A/N: So, I'm, uh, not dead. If anyone's wondering.

I got obsessed with the Persona games and it has been my fire since then. I always wished to read a full fanfiction of genderbent versions of protagonists but those are terribly rare... so why not make my own? I'll warn you, my grammar isn't the best since English isn't my first language but I try. If there are any mistakes in the story, then those are due to my own fault.

The story also starts slow since I base it on my own playing of Persona 4 and the events that happen in the game so please bear with me (in a way it's kinda a novelisation?). Anyway, enjoy the ride!

EDIT (17/2/19)
- After the joyride that is a 1-year-course of matriculation college (which I'm bound to graduate from by April if I can pass the semester exam) and also getting addicted to JJBA + RP'ing (which the latter resulted in many, many depressed times), I decided to take a look at this fanfiction again and holy hell was my writing during these days kinda... bad. It's like reading a story written by a novice of fanfiction-writing. A lot of strange word choices too, but I decided that while I might not do anything major to the current chapters posted (except maybe changing a few things, I'll tell in the A/N's note in that case), I will be making minor changes (like Ryotaro to Dojima, and line break changes) using what free time I have.

- I also ended up losing my P4 save files so I gotta restart from scratch (which I was planning to do as I screwed up somewhere involving a book and was too far ahead to change) and that might take a while considering how far I was into the game already... could be considered halfway, eh? But anyway, if I can get back to where I last left off and also finish those minor changes I might finally end the poor hiatus the story ended up in... to those who are still following this fanfic until this day, thank you for your unwavering support!

"Mother, do I have to go…?"

"I'm sorry, dear… your father and I have business out of Japan and your uncle in Inaba is the only one who can take care of you for the year. Please, it's just for the year. We'll try and finish our jobs there as fast as we can."

Silver-grey eyes stared down at a pair of black loafers, glistening in the golden lighting of the room from the chandelier. Those eyes held no shine to them as they looked up at the older woman standing ahead of them who bore a regretful expression within her soft gaze. "...Yes, mother."

The woman sighed and went to hug her child, her arms wrapping around her child's frame. "Be good… and don't forget."

The younger one stared ahead silently, hands quietly turning into fists.

"I won't, mother."

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

The day of his departure was met with silence as his parents sent him to the train station.

"Be good now, okay?" His mother told him, hugging the silver-haired boy for one last time. He nodded slowly, hugging his mother back. "Yes, mother."

After a moment, his mother broke the hug to let his father approach him. The man patted his shoulder, looking wistfully at his son. "We'll see you in a year. Take care of your health."

Yu nodded, quiet as ever. He doubted that they'll have the time to call him in that time period anyway.

"We need to go now, dear… we love you." His mother looked at him sadly before she and her husband left the place, leaving the boy standing amongst many others who were waiting for their train. A sigh escaped Yu's lips when he couldn't see them anymore.

Another year away from them, another school transferred from, and more people he lost once again.

All because of his grandfather's company, his parents were as busy as ever. His father was the heir of the company, and was currently the chief executive officer of the company while his grandfather was still the chairman. Soon, in due time, he himself too will become the heir.

His parents didn't have time to have another child, so he was the one to shoulder the weight. That was a future he wasn't looking forward to, but it was as if he had a choice to pick anyway.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

"The train heading for Yasoinaba Station is now approaching… please step behind the yellow line to avoid any accidents from occurring..."

That was his train.

He's been standing idly waiting for it, a simple black duffel bag as his luggage that he carried on his shoulder. He wasn't bringing much from home other than his spare clothes and some items necessary for school. Plus, he was already wearing his uniform for his new school in Inaba.

Yasogami High School… that was where he will be spending his second year in high school at.

One would feel nervous at that fact, but he has gone through it so many times he grew numb to it. It was now a minor occurrence in his everyday life, one he will expect to happen another day in the future.

The dull yellow train pulled over to the station, opening its doors a moment after.

"Passengers of the train heading for Yasoinaba Station, please board the train now…"

Without another thought, Yu boarded the train. Looking out at the city one more time, he sighed quietly. Goodbye it is to this concrete city.

He won't be seeing such a place for a year.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

An odd dream came to him the night before the day of his departure, a week after being told that he has to leave the city since his parents wouldn't be around for a whole year to take care of him.

An ebony black limousine driving through a dense fog, its destination unknown, appeared in his mind. Inside the limousine was a grand sight, with a blue colour in different tones to almost everything inside the vehicle.

On the seats at the side was a lady with her platinum-blonde hair pulled back into an elegant hairstyle, dull golden eyes, pale skin, and a blue dress with intricate details, mixing the colours black and gold against the dark blue of her outfit.

Sitting next to her, in the middle of the seats at back of the limousine was an old man of the sort, with a long nose and wide eyes. His hair was a greyish white, but who knows how old he truly is? He was also dressed in a black suit and tie, which was an odd thing to see on such a person.

The old man's hands were held together in front of his face and under his nose, his elbows on the small table set in front of him and the lady. A moment after, he opened his eyes and spoke first.

"…Welcome to the Velvet Room."

