Chapter Thirty-Four
Part-Time Job From Hell

Wednesday, June 1st

Chiyo rotated her head as she walked out of class that day. Morgana kept pestering her about getting a job at the beef bowl shop in an attempt to rub elbows with that politician. So she was going to look at the job listings after school. What she wasn't sure of, however, was what Morgana's plan was if they weren't hiring.

"Kusakabe, may I have a word with you?"

She half-turned to find Iwasaki, her expression pleasant. Chiyo wondered briefly if it was a good idea or not. On the one hand, Iwasaki's presence at the school was bland in comparison to Kamoshida. Hell, it was bland when compared to Chiyo's presence in Shujin. Cheery and encouraging, it was a wonder Iwasaki could still keep it up. And on the other hand, Chiyo wasn't sure if she'd garner more whispers if she's seen talking with a teacher.

Regardless of her concerns, Chiyo couldn't bring herself to say no to Iwasaki's request. She likely would have made her out to be a little too argumentative or disobedient. She hadn't had any major problems at school since Kamoshida. And Chiyo hadn't heard anything bad about Iwasaki, not even rumors. She may have been trying a little too hard, but the student body generally seemed to think Iswaski was kind of cool. And then there was the percentage that had a crush on her…

Iwasaki lead Chiyo to a corner in the hall. Somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed, but still open enough that other people could see them. Was this a conscious thing on Iwasaki's part? It felt a little too specific to have been an accident.

"I understand the circumstances behind your transfer to Shujin," Iwasaki began in a hushed tone. Almost as soon as Chiyo heard the word 'circumstances' she had a rough idea of where this conversation was going. "I imagine it's a little hard to make friends during your time here."

Chiyo's brow rose at this. She was under the impression that most knew she had a decent thing going on with Ryuji and Ann, and occasionally Mishima. And Chiyo was perfectly okay with not being a social butterfly. She didn't need a gaggle of friends, she needed the right friends. "Not a hard time," murmured Chiyo.

"I was just thinking that people might warm up to you if you tried reaching out," continued Iwasaki. "While the volleyball team can get by with our current members, it would help a little to have another person around for practice."

Oh no…

Chiyo tried to keep her grimace in. "And you're thinking…"

Without another word, Iwasaki's grin served as all the confirmation Chiyo needed. "My favorite high school memories were when I was on my school's volleyball team. Could be yours too!"

'Maybe you should put this energy into making volleyball fun again after Kamoshida?'

"It might even help put a stop to the whispers if you put yourself out there," suggested Iwasaki.

Chiyo opened her mouth to try and argue this… but then she remembered the whispers from her own group at the clean-up event. The whispers weren't as bad as when she arrived, sure, but it wasn't like they had gone away entirely. But she wasn't sure if it was because the novelty had worn off or if some people had a bit of sympathy for what she had gone through with Kamoshida.

But what Iwasaki was suggesting sounded highly naive, if a little optimistic. On the other hand, Chiyo could hear about any potential targets, or at least hear about someone who'd have a hit in Mementos. Assuming the volleyball team ignored her, Chiyo could very well be invisible and when you're invisible, you hear a lot.

"W-When's practice?" Chiyo asked meekly.

Iwasaki, bless her, looked like Chiyo had just given her the answers to the universe. "Great! You won't regret this, Kusakabe-san. I'll let the team know what's going on, and you can come in for practice on Friday."

Chiyo hoped her grin hadn't come across as too forced.

"Well, if nothing else, going to volleyball practice will help your stamina," Morgana offered when they left the school. "Maybe it can help prevent that dizziness when you use your Persona too much."

"Do you think she was right and this might help settle my classmates?"

"Eh… Maaaaybe?" Chiyo could feel Morgana tilting his head at her side. "At this point, it couldn't hurt to at least try, could it?"

Sighing, Chiyo made her trek to the job magazines in the underground walkway. She scanned the pamphlets until she found an opening at Ore no Beko. With the pamphlet in hand, Chiyo got her phone out and tapped in the number. She had to wait a few moments before someone answered on the other line. "Hello. This is Ore no Beko on Central Street. How many people are you ordering for?"

"S-Sorry, I'm actually calling for the job opening," Chiyo said quickly.

