Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction in dedication to a much grander work. As such, the author does not own the rights to any characters within this story, and any correlation between any original characters that may appear and people in the real world are merely coincidental.
The world is not as it should be.
It's filled with distortion,
and 'Ruin' can no longer be avoided.
Those who oppose fate, and desire change…
From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters
?/?/?/?
Chaos.
The only word that could appropriately describe what was going on in the massive casino at the moment. Patrons were scared, men in suits were patrolling the area, the security alarm was going on with no signs of stopping, and he was running out of time.
Above all else, though, he was alone.
It was supposed to be business as usual: Go in, secure the infiltration route, send the calling card, fight the boss, steal the treasure, and escape the with their lives intact. A routine that he and his comrades have settled in for months now. This time, though, things were going downhill fast, and he had to act quickly in order to salvage their heist. Security levels were at an all-time high, alarms were blaring, and enemies were crawling out of the woodwork faster than ever before. He was forced to separate himself from his comrades as a result, and he could've sworn he heard a helicopter outside just now.
He was honestly surprised to hear it, if he was being honest, considering how loud it was inside at the moment.
He smirked, however, as he hoped from chandelier to chandelier, railing to railing, above the throngs of patrons and guards that flooded the floor below him and listened to their sounds of surprise and panic. Despite all that was happening, he couldn't help but enjoy this little game of cat and mouse he was having with security. Deciding to have a bit of fun, briefcase in hand, the young raven-haired man revealed himself to the people below, standing atop one of the many light fixtures hanging in the ceiling and his free hand holding a wire to keep himself in place, his signature ensemble of a black trench coat, gray collared shirt, black trousers, brown heeled boots, red gloves, and most importantly, his white mask that hidden his identity during all his heists up to this point, shining in the moonlight. It was only a matter of time until—
"Up there!"
He smirked again, happy to have the attention of everyone below him. Especially the guards. Satisfied, he leapt off the light fixture and onto another one, pausing a quick moment to hide the briefcase in a nearby ventilation shaft, before rushing over to the nearest exit he could find.
"Treasure is hidden, and I got the guards' attention." The young man muttered as he pressed a couple fingers to his right ear, landing on a ceiling structure formed out of multiple hexagon-shaped lights.
{Good job, now get running!} A boyish voice stated from within his head.
{This is our only chance!} Another male voice exclaimed, this one sounding older and more charismatic that the boyish one.
{Stay calm! You can get away now!} A young girl's voice said, a hint a panic in her tone somewhat contradicting her own advice.
{We'll grab the briefcase on our end.} A serious female voice spoke up, causing the young man to smile slightly, before frowning at the sounds of unfamiliar voices being heard by him and his comrades.
They could barely hear what they were saying, but whatever it was, it put them all on edge even more.
{What was that?} The young girl's voice spoke up again.
{Ignore it for now. We have to stick to the plan.} Another calm female voice said, this one sounding softer and more tranquil than the serious girl from earlier, but no less urgent.
{Don't worry about us. Just concentrate on getting away!} The boyish voice from earlier ordered, prompting a nod from the young man before he sprinted off towards the light fixtures and monitor holders before him.
{But I have to say, showing yourself to the crowd was an excellent move. Nice work as always, Joker.} The boyish voice praised, getting a small smirk out of the young man, now identified as Joker.
"I aim to please," He said softly as he continued to hop onto a nearby sign before descending to a transparent light structure.
{I bet Skull wouldn't pulled it off that smoothly.} A fourth female voice teased, this one sounding just as energetic as the young girl's voice from earlier, but sounding a tad older.
{This happens because you have no taste for aesthetics…} A deep young man's voice stated, causing Joker to actually chuckle a bit in amusement.
{Nobody asked you, Inari!} An annoyed, vulgar sounding young man shouted.
Joker could only shake his head as he climbed up the lights and towards the doorway ahead. His comrades were an odd bunch of people, but he wouldn't trade them for anything. Unfortunately, he was so caught up in his amusement that he nearly missed the guards that were coming out of the door he was heading towards until one of them spoke up.
"There he is!" He announced, causing Joker to curse silently to himself as his main escape route was cut off.
{Just run! Get out of there!} The young girl's voice screamed.
{There should be another exit to your left. Head there immediately!} The tranquil woman's voice said, prompting him to turn his head to see a series of arcs that were leading towards a balcony and a stairway. His new target in sight, he sprinted off towards the walkway, hoping on each arc to reach his destination.
{Ok, the enemy is focused on him. Looks like the rest of us can get away.} The boyish voice said with a hint of resignation that Joker was barely able to detect. Not that he blamed him, though, but what he was doing right now was the only way to ensure his companions' safety.
Otherwise…
No, I can't think like that right now. The young man mentally berated himself as he got to the end of the arcs and hopped to the railings of the indoor balcony. I have to focus right now. Any distractions and the plan will fall apart.
{Does everyone know where we're meeting up?} One more female voice questioned, this one sounding the most elegant out of the girls he's heard until now.
{No worries, I can guide you all.} The youngest voice spoke up again, this time with much confidence, putting a smile on Joker's face as he quickly scaled the railing and onto the balcony.
His smile quickly faded, however, as two guards showed up beyond the stairs before him, their normal bodies suddenly shifting to more misshapen forms, their skin entirely black and odd blue masks with yellow eyes stuck to their faces. He frowned a bit when sensed the presence of a third guard right behind him, just as oddly shaped as the previous two, before he turned to the newcomer with a small smirk appeared on his face. He knew that he was short on time at the moment, but if he were to be honest with himself, he was kind of glad to see a few foes at the moment.
Despite the typical trouble he and his team had when getting the treasure itself earlier that evening, he was still itching for a good fight. And he was never one to ignore such an inch.
Especially when his teammates were encouraging him to go for it.
{Take 'em down, Joker!} Came the energetic female.
{Yeah, show 'em who's boss!} The vulgar male cheered.
{Just remember to end it quickly. We don't have much time.} The serious female stated, her tone showing no argument before speaking up once more in a soft, concerned tone. {And… Be careful out there, ok?}
"Heh… Not a problem." Joker muttered with a wicked grin before leaping towards the surprised guard and landed on their shoulder, his right arm grabbing the bottom of its mask. With a swift, hard pull and without breaking a sweat, he ripped the mask right off of the deformed being, causing it to bubble and turn completely dark. Red, vein-like pulses covering its entire form, before a mess of black gunk suddenly exploded out of the body. From the explosion, a new form of the guard was revealed, this one taking the shape of what appeared to be a large mechanical minotaur with a vaguely snake-like body.
{Hmm… It appears to be a Sacrificial Pyrekeeper. Not something we've faced before, but nothing you can't handle, my fellow warrior.} The tranquil girl assured.
{She's right. Power level shows that this guy's no threat. Take 'em down, Joker!} The young girl spoke up excitedly.
"You got it…" Joker smirked, his gloved hand covering his face as his white mask slowly dissipated in a flurry of blue flames, the embers floating around him as dark chains came out of the ground below him. A dark, imposing figure slowly appearing behind him, its black wings spread wide with its blood red eyes and eerie crimson smile looking just as sinister as the young man before it.
The mechanical minotaur had no chance.
"RAVAGE THEM!"
Joker frowned as he climbed the large stairway that his navigator told him to take. The fight between him and the monster did not take long at all, but it did attract more attention to him than he would've liked. Dodging the disfigured guards from earlier and making it to the doorway that was nearby was easy, but then he found even more security running around than before as he traversed the dark hallways of the casino's back area. He was getting worried about his teammates, especially after passing through a security room full of people, with one of them calling out that he wasn't alone and to kill whoever they found. After constantly hiding from his pursuers in the shadows and running at top speed up countless stairs, on top of all the fighting he had to do before everything went to hell, he was starting to feel a little exhausted. Thankfully though, the door that he was supposed to go to was right in front of him. It was a good thing too, since he was hearing footsteps behind him loud and fast. Rushing towards the door, he was greeted by the sight of a railing, a mess of people on the floor below him, and a giant ornate window on the other side of the large room, which confused him a bit. He didn't really see any way out of the casino other than…
{Is something wrong? The exit should be up ahead.} The young girl's voice spoke up again, causing Joker to quirk an eyebrow as he looked ahead towards the massive stain-glass window, pretty much confirming what he was thinking about.