That when Yu realized that the man was actually greeting him.

"Ah… it seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny…" The old man chuckled slightly. "My name is Igor… I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter – it is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter."

Igor then crossed his hands, elbows still on the light blue table. "It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future. Now then… why don't you introduce yourself?"

Yu blinked in silence, a little taken aback at the circumstances of this dream. Or is it even a dream? Still, he couldn't help but feel like he can trust the events happening right now. "My name… is Yu Narukami."

"Hm… I see." Igor grinned at him. His wide eyes appeared as if he knew something the teenage boy was hiding. "Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" With a motion, a bright flash came from the table. When it faded out, what appeared from the flash was a deck of cards.

"Do you believe in fortune telling?" he asked, not bothering for an answer as he waved his hands, causing the cards to move into a hexagon formation, with the remaining cards in the middle. "Each reading in done with the same cards, yet the result is always different…"

A chuckle came from Igor again. "Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?" He flicked his fingers, causing a card to flip over. It was an upright Tower card. "Hm… the Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating the future beyond that is…"

Another flick of his fingers, and another card flipped over. It was an upright Moon card.

"The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery'… very interesting indeed. It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… if the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."

Igor then waved his arms, causing the cards to disappear. "Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you." He turned to look at the lady sitting near him, who has been looking at Yu the whole time silently. "This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself."

Margaret had a poised smile on her lips as she then introduced herself. "My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey."

Igor then focused back onto Yu. "We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell…"

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

Yu's eyes focused on the fleeting scenery of the city through the windows, now turning into a blur.

A memory came to mind, one that was of his last day in his previous school. His homeroom teacher had announced his transfer to his classmates, most of them he barely even knew, though they all had been shocked at the announcement.

He hasn't even been in that school for more than a year.

Yu's life was a lonely one, where his constant moving has caused him to lose many friends over the years. In the end, he has gotten so sick of feeling pain when he had to leave that he decided to not make friends whenever he arrived at a new place.

It worked so far, but now he feels empty.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

An hour has passed.

By now, Yu could see the buildings of a town unfamiliar to him. He knew the train was approaching the station soon, as evident from the announcement saying that they will be arriving at the Yasogami Terminal in a few minutes.

Taking out his phone, he checked his messages and found one.

"Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4PM."

He silently put his phone back into his pocket and got up to take his luggage out. It was time for him to change lines so he would be on his way to Inaba.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

The trip on the other train was just about the same, except with much less people. Yu was able to get a seat and merely stared at the empty seat across of him in silence. As the train entered a tunnel, he let his eyes slowly close…

A vision of Margaret and Igor suddenly flashed through his mind, startling him.

The darkness of the tunnel turned to light, revealing green pastures and a rural city in the distance.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

He was the only one to drop off at the Yasoinaba Station. He had predicted that the town would be quiet, but not this quiet.

Yu looked around, trying to find someone… when he heard a man's voice call him.

"Hey! Over here!"

Turning his head, Yu finally noticed a man and a little girl near a car. He walked down the steps and approached them. So this must be his uncle. They shook hands as his uncle smiled. "Well, you're more handsome in person than in your photo."

"Welcome to Inaba. I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'll be looking after you," Dojima then introduced himself. He looked a little rugged with his stubble and black hair. He had dark brown eyes and was dressed in a semi-casual outfit, consisting of a grey button up shirt, red tie, black slacks and shoes. "Let's see… I'm your mother's younger brother… and that about sums it up."

Yu nodded. "It's nice to meet you."

Dojima smiled again and scratched the back of his head. "Heh. You probably don't remember, but we've met. I've changed your diapers before, you know." He looked at the little girl hiding behind him and gently pushed her in front of his nephew. "This here's my daughter. Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin."

Nanako was a brunette with the same brown eyes as her father. She was also dressed in a pink shirt with white long sleeves and a dark maroon skirt alongside a pair of brown loafers and white socks that reached her knees. She nervously looked down, not willing to look at Yu. "…'lo." She blushed shyly and went behind her father again.

Dojima just chuckled. "What're you so shy for?" he asked as he looked behind him at her. His question just resulted in Nanako hitting his back in shy anger. "Ow, hahaha." The older man laughed the pain off before looking back at Yu. "Well then… let's get going. My car's over there."

Yu followed them both, having a feeling that this year would be a dull one.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

Along the way, they had stopped at the gas station in the central shopping district of Inaba. Apparently Nanako had to go to the bathroom real quick, and that was the nearest place that had one. Dojima decided that he'll fill the car's tank while he was at it.

The gas station attendant approached the car as they pulled over. "Hi! Welcome to Moel."

Yu went out of the car with Nanako and his uncle, tired enough that he didn't bother to focus much on his surroundings. He was snapped out of it when the attendant then spoke to him. "Are you in high school?"

The teenage boy then looked at the attendant. "Does it surprise a city boy to see how little there is out here? There's so little to do, I'm sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be handing out with your friends or doing part-time jobs. Speaking of which, we're actually looking for part-time help right now."