She could have sworn the guy on the other line sighed in relief. "Really? That's great timing. We require extra hands. I'd take just about anyone at this point. You don't mind working at night, do you?"

"Um… No?"

"Great! Stop by anytime you're free to work. Anytime. I'll be waiting! We're right by the entrance of Central Street. Hope to see you soon!"

The man hung up, leaving Chiyo staring dumbly at her phone. Why did she suddenly have a feeling of unease?

She headed straight to Ore no Beko after she slid her phone back into her pocket. It was the same shop Ryuji had taken her to back when they were still trying to understand what Kamoshida's Palace was. God, it was only two months ago, but it somehow felt longer…

Chiyo went in, asking the employee behind the counter where she was supposed to go, explaining she was the new part-timer. She was taken back where she was given a blue and orange shirt, a pair of black slacks, a blue apron, and a cap. Chiyo had taken it upon herself to tie her hair up in a full ponytail. "Everything all right?" the manager asked her as she was securing her ponytail. "No time to introduce yourself, I need you to start working right away."

Wait, what?

"Wait, what do you expect out of me?" asked Chiyo. Was she really about to be thrown into the sharks?

The manager looked mildly irritated, but he answered her question regardless. "Take customers' orders, prep them, serve them, ring them up, then clean the store."

Oh no.

"The meals are all ready-made," continued the manager, "so it should be simple. Just make sure you're nice to the customer. Okay?"

"Y-Yes."

Oh no…

"Are there any other employees?" Chiyo asked. The manager may as well have said she was expected to do everything. Weren't there usually specific people assigned to taking orders and serving, and prepping?

"Not quite. Our budget's been cut despite being short-staffed… so you'll have to do everything alone."

Oh nooooo…

The manager, for his part, gave Chiyo a brief look of sympathy. "Your a spry young lady, aren't you? You'll be fine. And don't think I'm not paying you extra for your hard work."

Didn't he just say the budget was cut?

"Alright, I need to head out for a bit. Keep an eye on the shop until I get back."

Chiyo remained stone still as the manager left without another word. Her sweat ran cold, everything fiber of her being screaming at her to move before she ended up swamped. "I wanna go home…"

In hindsight, Chiyo was certain that when the manager asked her if she could work nights, what he was really asking was 'Do you think you can work the dinner rush?' By the time she got into the store to work, a customer was ready to pay, and from the angry look on his face, it was safe to say he had been waiting a while.

It seemed like every time Chiyo looked away from the bar in her rush to get everyone's order, someone new had come in. And odds were they wanted a dish Chiyo hadn't even known the store served until then. How was she supposed to know they even served natto bowls?!

Back and forth, Chiyo went to get the bowl, hoping she remembered which face had what order. The dishes began to pile up, and Chiyo was the only one who could wash them. She must have gotten a little cardio in if there had to be a silver lining.

It took about two hours before things started to simmer down, and Chiyo was able to clean more than a few dishes at a time.

"That job was ludacious!" Morgana ranted when they made it back to Yongen-Jaya. "Doing everything yourself on your first day?!"

"And with thirty-six hundred for my troubles," Chiyo murmured, heading to the conveyance store.

She didn't linger in the store too long, already knowing what she needed, a bag of rice, a bottle of soy sauce, a carton of eggs, and a bottle of furikake. By the time Chiyo got back, Sojiro was closing up the shop. "You look like you went through a dry cycle," he noted, putting a coffee mug back with its fellow.

"New part-time job from hell," Chiyo muttered, placing her groceries on the bar table. "And it's no clearly one of those cases where something is going on behind the scenes."

She heard Sojiro mutter something disapproving under his breath. "Just make sure your studies aren't slipping because of it. And make sure to-"

"Wash the dishes when I'm done." She found the pot Sojiro used for rice.

Sojiro left the shop, reminding Chiyo to double-check the door, as she was washing the rice. Something as simple as tamago kake gohan should have been enough for Chiyo to handle. Especially this last minute.

Ryou handled most of the cooking back home, had to make sure Chiyo was eating right, and they had a rice cooker. She only learned how to eyeball it over the stove due to helping Sojiro. It barely took ten minutes for the rice to cook. When it was done, Chiyo got out a couple of bowls, filled them with rice, and broke a couple of raw eggs into them before adding a bit of soy sauce and combining them. She topped off the dishes with a sprinkle of furikake.

