A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another new story! In this case, I decided to try my hand at a Persona series story because why not? Specifically, I'm doing a story that's more or less retelling the events of both Persona 5 Royal AND eventually Persona 5 Strikers in one fic, so it will probably be a longer fic as a result (unless I manage to cram a lot of stuff in a single chapter like I did more than once during my Hacker's Memory adaptation story (listed on my profile as Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker's Memory- The Amasawa Files if anyone gets curious while reading this and wants to give that fic a read as well) so we'll see what happens on that front as this fic progresses.
That being said, I'd be surprised if this fic stays under like 30-40 chapters (MINIMUM) in length between the two games, though if I'm being honest, I said Amasawa Files would be around 50 chapters in length when I started it, and it wound up being only 30 chapters instead but Hacker's Memory is a MUCH shorter game by comparison to Persona 5 Royal. Strikers, however, could be argued as being a similar-length game to Hacker's Memory, possibly even a tad shorter (but not by much) so yeah that's a thing. But enough of my commentary on comparing this fic to a Digimon Story game (no matter that Hacker's Memory is freaking great, flaws in it notwithstanding), you all presumably came here to read a Persona story if I'm right. So let's get back to the specifics of that instead, yeah? Time to pull out the summary!
Summary: Ren Amamiya (YES, I know in Royal he also has Akira Kurusu as a default name but given his default name changes in Strikers, I'm using that default for continuity and consistency reasons so I apologize to those who want to see Akira as the default name, but not happening unfortunately.) is accused of a crime he didn't commit and sent away on probation as a result. However, because of how much sway the guy he 'assaulted' to protect a woman the guy was trying to manhandle into a car at the time has, Ren is seen as a potential danger and as such his younger brother Kusa is also sent away with him, despite said brother's protests. Due to this, the game flow changes a fair bit as a result. How will the addition of this extra character to the game change things, if at all? And will it cause changes to those around Ren (and by extension Kusa) as a result? Read to find out!
Pairings: At this point, it's obvious this story will have pairings in it, though at this point I'll just say there's a fair few. As for detailed listings, I will for sure say that there'll be RenxSumire (because of course there will, they go really well together), RyujiXMakoto (not really sure on this one, but given there's only so many Phantom Thieves, that leaves very little options to work with, even with the extra OC tossed into the mix so why not try something different?), FutabaxKusa (because why not? That and I feel like Futaba makes the most sense pairing-wise for Kusa for various reasons), and a few others that I won't reveal here because I'm not sure of them and because I'm undecided on the others.
Rating: M (both for dark and/or mature subject matter and occasional dark/cringy content and for the near-constant language from Ryuji and to a point Akechi, Ren, Kusa and even somewhat Ann, and to cover the off chance that lemons make it into the story. Not to mention the fact that Persona 5 Royal has an M rating by default if I recall correctly so it both stands to reason and tracks that I'd match the rating of the fic about it to the rating the game has.)
Having said all that, let's also grab the disclaimer before I forget about that!
Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own Persona 5 (or the Persona series as a whole) aside from the OC Kusa who he DOES own since he created him, and the credit for said Persona series ownership belongs to Atlus and Sega of America (though I'm pretty sure they also made the game so maybe credit for both?) so credit to them.
That said, on with the first chapter of the story!
PERSONA 5: THE PHANTOM THIEF FILES
Chapter 1: Setting the Stage! Phantoms Awaken part 1
(Unknown location, neutral POV)
This story is a work of fiction.
Similarities between characters or events to persons living or dead in your world is purely coincidental.
Only those who can agree to the above have the privilege of partaking in this game.
*the words 'I agree' are then clicked on and chosen*
...The contract has been sealed.
The world is not as it should be. It's filled with distortion, and 'ruin' can no longer be avoided.
Those who oppose fate and desire change...From time to time, they were referred to as 'Tricksters'.
You are the Trickster...Now is the time to rise against the abyss of distortion.
(Another unknown location, still neutral POV)
All was as it seemed to be in the casino, until a shadowy figure was seen leaping across the ceiling from beam to beam, making many patrons gasp until the shadowy figure stopped, being shown by the lights of the casino to be a young man with a black mask, black jacket with rolled-up sleeves, red gloves, grey sweater, black jeans and black boots. The figure then stopped as they heard voices in their comm speaking to them.
"Good. Now get running!" A boyish voice said first into the comm before more voices spoke up.
"This is our only chance!" A less boyish but still masculine voice added in.
"Stay calm! You can get away now!" A feminine-sounding voice cut in at that point.
"We'll retrieve the briefcase on our end." A less feminine-sounding, but still very clearly female voice said. At that point an unidentified and garbled transmission was picked up.
"...suspects...not...confirmed...hold...your...positions..." We all heard through the comms making the first female that spoke up frown as she spoke up once more.
"Hm...? What was that...?" The first female asked in surprise. The first boyish voice responded while speaking to the figure directly as well.
"Don't worry about us. Just concentrate on getting away!" The boyish voice responded while ignoring the feminine voice's questions. The figure nodded and kept fleeing.
"I have to say, showing yourself above that crowd before was an excellent move. Brilliant work as always, Joker." The boyish voice from before praised the figure, now identified as 'Joker. At that point another feminine voice cut in before 'Joker' could answer the boyish voice.
"I bet not even Skull could pull a move like that off so stylishly, Joker." The voice cut in making the now-identified 'Skull' frown as he spoke up.
"Shaddup. We're concentrating on Joker escaping right now, yeah?" 'Skull' pointed out, only for another masculine voice to cut in.
"Perhaps, but we also need to make our own escape as well." The other voice said making 'Skull' frown but nod. 'Joker' shrugged as he kept running. After a bit, 'Joker' found himself at a crossroads, and a voice from one direction reached the ears of 'Joker', making him frown.
"There he is!" Joker heard an unfamiliar voice yell, making him turn to see a bunch of people in suits file in. The feminine voice from before spoke up then.
"Just run! Get out of there!" The feminine voice said to 'Joker' over his comm, and 'Joker' nodded as he kept running, going the opposite way of the agents.
"Good, everyone's focus is on him. Now the rest of us can get away." 'Joker' heard the boyish voice from before say on the comm.
"Everyone remember where we're supposed to meet up?" Another feminine-sounding voice came over the comms at that point, before the initial feminine voice 'Joker' had heard answered that voice.
'Mweheheheh, just leave it to me. I'll guide you to where you're supposed to go!" The feminine voice addressed the other feminine voice over the comms as Joker kept running.
Eventually, 'Joker' found himself leaping onto a higher-level balcony where men in suits filed in, and before the shocked eyes of 'Joker', started convulsing before changing forms which made 'Joker' gape at how cringy the forms looked. The feminine voice he'd heard initially then filled the comms once more.
"Take 'em down, Joker!" Joker heard over the comms, and nodded as he leapt forward and ripped the mask off of one of the unidentified beings in front of him. The being then shifted form once more into the form of a monster, specifically that of a monster with a bull's head and a serpentine looking torso with legs and a tail.
"Everyone get to escape positions!" Joker heard over the comms once more as he finished defeating the monster in front of him, and once he beat it, he heard the same voice speak up once more.
"Good, you got them! Now get outta there!" The first feminine voice Joker had heard said as the boyish voice then spoke up.
"Good, you defeated them with ease!" The boyish voice said as the feminine voice that Joker had heard right before the boyish voice then spoke up in worry.
"More of them?! Be careful!" The feminine voice said as Joker nodded, narrowly backflipping away from the approaching beings as the feminine voice spoke up once more.
"Joker, behind you! Go through that door!" The feminine voice said to Joker, and he nodded, heading up to the stairs through the door behind him, and once he scaled said stairs, the feminine voice spoke up once more.
"You should be able to get out that way! Hurry!" The feminine voice advised Joker, only for the voice he recognized as being identified as 'Skull' to cut in.