"Through there…?" He muttered.
{That's just how it is…} The young girl said, sounding a bit sheepish. {After that commotion, the bottom floor is—}
{Completely closed off…} The serious voice from earlier grumbled, and Joker could tell she was just as exasperated by the persistence of the guards as he was.
{But hey, you can make it though, right?}
He didn't answer the young girl's question, still staring at the window before him with a small frown marring his face. This wasn't something he'd done before, and it was going to take a lot of luck for him to pull it off. Then again, a lot of things that he had done up to this point were nothing but firsts. In any case, Joker knew for a fact that what he had to do was going to be quite the challenge. It was that thought, though, that turned his frown into a small smirk.
He loved challenges, after all.
"Over there!"
"There's nowhere to run!"
They've caught up to him. Joker turned to see three guards right behind him, all armed with pistols aimed right at him. Despite the immediate danger, his smirk never left his face, and with natural grace he hopped onto the railing itself and began running on the narrow strip. Never losing balance, he quickly ran towards the window, even going so far as to hop towards the last part of the railing to save time, before pausing right in front of his objective, kneeling down as he prepared to do his grand escape. With one last look and a cocky smirk at the guards, he decided to have one last word in before booking it.
"See ya!"
*CRASH*
{Hmph… What a showoff.} The young girl scoffed.
{You're really reckless, you know that?} The energetic woman complained.
Yes… Yes, he was. If he had to be honest with himself as he sailed through the air and ignoring the shattered glass flying around him, he always did have a thing for theatrics and risk-taking and the like. It was probably due to all those grandiose stories that his father, grandfather and even older cousin always told him when he was younger. He as a sucker for anything action packed and full of mystery.
Or maybe his friends' eccentric behaviors were starting to rub off on him more than he thought. Hard to tell.
Landing on the ground with a quick roll to lessen any impact injury, Joker got up from his crouched position, ready to make his escape when his vision was blinded by a flash of white so bright he had to cover his eyes briefly. Right then and there he knew what was going on, even as his teammates began freaking out in the background.
The cops were right in front of him, blocking his way towards freedom.
It was an ambush.
"There he is! Capture him!"
The moment those words were said, Joker sprinted off to his right, the police right on his tail and the spotlight never leaving him. Looking forward, he noticed a flash of red and grinned as he saw a fire escape ladder right before him. Without any issue, he jumped up to it and began climbing, looking down at his pursuers with a smug grin as he continued upwards.
Only to be sent crashing down to earth from a blow to a rifle butt from a guard stationed at the very fire escape he was using.
It was over the moment he landed on the ground. The police were all over him, holding him down to prevent him from moving. His exhaustion had finally come up to him as well, unable to call upon the power he used against the Pyrekeeper he fought earlier. He was caught, and he knew there was no way out of it.
"Didn't expect to find some kid…" He heard as he saw someone walking up to him and grabbed his hair. "You have your teammate to thank for this. You were sold out."'
Sold out…. He repeated mentally, staring at apparent head of the operation before the guy let go. As he felt the cops tightening their hold on him, one last thought rang through his head as he heard was more commotion from the frenzied law enforcement and the sounds of handcuffs snapping on his wrists.
I hope the others made it out…
?/?/?/?
She sighed as she walked down the hallway, her mind a mess thanks to all that has happened lately. All she wanted in her life was to have a successful career and make enough money to ensure a good future for herself and her sister. All that became much more difficult though once the incidents started occurring, even more so when he entered her life. The stress of everything was getting to her, she was aware of it, but she continued to do her job, to make sure she succeeded in everything that she'd work so hard for, and now, it seems that all of it was going to end.
But not like this. Out of all the outcomes that it could've been, it had to be this. She mentally sighed, a hand on her silver hair and her face betraying nothing as she paused momentarily to adjust her business clothes while her mind was fretting. Out of all the people who could've orchestrated this entire mess, why did it had to be him…
Shaking her head in a poor attempt to calm down, she continued her walk until she reached her destination, a door at the end of the hallway with two guards posted near it, a cop and a detective.
"Excuse me, but this area's off-"
"I'm Niijima, from the Public Prosecutor's Office," The woman interrupted the detective, wasting no time to introduce herself.
"The Prosecutor's Office? What business do you have here?" The detective questioned.
"Just let me through; its urgent. There's something I need to confirm with the suspect." The prosecutor stated, her dark brown, near crimson eyes glaring at the two guards in annoyance.
"Niijima-san, I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction," The man in shades said smugly, bringing more ire out of the woman before him, "Besides…"
"Are you Prosecutor Sae Niijima?" Another male voice spoke up, and Sae Niijima turned to see another detective walking up to her with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression. "There's a call from your director. Hurry up and get it over with. To be frank, you're being an inconvenience."
The silver haired woman ignored the remark as she grabbed her phone. She heard such comments all throughout her career and grew practically numb so such statements. Besides, what she was doing right now was more important than dealing with a couple smart mouth ingrates.
{I thought I ordered you to stand by…} A tired old male voice sighed on the other line, one that the woman recognized by heart was her boss.
A man that she, personally, did not want to deal with at the moment.
"I'm responsible for both this case and the suspect yet I'm not even allowed an interrogation?!" Sae questioned harshly.
{I'm calling because I knew you'd bring it up.} The director stated, further angering his subordinate.
"I will not be convinced until I confirm it for myself. This is my case. And he is my responsibility," She stressed, not budging an inch until she got what she came for.
{Good luck to you then. I won't be expecting much though… Also, try not to have your ties with the suspect cloud your judgement.} The man conceded before hanging up, Sae scowling at her phone as she put it away.
"Ah, Prosecutor. I forgot to mention something important," The bespectacled detective spoke up, "Your time will be cut short. We can't permit you to talk to him for long."
Sae said nothing as she scowled deeper and looked away, not happy at all of the fact that she was on a strict time limit.
"His methods are unknown. After all, we don't even know if it's safe to simply meet and speak to him. Not to mention your own ties to him as well. He might know a few secrets about you and exploit them for his own gain if he hasn't already done it before. The kid's quite the little monster, after all."
He's no more than a monster than my sister is. In fact, the only monsters I see are all of you. Sae wanted to say, but she knew she couldn't. Any favoritism at all will compromise her chance at interrogation, so she simply nodded with a curt "I understand" before being allowed into the room. The moment she entered, though, she had to hold back a shocked gasp at the sight before her.
There, sitting on a chair on the other side of the table, was the one person she was dreading to see. Battered and bruised, arms crossed on the table and looking down with a dazed look in his dark colored eyes and his trademark glasses missing, wearing his school uniform of a black blazer over a white turtleneck shirt and a pair of red and black plaid pants. He was dripping wet as well, and when Sae looked down at his legs, he noticed that one of them was swollen a bit with a shoe impression on his pant leg. She had to bite her lip to prevent the protective growl from escaping, before slowly walking towards the table to begin her interrogation on one of the most dangerous criminals in all of Japan. The mastermind of the infamous organization that made her job a living nightmare for the past few months. The simple high schooler that she often had dinner with along with her sister. The boy who she promised his grandfather to watch over as a friend of her own father…
The boy who was her charge, her responsibility, as his probation officer…
"Ren Amamiya… You just can't keep yourself out of trouble, can you?" Sae sighed, holding her head as a swarm of emotions began filling within her.
"…Sae-san? Is… Is that you?" A soft voice spoke up, prompting her to turn to her charge with wide eyes in both shock and relief.
"Ren-kun? Are you ok?" She asked softly, concern filling her voice before she could stop herself.
"…Could be better. My leg's hurting a little, but I'll be fine… I think." Ren mumbled softly before lifting his head slightly to give the woman a small smile. "It's good to see you again, though. Haven't…really spoken to you in a while…"
"I've been busy, as you know, but it is nice to speak with you again. I just wish it could've been on better circumstances," Sae conceded with a sad smile before schooling her features. "You don't have to worry about anyone else coming in at the moment. You'll be answering my questions for now on, so I need you to be completely honest with me. Otherwise…things won't end well. For either of us."
