So what brings you to Tokyo?" Sojiro inquired. He wiped the tabletops and counter clean, chatting with Akihiko throughout.

"I've just got a job at the Tokyo Police Department actually," Akihiko explained. "I've been travelling all around and I think it's time to settle down."

"The police department huh?" Sojiro said between wipes.

Akihiko nodded and placed a 1000 yen bill on the counter. "I'll do what I can to keep these streets safe."

Sojiro let out a laugh. "Such conviction," he commented. "I'll be looking forward to those safe streets Officer."

Putting on his trenchcoat, Akihiko bowed at the owner. "I'll be going now, sir. Thank you for the meal."

"Come again."

The rain had stopped entirely when he left the cafe. Akihiko trudged on the damp streets of Yongen-Jaya, familiarizing himself with his surroundings. The bath house seemed homely and the laundromat had fair prices, taking note of the vending machine that carried one of his favourite drinks. Turning right, a second hand shop ran by a kind old man got his attention. It carried old weights he figured he could use for the time being before his equipment arrived. He passed a small diner and a clinic as well but he did not bother investigating more. He was delighted the convenience store carried his brand of protein shakes as well.

"Hm…?"

Something inside him shifted and he quickly turned around to see a boy walking a few meters back. The boy had shaggy black hair and glasses covering his face. Hands in his pockets, he quickly turned towards the corner into Cafe LeBlanc. Akihiko's gaze lingered where he saw the boy last before turning around and opening his phone to a certain contact.

"Persona…" Akihiko muttered and pressed call.

Author's Note: I've struggled writing dramatic and emotional chapters for Disposition for the longest time so it's really in hiatus even though I've written 4 more chapters on it. Just... doesn't really deliver what I want you know? Anyways, I hope this story piques your interest as this really flows much easier for me and I have a lot planned for this story. Thank you for reading!