"Dude, can he even hear us!?" Joker heard over the comms, making him roll his eyes even as the feminine voice answered Skull, her tone clearly as annoyed as Joker felt.
"Don't worry, I'm picking up everyone's voices. Just go, Joker!" The feminine voice said to Joker. Before Joker could move, the same voice stopped him.
"Hm? Wait a sec! What the-? I'm getting a weird reading heading your way! C'mon, run!" The feminine voice said to Joker who kept running in lieu of replying.
"Tch! We got away from those guys in black, but there's still loads more of 'em." Joker heard Skull complain over the mic but ignored it as he kept running. Joker blinked as he found himself in a room with windows, and he saw a man in a suit run near one of the windows so he heard what the man said.
"Where'd they go!? Damn it!" The man grumbled to himself. He then spoke into a headset.
"I can't confirm the intruder's location." The man said before running off, leaving Joker to breathe a sigh of relief. He then turned to run more only for the feminine voice he'd heard a lot to stop him.
"Hmm? What? Joker wait! Up ahead! Stop!" The feminine voice said, making Joker stop in his tracks. He then saw another man in a suit ahead of him making him frown.
"This is bad! Hide, Joker!" Joker heard over the comms from the feminine voice that had been guiding him up to this point. Joker of course hid, trusting the voice.
"You'll never get away if you just keep fighting. Hide in the shadows, and sneak past when you see an opening!" The feminine voice told Joker, who nodded and kept going. Because of where he was hidden, Joker could heard what the suit-clad man nearby was saying on his headset.
"...Hey, are you sure he came in this way?" The man asked and when he heard someone give an affirmative response on the other end, he nodded.
"Understood. I will continue the search!" The man said before he ran past where Joker was hiding. After that the feminine voice spoke up once more.
"Now's your chance! Make a run for it!" The feminine voice told Joker over the comms. He did just that, only to have to hide once more when he saw another man in a suit.
"Ugh! How many of them are there!?" The feminine voice asked as Joker hid. The not as boyish but masculine voice from before cut in at that point.
"Everything okay? The security level might rise if you take too much time." The less boyish masculine voice said making the feminine voice grumble as she responded.
"I know, I know! I'm looking for another route. Just hang on." The feminine voice told Joker before she quickly spotted something that caused her to sound a bit happier as she spoke up once more.
"Oh, perfect timing. Joker, look up!" The feminine voice told Joker who looked up and saw the grate above him that the voice was indicating.
"Can you use that thing and just fly over there?" The feminine voice asked Joker who pulled out the 'thing', which was actually a grappling hook, and used it to grapple to the grate in question, which led to a higher level. The feminine voice then spoke up through the comms once more.
"All right, go straight from there!" The feminine voice said to Joker, who nodded and kept going as requested. Oddly enough, the next room had searchlights and the feminine voice stopped him yet again.
"Joker-stop! It's an enemy- right near you!" The feminine voice said to Joker who backflipped out of the way to narrowly avoid being surrounded by the nearly half-dozen being that had materialized out of nowhere near him. At that point the feminine voice spoke up once more.
"Even you can't take on that many-Huh!? Joker! That weird reading from earlier is closing in on you too!" The feminine voice said as Joker frowned while being surrounded. Eventually Joker heard the sounds of footfalls before he saw a redheaded female in a similar outfit to his own, but where his had a grey sweater, hers had a black unitard, and she had a red ribbon tying her equally red hair into a ponytail behind her to frame the black mask on her face perfectly. Joker couldn't help but be mesmerized by how pretty she looked even as the unknown female spoke up, glaring at the beings surrounding Joker.
"I'll end this, right now!" The female spoke up as the feminine voice that had been guiding Joker came through his comms at the same time.
"Joker, it's her! She's the weird reading I've been getting!" The feminine voice said, but Joker didn't hear her, he was so entranced in watching the unknown female brandish a rapier before deftly and gracefully cutting through the group of beings with ease, doing a lot of flips and somersaults, at one point giving Joker a view of the silvery-colored rose pinned to her waist as she pulled a gun and started blasting at the beings while flipping around, leaving Joker to watch the female in a mix of surprise, awe and even reverence. After she cut a path through the beings, the female walked towards Joker, blasting and slashing at the beings as she advanced. Once she reached Joker, the female spoke up.
"My weak self relied on you so much...That ends today." The female said before standing next to Joker and brandishing her rapier once more in challenge as she looked at Joker.
"Let's do this, Senpai!" The female said to Joker, making him blink at her usage of "Senpai", but ignoring it for now to nod his agreement to help the female as the battle began!
"The enemy readings have decreased?" Joker heard the feminine voice that had been guiding him ask over the comms as the boyish voice from before cut in.
"That's...?" The boyish voice said over the comms, trailing off without identifying the female currently fighting at Joker's side. The female in question turned to Joker.
"It's been a while since we last fought side-by-side. But this time, it's MY turn to come to YOUR aid, Senpai! Now, let's win this!" The female said to Joker, who could only grin and nod in agreement. After a few attacks, a 'HOLD UP!' prompt flashed on screen as the female did a fancy attack that ended with her shouting out 'Stuck the Landing!' in triumph as the screen behind her was red and had the words 'Beauty is Devotion!' in blue on-screen as she did a pose with a blue ribbon in her mouth as she did a graceful pose to complete the look. After that, she turned to Joker after putting the ribbon away.
"I think... that's the last of them?" The female asked Joker who nodded as the feminine voice spoke up on the comms.
"I genuinely have no clue what just happened, but I take it you're okay?" The feminine voice asked as another male voice, this one a bit deeper but still masculine, cut in.
"No, he totally got owned by the reading. Yeah he's okay. It's gonna take more than that to bring down Joker! He's like a cockroach that way." The deep-toned masculine voice deadpanned, ignoring the huff the feminine voice gave as she rolled her eyes. She then looked at a screen before blinking and addressing Joker once more.
"Wait-bad news! Enemy backup's headed your way! You need to book it, right now!" The feminine voice told Joker who frowned but nodded as he turned to the female next to him who smiled as she spoke up, knowing what Joker was going to say and just nodding.
"Please go. I'm going to make it harder for them to track you down. You still have something you need to do as a phantom thief, right?" The female asked Joker, who nodded.
"Then I won't stop you. Since I'm not a member of the Phantom Thieves, I'm in no position to interfere." The female said with a shake of her head as she leapt up to a beam above Joker before turning to face him once more.
"However...please don't forget about the promise we made, okay?" The female asked Joker who smiled before nodding once to signify he understood. The female then leapt away as the feminine voice cut in once more, much more insistent this time.
"Joker, you need to get outta there! Go go go!" The feminine voice said as Joker nodded, but he was stopped once more as he made to continue fleeing.
"Go up the stairs at the end of the path! Just a little more, so hang in there!" The feminine voice said and Joker nodded as he kept running. Joker kept running as he ran up flights of stairs. He heard voices from behind a window.
"He's not alone! Find them and kill them all!" Joker heard as he kept running. After a bit, Joker came to an apparent dead end. After some back and forth dialogue with the voices on the comms, Joker eventually dove through a stained glass window in an attempt to escape, but it only ended with him being knocked off a ladder into a waiting mob of officers and cuffed after an agent taunted Joker that he'd been sold out by his teammate, leaving him confused as he was handcuffed and dragged off. Next thing he knew he found himself cuffed to a chair as a condescending voice spoke up, making Joker frown as he came to.
"Guess the drug was too strong...Wake him up!" Joker heard as he felt water being splashed over his head, making his eyes shoot open in confusion and alarm. Joker looked around, seeing that he was in a tiled room, with only two men in suits and a camera as the only thing he could see in the room other than a table and the chair he was cuffed to. The closest man in a suit frowned at Joker before speaking up.
"No dozing off! You still don't get it, do you?" The man said as he then punched Joker in the stomach sending him tumbling to the ground in a fit of coughs and wheezes from the force of the punch as the man smirked, placing his boot on Joker's face and pressing down slightly.