She brought Morgana and the bowls to one of the booths. It was a light meal, perhaps, but after a work evening like that Chiyo didn't mind going light for her first time cooking. And by some miracle, she managed to cook the rice all the way through.

"Thank god, it's edible," Morgana said through a sigh.

"You say that like it wasn't an easy dish. Perhaps I should go for boeuf bourguignon, next time."

"I get your being sarcastic, but now I'm kind of curious to see what would happen if you tried."

Thursday, June 2nd

After school, Ryuji asked Chiyo if she wanted to run a few laps with him. Or at least try to. The immediate issue was trying to find an area they could run through without getting in anyone else's way. She followed close beside Ryuji as he lead her down the catwalk outside the school building. "I know I'm the one who asked you to join me, but I don't really got anywhere in mind," Ryuji admitted, tilting his head back. "We really don't got a good place to train, huh? I mean we'd prolly run into Nakaoka and then if we stuck around here… You got any ideas?"

"You mean someplace we don't have to pay money to use?" asked Chiyo. "Otherwise, I'd been suggesting Protine Lovers."

"Yeah, I like the place, but I only got so much on me at the time, y'know. Eh, I guess it won't hurt to peek 'round the gym. If they ain't there, maybe we can-"

That was when they heard it, the sound of skin on skin. The gross amalgamation of a cry of pain and cough. Looking straight ahead, under the shade of a tree were four boys in their gym uniforms. Three circled the fourth boy, beating him between themselves. "That's Nakaoka!" gasped Ryuji.

He took off down the catwalk with Chiyo at his heels. The boys finally had enough of pushing Nakaoka around and shoved him against a wall, the other three boys keeping him boxed in. "Takeishi?!" snapped Ryuji. "The hell you guys doin'?!"

Unflinching, Takeshi glanced over his shoulder at Ryuji. "We have a few questions for Nakaoka. It's none of your business."

"So what? You're gonna ask him questions with your fists? And anyways ain't three-on-one kinda cowardly?"

"The only coward here is Nakaoka!" Takeishi whipped around a fire in his eyes now. "All the shit Kamoshida put us through is his fault! He was telling that bastard secrets about us the whole time!"

Chiyo glanced at Ryuji to see a twitch in his brow, his Adam's apple quivering at his throat. It wasn't that difficult to believe Ryuji was sorting through his memories, trying to detect any sense of truths or lies in Takeishi's claims. "That's a load of bull," Ryuji said firmly at length.

"Shouldn't you guys start working as a team instead of pointing fingers?" Chiyo asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Y-Yeah! I mean, the track team's comin' back so you don't gotta fight!"

"Sh-Shut up!" sputtered Takeishi. "I'm telling you this piece of shit sold us out! How do you think Kamoshida found out about your parents, Sakamoto?"

Immediately, Chiyo dropped her arms as she glanced at Ryuji again. She bit her lip, realizing it was perfectly within Kamoshida's character to use his students to dig up dirt for him. This was the exact same tact he used on her, dragging Mishima into the mix to leak Chiyo's information. Were they really that naive to think Chiyo was an isolated incident?

"He's gotta be a snitch!" one of the boys accused.

"H-Hold up!" Ryuji held a hand up and stood between Takeishi and Nakaoka.

"Out of the way, Sakamoto," demanded Takeishi. "We'll beat the shit outta you too if we need to."

"If you think that's gonna make you feel better, go for it," Ryuji said simply. "But you're gonna wish you didn't. Trust me, it feels real bad lookin' back on the shitty stuff you've done."

The other two boys exchanged questioning looks, then glanced back at Ryuji. Takeishi remained unflinching, while Nakaoka kept his eyes at the ground. "Look…" Ryuji continued, carding a hand through his hair. "Even if Nakaoka was workin' for Kamoshida, ain't it fine now? That bastards gone, so you can just put this crap behind you. There's no reason to fight, ya?"

Unimpressed, Takeishi crossed his arms over his chest. "We can't keep people around who're gonna try and undermine our team."

"But…" Nakaoka spoke up finally. "I didn't do anything. I wasn't working for Kamoshida. No matter how much you hit me, my answer's going to stay the same."