"…I understand." Ren nodded before grimacing and grabbed his head in pain, prompting Sae to stand up from her chair in worry.
"What's wrong? Are you ok?" She asked in concern before noticing something small on the floor. Looking down, her anger grew even more when she saw a syringe on the floor, and realized what had happened to the boy before her.
"…Those bastards," She cursed as she turned her attention back to her charge, who looked a little dazed once more, "Hey, can you hear me? You've been though a lot, haven't you?"
"…More than you know, Sae-san." Ren answered after a moment, looking a little more ragged than before.
"I figured, and that's what I'm going to find out." Sae said as she leaned forward, "Almost anything can happen here, and I can't stop them. That's why I need you to answer me as honestly as you can. I don't have a lot of time myself either. So, tell me… What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident?"
"…Are you sure you're willing to listen?" He answered with a question of his own, causing his probation officer to look at him oddly, "My mind's a bit messed up by what the suits did to me, but I can tell you as much as you need. But…"
"But what? If you're going to say that it was all a prank, then don't. I may not have spent as much time with you as I would have preferred, but I would like to think that I understand you well enough to know you wouldn't do something as elaborate as this and simply right it off as some big joke." Sae stated with a glare. "So please, just tell me what I need to know. Especially the methods of how you managed to pull off your heists. I've been wracking my brain about it for months and I still have no idea how you and your friends managed to accomplish what you did."
"Of course, you couldn't…" Ren muttered softly with that small, teasing smile that Sae had seen often whenever the two and her sister were together. "The way we pulled off our heists is kinda hard to believe. Even I had trouble believing what we did every now and again."
"True. There's no way I could be convinced of such a…'world' by just the reports alone," She admitted with a soft laugh before schooling herself again. "In any case, pleasantries are over now, so I'm going to need you to tell me everything. How you discovered the other world, how you 'stolen' other people's hearts. All of it. From the very beginning."
"…I'll do my best," He said as he held his head, focusing on his memories to try and recall every detail of what has happened at this point. The drugs in his system were not helping one bit, but as he continued to focus, a familiar looking blue butterfly began fluttering in his mind's eye, and a voice began ringing in his head. One that he had been hearing on and off again for the past few months.
A voice that he has heard since the awakening of his power, and one that he had come to trust with his life.
You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is still reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…
I beg you, please overcome this game… And save the world… The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds-the truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day… When the game was started half a year ago… For the sake of the world's future… As well as your own… You must remember…
I know you can do it… My Trickster.
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Persona 5: Trials of the Trickster
Chapter 1: Let the Game Begin
4/9/Overcast/Afternoon
It was the sounds of the announcement for Shibuya that roused young Ren Amamiya from sleep. Absentmindedly adjusting his glasses, he was surprised that he dozed off so easily, considering all that had happened to him recently. Staring at a nearby sign for a moment to reorient himself, the young man looked down sadly as memories of that terrible night replayed in his head. He could still recall the voices of that day as well. It was something that he would never forget…
"Ahh! Please help!"
"Hey! Let go of her!"
"You damn brat! I'll sue!"
I still can't believe all that happened. Seriously, what kind of person do you have to be to pull off something like this? Ren thought as memories of the ill-fated incident flashed in his mind before shaking his head to rid himself of them. There was nothing he could do about his situation now other than to simply accept it and move on with his life until it blew over.
It was how he dealt with the other hardships in his life. This one would be no different…
"…A mental shutdown?"
"It's the truth!"
The young man grunted softly as he stared at the talking girls curiously. The girls themselves didn't look all too impressive, they seemed like the airheaded types to him, not his thing, but what they were talking about did catch his interest.
Mental shutdown… Wasn't that something Aneki was checking out a while back? I think she told me that they started happening a couple years ago. He mused as he continued to stare at the girls stoically, his face betraying nothing as he was in deep thought. To think that someone could just…breakdown like that so suddenly. And to think that all of these originated in Tokyo, too. No wonder Pops and Gramps were so adamant on keeping me away from here.
The ravenette let off a quiet sigh as he looked around the train, his eyes focusing on a suspended monitor detailing about the very case that the girls nearby were talking about. It was essentially repeating what the babbling females stated along with some miscellaneous info that he knew off hand, but he did have to quirk an eyebrow at the sight of the apparent 'Second Coming of the Detective Prince' appearing on screen. He heard about him, yes, but he didn't seem all that special to him. Deciding to ignore the screen, he stared at the window once more when he noticed that it was nearing a station. Assuming that it was where he needed to be, the young man grabbed his bag just as an announcement was made over the intercom, stating that they were almost to Shibuya.
Welp, might as well get this over with. Time to start off my new life as a city slicker for a year. Didn't think I'd make in time after taking that detour to say goodbye to coach and his wife, but looks like I had nothing to worry about. Ren thought while sighing as the train slowed to a stop at his destination, stepping off of it and grabbed his phone out of the new school uniform he was given by his father to bring out his navigation and messaging apps. Now then…where was I supposed to meet up with that Niijima lady Gramps set me up with?
Rereading the message he received earlier today, the young man began to make his way towards Station Square, where he was told to look for a stern looking woman with silver hair and a section sign necklace of all things. He found that detail kind of odd but figured that the woman was into politics or something similar so he just went with it. At least he was familiar with the sign; he would always see it whenever he visited his grandpa's office when he was younger.
Following the instructions on his navigation app, Ren was happy to find that he managed to make it to his destination safely, only to become shocked by how many people there were at the moment. He knew that his new home was very populated, but he wasn't expecting it to be so packed. And it was just Shibuya. He couldn't even imagine what the other districts looked like.
"…God damn, and I thought Port Island was full of people. Coach's home has nothing compared to this place. And I can only imagine how the subway's gonna be. I am so not looking forward to be treated like a packaged sardine for a year…
*ping*
"Huh? What's this?"
Surprised by the sound coming from his phone, the young man looked down to it and saw an odd-looking symbol in the middle of his map app. It was a red icon that took the shape of an eyeball with a star for a pupil and what looked like an explosion in the background. He didn't remember installing an app like that, and, without even touching it, it suddenly became bigger, covering nearly half the screen. Curious, he decided to press it to see what it did, but after a couple pokes, nothing seemed to happen.
First day here and now my phone's infected with malware? That figures… Things never go right in my life... Ren mentally grumbled as he tried to move the app to no avail. He let off a slight growl as he glared at the phone before shaking his head and closing his eyes to try and calm himself down. …Dammit, why did it have to come to this. All I wanted to do is help and now I'm stuck here away from my family, living in some stranger's place and being checked in on by one of Gramp's associates who will most likely shaft me at every opportunity like the bloody hard-asses they are. I can't believe I'm thinking this…but I'm starting to wonder if trying to save that woman was worth all this stupid crap.
Was it all a mistake, then?
Ren's eyes sprung wide open at the sound of the deep, echoing voice. Panic began to set in, and he started to look around to find who spoke to him, when he let out a gasp at what was happening around him.
It was as if time was slowing down all around him. People and vehicles were moving in a snail's pace before halting completely. Any and all source of electronics were frozen, with the odd exception of his phone. Ren was terribly confused as well, wondering what was going on and why he was the only one who was still able to move, and was about to freak out when he saw something that seemed to be calling him.
There, in the middle of the street, between the throngs of still pedestrians, was a raging blue flame. It looked very wild, as if it was going to spread out and engulf anyone who was near it, but for some reason, Ren appeared drawn to it. He had no explanation as to why that was the case, but as the large flame began to take shape, he felt a sense of familiarity to it. As if it was something he should recognize.
He continued to stare at the blaze as it took the formed of what appeared to be a humanoid winged demon. He didn't flinch when he saw red flames in the form of evil eyes and a monstrous grin appearing in the 'face' of the blaze, too mesmerized by the unusual, yet somehow inviting show, until he saw something coming out of the flame that he was definitely not expecting.
