THIS STORY TAKES PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS OF PERSONA 5 ROYAL. SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
I don't own Persona or any title related to it. All of that belongs to Atlus and you should go and support the official release.
Just then, everyone heard the bell to Leblanc chime and the door open.
The door opened to reveal a tall woman dressed in a black business suit over a black turtleneck. Her dark gray heels clicking on the floor as she walked into the cafe. Around her neck was a section sign necklace which matched the color of her silver earrings. Her ash colored hair was parted asymmetrically on the left and right side and she brushed a few stray strands to the side so as to not cover her reddish brown eyes. "Hello Everyone."
"Sis," Makoto eagerly got up to hug the new arrival,"Did you get caught up with work again?"
"Yes. Sorry for running late." Glancing around at everyone in the cafe aloud her to state, "Seems like our guest of honor isn't here yet either."
"The kid should be on his way here," Sojiro answered. "He was still grabbing a few things for the party. Before anything, got an invite right Niijima-san?"
With a quick unzip of her bag, she fished out one of the red invitations, "Yeah got it right here."
"Great. Do you want your usual?"
"Please." Sojiro walked over to the coffee siphons and the woman turned to look at all those present in the cafe. "I should introduce myself." She bowed politely, "My name is Sae Niijima. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Ohya grinned widely, "Ah so the famous public prosecutor arrives. I was honestly hoping I would get to meet the famous Sae Nijima. And to think it would be at a party with the Phantom Thieves."
Sae didn't seem bothered by the reporter's overly friendly tone. Instead she just smiled back at the reporter. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well Ohya-san."
"You already know who I am? Great, means we can skip introductions then."
Sae looked over the cafe one more time. "I'm actually familiar with all of you. To that end, I must thank all of you personally for your effort to overturn Akira's incarceration." The prosecutor bowed to everyone. "Each one of you played a very important part in proving his innocence."
Sae looked over to Hifumi, "Hifumi Togo. Your mentionings of Akira's false imprisonment during your interview helped spread awareness of his case."
"I'm glad to hear my efforts were not in vain," Smiled the Shogi Player.
"Yuuki Mishima. The signatures you collected as part of your petition were taken into consideration when the discussion shifted to public opinion."
The teen looked surprised, "Really?" He smiled while scratching the back of his head. "I'm glad I was able to help."
"Ichiko Ohya. The special article you wrote helped bring to light the discrepancy in the court's decision at the time."
"That was the plan," chuckled the reporter.
"Toranosuke Yoshida. Your speeches rallied a large number of supporters of Akira's case. A few of them being other major Diet members."
The politician gave a hardy laugh, "I would be betraying my own beliefs if I had given up on Akira. I couldn't allow that."
"Boss. Your testimony as his guardian for his time here in Tokyo kept others from pinning other crimes on him thanks to your accounts of his conduct."
"Good," the cafe owner smiled. "I wasn't going to let those government crownies sink their teeth on the kid. Not while I had something to say about it."
"Sadayo Kawakami. Shujin's letter of objection played a similar role in proving his conduct."
"It's nice to hear that all the extra work I did helped," the teacher smiled ear to ear.
"Tae Takemi. Your announcement of Akira being a key figure in the creation of the cure for Crawford-Ende's was important in proving his good character."
The doctor smiled, "No Problem."
"Chihaya Mifune. Word about Akira's case was spread throughout the city thanks to the efforts of your group. Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me, Niijima-san. I knew I had to do something. And please call me Chihaya."
The prosecutor nodded. "Shinya Oda, also known as 'The King'. Many young people spoke out against Akira's conviction online. Which caused his case to grow in notoriety all over the country."
"Shinya's fine. Akira's done so much for me. I had to do something to repay him."
"Munehisa Iwai. Your connection to public security officers inside juvenile hall kept Akira safe while inside. Thank you for looking out for him."
"I didn't do it cause I was trying to be nice. I just ain't the kind of guy who likes to be indebted to someone."
Sae openned her mouth again but the sound of footsteps came from the staircase as Sumire descended them without her bag and jacket. "Sorry I to-," She was about to finish her sentence when she took notice of Sae. "Niijima-san, Hello. Are you here for the party too."
