Epilogue / Tomorrow

Two years later...

September 20th, 2014 / Afternoon
Yasogami High School Auditorium

"Congratulations!"

A cheer among my friends and family called out as Rise and I had settled into our spots at the front of the auditorium. I couldn't help but smile as music started and I felt like I could finally relax. It had been quite a whirlwind of events. But there wasn't any going back now. Rise and I were now married. The reason... well...

"Kayane, we need to talk," Rise had a serious look on her face.

I raised an eyebrow, "Are you okay?"

"I... um... yes. I'm just nervous because I don't know how you're going to react. I mean we've talked about the future and everything but there was always like an order to things that you wanted to go in. And really this is all my fault because I can be so pushy and demanding when it comes to you..."

The two of us were in a hotel room. We were on the last concert of our current tour with Synchronicity. I grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the bed and made her sit down next to me.

"Rise, no matter what it is I'm sure that we'll figure out a..."

"...I'm pregnant."

I admit that at the time, that those were not the words I had expected. Understandably she was concerned what I was thinking because when I looked at her and she had her hand over her midsection, and I knew. She wanted our baby. Our baby. What was I supposed to do seeing her like that? If there was one thing that I had learned in my time with Rise was that life was incredibly unpredictable. So I did the only sensible thing I could think of at that moment in time.

I got up and moved to my luggage that was against the wall, near the entrance of the hotel room and grabbed something from one of the pockets. Then I moved back to Rise, who looked concerned over my behavior. But I smiled as I approached her.

"You know, I think you could write a book about all the problems you can have in a relationship just based on our time together," I chuckled.

My words, instead, made her a bit uneasy, "Yeah I guess so."

I knelt down in front of her, her eyes looking to me, more alarmed than she had been a second ago. "I think we've both known for a long time. You made up your mind when I was stuck in a bed in a hospital. But I told you I wanted to follow a certain order. But well, Kujikawa Rise, will you marry me?" I know it was all out of order. I was supposed to talk to her Father first to get permission to ask for her hand. Our lives were inexplicably connected together. And ever since she had entered my life, I couldn't imagine a day without her.

"Kayane... I... of course. Of course I will," Rise with tears in her eyes reached for me. I rose up to her and captured her lips in a kiss.

It wasn't a situation that was unheard of. Although I had been planning to propose to her for months... ever since her graduation from High School back in April. But that didn't happen till almost August. Rise found out at the time that she was almost 2 months along in her pregnancy at that point. So really, there was no time to waste. Her Grandmother took it in stride. Actually she didn't seem all that surprised and actually congratulated us for it. So when I said I was going to marry Rise she said that she already knew that. Then she insisted to be there when we told Rise's parents.

Her Father was more composed of her parents, as we had guessed he would be. Her Mother became more hysterical about the whole deal and complained about the way it would affect her career. But with Synchronicity's tour wrapped up in support of the second album it felt like a good time for the group to take a brief break from such a busy schedule. Her Mother then started to blame me for the pregnancy, which yeah, is to be expected. Rise was quick to jump to my defense but not in the way I would expect.

"Mom, stop it! Kayane is not to blame for this! It was my choice," Rise stoop up to her Mother.

"Don't give me that, you're telling me that you..."

"Yes, I wanted it," Rise didn't skip a beat.

"Kay-chan," Kujikawa Jiro, Rise's Father, approached me with only a glance toward his wife and daughter. "What do you think about this?"

"I think that the order is all wrong," I admitted. It made Rise turn and her Mother, Natsuko look at me. "When I woke up at the hospital, she was there saying she would marry me, then and there over two years ago. I told her no then. Saying we should do things proper and start with dating. She brought it up again later... a few times actually. But at the very least she needed to graduate high school. After she graduated in April I secretly bought a ring when we were on tour and we were stopped in Tokyo. But I wasn't ready to propose yet. But we've been on tour with the band and trying to go off for a few days to come and talk to you to ask for your daughters hand didn't seem feasible. As for her pregnancy, I know I should have held back more despite her insistence but I'm sorry."

"Kayane, don't. This isn't your fault," Rise approached me but I focused on her Father. "Dad, it was all me. I knew we didn't have any protection but... I love him. He's worked so hard you know."

"So what happens if I give you my blessing?" Jiro asked me.

"The band has been going non-stop since our debut, so... Rise and I talked about it, and the rest of the band and determined we'll take a break. We'll go back to Inaba, and using the money saved up, expand onto the house and live with my Mom," I said after a moment. We had also discussed expanding out to maybe have Rise's Grandmother move in eventually. But Rise says her Grandmother is pretty stubborn. I had no doubts about that.

"Jiro, you can't be seriously considering..."

"Natsuko, our daughter is pregnant. She's an adult, this whole time she's been with Kayane, I've never seen her happier. And he is here, wanting to take responsibility for the change in their life. It's time to support her."