His own face, sinisterly staring back at him with menacing golden eyes that were begging for a fight.
It was that sight that snapped him out of his trance, and it was only then that he noticed that everyone was moving again, as if nothing happened at all, and the mysterious blue fire was gone. Looking back at his phone, he stared at the weird crimson app that he was sure was the cause of all that, before holding it down, glad that he was able to finally move it, before sending it to his digital trash bin.
…What the fucking hell was that all about? Did I seriously just see myself in a pillar of fire? And why the hell did everything freeze up like that? The confused teen thought before shaking his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Dammit, this is getting way too freaky for me… Is Tokyo always like this? Fucking hell, I hope this year goes by fast… I want to go home.
"Excuse me. Are you Ren Amamiya?" A stern female voice spoke up behind him, and Ren turned to see someone walking up to him.
She had long silver hair parted to one side and was staring at him with such intense brown eyes that they looked almost red to him. She was wearing a typical business suit he had seen other female workers wear and she was holding a small bag that looked to be a laptop case, but what was the biggest thing he noticed was her necklace.
It was the section sign, which meant that she was the one who he had to meet.
"I am. And you're Niijima-san, correct?" He questioned.
"Correct. I'm Sae Niijima, your probation officer during your stay here. It is my responsibility to ensure you stay in line during your stay here, so I suggest you do what I say, unless you wish to suffer the consequences." The woman, Sae, confirmed with a nod and a stern expression, causing the ravenette to stare at her with a dumbfounded expression before briefly checking on her small wrist watch, "I see that you made it on time. I was informed you were going to stop at Tatsumi Port Island to visit an acquaintance of yours one last time before arriving, so I was expecting you to arrive a little later. Good to know that you're punctual."
"…Visiting my former coach didn't take too long. It was really just to say goodbye to him and his family and paying respects to his old friends like I did after my last game with him." Ren admitted with a soft tone of voice while scratching the back of his neck before turning his head to the center of the city square with uncertainty. "Um… Niijima-san? Is there…some kind of light show or something going on today?"
"…No. There shouldn't be. Why do you ask?" The silver haired woman questioned, causing Ren to stare at her in confusion for a moment before shaking his head and mumbling a quick 'never mind'.
Okay then… Doesn't look like she knows what happened. Or anyone else, for that matter. Does that mean that I'm the only one who saw that weird-ass fire? He thought as he stared at the pedestrians around him with a frown when he heard his probation officer call out to him.
"Amamiya-kun, I know the city is a new experience for you, but I suggest you not dilly-dally. I have to take you to your caretaker before the day is done…" Sae said as she turned around and headed towards the street. "Come. My car's nearby. The man who you will stay with lives in the Yongen-Jaya district, a quick car or subway ride from here. You shouldn't have any issues finding his residence once we get there."
"I understand," He nodded as he began following the woman towards a fancy looking silver sports car, the air around them awkward and tense.
The drive to their destination was a silent one, Sae focusing on her driving while Ren simply being a quiet person by nature. Despite that, though, he was curious about his probation officer. She looked quite young to be one, probably just a bit older than his cousin. Not to mention the necklace that she wore. He recognized what that symbol typically meant, and with that, he allowed his curiosity to take over and ask her a simple question.
"Are you into politics, Niijima-san?"
"Excuse me?" Sae responded, looking at him briefly as they stopped for traffic.
"Your necklace," Ren clarified as he pointed at the item in question, "I remember my gramps telling me that the section sign is used as a symbol of the justice system. Law enforcement and stuff like that. I know you're my probation officer, but I was kinda curious if you had another job as well. Like a lawyer or something."
"Hmm… I'm surprised that you know about that. Not many people do," She responded with a small nod of approval before turning her attention to the road. "But now that you mentioned it, yes, I am into politics, but not as a lawyer. I'm a Public Prosecutor over at the Special Investigations Unit, but I do work with the police force every now and again. Currently I'm investigating the string of mental shutdown and psychotic breakdown cases that have been happening lately and see if there's any connection between them. I can't say much about it, but it's been proving to be a difficult task. I'm positive that I'll be able to solve it, though. It's just a matter of time."
What the hell…? The young man thought as he stared at the woman beside him in surprise. A prosecutor from the SIU who's looking into the same cases Gramps and Aniki were discussing about before I was sent here? Wouldn't she be too busy to be dealing with someone like me? How the hell did Gramps get someone like her to be my probation officer?
"I bet you're wondering why someone like me was asked to look after you as a probation officer…" Sae stated while side-eyeing her charge, smirking slightly when he jumped a little at the, admittedly true, accusation, before frowning as she began speaking in a more somber tone, "I have a…history with your grandfather. He was my father's mentor for a time and even taught me a few things while I was in college. He even helped me and my little sister out for a bit when our father died in the line of duty. I owe him a lot, so when called me and explained to me your situation, I felt…obligated to help. I may be extraordinarily busy with my job and supporting Makoto but looking after his unruly grandson who went and got himself jailed for something he had no right to interfere in shouldn't be too much of a hassle."
"…I understand." Ren muttered in response, now feeling quite guilty for putting the woman through so much. It sounded like things were going quite rough for her at the moment and adding him along to the list of what to take care of definitely added some unwanted stress to her. She had the right to be annoyed by this outcome, and he didn't even blame her for her words. If the situation was reversed, he'd probably be acting and feeling the same…
"Look, I was told about your situation already by your grandfather, Amamiya-kun," Sae spoke up, catching the teen's attention. "While I may not agree with the method that you used, I will admit that what you did was, admittedly, quite chivalrous. I probably would've done something similar, if not worse, if I was your age. Especially if my sister was involved… However, even if you had good intentions, what you did was reckless and dangerous, and now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions. As your probation officer, it is my duty to ensure that your rehabilitation goes smoothly until the charges are lifted, so as long as you behave yourself, and don't cause any unnecessary trouble for me or your other guardian, the year should be over quickly and you'll be back home with your family. Do you understand?"
"…I understand, Niijima-san. I promise not to be a burden to you or my caretaker. And…thanks for looking out for me," Ren said after a moment, a small smile on his face as he expressed his gratitude. The woman didn't say anything immediately, though he did catch a faint smile on her face for a moment before it was replaced with a stern expression. Though this time it seemed…gentler to him for some reason.
"Call me Sae, if you wish. If I'm going to be watching over you, we should at least be familiar with one other." She said as she slowed down to a stop, parking in front of a nearby delivery truck and began exiting the car. "We're here. Come on. Let's go see your caretaker."
With a nod, Ren got out of the vehicle and proceeded to follow his probation officer, walking past the truck parked behind them, and stopped at a fence that was guarding a large, two story building that, to him, looked more akin to one of those western apartment complexes he'd seen on TV, but narrower. After staring at the impressive building for a bit, he turned his attention back to Sae, who had her arms crossed and was glaring at the speaker near the fence entrance.
"Hmm… Sakura-san isn't here. He usually answers by now. And it doesn't seem like she's in the mood to come out either…" He heard her mumble and was a bit surprised to hear a bit of melancholy towards the end of her statement, before shaking her head. "He is most like at his café at this time. Best to go there now since it's just around the corner. It won't take us long."
She was right, the walk to the café didn't take that long at all, although Ren was surprised to see so many different stores and buildings so close to each other in such a small distance; a small movie theater, a grocery store, a pharmacy, even a pawn shop. What especially surprised him was the sight of a batting cage being so close to his new home and made a mental note to visit the place as soon as he can. After a quick walk and rounding the corner before the pawn shop, the pair arrived at their destination.
"Here we are. Let's go in," Sae said as she opened the door and walked inside with Akira, the welcoming bell jingling as they passed the threshold.
Akira had to admit, the place looked pretty good. A bit old school with the booths and bar, but all in all, it didn't look all that bad. There was even a TV on the other side of the room, displaying the local news channel for the customers to see.
