Author's note: This story contains many OCs. Rated T because harsh language and... well, poor English. But of course, I've tried my best to fix the grammar or spelling errors before posting. If you still notice mistakes in my writing then forgive me. I'm just a human. Another thing… enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona.

I New Place, New Problem I

Shikage was a busy industrial city under Kanto prefecture. Since it's an industrial city, the air was polluted with 'less' harmless gas from the factories. It was an obligation from the City Mayor himself to wear a gas mask every time the residents walked near the factory buildings. The polluted air had been an ongoing issue in the city for quite a long time. However, no matter how hard the citizens protested, the Mayor couldn't find any solution. It was a risk they had to take for their nation's sake. Besides, he couldn't just move the factory into another city. It'll take a lot of funds and voices of agreement from that 'another city' itself. Because of the Mayor's idleness, there has been a rumor that a mob will riot one day to degrade him and elects a new 'more responsible' mayor.

Yeah right, as if that will make things better. In all his life, wander from city to city, Narukami Yu was never the one to bother with a city's internal problem. Inaba's 'Midnight Channel' was an exception, since it's more like a worldly matter. Still, he was moved here this time, to Shikage. Funny how he thought he would end up in Tokyo University as he finished High School. He wasn't smart enough to pass the entrance exam and he didn't want to cost his entire parent's money just for his college. Not saying he's from a poor family, he just wanted to be an independent person. Also, the job offer in Shikage City was very tempting for him.

One of three biggest factories in Shikage; Goldfins, was desperately looking for employees. Goldfins was a blooming, nationwide, shoe outlet which had Shikage itself as its headquarters. Although desperate, the company still gave a challenging test for the applicants. Thankfully, Yu managed to pass the test with ease and earn a considerable place in the factory, a supervisor… Funny right? A fresh graduated high school student as a supervisor? Nice joke. He was on his way to the company headquarter to straighten things out.

A skyscraper building served in Yu's gray eyes as he exited from the cab. Upon closer inspection, the place was nothing special like it was described in its website he read when he took the online test. It was ordinary, about fifty stories building with Goldfins twin goldfish logo placed at the entrance. The fountain in front of the entrance seemed extraordinary though, it had goldfishes live inside the pond… cute.

As Yu almost reached the lobby, a noise of a broken glass from the sky made him paused. Curious of what that was he gazed up at its source. He found nothing but shattered glasses falling down. A little dangerous it was, but with his experience fighting otherworldly beings back at Inaba, his reflex had increased multiple times. So he had managed to dodge the falling glasses with ease, much to the crowd amazement. Feeling distracted, he decided to forget about it and continued. Just a moment after he took a few steps, he heard something fall behind him… and red liquids splashed on his back. After all had happened to him in Inaba, Yu was immune to surprise element. However he didn't feel quite comfortable with this situation. His eyes were suddenly become tired. A woman screamed and some crows flied above him were all he noticed before he passed out.

"Welcome back… to the velvet room."

Yu's vision cleared and he found himself sat on a comfy dark blue sofa. He glanced at his surroundings and concluded he's back in the limousine and its velvet blue interiors. The same bizarre looking man with an inhuman long nose and pointy ears was also there, sitting on the other side. His round and almost like popping out eyes stare idly at him. No matter how often Yu had seen that eyes, it still looked eerie. A sight of a beautiful blond woman was missing though.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm afraid I need your help this time." said the man with an inhuman long nose, namely Igor. Yu could never forget him… even if he wanted to.

"You're very straight forward. You were usually… you know, using complicated words and all."

"I am glad the first subject you said wasn't a question."

"Odd things keep me sane." mostly by ignoring all of it.

"Indeed. You seem very healthy. Nonetheless, I am not summoning you here for an idle chat."

Yu smirked in a sarcasm manner, "Wow… Great!" and then his face turned stern while crossing his arms, added with a cold glare from his gray eyes, "I'm aware of that. Do speak." He continued.

"This year… we, the resident of the velvet room, have a massive and important matter to attend to. However, I sense a great ordeal is happening in this very year. Therefore, we feel irresponsible if we are just ignored it while still commencing our own schedule. That is where you come in."

"Welcome back, Igor." Yu's beginning to enjoy his own sarcasm as Igor chuckled in his own bizarre manner. "I suppose this 'ordeal' has something to do with someone who jumped from the Goldfins HQ."

