Yusuke looked like he was completely out of his element. It was understandable though. Falling into a strange world that supposedly showed how his mentor really perceived the world would be hard for anyone to swallow.

In fact, when Ryuji and Ann tried telling him the truth about Madarame he resisted. Ryuji got upset, but Akira could tell Yusuke was listening.

He just didn't want to accept it.

Ryuji had tried to keep pushing, but Yusuke was close to collapsing and security was through the roof. They could talk after they made sure Yusuke was safely outside the palace.

Akira led the group. Yusuke followed close behind and the others flanked him.

They couldn't let Yusuke get hurt, especially since he couldn't defend himself.

As they traversed the palace, Yusuke stared at the scenery before him. He stared at the paintings on the wall. At first, there was nothing but unease in his eyes as they flitted from painting to painting.

"So this… is what is inside Sensei's heart? A vain museum like this…?" He whispered.

No one had the heart to respond so they kept moving. Akira noticed Yusuke lagging behind a bit so she slowed her pace.

"Ah! This painting…!"

Akira stopped and turned to the painting.

It was of a young girl with long, straight black hair in a school uniform.

"Do you recognize her?" She asked.

Yusuke numbly nodded.

"We were thinking the paintings might be of his past pupils…" Ann said.

"But...why are there paintings of them here…?" Yusuke asked, his voice becoming strained.

"Technically, those aren't actually paintings. They're the pupils themselves." Morgana said.

"Madarame saw 'em as objects, so that's what they're here for," Ryuji added.

Yusuke stared despondently at the painting.

"Oh, and uh… we found yours too." Ryuji mumbled.

"Skull!" Akira and Ann hissed.

Yusuke didn't respond, but his gaze shifted towards the ground. The girls turned and gave the blonde a look.

"What?!" He cried defensively.

"We'll talk more later. For now, let's get out of here." Morgana said.

Akira gave Ryuji a hard elbow to his side before agreeing. He gave her a look back but she ignored him. The group made their way out of the painting area and found themselves moving through a circular hallway aligned with golden screen walls decorated with black, inky trees. They passed the Infinite Spring statue so it became clear they were very close to making it out.

They were almost out the door when the shadows popped up in front of them, blocking the only exit.

Instinctively, the group positioned themselves between Yusuke and the shadow guards.

'So close…' Akira thought.

Maniacal laughter rang out from behind them.

"Who is it!?" Ann yelled.

There stood Madarame, clad in a golden traditional kimono. His face was caked up in make-up. His skin was a porcelain white. His lips were redder than a cherry. His eyebrows may have been stamped onto his forehead. His hair was pulled into a Japanese topknot and fashioned much like a paintbrush.

"What the-" Ryuji said.

'What the hell?'

It was hard to believe, but Akira suddenly preferred the regular Madarame. Shadow Madarame held his hands within his sleeves as his guards stood beside him. His yellow eyes burned as he stared the group down.

Ryuji was the first to snap out of his stupor with a loud laugh.

"HA! Talk about bullshit clothes! First a king, now some kind of shogun!?"

"Welcome to the museum of the master artist Madarame!" He announced.

"Huh…?"

Akira looked at Yusuke. The poor boy looked so lost and confused. He took a few steps forward. She had moved to pull him back, but a bright yellow hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Sensei? Is that you? That attire?" He asked in confusion.

"Disgusting." Ann spat.

"This… This is all one big lie, isn't it…?" Yusuke mumbled.

"My usual ragged attire is nothing but an act. Besides, a famous person living in that shack? I have another home… under a mistress's name of course." Madarame sneered.

"Some setup you've got… I'm almost impressed." Akira said, crossing her arms.

"Hmph! Such insincerity!" He growled.

"If...If the "Sayuri" was stolen, why was it in the storage room? And if you had the real one, why make copies!?" Yusuke asked.

His voice wavered but he pressed on.

"If it's really you Sensei… please tell me!" He begged.

Akira could feel her heartstrings being tugged at.

Madarame on the other hand, only shook his head.

"Foolish child. You still don't see? The painting being stolen was just a false rumor I spread! It was all a perfectly calculated staging!" He grinned.