The both of them got closer as the attendant continued to talk. "Give it some thought, why don't you? We don't mind if you're a student." They then held their hand out, and Yu went ahead to shake hands with them. They talked a bit more when Nanako arrived, reminding the attendant of their job. "Oh, I should get back to work."

They left after that. Yu noticed Nanako looking at him when a throbbing sensation hit him. He held his head, grimacing slightly.

"…Are you okay?" A soft voice asked, which belonged to Nanako who was looking at him. "Did you get carsick? You don't look too good…"

Yu wondered if he was just exhausted. He was feeling somewhat dizzy too… well, whatever it was, he can't let it show too much. Better to act fine than let people worry for him.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

The Dojima residence was smaller than Yu's home back in the city, but it was more cosier than the grand house he had gotten used to living in. For the next year, this place will be his home… and it will be quite an odd experience.

A small while after arriving, they had dinner set up.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

They all opened their cans of drinks as Dojima decided that they should have a toast. That they did, and they drank a few gulps before setting the cans down on the wooden table.

Dojima then looked at his nephew. "So… your mom and dad are busy as always… they're working overseas, was it? I know it's only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents… it's rough being a kid. Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having someone like you around. So long as you're here, you're part of the family, so make yourself at home."

Yu nodded again. "Thank you for your kindness."

His uncle smiled a bit. "C'mon, there's no need to be so formal. Look, you're making Nanako all tense."

Nanako noticed what her father just said and looked down, relaxing a little. Dojima continued on. "Well, anyway… let's eat."

Just as they were about to eat, a ringing sound came from the older man. "Ugh… who's calling at this hour?" He took out his phone and answered the call. "…Dojima speaking." He got up and walked away from the table. "Yeah? I see… so where is it? Uhuh… all right, I'm on my way."

He ended the call and turned to look at Yu and Nanako. "Sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business. Go ahead and eat without me. I don't know how late I'll be. Nanako, you help him out, okay?"

Nanako's expression had fallen, having gotten up at the phone call. "…Okay."

Dojima then left, when he shouted. "Nanako, it's raining out. What did you do with the laundry?"

"I already brought it in!"

"…All right. Well, I'm off."

The sound of a car engine turned out echoed from outside, before it began to fade out as the car drove away. Nanako sat back down and turned on the television, which had a weather forecast playing. Apparently it's going to be raining a lot.

"…Let's eat," The brunette said meekly. Yu bit his lip, thinking about something to talk about… and his thoughts went to what Dojima worked as. "What does your dad do?" he asked, just to try and break the ice.

"He… investigates stuff. Like crime scenes. My dad's a detective."

Oh.

Just then, a news report came in on the television. It was about a city council secretary named Taro Namatame being under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter, and his wife, Misuzu Hiiragi, revealed to the news station that she will likely pursue damages.

Mayumi Yamano, the reporter allegedly in a relationship with said secretary will not be on television in the meantime. Yu just shook his head – seems that such scandals won't escape this town's television channels either.

"…This is boring." Nanako changed the channel, which then showed a commercial for a place called Junes. Upon hearing the little tune at the end of it, she sang along. "Every day's great at your Junes!" She looked at her cousin once she finished. "…Aren't you going to eat?"

Yu tried not to panic and went ahead to eat his meal which has gotten a little cold.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

After dinner, Yu washed up and went upstairs to a room, which was a room he was currently borrowing from his uncle to use as his own.

There were boxes all over the room, which some of them were essentially the rest of his stuff from home. Some others were from storage as this room was for that purpose. He'll just clear them out later.

Setting his duffel bag down near his futon, he was about to dress up for the night when his phone rang. With a sigh, Yu took out his phone and answered the call. "Hello…?"

"Dear, is that you?"

"M-mother." Yu stuttered in surprise. His parents never called before whenever they went away for a month or two at a time. Possibly because this time was different, his mother decided to call him for once. "I thought you wouldn't call."

"I'm sorry about that, dear… we just thought that you would be alright if we didn't call just so you didn't miss us too badly. Is everything okay in Inaba?"

The silver-haired boy was silent for a few moments. "…Yes. I've just arrived and finished dinner, mother."

"That's good… how's your uncle?"

"He's fine. His daughter is alright too."

"Good, good… dear, I need to board my flight now. We might be too busy to call you after this."

"Yes, mother. I understand." Yu bit the inside of his cheek after saying that. It hurts to know that his parents were just too busy with their own lives to care for him.

"Okay then. Your father and I love you, dear."

"…I love you too, mom." Yu shut his eyes, his other hand gripping into a fist. The twinge of anger and sorrow mixed together in his chest as he wondered to himself, why did he have to live like this?

"And… don't forget. You must keep on hiding it. No one can know that you're a girl, Yui."

To live as a person she was not?

"I will, mother."

The call ended after that.

The teenager stood in utter silence as her arm fell to her side, still gripping the phone tightly. She knew exactly why. Why as a man, rather than a woman? Not as Yui Narukami, but rather as Yu Narukami? Because for her grandfather's sake, she must become a man.

Even if it means hiding her true figure and appearance.