Her Father had supported us. Rise's Mother eventually warmed up to it and had been all smiles and happy tears during the wedding ceremony. We married similar to Rise's parents, a traditional Shinto wedding. So we were married at the shrine, in a small ceremony that just had our parents, along with my sisters. Setsuko, Labrys and Yoko. We had been in traditional garb, Rise an all white Kimono, and I in similar garb but a black and white kimono. Never really thought I'd be taking Rise to Tatsuhime Shrine to get married. More like I hadn't considered what the marriage ceremony would be like.

I never really though of that detail. Mom says her wedding was less traditional. But her good memories of then all revolved around Miyuki. Either way I thought that Rise would want to have our wedding some place else than Inaba but... no. This place was what what brought us together. The good and the bad. So the reception was held in the only place that really had the space for it in Inaba. Yasogami High, in the auditorium. We were by the stage now. I looked back at the stage. The piano that we had donated to the school was situated in view.

"Strange, right?" Rise leaned over and asked me. "Seems so long ago when we performed here at the Culture Festival."

"The senpai in goth clothing on stage performing with his kohai by two years. Who happens to be the one and only Risette. Which then went viral on the internet and caused a lot of rumors which then was stoked even more in the lead up to the debut of Synchronicity at the Love Meets Bonds festival. Where nothing wrong ever happened," I comment with a smirk.

"Looks pretty good from where I'm sitting," Rise winked. "God, seeing you play the piano and singing was so damn hot."

"Says the woman that would have likely seduced me after only a couple weeks of knowing me. I'd say you have an overactive sex drive, but I think it is more likely that I was definitely the odd one out," I scratched my head and sighed.

"None of that, Mister. But if your that concerned about it, then we can work on it at length when we get home," Rise whispered with that hungry look in her eyes, briefly biting her lip.

"What are you two whispering about?"

I blinked as Mom was standing there. Tsukio Nanase, my adopted Mother. I owed her for never giving up on me, even if I never put in the effort to try and better myself. Not until Rise showed up. "Mom..."

She smiled, "Just kidding. I know you are both eager to spend some time alone but this time is to celebrate with friends and family." Mom turned and called for everyone's attention. "I want to thank everyone for coming. This day, I think all of us knew would be coming." There were some laughs but Mom paused before she spoke again. "When I adopted him, our lives were in turmoil. I lost my daughter, and he lost a close friend. You see, my daughter had risked everything, not just for herself but Kay-chan as well. I took him with me, to get away from the past we shared. It took me years to come to terms with the events that happened. And I admit that even now I can't admit how blind I was to the actions that were happening around me in the past. And I didn't know how I could help my son. I did everything in my power to help him, which I found to be very little. But as the years went by, something did change. A song. Completely unexpected, unpredictable moment. Kay-chan listened to this song, and I saw something I had never truly seen. A smile. I asked for him to write about it, to help me with the request to review the song. That song was a demo track that would lead to the launch of an idol's career. The once Kujikawa Rise."

I blinked, I had never really heard Mom's side of things. About how hard it was for her then. I was a victim of abuse, and lost Miyuki, sure. But Mom... she found out that the man she had married, had given her heart to had betrayed that, and not only that, was sexually abusing their daughter. Then to see her daughter die because of him had to break her in ways that I couldn't fully comprehend. And yet she pulled herself together, fought for me. And she loved me like I was truly her own son.

"I knew I had been going about it all wrong then. My son didn't need some professional, he needed a kindred spirit, a way to express those thoughts and feeling he held inside of him. Music was the answer, at least part of it. So, I encouraged him. I taught him anything he was interested in. My studio, became the place we spent day after day in. And eventually I would just find him there, playing, experimenting, creating music of his own. I felt he had finally turned a corner. But, after time it was stagnant. Then you all remember the dangers that came to Inaba. Kay-chan he disappeared one day... only to show up a day later when people from his school. Saying they had found him. But just a couple weeks later, everything started to change. For the first time he brought people over, though he was hesitant to call them friends of his. And who would be among that group was Rise-chan. I was happy to see him with others. But I was also concerned. Even though he was with them, it seemed obvious that his heard was closed off to them," Mom continued to recount events that I didn't realize she had been able to have a deep insight into. I guess I really didn't notice how much Mom paid attention to me.

"The next thing I know, Rise-chan convinces him to perform at the cultural festival, and he looks more alive than he ever has before. I can't say what drew her to my son, but because of her he was changing. I got to know Rise even more when my son came under that mysterious sickness that held him in a coma. She even helped keep me together when I thought I would lose him. She fought with a lot of us then. With her parents in particular. But after all the trials, the tribulations that these two went through, they were able to smile. To find the future that the two of them wanted for each other. And I couldn't be happier for them. But today is about them. I'd like to open up the floor to all of you, to share stories about these two, and the happiness they will no doubt share together," Mom finished which was met with applause. She looked back to me. "Thank you, Rise. For what you've done for me and my son. Especially Kay-chan."