"Wh-What do you mean…?!" Yusuke stuttered.

"Let me see… How does this sound?"

Madarame paused, his voice taking on a falsetto.

"I found the real painting, but it can't go public… You can have it for a special price though…"

Yusuke's face dropped as Madarame spoke.

'That's why there were so many…'

"Haha! How's that for preferential treatment!? Art snobs eat it up, and pay good cash at that!" He laughed.

"No…" Yusuke pleaded.

He sank to his knees, broken.

"The worth of art is purely subjective… Thus, this is a legitimate business transaction! Though, I doubt a brat like you would ever come up with such a brilliant scheme." Madarame said.

"You keep goin' on and on about money this, money that… No wonder you ended up with this disgusting museum!" Ryuji growled.

"You're supposed to be an artist, right?! Aren't you ashamed of plagiarizing other people's work!?" Ann spat.

Madarame only smiled at her.

"Art is nothing but a tool… A tool to gain money and fame!"

He sets his eyes on his pupil.

"You helped me greatly as well Yusuke…"

Yusuke didn't meet his eyes.

He just couldn't.

"God… Pisses me off… That's your teacher." Ryuji growled.

Yusuke shook his head.

'Please… Let this be a lie! Let this not be true!' Yusuke thought vainly.

But every bone in his body was screaming to look at the truth in front of him.

"But what about the people who believe in you…? The ones who think you're a master artist!?" He begged.

'Please Sensei… Please!'

"I'll tell you this alone Yusuke… If you wish to succeed in this world, I'd advise you don't rise against me. Do you believe anyone could find success with my objection holding them down? Hahahahahaha!"

The image of the kind, humble, and gentlemanly Madarame shattered inside Yusuke's mind.

"To think I was under the care of this wretched man.." He said, shaking.

Madarame laughed.

"You thought I took you in out of the goodness in my heart? Plucking talented, yet troubled artists allows me to find promising pupils and take their ideas… After all, it's much easier to steal the futures of children who can't fight back."

"You're a monster! How dare you!" Akira snapped.

Her comment sent him off.

"Livestock are killed for their hide and meat! This is no different, you fool!"

"As if!" She shot back.

Madarame sighed and shook his head.

"I tire of this little chat. It's time that I-"

"...You are unforgivable." Yusuke said coldly.

"Hm?"

"It doesn't matter who you are… I won't forgive you!" He said, shakily rising to his feet.

Madarame glared at him, his yellow eyes glowing.

"So… you repay my keeping you around all these years with ingratitude…? You damn brat!" He spat.

He looks at the guards, nodding his head to the group.

"Men! Dispose of those thieves!" He commanded.

The shadow guard closed in on them.

"Get back!" Ann yelled.

But Yusuke didn't move.

Instead, he chuckled lightly.

"How amusing…"

The three traded glances.

"Huh?" Ann said.

His laughter increased.

Akira stared at Yusuke.

He had laughed like this before.

"It seems the truth is stranger than fiction, hm…?"

It was back when they had first confronted Yusuke about Madarame plagiarizing and abusing his pupils.

"Kitagawa-kun?"

"I wanted to believe it wasn't true… I had clouded my vision for so long…"

Back then, he had said it was preposterous. Impossible.

"My eyes were truly blind… Blind and unable to see the true self behind this horrible man…!"

Have you finally come to your senses?

Yusuke could feel his heart beating.

It was beating heavier and heavier.

His head was throbbing.

"Ngh!" He clutched his head in pain.

How foolishly you averted your eyes from the truth.

A deplorable imitation indeed...

His head was swimming.

Sweat glistened as it poured down his face. His nails dug into his scalp as he swung side to side, trying vainly to stop the pain rushing through his body.

The room around him only seemed to be getting darker and darker.

Best you part from that aspect of yourself!

"A-Aaaagh!" He screamed.

He fell to the ground, gripping at the floor.

Let us now forge a contract…

His nails dug deeper and deeper, blood staining the ground as he pulled.

I am thou, thou art I...

The world is filled with both beauty and vice…

It is time you teach people which is which!

