Chapter 45

Back to the plot; The Baby… Killer Driver

July 21, 2021; Sunday

Gymnasium; Basketball Courts

(Noon)

Kaz had finished his 100-meter sprint and decided to cool down for a bit.

"So, how was my time?"

Yoichi checked his stopwatch and smiled.

"You got 10.3 seconds this time!"

Mimir did a quick calculation before spitting out a number.

"I calculate a 0.32 second improvement. Well done Kazuhiko."

Kaz wiped the sweat off his forehead with a towel and sat on the nearest bench while Yoichi went over some charts.

"I think this is enough practice for your legs. You'll be in ship-shape in no time!"

"What about all the exercise we do in the Mirror Dimension? Does that count?"

They both chuckled for a little while before getting back on track.

"Thanks Kaz, I think you being here helps a lot in terms of my own workout routine", Yoichi said.

For the past few hours in the morning, the two had been working out per Yoichi's request. Kaz, being a good friend with not very much to do at the time accepted his invitation. Now, they were just about ready to take to the showers.

"Do you always keep up this routine of exercise every day?", Tyr asked Mimir as the boys grabbed their bags.

"Usually every other day; he even does this after fighting in the Mirror Dimension, although to be honest he doesn't work up much of a sweat as you do in there."

The boys stepped into the shower rooms and talked as they went along. However, when Yoichi set down his bag, Kaz could hear him wince a little.

*SNATCH*

"Wh-OW!"

Kaz grabbed his upperclassman's hand and moved his thumb a little bit. It was already looking red just from a distance, but up close it had given off the aura that it was swelling.

"Oh crap, you overworked your hand again! I'll go get an ice pack."

Kaz dashed over to the medical center and fetched a bag of cold ice to bring back. Tyr trailed behind him, looking worried.

"Does there seem to be any serious harm?"

Yoichi gritted his teeth but shook his head.

"No, this usually happens. It's a little annoying, but it's necessary for helping me get stronger."

Kaz raised an eyebrow towards his senpai.

"If you're planning to use the overcompensation technique for your hands, you'll just end up getting your muscles even more damaged."

"You don't know that", Yoichi said as he took his hand from Kaz, keeping the icepack steady.

"Sure, tell that to your swollen wrist"

Kaz sat down on the bench and motioned for Yoichi to do the same.

"Look, I know that you want to get stronger, but pushing yourself much more than you should be will get you hurt even more. Just give it some time and it'll work."

"You can run up the steps to adulthood all that you like, but you will age the same as everyone else"

"I know, but it's just so frustrating! I can't do anything in the state that I'm in."

Yoichi dropped his head and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I mean, I know I can do something, I learned that much from my reflection, but I can't help this feeling that I should be growing."

Kaz put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down before looking him in the eyes.

"Then let's find another way you can grow. You've got a big brain in your head so let's see if we can get something out of that, huh?"

Yoichi smiled and nodded his head.

"Yeah, sure"

Rank Up!

Strength Arcana Level 2!


Dojima Residence

(Afternoon)

Nanako POV

Nanako laid down on her futon, strecthing her arms behind her head as she thought.

"An emotional trauma? There's no shortage of those in my life… "

She closed her eyes as Toyotama talked to her.

"Maybe the time that you got kidnapped by the deliveryman? That was what caused me to be born."

Nanako shook her head.

"It can't be that; I'm already over it and I'm friends with Mayor Namatame now. It needs to be something that still eggs me."

They stayed quiet for a little while longer until Toyotama spoke up.

"What about mom?"

No answer from Nanako.

"Hm? Nanako-neesan?"

Nanako was resting her head onto the side and only let out a few deep breaths. Toyotama sighed happily and decided to retire for the day. She wouldn't have to wait very long; it was summer after all.


?

"Hm? What's going on?"

Nanako opened her eyes to a world full of fog. She could still make out her immediate surroundings, but beyond that was nothing she could see. Standing up and brushing off the dust, she tried calling out into the fog.

"HELLO? IS ANYONE OUT THERE?"

No answer was heard, which was what she somewhat expected, but still felt dissappointed. Feeling as if there was no harm in the act, Nanako walked around on her own.

"It's like this place never ends. Where am I supposed to go now?"

As if in response to her question, a silhouette appeared out of the fog. It turned around to her, but turned right back around again.

"Wait! Can you help me?"