"Give it up! Come on, cooperate. Or what, do you want another shot?" The man said with a frown as he twisted his boot on Joker's face as Joker eyed the camera.
"What about the camera? Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?" The man asked as Joker huffed.
"Of course it can't. Why would it be able to? It's not like I get any special treatment or anything since I'm just a criminal and all." Joker deadpanned. The man smirked.
"So you're not that dumb...which is good, 'cause we get to take as much time as we NEED!" The man said, kicking Joker in the stomach, making him cough and wheeze more. The man then walked over and read from a nearby clipboard that Joker had failed to notice when looking around previously.
"Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons...Manslaughter too, yeah? Talk about the works." The man said before handing over the clipboard and glaring at Joker as he kept speaking, ignoring the pain Joker appeared to be in on the ground as he spoke.
"To think that all those crimes were led by a punk like this...And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it...Huh?" The man said, stopping short as he saw what appeared to be tears in Joker's eyes as he laid on the ground wheezing from where he'd been previously hit.
"I was... enjoying it...? I have a hard time believing that! I feel like if anything I would've seen it as a necessary evil or something like that. But then again, everything's hazy...I can't remember..." Joker thought to himself. The man then took back the clipboard as he looked at Joker.
"You should know your place." The man said with a jerk of the head in Joker's direction as another man in a suit walked over and un-cuffed Joker, who rubbed his wrists as he was helped to his feet before the man who'd beat him up walked over, clipboard in hand, handing it to Joker.
"Sign here. It's a confession under your name." The man said to Joker, who frowned at the man at the use of 'confession', not thinking he should sign anything he hasn't read first. Joker frowned as he pushed the clipboard aside making the man smirk as he spoke up once more.
"I see...I need your hand to sign this, but..." The man said, before stomping down on Joker's leg, drawing a pained cry of 'URGH!' from Joker as a result before speaking again.
"...I don't care if you end up losing a leg." The man said as Joker sighed, accepting the clipboard. The man frowned at Joker before speaking up once more.
"Don't expect to walk out of here in one piece. We're going to make you understand...One must take full responsibility for their actions..." The man said ominously as Joker frowned, looking down and signing the confession with his name which was Ren Amamiya.
(Outside the interrogation room, neutral POV)
The guards stationed at the door frowned as a well-dressed woman approached them, her brown eyes boring into them as she spoke up.
"I'm Niijima from the Public Prosecutor's Office." The now-named Niijima said to the guards, who frowned.
"The Prosecutor's Office? What business do you have here?" One of the guards scoffed. Niijima huffed as she answered the guard.
"Just let me through! It's urgent! There's something I need to confirm with the suspect." Niijima said as the other detective spoke up in a condescending tone.
"Niijima-san, I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction. Besides-" The detective said before he was cut off by an older male walking up and speaking to Niijima.
"Are you Prosecutor Sae Niijima?" The older man asked the now-properly named Sae who nodded.
"I just got off the phone with your director. Hurry and get it over with. To be frank, you're being an inconvenience." The older man said as Sae's phone buzzed and she answered it, frowning as a familiar voice answered her in a reproving/unimpressed tone, sighing as they spoke up.
"I thought I ordered you to stand by." Sae heard her director say to her making her frown as she spoke up.
"I'm responsible for this case, yet I'm not even being allowed an interrogation!?" Sae said into the phone.
"I'm calling because I knew you'd bring it up." The director said to Sae. Sae huffed as she spoke up again.
"I will not be convinced unless I confirm it for myself. This is MY case!" Sae said resolutely making the director sigh as he spoke up again.
"Good luck to you then. I won't be expecting much though..." The director said before hanging up the call. The older man spoke up at that point.
"Ah, Prosecutor. I forgot to mention something important. Your time will be cut short. We can't permit you to talk with him for long." The older male said making Sae sigh.
"It's for your own sake. His methods are unknown. After all, we don't even know if it's safe to simply meet and speak with him." The elder male said to try and calm Sae. Sae nodded her acknowledgement as she spoke up once more.
"I understand." Sae said as she headed inside to speak with Joker, surprised to see it was him.
"I didn't expect it'd be you. You'll be answering MY questions this time." Sae said, looking down and gasping as she saw the empty syringe on the ground that Joker hadn't.
"Those bastards..." Sae swore as she looked at Joker before speaking up.
"Can you hear me? It seems you've been through quite a lot. Almost anything can happen here... and I can't stop them. That's why I need you to answer me honestly. I don't have much time either." Sae said to Joker who gave her his attention as she spoke up once more.
"What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident? I didn't think it was a prank from the get-go, but I couldn't assemble a case for prosecution. It's because I couldn't figure out the method behind it." Sae said as Joker sighed before speaking up, only just refraining from rolling his eyes at Sae's questions.
"Of course you couldn't...Why do you want to know?" Joker replied, curious as to why she was asking about his 'methods'. Sae frowned before replying.
"This isn't an issue of whether or not it can be used in court. I need to know. This is my case, after all. It seems you're coherent. When and where did you find out about THAT world? How is it even possible to steal another's heart? Now, tell me your account of everything. ...Start from the very beginning." Sae said as Joker held his head in his hands as he tried to remember. At that point a butterfly flew past him and he heard it speak in a feminine voice.
"You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game...Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you...I beg you. Please overcome this game...and save the world...The key to victory lies in the memories of your bonds-the truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day...when the game was started half a year ago...For the sake of your world's future...as well as your own...you must remember." Joker heard as the butterfly flew off unseen by anyone save him. Joker then looked Sae in the eyes and spoke up.
"Very well. You want to know my account of things? I'll tell you. It started back about seven months ago..." Joker said as he began retelling his accounting of things...
(Some time ago, unknown location, neutral POV)
Ren Amamiya looked up with a start as he heard the announcement of his stop, flashing back to the day that he jumped in to save a woman from a drunken man who was trying to have his way with her, before snapping back to the present as he heard two girls nearby gossiping about the occult of all things. After he and the other male, a male who was roughly Ren's height with a similar uniform to the one he had on, which was a black button up tux jacket with red buttons, a white collared undershirt with arrows on the neck, red and black checkered slacks and black shoes, and hair that was between rust brown and dark brown in color in comparison to Ren's short black hair.
Although in the other male's case, the shoes were black with red trimming on the bottom and he didn't have the same glasses that Ren had on, walked off the bus, the two looked around as they got off. The other male spoke up at that point.
"So, this is Yongen-Jaya then? About what I expected honestly for a train platform. Though hopefully the rest of the area is nicer. Shall we keep going, dear brother?" The other male, now identified as Ren's brother, said in a deadpan tone as Ren laughed.
"Don't be so impatient, Kusa. We're going. I'm sorry you got uprooted from your life because of me, but there's not much either of us can do when it was a court order, you know." Ren said to the now-named Kusa who huffed at the reminder of his and Ren's current situation.
"Don't remind me. I swear, sometimes I wonder if you keep trying to one-up yourself on being unlucky, Ren. I mean, come on! Managing to piss off the wrong guy, getting arrested for assault, and then getting ME dragged into it because you managed to be labeled a flight risk and dangerous, which I'm not sure HOW you pulled that off, but I suppose that's your luck finding a way to screw you as usual." Kusa said cynically, rolling his chocolate brown eyes (which were a slightly lighter shade of brown than Ren's) as he and Ren started walking while the latter laughed as he looked at Kusa.
"I get it. You're not happy with me. But not much either of us can do about it now, don't you think? Let's try and live with the hand we've been dealt, right?" Ren asked as Kusa reluctantly nodded as he spoke up.
"That's true, I guess. Egh, whatever. I guess I can't take it out on you that your luck is so bad you manage to drag others along for the ride when it strikes." Kusa said in a dry tone that had a slight hint of snark to it albeit without any real venom or malice to be heard as he smiled at Ren, before the two kept walking, deciding to try and find this Sojiro Sakura that they were supposed to stay with for the duration of Ren's year-long probation. As the two walked out of the railway onto a back alley, Ren looked up as a blue-haired woman in a medical outfit walked past him and Kusa, making Kusa frown but then laugh at Ren as he watched Ren follow the woman's retreating figure with a dry laugh.
