I have been playing Persona 5 Royal on the Xbox since it came out on the 21st and have just fallen back in love with the RenxMakoto pairing and this just popped into my head and I needed to get it out. This is my favorite pairing from my favorite video game. I have read a couple of stories where Ren was from Inaba and Rise is his cousin and I love that idea so I'm gonna use that here.
Somewhere Out There –
Niijima Makoto sat at a table in Leblanc trying to study for her upcoming midterms. She was the top of her class as she always had been, however she was having trouble focusing this year. Her thoughts would constantly drift to her beloved boyfriend, Ren. He had been staying in Tokyo for the previous year and before returning home to finish out his last year of school.
Shaking her head away from him, Makoto tried to refocus herself on her studies. She had hoped when he first left that throwing herself into her coursework would make the year that he was going to be away go by faster. Unfortunately, she was very wrong. The more she studied, the more her thoughts drifted back to the study dates that they had together. Study dates that many times got less productive as the hours went by.
Picking up the mug from her table, she glanced into it and noticed it was empty. Just as she was about to look at Sojiro, the owner of Leblanc and often called 'Boss', she found him standing by her table with a fresh mug. "Jamaican Blue Mountain, just as you like it," he said as he swapped the empty mug for the fresh one.
"Thanks, Boss," she said, picking the mug up and taking a drink. She loved the coffee at Leblanc and had fallen in love with the Jamaican Blue Mountain when Ren had done a 'coffee reading' on her that seemed to convince him that this would be the perfect blend for her. She had been very frustrated when he was right.
As she savored the flavor of the beverage, she couldn't help but think about the subtle difference between Boss' Blue Mountain preparation and Ren's. While Boss had much more experience in making coffee, Ren's coffee held an almost sweetness to it that Boss' was missing. While Makoto was a practical person, she couldn't help but think it was the love that Ren and her shared that made her enjoy his a little more.
As she tried to bury herself into her studies again, the bell over the door rang, drawing her attention. Standing in the doorway was Sakura Futaba, Sojiro's adopted daughter. Her bright red hair flew behind her as she rushed to the table and grabbed Makoto's arm. "Come on," she said as she dragged the older teen out of her booth, "We're going to karaoke." The young girl grabbed the spare key that Sojiro held out her when he heard what was going on. He knew that Makoto needed to go out to get her head clear, so he was happy to help. Besides, tomorrow was Sunday so the kids could sleep in.
Makoto was about to object about at least needing to clean up after herself, when the door opened again and a Ryuji walked in and grabbed her other arm. Once she was passed the door, Makoto noticed that the rest of the group once known as the Phantom Thieves were waiting for them. She cast her eyes to the ground as she couldn't help but think about who was missing. Ren. Her friends started excitedly talking about going out and having fun.
"Alright! Operation Cheer Up Our Queen is a go!" Ryuji yelled as the others started to quiet down.
Makoto was taken aback at the comment for a moment. Her friends were going out of their way just to cheer her up. As someone who had no real friends until she was in her final year of high school, she was shocked and very touched at their actions. She had expected this kind of thing from Ren, but the others were much smaller scale beings than her god shooting boyfriend. With the first smile to really reach her eyes in the months since Ren had left at the end of summer, Makoto looked at her friends and said, "Karaoke sounds like fun." With that, they were off.
PeRsOnA
Amamiya Ren sat at a small restaurant in his home town of Inaba. The smell of coffee and curry had grown to be comforting and calming to him over the year he had spent in Tokyo. He had returned 7 months ago and had dived right into his studies. He was determined to make his girlfriend proud and hoped that by focusing on his studies, the time would fly. It did not.
While he managed to be the top of his class and it had made Makoto very proud of him, time went much slower than he wanted it to. He did everything he could to try and keep himself occupied, trying to get time to move faster, or at least seem like it. Nothing had been successful. 159 days, he thought to himself. Counting down the days had become a habit for him. The days before he was going to move back to Tokyo and he could be with Makoto for the rest of his life.
He had been confident that she was the one he was going to spend the rest of his life with when he left, but in the intervening months, he became positive. He was currently saving all of his earned money from his part time jobs to try and get a ring that he planned to present to her the day he got back home. Between his part-time jobs and what he had left from his time as a Phantom Thief, he should have enough to get one and still have a little left over.