Mom and Rise hugged before she left and someone else came up front.

Setsuko, my sister, was dressed in a blue kimono, wearing something more formal than perhaps she would wear normally. "I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that we aren't surprised these two are getting married. As his older sister, I can only wish for his happiness. I... umm..." She stopped and looked towards me.

"You alright?" I asked her.

She shook her head, "My brother and I were separated as kids. An incident that claimed our parents life. Our Uncle could only take one of us, so they took my brother as he was the only one able to continue the family name." Setsuko paused and took a deep breath.

"The incident caused me to lose my leg and have post-traumatic amnesia. Even now I don't remember the time with our family before the accident. It is why it hurt me so much when I learned of my brother, and the abuse he suffered at the hands of our Uncle. What made it harder was that any of us can do a quick search on the internet and find out this information. as his big sister I still feel that I have a lot to make up for to my brother," She fell silent for a moment and hung her head.

"I truly believe that finding my brother was a miracle to me. As much as I owe my adopted parents, I am still angry at how they kept this information from me. But I decided that I wasn't going to let myself be caught up in a past that didn't happen. So I'm glad most of all that I'm able to be here and support him now. When I met him a couple years ago, these two were already together. She showed me just how special he was to her. And well, I'm glad that I can now call Rise family. Getting to know my brother and seeing him change in this short time since we've been reunited has been amazing. Kay-chan still struggling with a lot of things, just as I am. It has been hard for us to get to know each other. I appreciate Rise for involving me and encouraging the two of us to get to know each other. And this was all happening while the two are making their world debut as part of their band," Setsuko giggled a bit. "In that way my brother and I are alike. We can never do things the easy way."

Setsuko smiled and turned back towards the rest of the people in this reception, "These two may have a long road ahead but I know they can weather whatever life has to throw at them. And I'll be there to support them."

Well Nee-san wasn't good with crowds, I knew that much. She came up to me and reached over and hugged me.

"I'm really no good at this speech thing. I don't think what I said made any sense," Setsuko laughed nervously.

I shook my head, "I love you, Nee-san. Even if we weren't able to grow up together as family. We are together now. And you're always welcome to our place."

She pulled away only to move to Rise and hug her, "Take care of my little brother."

"With everything I have and more," Rise assured her. "I can't disappoint my sister-in-law now can I?"

Setsuko smiled as she pulled away, "You better not."

The next to take the microphone to speak was one I had definitely anticipated, Narukami Yu. "I thought of hundreds of things I could say about these two. Because it is difficult to think about where to start. Both of them are treasured friends to me. I want to say that someway, somehow these two would have eventually found each other, but we all know life doesn't work that way. Even if the two seemed to attract each other, they both denied it for one reason or the other. Opening yourself to your friends is hard enough, but to truly trust and open yourself and become vulnerable to someone in a relationship is a big step. One that was hard for them to take. But the one thing that connected them was music."

What a vague thing to say. Plus anyone here would know how obvious that is. Though as Yu continued to talk with the audience I couldn't help but think about something. That there was always details about Rise and I being together that we could never tell to people. The TV world, Persona, and how all the things we fought against is also what contributed to our relationship. Music though, it did bring us together. Rise says that hearing me play, when I played for everyone, was something she could never get out of her head. She also said that she finds me at my most sexy when I'm playing the piano and singing. Which I never thought about how I looked to others when I was playing. But now Rise never lets me forget it. Mostly that if I start playing the piano for too long I occasionally find myself with a Rise and her hands over me and then pulling away to kiss me. Not exactly what I would expect to deal with when playing the piano. And also part of the reason this wedding was happening now.

I love Rise, there was no doubt about that. And yeah I had dreamed about starting a family with her, but you know, eventually. But I wasn't really prepared for how... persuasive she could be. And she was definitely... insistent.

For most of my life I saw sex as something that was... bad. Even after I became more educated it just became a more cold reasoning. A biological function meant for reproduction that creates chemicals and stimulates pleasure centers in the brain the basically encourages the act at a base level. After all procreation was needed for the survival of a species. But, the only real example I had for it was what had happened to Miyuki. A depraved Father that only seemed to live to serve those twisted desires. Without thought to the other person, he only sought to satisfy himself. So it made me fear that intimacy. Combined with the abuse I suffered at the hands of my Uncle and I also feared physical contact. It was why I would occasionally have panic attacks. I had been told it was a form of PTSD. considering everything I shouldn't be surprised. But it gave a place to start for dealing with it.

The two of us took it all one step at a time. It amounted to small steps. Holding hands, linking arms, sitting close to each other, then things as simple as just falling asleep next to each other when watching a movie. A lot of things that just happened naturally along the way. Soon a lot of the actions or movements that used to cause panic attacks had much milder responses. And more so, I started to crave those interactions with her.