"Hm…That apparently so."

"And personas."

"For you, that is unlikely."

"Why is that?"

Igor chuckled, "Welcome back, Narukami Yu."

Yu couldn't help but to laugh in amusement. He always enjoyed his conversation with this long-nosed man. It's been a year since the last time he visited velvet room. He's kinda missed it.

"Can we talk seriously now?" asked Igor while playing with his tarot deck.

Yu nodded while shifting his sitting pose from serious to casual. It helped him absorb any important bits in a conversation.

"As I said, we have big plan we must commence and in the same time we also have an urgent matter happening in your world. You were the bearer of the wild card and the last guest who visited Velvet room." So there were others before him? Glad to know he's not that special. "My point is; I ask you to replace me as the host of the velvet room."

"…I thought we agreed to talk seriously." Seeing Igor without his usual grin, Yu raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"As the new host, I will also give you my ability to fuse personas and this empty compendium book." He tossed the thick black book to Yu as he mentioned it. Yu caught it with great reflex and observed the book. It was empty, unlike his book he owned a year ago. "You need to find your own assistant… if you need one of course."

"I wonder…" He didn't know any who had blonde hair, golden eyes, and a British name… like Margaret.

"One last thing. Here is the key to the velvet room." Yu took the floating key in front of him. "Give it to our guest." Igor coughed… intentionally. "Your guest, I meant."

"And… who might that be?"

Igor chuckled heartily. "It is for you to decide."

"'Decide' you say? Glad to know I was chosen by the Mysterious-Long-nosed-Man." Yu turned into his sarcasm self again.

"Hmm, I wonder about that. If I recall correctly, you were chosen by the goddess herself." Igor too, it seemed. "Nevertheless, I ask you because I know you are capable. That is all. I'll see you in the next year."

Yu grinned sarcastically before saying, "Thanks for the burden. What's this 'matter' of yours anyway?"

"'Til we meet again."

"As mysterious as ever…"

Shibuya Rika impatiently tapped her feet onto the ground. Supposedly, a son of her father's friend, namely Narukami Yu, already arrived at the rendezvous point, the bus station near the Residential area. It had been more than two hours and not a sight of a tall gray-haired man with a lean body ever shown up. This waiting has to end! She screamed mentally. A purple colored cell phone of hers began to vibrate from her jeans pocket. Feeling irritated enough in waiting for a guy who's three or four years older than her and supposedly more responsible in keeping promise than her, she answered the call without looking at the display.

"What is it?" She answered unpleasantly. A few words from the caller and she immediately hung up and ran toward the bus that just passed. Why a simple 'fetch a guy' task has to be this complicated? The call was from her father. He informed her that this Yu guy ended up in Shikage's Police Department HQ 'for questioning'. His first day in the city and he already got himself one V.I.P ticket into the police headquarter. Just what kind of 'awesome' guy he is?

Damn the traffic for blocking her way. What deed she did yesterday for receiving such bad luck? Fortunately though, the police headquarter was just two blocks away. For an athletic girl like her, that's no big deal to dash. And so she dashed off… after she pays the fare obviously. In the middle of her running, she tied back her long, waist-length, auburn hair and focused her icy blue eyes at the crowded sidewalk. She had no time for saying sorry if someone got slapped by her straight and hardy hair or she accidentally bumped her relatively tall for a girl and slightly toned body at them. However, despite her effort, she was slipped and accidentally scratched her right shoulder against the rough edged wall. Clumsy idiot… That'll leave a mark on her pale skin, but it didn't matter. She's not the one who cares about beauty and such.

As Rika arrived at the police HQ ground, a gray-haired guy with a stained black trench coat and dark colored jeans was seen talking with a messy looking officer. With one hands placed deep in his jeans pocket, the guy began to walk toward her. The messy looking officer followed him. She was sure he was the one.

"Ah, you're…" The guy said with plain expression.

"Shibuya Rika." She replied coldly. He had no idea what she had been through.

"Right. I'm -"

"Yeah, yeah, I know your name already. Now let's get going." She cut in and grabbed his trench coat. She was ready to drag him to the bus station, but the messy looking officer's words stopped her.

"A girlfriend, huh? I miss being young." He said while rubbing his gross looking stubble.

"I'm just his acquaintance… and my father is his guardian." Rika replied while trying to sound less angry.