"Really, Ren? Checking out older women!? I didn't think you were THAT much of a glutton for punishment. Besides, she's probably too old for you. Now let's go find Mister Sakura-san so we can get settled in, yeah?" Kusa said as Ren rolled his eyes at his younger brother's teasing before speaking up.
"No, I was just confused by why a doctor would be in a back alley of all places. Isn't that kind of the opposite of their usual MO?" Ren asked Kusa who shrugged.
"Heck if I know. But what I do know is that starting today, we're to be taken care of by a Sojiro Sakura, so we should probably try to find him, right?" Kusa asked.
"Yeah, that's right. I think I recall his house is in the backstreets of this residential area we're apparently in." Ren replied after consulting a map he'd found on the ground. Kusa shrugged, before speaking up once more.
"Fair enough. I guess let's keep walking." Kusa said eventually and Ren nodded as the two kept walking to try and find Sojiro. Eventually the two found a house with the nameplate 'Sakura' on the front, making Kusa nudge Ren to get his attention.
"Doesn't that nameplate say 'Sakura'? You think this could be his house?" Kusa asked Ren, who shrugged and rang the doorbell of the house, but got no answer. The two brothers exchanged a confused look at this before Ren eventually spoke up.
"Odd. Guess he's not home. Maybe he went out?" Ren asked Kusa who stroked his chin before speaking up.
"Perhaps. Though, didn't we also get told he runs a business of some sort in the area too?" Kusa asked as he tried to recall the details of their new guardian's life. Before Ren could answer Kusa, a voice behind the two caught their attention.
"Looks like no one's home..." Ren and Kusa heard, making both of them turn to see a deliveryman approaching the house. The deliveryman looked at Ren and Kusa as he spoke up, confused by their presence as he spoke.
"Oh, yeah...Sakura-san's usually at his cafe around this time. Well, Leblanc's in the back alley, so I should make my other deliveries first...Mmm, next I need to take this package to..." The deliveryman said before trailing off as Ren and Kusa exchanged looks, deciding to go check out this 'Leblanc' that the deliveryman mentioned. Eventually, the two found a small cafe which had a sign over the door that read 'Coffee&Curry: Leblanc', making Ren and Kusa blink.
"Looks like this is the place, Kusa." Ren said as Kusa nodded before speaking up.
"I suppose it is. No sense in staying out here then, yeah? Let's head on in. Hopefully we don't get too lukewarm of a reception." Kusa said in a deadpan tone as Ren laughed. Ren and Kusa then went inside, where a pair of elderly customers were sitting at a table drinking coffee while a bearded man sat nearby holding a newspaper in his hands while the TV was on, with the news playing in the background. The customers were listening to the main story which was apparently a bus crash of some sort, when the elderly male customer spoke up, unaware of Ren and Kusa's presence as he spoke.
"How frightening." The elderly male customer said as the other customer, a female from what Kusa could tell, spoke up.
"What could be going on? Didn't something similar happen just the other day?" The elderly female customer said. The bearded man muttered to himself, ignoring the customers.
"And down is... the name of a shellfish used in pearl farming..." The bearded man muttered, jumping a bit when Kusa stroked his chin in thought and then spoke up.
"Correct me if I'm wrong sir, but I think the answer to that is oyster." Kusa said as Ren blinked at Kusa's boldness in catching the bearded man's attention, making the man look at Ren and Kusa before speaking up, looking at the puzzle before blinking then shrugging as he turned to face Ren and Kusa while he spoke.
"Huh...that does fit in the spaces." The bearded man said to Ren and Kusa before giving Kusa an appreciative nod as he set his newspaper down and properly turned his attention to the two.
"Oh, right. They did say that was today." The bearded man said as the elderly male customer spoke up.
"We'll be going now. The payment's on the table." The elderly male customer said as he and the elderly female customer got up and left. The bearded man nodded.
"Thanks for coming." The bearded man said to the elderly male customer who then turned to the bearded man to speak up once more.
"This place is in the back alley, so there's no worries of a car crashing in here." The elderly male customer said making both Kusa and the bearded man blink at the comment.
"A what now?" The bearded man asked skeptically. The elderly male customer smiled before explaining.
"There's been a string of those rampage accidents, you know. I just hope that none happen around here." The elderly male customer explained as the bearded man crossed his arms and huffed before speaking up in an slightly gruff-sounding tone.
"It's none of my concern." The bearded man said as the elderly male customer laughed, not noticing Kusa and Ren exchange uncertain glances behind him.
"Haha, well we'll see you next time." The elderly male customer said as he and the elderly female customer left, letting the bearded man huff as they left before muttering to himself once more, though Kusa caught what he said and had to keep from chuckling at the deadpan tone the bearded man used.
"Ugh, four hours for just a single cup of joe." The bearded man said to himself before turning to Ren and Kusa.
"So, you're the Amamiya brothers, I take it?" The bearded man said to Ren and Kusa. Ren nodded before speaking up.
"Yeah, that's us. I'm Ren Amamiya, and the one who helped you out is my brother Kusa." Ren said to the bearded man as Kusa spoke up.
"What my brother said. But more importantly, is there a Sakura-san here? We were told he was supposed to take care of us?" Kusa asked. The bearded man eventually nodded.
"Yeah. That's me. I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year. I was wondering what sort of unruly kids would show up, but you're the ones, huh?" The now-named Sojiro said in a gruff tone making Ren blink while Kusa chuckled appreciatively at the comment.
"Unruly? Well that's certainly ONE word for Ren's luck at times. I swear, this guy is the only person I know who can take a good situation and manage to come away unlucky. But that's neither here nor there I suppose. But at least you're funny, Sakura-san. So that's something. Nice to meet you, sir." Kusa said dryly as Ren huffed.
"You say that like I asked for you to get dragged into my mess, Kusa. I didn't ask the courts to have you come along with me. If anything, blame the drunk guy that sued me. Which to be fair is kinda unbelievable. I mean, who gets sued for trying to save someone in trouble?" Ren said huffily making Kusa laugh.
"See? Like I said. Only you have that bad of luck, Ren. Only you." Kusa said teasingly, as Ren grumbled a bit under his breath before turning to Sojiro.
"Sorry about him. He's a bit of a cynic at times. But he's a good guy despite that." Ren said to Sojiro who nodded as he spoke up again.
"Fair enough. At least you're not going through this alone, so that's got to count for something right? Even if your brother wasn't exactly thrilled about getting caught up in your problems, which I can't blame him for since he seems like a good kid with a solid head on his shoulders. Thanks for the help with the crossword by the way, kid. I'm surprised you figured that out." Sojiro said to Kusa who nodded before speaking up.
"You're welcome, sir. But it was really just a lucky guess I think. Granted I'm pretty sure there's a saying that mentions the phrase 'Oyster's Pearl' so that kinda also helped me figure it out." Kusa replied making Sojiro nod to the remark.
"True, I forgot about that. But anyways, back on topic. Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and-" Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa before cutting himself off mid-sentence as he changed the topic somewhat.
"Well, not that that matters... Follow me." Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa, the latter of which nodded and the former just shrugged but nodded. Sojiro then led Ren and Kusa upstairs, where Ren raised an eyebrow at all the clutter and mess around the room, as it was mostly bags and boxes and shelves other than a bed, sofa and table, plus a big box in the middle of the room with Ren and Kusa's names on it, which Kusa guessed was their stuff from home, though he frowned at the shabby state of the box but said nothing.
"This is your room. I'll at least give you sheets for your bed." Sojiro said before blinking as he saw the look on Ren's face.
"Hmm? You look like you wanna say something." Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa. Ren frowned but then spoke up.