Along the way there would be times where we would get too into the moment. And more than a few times did it lead to times with very little clothing left on us. But Rise was very attentive and she always noticed when I started to have a bad reaction. She'd stop, slow us down and then focus on easing me and comforting me. Breaking contact if she needed but trying to not completely remove that connection. I would like to believe it was more impressive that I managed to resist Rise's advances to push further and further. Something that got harder and harder until I told her to at least wait until after she was graduated before we... well had sex. Sex wasn't really the right term, that was just a word for the action but it never appropriately describes the feelings and emotions behind it. And shortly after her graduation from high school she acted.

It was a few days after and we were in Tokyo to film a promotion as part of some new collaboration, and it was meant to be just an overnight stay because we had a concert in Hokkaido in just a day or so after. Mom set up a hotel room for us after we were set for the promotion but then had to travel ahead of us for some sort of meeting related to some future marketing campaign. A perfect storm of events is what it seemed like. Rise came out into the room from the shower with just a towel on. Her eyes told me clearly what she wanted and she was determined to take it. She urged me on, taking things slow but also not letting up on the passion and feelings. Rise had no intention of rushing through that moment. We were both inexperienced, as it being our first time. Rise definitely took the initiative throughout the whole affair. Even now I could still feel her against me, and every awkward moment of it, as well as the absolute bliss and feeling of completeness that came after it. Like something I had always been missing was found. Love, it was the only word that described it. But in no way does it properly express the way it felt.

Rise proved me wrong. I had always seen the potential act of sex as something that I wouldn't like. That someway, somehow, I would end up hurting her and us in the process because of what I had heard and seen in the past. She told me to trust her. And I did, that wasn't even a question. It was an almost perfect night. I say almost because despite it being a beautiful and near perfect night... I did have a panic attack in the end. Fear of what came next, fear of unnecessary thoughts of Rise abandoning me. Which was a ridiculous thought considering all we had gone through. But that was the point. Those reactions weren't really logical a lot of the times. No matter how much you believe something... a part of you still holds fear, fear of things repeating that have happened to you in the past.

After that first night, it was like opening a floodgate. I knew that Rise thought about both of us, and well, us making love became something we did whenever we could feasibly get away with. I'm not sure if the frequency was the factor here, as we definitely used protection. And Rise and I were both rather attentive to that. But you know... things happen. Mistakes and heat of the moment decisions leading to a life altering decision.

I didn't have any regrets, so asking her to marry me was not much of a decision on my part. But Rise she talked to me about other options, because she wanted us to fully talk it out. I denied abortion immediately which made Rise so incredibly happy. I think it was obvious from the start. We were going to get married and have our first kid. We knew it would be a difficult road. But when had it ever been easy?

After talking with Mom about it, she just looked over at Rise.

"I'm surprised you made it this long." It was all Mom said. I guess Mom realized what had likely happened. Kind of embarrassing but denying the events that led to it was kind of... idiotic.

The reception continued, with the floor open for people to share memories of Rise and I's time together. We heard from a lot of people recounting various things, some serious and others lighthearted. Yosuke recounted the time the two of us were in the cottage in that sudden snow storm on the mountain. Which turned out to not be that far from the lodge. Which yeah, was pretty funny in hind sight, but hardly the concern we had at that moment in time. And Marie... or rather Mariko told everyone how she felt that the two of us had always been unconsciously pulled towards each other. Saya recounted my even younger days about when I was a competition pianist, and how it inspired her. And that it was so grand to be able to play with Rise and I on stage. Reiko also got in on the whole thing and told of moments of Rise and I trying to sneak off while we were on tour for Synchronicity.

I was smiling and laughing for all of the day. Congratulations, were given from so many people. It surprised me more than a couple of times. Soon the reception ended and I took my newly bought car to drive us to the destination of our honeymoon. Which was actually several hours away. And so this was also the first long drive I've ever done. I got my driver's license just out of possible necessity. Could we get by without it? Yeah but it was a good skill to have.

Rise and I had been so overwhelmed by the day that we really hadn't had much time to talk.

"Goodbye Kujikawa Rise. I'm now Ikakure Rise, Wife and soon to be Mother," Rise was smiling as she seemed to look much more relaxed than she was earlier at the reception. "Mom still never really approved of it. And she still wants to blame you for everything. But Dad says she'll get used to it eventually."

"So instead lets have our honeymoon on the beach of Onjuku, which is you know several hour drive away from Inaba and far out of reach of your Mother?" I raise an eyebrow glancing over at her.

"Well, that is mostly because its only a couple hours away from Tokyo, where we can submit the family registry. I mean we already turned in the marriage registration, but I thought going somewhere we haven't been would be nice for a few days. Even if the sun doesn't come out, the hotel is nice and well... away from the noise of the city, and..."

"...Unlikely to be interrupted by visitors? Hence why the only one that has details as to where we are is my Mom," I shake my head and sigh.