Speaking of customers, Ren noticed a few people were already relaxing in their own way throughout the establishment; an old couple with a cup of coffee each, and an old man with slick, yet balding black hair and goatee, a pink dress shirt behind a green apron and a pair of light brown kakis, sitting on one of the barstools and apparently doing a crossword, if he had to guess. He had a feeling that the slick haired man was the one he and Sae were looking for, or at least the manager Sakura worked under, and turned his head towards her to ask, until he noticed that her attention was focused solely on the news.
{A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it! The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up!}
"Tch, we're working on it. People like him have no idea how much time and effort we're putting in to stop these cases," He heard Sae mutter darkly, and decided it would be best to let he be for the moment. He turned to the old couple who were talking about the bus incident, and even mentioning that something similar had happened the other day, before focusing back to the balding man, who was still working hard on his crossword.
"Vertical is…the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls…"
"Clam," Ren spoke up before he could stop himself, not only catching the attention of the manager, but also snapping Sae out of her annoyance.
"Huh? Niijima-san? What are you doing…" The manager began before noticing the frizzy haired young man beside her, and his mood dropped considerably. "…Oh, right. They did say that was today."
"And I just reminded you about it this morning, Boss? How can you forget something like this so quickly?" Sae questioned with a hand on her hip and a quirked eyebrow, and somehow, Ren had a feeling that she was teasing the man, but he couldn't be sure.
"Shut up. I'm old, cut me some slack." The manager responded in kind, allowing a small smirk at her direction before focusing back at Ren, his frown returning quickly.
"We'll be going now. The payment's on the table." The elderly man said as he and his wife got up to leave.
"Thanks for coming." The manager nodded politely.
"This place is in the back alley, so there's no worries of a car crashing in here."
"A what now?" The manager questioned the elder in surprise, catching both newcomers' attention.
"Boss, have you not heard of the shutdowns and breakdowns that have been happening all over the city? It's been the only thing the news channels been talking about for the longest time now." Sae stated while Ren stared in confusion, the pair wondering how out of touch the old man was with current events.
"She's right. There's been a sting of those rampage accidents for some time now. I just hope none of those happen here." The elder explained.
"Eh, it's none of my concern," The manager said nonchalantly, causing Ren to look at him bemusedly.
So, this is Sakura-san… He thought as the elderly couple made their way to the exit. He looks pretty laid back for a business owner. I hope I can get along with him.
"Ugh… Four hours for a single cup of joe…" The man groaned, catching Ren's attention once more while Sae allowed herself a small laugh.
"Well this is what happens when you go into food service, Boss. You don't get much work either, so I'd take whatever business I get if I were you," The prosecutor stated with a light teasing tone, something that Ren wasn't really expecting to hear from the serious looking woman beside him.
"Ah, who asked you?" The manager scoffed before focusing on the youngest of the group with a stare of indifference. "So, you're the guy? Ren Amamiya, right?"
"I am. Please take care of me…" Ren nodded with a bow of respect.
"Uh-huh. At least you got manners," The manager acknowledged as he went to introduce himself. "I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody with Niijima-san here hounding over you every now and then for the next year."
"You didn't have to phrase it like that, Boss…" Sae grumbled with her arms crossed.
"I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the guy," Sojiro continued, ignoring the woman's statement, much to her annoyance, before rubbing the back of his neck in frustration "Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and—"
"He already knows. His grandfather already explained the situation to him," Sae spoke up, getting a quick, unnoticed look of gratitude from Ren in response. He wasn't looking forward to recalling the little talk he and his family had regarding that little fiasco.
His grandfather wasn't really happy with the arrangement and was even chiding his father for setting him up with an apparent stranger of all things until they talked a little more… He had no idea what his father said, but it apparently got the older man off his case in the end.
"Really? Well, none of that matters now. Follow me. You too, Niijima-san," The manager dismissed as he walked towards the stairs, Sae and Ren following close by. The moment the two reached the top of the stairs, though, the immediately stopped, stunned by what they were witnessing.
"This is your room," Sojiro stated as he stood in the middle of the attic, the place being what Ren could honestly have considered more of a storage area more than a bedroom.
The room was quite big, bigger than his old room back home, but that was the only good thing he could say about it. The room itself was a mess; dust floating everywhere, bags of trash and boxes scattered around the room, shelves and tables littered with books and what looked like coffee bean sacks, old gasoline bottles, a heater, and even a nearly dead plant shoved off on one corner of the room, a dusty old couch that looked like it hadn't been used in years, and a pathetic excuse of a bed on the far side of the room.
"I'll at least give you sheets for the bed," Sojiro said as he turned to Ren, quirking an eyebrow when he noticed the boy's eye was twitching slightly at the sight of the room that was essentially his for the next year. "You look like you wanna say something…"
"Uh…" Ren began, wondering how he could tell him is opinion of the trashy room as tactfully as he could.
Thankfully though, he was saved from answering by an unexpected source.
"Boss, you can't honestly expect him to stay here. I know he has a criminal record and all, but this is too much! Look at this place!" Sae spoke up after being silent for so long, gesturing all around the room to prove her point.
"What, am I supposed to keep him in my place? There's no way I'm going to let a criminal sleep in the same building I'm in. Besides, the room's not that bad. He can get the majority of the place cleaned in about a day." Sojiro shrugged, uncaring of the words the woman had for him.
"That is beyond the point, Sakura-san. Amamiya-kun needs a stable environment to live in for the duration of his stay and this hardly qualifies as such! The dust here is so thick you don't even need light to see it!"
"Well, in that case, just have him stay with you then. If you think a punk like him deserves a better place, then why not the home of his probation officer?"
"I don't have the time nor the resources needed to watch over him. I'm swamped enough as it is. Besides, it's not my job to house him. I'm to simply check in on him to see if he's behaving at his grandfather's request. Your job is to give him proper housing for the duration of his probation. Something that you're failing at spectacularly."
"If I'm failing so badly at this, then go and find another place for him to live. It's no skin off my bones if I'm not watching over the brat."
As the two argued, Ren began to feel very uncomfortable. He honestly felt bad about causing such trouble for the two of them. They were both put into a position that neither of them asked for because of him, and he wanted to try and make it up to them. He had nothing against them either; they were both good people in his eyes, albeit both very strict in their own way, and really didn't want to end his first day in Tokyo possibly in the streets because of something as sad as a dirty attic.
"Sae-san, Sakura-san, its fine. I can handle it here," He spoke up in hopes of getting his guardians' attention. "The room's not…that bad. I can get it clean no problem. Honest. Besides, it looks a lot better than my dad's workshop back home. It shouldn't take me too long to get everything settled, at least for tonight."
Ren and Sojiro stared at the young man before them, both of them surprised to hear such a response from him. Relenting their argument, the two turned to him, Sae looking a little exasperated while Sojiro stared at him with indifference.
"Well, as long as you're ok with it, I suppose," Sae relented with a sigh.
"Hmm, there you go. Kid knows what's up, unlike some people I know." Sojiro stated with a small smirk, relishing in the annoyance the young woman was radiating, before turning back to his charge, "I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night while in my custody, so don't do anything stupid while I'm not here. I'll toss you out and have Niijima-san here handle you on her own if you cause trouble, which I doubt she'd be happy with. Understand?"
"I do." Ren said with a nod.
"Good," The café owner sighed as he crossed his arms and stared at the teen intensely. "I got the gist of your situation from Niijima-san. You protected some woman from some man forcing himself on her, he got injured, and you ended up being sued. Right."
"That's pretty much it, yeah." The teen shrugged, causing the store owner to glare at him while Sae sighed at the young man's nonchalance about his incarceration.
"With that kind of attitude, no wonder you got your ass hauled to the station," Sojiro grumbled, getting a surprised look from Ren in response, "That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah?"
"…Sort of. You see—"
"…And now that you got a criminal record, you got expelled from your high school," The man continued, not wanting to hear the explanation and ignoring Sae's gaze for his rude behavior. "The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved. In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass—"
"Parent…"
"Excuse me?" Sojiro asked, looking at Ren curiously while Sae stared at the young man in surprise.