"This place is so cluttered. Was this just a storage room before?" Ren asked before Kusa elbowed him lightly in the side.
"Ren, show some gratitude. We could be sleeping on the floor in a smaller room." Kusa chastised Ren, ignoring the amused chuckle from Sojiro. Kusa then turned to Sojiro.
"Sorry, ignore Ren. What he meant to say is thank you for the room. It's a bit on the bigger side, but it could be rather quaint if fixed up correctly." Kusa said to Sojiro who nodded before speaking up, an unimpressed look in his eyes as he looked at Ren while speaking.
"It's on you to clean up the rest. And thanks, Kusa. At least you know how to be grateful. To be fair though, Ren's not wrong. This did used to be a storage room." Sojiro replied. Ren smirked as he spoke up again.
"Knew it! Not that that's a bad thing, just this place screams 'storage closet' to me." Ren said as Kusa rolled his eyes.
"Does this look like a cupboard under the stairs to you, Ren? And it could be rather cozy if we get it cleaned up right. So try to cheer up, brother." Kusa said. Sojiro spoke up again at that point, as Kusa turned his attention to him as he spoke.
"I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble." Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa.
"Got it." Ren said simply while Kusa nodded his understanding before speaking up.
"Fair enough. We'll do our best to keep out of trouble, Sakura-san." Kusa said with a nod as Sojiro spoke up again.
"Now then...I got the gist of your situation. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you, right?" Sojiro said as Ren nodded.
"Unfortunately, that's correct. I still think that was stupid that I got sued for doing the right thing, but whatever." Ren said as Kusa elbowed him.
"Hush up, Ren. If anyone here gets to complain, it's me. I'm the one who got ordered to tag along with you to keep you out of trouble when I didn't even do anything wrong. And I'm supposed to be the younger brother here. Yet I have to play the older brother because you can't stay out of trouble." Kusa said with a huff, giving Sojiro an apologetic look afterwards as he spoke up again.
"Oh, um apologies for the outburst Sakura-san. But yes you're right about our situation." Kusa said as Sojiro chuckled.
"Nah, I get why you did it Kusa. That said, that's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults, Ren. You did injure him, yeah?" Sojiro asked Ren, who nodded before Kusa spoke up again, feeling the need to come to Ren's defense a bit at that moment.
"To be fair Sakura-san, that guy injured himself when he fell. Ren just pushed him off the woman, The guy stumbled on his own after that, but otherwise you're correct." Kusa said. Sojiro nodded as he kept speaking, acting as if Kusa hadn't spoken out of turn while he spoke.
"And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved." Sojiro said as Kusa rolled his eyes before speaking up once more.
"And then they ordered ME to come along as a chaperone of sorts just because Ren here got made out to be a dangerous flight risk or something like that." Kusa said. Ren frowned as he glared at Kusa before speaking up.
"Well, excuse me for trying to do the right thing. I'm sorry I got you caught up in it but do you really have to make me out to be scum like that, Kusa?" Ren said as Kusa sighed.
"No, I suppose I don't. Sorry Ren. But hopefully you learn from this." Kusa said huffily. Sojiro chuckled at Kusa's remark.
"Like I said, Kusa's definitely the smart one of the two of you. That said, in other words they got rid of Ren here for being a pain in the ass. Kusa was just unfortunate enough to be saddled with having to accompany you because the courts don't trust Ren to be alone." Sojiro said in a deadpan tone, getting an amused smirk from Kusa at his assessment of the situation before Kusa laughed and spoke up again.
"That's one way of putting it, Sakura-san. Though he is still my brother so I do have to have his back despite how much of an idiot he can be at times." Kusa said dryly. Ren frowned, but Sojiro cut in before Ren could respond, much to Kusa's relief.
"It's best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, Ren's probation will be lifted. And Kusa, just try to keep Ren out of trouble as best you can. Kinda ironic that you're the younger brother but Ren's the one needing to be supervised." Sojiro remarked, ignoring the dry huff from Ren as Kusa chuckled at the remark before speaking up.
"That's fair, Sakura-san. And while you're not wrong in your opinion, I planned on doing that anyways. Hopefully Ren can last that long without getting into trouble." Kusa said, giving Ren a teasing smirk.
"Shut up, Kusa. I can behave when I want to. But seriously?! A whole year? That's quite a while..." Ren said in surprise. Sojiro shrugged, glaring at Ren as he spoke up again.
"Cause any problems, and you'll be sent straight to juvie. But I think Kusa can keep you out of trouble with some luck." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded.
"I'll do my best, Sakura-san." Kusa said as Sojiro gave him an approving nod. He then spoke up once more.
"We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow." Sojiro said making Ren and Kusa blink in surprise at what Sojiro had said.
"Shujin's open on a Sunday?" Kusa said in surprise while Ren blinked as he spoke up.
"Shujin?" Ren asked in confusion, ignoring Kusa facefaulting behind him at Ren's not knowing the name of the school he was transferring to. Sojiro glared at Ren before speaking up.
"Shujin Academy- the school you'll be attending. And yes Kusa, some schools are open on Sundays, but I'll grant not many are. We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that will accept someone like YOU, you know." Sojiro explained, glaring at Ren as he said the 'someone like YOU' part of his response, as Kusa nodded.
"That's true. Oftentimes, criminal records are deterrents to most schools accepting a student." Kusa said sagely. Sojiro nodded approval of Kusa's remark before huffing.
"Ugh, what a waste of my Sunday." Sojiro said before glancing towards the box in the middle of the floor.
"Your 'luggage' arrived a little while ago. I brought it up here for you." Sojiro said before walking downstairs as Kusa nodded. Ren frowned at Kusa after Sojiro left.
"Very nice, Kusa. Nice to see you're still the same relative suck-up you usually are." Ren deadpanned as Kusa frowned at Ren's remark.
"OI! Just because I wanted to make a good impression on our guardian doesn't make me a suck-up, Ren! And besides, you never know when being on his good side could be helpful to us. So don't be so quick to criticize me for being well-behaved. That said, shall we clean this place up so it's livable?" Kusa said to Ren, trying not to let on how hurt he was by Ren's 'suck-up' comment. Ren shrugged before speaking up once more.
"Fair enough, brother. I guess we should get along since we're going to be living here, starting today." Ren said as Kusa nodded.
"I agree. Maybe our first order of business should be checking out what all is in this room aside from the box of our stuff." Kusa suggested. Ren nodded as they started cleaning up their shared room, stopping after a bit to look at the box from home. They reached inside and found some changes of clothes which they blinked before taking turns changing into more comfortable clothes, the other looking away for whoever was changing's privacy.
Eventually, Ren had changed into a pair of blue jeans, a loose white shirt and a black jacket with the same boots as before. As for Kusa, he changed into a loosely-fitting black muscle shirt which he wore under a red and black jacket which he wore open, black jeans similar to Ren's and the same boots he had on previously.
After they changed, Ren and Kusa finished cleaning their room. Eventually, the room was fit to live in. The process took through until the evening, at which point Ren and Kusa smiled at the now-cleaner room which sported very nice flooring after having shoved their box into a shelf near the stairs which it fit into. Right as they finished, Sojiro came up and looked around in surprise.
"What the heck? I heard you making all sorts of noise up here, but I didn't think you were cleaning." Sojiro said as he then looked around, before looking at Ren and Kusa, impressed by how clean the room was, speaking up once more after he finished looking around.
"Actually, the place doesn't look too bad. Though it's only natural you'd want to keep your room tidy, especially when you're sharing it with your brother." Sojiro said. Ren nodded as Kusa spoke up with a grin on his face.
"Indeed. It's impressive how much Ren and I can get done when we work together, if I do say so myself." Kusa said with a bit of a smug tone in his voice, making Ren roll his eyes at Kusa's remark. Sojiro nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. I'm pleased you two are getting along. Anyways, why don't you two get to bed for tonight? You don't have anything better to be doing, right?" Sojiro asked as Ren shrugged while Kusa nodded.