"I am. And Sumire Yoshizawa. Your coach, Hiraguchi-san, has a surprisingly good information network that allowed me to find evidence for Akira's case... Please give her my thanks."
The athlete smiled, "I will."
Sae now looked over to the Thieves, "And of course, all of you helped track down the woman Akira save that night. It was the most valuable piece of evidence in our favor."
"You don't need to thank us Niijima-san," Ann smiled. "Akira did so much for us we couldn't just let it end like it did."
Yusuke nodded his head whimsically, "Ann is correct. It would be a disservice to him not to try and repay all the things he's done for us."
"For real," Ryuji threw his hand behind his head and flashed his signature grin.
"Then allow me to share some good news with you all." A few eyebrows amongst not only the team but everyone went up as they gazed at the prosecutor. "Of course this hasn't been officially announced, but Masayoshi Shido has been officially convicted."
There was a beat of silence in the cafe as the news sunk in, but Ryuji was the first to react. Shooting out of his chair and screaming, "Really!"
"Yes. With all the crimes he has committed: breaking election laws, breaking funding control laws, and bribery, he was sentenced to life in prison."
The thieves smiled widely at each other as they celebrated their victory over the corrupt politician. Haru and Makoto began to hug each other while Ann and Ryuji did so as well. Yusuke was comforting Futaba at the bar as she cried tears of joy. "I did it Mom," she said as she wiped away the tears.
"That's some really good news Niijma-san." Sojiro placed the cup of coffee he had just finished making down on the counter. "Here, have a seat."
She smiled and took the seat Sumire had occupied, the redhead taking one of the chaires Ryuji, Yusuke and Shinya had brought down. Sae took no small pleasure in smelling the flowery brew Sojrio had prepared for her, smiling as the brown nectar warmed her body. "Delicious as always. Thank you Boss."
"No problem," He smiled. Taking a look over the prosecutor's shoulders, he could see the reporter. "Ohya…"
"I didn't even say anything yet," Ohya growled in response.
"You haven't, but I bet you were about to ask Niijima-san how she got involved with Akira." Sojiro's triumphant smirk and wordless response from Ohya was enough to get some laughs from everyone. Mainly from Yoshida and Chihaya, while more suppressed laughter came from everyone else.
"Seems Boss has figured you out Ohya-san," Laughed the politician.
"I'm curious ok," Ohya turned to Sae. "I'm pretty sure I'm remembering this right Niijima-san, but wasn't the SIU after the Phantom Thieves and you're famous as one of the top prosecutors there. Can't fault a girl for wondering about how you got involved with Akira."
Glances were shared amongst everyone in the cafe and Takemi added, "Considering the SIU placed a 30 million yen bounty on you guys, I understand why Ohya would be curious about that."
The words of the Doctor did manage to get some of the others to share looks of concern. Each one of them remembered clearly when they heard about the news of the bounty. Of course the ones that knew that Akira was a Phantom Thief at the time would never turn him over to the police. Not after everything he has done for them.
"It's understandable some of you would have questions," Sae took another sip of her coffee before spinning in her chair. "After all the effort each one of you put into revoking Akira's incarceration, it's the least I could do. But my meeting Akira does require some explanation."
Of course, Sae's phrasing caused some of the others to raise their eyebrows, but they all elected to let her explain herself. She took another sip of coffee, staring into the black liquid swirl around in the cup. "I suppose it would be best to start with my origins. To keep things short, my mother died due to illness after Makoto was born so for the longest time it was us and our father. He was quite the dedicated man when it came to his work as a police officer, working long into the night and even staying at the station some times." The talk of her father put a smile on her face. "His belief in justice and protecting others was something to be admired and he taught those beliefs to us which is why I became a Prosecutor in the first place."
Sae's smile changed as she closed her eyes, "Of course, being a police officer is dangerous work and he was killed in the line of duty while following a case three years ago."
The cafe was silent as they listened to the Prosecutor talk. "I'm sorry to hear that Niijima-san," Hifumi offered a smile from the end of the bar.
"You have my condolences," Yoshida nodded his head.