"I see. Too bad eh, Narukami? She's quite pretty."

That's it. This officer's an ass. It's not that she didn't appreciate the praise. It's the way he said it… asshole. "Let's go." As if he was ignoring their banter, this Yu guy just shrugged at the officer and followed her.

Damn the traffic again. She wanted to escape this city someday and lived at a quite rural town. "Sorry." The sudden apology from him surprised her and abruptly ended her thought. They were just sat in silence at the very back of the bus; awkwardly stare at whatever they wanted to stare, except each other's eyes. She secretly smiled. She thought he had no dignity as an adult… or maybe she should say 'young adult'. He's barely twenty according to her father's info.

"I've had worse."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, and please don't ask. Use your imagination."

"…Okay." The rest… was an awkward silence.

Rika finally returned to the minimalist second story building, a home where she spent her entire sixteen years with his father. The father was stood by the gate with his usual smile and slightly closed eyes. His medium length auburn hair was as messy as ever, Rika also noticed he still hadn't cut that gross stubble of his like she said earlier in the morning.

"Pleased to meet you, Shibuya-san." greeted Yu with a broad smile.

"Oh… likewise. You must be Yu… and you must be Rika."

"Not funny, father."

The father laughed heartily. "Let's talk inside."

It amazed her how he could switch personalities during their talk with her father. He was very easy going and full of smile when her father explained his role as guardian and then shifted into secretive and reserved when her father asked about his past. He could cunningly change the subject without her father's notice by using a poetic phrase like 'My life was like a wind. Free and blow in whatever direction the breeze will take Me.' and then shifted back into his donkey-smile-carefree self again. With her, he was very stoic and less talkative… like a zombie. She wasn't sure to call him a 'Multi-Persona Freak' or a 'Genius Poker-Player'.

Shibuya Rika was motherless, so she had to step up to take care of all the housewife work for her father. Waking up early to serve breakfast had become a habit. After tidied herself up in her room, she walked downstairs to prepare the breakfast for his father… and Yu, but it seemed her job was stolen. She saw two pieces of sandwiches and a pair of glass full of milk served tidily at the table. Her father was a blind man in cooking, so it must be him… Yu.

Speak of the devil; the guy himself came to the kitchen with an empty glass and his default stoic expression. "Morning." He greeted casually while putting the glass at the sink.

Rika couldn't resist to not asking, "You… made these?"

He nodded and simply made his way to the living room. She grabbed her share and tasted it herself before followed him. It's delicious. The one she made wasn't so tasty. At least it's not sour or taste like shit, that all mattered to her when it came to cook. Yu seemed to be a good cook. What a rare trait… it's a good one though.

"It's good." commented Rika.

He glanced at her from over his shoulder and nodded before turned his attention to the news on TV again. Rika glanced down at her wristwatch and joined Yu in the sofa. Since she woke up too early to go to school, she decided to bug him. See if he could keep his cool talking awkward subjects for acquaintance.

"How old are you?" She asked bluntly. That's a rude question to ask for an acquaintance. She bet he'll change the subject or ignore her.

"Nineteen." He answered with his eyes still glued at the 21'inch television.

Alright, that was unexpected. Maybe that kind of question wasn't really personal to him. She just had to try again. "Have any girlfriend?" She's sure as hell he's not gonna answer that, especially when a girl asking the question here.

"No." Try again.

"An ex? Or maybe 'ex-s'?"

"Nope." Seriously?

"First kiss?"

"Nu-uh." Can't be…

"You're… a gay?"

"Try again."

Try again? Was he knows she's just trying to anger him? No, no, she's just over thinking. If that really IS true, she must add 'Mind-Reader Virgin' to his nicknames list.

"Aren't you going to school? I heard the traffic's quite crowded in the morning."

Rika didn't answer; she only rewarded Yu a sarcasm smile as he still only gazed at her from over his shoulder. "Well done. You actually spoke a full sentence when talking to me."

"Oh," She saw Yu turned back his attention to the TV and heard him chuckled afterward. "I didn't realize you desperately want my attention." He said with an annoying tone.

Rika's sarcasm look shifted to annoyed look in split second, "No, I don't… Good morning." She tried her best to sound less annoyed before she stormed off from the living room. She didn't want to admit she lost in her own game.

"You forget your-"

"Don't need it."