"I only have one parent. My dad. My mom died shortly after she had me, so it's just the two of us for the most part. Other than him, I got my Gramps from my mom's side, who's usually pretty busy with his own things, and my aunt and cousin from dad's family. They run their own business in Dad's old home town, which is even more rural than where I live, so they don't have a lot of time to come visit. I get along with my cousin's girlfriend pretty well, but she's gone more often than not because of her job…" The teen explained everything with a straight face, uncaring of the uncomfortable looks his two guardians were giving him. He had seen such looks for most of his life and was simply used to them. His mother was gone only a few days after he was born, so he didn't have any memories of her to begin with. Just stories of her from his father and grandfather.
"Damn… Sorry for bringing that up," Sojiro muttered apologetically, feeling a little guilty for bring up, what he perceived to be, a sore subject for the kid, before turning his attention to Sae. "Hey, you know about this kid's family more than I do. Why didn't you tell me he only had one parent?"
"It wasn't my place to say. I wasn't expecting you to bring his parents up in such a way either. Besides, how would you feel if someone brought up your d—"
"What did I say about bringing that up," Sojiro growled, something that Ren was not expecting to hear from such a laid-backed individual, while Sae simply stared back at him impassively, before the man turned away and glared at the boy, his mood much lower than before. "Listen, kid. It's best to not mention anything unnecessary while you're staying here. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Don't cause any trouble for me or this annoying woman next to me for the year. You do that, and your probation will be lifted."
"As callous and rude as he's being, Sakura-san has a point," Sae conceded with a side-eye glare at the older man, "You're on thin ice as it is, Amamiya-kun. If you get involved in another incident, you'll be sent straight to juvenal hall, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. Not even me."
"I understand. I'll be on my best behavior for you both," Ren assured with a nod.
"Good, now with that settled, take it easy up here for now. We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow to get things set up for you," Sojiro said, getting a confused look from the teen in response.
"Shujin?"
"Shujin Academy, the school your grandfather and I managed to get you enrolled in following your expulsion from your previous school," Sae explained as she gestured to the clothes Ren was wearing. "The uniform you're wearing, the one I mailed to you, is for their school. Be sure to wear it tomorrow while we introduce you to the staff. I'll be meeting you and Boss over there and I'll be bringing my sister as well so I can introduce the two of you together. She's a third-year student there, the student council president to be exact, so she'll be watching out for you as well during school hours."
"Heh, hear that, kid? You're going to be monitored wherever you go, so be sure to not cause any trouble," Sojiro chuckled with a small smirk before looking away with an annoyed expression. "But seriously, I got to spend an entire day hanging out with a delinquent, his stuffy warden and her kid sister in a school the kid was lucky enough to get in? What a waste of a Sunday…"
"You think you're the only one bothered by this? I have to go to work as soon as we finish getting Amamiya-kun situated in Shujin, maybe even earlier if the Director calls me in. If that happens, I'm going to need you to watch over Makoto and take her to the station for me." Sae stated, causing Sojiro to scoff off to the side.
"Are you kidding me? Now I gotta play babysitter for two brats? What a pain," He grumbled before turning back to Ren, who was silent for the whole exchange, "Well, that's that I guess. I put your luggage in the middle of the room here. Have fun sorting everything out."
"I have to get going as well," Sae spoke up after checking her watch briefly, "Makoto should be home by now and I promised to explain what's going to happen tomorrow as soon as I get back. Not to mention the paperwork I have to take care of before work. Looks like I'm in for a long night, again."
"I'll give you a cup to go for you then. Might help keep you focus for the night," The store owner suggested, getting a grateful look from the tired prosecutor.
"I'd appreciate that, Boss. I'll take the house blend then, if you don't mind."
"Not at all."
With that, the pair went downstairs, leaving young Ren alone in the mess of the room with nothing but a cardboard box full of his stuff, a multitude of things to clean, and his thoughts.
Shujin Academy… Who in their right mind thought naming a school that of all things was a good idea? He mused incredulously as he kneeled towards his luggage and began rummaging through it. Seriously, though. I know most people think that's school's a prison and all, but to have one be actually called 'prisoner academy' off all things? That's just messed up on so many levels. I know that the name's most likely under different kanji, but that doesn't make it any better. And with me and my situation, going to a school with a name like that is, like, god-level irony right there.
With an exasperated sigh, Ren stuck his hand deep into his luggage box and pulled out the things he was looking for, a bottle of disinfectant wipes and a feather duster; items that he couldn't help but smirk in amusement as soon as he got them out of the box.
"Heh, and Aniki said it was a stupid idea for Auntie to pack cleaning supplies in here. Welp, it seems that she got the last laugh this time," He muttered to himself as he stood up, looked around the room once more, before putting the duster and disinfectant under his arms and cracked his knuckles.
"Alright, time to get to work."
Evening
-Unknown Apartment Complex-
Sae let loose a soft, tired sigh as she made her way towards the apartment she shared with her sister, a Styrofoam cup in one hand with her personal book bag underneath the other. It annoyed her somewhat that she had to go and drop off a kid a year younger than her own sister on one of her few days off, but it didn't turn out too bad in the end. The young man, Amamiya, seemed to be a relatively quiet and respectable individual, just as his grandfather described. Smart as well, if his knowledge about current events and even politics thanks to his recognition of the style of her necklace was any indication. The young man seemed to be someone who would end up becoming something great when he grew up, were it not for his record.
A shame he threw his future away so carelessly. The young man definitely took after his mother when it came to aiding others. At least he didn't suffer the same fate she did. I doubt his father and grandfather would be ok with losing another member of their family. At least this time it's only for a year…instead of permanently. The woman thought darkly as she climbed the stairway of the complex. She had to admit that she had a shred of respect towards the boy for doing what he did to help, but how he did it was something she couldn't approve. There was no way she could ever approve of something so reckless…
His grandfather apparently did, though, and she couldn't help but be bothered by it slightly. She still recalled the conversation she had with the man a week ago, when she was asked to look after the boy during his sentence…
-Flashback, one week prior-
"You want me to do what!?" Sae practically screamed into her phone, silently glad that Makoto was out at the moment so that she wouldn't see her older sister freaking out in their own home.
{Sae-chan, I already told you about the situation multiple times now. Don't make me repeat myself again…} An elderly voice groaned from the other side of the device.
"I'm sorry, sir, but what you're asking me to do is not something that I can handle at the moment! I already have my hands full with my job and Makoto, and now you want me to take in a delinquent who couldn't keep his nose out of other people's business!?"
{I assure you that Ren is not a delinquent. He was at the right place at the right time but ended up dealing with the wrong people. I honestly commend him for what he did, but I'm afraid he's going to have to accept responsibly for his actions, no matter how unfair they may seem.}
"You're actually commending someone who assaulted a man in the name of 'justice'? Sir, pardon my words, but you must be going senile if you're actually praising your grandson for something like this!"
{He has a good heart, Sae-chan. Just like his parents. And even your father. In fact, if Kyousuke was still around, I'm sure he'd—}
"Don't you even think about bringing my father into this, old man! I don't need to hear it!" Sae practically screamed into her phone, her temper finally reached its boiling point, before realizing who she was talking about and tried to calm down. "…Sorry, sir. I didn't mean to lose it like that. You know how I get when…
{…I understand, Sae-chan. I didn't mean to upset you, nor bring up Kyousuke. I forget that he's still a sore spot for both you and Ma-chan.} The aged man's voice sounded much more tired, and Sae began to feel guilty for adding unnecessary stress to the man. He was old enough as it is, but she still had to get her point across.
"Look, sir, I understand the situation that your family's going through, but I don't have the time nor the room to look after another person. My home is small enough as it is with just me and Makoto. Adding another person to stay with us full time is—"
{Oh, Ren's not going to stay with you. You will have to check in on him every now and again, and you are allowed to take him in at any time if you think his accommodations aren't fit, but for the most part, he will be in someone else's care.} Amamiya interrupted, causing Sae to blink a couple times to process what she had just heard.
"Excuse me?"
{My son-in-law was given an interesting proposal earlier today by one of his friends that lives in Tokyo. Apparently, she mentioned our family situation to the owner of the café she frequents and suggested that he takes care of Akira during his probation. I was against it at first, but after doing a bit of digging on the man, I gave Takuya the ok to give the man a call. We already have the money ready for him and are going to wire it within the next few days. All I'm asking you is to pop in every now and again to see how's he doing.} The elder explained, and Sae couldn't help but gape at the plan.