A mask forms. The face of kitsune.

Yusuke rises, staring straight at Madarame, who had begun to back away in fear and shock.

"Very well…"

His bleeding hand grips at the mask.

"Come, Goemon!"

The sound of ripping skin and blinding light follows his call.

The wind in the room picks up, blowing back the enemies in the room. When the light dies down, Goemon stands proudly behind Yusuke, his pipe and makeup standing out the most. Yusuke's mask is now gone but much like the other Phantom Thieves and their awakenings, his clothing has changed. His standard clothing had changed into a black, high-collared and puff-sleeved jumpsuit with a striped sash worn across his hips. White motorcycle boots and bright blue gloves covered his feet and hands. And most notably, a white fox tail clung to the back of his jumpsuit.

Yusuke stomped and held out his hand.

"A breathtaking sight…"

Madarame took another step back, only to be followed by Yusuke.

"Limitations they may be, but together, they make a fine spectacle. And though the flowers of evil blossom, be it known… Abominations are fated to perish!"

Goemon moved and frigid air spread. The guards fell, each meeting a freezing death.

"Whoa… this is impressive!" Morgana said in awe.

Madarame covered his face with his sleeve, protecting himself from the chilly attack. He looked at his fallen guards and growled in annoyance.

"Hmph… Who do you think you are!? The price for your insolence will be death!"

He looks around, screaming angrily for more guards. Within seconds, reinforcements show up, standing defensively in front of Madarame.

"Kill them all!" He bellowed.

Yusuke just kept moving forward, unamused by his Sensei's actions.

"The children who adored you as "father"... The prospecting of your pupils… How many? How many did you trample upon…?" He questioned.

He got no answer.

But Madarame's grin spoke lengths.

"How many dreams did you exchange for riches!?"

Still no response.

But it didn't matter…

Because Yusuke knew what he had to do.

No matter what it takes, he will bring him to justice.

The remainder of the Phantom Thieves moved to stand besides Yusuke. Yusuke turned and made eye contact with Akira, who nodded encouragingly at him.

"Very well… Bring it on!"

TAKE YOUR TIME

Yusuke was a powerful ally.

His mix of physical and ice abilities made fighting against the shadow guards quick work.

Unfortunately, after using his abilities, he grew exhausted and almost collapsed. Receiving a Persona takes a major toll on the body. Yusuke had wanted to keep going, but he needed rest. He had grown frustrated with himself, but with everyone's assurance, he didn't take it too hard. They left that part of the palace, retreating to a safer location.

Now, they could talk.

As it turned out, Yusuke was aware of the strange activity going around Madarame. He spoke about strangers coming to their home for years and how often they accused Madarame of plagiarism. Just like Madarame had said, Yusuke confirmed that he really did steal the futures of children who can't fight back.

After all, who would want to admit the person they owed their life to was doing such horrendous things?

"Why didn't you leave?" Akira asked gently.

"Well, he is the one who painted the "Sayuri". On top of that, I owe him a great debt…"

"You mean 'cause he raised you?" Ryuji said.

"I… never knew my father. I was told my mother raised me by herself, but she died in an accident when I was three. That's when Sensei took me in. I heard he helped my other when she was still alive." He explained.

"Heard?" Ann frowned.

"To be honest, I don't remember much about my mother either. I did everything I could for Sensei… I thought of him as a father, but… he changed."

'He saw Madarame as his father… And Madarame only saw him as a tool… That's awful…" Akira thought.

"... A lot's happened to you, huh?" Ryuji said.

Yusuke could only sigh and nod.

Akira gave him a comforting pat on the back. Yusuke smiled at her gratefully before looking at Ryuji.

"When you had mentioned plagiarism… deep down I knew you were right. That's why I so vehemently denied you… I was simply running from the truth. I'm sorry." He said.

"Don't worry about it." Ryuji grinned.

"We understand." Ann smiled.

"Thank you. I'm grateful for the chance to face what I have been denying all this time."

Ryuji clapped him on the back, making Yusuke stumble forward a bit.

"You're way too serious man. That's why you're always gettin' stuck in your own head. Look at me! I just go with the flow." He said proudly.