"Oh, yeah?" Takeishi asked, glancing back at Nakaoka. "We got proof. Yamauchi told us all about it."

"Yamauchi?" Ryuji echoed under his breath.

A moment of silence fell upon the group. Whatever was going on before Ryuji tried to intervene, it was past the point where the boys could pick up where they left off if Ryuji and Chiyo simply left. "C'mon, Takeishi," one of the boys spoke up. "We gotta get outta here. It'd be real bad if someone else showed up."

Another moment passed before Takeishi whirled around, shooting an accusatory glance at Nakaoka. "Nakaoka. Shit like you isn't welcomed on our new track team. You'd better remember that."

With a few grumbles, Takeishi and the other track team members took shuffled off. Nakaoka remained still with his back plastered against the wall. Ryuji made sure the track team was out of earshot before he turned his attention to Nakaoka. "You okay? What the hell was all that?"

"Just stay out of this, Sakamoto," snapped Nakaoka. "This has nothing to do with you."

"But…"

"When you hit Kamoshida, you were really hitting all of us who tried so hard to endure his bullshit." He looked Ryuji straight in the eye, and Chiyo had the suspicion he was releasing a year's worth of frustration. "You might have felt relieved, but it only made life harder for us. 'Cause of you we lost the one place we could vent out our frustrations… the only place we could really belong."

Though Chiyo understood the sentiment, she really had to fight the urge to scoff. Kamoshida was looking for any excuse to disband the track team if it meant elevating the team he actually liked. Ryuji just happened to be the one unlucky enough to give Kamoshida the excuse to do as he wanted.

"Tensions got pretty high after that," continued Nakaoka, "and things've just been kinda rough from then on. You really think it's all fine now, huh? Well, what if I told you they're right about me? Would you still think it's 'fine' if I was the one who told Kamoshida about your parents?"

Biting her lower lip, Chiyo glanced at Ryuji, believing this could end in one of two ways. He never needed to go into great detail for her to figure out that his parents, that his dad, was a subject he did not like to talk about. It wasn't as though Chiyo couldn't understand it.

Ryuji glanced downward, his arms crossing over his chest. "Yeah," he said simply at long last. "If you told him, you told him. I'm over that stuff with my parents, anyways. Besides, I've realized something, Nakaoka. I might've messed up with Kamoshida back then, but hangin' onto the past ain't gonna help with anything'. I'm just gonna focus on bein' myself now… on bein' free."

Nakaoka's face scrunched together; he shook his head. "The hell are you talking about?" he asked. "'Free,' huh?"

Scoffing, Nakaoka walked off with his hands jammed in his pockets.

Ryuji waited until Nakaoka was out of earshot before he let out a puff of air and turned his attention to Chiyo. "Hey, Chiyo…" he began awkwardly. "You get what I'm tryin' to say, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Right! He's the one who wasn't makin' any sense. I guess bein' free is like…" He paused for a moment. "It's like how I feel when I"m talkin' to you, man."

"Huh?"

A flush of pink formed on Ryuji's cheeks, going all the way to his ears. He turned his head to the side, carding a hand through his hair. "I don't know what else I gotta say. I just feel… free."

"Sorry, I really don't get it…"

"Yeah, I guess at this rate we're gonna start runnin' 'round in circles. So much for trainin' though, huh? C'mon, let's get outta here."

When Chiyo went to get her bag, Morgana let her know her phone buzzed in her absence. Her manager at Ore no Beko asked if she could come in that evening for a shift. Despite every cell that made her up, Chiyo headed to Shibuya and took another shift completely on her own.

And stupid Chiyo, only realized then that the manager always left her with the salarymen getting off work. So, once more Chiyo was rushing around the shop, trying to remember which order went with which face and try to clean a few dishes in between.

Time was no longer a monolith when she was behind the counter. Chiyo came over in the early evening, and the next thing she knew the sky was turning blueish. Were it not for the lock, Chiyo wouldn't have had a difficult time telling when it grew dark out thanks to the city lights.

Towards the tail end of her shift, Chiyo was trying to catch up on the dishes. Her bangs clung to her forehead from sweat, and Chiyo was half-tempted to suggest Ryuji start working on his laps at Ore no Beko. Chiyo was certainly feeling like she'd run a few laps after working here a few hours.

