Ryuji was growing impatient. Ever since that day, when they had to stop that corrupt nobleman from the Netherlands, from literally poisoning the groundwater with his Persona's toxic tar, Ryuji was growing uneasy, every passing day. He knew, something is going to happen in the near future and it will NOT be pleasant, considering that this is their 8th opponent so far, that just so happened to have a Persona, that worked for the enemy and him having dropped words like, "I am not the only one". He was lost in thought over this:

Ryuji: "That old geezer will not be the final hurdle. I can feel it. This just seemed far too easy, even for my liking. Tsk, I better keep this a secret from my mom. I don't wanna burden her with more of my bullshit. Time to bite into the sour apple, I guess..."

He took out his phone and decided to text Makoto, as he really wanted someone to talk to and because of the recent incident with the ferris wheel, they couldn't really do anything together, as most stores and arcades had to close down over the possible threat of the tar having possibly reached the households and restaurants.

He texted:

Ryuji: "Hey Makoto. Are you free for today? And before you ask, yeah, my exams are going great, I got 3 As in a row."

Makoto: "Really? 3 As?! Ryuji, that's amazing! You really are making progress. I am so proud of you!"

Even through simple text, every word of encouragement from her was a motivational power boost for Ryuji. He could tell, she really was blown away. And he proudly began rubbing his index finger beneath his nose.

Ryuji: "All thanks to you. Miss Student Council President."

Makoto: "But about your proposal, yeah, I am indeed free right now. No classes for me today, because... you know."

Ryuji: "Yeah, I gotcha. Either way though, I still feel like stepping out of the door for a moment. Wanna come along?"

Makoto: "What do you have in mind? Remember, all stores and malls are closed today until further notice from the local authorities."

Ryuji: "Doesn't matter. In fact, this place requires no money or water to get to. We can reach it on foot. Why not use this opportunity to go hiking for a bit? We can get there on foot, as I said."

Makoto: "Alright then. I will go and get ready. We'll see each other in about 30 minutes at LeBlanc."

Ryuji: "Then it's settled. See ya later!"

Makoto: "Bye."

He puts his phone back into his pocket and decides to freshen up somewhat, as this place that he wants to show her, is something truly special to him on a personal level. And he doesn't want to ruin the moment by showing up without proper care first.

Ryuji: "Alright, let's get to it."

A while later...

After having met up in LeBlanc, Makoto followed Ryuji's lead and true to his word, they would only go by foot to their desired destination. That took quite a while, but lucky for them, they wore lighter clothes underneath and backpacks with plenty of pre-packaged water, that hadn't gotten soiled by the toxic tar the other day. It was quite a long walk, but they couldn't complain too much, as the two were quite the sportnuts, so they quite enjoyed the hike.

Soon, Ryuji said:

Ryuji: "Stop. We're here."

And when he guided her off-road, both then reached a tall cliff with a quite steep slope underneath, that connected with the ocean beneath them. The view was phenomenal and the very mild and cool breeze was really pleasant... It was right on this spot where Ryuji began stretching and casually decided to throw himself down onto the ground to lay back and look up into the clear, afternoon sky...

Ryuji: "God, I haven't been here in a long time... and this place hasn't changed a bit."

Makoto however, had a tough time connecting with him on this, as she first wanted to know where exactly they were at.

Makoto: "Pardon my ignorance, Ryuji... where exactly are we?"

Ryuji: "Oh, right. I didn't tell you yet, didn't I?"

He stood up to explain to her calmly.

Ryuji: "This spot right here, the cliffside, with the stormy ravine below... is my secret place of escapism. My "hideout" in a manner of speaking."

Makoto: "Really? Although, for a hideaway, that's a pretty long way on foot, if you want to get to it without coming home late, once you are done here."

Her attempt at being mildly humorous may have seemed harmless to her, but for Ryuji, he apparently took it mildly personal, as he slightly began glaring at her, catching her totally off guard.

Ryuji: "...you should realize: Nobody else knows of this place, except for myself and those I am willing to put my faith into. And that last part does NOT involve any person that either you or me know. In short... nobody... except you. So do me a favor, and don't make light of this. It really is a special spot to me."

Makoto: "Judging by your reaction... this place is of far bigger impact than I possibly may comprehend then... but either way..."

Wanting to apologize for having been so brash about it, she sat down on the grass, before laying down herself, wanting to make him feel welcomed.

Makoto: "...why is that? You could have had so many spots, why specifically this one? And I wasn't trying to make fun of you or anything, it's just, I am worried about you. Don't forget that you are still handicapped because of your leg, I have every reason to be concerned, if you were to ask me. Pardon me, if I put it in a weird way, right off the bat..."

Hearing Makoto expressing her genuine concern for his well-being, the thug had to smile, before joining in and laying down right next to her, with both looking up at the sky in peace, immediately feeling their souls themselves finding internal rest here...

Ryuji: "Hey, it's OK. Excuse my sudden outburst, I just... I made a personal vow to myself that I will defend this specific spot, if need be, with my life. There is a reason for my intense stubborn- and defensiveness over this specific spot..."

He began speaking in a melancholic tone, with images flashing by of a crying and younger Ryuji, running away from the bullies at school and he just so happened to have ended up here by accident. And yet, it felt so right... and we see a younger Ryuji, repeatedly coming to this spot, almost every day, laying down on the grass to look at the sky and enjoying the smooth and gentle, cool breeze... it was like an obsession that he couldn't shake, even at a young age.