"For real." Ann chuckled.

Akira chuckled as well.

Morgana eyed Yusuke.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked.

"I don't know…," Yusuke mumbled.

"Yusuke… we can change Madarame's heart. We can make him pay for his crimes and face justice." Akira said.

"That reminds me, you had mentioned something about that earlier…"

Ryuji grins at him.

"Have you heard the rumors? About the Phantom Thieves that steal people's hearts?" He asked excitedly.

Yusuke blinked.

He looked at Ryuji.

Then Ann.

Then Akira.

And then it clicked.

"Don't tell me…"

Before anyone could utter a word, the sound of forming shadows erupted. They all shot up and turned.

"Oh crap!" Ryuji yelled.

We'll talk later! We need to scram!" Morgana instructed.

"This way!" Akira yelled, running in the opposite direction.

The group followed, only for Yusuke to pause and look at his arms, slightly confused.

"When did my clothes change?" He asked.

Ryuji paused.

"You just noticed that NOW…?"

The girls come running back, Ann grabbing Yusuke and Akira grabbing Ryuji, and yank them back into running.

"Less talking, more running!" Akira says.

TAKE YOUR TIME

The four sat inside a comfy cafe, talking quietly. The group explained to Yusuke how they formed the Phantom Thieves and how they had used their newfound abilities to help the students at their school from suffering under the power of Kamoshida. They also explained the power of Persona and how palaces formed.

It was a lot to take in but Yusuke seemed to nod and follow relatively easily.

It wasn't a surprise to Akira that Yusuke wanted to join. He too wished for Madarame to face justice for his crimes. He couldn't ignore it anymore.

She gladly welcomed him to the Phantom Thieves and the others felt the same.

"I hope we get along, Yusuke!" Ann cheered.

"You better not slow us down." Ryuji joked.

"I'll do my best," Yusuke said with a nod.

"Welcome aboard." Akira smiled.

"Oh, and no more nude paintings," Ryuji added.

"So that was all a plan… That was quite daring Kurusu-san." Yusuke said.

Akira rubbed her forehead.

"It really was… Next time, Ann's doing it… I can't risk someone calling the cops on me again." Akira sighed.

"I'm so sorry about that… I didn't even think Madarame would call the police." Ann apologized.

"See!? This is why I said Akira shouldn't have stripped!" Ryuji said.

"So you wanted me to strip!?" Ann shrieked.

"Can we not talk about stripping in public!?" Akira whispered as she blushed.

The group laughed and continued to banter with each other. For the first time in a while, Yusuke felt relaxed. He'd never had friends for the sake of friends. Most people avoided him or attempted to get close to him because of Madarame.

It was… nice.

"I haven't given up on that yet though." He said.

Both Akira and Ann paused and stared at Yusuke.

"Give it up!" The girls yelled.

Akira went off saying she had no intention of ever doing that again. Ann immediately followed up with saying he better not asked. Ryuji sat there, grinding his teeth, debating whether or not to say anything.

He decided against it.

"Oh, that reminds me… I wonder what's going on with the real Madarame." Ann asked.

"I don't even want to guess… Yusuke and I were lucky to escape."


At the Madarame household, his special task force had just left.

And Madarame was less than satisfied.

By the time his team had arrived, both Yusuke and that girl were gone.

It was as if they never existed.

They scoured the property and the neighborhood and came up with nothing.

They vanished.

There was no way two teenage brats could evade trained security so easily, but he couldn't risk asking to search nearby houses. It would look far too suspicious.

Madarame sat at his desk, rubbing his chin as he thought.

He thought back to the dark-haired girl.

She wasn't special. Had nothing extraordinary about her. She was bland.

But if he remembered correctly, it was her and one other that Yusuke had wanted to paint. Perhaps it was nothing but infatuation?

Regardless, she was smart and she had ventured too far.

But then he smiled to himself.

Yusuke was loyal to him. Not to some random girl from the street.

He was his guardian and he knew Yusuke idolized him. Yusuke kept chasing her down, and would most likely make up an excuse for him, before telling the girl off.