"You appear to be having a difficult time here," Chiyo heard. She looked up to find the politician, looking a little exhausted just watching her. "Can't you speak to the manager to hire more people? You were practically in three places at once."

"Em…" Should she say the manager stepped out? That seemed like it was inviting problems.

"Employees being overworked is becoming a real problem in the workplace," the politician said upon seeing Chiyo'd discomfort. "That's concerning. I'll have to put a pin in it."

His face hardened ever so slightly in thought. What was Chiyo supposed to do in this situation? It seemed awfully rude to just go back to the dishes on that note. Thankfully, the politician cleared his throat. He reached for his wallet and placed a few paper notes and coins onto the bar table. "I'll leave my payment here," he said upon rising. "Thank you for the food."

When Chiyo was finally free to go, a part of her wasn't sure if she'd be able to drag herself to Big Bang Burger, order a couple of meals to go, and back to the train. "Well, at least that politician is worried about employees in the workplace," Morgana noted as Chiyo dragged herself to Big Bang Burger.

"Yeah, but that doesn't really matter if he doesn't push for anything if he ever gets in a position of power," Chiyo pointed out before entering the store.

She ordered a couple of meals for herself and Morgana. It was a tight fit, but she managed to get them into her bag before Chiyo headed back to the train station. By the time Chiyo returned to Leblanc, she rushed to the bathhouse before eating. She came back to a lukewarm cheeseburger and cold french fries.

Friday, June 3rd

Despite the exhaustion of last night, Chiyo felt anxious. Just two more days and they would see if Madarame really had a change of heart.

She headed to school with little issue. Perhaps a few people on the train discussing Madarame's exhibit, but that was to be expected while nothing has been said. It was an uneventful morning until lunch rolled about.

Chiyo had managed to get her hands on a bit of fried dough and, still worn out from two days working the part-time job from hell, wanted to top it off with a Dr. Salt. Heading to the vending machines, she ran into Iwasaki. "Oh, great timing, Kusakabe-san!" Iwasaki was beaming at the sight of her. "I've talked to the volleyball team, they know what's going on. You're welcome to join practice after school if you're free today!"

"U-Uh…" Chiyo tried to hide the grimace she wanted to express. This whole idea had disaster written all over it. "Suuure…"

"Great! We're meeting in the gym after school, make sure you've changed clothes!"

Why… wouldn't Chiyo change clothes?

Feeling a little perplexed, Chiyo continued on to the vending machines. As she grew closer, she was pretty sure she could hear Ryuji and Mishima talking something. She wasn't able to make out what they were talking about until she heard Mishima, "So, what's the codename for this operation?"

"What operation?" Chiyo asked, rounding the corner.

The boy's reactions were instantaneous, flushed red, while Mishima nearly launched himself back into the benches where Ryuji was sitting. "Nothing!" was their immediate response in pitch-perfect unison.

Her lips pursed to the side as she pushed a few coins into the machine slot. After she punched in the number of her desired beverage, she eyes the boys. By now they had gone both pale and flushed, eyes wides as they watched Chiyo. And she was pretty sure Ryuji had sweat upon her brow. "Okay," she said at length. She reached into the machine for her drink. "I figure you two are planning something, I'm just not sure what." She pulled the tab. "So, I'd suggest you two work on your poker faces."

She took a swig from her Dr. Salt before she walked off. "Aw, man that was close…" Ryuji said through a sigh.

Boy's were so weird…

Chiyo tried to keep her arms from crossing her chest as she stood amongst the volleyball team. She couldn't tell, but she certainly felt like the team was staring at her, the outsider, the unwanted.

It wasn't as though Chiyo was unfamiliar with volleyball, they'd play the sport at her old school too. But usually, her experience with the sport was secluded to PE. And it was likely because of this, Chiyo was barely a contender compared to the students who wanted to be there, wanted to play. Several times Chiyo nearly collided with one of the girls she was teamed up with for practice when they both went to move for the ball.

Volleyball really wasn't like gymnastics. Even if she was part of a group routine, she knew what she was supposed to do. Each person in the routine had an assigned job of sorts. They had to move as one, or they needed to remember their cue and time everything perfectly. Volleyball was a little chaotic. Players would be assigned a position, assigned an area to watch, but everything was up to the ball.