"Thank you," Sae smiled. "When he passed away, I was settled with the responsibilities he had left behind. Including taking care of Makoto."
"Niijima-san," Ohya raised her brow. "Sorry, I hate to sound rude but how does this involve Akira? Did he help you get over your father's death? Kid's got a knack for helping people get over their problems, me included."
"No," Sae shook her head. "You see being settled with all the responsibilities of raising Makoto while trying to move up in the male dominated profession of law. It put a lot of pressure on me to succeed."
"Medicine is the same way," Takemi added while taking another sip of her coffee. "Constantly trying to prove your skills to your superiors, I can understand that."
"Because of my constant need to succeed so I could support Makoto, I became so obsessed. Obsessed with winning by any means necessary, even if it meant betraying the things my father taught me. Even when I was placed in charge of the investigation of the Phantom Thieves, I used methods that… were inappropriate for someone in my position. I only realised what I was doing was wrong when I received my calling card."
The silence swept through the room in an instant. Everyone ,aside from the thieves and Sojiro, had their eyes on the prosecutor. Even Iwai and Takemi were not exempt from showing their surprise at this new bit of information. "You mean… You were targeted by the Phantom Thieves Niijima-san?" Mishima asked. The teen looked over to the group with a quizzical look.
"Yes, but not for the reason you think." Sae's words caused everyone to look at her in confusion. "I'll spare the complicated details of the plan, but I can assume you all remember when the news announced Akira was captured by the police." They all gave a nod in confirmation and Sae looked to the Thieves, "It was all a part of a plan to find out who was behind the Mental Shutdown cases. While Akira was being held by the police, I got to interrogate him and that's when he told me about everything that had happened to him since coming to Tokyo."
"Does that include him telling you about us," Chihaya asked skeptically.
"No he never spoke about any of you," assured the Prosecutor. "Even though I tried to convince him to sell you all out, he refused to do so."
"Akira would never do that," Shinya smiled widely.
Takemi chuckled while playing with the edge of her cup, "He knows what I'd do to him if he did."
The doctor's words earned a bit of laughter from everyone. "So Niijima-san," Shinya looked over to her, "Is when you were interrogating Akira when you got to know him."
"Yes. While I was interrogating Akira, he would try to antagonize me. Asking me questions about whether I thought what I was doing was right. About whether or not I believed in justice and reminding me of the ideals my father had taught me. Additionally, thanks to my job I can tell when someone is lying. As Akira told his story, I found it hard to not believe everything he was telling me. All the evidence we had collected went so well with what he said that I had a hard time disapproving him. By the end of the interrogation, I couldn't help but place my trust in him. Which is why I helped sneak him out of the police station when he faked his death."
"Thank you Niijima-san for believing in him," Sumire smiled.
Hifumi shook her head, "I don't even wish to think about what it would have been like had something happened."
"It was only after everyone explained what they had learned to me that I truly grasped the situation. And how pointless everything was. My role as head of the investigation. Even the interrogation itself. It was all just for show. I was meant to be used as a sacrificial pawn in my superiores schemes. While I was chasing after recognition for my own selfish reasons, people were manipulating the system to further their own goals." Sae groaned, "It was pathetic."
"Sis…" Makoto tried to comfort her with a smile.
"Let me guess, Akira helped put you back on the right path again," Ohya smiled from the corner of her mouth.
Sae let out a small chuckle as she stared into the black liquid in her cup. "Yes, but it wasn't just Akira but everyone," she said motioning to the group of thieves. "It's thanks to them that realized how twisted I had become. How I had let the desire for recognition corrupt the ideals of my father. Thanks to the efforts of everyone, I can truly start again and be true to myself. Now, I intend to uphold the justice my father taught me on my own terms."
Everyone smiled at the prosecutor, Makoto wiped a forming tear away from her eye. "I'm happy to hear that Sis. And I'm sure Akira is too."
"Thank you Makoto. Honestly… I hated having to ask him to turn himself in to convict Shido. After all he's gone through and all he's done for me, it broke my heart to have to ask him. Of course, he didn't hesitate to say yes."
