Prisoner of Glory Chapter 19: Rehabilitation, a persona series fanfic

Chapter 19: Rehabilitation

Summary: Yuri Hikawa owns up to her mistakes, and befriends the Phantom Thieves.

Saturday, August 12th 20XX, Night
Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center, Toyohira Park

Even through all the turmoil of the Madicce Cup, the Phantom Thieves in particular considered it a success. They had rescued another city from the clutches of its Metaverse Monarch, and in terms of the tournament itself, one of their own had delivered the best performance of her life thus far. As the crowd shuffled out of Toyohira Stadium upon the medal ceremony's conclusion, Ren started up a group IM chat with himself, Sumire, and the others.

REN: Congratulations, Sumire! I'm so proud of you!

RYUJI: Dude, that was a kickass routine!

SUMIRE: Thank you, everyone!

REN: Our phone daughter says she enjoyed it a lot, too.

SUMIRE:

MAKOTO: You seemed very happy with your results. Are you?

SUMIRE: Of course, Mako-chan! I may not have won first place, but I did it all through my own strength.

SUMIRE: Besides, I got my highest score ever on that ribbon routine!

HARU: Oh, I'm so glad, Sumire-chan!

YUSUKE: Indeed, you were absolutely brilliant, Yoshizawa-san.

YUSUKE: We all wish to congratulate you in person. When shall we get together?

SUMIRE: I can't make it tonight, unfortunately. Things are so hectic for us right now.

MAKOTO: It wouldn't be smart anyway. I'm sure there's a lot of press attention right now, which we don't need.

ANN: Isn't Yuri giving a press conference tomorrow or something? Why not meet up there?

SUMIRE: That's right, Ann-senpai, but I don't think we'll all be allowed in. It might be streamed online, though, so I'll look into that and let you know when it is.

SUMIRE: If you're not leaving town, we could meet afterwards. I'll bring Yuna-chan along, and Yuri if she's available. I'm sure they'd love to get to know you! How does that sound?

FUTABA: Meet Yuri? Like, IRL?

FUTABA: X_X

ANN: Don't worry about Futaba, she's just a little star-struck. We'd all love to meet your friends!

RYUJI: Yeah! After the conference, wanna head over and meet us at Odori Park?

SUMIRE: Sure thing. I'll text you when I'm on my way. Until then, good night, Senpai!

REN: You too, my little champion.

SUMIRE: ^_^;

With that, Ren got up, regrouped with the others, and took the subway back to Odori Park and their campsite. Not a moment of that night progressed that he did not reflect upon Sumire, and how proud he was of her. She had come such a long way since their first meeting, just over a year ago, and now, even the wildest fantasies he had for her future seemed within reach. He longed so much to show his appreciation for her achievements that the excitement kept him from falling asleep. Ryuji's incessant snoring did not help matters, either. Still, after the ordeals of the past couple of days, he appreciated the chance to take it easy for once.

Sunday, August 13th 20XX, Daytime
Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center, Toyohira Park

Yuri's press conference began at 11 o'clock the following morning. Sumire and the other gymnasts from the Madicce Cup were driven over to Toyohira Stadium and led to one of the conference rooms on the upper level, where they sat among a legion of reporters. Facing them behind a long table and a dense forest of microphones, Yuri Hikawa sat beside her father, a middle-aged mustached man, and another representative who was, presumably, Yuri's attorney. Mr. Hikawa was the first to address the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, members of the press," he started, "thank you all for coming out here today. I am Isao Hikawa, owner and CEO of the Hikawa Business Group. In response to the incidents that occurred over the past week at the Madicce Rhythmic Gymnastics Cup, my daughter, Yuri Hikawa, has prepared a statement." Mr. Hikawa sat down, allowing Yuri to deliver her speech.

Yuri bowed to those in attendance. Speaking calmly and clearly, she thanked her father and delivered her address in English. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement…" She shook her head and corrected herself, her expression shifting into a remorseful frown. "…no, a confession to make regarding the Madicce Cup. As you are aware, I decided to forfeit the finals yesterday. This was due to a personal crisis of conscience. The truth is… I cheated. For the past few months, I have interfered with the mental state of my opponents by bullying them about their deepest secrets, causing them to lose their composure while performing. This behavior continued until yesterday, when I was stricken by so much grief over my actions that I could not, in good faith, continue competing in the Madicce Cup. That is why I forfeited."