"Don't pretend you aren't going to enjoy some time to ourselves," Rise winked with a giggle. "Once our baby is born we are going to be really busy." "I'm unsure if it would be more or less busy then our time touring with the band. I would say more rewarding though," I find myself saying. "But we can think about those details later. I'd rather enjoy the here and now."

Rise smiled but went quiet and looked out the window of the car. I looked over at her, "Something wrong?"

She shook her head, "No, quite the opposite. Just, we are really married. It was one of those dreams I had when I was little. Meeting this wonderful guy, falling in love and then getting married. But when you're little you don't really have any idea what that means. It's far more complicated than all that. I've met a lot of people but there wasn't any real sparks, I guess."

"I never really thought about it," I admitted. An answer that would not surprise Rise. "I think that fairy tails and movies give off unrealistic expectations for romance, and so it can lead to a lot of rushed decisions. And I'm sure someone would argue we definitely rushed things."

"Yeah, from their perspective I'm sure. But we are hardly normal," Rise giggled. "There is nothing between us, no secrets, no lies, no false expectations for what we are for each other. The TV world and all the things we faced made sure of that. By the end of all of it there wasn't anything left to say. My soul is laid bare to you, Kayane. Just as yours is to me. And we vowed to never keep secrets from each other."

I can't help but laugh, "I couldn't keep a secret from you even if I tried. I'm sure my secret birthday party for you last year is a great example of it."

"That's different," Rise giggled again at the memory. "We aren't a typical pair. We aren't supposed to have this all figured out. And I know that is why Mom feels we are too quick to do everything. That we aren't ready for marriage. Even if we did wait and I hadn't gotten pregnant it would have happened eventually."

"I can't imagine a life without you. That thought is scary to even think about," I sighed keeping my eyes on the road. The sun was setting and we were still a couple hours away from our destination. Rise had already called ahead to tell the hotel of our estimated arrival time. "I think the normal response for people our age is something quite different. With our futures ahead of us, you getting pregnant might have made another guy run away."

"It isn't like we rushed into it," Rise noted.

"True, and I'm sure you had a lot of lovely conversations about us in that time we weren't having sex," I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Don't remind me," Rise groaned. "Our relationship was a secret but I still had girls asking me how good you were in the bedroom. And how there was no way I wasn't trying to get some action from you. I mean they were right but still what makes people think I'm going to go around and talk to them about it?"

"People love to gossip. And how scandalous would it be if the two singers of Synchronicity were attached romantically?" I laughed a bit. "Seems that plan of ours when we started the band worked."

"A little too well if you ask me," she shook her head. "It wasn't like we haven't been intimate all this time, even before sex entered the picture."

"We took it at our pace," I said. "You're still bothered by your Mom not accepting us."

She looked back out the window and hung her head, "Yeah, you're right. I just thought that seeing us together and everything after these last couple years would bring her around but she won't even give us a chance."

"You think so?" I glance at her before looking back to the road. "Why don't you grab my phone. I was going to show it to you after we got to the hotel but open my email."

Rise then pulled my cell phone from the center console of the car and unlocked the screen. She opened my email and her eyes widened, "From... my Mom?"

"She sent it to me this morning," I told her. "And well we haven't had time to really talk all day."

Rise began reading the email, "I wanted to believe for the longest time that my daughters feelings for you were just a phase, an infatuation that she would be done with if given time. But I was refusing to see the truth of what I saw in front of me. I can't deny just how much more radiant my daughter's smiles are ever since she met you. The truth is that I know my daughter and I are incredibly alike. And I didn't want her to rush into a relationship like I had. Not because I regret my choice but because I feel like I hadn't thought about it as thoroughly as I should have. And I was afraid that her heart was overruling her common sense. I have never disliked you, Kayane. And over these last few years I can finally say that I'm glad that my daughter found someone like you. And I pray that you both find happiness that I was able to find with my husband."

She stopped putting my phone down, Rise had tears in her eyes. It was hard to comfort her as I was driving but I reached over with one hand and took her own hand in mine. "Nothing to worry about my love," I tell her. "I'm sure your Mom is still trying to find her courage to tell you."

Rise was crying but I knew it was because the last remaining doubt for my wife was disappearing. She had always wanted our relationship to be accepted by her Mother. Well, the two of them still needed to talk about it but I was sure that would be much sooner than later.

"Kayane, I love you," Rise took my hand and kissed the back of it. She wiped away her tears. She smiled big, "My husband."

I smiled back at her, "I love you too. We only have the rest of our lives to look forward to."

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what comes next."


Into the future...

Sunday / May 8th, 2016 / Shibuya - Ore No Beko / Evening
Ikakure Kayane

Tokyo was definitely a mess. The mental shutdown cases made things chaotic, along with the would be Phantom Thieves. And here I was taking a break from the investigation of those things to write music while in a Beef Bowl shop. I had placed my order in a while ago, and the teenager working was scrambling to get it all done. His co-worker seemed to have disappeared at some point, leaving him alone.