"That makes sense. Might as well get as much sleep as we can while we can and all that." Kusa said with a nod. Sojiro nodded as well before speaking up once more.
"I'm going to close up shop and get out of here myself." Sojiro said before fixing Ren and Kusa with a serious look.
"I won't be the ones looking after either of you if you get yourselves sick from staying up too late, you got that?" Sojiro said firmly to Kusa and Ren who nodded.
"That's more than fair, Sakura-san. Not that I usually stay up that late when I don't have to, but your warning is duly received." Kusa said as Ren just nodded again. Sojiro then turned and walked downstairs. After he left, Ren and Kusa looked at each other.
"I guess you can have the bed and I'll take the sofa?" Kusa suggested as he saw the look Ren was giving him, making Ren smile and nod.
"Good, at least you said it and not me. Try not to be TOO uncomfortable, brother dear." Ren said before getting comfortable on the bed while Kusa shrugged, getting comfy on the sofa. As he laid on the bed, Ren pondered his arrest and trial and how it had ended, as well as how Kusa had come to be caught up in Ren's mistake, despite his protests. Ren also flashed on the criminal record he had for protecting that woman from the man trying to have his way with her.
(Flashback start, Ren's POV)
I kept walking through the alleyway as I tried to get back home, only for the sounds of a woman screaming to catch my attention and make me head towards them, not wanting to ignore what I was hearing. As I kept running, I could hear the argument getting louder in the distance. I got close enough to hear what was being said.
"How dare you cross me!?" I heard from a man who was possibly intoxicated from his voice as I heard a woman nearby whimper.
"Stop! Let go of me!" I heard a woman scream. As I got closer I could start to see the woman struggling in the drunk man's arms.
"No...!" The woman screamed, but the man wasn't listening.
"Don't give me that shit!" I heard the man, who sounded drunk, yell at the woman. I got the sense that he was bothering her.
"Ow! P-Please, stop!" The woman screamed again. I frowned. My common sense AND my brain were screaming at me not to get involved, but I knew in my heart I couldn't ignore a woman in need. Besides, she appeared to be in danger. I shook my head. 'I have to save her!' I thought to myself before approaching the man and woman. I saw the man scoff as I got closer.
"Tch...! What a waste of time! You're think you're worth causing me trouble? Huh?" The drunk man said as the woman panicked.
"I-I'll call the police!" The woman threatened, and to my surprise the drunk man scoffed.
"Heh, call them if you want! The police are my bitches. They're not going to take you seriously." The drunk man said as the woman started crying at this point.
"No...Stop!" The woman yelled as sirens could be heard at that point, making the drunk man scoff.
"Hmph. Someone called the cops, huh?" The drunk man said before shoving the woman towards the nearby car.
"Get in the car!" The drunk man said to the woman as he manhandled her, speaking up some more as he pushed her towards the car.
"Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I steer this country!" The drunk man yelled before turning and seeing me standing there.
"What're you looking at? Get outta my face!" The drunk man said to me. I stood my ground, frowning at the drunk man who frowned back.
"This ain't a show. Get lost, kid." The drunk man said to me before turning to the woman and frowning.
"See? This is all because you're so damn slow! Get in the car!" The drunk man said as he manhandled the woman towards the car despite my efforts...
(Flashback end, back in present, neutral POV)
Ren pulled his phone from his pocket, frowning as he saw an unfamiliar app on his phone with a red and black icon that had an eyeball on it. Ren frowned, deleting the app once again. Ren then felt himself get tired, unaware of Kusa having already dozed off on the sofa nearby. When Ren's eyes opened up again, he was surprised to see himself in an unfamiliar room with chains and velvet. As Ren held his head in confusion he heard a chuckle behind him, making him stand and turn around in time to see a pair of small blonde-haired females looking at him before turning to either side to clear the area around them where Ren could see an older man with a hooked nose who spoke to Ren.
"Welcome to my Velvet Room..." The elder man said as the twin females then spoke up.
"So you've come to, inmate." The girl whose hair was in buns said to Ren.
"The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream." The girl whose hair was in a ponytail said to Ren as the other girl spoke up again.
"You're in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!" The bun-headed girl said as Ren turned his attention to the elder male behind the girls who spoke up again.
"Welcome. 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. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well." The now-named Igor said to Ren who gasped at hearing the old man's name. Igor then spoke up again.
"I have summoned you here to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well." Igor said to Ren who spoke up.
"I'm not even going to bother asking if I can be let out since I doubt it'll happen. That said, what sort of important matters are we talking about?" Ren asked Igor uncertainly. Igor nodded as he spoke up again, looking around as he spoke.
"Exactly. Still, this is a surprise...The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a prisoner of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you and those close to you." Igor said to Ren who gasped.
"Ruin!?" Ren asked in shock and Igor nodded once more before continuing to speak as if Ren hadn't interrupted.
"I speak of the end to everything. However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be 'rehabilitated.' Rehabilitated towards freedom...That is your only means to avoid ruin...Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?" Igor asked Ren who blinked but nodded.
"Well honestly, I'd rather avoid ruin if possible." Ren said in a deadpan tone. Igor chuckled as he spoke up once more.
"Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation." Igor said as the twins blinked at him not mentioning them making him chuckle as he kept speaking.
"Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline, and to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here." Igor said as Ren chuckled at the now-named Justine and Caroline, unable to resist making a teasing remark about the two.
"I see...that explains the police outfits they're wearing. And here I thought it was just a cosplay." Ren joked, not seeing Caroline and Justin glare at this comment.
"Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like." Caroline said huffily, clearly offended by Ren saying that she and Justine were cosplaying.
"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators. That is, IF you remain obedient." Justine said, unfazed by Joker's remark about her outfit.
"I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion. Now then, it seems the night is waning...It is almost time." Igor said as Caroline and Justine turned to face him as he spoke. Before either girl could say anything, Igor spoke up once more.
"Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually..." Igor said as he lifted a hand and alarms started blaring.
"Time's up! Hurry up and go back to sleep!" Caroline ordered as Ren was guided back to his bed where he eventually drifted back off before waking up in his bed at Leblanc.
"Ah, look who's finally up. You have a rough night, Ren? You were tossing and turning in your sleep." Kusa said, worry for Ren in his tone. Ren shrugged.
"I had a strange dream. And since when do you watch me sleep?" Ren asked Kusa who laughed.
"I don't. But considering I didn't want to go downstairs while you slept, I didn't have much choice since there's not much else to do in here." Kusa pointed out as Ren nodded.
"I heard you muttering in your sleep, by the way. Something about ruin and rehabilitation?" Kusa said to Ren who blinked.
"Yeah, it had to do with my dream. But I don't think we have time to talk about that now. Who knows if Sakura-san is already up or not?" Ren pointed out. As if on cue, Sojiro poked his head upstairs before walking up.
"Looks like you're both up." Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa, the former of which nodded while the latter smirked and nodded.
"Yeah, just had to wait for sleepyhead here to get up." Kusa said, ignoring the somewhat annoyed eye roll he got from Ren for his remark as Sojiro nodded before speaking up.
"Well then, let's go introduce ourselves properly tot he staff about your transfers. The school you two are attending is in the Aoyama district. It'll take a while to get there by train. The transfers are a real hassle, too. I'll drive you there, but just for today. Let's go." Sojiro said as Kusa and Ren nodded. Sojiro then walked off grumbling to himself.
"Sheesh... Men aren't usually allowed in my passenger seat." Sojiro grumbled, making Kusa chuckle as he had a feeling Sojiro was dressed like a pimp for some reason. Kusa and Ren quietly laughed as they followed Sojiro to his car. Once at the school, Sojiro stopped Ren and Kusa.
"Do me a favor and behave yourself, all right? Granted I think Kusa will probably be very well-behaved, though Ren is another story." Sojiro said as Ren rolled his eyes.