From outside the house, Rika could hear his annoying laugh. Jerk. After shutting her for a few seconds to collect her calm, she joined the busy crowd who was heading to the bus station. The laugh was intended, no doubt.

Anyway, enough about him, she's a little worried about her father. Went earlier than her only meant something important happening in his office or… field. And that was never a good sign for her. She'll worried sick like a hen worried about its chick wandering around the forest alone. Her father was a little reckless and somewhat easy to fool, not to mention he's an absent minded kind of father. It was a wonder he's a member of Shikage's police force as field investigator.

Her father went earlier than her… she bet it had something to do with that bizarre news Yu watched. Someone had committed a suicide at Goldfins HQ building. She didn't really pay attention to it as he was too busy bugging Yu, but she heard that crystal clear in her ears. It gave her a chill, especially the troubled building was near Suzuka High. The only high school in Shikage, meaning it was a boring place where she must attend 8 hours per day until Saturday. In other words, it's her high school. Somehow, she got a feeling something big will happen this year… and she's ridiculously involved.

Oh forget it. What did she know? She couldn't even figure a certain guy's mind. "Let's just go to school… and forget about it." She said to herself. Her school life was a busy one… especially this year. Elected as a Captain of Kendo club was a pain in the ass. Be the last to leaves, taking care of the juniors, yells at them whenever they made a mistake… However, she's not a girl who likes to run away from responsibilities. Her teammates had chosen her and she would do the very best as the Captain.

"Good morning, Rika-chan!"

Rika looked up and saw her childhood friend sitting on the empty seat beside her. "Morning, Leila." She replied.

Leila gave her a honest and cheerful smile before told Rika a story about her day… as always. It was annoying at first but Rika eventually grew attached to her habit. Leila was born in Europe, UK to be specific. Despite being born there, having the unusual blond hair, and green eyes, she's terrible at English. Maybe because she always lived in Japan since she was a child.

"Rika-chan, you've heard about the incident at the HQ, haven't you?"

"If by 'HQ' you meant Goldfins Headquarter, then yes, I have. Seemed like someone was too eager to meet his creator."

"It's horrible! Why would someone do something like that?"

"Depression plus desperation might be the recipe."

"I think so too, but they always have the choice to live… not just end it."

"Maybe he saw death as an only escape." Rika returned a pair of puzzled green orbs with a shrug. "What?"

"You're brooding. Did your father forget his lunch-box again?"

"No… no, it's nothing like that. I'm fine…"

Leila pouted and placed her hands at Rika's shoulder. "Rika-chan, I know you for almost ten years. I can always see through your lies."

"Not always." Rika exclaimed jokingly with a small laugh.

"Rika…"

Seeing her childhood friend with her puppy looks, Rika sighed in defeat. "Alright… it's my father."

"I told you to just put the lunch box in his car!"

"Not that Leila… He went early."

Rika heard her friend sighed in a disappointed manner. "Mother hen."

"I'm worried!"

"You're exaggerating."

"Whatever. You get the answer… and I'm not brooding."

"Okay, okay." Leila didn't look amused, but she's still had that big smile on her face.

Rika envy that.

"Oh, oh, I forgot to tell you about this."

Rika watched her friend busily searching something inside her duffle bag. Took a long time before she picked out her cell and shown her something Rika really didn't want to see. The stoic face of Narukami Yu framed in the cell's display.

"Cute, right?"

"Uh… right." She hated to hurt Leila's feeling by saying no.

Leila giggled. "I captured his face during his interview with the reporters. I was glad the TV didn't blur his cute face!"

Rika wondered how the reporter could quickly raise an interview shortly after the incident. However it was she didn't really care. She had a problem of her own. No time for worrying about the incident. Her worry already drained by his father 'went early mode' anyway.

Meanwhile, Narukami Yu was walking down the crowded sidewalk. Yesterday, he forgot to question his position at Goldfins factory. He had called the company, making it easier than went to the troubled HQ again. However, he couldn't get it connected… Maybe the company was still troubled with the suicide incident. Too busy to answer he supposed.

"Hm?"

Yu's thought immediately vanished as he reached a certain intersection. He stopped his walk and gave a thoughtful gaze at a certain item behind the glassed at the shop.

"100.000 yen…" He muttered softly before continue his walk. "Tuxedo sure is expensive."