Rise had messaged me earlier asking how I was doing. It would be a while before she'd be able to help with my investigation here, but I was the one that was an active agent of the Shadow Operatives. Still her help was always invaluable with her skill set. Either way, my investigation had led to some interesting questions to consider. Psychotic Breakdowns, Mental Shutdowns... and then the Phantom Thieves and the recent case of Kamoshida at Shujin Academy. All things considered at a glance there had to be something in Tokyo. Some means in which this was occurring. My working theory was that something similar to the TV world had to exist. But with the TV world there had been rumors spread around to make it more known to the general populace of Inaba. And it seemed almost unusual that so many people were talking about these incidents. Right now the hot topic being the Phantom Thieves and the confession of Kamoshida. It wasn't that wide spread but I had definitely heard people talking.

The man was a sexual predator to the females in his volleyball club, and he abused the guys because... he could? And no one spoke up about it, which I could only presume was because of him producing results for the school. It was still infuriating that this kind of thing was happening in the middle of Tokyo. And the appearance of these Phantom Thieves making him confess made me believe it could only be someone from Shujin Academy. If no one was speaking about it then it had to be someone with the ability to learn about the situation. And if I was right, and there was a world or location similar to the TV world... forcing a change of character or these psychotic breaks and mental shutdowns would start to make a lot more sense.

I shook my head and looked at my notepad, I needed to focus my attention elsewhere for now. I received my Beef Bowl and ate and writing down some notes ad I felt a tune pop into my head. Tokyo could use a dose of hope. Finding out the Phantom Thieves might be my easier route. I'm sure Mitsuru-sama would love to hear that another group of kids awakened to Persona.

I saw that as I was finishing my food that the teenage kid with the messy looking black hair and glasses was finally reaching a lull in work and was now working on the pile of dishes. I suppose I hadn't noticed that the amount of customers had dwindled. Maybe this kid might know a thing or two. Remembering a few of the teens interaction with the customers gave me a good starting point, "I'm impressed. Most normal people would have lost their temper with the way that woman was making demands of you."

"It's a waste of energy to get angry, plus I am working," he shrugged and started drying one of the bowls.

"Ah, what is it? The customer is always right?" I can't help but chuckle. "Forget what you feel and just do your job. Such is the way of how the world works. Shut up, keep your head down and keep your thoughts to yourself."

My words seemed to strike a cord and he looked at me for the first time, "Nothing annoys a boss more than a worker that believes he has the moral high ground."

"And yet there are limits to what is acceptable," I certainly held an attitude like that before. I, however, had simply didn't want to be noticed, so doing as I'm told without question was just the path of least resistance. I knew much better than that now. "A highly opinionated worker might give an impression that the company he works for shares those opinions. Just like those that are sponsored by companies in their work. Your beliefs and opinions can work in opposition to them and ultimately cost them money. And that is what the world really cares about."

"A world run on greed is pretty depressing," he commented. So, he could follow my words. Impressive. He seemed pretty intelligent.

"The world is run by many things. That is what makes our world complex and varied. Greed and by proxy, sin, is something that adds depth and experience to this world. Tell me, if there was nothing such as sin, what would the world be like?" I found myself even more intrigued by the young man.

"I'm not sure," He answered truthfully.

"A good answer," I nodded and smiled slightly. "A world without sin, means one without desire or passion, without creativity or invention. I would say it is hardly a world at all. Just a place where things simply exist, everything is the same and nothing changes. Would you believe that at one point humanity actually desired such a world?"

"It sounds more like a bunch of people avoiding responsibility," the boy scoffed. I found myself smiling more with that answer. "I don't doubt that people want an easy way out of their situations though."

"People are really selfish in that way. They want all the benefits but none of the work that goes with it. They would rather turn a blind eye to the suffering of those around them, or even their own if it maintains a satisfactory status quo. They want everything to be a guarantee of safety and prosperity. So they can hold on to what's important to them without risk. Nothing wrong with wanting security, the problem is that they don't want to do the work to get there," I tapped my notepad with my pen before spinning it in my hand and quickly wrote a note for myself.

"My Grandfather told me to live selfishly. To do what I could to get what I wanted. And then work to remain selfish," the young man spoke. Now that was an incredibly different point of view I hadn't really considered.

"Selfish… but applied differently? A word that is typically associated with negative connotations but instead given positive traits. Yes… I can use that," I shook my head and started writing more on the notepad. I continued to talk but my pen did not stop writing on the notepad. "Your Grandfather sounds like a wise man. To be truly selfish would go far beyond just hoarding your desires but to keep them safe and protected. Love what you love, but protect your way of life so that you can keep on loving. I see… I see. Thank you, I think that was just the breakthrough I needed to get past my slump."

"You're… welcome… I guess?" he had a bit of a puzzled look on his face. I laughed.

