Spending time with Sojiro was always nice. Ren couldn't figure out what their relationship was, but he felt comfortable enough to tease and give sarcasm. Not quite ready to show his true self—
Suddenly, a screech tore through his head. It was high-pitched and low-pitched at the same time. It felt hollow and malevolent. It also felt offended and betrayed.
Ren woke with a start.
'ARSÈNE?! EVERYONE?!'
'I am thou. Thou art I. You are safe, mon ami.'
'What was that?' Ren whispered.
'A nightmare in a dream.'
'That's redundant.'
But Arsène was silent again.
Ren looked at the clock and saw it was 4 a.m. It was Sunday, so he had genuinely no idea what to do. He could do his usual routines, but with the exception of the aojiru, he could adjust them.
'Why does it taste like shit?'
He continued to think before deciding to walk to the bathhouse nearby.
---
Walking out of Leblanc and locking the door behind him, Ren stepped out into the street and began to head toward the bathhouse.
Before he could get far, a middle-aged man, maybe thirty-seven to forty years old, with a head of thick blond hair, called out to him while walking with a cane. He carefully placed the hat he was holding on his head.
"Hey, neighbor! I bought the secondhand shop nearby! We have to move our stock, but come on by!"
Ren was shocked that this man was yelling so loudly so early in the morning.
"Uh, okay."
"My name is Kisuke Urahara. I'll talk to you later. Oh, and when does Leblanc open?"
"6:45 a.m."
"Ah, wonderful. Have a nice day!" He pulled a fan out of his sleeve and pointed toward the secondhand shop. "This one right here!"
He walked inside and closed the door.
"What a weird guy..." Ren muttered.
Ren could feel Arsène wanted to say something, but ended up just sighing gently.
Ren didn't understand.
---
Yusuke woke up and stretched out. His futon was... acceptable. But it didn't—
He shook his head and caught sight of the painting from the day before.
Glancing at it, he smiled.
'Does that make your reality any less real?'
He was still greatly moved by that. Ninety percent of art critics didn't look for such things. They saw discipline and technique, yes. But they didn't see the shape of what they were looking at.
'The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed.'
What a fascinating line. So profound, yet so simple. He saw the shape of it. Instantly understood it. Then quickly forgot, as if he had never been enlightened. He then understood truly. It was not something that could be put to tongue. You could only express it through the way you saw reality.
Ren was kind to him. He instantly showed no hesitation in becoming his friend and putting up with and seeing through his strange antics.
"I hope to see him again soon."
For some reason, he felt he could hear a voice. Not literally, but it was there.
It was agreeing with him.
---
Ren walked into Leblanc feeling clean, fresh, and ready for the day.
"Got a date, kid? Which one? Or all three, maybe?" Sojiro teased as he saw Ren walk in all cleaned up with a smile of confidence.
That confidence instantly broke with Sojiro's words, and Ren turned into a blushing mess. Morgana was laughing so hard that Sojiro got worried he was having a seizure.
Why?
"CATS CAN'T LAUGH!"
---