Yusuke would never betray him.

BRINNNNNNG!

He picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Madarame-san, we haven't found anything in the neighbor or town. Would you like us to do a background check on the girl?"

"No need. I'll make sure she'll be minding her own business from now on." He said with a smug smile.

He hung up and exited the room.

"Yusuke will be back soon. I should tidy up. Maybe prepare dinner? Ah yes, that'll make it easier to talk with him. A good meal and a nice story. Yes…. that's it."

The door creaked shut behind him.

TAKE YOUR TIME

Akira and Ryuji were taking the subway home together as usual. Akira looked like she was thinking as Ryuji watched her from the corner of his eye.

In truth, he had been meaning to talk to her but he was pretty sure she was worried about Madarame and what kind of legal action he would take if they didn't change his heart before the exhibit closed.

He couldn't imagine how much stress she's under.

'I probably didn't help with that…'

"Earth to Ryuji? Hello?"

"Huh?! What?"

She giggled.

"You alright?" She asked.

"Yeah… just thinkin'..." He mumbled.

"About…?"

"Nothing."

She shoots him a look but stops pestering him.

'How the hell am I supposed to start this conversation?'

Maybe he'd start out by apologizing for being an ass, then tell her he was jealous of Yusuke, and then say she was his best friend.

"Fuck…" He mumbled.

The two walked off the train and stood at the station platform. She opened her bag and Morgana crawled out, stretching his back.

"See you tomorrow." She said, waving at the blonde.

He waved back and watched as she began walking away, Morgana trotting beside her. His hand sank down to his side.

"I'm jealous!" He yelled.

Akira, Morgana, and several passersbys stopped and stared at him.

He didn't really care though.

Akira blinked and said something to the cat before jogging up to him. She grabbed his wrist and tugged, prompting him to follow. He still had a train to catch but he honestly didn't care about missing it at this point.

She led him to some laundromat before letting him go. She looked at him, her face laced with concern.

"Jealous?"

He groaned and leaned his head against the wall.

"Yeah…."

"Why?"

"Be-Because!"

She raised her brow at him.

"Because?"

"Shit. This is coming out so wrong." He moaned.

"Ryuji, you can tell me. Just take your time." She said.

He nodded.

The two ended up buying drinks from a vending machine and just sitting in the alley in comfortable silence. They were shoulder to shoulder, her head lightly leaning on his shoulder.

"Yusuke."

"What?"

"I was jealous… of Yusuke."

"Huh?"

Her head shot off his shoulder as he turned to avoid looking at her in the eye.

"Yeah…"

"You? Jealous of Yusuke?"

"Well… he's a pretty boy. He sounds smart and he acts all mature and fancy and shit… He's an artist too." He sighed.

"Well… he is pretty attractive and he is a good artist." She agreed.

"... It was like you and Ann were constantly fawning over him."

"We were not!"

"It just… felt like I was losing you… Like Yusuke was your top priority."

Akira fell silent for a moment. Ryuji wanted to say more, but there was no way he could explain the weird fantasies he had of Yusuke and Akira dating.

Not a chance.

"Yusuke was my top priority, but it was because I was worried about what Madarame was doing to him behind closed doors. Nothing more than that. But now Yusuke's our teammate and friend, so he's a priority."

"So not top?"

"Not top."

He hesitates.

"So… who's your top priority now?"

"Madarame."

"Oh…"

He shouldn't have sounded disappointed, but he had hoped she would say him. She inspected him for a moment and then erupted in giggles.

"What?" He asked.

"I get it now."

He began to panic.

"Get what?!"

"What this is really about."

He began to sweat and sputter.

"You thought Yusuke was replacing you as my best friend." She said.

He let out a sigh in relief and nodded.

"Yeah… How'd you guess?"

"Just a hunch."

Ryuji scoffed and laughed.

"No one can replace you. You were my first friend here, and I'll never forget that."

Ryuji smiled.

"Oh! Is that a blush I see?"

"Shuddap!"

The two joke and talk for a bit. They lean against each other, chatting about stupid stuff and sipping their drinks. After a while, they went their separate ways, Ryuji sat in a daze on the train home.