"Oh, right! Where are my manners? My wife would probably scold me for not properly introducing myself after I've taken up so much of your time. My name is Ikakure Kayane. Song writer, composer and well I do a lot of things. Do you work here often?" Creating a connection with such an intelligent young man would be beneficial. Plus his viewpoint was starkly different than many others I talked to here in Tokyo.

"No? Honestly, I came here for a bit of a change of scenery and got more than I bargained for," he admitted. The young man seemed to ponder about that a moment before looking back at me. "So you're a songwriter? Do you have to do a bunch of contract work?"

"I've had to negotiate my way around a contract or two," I finished writing my note and brought my attention to him fully.

"How does any of that work in the music industry?" the young man asked me.

I raised an eyebrow at the question but my phone rang, "One second, I need to take this. Hey, Rise. How are things going on your end?"

"Everything is fine here, but I am more worried about you," Rise's voice washed over me and comforted me as it always did. It had been a while since I was away from her for such a long amount of time.

"Is that right? Huh? No, everything is fine here. Just having dinner at the Beef Bowl shop… you know the one on Central street in Shibuya," I told her.

"The one we ate at two years ago?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's the one," I told her.

"And you're okay? Isn't Shibuya pretty crowded? And what if someone were to realize who you are?" Rise was definitely concerned. I don't blame her considering how bad I was at crowds for so long previously.

"No, I'm fine. People only seem to recognize me when you are around anyway. Also did you talk to Mom about that poster?" I ask her as the thought came to mind.

"I did talk to her, does it bother you? Of course it does," Rise sighed.

"Who is the jerk that used that picture for it? We all agreed on the other one that had all of Synchronicity in it. The other ones are supposed to be for the bands photo book that goes with the limited edition of the new album," I can never help but complain about when marketing wants to use Rise's image alone to sell Synchronicity.

"Mom is dealing with it. It's really stupid that they still do this to us thought," Rise said.

"Yeah I know, it's stupid," I sighed. "Sorry Rise."

"No, don't be. I'm here for every little complaint you have," she giggled.

"I wish you were here but I wouldn't want Mizore to be exposed to all of this for an extended amount of time," I scratched my head.

"Don't worry, it'll will be okay," Rise assured me.

"How's Mizore?"

"She misses her Daddy," Rise said.

"Yeah I know. I just didn't want you and Mizore to be stuck here with all the business of mental shutdowns going on. If you have to come to the city just let Setsuko or Yoko know to make the arrangements," I told her.

"Why does it have to be you, sweetheart? The Shadow Operatives already have people there," Rise asked.

"Mm hmm, yeah. Mitsuru has everyone scattered right now. Things have been keeping all of the members busy," I knew it wasn't an answer she wanted to hear.

"Are you really okay? I'm sure that I could..."

"No, don't worry about it. I have it covered here, I actually just got a lead on that front. I'll tell you about it next time, okay?" I assured her.

"I presume we can't talk about it now with where you are. Okay but you better call me tonight to tell me all about it. But Kayane, I wanna see you now..." Rise shifted gears.

"I'll see you in a week or so for rehearsal, alright?" I chuckled.

"Not soon enough. But you better call me," Rise demanded.

"Yes, I will keep you updated, I promise. I'll let you go. Say goodnight to our daughter for me," I know if I wanted to I could talk to her forever.

"I always do. But don't put yourself in danger, you got that mister?"

"Yep," I nodded even though she couldn't see me which made me laugh.

"Don't you make light of this," Rise sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too. And I'll take you out to dinner wherever you want. Just make sure to warn Setsuko she is going to babysit Mizore this time," I told her.

"Last time was not my fault. Plus Setsuko-chan is incredibly forgetful. Anyway, call me later! I love you," She said again.

"Yes, yes. We already went through this but I love you too," I shake my head, it was always hard to end a call with her.

"Don't forget to call," Rise repeated.

"Okay… hanging up now. Bye." I could only smile as I imagined Rise on the other side of the phone. I looked up to see that the young man had more or less been listening in. Interesting and kind of a curious habit, "Sorry about that. My wife isn't exactly happy we're apart."

He shook his head, "It's fine. It sounds like you miss her."

"Well our daughter just turned two years old, and we didn't feel safe having her come to Tokyo when all these accidents continue to happen. I'm here mostly for business. Not sure how long it will take," I put my phone away and then pulled out something else. "Tell you what, if you're really interested to learn more about the music industry I'll give you this." I handed him my business card. "My chat ID is on there too, so feel free to send me a line. If things work out we can always get together and talk more about it. But why the interest?"

"I'm in my end years of High School, so I've been doing research into different areas I might go into," the young man pocketed my number. And he did seem to be honest in this regard. But there was just something else I was missing.

"Fair enough, I did the same thing while I was nearing the end of my school life," I got to my feet and put money on the table. "Keep the change. Oh, right… what was your name?"

"Ichihara Tadashi," he answered.