And Chiyo couldn't tell if the team had it out for her or if she was just that bad a player. She could believe either option.

When practice ended for the day, Chiyo fell behind as the team left to change, rotating her shoulders with a painful but still satisfying pop. "So, what did you think Kusakabe-san?" Iwasaki asked upon approaching her.

"Uh…" What was the best way to answer this? She simply didn't care for sports like this. She liked gymnastics, she liked dancing, she liked making something beautiful. Most school sports… were not that. Could she even explain this to Iwasaki? Explain that maybe this was a mistake?

"I couldn't help but notice you need a little work on being a team player," Iwasaki said tentatively. She clapped her hands together once and, still lined together, angeled them to the left. "Nothing a little time and effort can't solve."

Chiyo tried not to get angry at this. She worked with a team whenever went through someone's Palace and when she went through Mementos. She was pretty sure she knew how to be a team player.

'You pretty much collapsed while fighting Madarame's Shadow,' said a little rational part of her brain. 'Your strategy was pretty much hit it until it died. Was there really any good reason why you couldn't have relied on your teammates back then? And let's face it, you were rarely part of group routines.'

With that in mind, Chiyo found it difficult to create any more arguments. Maybe she really did need to work on being a team player…

"So, we ready to do this?!" Iwasaki declared, pumping her first.

"I-I-I guess," Chiyo said, half-heartedly mimicking Iwasaki's pose.

What did she get herself into?

Chiyo headed straight to Shibuya after she left school. By the train car, was the same middle-aged politician. He was already soliloquizing to a small crowd, likely of a few passers-by's trying to kill a little time. His speech more or less went through the same point beats as the last time Chiyo stopped to listen. The train accidents, the breakdowns, corrupt teachers, and a bit of emphasis on today's youth.

When he finished, the small crowd of three, dispersed, Chiyo remained rooted in spot. The politician's shoulder's relaxed as she took a calming breath. Lifting his head, his gaze fell upon Chiyo, his brow rose ever so slightly in recognition. "Back again?" he asked by means of a greeting. "You were working at the beef bowl shop the other day, weren't you? You have a lot of perseverance for a young person." He paused for a moment in thought. "You know, if you're interested, I could use your help."

Chiyo's head list to the side. "Hmm?"

"I want to change the state of this country to do so, I need the power of the youth." The politician paused for a moment. "However, due to certain regulations, I can't offer a job to a student. I was thinking you could learn some things if you choose to attend a few of my speeches though."

"Sure," Chiyo said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I'd be glad to!"

"Excellent! Glad to hear it. Well then…" He reached into the pockets of his slacks for his phone. "Would you mind telling me your name and contact number?"

Nodding, Chiyo fished out her own phone. "I'm Chiyo Kusakabe," she introduced before giving the politician her number.

"You're a student from Shujin Academy, aren't you?" he asked, glancing at the emblem on Chiyo's blazer.

"Unfortunately."

The politician released a brief, breathy chuckle. "I am Toranosuke Yoshida. I used to be a member of the Diet… but no longer. So for the past twenty years, I've lost seven elections straight…" A moment of silence passed between them, broken only when Yoshida cleared his throat. "This is no good. No use in dwelling on the negative right before my next speech. I hope I can count on your help immediately."

"Yup!"

Within the next thirty minutes, Chiyo was instructed to stand to the side and hold up a sign during the duration of Yoshida's speech. It was likely the only thing Chiyo could reasonably do to help at her age.

A crowd had formed by the time Yoshida began his speech. This time it was a respectable size of fifteen or more compared to when Chiyo first approached Yohsida today. The real questions was, how many were legitimately here to listen and how many were just trying to kill a little time before their next train?

Yoshida opened with brief niceties, introducing himself with confidence. Chiyo would have loved that. To be able to make a point with confidence, without the reliance of sarcasm, and without the heat of the moment, anger to make her unafraid.