"Yes Sakura-san, I'll behave. Sheesh, between you and Kusa I wonder who gets more on my case?" Ren deadpanned as Kusa frowned.
"Ren? Hush. I can't speak for Sakura-san here, but I do it because I care about you, you fool. Now quit whining so we can go sort out our transfers." Kusa said huffily as Sojiro nodded approvingly to how Kusa handled Ren. Sojiro then spoke up once more.
"Don't get me wrong, Ren- I don't care what happens to you or Kusa, even if Kusa seems like a good kid. Just don't cause me any trouble." Sojiro rebuked Ren.
"Fine, I'll be good, Sakura-san." Ren said relentingly. Kusa smiled at Sojiro's compliment.
"Wow, thanks for the compliment, Sakura-san." Kusa said happily. Sojiro nodded before the trio went inside and looked at the trio of faculty members gathered around the desk in front of them as the principal, a short bald male, spoke up, looking mostly at Ren as he spoke.
"To reiterate, just so we're clear...Ren Amamiya, you will immediately be expelled if you cause any problems. At least your brother Kusa seems to be a model student from what I've seen. As for you Ren, in my opinion you're nothing but a liability, but we had our circumstances to consider...Whatever you might have gotten away with in your hometown, those days are over. If you are thrown out of our school, there will be no place for you to go.
Keep that in mind. As for Kusa Amamiya, good luck fitting in at our school, and I look forward to having you at our school." The principal of Shujin Academy, a short but chubby man, said to Ren and Kusa, before indicating the man and woman standing to either side of him. The principal addressed Ren first, gesturing towards the woman as he spoke.
"This is the teacher in charge of your class, Ren." The principal said as the female teacher spoke up.
"I'm Sadayo Kawakami." The now named Sadayo said to Ren who nodded respectfully. Sadayo then handed something to Ren.
"Here's your student ID." Sadayo said as Ren grabbed the proffered ID, before both Ren AND Kusa raised surprised eyebrows at the pink folded poster underneath the ID which looked to be an advertisement of sorts. To Ren and Kusa's surprise, Sadayo quickly snatched the poster back, looking embarrassed before speaking to Ren again.
"Be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, if by chance you cause any problems, I won't be able to protect you at all." Sadayo said before turning to the principal as she kept speaking.
"That IS your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?" Sadayo asked the now-named Kobayakawa who nodded and spoke up once more.
"Mm-hmm, He is responsible for ALL his actions." Kobayakawa said as Sadayo huffed.
"But really though, why me? There should've been better candidates." Sadayo said as the male teacher spoke up.
"Wasn't it something to do with your class being the only second-year class with an opening?" The male teacher pointed out which Kobayakawa nodded to.
"That's correct, Mr. Hiruta." Kobayakawa said before turning to Sadayo and continuing to speak.
"It was a sudden transfer, and your class was the only one that had an opening. Now then, Kusa Amamiya will be taught by Mr. Hiruta here. However, unlike his brother, Kusa seems to have a spotless disciplinary and school record so I don't see any problems with him." Kobayakawa said as the named Hiruta walked forward and gave Kusa his ID.
"Here is your ID. Like your brother, I suggest you read the school rules, if for no other reason than to familiarize yourself with them so as to avoid any inadvertent breaches of the rules. After all, wouldn't want a good student like you getting into trouble like your brother, yes?" Hiruta said as Kusa nodded.
"Very well, sir. I'll make it a point to read up on the rules when I get time. Thank you for the advice." Kusa said respectfully. Sojiro nodded before speaking up.
"If you're done explaining things, mind if we get going? I got a store to get back to." Sojiro asked, sounding impatient. Kobayakawa nodded but spoke up once more.
"Sakura-san, please keep a close eye on the elder Amamiya brother when his brother cannot. After all, having to watch one's older brother is a lot to ask of a first-year, is it not? And don't let Ren cause any trouble outside." Kobayakawa said, as Kusa nodded his agreement, even though he was internally grumbling at being reminded of his first-year status. Noticing this, Sojiro nodded as well before speaking up, trying to draw the attention off of Kusa.
"I'll be sure to have a serious talk about the situation he's in." Sojiro said as Sadayo sighed in irritation before addressing Ren once more.
"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow, Ren. I'll show you to your classroom." Sadayo said to Ren.
"I'll do the same for you, Kusa. Try not to be late, okay?" Hiruta said to Kusa who nodded before speaking up with a wry smirk on his face.
"I'll do my best to be on time, sir. But with Ren over there as a brother, I make no promises." Kusa joked, ignoring the glare Ren was giving him. The trio then left the office where Sojiro stopped Ren while waving Kusa off towards the car, waiting until Kusa was out of earshot to address Ren.
"Everyone's giving you the cold shoulder. That's what having a criminal record does to you. Turns out your past follows you wherever you go. By the way...if you get expelled now, I won't hesitate to kick you out. Got it? And if I kick you out, that doesn't mean I'm kicking Kusa out too unless he also gets expelled, which I don't see happening." Sojiro said as Ren nodded reluctantly before speaking up.
"Yes, Sakura-san. I got it loud and clear. I'll be on my best behavior. And I'll be careful." Ren said making Sojiro stroke his beard before replying.
"Hmph...ugh, school never changes, huh?" Sojiro asked Ren who shrugged but nodded. Sojiro then sighed.
"Come on, we're going home." Sojiro said as Ren nodded, the two going to join Kusa by the car.
(At that same time, elsewhere in the school, neutral POV)
"What a troublesome situation." A male teacher with black hair and a chiseled physique said to Sadayo as they walked past each other making Sadayo sigh before speaking up.
"I can't believe they pushed someone with a record on me. A male teacher would be better suited for this..." Sadayo said making the male teacher hang his head before speaking up in frustration.
"Why in the world was someone like that admitted here in the first place? From what I hear, his brother is well-behaved, but somehow he's not." The male teacher said. Sadayo huffed as she spoke up once again.
"Who knows? It was the principal's decision. I was told that it's for the school's reputation." Sadayo said huffily as the male teacher nodded his agreement before speaking up, his tone one of annoyance as he spoke.
"I would've thought that my volleyball team has contributed more than enough to cover that." The male teacher huffed, making Sadayo shrug and nod.
"That's certainly true." Sadayo agreed as the male teacher smiled before speaking up again.
"Be careful, okay? Then again, if anything were to happen, I'd kick out a student like THAT out right away." The male teacher said as Sadayo rubbed the back of her head awkwardly before speaking up once more.
"I keep wishing that he'd just end up not coming to school. Still, that isn't something I should be saying as a teacher." Sadayo said as the male teacher nodded.
"Well, I should be returning to practice." The male teacher said as Sadayo gaped as she remembered an important detail as she spoke up.
"Oh, right. The tournament's coming up, isn't it?" Sadayo asked the male teacher, who nodded.
"Having such high expectations placed on you by others is quite a problem in itself. We'll have to work hard to make up for the track team too." The male teacher said.
"Yes... That's true." Sadayo said as the male teacher walked off, leaving Sadayo to mutter to herself briefly.
"Why'd it have to be my class?" Sadayo asked herself as she walked off...
(Back with Sojiro and the Amamiya brothers, neutral POV)
"Ugh, traffic's not moving at all." Sojiro said to Ren, who happened to be riding in the front seat while Kusa was sitting in the back, having agreed to let Ren sit up front since he got the front on the way there and he knew fair was fair. Sojiro huffed as he looked at Ren and Kusa.
"You two are taking the train, starting tomorrow." Sojiro said as Ren rolled his eyes while Kusa nodded.
"Yes, Sakura-san." Ren and Kusa said in unison, even though the former's tone was more deadpan than the latter's. Sojiro then looked at Ren and Kusa.
"So how was it? The school, I mean? Think you can manage?" Sojiro asked Ren and Kusa.
"I don't know about Ren, but I shouldn't have many if any problems since everyone seemed to have a good impression of me which is nice." Kusa spoke up, as Ren huffed.