"…Are you seriously going to allow your grandson to stay with a total stranger until his probation is over? What made you think that was a good idea? Do you even know anything about this person?"
{Well it's not like we had much of a choice in the matter, Sae-chan. With you currently unable to house him due to your living arrangements, this was the only option that we had. If we had it our way, we could have at least sent him to Tatsumi Port Island or something. At least there he could've stayed with that odd baseball coach of his. The judge was adamant about sending him to Tokyo, though, and if I am forced to send my only grandchild to the city where I lost my daughter, then at least I want to make sure that whoever is watching over him treats him well enough. …I'm sorry to put you through this, but we literally have no one else to turn to for this.}
"Sir…" Sae muttered as heard the despite plea of the aged officer, her eyes downcast as she took in the information she was given. She was aware that the difficult situation that her father's mentor was in, but she had underestimated how much of a toll it was taking on him and the rest of his family. She knew better than anyone how difficult it is to deal with such a painful incident that devastates families, both as an observer and from personal experience. She also knew that she already had so much on her plate that adding more is just going to make things much harder for her than ever, but she owed it to the man on the phone. After all he had done to help during her time of need, it would've been rude to not return the favor.
{If you really don't want to do this, its fine. I can try and find someone else who can—}
"Alright… I'll be his probation officer." She interrupted, relenting to the idea with a sigh, and could already imagine the big smile and sigh of relief on the old man's face thanks to her cooperation.
{Thank you, Sae-chan. You have no idea how much this means to me…}
"I think I have an inkling, sir," Sae smiled softly, despite knowing the old man wouldn't be able to see it. "So, do you have any idea what café Takuya-san's friend was talking about? I enjoy a good cup of coffee, so I frequent a number of shops. There might be a chance that I know who he's sending his son to."
{He told me that the shop's name is Leblanc.} Amamiya answered, causing Sae's eyes to widen in surprise, {I think it's a bit of an odd name to have for a Japanese café, but then again, I'm not much of a coffee person these days…}
"Leblanc, huh?" She repeated, a small smile now firmly on her lips as she recalled that café in particular. "You're in luck, sir. I happen to be quite familiar with the establishment. I'll meet up with the owner later this week to discuss what's going to happen, but I assure you that he is capable of taking care of your grandson. And I'll help out as much as I can on my end."
{I understand. Thank you so much, Sae-chan.}
"Not a problem, sir."
-Flashback End-
To think that I've been pretty much guilt-tripped in to this position… But I suppose it isn't too bad. So long as Amamiya-kun doesn't repeat his mistake, everything should go smoothly. Sae thought as the memory of the conversation faded, pausing right in front of the door to her apartment. Although still a trifle bitter about her current arrangement with the young felon, at least he was willing to simply go through the process without fuss. So long as he did as he was told, things will go well for everyone.
"Makoto? I'm home!" Sae called out as she entered her home. It was a modest one, she had to admit, but it had all the necessities she and her sister needed for a comfortable lifestyle for now. Good furniture, a flat-screen tv mounted on the wall, comfortable beds, the works. It took a long time and a lot of effort to get all those things, but they were all worth the effort.
Now, if only she had time to actually enjoy the commodities she got for herself and her sister…
"In the kitchen, Sis! I was just finishing up my homework for the night!" A kind, sounding voice answered, causing the prosecutor to quirk a smile, a small bubble of pride at the sound of her little sister working diligently on her studies. Removing her shoes and setting them near the door, she walked over towards the kitchenette, finding the other resident of her home working away in a textbook on the table.
The young brunette was only slightly older than Sae's charge by a few months, her auburn eyes focused solely on her homework, and was still in her school uniform of a white turtleneck, black halter vest, plaid skirt and her brown stockings, along with her favorite brown hairband, a gift from their late mother. Allowing herself to relax a little, the woman set her bag on the sofa in the living room, pulling out her laptop in the process, and proceeded to sit in the kitchen across from her sister.
"Hey Sis. How did everything go?" The young woman asked as she looked at the silver haired prosecutor, noticing that she looked a bit worn out even as she took a sip of coffee.
"Honestly, not that bad, all things considered," Sae answered as she set her drink down, "Amamiya-kun is now situated in Sakura-san's café for the time being and plans have been made to take him to Shujin tomorrow to get him acquainted with the principal and instructors there. I'll be going over there before heading to work to make sure things go smoothly. I also said that I'll be bringing you with me to introduce him to you. You don't mind, do you Makoto?"
"No, Sis. It's fine. I don't have any plans tomorrow, and my homework for the weekend is almost done, so I have plenty of time to help you out," Makoto answered with a smile, prompting Sae to nod at her in approval with a ghost of a smile on her face.
"Thank you," She responded as she decided to finish up the rest of her coffee and open up her computer to get to work.
"Um… Sis?" The brunette student spoke up, getting her sister's attention. "If…you don't mind me asking… What kind of person is Amamiya-kun?"
"…Why do you want to know?" The prosecutor asked, face stoic as she waited for her younger sister to answer.
"Well, you told me that you were going to look after the guy as a favor for Dad's mentor. A-And I remember you telling me that he got a record for an assault charge. I was…just curious what kind of person Amamiya-san is. I'm wondering if I should be careful when he's with us, due to his criminal record and all." She explained, looking a little nervous at the prospect of meeting, associating, and occasionally housing, a convicted criminal for the majority of her school year.
"Honestly, Makoto, if there's anyone that needs to be careful, its him instead of you. He's not really all that threatening, not to mention the akido lessons you took to protect yourself," Sae responded while shaking her head in mild amusement, catching Makoto off guard. "I spoke to him about his arrest and what it had entailed. While he is upset about having to be away from home, I can tell he didn't regret his actions just by looking in his eyes. At least not fully. What he did was foolish and cost him his future, but I'll concede that he has a good heart, otherwise he wouldn't have tried to helped that woman, even if it did end up turning for the worst. He just needs to better control his actions and think things through so that he doesn't have to go through all this again, or worse."
"Oh… So… He's a good person?" Makoto pressed, still curious about the boy her sister was looking after.
"From what I seen so far, yes. Polite as well, though a little apathetic towards his arrest, for some reason. Most likely resigned to his probation and willing to wait it out until his record's clear," Sae confirmed, watching her sister relax slightly at her words before continuing. "Although I doubt he's all that happy with his current place of living. I know I would be if I was in his position."
"…What do you mean?" Makoto asked slowly.
"Well, if I were forced to stay in the attic of an old coffee shop that looked more akin to an abandoned storage shed than anything, I'd do practically anything to get out of there myself."
"He's staying where now?!"
-Leblanc Attic-
"Alright, got as much done as I could for tonight. Hopefully I'll have enough time to get the rest of this done soon." Ren sighed as he wiped the sweat off his brow and surveyed his hard work.
Having changed out of his uniform for a plain white shirt and a pair of blue jeans, the young 'criminal' spent the entire afternoon getting the attic as clean as he could get it to be. Dusting the windows, disinfecting the table and couch, moving his box of clothes to the shelf where the old coffee bags were, what he dubbed the 'coffee corner', sprucing up the bed so it would be more comfortable, and even sweeping and mopping the floor after he found the broom and mop underneath the empty gasoline canisters, with the mop bucket found near the work-desk full of old books. Sure, the work desk and second shelf were still covered in books and the corner with the pant and stuff still needed to be fixed up, but all in all, it looked much better than it did originally, and couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction for a job well done.
"What the heck?" Sojiro's voice called out as the man climbed up the stairs and stared at the teenager in surprise, "I heard you making all sorts of noise up here, but I wasn't expecting you to actually be cleaning."
"I had a lot of free time. And a lot of lemon-scented wipes, courtesy of my aunt." Ren responded while shaking the yellow bottle that was on the table nearby before gesturing to a blue bicycle that was located in what he called the 'gas and plant' corner. "I even found a bike. Good condition, too. Plan on taking it out sometime whenever I get the chance if you don't mind."