Oblivious to the surprised murmuring among the audience, Yuri continued. "I have already confessed all this to officials of the International Gymnastics Federation. While they have yet to reach a verdict, I anticipate that I will be suspended from competition temporarily, or even permanently. Until they come to a decision, I am taking actions of my own to repent for my crimes. I have relinquished the medals and prize money I was set to earn during the Madicce Cup, and asked that my scores be stricken from the record. To anyone whom I have unfairly taken out of competition in the past few days, if you would care to stay here after this conference, I will deliver a personal apology and offer to arrange a settlement with each of you." Her eyes began to tear up at this point. "However, I do not believe those actions will be enough to make up for how much of a disgrace I have become to the rhythmic gymnastics community. As such, I intend to retire from gymnastics altogether."

This news was a devastating shock to Sumire. She nearly shot out of her seat and begged Yuri to reconsider giving up on her passions, until she added, "…At least, temporarily. I have doubtless made several enemies over the course of the Madicce Cup and beyond, but at the same time, I have made a new friend. I know she would be heartbroken if I simply threw away the dreams I was working so hard to fulfill. So to her, I say: I will not be gone forever. I will come back once I believe the world has forgiven me, and once I have forgiven myself. Mark my words, you and I will make Japan become the next great superpower in rhythmic gymnastics… together!"

Now it was Sumire's turn to shed a few tears. Overcome with a kaleidoscope of emotions, she slowly applauded her former rival's decision to keep her dream alive. Sitting beside Sumire, Yuna joined in with a slow clap of her own, followed by Hanako and several other gymnasts. The applause was not universal, as Larisa, Yuliya, Ayelet, and other competitors Yuri had targeted directly instead sat still with arms crossed, refusing to give her praise for causing their misfortune in the first place. Still, enough reporters added to the applause that their absence hardly mattered. Fully moved to tears, Yuri said, "Thank you… thank you. I promise not to disappoint you all. From now on, I will fight fairly, and give all of my spirit into every routine I perform." Finally, she wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "I will now take your questions at this time."

A wave of camera flashes followed this statement, as the reporters jockeyed to get the attention of Yuri. "Hikawa-san," one reporter asked, "is it true that you received a calling card from the Phantom Thieves? Did that have any impact on your decision to drop out of yesterday's finals?"

No one knew that an actual Phantom Thief was present among them that very moment. Sumire tensed up when she heard this question, subtly trying to avoid Yuri's gaze. But Yuri simply shook her head and answered, "That was simply a prank, some sort of stunt meant to psych me out. I have nothing to say about who did so, nor anything else on the matter. However, I can state that it had nothing to do with me retiring from the Madicce Cup. My guilt finally caught up with me, that's all."

"How come all the victims were from Russia and Europe?"

"Those nations have had the most success in rhythmic gymnastics tournaments for a long time. While I have great respect for their traditions and their athletes, I was jealous of how they dominated the sport, and wanted Japan and other nations to have a fair shot. I still believe in this cause, but now I've realized that my actions were not a suitable way of accomplishing my goals."

"Did EMMA or the Madicce corporation play any role in your actions-"

But Mr. Hikawa cut the reporter off before his daughter could respond. "This press conference is over." He angrily shooed everybody out of the room, while their aide instructed Yuri's victims to wait outside until they were called by name, one at a time, to meet face-to-face with her and receive their formal apologies.

Afternoon
Odori Park, Sapporo Central

Meanwhile, back in Odori Park, the Phantom Thieves watched these very events unfold through their smartphone screens, up until Mr. Hikawa's intervention forced the networks to cut off the feed. For the most part, Yuri's confessions only served to confirm what they already knew from speaking with her Shadow Self. They were also not surprised when she neglected to mention EMMA. At first, they simply assumed the public would not be able to comprehend the app's secret powers, of which even the Phantom Thieves themselves were still in the dark. However, the way her father cut her off before she could answer the one reporter's question gave them cause for concern. As they discussed the implications of Mr. Hikawa's interruption, Ren's phone made an interruption of its own. He held it up, and Sophie's voice told him, "Zenkichi is on the line."