"The lines of what is considered right and wrong in society today have been blurred," Yoshida declared. His voice was clear and he spoke with purpose. "With common sense no longer our guide, we make decisions based on our selfish wants and desires. This has resulted in self-centered people who delight in taking advantage of the weak. However, even in this modern day and age, it's imperative that we act in the best interest of all. A world where it is acceptable to trample on the rights of others for your own benefit… A world where the young exist only to be exploited…"

Chiyo's fingers gripped the sign a little tighter, recalling what the Shadow Madarame said in his museum. How it was easier to steal the futures of those who couldn't fight back. How he was taking advantage of Yusuke's gratitude for raising him.

"They're saying she's really good, though. Shouldn't we be realistic about this? She could outdo me easily."

"Then outdo her. I didn't waste so much time, effort, and money only for you to be useless."

She bit her lower lip. Both Ryou and Coach Matsubara had always been harsh on Chiyo. Gymnastics was a harsh sport, they were trying to toughen Chiyo up because it was only going to get harder the further she went. She had to put her all into it, blood, sweat, and tears. So, so many tears…

"I could have had my own career thrive if it hadn't been for one mistake. But I choose to keep you regardless. Don't forget how much I sacrificed for you."

Ryou never outright said it, but there was always an implication of 'you owe me' hanging over her words. Chiyo couldn't remember any more if it was better before the divorce or more or less the same. Her parents may have fought often in her early childhood, but marriage did mean that they were better off financially.

Chiyo did owe Ryou. Ryou put in so much for Chiyo to succeed in gymnastics.

'You didn't really ask for it, though,' said the rational part of Chiyo's brain. 'You didn't know what you were getting into when you started. You barely had a sense of consciousness when you started.'

"Is a world that must be changed!" Yoshida finished, almost shouting and bringing Chiyo back to reality.

"Hmph, easy for him to say," said an old woman. "Old-timers like me have our hands full taking care of ourselves."

"He's actually making some good points, but he's a no-name. He probably won't get too far. Nothing's going to change. We'll just keep getting exploited."

"What's this wannabe politician blathering about now? He isn't even affiliated with a party." A middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd and approached Yoshida. "How 'bout you just leave matters of state in the capable hands of the Liberal Co-Prosperity Party!"

Unperturbed, Yoshida responded with, "You mustn't base your decisions on whom to support merely according to the party they belong to."

"Ah, just shut up already! You're just a washed-up politician!"

Yoshida's shoulders twitched slightly, taken aback. "If I am chosen to represent the will of the people, then I am fully prepared to-"

"'In the best interest of all?' Pah!" spat the man. Save the blathering for when you get elected. If you get elected."

When the man walked off, things continued on after that. Yoshida made a few more points about how little was being done about the runaway trains and how the psychotic breakdowns were being written off no matter who got caught in the crossfire.

The event couldn't have lasted more than thirty minutes, a generous forty minutes at worst. Chiyo helped clean up the area, which was mostly just a few campaign signs and the small podium Yoshida used. "Thank you for your assistance, that's all for today," Yoshida said as Chiyo placed her sign with the others. "So, what did you think of my speech?"

"'The best interest of all?'" questioned Chiyo.

"Indeed. Do you feel the same? Such as I am, I'd like to believe that I'm capable of giving a moving speech. …However, there are times, like today, when the audience has a different opinion on a topic."

"Well," Chiyo crossed her arms over her midsection, "from where I stand you were getting the attention of the youth."

Yoshida chuckled briefly. "Sounds like I was able to sway you at least. Well, regardless, I've grown accustomed to the types of reactions that man had. Although… I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing."

They probably should though, Chiyo realized. Who wanted a potential official, chosen by the people, to throw a child-like temper tantrum if and when they lost? Why wouldn't someone want the person chosen to represent them to act like a grown-ass adult in the face of heckling?

"Still," Yoshida said breaking the silence, "no matter what they say, I must continue on. Perhaps I'll ask for your impression again sometime."

"You got my number," Chiyo said giving him a thumbs up.

The Chariot Rank 6
The Centurion Rank 1

Authors Notes: Had to go through so much IRL BS to get this chapter done. It's done, it's out there, take this chapter away from me, please!

Anyway, the Centurion is another name for the Chariot card, depending on the deck. I feel like Centurion carries an air of maturity and experience, so it worked out. Wouldn't complain if Atlus ever brought a non-playable Social Link character into a new game as a Social Link. Am I holding my breath for it to actually happen? Not a chance. Gotta do everything yourself sometimes.