Ryuji: "Let's just say: There is a significant difference between you and me. And it's this: You have a family that was willing to learn and understand you. You have your sis and though you two had it rough, you still had each other... As for me, I had no one to talk to. Neither at school, nor at home. Everyone would get on my case over, "How dare I color my hair blonde!", "How dare I be so easy to provoke!", or "How dare I physically lash out on teachers?". The same old story. Every time... at one point, I just couldn't take it anymore. I never had my peace of mind anywhere, neither at home, nor at school... so this became my safe haven, since no one was even really bothering to look for me, if I was gone for too long."

Hearing this story unfold, the younger Niijima began to feel her heart sinking quite a lot. She looked at him with quite a depressed stare, feeling quite awful for him. And it also served to give her a bit of a revelation about this...

Makoto: "You really did go through hell and back... and you know what? Just listening to your story, I am starting to realize something... people are always so quick to judge at first glance... and they mostly never go beyond what they first saw of yourself. Positive or negative. I may have really lacked passion while being the Student Council President, however, I did repeatedly notice how the fellow average student would behave during schooltime or recess. Either really selfish, or really mean spirited. There was no in-between anywhere, I was appalled by this. And knowing that your family life was quite rough, adding this demeanor on top of everything... you astound me. You have seen hell. And yet you refuse to falter. ...You really are a man, above many others, Ryuji."

The passionate vibes from what she began expressing with these last few words... Ryuji felt his heart wavering. Especially from the look in her eyes.

Ryuji: "Makoto..."

Makoto: "I really mean what I say. Admittedly, when I repeatedly crossed paths with you, before I joined the team... I was envious of you. That you had the guts to literally desire in standing out and making your presence known... I would never have been THAT courageous. Never."

Ryuji: "Haha! Yeah, you mostly always preferred playing it safe, when we are outside of the job schedule. But before I turn this into a weepy-weepy cry baby session over tragic backstories, I will just say this: Like I said earlier, I would normally never dare showing this specific privacy spot to anyone, except those I am willing to trust beyond just normal comradeship."

Makoto felt like her face was on fire, as she mildly misjudged the situation...

Makoto: "H-Hold on- you don't happen to mean-"

Ryuji: "Yes. I do."

He then gently puts his hand on the top of her head, rubbing into her skull ever so playfully to catch her off guard with a wicked, toothy smile.

Ryuji: "You are indeed what I would consider calling an actual "friend". The closest one has ever been to someone like me. Feel honored. If you feel like it, that is."

She blushed even redder, as she realized: Ryuji's hand was touching her head and she didn't really fight back, as she actually enjoyed that... before comically panicking and shaking it off, as she was really feeling embarrassed now.

Makoto: "Oh, c'mon! Why do you feel the need to shock me like that?! I thought for a second it was something far more severe than that! You know my weak heart can't take it!"

She comically began gently knocking her balled knuckles, that are now the size of tiny marbles, against the blonde thug, who was laughing out loud... before he had to get real.

Ryuji: "No, but seriously, may I make a confession here? I mean, it wasn't a secret to you, I made it abundantly clear, I was scared of failing the exams. You know, when I asked for your help and all. But to tell the truth, my fear was running far deeper, not just because of the looming feeling of failure over my head, but also... it's just that..."

His eyes trailed off with him starting to look like he was ready to actually cry on the spot and Mako was immediately alarmed and feeling as though she felt his emotion on a personal level, even more so, once he unveiled the real reason as to why he is so scared.

Ryuji: "...I was mostly afraid of disappointing you. Making mistakes and being constantly criticized and belittled for it, that's one thing, nothing I can't really handle. However... when I have a mentor figure in my life and this is something I have always desired to have aside from my mother... The thought of disappointing you, like everyone else, was far greater than failing the tests alone. I am neither as talented nor as gifted as you are, Makoto... but at the same time, after knowing what life was like for you, constantly living with the burden of possibly disappointing your sister... I felt... understood. You being proud of my efforts, that is what truly makes my day. You have no clue how much. I... hehehe... I guess, I am simply not used to receiving praise from anyone, being the complete failure that I am, not at the tasks at hand, but at life in general..."

Then he felt someone gently caressing his hair and it was Makoto, whose eyes were very mildly starting to water up, as she had to be upfront about this as well:

Makoto: "You shouldn't do this for me, Ryuji. This is YOUR future we are talking about here, not mine. Please, don't do these comparisons, it just won't solve anything. Yeah, I might be gifted in cramming my head full of knowledge, but this shouldn't be one's sole worth in life. If anything, deep down, I always desired to be more like you. You are always so carefree and just going with the flow, meanwhile, I can't do either. I am always on edge and tend to have extreme mood swings... don't ever say these things about me being better than you, when I pretty much am still a grasshopper myself... knowledge and intelligence isn't everything."

He then gently grabbed her by the wrist to look at her in a comforting way.

Ryuji: "How about this? You helped me get my life back on track. I see it as only fair, once I promise to help YOU, this time around, opening up. I can show you a different perspective in life. And danger is my 2nd name."

Makoto: "OK. I just hope I am not too much of a bother..."

Ryuji: "Naaah, Morgana is more of a pain in the ass than you will ever be. Don't think too hard about it..."

The bond between the two was only deepening with every meeting of theirs...

Priestess & Chariot Arcana! Level up! Level 4!

Both remained like this for a bit longer, until both waved each other goodbye later in the day. But Ryuji made a decision:

Ryuji: "The final exams are coming up for me... I better work hard now, so that I can be of assistance for her..."

THE END