"Huh… So that's where I left it. I was wondering where it disappeared to. Eh, should be fine as long as you let me know ahead of time. At least it'll be put to some use now," The business owner mused as he looked around the room with a nod of approval. "Gotta admit, though, this place doesn't look to bad. Though it's only natural that you'd keep your room clean."
Tell that to Aniki… Ren thought as he rubbed the back of his head, wincing a little as he recalled the last time he visited him. I mean, I like him and all, and he's family, but he should really be careful where he leaves those massive needles he uses for his work. Damn near skewer my feet every time he drags me to his place.
"Well, it's getting late. Why don't you head off to bed? You don't have anything better to do tonight, right?" Sojiro questioned.
"Nope. Honestly, sleep does sound good at the moment. Cleaning an attic takes a lot out of a person, you know?" Ren quipped as he headed towards his box to grab his sleepwear.
"Heh, sarcastic little punk, aren't ya." The man scoffed while shaking his head. "I'm going to close up shop for the night and head home. Don't stay up too late either. I'm not going to stick around and nurse you back to health if you get sick or something like that."
"Understood. Take it easy, Sakura-san," Ren nodded as he watched the man walk back downstairs and on his way home. With his guardian gone for the night, the young man turned his attention back to his box to grab his sleeping shirt and sweats. He wasn't kidding when he said that sleep was a good idea. He did a lot of cleaning today and, on top with all the nerves that were piling up throughout the day, he was both physically and mentally exhausted. Just has he was about to change, though, he heard his phone go off on the table. Grabbing it, he saw that it was a text message from Sae and proceeded to read it.
[Sae: Amamiya-kun, I hope you're doing well. I assume that you managed to get that hovel of an attic to be at least somewhat comfortable. Makoto and I will see both you and Boss bright and early tomorrow over at Shujin. I expect to see you there in uniform. Have a good night, and don't stay up too late.]
Ren couldn't help but smile at the message. Although it was curt, he could tell that Sae cared about him a little, or at least was very serious about her role as his probation officer, and it brought a bit of comfort to him knowing that his grandfather made a strong enough effort to get someone like her to watch over him. Even Sakura-san seemed to be ok, if a little on the difficult side, but he was positive that he will get along with his two guardians eventually. Nodding to himself, the young man scrolled down his phone, flipping through his messages and sending quick texts to his family to let them know that he was ok, before grabbing his sleepwear and proceeded to change.
Now comfortable, Ren lied down on his new bed with his arms behind his head, his glasses on the table where is phone was, reflecting on everything that had happened to him so far.
Arrest… Trial… Criminal record… He thought as the memory of police sirens and drunken yells filled his mind. As crappy as things are now, I couldn't just let that go… It would've gone against everything Dad and Gramps taught me when I was young… Still, the guy I was dealing with was on a whole other level. What kind of man could he be if he's able to call the police his bitches of all things? If Gramps heard him say that, he'd probably punched him in the gut…
*pipipipi*
"Huh? Another message?" Ren muttered as he grabbed his phone from his pocket, only to widen his eyes a little in shock by what he was seeing.
What the hell? I thought I deleted this thing… He thought as he stared at the glowing red app on his phone, the one that he was sure caused that weird event that happened in Station Square earlier this morning. He hadn't told anyone about it, unsure if anyone would believe him or if it was just his mind playing tricks on him at the time but seeing that app again on his phone made him think that the two were connected in some way.
"This is creepy…" The teen mumbled as he deleted the app again, his eyelids getting heavy as sleep began to overtake him. As soon as he set his phone down, he closed his eyes, allowing the comfort of sleep to finally overtake him.
He had a long day tomorrow, and he needed plenty of rest.
?/?/?/?
*Rattle rattle*
"Huh? What's that noise?" Ren mumbled as his eyes slowly opened, the sounds of what he assumed to be rattling chains echoing nearby and was greeted by the sight of blue.
Lots of blue.
Blue walls, blue ceiling, blue brick floor, even the chains dangling above him had a blue tint to it. Disturbed by this, and the copious amount of blue giving him a headache, Ren sat himself up on the cot he was suddenly on and held his head to try and alleviate the incoming migraine he believed he was getting. After letting off a few deep breaths, he looked down at himself to see that he was still in his sleep clothes. For some reason, he had a feeling that he was supposed to be in trademark prison wear, with black and white striped shirt and pants, shackles on his arms and even an old school ball and chain attached to his leg. He had no idea what was going on, wondering if this was all a dream, when the sounds of giggling reached his ears.
He turned his head to the source of the noise, a large prison door with chains wrapped around it, and was surprised to see not one, but two similar looking, individuals appearing on either side of the sealed exit. The pair of young platinum blonde, near silver haired girls wore very similar clothing; blue prison guard outfits with matching black ties, hats and even odd eyepatches with the English letter V on it, but had enough differences to tell them apart; the one on his right had the letters X.M.R.N on her hat, had her hair in a bun, and had her eyepatch on her right eye, while the left one had the letters O.Y.O.O on her hat, her hair in a braid, and her eyepatch covering her left eye. Thoroughly confused, Ren got up from the cot and walked slowly to the door, a hand reaching out to it, but stepped back when the door suddenly opened inwards, slowly but still nearly hitting him. He paused, looking at the chained door in confusion, then at the two mysterious girls before him, who were standing side by side with one other. The two nodded, which Ren assumed it meant to come out, and slowly walked out of the cell he was sealed in. As soon as he left the room, the pair split apart to either side of him, and the young man was greeted by the sight of something he was not expecting to see.
Thoroughly confused, Ren got up from the cot and walked slowly to the door, a hand reaching out to it, but stepped back when the door suddenly opened inwards, slowly but still nearly hitting him. He paused, looking at the chained door in confusion, then at the mysterious girls before him. The…possible children nodded, which Ren assumed it meant to come out, and slowly walked out of the cell he was sealed in. As soon as he left the room, she stepped away to the right side of him, and the young man was greeted by the sight of something he was not expecting to see.
There, right in the middle of the room, sitting behind a large table in what looked like a comfortable chair, was the strangest looking man Ren had ever seen. He was old and balding, what little hair remaining on the back of his head, white like a typical old man. His eyes were large and bloodshot and had the largest grin on his face. He was dressed nicely too, wearing an elegant black suit with a pair of white gloves, giving him a bit of a refined look, if it wasn't for the most distinguished feature on the man's face; his nose.
If Ren had to compare that monstrous, beak-shaped nose to anything, it would have to be a tengu. Those mythical things always had the largest noses whenever he seen illustrations of them in manga, but he wasn't expecting to see something similar to that in his life. Let alone in a dream. He couldn't help but stare as the old man was about to speak. Considering the man's appearance, he was expecting him to sound dark and imposing, as if he were a warden that was going to sentence him to death.
Instead, he was greeted by the sound of what he would eventually see as one of the friendliest old men he had the pleasure to meet.
"Ah, hello, young Trickster. Welcome to the Velvet Room."
Author's Note
Welcome, my friends, to Persona 5: Trials of the Trickster. New and improved, this story is a project that has been working on and off for over a year now and it's high time that I fix it up. The initial version of it, while decent to most, left a lot to be desired in my opinion, so I decided to try and fix it up as best as I could. While the majority of the story will be the same, there will be some differences between this and the original that I think work out for the best. This first chapter here has gone through a few changes here and there since the original, one of the major ones being the combination of the prologue and the first chapter. Though lengthy, I thought it would be best to have the two together to help set the tone of the story and have it begin similarly to the original, with some differences here and there to make it unique still. Don't get used to chapters of this length, however. I am at the moment trying to reduce my word count while still making sure the imagery still comes out well enough...
In any case, I sincerely hope you lot enjoyed the remastered chapter 1 of the Trials. It took me a bit to get it down, but I am satisfied with what is here for the most part. More to come soon, everyone, so get ready for them. As always, thank you all so much for reading my work. I hope you all have a wonderful time and I will see you all in the next one.
Until we meet again, Tricksters. Farewell.