Ren tapped a button on the touchscreen to accept the call. "Hey," the cop greeted him. "You guys see Hikawa's press conference?" When Ren replied affirmatively, Zenkichi responded, "Yep, you all did a bang-up job. Really can't thank you enough. How's Yoshizawa-san been?"

"She's doing great, Gramps. She won a bronze medal in one of the finals!"

"Nice! If I don't see her, tell her I said congratulations."

"Will do. What about Yuri?"

"It doesn't look like she'll suffer any criminal charges, but I'm bringing her in for interrogation just in case. After all, PubSec crossed paths with her family before. I knew you'd want to analyze her phone, too, so I pulled a few strings, and now I'm her personal chauffeur - at least as far as the station. If you want, I can open up some time for you to talk to her. Just tell me where you wanna meet."

"Odori Park is fine," Ren answered. "Sumire and her friends are coming over to visit us, too. Might be a good opportunity for Yuri to kiss and make up with them."

"You got it, kiddo. See you soon."

A couple of hours later, their guests finally arrived. Sumire was accompanied by Yuna Seong, while Zenkichi showed up separately with Yuri Hikawa, stopping by on the way back from her interrogation. While everyone else introduced themselves to each other, Ren called Zenkichi, Futaba, and Sumire over to discuss some matters privately. He began by asking Zenkichi, "So, Gramps, did you get to speak with Yuri?"

The officer nodded, but his face bore a disappointed frown. "Nothing new came out of it. All she explained is that she could control whoever added her as a friend on EMMA."

"I knew it!" Sumire whispered to herself.

"What's that?"

Aloud, she explained, "Oh, I was just thinking about the bullying she did before she discovered EMMA. That alone wouldn't have been enough to make her victims at the Madicce Cup perform so… um, poorly. Even I didn't do that badly at the tryouts for Saint Petersburg!"

Ren was glad that Sumire was finally starting to feel better about those tragic tryouts. To Zenkichi, he continued, "Why did her father cut her off when that reporter mentioned EMMA?"

"It could be anything. Maybe her parents have a business interest with Madicce which they don't want to put at risk. Remember how Yuri was a spokesperson for them? Must be too much money at stake."

Ren was frustrated. For all he and his friends had gone through in the past few days, they seemed no further to uncovering the mysteries of this new Metaverse. "So we're back to square one…" he sighed, shaking his head.

"Come on, don't give me that look. Here, I at least got her smartphone."

"Now that's what I wanna see!" Futaba shouted as Zenkichi handed the phone over to her. She started to head into the Phantomobile, keen on hacking into Yuri's phone and its copy of the EMMA app, but stopped to tell the others, "This might take a while." Casting a furtive glance in the direction of Ren and Sumire, she added, "I'll let you lovebirds spend some time together."

As Futaba disappeared into their RV, keen on deciphering the mysteries of Yuri's mobile device, the blushing couple rejoined the others, and Ren introduced himself to Sumire's other friends, Yuna responding with a friendly Korean "annyeong". To Yuri, he bowed slightly and said, "Hello, Hikawa-san. Sumire told us all about you. I'm her boyfriend, Ren Amamiya." Sumire blushed softly and demurely gazed off to the side at the mention of their relationship.

"Oh, h… hello." Yuri was uncertain how to act in social situations like these, especially to somebody so close with the person whom she used to have a vendetta against. She simply bowed politely and hesitantly told him, "Listen, Amamiya-san… I don't know how much you've heard about me from Sumire-san, but you don't have to forgive me for anything. I know I've done a lot of ****ty things to your girlfriend."

"It's okay," Ren replied. "We saw your press conference this morning. What you did to Sumire back then hurt me just as much as her, but… well, I believe you're willing to turn over a new leaf for yourself." Secretly, keeping in mind the Change of Heart he had enacted in her, he knew this statement to be true. "Everyone who commits a crime deserves a chance to rehabilitate themselves, isn't that right? Besides, even after learning what you did, I still enjoyed watching you perform in the tournament."

"Oh!" The faintest curl of a smile began to show upon Yuri's mouth. "You really mean it?"

Ryuji nudged Yusuke in the ribs, cueing him to step forward. "Indeed! Your gymnastic routines were a show of beauty, such that I have seldom been fortunate to witness." He bowed, introducing himself to the subject of his affections. "My name is Yusuke Kitagawa, and I am a Japanese-style painter. One of my compositions won an art competition recently, and is now showcased at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum."