The figure started to walk away, completely disregarding her. Nanako gace chase but the mysterious person somehow disappeared. After stopping for a moment to catch her breath, Nanako continued walking in search for anything to help her.

"Hm? There's something over there… "

She squinted to look into the distance and noticed two lights approaching.

"Is that… a car… ?"

The car's engine started and Nanako could hear it moving towards her.

"Oh thank goodness, he's coming over here."

The headlights started to grow larger until it was only a matter of meters away from her. Usually, Nanako would feel more reassured if someone was trying to make contact with her in a foggy world, but the car didn't slow down even when she was waving her hands like crazy.

"Crap!"

She dodged to the right and the car narrowly missed her.

"HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!", she yelled.

Then it happened; a screeching of tires, a loud thump, silence, tires screeching again, then silence. All the while, Nanako was running towards the scene to try and catch up, she caught sight of something on the ground. Cautiously approaching, her nose was filled with a metallic scent. When the sound of her steps changed, she looked down on the ground to see her shoes coated with blood.

"*gasp* wh-why is this h-h-here?"

Her eyes honed in on the body of a woman in the middle of the slowly expanding pool of crimson. Nanako quickly pressed her palms to her mouth to hide her shock, but inched closer.

"Did she get hit? Was it that car I saw?"

Deciding that it would be best to pay the woman respects, Nanako turned her over to close her eyes. That was when she realized

She recognized this face.

The face that was in the casket years ago.

The face that smiled to her when she was walking home from school.

The face of the person that she had missed the most in her entire life.

"M… M… "

"MOOOOOOOOOOOM!"


Matsuhoto Hotel; Kazuhiko's Room

Kazuhiko POV

*PIPIPIPIPIPI*

Kaz grabbed his phone and answered the incoming call.

"Hey Nanako, what's up?"

"I… I really need to talk to someone right now… could you meet me somewhere soon?"

He could here heavy breathing on the other side of the line and picked up on the urgency of the situation.

"Alright then, I'll head to you. Where are you right now?"

"I'm at my house. Please hurry."

"Okay, I'm on my way."

He hung up and grabbed his keys, all the while Tyr was following behind.

"Did she say what was troubling her?"

"No, but we're gonna find out soon."

After a few minutes, Kaz arrived in front of the Dojima residence to see a panicky Nanako on the porch. He took a seat next to her and rubbed her shoulder reassuringly.

"I came as fast as I could, what's wrong?"

Nanako couldn't stop shaking so he took her back inside where he set her down on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Hey, how about I make you some tea to calm down, alright?"

Nanako still was shaking but nodded her head. After pouring the hot water into the cup, Kaz dropped a tea bag into in and pushed it in front of Nanako who took in the warm drink. A few more sips later, she finally calmed down a little bit to be able to talk.

"So what made you so on edge?"

Nanako took a deep breath and said "I had a really bad dream"

"It was so vivid that… that I could just sense everything around me… "

Another sip.

"I think I told you this before, but I used to have nightmares all the time when I was younger. They involved me not knowing where I was and finding my mother on the ground after she got hit."

Kaz nodded attentively.

"Yeah, but you stopped having them after a little while, didn't you?"

"I thought I did until now. I wish I knew why it's back."

They stayed silent for a little while until Kaz spoke up.

"Hey, I know this might not be the best thing to ask right now, but could you tell me everything that happened in your dream?"

Nanako started to shake a little again, but calmed down once more.

"O-okay."

She relayed the details of her dream to her friend, remembering the sickening sound of the car hitting a person and the smell of blood filling her nostrils. At the end, she needed another cup of tea to fully bring herself back to the present.

"I… I think I'm okay now", she finally said.

Kaz nodded but kept his gaze locked onto her.

"Did this ever happen to you before? When something you left in the past came back to haunt you, even though you felt you were over it?"

Kaz grew silent as he looked at the table. Nanako quickly noticed her mistake and apologized.

"It's alright. Besides, I'm here to help you right now. You shouldn't be apologizing."

Nanako sighed and said "I know, but it's something I just feel responsible for. I drag you out of your home and then bring up bad memories for you, I feel horrible."

Kaz smiled.

"Oh come on, this wasn't too bad. Remember when your plant in class died because you gave it too much water?"

"I wasn't that sad."

"The time the Loveline voice actor got hospitalized and retired?"

"Anyone who loves a show would have the same reaction."

"The time when I went on a date with another girl?"

"Wait, what? That happened?"