"Shush, Kusa. We know you're the good boy of the two of us. But to your question, Sakura-san, I think I'll do okay even if it might be tough going, but eh we'll see what happens." Ren said off-handedly as Kusa spoke up once more.
"That's kind of a glib attitude to have, but I'm sure you'll be fine, Ren. If nothing else, as long as you keep your head down you shouldn't have any problems." Kusa pointed out as Sojiro smiled and nodded before speaking up in a stern tone.
"Now listen up. Kusa is right with his advice. That said though, don't get complacent Ren. Still, you were expelled once already. To think you'd re-enroll at a different one. It's not like anyone will be sympathetic with you." Sojiro said to Ren who nodded.
"I understand, Sakura-san. But it's not the first time I've had it rough so I'm sure I'll manage somehow." Ren said. Sojiro nodded, before sighing and shaking his head as he spoke up once more, not seeing Kusa smirk at Ren from the backseat.
"If that's what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too...ugh, what a troublesome kid I've taken in. At least your brother's a good kid." Sojiro said. Ren blinked before he had a thought occur to him and he spoke up.
"If it's not too personal of a question Sakura-san, why DID you take me and my brother in?" Ren asked. Kusa leaned forward, also curious to hear the answer to this as well. Sojiro looked at Ren before answering, drumming the steering wheel impatiently as he waited for traffic to get moving.
"I was asked to do it and I just... happened to agree to it. I've already been paid for it too, after all." Sojiro said as the radio started blaring news. Sojiro growled at the mention of a subway accident derailing and causing time delays across most of the city.
"Ugh, another accident? So that's why it's so crowded. There's been a lot of those lately." Sojiro said before getting a somber look on his face as he kept speaking.
"In fact, there was a real sad one just last month...It happened before you came here. If I remember right, the girl that passed away was only fifteen, not much younger than Kusa. Her parents have gotta be just..." Sojiro said, traling off as Kusa blinked at the mention of a girl around his age passing away, frowning as he vaguely recalled reading about something to that effect on the train ride over to meet Sojiro.
If Kusa recalled what he'd read correctly, the girl was said to have a sister, though he couldn't remember if it was an older or younger sister. Not that it bothered Kusa since he doubted he'd ever meet said sister. At that point the news reported that all traffic was being redirected and to expect jam-packed streets as a result, making Sojiro groan.
"Oh, come on!" Sojiro growled as he kept waiting for traffic to settle so the trio could drive back to Leblanc...
(One depiction of a rough train accident, and two main character introductions later, at Leblanc, neutral POV)
"Damn, to think there'd be that much traffic...What a waste of time. I wasn't able to open the cafe today." Sojiro said grumpily.
"Oh, right. I can't really speak for Ren, but hopefully he, like myself is very sorry for taking up your whole day and costing you potential business, Sakura-san. But thank you for driving us to Shujin." Kusa said politely as Ren nodded.
"Yeah, what Kusa said. I am grateful to you for taking the time out of your day to do that for us, Sakura-san." Ren said with a slight bow of respect. Sojiro sighed as he spoke up once more.
"Ugh, whatever. Just head upstairs, you two. There's something I have to give to Ren." Sojiro said as Ren and Kusa nodded and followed him upstairs. Once upstairs, Sojiro looked at Ren and Kusa after looking at his phone and cringing.
"Ugh, talk about a gruesome accident...Eighty people were involved." Sojiro said as Kusa's eyes went wide at the number quoted while Ren just shook his head.
"The world's just going to crap nowadays, isn't it?" Ren asked as Kusa frowned.
"That's a bit unfair, but unfortunately you're probably not wrong Ren. Still, eighty people? That's a lot of victims..." Kusa said uncertainly. Sojiro nodded.
"I quite agree, Kusa. Before I forget though, here you go Ren." Sojiro said, tossing a black book onto the counter next to him.
"Here's a diary. Make sure you keep it up to date, Ren. You may be under probation, but there's no special limitations on what you do in particular. Besides following the law, that is. However, I'm obligated to report on you, which is why I'm having you record your daily activities." Sojiro said to Ren before his phone rang and he answered it.
"Hey, what's up?" Sojiro said into his phone. After listening for a bit he nodded.
"I'm about to leave right now. Don't worry, I'll be there in no time. ...Uh-huh. I'll see you soon." Sojiro said, before hanging up and turning to Ren and Kusa.
"Sounded important, Sakura-san. But don't feel like you owe us any explanations at all. I was merely being curious is all." Kusa said with a shrug. Sojiro nodded.
"Yeah, basically I gotta get home. So, I'm off. I'll lock the place up, so do whatever you want for the rest of the night. Oh, but don't mess up my store. If anything goes missing, I'll hand Ren right over to the cops. You both have school tomorrow so you better head off to bed, all right?" Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa, who nodded. Sojiro then left the room.
After Sojiro left, Ren and Kusa exchanged glances before Kusa spoke up, looking Ren in the eyes as he spoke.
"Look, I'm sorry I give you such a rough time Ren. I just worry about you, that's all. You're my older brother and you're the one with a criminal record. I may give you grief, but I'm still your brother. So don't be afraid to confide in me if you feel the need to. I have your back, Ren." Kusa said as Ren smiled at Kusa.
"Thanks, Kusa. For what it's worth, I'm sorry you got pulled from your cushy life at home. Hopefully you'll be able to acclimate to this life well enough." Ren said as Kusa smiled.
"I'm sure I'll sort something out. I might not look it, but I'm quite adaptable when I have to be, unlike you. But Sakura-san was right about one thing, we shouldn't be up too late since we have school on the morrow." Kusa said to Ren, who nodded his agreement. The two then laid down on their respective beds (or sofa in Kusa's case) and got to bed, neither realizing what the next day would have in store for Ren in particular...
END OF CHAPTER
A/N: And there we have the first chapter of Persona 5: The Phantom Files done and dusted! Before I get a lot of angry reviews about how hard I had people bashing on Ren while outright praising Kusa, that's because unlike Ren, Kusa doesn't have a criminal record so people are likelier to be nice to him. But this by no means is an indicator of Kusa being a perfect character by ANY means. But time will tell the tale on that one. That said, hopefully I do both Persona 5 Royal AND Persona 5 Strikers justice as I type this story out.
Granted, I did skip over the first in-game appearance of a certain ace detective in this chapter as well as a minor bit-part for Sae, but the chapter is long enough I didn't feel the need to add more to it. As it is, this is going to be the first chapter of Arc 1 of the story (and YES this story unlike most others has arcs in it), which will likelier than not have multiple parts to it if I don't get all the way to where I want to get next chapter. That said, next chapter will be Ren and Kusa's first day at Shujin and the first appearances of two of the more unique characters in the form of a certain runner and not-cat as well as the first glimpses of the first palace. So there's that to look forward to!
That being said, given that this chapter is finally up, that means that my most recent poll finally ended and it ended in a four way tie at 1 vote each. The four stories that each got votes were as follows:
Persona 5-The Amamiya Files (or this story)
Digimon Frontier: Return To The Digital World
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dueling Fiend
Total Drama All-Stars Redux
As a result, this means that unfortunately so for it, Dragon Warrior: The Wrath of Hargon did not get a vote so it's not going to be as high up on the priority list. I have a lot of chapters backlogged for this story so don't be surprised if this gets updated at a decently good pace! I also have 2 and a bit chapters backlogged of Digimon Frontier: Return To The Digital World as well so that will get some updates too. So that's neat. At some point down the line, I'll probably start in on Dueling Fiend as well, though I'm waiting until I finish A Mine Is A Terrible Thing To Waste Redux (rewrite) as a whole before starting Total Drama All-Stars Redux since otherwise there'd be too many spoilers for the ending of A Mine Is A Terrible Thing To Waste Redux (rewrite) and that would be bad. So yeah that's what's up with that. Hopefully you like this first chapter! Until next update, sithlorde1988 out!