"Ichihara, huh? Alright. Oh and keep the change. Thanks for the conversation, I needed it," I smiled and then started walking away to the exit. I stopped and look back, "Ichihara, what High School do you attend?"

"Shujin Academy," he supplied without hesitation.

"I guess I can understand why you were looking for a change of pace, with all that happened there recently. Well, hope to hear from you in the future," I gave a slight wave as I exited the shop. Ichihara Tadashi from Shujin Academy. A solid lead and possible information source. Alright, back to the hotel and to call Rise. I have a lot I want to talk about. To think at one point me traveling alone and navigating a large city without any real help. And now I didn't really think twice about it. No matter what might happen, I was going to face it head on. I know I had Rise to support me as well as my other close friends and family. And if people were dying and suffering in Tokyo, then that is where I was going to try and help.


A/N - Reaching the End

After such a long time, this story is finally completed. This one has a longer history than my Persona 3 fan fiction Momento Umbrae does. Because in actuality, this story was started first. But since this is the final chapter I kind of want to go into how I got here. And it has a lot to do with why I started to write fan fiction to begin with.

I've always loved to write... to be more accurate I enjoyed escaping from reality. And I always have had an overactive imagination. But the thought of fan fiction hadn't ever occurred to me until after I had left High School and entered college. The main reason was a long relationship that ended up falling apart because I was psychologically manipulated and abused by my ex. She had made me lose friends, separated me from any emotional support and so even after I ended it with her I was left emotionally scarred and in a lot of ways, alone. And even to this day I still remain single and unlikely will ever pursue a relationship because of it. In the time since then, I've found a decent equilibrium for my life. I've found good friends, found good emotional support but even with that I'm still treating chronic depression with medication and all the things that come with that.

Then it was after the release of Persona 4 on PS2 that I started to look at fan fiction. I had never really considered looking at it but I found some good stories but what I wanted to read, the story I was hoping for... wasn't there. And man there are a lot of good fan fiction and awesome ideas for many franchises, but I wanted something specific... and so it was suggested by my therapist at the time that I write it myself. The first thing I wrote ended up being completely unused. And it was my original idea for a Persona 4 fan fiction. I created Kayane for the story, but he wasn't a main character, he was just a start and an excuse to bring the Persona 4 cast together in the place where the Persona 4 protagonist was going to college. I wrote like 2 or 3 chapters of it before I just left it on the cutting room floor. Main reason was, it was going to be a Protagonist and Yukiko fan fiction, because that was the pairing I liked. But I stopped when I felt like that kind of story didn't have anything to say, no real message or reason to exist. And besides it was when I wrote that when I remembered some agonizing questions for Persona 3. So leaving Persona 4 behind I moved to Persona 3 instead.

I then proceeded to write Momento Umbrae like a mad man. All just so I can provide my answers to questions the game never answered. It wasn't till I was done with that story that I would go back to Persona 4. Also I didn't post Momento Umbrae for well over a year or so after it was already finished. I was very hesitant to ever post any of my work.

When I went back to Persona 4, I thought about it a lot more... about what kind of thing could I contribute to the story. And really what I thought of was... what if one of the individuals put into a TV had a complicated and abusive past? As Persona 4 is primarily about identity, Kayane was meant to be the one that just didn't have an idea of who he was, and didn't care how he was seen. His crisis of identity was that he didn't see the point in it. Even if he enjoyed music, there are some things that are hard, if not impossible to get over on your own.

Perhaps I'm not wording it correctly. Either way I wanted Kayane to fill an aspect that the cast didn't already cover in one way or another. Something that wasn't so easy for them to face or conquer. Maybe it was because Persona 4 was comparatively so lighthearted compared to other entries into the series. And a focus on identity issues was a great thing to focus on but at the same time I feel like there was aspects that could have been covered. Such as trying to carve out your identity under depression and tragedy of your youth.

Whether I was even remotely close to such a thing is ultimately up to you, the reader, to determine. Either way, this story has finally come to its conclusion.

So what comes next? Well, lots of things.

I have several ongoing stories. And while my rate of releasing chapters has kind of decreased, my writing hasn't really gone down. My Persona 5 fic, Bitter Fool is getting a bit of a rework to add in things from Royal After which I will be releasing the revised beginning chapters before continuing on with it. I also have stuff written for Chrono Trigger fic but has just been pushed back due to not giving it the time I need to revise it. And then is Momento Reliquum, the sequel to Momento Umbrae. I'm going to be working more on this fic now and hope to start releasing chapters in the coming months.

Thank you, all of you. I never expect people to read my work. And I know some people are very critical of it and don't agree with the choice I make. Or that I don't spend enough time editing and such. And yeah you might be right. But I listen to your criticisms and I try to do what I can to improve with each chapter. I hope you enjoyed your time with Kayane, one way or another. I appreciate you for taking the time to read a story in my little corner of the internet.