Kaz stifled a laugh as he let his friend fall into the trap. Said laughter only escalated when Nanako realized it and puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"But seriously, thanks for coming here bestie. It's been a while when it was just us two hanging out."

They both smiled until the front door opened.

"Nanako! I'm home! Sukima? What are you doing here?"

Kaz turned around to come face-to-face with Ryotaro Dojima, Nanako's father and a police sergeant.

"I just needed someone to talk to, dad", Nanako answered as she got out of her seat.

Kaz stood up too and bowed in his direction.

"Thank you for having me, sir. I'll be going home now that you're here", he said feeling low-key panicked.

No matter how many times he talked to Nanako's father, he still couldn't shake off the feeling of the overprotective dad wanting to gut him with a knife. Dojima, however, was a really understanding person and never meant to scare him.

"No need to call me sir, Sukima, I'm not on duty after all. Do you need me to walk you back? It's already dark."

Kaz shook his head as he excused himself.

"Take care, Nanako! You can call me again if you need to!"

Rank Up!

Justice Arcana Lv 2!


Nanako POV

"What were you two talking about?", Dojima asked his daughter.

As much as he trusted his daughter to stay in line, it wouldn't hurt to check in every once in a while.

Nanako hesitated then told him.

"The nightmares are back? Should I call the psychiatrist and schedule an appointment?"

She shook her head.

"No, I think I'm okay now."

Dojima nodded and put hiscoat onto the rack.

"Okay, well if they come back tell me right away. These things should be dealt with right away."

After a few minutes of settling down and getting dinner ready, Nanako spaced out for a while.

"Is this what was bothering you?"

Nanako tapped her foot once, indicating a yes. It was a little code they developed to have Nanako answer yes/no questions in public.

"But I thought you were already over mom dying, weren't you?"

One tap.

"Then why are you having these dreams again?"

Toyotama waited for an answer before realizing Nanako couldn't answer. She put away her bowl and went upstairs to turn in for the night. Once again, she sprawls onto her futon staring at the ceiling.

"So why are you having these dreams?"

Nanako still didn't answer. She just couldn't find a reason to place her finger to blame something.

"I don't know. I think I'll try to sleep on it and figure things out tomorrow."

"Uh huh! Let's hang out with Kaz and Tyr-senpai again sometime!"

Nanako raised her eyebrow.

"Wait, what do you mean hang out with Tyr? We can't let them know about our involvement yet."

Nanako suddenly felt a slight burning sensation in her cheeks, but when she looked in the mirror, her cheeks were fine.

"Uh, Toyotama? Is there something you want to te-"

"Never mind! Let's just go to sleep!"

And to sleep they went, thankfully without any dreams.


July 22, 2021; Monday

(Afternoon)

Nuzoko Mall District; Cafe

"Alright, looks like we're all caught up with the requests. Good job guys!"

The group gave a tired cheer before going back to their drinks. Johei managed to chug his entire iced coffee in one go before setting it back down on the table and letting out an impressive belch. Mikan wrinkled her nose at the sight and smacked Johei for good measure.

"I thought that I taught you about good manners at this point!"

Johei continued to rub the spot on his head as he fumbled with his phone.

"You know, this kind of thing has become pretty manageable", Iselin stated

"I figured that there would be a lot more of the things to do, but we can actually finish them within a day or two, if it's not a major one, and still have free time."

It seemed as if they had nothing but free time on their hands during the vacation; they weren't in any kind of danger but their investigation wasn't heading anywhere. It was as if the Harbingers were keeping their hands tied until they felt like moving the next piece.

Daichi picked up the rest of his danish and split it in two. Letting Hugin and Munin eat out of his hands, he gave Kaz a worried look.

"I have to be honest with you Kaz, but I don't like this one bit. We're playing by their rules and if there is one thing that I know about Shiroe, he always has something up his sleeve."

He scooted up to Kaz and looked him straight in the eyes.

"What if this is what he wants? We've thwarted all of his attempts, but he could just be using this as a cover to get all the pieces in place."

"I've considered the possibility of that happening, but we don't have any other choice; the matter is out of our hands. Unless we find out who they are going after next, we can't proceed any further."

Iselin nudged Daichi in the ribs to accentuate his point before Kaz turned back to them.

"Well, for now, I guess this meeting is adjourned. I'll see you guys later."

Everyone waved as Kaz picked up his stuff and left the table. Iselin tugged onto Daichi's arm to get his attention.