"My, that's impressive!"

"Thank you, Hikawa-san. I have also begun to branch off into additional pursuits, in particular, costume design. I believe you have seen the leotard worn by Yoshizawa-san in her ribbon final?"

"The one with the fire-bird, if I recall?"

"Just so. I designed it myself, while Takamaki-san helped to put it together. She's an amateur model, so she's made a few connections in the fashion industry."

This was news to Ren. He couldn't help but interrupt, "Wait, really? Is that why you wanted to keep your routine a secret, Sumire?" His ruby-haired girlfriend nodded. Growing suspicious, he asked his other friends, "Was anyone else in on this thing, too?"

"Uh…" Ryuji answered, scratching the back of his head, "I coached her in a little physical training, while Futaba helped with the choreography and picked out the music. Don't you think Sumire would make a killer spy girl?"

Ren grinned at the mental image. "You guys have been up to so much while I was away…" he sighed. "Thank you so much for giving Sumire your support without me. And you too, Yuri. As long as you promise to help her out from now on… well, you're alright in my book."

"Thank you, Amamiya-san. I swear I will not let you or her down." She bowed deeply, then allowed Ren to shake her hand.

A brief silence followed, broken when Ryuji asked, "So… Still gonna be a while until Futaba's done her thing. Wanna go somewhere?"

Ren's phone chimed from within his pocket. When he pulled it out, he saw Sophia looking back at him. "At this hour, I would recommend the Ferris wheel over in Suzushino," she suggested.

"That sounds lovely!" Sumire exclaimed, nodding eagerly just as another faint blush appeared on her face. To Ren, she asked, "Would you like to join me, Senpai?"

Ren was briefly taken aback, but smiled and said, "Sure, we'll all go! What do you say?" With excited exclamations of approval, the gang strode off together.

Evening
Ferris Wheel, Suzushino

The Ferris wheel Sophia recommended was located on the roof of a department store, just a block away from Suzushino's main crossing. While waiting in line, Ann looked over the pairings her friends had formed, and tapped Ryuji on the shoulder. "Say, Ryuji," she whispered, "what happened to those other girls you started going out with? You know, the ones you met at my recital last year?"

The previous autumn, while Ren was still with them in Tokyo, she and Futaba took part in a recital to cap off the bellydance classes they were taking together. During the party that followed, Ryuji and Yusuke introduced themselves to two of the other students, a track athlete named Ayame and a literary historian named Yuki. At the time, they seemed to respond kindly to their romantic advances. However, Ryuji explained, "Eh, we broke up. They just felt like seeing other people."

"Really? Did they say who?"

"Each other," answered Yusuke.

Ann couldn't help but snicker at this ironic turn of events. "Well, second time's the charm! Good luck, boys!" Soon after, the group reached the front of the queue, and split off into pairs to board four successive cabins. Ren and Sumire got on first, followed by Ryuji and Yuna, then Yusuke and Yuri, leaving Ann, Makoto, and Haru to share the last one.

Once they boarded their cabin, Ren and Sumire sat side-by-side, arms draped over each other's shoulders. Ren nuzzled his lover affectionately and softly told her, "I'm so proud of you, Sumi-chan. So, do you have your medal?" Nodding, Sumire zipped open her jacket and lifted her bronze medal off from her neck. She let Ren hold it up for a closer look. On one side, it was emblazoned with the Madicce company's logo and the words "Madicce International Rhythmic Gymnastics Cup 20XX" in both Japanese and English. On the other side was a stylized figure, standing with one leg high behind her head and a ribbon trailing from her hand. It was accompanied by the text "3rd Place - Ribbon", again in the same two languages. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes, it is…" she sighed.