Sighing at the thought of his girlfriend, Ren started packing up his books. He knew he wasn't going to get anymore studying done. As he finished backing up, he grabbed the mug he was drinking from and started walking back to the counter. "Thanks for the coffee, Aika," he said placing the mug on the counter.
"No problem, please come again," the young woman responded in a monotone voice as she grabbed the mug.
Walking out the door with his bag over his shoulder, Ren started walking towards home. Morgana had already headed home after school to give Ren time alone to study, so he was walking truly alone for the first time in a while. As he was walking past Tatsumi Textiles, he saw a large group of young adults walking out. He knew them immediately because they were best friends with his older cousin. They had been some of the few people that treated him well when he came back, even though he had been proven innocent of the crime he was accused of. Even when his cousin was off on tour with her boyfriend, her friends treated him well.
"Yo, Ren-Kun!" one of the men in the group called out as he noticed the student. "We were just about to head out for karaoke. You want to join. No school tomorrow so you can sleep in." The young man in question, Hanamura Yosuke, was in his early twenties like the rest of his group and was his supervisor when he worked shifts at Junes, the large department store in town.
Ren took in the rest of the group with a smile. It looked like everyone was there except his cousin Rise and her boyfriend Yu. Tatsumi Kanji, the once rough biker kid now a much softer guy that looked like he could be your teacher. Shirogane Naoto, the once labeled Detective Prince, now more in touch with her true self with shoulder length dark hair and wearing a white blouse. The ever-elegant Amagi Yukiko, heir to the town's pride and joy the Amagi Inn. Officer Satonaka Chie, the meat loving, justice dealing pugilist with a heart of gold. And of course, Teddie, the woman loving blonde that makes obnoxious bear puns.
"You know what? Sure, that sounds like fun," Ren said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Alright! Karaoke!" Kanji yelled as the group started making their way. The group couldn't help but break out into laughter.
ShUmAkO
Makoto was sitting at the booth in the karaoke bar with most of her friends. Ryuji was currently singing a bad rendition of the American song Bad to the Bone and most everyone in the place was covering their ears. Everyone but her had put in a song to sing and Ryuji was the last one of them.
She was looking at the list of songs she could sing and finally found one in the 'S' section of the American songs. Walking over to the DJ that was queuing up the songs, she gave her name and her song choice and sat back down. The others started pestering her to reveal what song she had chosen but she refused to tell. They would know when she went up.
After a couple more people performed, her name was called. She placed her phone down on the table in front of her as her song's name appeared on the screens. Futaba noticed that Makoto had left her phone unlocked as she got up. Grabbing the phone and hitting the app to start a video call, she hit the contact she was looking for and hit the button to call.
UkAtOa
Ren sat in a booth surrounded by his cousin's friends as they listened to Yukiko finish her song. She had actually chosen to sing True Story by Risette and the group found it hilarious. As he was searching through the song list for what he wanted to sing, he found what he was looking for in the 'S' section of the American songs.
Writing the info that was needed on a scrap of paper and handing it off to the DJ, he returned to the table with the others. "So, whatcha' gonna sing, Ren-kun?" Yosuke asked with a slightly drunken drawl. Some of the adults had decided to drink but Ren didn't even think about trying. He knew if Makoto somehow found out, she would murder him.
"You'll find out when I get up there," he responded, going to push up his glasses before forgetting that he had stopped wearing them.
As the older man was about to start complaining, Ren's name was called and he started walking up to the stage. As he was walking, his phone that he had left on the table started to vibrate. Yosuke looked at the phone and saw a picture of a brown-haired girl on it with the name 'Mako-chan 3' on it. Answering the call, he pointed the camera at the stage. Noticing that the other side was showing the brown-haired girl standing on a stage as well, he turned the phone around.
The first notes of the song started playing simultaneously, as if fate itself had determined that this song should be a duet.
Somewhere out there
Beneath the pale moonlight
Someone's thinking of me
And loving me tonight
Ren was about to start the song when a beautiful, very familiar voice started the song. Seeing Yosuke in front of him with his phone on a call showing Makoto standing with her eyes closed, a huge smile reached his face. As she finished the first part, he took up the next.
Somewhere out there
Someone's saying a prayer
That we'll find one another
In that big somewhere out there
Makoto's eyes shot open as she heard her boyfriend's voice singing the second verse of the song. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that she and Ren had decided to sing the same song at the same time. Perhaps fate really was a thing.
And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star
Futaba and Yosuke approached the stages in their respective karaoke bars slowly as Ren continued to sing.