"You thought Yusuke was replacing you as my best friend."

"You were my first friend here, and I'll never forget that."

The words she said made his heart flutter.

"No one can replace you."

His heart squeezed and left him breathless.

He numbly responded to the texts in the group chat but he was barely paying attention. His mind was reeling, rewinding to the moment with just him and Akira. The feeling of her leaning against him, whispering and giggling in his ear.

It honestly made his legs feel like jelly.

She had called him her best friend, so why…?

Why was he still yearning for more?

The blonde got off the train and went up the stairs of the apartment he and his mom lived in. He opened the door and there was his mother, her long dark hair held in a hair tie as she stared into a pot on their old stove.

"Welcome back Ryuji."

"Thanks Mom…"

"Food will be done soon. Just give me a few more minutes."

"Alright."

He put his bag down and moved to set the table. The room was silent as he placed two plates on the table.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yes?"

"When was the first time you realized you liked someone?"


"So did you find out why Ryuji was acting weird?" Morgana asked, watching Akira brush her hair on the bed.

"Mmhm."

Akira left it at that. What was going between herself and Ryuji was going to stay between them.

Honestly, she was happy he had told her what was upsetting him. It had felt strange not being able to chat with him whenever she felt like it. The tension between them was finally dissipating.

She smiled to herself as she retied her braids.

"You're still going out?" He asked.

"Remember that politician I met at the beef bowl shop?"

"Yes."

"He apparently gives speeches in Shibuya. I wanted to check it out." She said as she tied her sneakers.

"Alright then, let's go." He said, jumping into her bag.

The pair made their way out of Leblanc, locking the door behind them as they walked to the station.


"The way he smiled at me… It made my heart soar and my legs feel like mush." His mother said, smiling fondly at the memory.

She passed him another bowl of rice.

"And you like, dated?" He asked.

"Mmhm. We were really in love. We dated from our second year in highschool til our first year of university."

"You broke up?"

She nodded sadly.

"He was going to America. It was better if we went separate ways."

"Oh."

"And then I met your father."

Ryuji put down his chopsticks. A wave of tension rolled in.

"Oh." He said again.

They sat in silence for a bit long. The only sound being the clinking of dishes as they were passed around the table.

"What brought this up? I never knew you were interested in romance, unless it's those dirty book you hide under your mattress." She said.

"WHAT!? Mom!"

"I was kidding. I'm sure you don't have those under your mattress."

He coughed awkwardly, much to his mother's amusement.

"So what's her name?"

"There is no her." He said quickly.

"Ok. What's his name then?" She asked again.

"I'm not-! Fine, it's a her and her name is Akira."

"First names already?" She cooed.

The inclination made him blush. He grumbled and shoved a piece of meat in his mouth. Of course they called each other by their first names. With the amount of shit they've gone through, they're close enough to warrant using each other's first names.

"We're… really close." He said carefully.

"How close?"

"Like best friends."

"And you like her?"

"I… I don't. We're just friends."

She hummed in response, but she looked unconvinced.

"Ryuji dear, it sounds like you really care about this girl."

"I do."

"I'd like to meet her."

Ryuji choked.


"Are you interested in politics, young lady?"

The man in the station smiled down at her earnestly.

"I suppose so," Akira responded.

"Are you a student? I'm delighted to captivate the interest of someone your age."

His eyes squinted as he looked her over.

"Oh! You were working at the beef bowl shop before! You have a lot of perseverance for a young person. If you're interested, I could use your help." He said.

"My help?" She asked.

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

Akira thought it over.

He seemed like a nice man who was willing to try and change things for the better. Also, helping out a politician didn't sound too bad.

"I'd be glad to help." She smiled.

"Really? Thank you. Well then, would you mind telling me your name and contact information?"

"Akira Kurusu."

"I am Toranosuke Yoshida."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I used to be a member of the Diet… but no longer. In the past twenty years, I've lost seven straight elections."

Akira let out a wince.

'That's a lot of losses…'

Yoshida shook his head.

