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It's not the first time he's been sent to the counselors office, and it won't be the last.
Ryuji trudges down there, hands in his pockets, ignoring anyone he passes in the mostly empty hallways. The counselor is a grumpy old senile lady, who thought he was a lost cause anyway. He hated going to her. All she ever did was rant about kids these days for a half hour, before sending him back to class. Waste of his time.
He approaches the counseling office, preparing himself for the usual tyraid before turning the handle and opening the door.
And then he stops. Because that's not the counselor. There's a man there, a young man, maybe in his 20's? But he's got silver hair, maybe he dyes it or something?
A big smile crossed the man's face upon seeing Ryuji. "Ah, Sakamoto Ryuji, right? They told me you'd be coming. Please, sit down." He gestures to a chair in front of him, which has what looks like a homemade cushion on it. The pattern is rabbits. Cute.
Ryuji sits, somewhat hesitantly, unsure of what to expect. “You aren’t the usual counselor.”
“That’s right.” The man nods. “Your counselor is out due to a broken hip. I’ll be substituting for her until she gets better.”
"So." The man opens up a file, Ryuji’s file, and scans it, before tossing it aside. "This is all bullshit." He says, and the swearing startles Ryuji. Not because it was loud or angry, no, the dudes voice is soft as ever. It's just that, Adults don't normally *do* that, unless they're cursing at you for messing up.
"You're a good kid, I can tell. So. What's your story?" The man leans back in his chair, and Ryuji takes advantage of the brief moment to observe his office.
A name tag stuck to his shirt says 'Narukami Yu'. There's a photo of what looks like a younger Mr. Narukami, with a bunch of other kids. A tall blonde one, a smaller blonde one, a girl with pigtails--
Wait.
Ryuji points at it. "Is that Risette in that photo?" She's younger in the picture, but those twin tails and smile is unmistakable.
Instead of being angry for not answering his question, Mr. Narukami's smile just gets a bit brighter.
"That's right. She's a good friend of mine." Ryuji opens his mouth to speak, but Mr. Narukami holds up a hand. He closes his mouth again.
"I'll answer questions after you answer mine." He says, and this sounds like a reasonable deal to Ryuji.
So he tells him.
It's way too easy to spill his guts to this guy. He actually listens, so Ryuji rambles about his no good dad and his amazing mom and how he broke his leg and how his track career is ruined.
And Mr. Narukami sits there and listens to it all.
When Ryuji finishes, there's a moment of silence, and he worries that Narukami's going to make some kind of snarky comment. But instead…
"Risette and I are good friends. She went to my highschool while she took a break from the showbiz. Our friend group was actually the inspiration for one of the songs on her new Sapphire album."
"For real?" Ryuji can hardly believe it. If he knew Risette, what was he doing here?
"For real." Mr. Narukami confirms. "But unfortunately, I shouldn't keep you here any longer, Sakamoto."
"Uh, right, right…" Ryuji looks to the clock. It's been half an hour already?
"Sorry bout that. You should get back to class."
While Mr. Narukami writes him a pass, Ryuji has to bite his tongue to keep from asking more questions about what Risette used to be like.
"It was nice talking with you, Sakamoto. Come visit me sometime, on your own accord. Yeah?"
Even walking back to class, those words echo in his head.
On your own accord. Yeah?
______________________________
"I heard there was a new counselor." Akira mentions Mr. Narukami, that day on the rooftop.
"Yeah. He reminded me of you, man." Ryuji answers. Akira raises his eyebrows at him.
"I mean, like, he's easy to talk to, and stuff." He quickly explains. That only makes Akiras eyebrows go up even higher.
"Stop looking at me like that!" Ryuji snaps, shoving Akira's arm, making him drop his chopsticks. Doesn't matter, because Akira's laughing, and Ryuji's face burns.
______________________________
"Tell me about your friends."
That's what Narukami hits him with, the next time Ryuji gets sent down there. Which is only a week after the first time.
“Uhm. Why?” Ryuji can’t help but question that. Was the counselor looking for him to rat Akira out for something?
“I’m just curious. Indulge me, Sakamoto.” Mr. Narukami leans back in his chair, patient as always.
“Uhm.. There’s Akira, ‘n he’s… cool.”
“The transfer student, right?”
“Yeah.”
There’s a weird look on Mr. Narukami’s face for maybe half a second, so quick Ryuji isn’t even sure it happened.
“Go on.” He gestures for Ryuji to continue.
“And there’s Ann. She was my friend in middle school, ‘n now we’re friends again.”
Mr. Narukami looks at him expectantly.
“Akira has a cat.” Ryuji supplies, hoping that’ll satisfy him. “He takes that thing everywhere.”
“I was hoping for you to name another… human friend.”
“Oh.” Ryuji’s shoulders sag.
“But two really good friends is better than a hundred aquantiances. Tell me more about this Akira boy.”
So Ryuji does. Before he knows it, their half hour is up, and Mr. Narukami writes him a pass to leave.