However, from the way Sumire gazed away and let her voice trail off, Ren was not convinced she meant it. "Sumi-chan, what's wrong?" he asked gently. "You don't wish you got gold or anything, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not that." Staring intently into his dark eyes, she asked, "Senpai… do I really deserve this medal? If it weren't for us giving Yuri a Change of Heart, she wouldn't have quit the finals, and I'm sure she would've scored higher than me. When you think about it, I'm no better than her…"

"No, Sumire," Ren objected, his voice stern but calm. "What happened these past few days was all Yuri's fault in the first place. She disabled those other gymnasts. She chose to use EMMA, or EMMA chose her… whatever. To be honest, I asked myself the same question. But, do you know what I told myself?" When Sumire shook her head, he answered himself. "Sometimes, people do horrible things, and they can't be reasoned with. They won't change their ways on their own, so someone needs to make them stop. That's what being a Phantom Thief is all about. All you did was make the best of a bad situation. Besides, would you have placed any better if Yuri hadn't intervened in the first place?"

"I guess not… There would have been too many world-class opponents that I'm still not ready to compete with." Ren frowned, as if admonishing Sumire for her self-effacement. Sensing this, she added, "But, you, the other Thieves, and my new friends wouldn't have encouraged me as much as they did, either. I wouldn't have fought that fake Kasumi, or made peace with the real one…" Finally, she smiled. "I guess it all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"There you go, Sumi-chan!" Ren encouraged her with a friendly pat on the back. "Now that you know what victory feels like, you know what it takes, and you'll be able to win entirely through your own effort. After all…" He leaned in closer and whispered, "you're a strong young woman, Sumire." With that, he brushed aside her hair and kissed her on the cheek. She gasped out of surprise, but as a wave of affectionate lust crashed upon her, she suddenly threw her arms around him and returned the favor, kissing him full on the mouth. Their lips seldom left each other's contact until their car came back to the bottom of the Ferris wheel, marking the end of their ride.

Ann sat across from Makoto and Haru in their own cabin. Seeing how closely her two friends were to each other, physically and emotionally, she felt conscious of how alone she felt next to them. "Hey, uh… Sorry for being a third wheel. I know you'd want some time alone."

"Not at all, Ann-chan!" assured Haru. "You're still our friend, no matter what."

"Thanks, Haru. Although, now that we're here, I have something I wanna ask you two about."

"Is it about Shiho?" Makoto asked, recalling her bringing up the subject after Haru's duel with the cognitive Larisa.

Ann nodded. "Yeah… Not only was she my best friend, but I kinda had… feelings for her."

"I see," Makoto replied. "Are you afraid of coming out?"

"No, it's not that." Ann's partial-American upbringing and her experiences around the world helped give her a more liberal understanding of same-sex romance.

"Then you must mean about the…" Out of respect, Makoto avoided mentioning the incident in which Shiho Suzui had very nearly lost her own life, but they all understood this was what Ann meant.

"Actually, I did confess how I felt about her. Do you remember that bellydance recital me and Futaba did last year?" They nodded in confirmation. "After the show, Shiho and I spent a little time together. I told her I loved her, but I still felt guilty about what happened to her. I felt, if we stayed together, I'd only keep reminding myself about how I could've stopped it by giving in to Kamoshida's demands."

Makoto gasped with concern. "Ann! Don't say such things! You should never allow yourself to be victimized by a horrible man like him! Besides, who's to say he wouldn't have turned on Shiho-san even if you let him have his way with you?"

Ann shrunk back, feeling guilty after her friend's outburst. "I know, that's just what I felt at the time."

"Sorry for putting you on the spot right there," Makoto sighed apologetically. "I guess I have a right to feel guilty about Shiho-san, too." They all were aware of how Makoto knew about the various cases of abuse Shiho had suffered before the incident, but had never done anything to intervene, whether out of apathy for the student body she served or from fear of reprisal. Nonetheless, after an initially rocky start to their relationship, she and Makoto had become firm friends as fellow Phantom Thieves.

"But, seeing you two together, as well as everything Sumire and Yuri went through… It got me thinking that maybe I was wrong to assume that would happen between us."

"Well," suggested Haru, "did Shiho-chan ever mention what she thought about you after it all?"

Ann took a moment to gather her memories from one of the times they had last been together. "Yes… One day, after school, she met up with Ren and me on the roof of Shujin. She said… that I was strong, 'cause of how hard I was working to be a better fashion model, and that inspired her to push through and complete her own rehabilitation."

"It sounds like she really admires you, Ann-chan, even after all this time."

"In fact…" A specific detail from that moment suddenly reappeared in Ann's recollection. "She straight-up said she loved me. I'm not sure if she meant it in the same way, but when I did confess my true feelings at that recital, she said she feels the same way."