"This isn't good. I'm dwelling on the negative right before my speech. Well then, I hope I can count on your help immediately."

She nodded and found herself getting a bit excited about her role.


"Ryuji! You haven't finished your dinner."

"I'm full!"

"Oh no, you're not! You left vegetables on your plate."

"Mom!"

"Ryuji."

"Fine."

He shoved the various pickled vegetables into his mouth and chewed thoroughly. Ugh, he could taste the radishes. His mother smiled at him as he suffered.

"Thank you. Now, when can I expect to meet Akira-chan?"

"Good night Mom."

He stood from the table and took his plate to the sink to wash. He placed it on the drying rack. As he made his way to his room, he paused beside his mom, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Love ya Mom."

"Love you too."

He walked into his room, closing the door behind him. He immediately flopped on his bed, his mind thinking back to Akira, and the story his mom told him. Just like his mom said, his heart soared whenever she smiled at him, his legs felt weak whenever she made him feel special, and his heart ached when he saw her with someone else.

'I like… I like Akira.'

He groaned and rolled off his bed, accidentally pushing his mattress askew. He laid on the ground a bit, letting his thoughts sink in.

So many questions bounced around in his head.

Did she know?

Did she like him like that?

Was he only a friend to her?

Was he not her type?

He could feel a headache coming on. As he moved to fix his old mattress, he noticed something.

Or rather, a distinct lack of something.

"MOM! Did you go through my stuff!?"

"No?"

"Mom!"

"Ryuji if you're going to buy those magazines, be a dear and hide them in a better place."


Akira sighed as she held a "Streetside Speech in Progress" sign as Yoshida spoke. If she knew all she was going to do was hold a sign, maybe she would've come on a different night.

'This sucks…'

"Ah, just shut up already! You're just a washed-up politician!" A man yelled.

Yoshida took it in stride.

"If I am chosen to represent the will of the people, then I am fully prepared to..." Yoshida began.

"In the best interests of all!? Hah! Save the blathering for when you get elected! … IF you get elected." The man snapped.

Yoshida continued his speech, regardless of the hate he was receiving from the crowd. Akira could only watch silently, but now she felt a lot willing to stay.

Yoshida… despite the hate kept going.

'He's unshakeable… I could learn a lot from him.'


Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Apologies for the wait. Unfortunately, this chapter was done by the end of May, but my phone is rather old and somehow the document didn't save. It was tragic and I got unmotivated to rewrite it. But honestly, seeing people comment on the story even when I'm gone makes me realize I have people counting on me.

So big thank you to everyone that comments! You guys are amazing and keep me going!

So for this chapter, I finally had Ryuji confront his feeling as well as the appearance of Goemon and Mama Sakamoto. I really wish the game let us me or at least see the cast's parents. I took a few liberties here and there for that, but I hope you all liked them.

Now comments and questions.

What's your favorite/hated Palace?

I actually love Madarame's Palace. It's so gorgeous despite it being gaudy and extra to the cast. It's just so detailed and the idea of jumping into paintings with the different perspectives was great. I really dislike Okumura's Palace. The design wasn't my favorite and it also has the arc I hate, which is Morgana leaving.

Do you like Akechi?

I don't dislike him. I haven't had the chance to watch Persona 5 Royal but I think they explain and flesh him out better so maybe I'll like him more. I give him a 6/10.

Why does it take you so long to update?

I'm a huge procrastinator and I often write in sparks of inspiration. I can never just force myself into writing. I have to feel inspired else I end up feeling like what I've written is straight garbage. I honestly envy people with proper schedules and update multiple times a week. Sorry, but if you're willing to stick with me despite my horrendous updating, that's great.

Would you ever consider making a comic/webtoon of this story?

I can't draw for my life so I don't think that'll happen anytime soon. Although, that'd be really cool.

What's one thing you'd love to get into?

I kinda wanna try digital art or voice acting. I think it'd be fun to let voice characters and be creative with it. And despite sucking at art, I do have a stylus and a laptop that becomes a tablet so attempting digital art would be a fun activity.

Thanks for the questions and comments. Keep sending them. It's fun to respond. Anyway, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

Have a nice day!