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky
By the time Makoto reached the end of her part, the phones were right in front of them, the only thing showing in the camera were each other's faces and shoulders.
Somewhere out there
If love can see us through
Then we'll be together
Somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true
The crowds in the karaoke bars were swaying slowly as the musical interlude started. From the look on the singer's face, the song was being sung about the person on the other end of their respective phones and it was heart-warming. Tears ran from every eye in the houses, even the tough Ryuji was crying at the touching nature of this event. Ann held her phone before her and stood to the left of Futaba, recording this for future viewing.
And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star
Tears were streaming from the eyes of both singers as they serenaded each other but each still sported a matching grin.
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky
The lovers reached out and touched their phone screens gently, as if trying to touch the person on the other side.
Somewhere out there
If love can see us through
Then we'll be together
Somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true
As the song came to an end, applause and whistled filled the karaoke bars. Neither Ren nor Makoto heard any of it though. Their eyes were glued to their phones, glued to the eyes of the other. Ren took his phone from Yosuke, noticing Chie standing to the side with her own phone out for the first time. Giving an embarrassed laugh, he made his way to the door that led outside.
Makoto took her phone from Futaba and made a beeline for the door of her own karaoke bar.
Once both were outside, they looked at their phones again and smiled at one another.
"That was kind of freaky but absolutely amazing, Mako-chan," Ren said as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
Makoto had tears of her own still streaming down her face. "I am so glad that this happened," she responded with a weak smile. "I've been thinking about you so much. I miss you so much."
"I know, I can't stop thinking about you either," Ren responded as he leaned back against the wall. His legs were feeling kinda weak from the emotions he was feeling. "I have a countdown of how many days until I graduate and move back to Tokyo."
"I must be rubbing off on you," Makoto responded with a soft laugh. "I haven't even done that."
"159 days," Ren said. "I will be leaving on March 20th."
"I'll come get you."
"Are you sure?" Ren asked, surprise obvious in his voice. He hadn't expected that to be her immediate response.
"Positive, I will come to get you. We can maybe spend another couple of days at your home town then we can make the trip up on my new bike."
The thought of making such a long trip on a motorcycle sent chills down his spine. The idea of holding onto her tightly as they rode down the road made him even more excited for those 159 days to be over. "I can't wait," he responded with a smile. "But after this weird thing happening, I feel like I will be ok until we are together again. I'll still think about you all the time but not in a distracted kind of way, more in a 'you are with me in my heart' kind of way. You know what I mean?"
Makoto gave a soft nod. "Completely, I was so distracted in thinking about you that I couldn't study, but knowing that you are probably studying too or working hard, it makes me realize that we are still together, even when we are apart."
"I love you, Mako," Ren said with a soft smile on his face.
"I love you too, Ren," she responded. They both kissed their pointer and middle finger and placed them on their cameras, a form of kissing they had developed in their long-distance relationship. "I'll see you when I come down for Christmas. Don't worry, I'm taking the train, not my bike." She had seen the slight panicked look in his eyes when she mentioned coming to visit him. After her reassurance, the look disappeared.
"I know you are the smartest person I know but, I can't help but panic a little when I think about you being in danger," he said, gazing at her lovingly. "I should get back to the others. My cousin's friends are probably about to come out and start teasing me."
"Yeah, I can feel Ryuji and Futaba on the other side of the door just waiting for the chance." She slammed her fist into the door and two yelps could be heard from the other side, one male and one female. "Good night."
"Good night, Mako," Ren responded, giving another finger kiss, which she reciprocated. With a quick look at the time on his phone, Ren smiled. "158 days."
Makoto giggled at her boyfriend's antics as the call disconnected. She turned to the door and opened it to head back to her friends.
Ren opened the door to the karaoke bar the held his cousin's friends preparing to rejoin them.
As they entered the doorway, they both turned around to looking to the sky and found the brightest star that they could. They had found the same star and they both made the same wish on that bright star. I want you to be happy until we can be together forever.
SoMeWhErE OuT ThErE
This was my first one-shot and I kinda loved this story. I might write some other stories in this same continuity. Sorry for the lack of Yusuke and Haru in the dialogue or actions. They just didn't really come to my mind as doing anything. I hope you enjoyed
Somewhere Out There is by Lind Rondstadt and James Ingram
Bad to the Bone is by George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
True Story is from Persona 4 the Animation and Persona 4 Golden
I did not write them, just the fanfic