"Can you come with me? I think we need to talk about our 'apprentice' of sorts."

They excused themselves from the table before ducking around a corner.

"So, I've been having this nagging feeling ever since we took Nanako under our wing", Iselin started.

Daichi held up his hand to stop her.

"Don't worry, I've been thinking about it too, but she's not gonna go in there without our supervision. Besides, she's taking a break for a couple of days, what's the worst that cou-"

"Don't say it Master Daichi!", Hugin said as he used his wings to cover Daichi's mouth.

Iselin rolled her eyes.

"Hildr, could you… "

"On it."

As the valkyrie pried the two crows off of their master, Daichi continued.

"Shiroe has his influence in the Mirror Dimension, but in the real world he would seem more conspicuous. I have confidence that Nanako would do better than to trust him."

Iselin chuckled.

"If anything, she would probably put him under arrest before we even knew about it!"

The two had a good laugh for a little while until they turned back the mood.

"So let's keep having this situation under wraps until Toyotama becomes visible", Daichi said

"Kaz might be mad for a little bit, but he'll get over it."

"Nnn, okay then. Although you'll take the brunt of the blame!"

"Wha- Why me?"

"Because you're a gentleman and gentleman always make sure that women don't get hurt, right you two?"

"He shall always stand by you like we stand by him!"

"Is that a Jojo reference, brother?"

"God, kill me already", Hildr sighed as the crows continued to make references.


Dojima Household

(Afternoon)

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"Hey, Nanako! You home?"

Nanako opened the door to see Kaz with a plastic bag of drinks.

"I just wanted to check in on you. Everything okay?"

Nanako nodded and opened the door wider for him to come in.

"It was just a bad bout, but I'm all better now. Want to hang out for a little while?"

"Sounds good to me."

He set the plastic bag on the table and handed her a Cielo Mist. He took a Dr. Salt NEO for himself and popped off the top.

"Thanks, bestie", Nanako said as she took the can from him.

The drink really helped, especially since the weather was in record high today. However, despite the the AC being on full blast, Nanako still felt something lingering; the dream resurfacing was one thing, but having an emotional breakdown, even that didn't normally happen when she got out of therapy sessions. Kaz noticed the change in her facial expression and pressed on it.

"So what's on your mind?"

Nanako let out a light laugh.

"You know me so well. The truth is I'm not so sure."

Sitting down, she took another swig while facing her childhood friend.

"This rarely happens to me, getting the recurring dream. Somehow, I just let it get to me this time."

"I already accepted that my mother cared for me and she'll always be watching me, but I don't think that was what the dream was telling me about."

Kaz ran through the dream in his mind.

Waking up in a foggy area. Check.

Walking for a while. Check.

Finding a person and chasing after them. Check.

Having the car head towards you…

"Wait, I think I might have something."

"Really?"

Nanako leaned in towards her friend.

"This point stands a bit out, the car heading towards you. Was the driver trying to hit you in previous dreams?"

She put a finger to her chin and shook her head.

"Now that you mention it, no; the car was always zooming past me, but it never got close enough to hit me."

"Then maybe this has something to do with the driver?"

Nanako's eyes shot open and they stood silent for a little while. Kaz tried tapping her on the shoulder, but there was no response. Finally, Kaz pinched her cheeks.

"W-Ow! Hey!"

Nanako rubbed her cheeks as Kaz sat back.

"You were spacing out there for a second. Did I hit the mark?"

Nanako paused, but then shrugged out of fear that she would endure another cheek-pinch punishment.

"I don't know. I guess I was just thinking too much into it, haha!"

Kaz gave her a worried look before sighing.

"Well, would you look at the time. I should get going."

Nanako stole a glance at her phone and saw the time.

"It's not too late. Did you have something else scheduled today?"

"Yeah, I have a meet up with Daichi."

He turned back around with a coy smile on his face.

"Why do you ask? Were you hoping to spend some alone time with me?"

Nanako's face turned a violent shade of red and pushed Kaz out of her house.

"OKAY! That's enough! You don't wanna be late!"

"Ow, hey! Alright, stop shoving!"

Kaz waved goodbye as he left the front door. Nanako waved back and closed the door behind her. She let out a deep breath as she held her hand to her chest.

"Geez, he already knows that I like him, but does he have to tease me about it so much?"

"Aww, but it was really cute Nanako-neesan! You two almost seemed like a real couple."

"STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!"

She went back to the table and sat down, immersing herself in her thoughts.

"But what he said was right; I think this might be about the driver. Who was he? Why did he run? Where is he now?"


(Outside)

"Well, what do you make of it? It can't be about her mother or the driver; maybe it's about all the recent suicides?"

"No, it was definitely about the mysterious driver."

"Huh?", Tyr asked

"But how do you know?"

Kaz tapped the side of his head.

"I've known Nanako well enough to tell when she's lying. She always chuckles or laughs a little bit when she's in an uncomfortable situation."

"I see… but why would she hide it from you?"

"She may have her own reasons, but this contributes to my earlier theory. If my guess is right, she may play a big role in this whole mess."

Tyr nodded as they walked towards the student dorms.

"What role do you think she'll play? Could she be the next victim?"

Kaz shook his head.

"No, Nanako would never try to kill herself; She already overcome her depression from losing her mother. To be honest, I think her timing was just too convenient. With nee-san becoming a teacher here, Nanako may have some relation to th-"

"Hey, Kaz! Where have you been?", Daichi shouted to him.

"I've been waiting for almost half an hour."

"Ah, well let's continue later when everyone is present. I'd like to share my idea with the rest of the group and see what they think of it."

The user and Persona made a silent pact to pick up on their conversation at another time to rush in and stop two crows from trying to reenact a certain Star Platinum scene on the dorm wall.


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we are back! Phew! That took a lot out of me. Yes, I know I am super late and it's a shorter chapter than usual, but at least I didn't leave a cliffhanger, am I right? With Masahiro Sakurai finally letting Joker into Smash, the reveal of P5S and the new P5R trailer, I have had a lot of things to think about. First, Joker is S tier, no questions needed. Second, Persona 5 is headed for the Switch! Yes! Third, the new female character is revealed to be, not just a new social link, but also a party member! Now, I know this may have punched a hole in my previous hypothesis, but I still think she is another MC. You guys know how P3P failed at having 2 MCs, right? Well, what if they were both MCs but they existed on the same plane? You choose who you would play as and the other would still be there! If anyone ever tells you this is their original idea, show them this page and you will know it is legit. Finally, you guys might wanna check out a fanfiction called "Pros and Cons" by Charles E. Quill; really good Yosuke x Chie story that really deserves some love. Hah! I can finally breathe now! Okay, here's your omake.


Costumes

Johei: Alright, let's get that shadow!

Kazuhiko: Hold on, guys! Before we do that, there's something I need you to do.

Johei: Huh? What is it?

(Kazuhiko pulls something out of a bag and holds it in front of the group)

Kaz: Put these on please.

Daichi: Um, okay? I mean, this doesn't look so bad.

Crusade Heroes Costume Set

Johei: Aw, hells yeah! This looks pretty badass! Gotta love the hat, though.

(You ever see Kaminari's medieval cosplay in MHA? That's Johei's costume)

Daichi: I must say that you have excellent taste. This knight's getup is very elaborate. Shame it's not durable as protection.

Iselin: What I want to know is why our outfits are more, ah, revealing.

(Iselin was in what looked like a normal set of armor except the middle of the chest part revealed some of her breasts)

Loki: And you never looked better.

Hildr: I'm sure that Kazuhiko has a very good reason for this. Perhaps it's for an infiltration of sorts.

Mikan: Eh, mine are actually more covered than anyone's

(Mikan was in a priest's outfit)

Yoichi: Oh well, let's just get to that next shado-

Kazuhiko: Hold on guys, I've got a couple more.

Underwatch Costume Set

Mikan: Okay, I'm really starting to question why I got this costume. It's easy to move in but also really tight.

(Widowmaker costume)

Yoichi: Whoa! This is so cool! It's like I can see everything from here! Heck, I can even see through the walls!

(Soldier 76 costume)

Yuriko: The costume isn't so bad, I'm just wondering where the mecha came from.

( costume)

Johei: Better question, how did we change into these clothes so fast? And why am i half-naked except for a belt of grenades?

(Junkrat costume)

Yoichi: Guys, we're getting besides the point here; the shadow is getting away!

Kazuhiko: Just one more costume set, I promise guys!

Mikan: Alright, fine. Just one mo-

(Kaz pulls out the bath-house costume set)

Mikan and Skadi: OH HELL NO!

Johei and Loki: OH HELL YES!

Yuriko: I… actually don't mind