"See, there you go, Ann-chan!" praised Haru.

"Your memories of her were just distorted after the trauma," added Makoto, "but in reality, she never thought any less of you. You just needed to take a moment and think it through logically. Kind of like Futaba and her mother, or Yuri and Sumire."

"You're right," Ann said with a giggle. "Man, this Sapporo trip's changed all of us, hasn't it? Anyway, Shiho said after she graduates next Spring, she'd like to move back to Tokyo for college. Should I try giving our relationship a second chance?"

"Absolutely." Touched by her friend's confirmation, Ann shared a big group hug with Makoto and Haru, thanking them as her many convoluted emotions escaped her in the form of a misty veil of tears.

Meanwhile, Ryuji sat across from Yuna Seong in the next cabin and quickly struck up a conversation. "I gotta say, Yuna, you and Sumire-chan rocked it out there in the tournament!" he enthusiastically told her. "I didn't know nothin' about rhythmic gymnastics before meetin' Sumire. Thought it was just some hoity-toity ****. But gals like you and her and Hanako make it look real fun!"

"Thanks, Ryuji-kun! I'm glad you enjoyed our routines so much! Ever thought of trying men's RG?"

Ryuji was caught off-guard by the question. Of course, Sumire had trained him to fight as a gymnast inside Yuri's Jail, but he couldn't tell her about that. "Oh… well, I…" he stammered, "I mean, I've heard about it, but…" With a sigh, he conceded, "It just ain't for me, ya know?"

"That's okay," Yuna pleasantly replied. "So… what do you do?"

"I run track. Er, well, I used to. When I was in the high school team, we had this real ***hole coach who started talkin' **** about my mom. I stood up to him, but he went and broke my leg and shut down the team."

"Oh my God, that's horrible!"

"Eh," he shrugged, "it's all good now. My leg's mostly healed up, the coach got what he deserved, and the track team's back together with a better coach."

"So why not give it another shot?"

"Well, the other athletes kinda blamed me for breakin' them up, or at least I was afraid of that. Besides, I just got a lotta **** on my mind to deal with right now, you know?"

"That's a shame…" Yuna looked down, disappointed, but shot her head back up and stared at him with determination. "You know what I think? I think you should give track another go sometime. If the world puts you down, dazzle them with what you can accomplish, and make them eat their words! That's how I dealt with growing up as a Japanese-Korean."

This fact was news to Ryuji. "Wait, for real? You're half-Japanese?"

"Uh-huh. I was born near Seoul, but my mom's Japanese, so we moved back and forth between South Korea and Japan. Only thing is, our two countries have a history of… hating each other." When Ryuji seemed not to understand, she explained, "You know, the Japanese occupation of Korea? Second World War?" However, all Ryuji could muster in response was a blank stare. "What do they teach you Japanese these days…" Yuna sighed in exasperation, not knowing that his ignorance had less to do with national policies than his own lack of scholastic diligence. "Long story short, once people found out about my family's mixed heritage, we were harassed wherever we lived. In Korea, they hated us for being Japanese, and vice-versa. You wanna know how I dealt with it myself?"

"With gymnastics?"

"Not just gymnastics, I tried a whole bunch of sports! Baseball, soccer, swimming, diving, figure skating, gymnastics - artistic and rhythmic. Obviously, rhythmic gymnastics was the one that stuck for me. I just love being able to perform and dazzle people! Plus," she added, her tone growing flirty, "I get to show off how flexible I am." Yuna stood up and started bending backwards until she rested her chest upon the bench seat, legs dangling on either side of her head.

This display took Ryuji's breath away. "Holy ****, Yuna! That's amazing!" he exclaimed, struck with lust and awe.

"Thank you, Ryuji-kun!" She reversed her movements to stand back upright, then leant forward and kissed him with a peck on the forehead. "Clean up that filthy mouth of yours, and I'll kiss it next time!" she teased.

"Hey, eff you! I don't tell you how to live your life!"