______________________________
“Sakamoto Ryuji, please come down to the counselors office. Sakamoto Ryuji, to the counselors office.”
The loudspeaker summons him this time. Ryuji goes without a word, feeling his classmate’s judging looks on his back.
He enters Mr. Narukami’s office for the third time. There are boxes there.
Ryuji feels his heart sink down to his feet.
“Ah, Sakamoto.” Mr. Narukami smiles at him, putting his nameplate into a box.“I’m glad you came.”
“You’re leaving.” Ryuji mutters, and saying the words out loud feels like a smack to the face.
“I’m leaving.” Mr. Narukami confirms. “Unfortunately the administration found me unfit, and they’re hiring someone else to do the counseling until your counselor recovers from her hip injury.”
“But why? You’re, like, the coolest adult I know, besides… my mom.” Ryuji can’t believe this was happening. Was the principal here braindead?
“They found out I have a husband.” Mr. Narukami’s normally serene smile gets a bit sad. “That’s how it is, I suppose.”
Which throws Ryuji for a loop.
“Husband?”
“That’s not a problem, right?” His smile fades a bit.
“N-no, no, not a problem. Just, why? That’s so, stupid, man.” He has to put effort into not cursing.
“I know.” Narukami picks up that photo, the one with his teenage self and all his friends, and points to a brunette in the photo, to teenage Yu’s left. “That’s him.” The fondness in his gaze is unmistakable.
“Anyway.” He puts the photo into the box, taping it shut. “I’m sorry to go, Sakamoto. I can see your potential. You’ve got a lot going for you, kid, I promise you that. Just keep your head up. Highschool only lasts so long. Then you can get out into the world, and shove their faces in your success at the reunions.” Narukami pats Ryuji’s shoulder. “Sorry. I’d hug you, but I’d probably get in trouble for it.”
“Do it anyway. What’re they gonna do, fire you?” Ryuji mumbles, which makes the counselor laugh.
“You’re funny. Hold onto that.” And he opens his arms.
It’s one of the best hugs Ryuji’s gotten in a long, long time.
______________________________
“They fired him for being gay?” Akira sounds in total disbelief, as they walk home together.
“I know, right? It’s such bullshit!” Ryuji kicks a can, watching it skitter down the sidewalk, before catching up to it and throwing it into the trash. God, people were such slobs in the city. “Like, who cares about who you wanna kiss, man? He was the best counselor ever.”
“Hm.” Akira hums noncommittally.
“And it’s like, I only saw him three times, but he was special, y’know? Kinda like you, with your special powers thing you’ve got.”
“Uhuh.” Akira nods.
“And it’s like, who cares if he’s got a husband, y’know? He was a damn good counselor, better than that old lady who bitched at me all the time.”
“Yep.”
Akira lets him rant all the way back to Leblanc.
______________________________
Ryuji paces his apartment, back and forth, back and forth.
The news says Akira’s dead, gone, stole a gun from a guard and shot himself dead. Leader of the Phantom Thieves, dead.
Futaba says he’s fine. He has to be fine, or Ryuji is going to find Akechi himself and make him pay.
For now, all he can do is wait. And he remembers that counselor. He would know what to do. He would know just what to say. Maybe he’d give Ryuji another one of those good hugs.
Ryuji forces himself to sit down. His bum leg is killing him from all the pacing. The neighbors downstairs are probably pissed at him.
Sit and wait. It’s all he can do.
______________________________
Tokyo has forgotten about them.
The world has forgotten.
As Ryuji watches his friends disappear right before his eyes, with nothing he can do about it, his thoughts flicker back to that counselor. His interactions with him seem like years ago, but it’s only been a few months.
He wonders if he’d be disappointed, if he could see Ryuji now.
He closes his eyes, and feels no more.
______________________________
He watches as Akira, his best friend, as of recently, his boyfriend, lines up that final shot to finish off their godlike foe, Ryuji remembers the counselor again.
Somehow, someway, he can feel Mr. Narukami cheering for them, right along with the rest of Tokyo. Maybe his husband is cheering too.
Destroying this evil? This is for them.
______________________________
High school’s over. Finally, he’s free from his hell. When he walks across the stage to take his diploma (he got honor roll, thanks to a shit ton of tutoring from his boyfriend. Suck on that, old counselor lady.) he hears the cheering and screaming from his friends. Akira, Ann, Futaba, Haru, even Makoto is losing her mind.
When the ceremonies die down, caps are thrown, and they’re finally released with their diplomas in hand, Ryuji bounds outside with the rest of his classmates, only to find himself face to face with a familiar man. He’s a bit older now, obviously, but Ryuji would recognize that silver hair anywhere.
“No effin way.” He breathes, hardly above a whisper.
“Way.” The brunette comments, his fingers laced with Mr. Narukami’s.
“Nice job, kid.” Mr. Narukami puts his free hand on Ryuji’s shoulder.
“I knew you had it in you.”