Yuna fell back into her seat, laughing at the reaction she caused. Fortunately, Ryuji took little offense, and laughed along with her. "At least you're not as vulgar as Yuri-chan. Speaking of which, I wonder how she and Yusuke-kun are getting along…"

As for Yusuke and Yuri, they simply sat side-by-side for a good while. Still inexperienced in social interaction, Yuri was too nervous to speak at first, so Yusuke attempted to start a conversation himself. "Hikawa-san, about what you said during your press conference… Taking into account everything you admitted, I'm still quite proud that you promised not to abandon your gymnastic dreams altogether."

"Why thanks, Kitagawa-san." Yuri sighed. "It's gonna be a long road for me, though. When my parents heard about what happened… Well, the first thing that happened was my coach quit. I never really liked that bitch anyway. But then my dad threw the book at me, lecturing about all the expensive training and **** he paid for, and that I was senseless to throw it all away like I did." Her tone of voice started rising with her frustration. "Does he even give a **** about all the nasty **** I had to do to get to where I am, or how guilty they made me feel? No! That ***hole only cares about his ****ing bottom line! Aargh, it's bull****!"

Desperate to stop Yusuke's blue streak, Yusuke held her hand. "Yuri-san, please! Calm down!"

Yuri took a deep breath, feeling embarrassed by her profanities. "I'm sorry. In the end, all this was my own fault, so I've got to own up to it somehow. But you're right. I can't give up now. I owe it to Sumire to push both her and myself to our full potential. Besides, rhythmic gymnastics is basically the only thing I've done with my life so far. What else have I got?"

Yusuke nodded understandingly. "Your tale reminds me of another one I've borne witness to recently. Have you, perchance, heard of the author Ango Natsume?"

"Natsume…" she recalled. "Wasn't he also involved in some scandal recently?"

"Yes. In fact, I happened to visit his press conference in Sendai last week on my way here. Due to his own transgressions - plagiarism, winning awards rigged by his publishers - he became so disheartened that he declared he would quit his writing career for good. However, I convinced him to make a new start for himself, one where his words and his achievements would be all his own." Smiling to himself, Yusuke added, "I suppose his situation is a lot like yours, Hikawa-san."

"Well, that's surprising. I guess I'm not alone after all." Yuri smiled for a bit, but her expression slackened just as suddenly. "I've never really had anyone I could call a friend before. Growing up when you're a pale white ghost-girl freak in a sea of perfect little Japanese kids, with their black hair and brown eyes… I spent my whole life assuming that I'd never make any friends. Except for one girl I met…"

"Kasumi," Yusuke finished. "Sumire told us all about you and her. If I may ask, what made you believe Sumire killed her sister directly?"

Yuri shrugged and sighed. "I guess… it was easier than facing the truth. I thought no one could ever replace such a gifted friend as Kasumi. Least of all her sister, or at least that's what I would have said before yesterday."

"I take it you enjoyed her routine for the finals?"

Finally cracking a smile, Yuri admitted, "It was really something. She's not her sister yet, but I have a feeling… she will be someday."

"With your support inspiring her, I know she will." Touched by his promise, Yuri let Yusuke wrap an arm around her shoulders as she leaned her head onto it. For the first time in a long time, Yuri Hikawa knew that, even in such a big and often cruel world, she was not alone.

AN: Special thanks, as always, go to Deathmanstratos and SupremeKnight3 for editing and support. This chapter was another long one, mainly due to a few loose ends I wanted to tie up in the eleventh hour. Most of those loose ends, especially involving Ann and certain pairings, were set up in "Futaba's Unveiling". Also, despite my best efforts to integrate my personal canon into Stratos's from his own fanfics, especially "Lotus, Violet, and Cherry Blossoms", I wound up establishing different pairings, such as setting up Ryuji with Yuna instead of Sakiya. After all, I've already diverged from the LVCB-verse by using my own characters instead of real-world gymnasts, so I figured I might as well go ahead with it all. I did discuss it with Death and Knight, but they said it was alright, that "what happens in this has no bearing on LVCB". And really, can't we all take that kind of live-and-let-live approach with each other's fan-works? It's what Yuna-chan would want!

Now that the story's winding down, I don't really have much else to say about it at this point. However, I am planning further works in this little saga. Should I get to it, the next follow-up will be focused on Yuri, and how she copes with the aftermath of her actions here in Prisoner of Glory. Characters and settings from other Persona games will also be included. This probably won't be my next big project, and it may not come soon, but rest assured that I still have many stories to share from my personal slice of the Persona multiverse!