"I'm sure Akira understands Niijima-san," Haru smiled. "His sentence was overturned thanks to all your hard work. And now that Shido is officially convicted, I'm sure Akira will be ecstatic."
"I'm sure as well. I still remember how happy I was when I saw him in Juvenile hall, when I told him about his release and my new job," Sae took a sip of her coffee. Failing to notice The quizzical look Makoto was giving her.
"New job? What do you mean Sis?"
Now realising what she said, the prosecutor coughed into her hand. "I...I'm sorry Makoto. I forgot that the only person I've told this too was Akira. I'm actually quitting my job at the SIU to become a defense lawyer."
"Really!?"
"Yes. Originally, I joined the SIU to try and reform the system. But I'll leave that to someone else. Now I intend to enact justice for the sake of others, not just myself. Sorry I haven't told you about this before Makoto."
"Don't worry Sis. It's fine," she said. "It makes me really happy that Akira's had such a big influence on you."
"Our wonder boy sure does like helping people," Takemi nodded her head.
"Hey Niijima-san, since you are going to be a lawyer. Mind if I get your business card?" Ohya smiled widely, "When you're an ace reporter like me, you're always looking for trouble."
"More like getting into trouble," Sojrio said, not taking his eyes off the pot he was stirring
The reporter glared at the cafe owner while everyone in the cafe laughed, Sae included. "Joking aside, you may have my card. The rest of you are free to take one as well. A friend of Akira is a friend of mine so feel free to call me if you find yourself in legal trouble."
Sae stood up from her seat and began to hand her business card to everyone who wanted it. Even Shinya asked for one in case his mom ever needed help, a gesture Sae was more than happy to accept. "Alright, let me thank you all again for your help in Akira's case."
"It was our pleasure Niijima-san," Kawakami smiled.
Mishima grinned, "We all owe Akira a lot Niijima-san. We wouldn't let him go down while we could do something about it."
"Kid's done a lot for everyone here," Sojiro added. "Why don't you put your bag upstairs Niijima-san. Don't want it to get in the way during the party."
"Good idea. Pardon me for a moment." Sae made her way to the stairs and disappeared from sight.
Hifumi turned to Makoto, "Your sister has quite the confident air about her."
Yoshida nodded his head, "Indeed. The way she holds herself is quite a sight for someone so young. It also seems Akira has helped lift her spirits."
"Yeah…" Makoto didn't take her eyes off the stairs as she smiled.
"Speaking of Akira, when the hell is he going to get here," Ryuji took out his phone to check the time. "What the heck is so important that it takes so much time?"
"I'm sure it must be important Ryuji-senpai," Sumire smiled.
Just then, everyone heard the bell to Leblanc chime and the door open.
All the eyes in the cafe turned to the entrance. As the door closed with a thud, there was an audible paused before everyone registered who it was.
"Hey," waved the new arrival.
"AKIRA!"
The black haired teen smiled as everyone reacted to his entrance, undoing the button on his Shujin academy blazer and adjusting the hold on his school bag slung over his left shoulder. Futaba was the first one out of her seat, practically tackling the teen to the ground with a hug with the rest of the Phantom Thieves behind her.
"Hold on Futaba," Sojrio chuckled at his daughter's eagerness. "He just walked in the door. Don't go tackling him straight away."
The hacker puffed her cheeks, "But Sojiro, he's late to his own party. What took you so long Akira? Minus 10 points for being late."
Akira patted his surrogate sister on the head, "Sorry for being late. I had to go and pick up a few things." He moved his right arm and everyone took notice of the box he was carrying under his arm. It was a simple looking box at first glance. Not partially large, being about 4 inches long and 5 inches wide. It was painted black with a red metallic trim located on the edges. Securing the lid closed was two latches matching the color of the edges.
Ryuji raised an eyebrow at the box, "What's that man?"
With his signature grin, he answered, "It's a surprise for later."
Makoto sighed, "Always one for surprises."
A chuckle was had by everyone in the cafe as the Phantom Thieves exchanged hugs with their leader. "But in all seriousness, how is everyone? Hope everyone's been playing nice," he looked over everyone in the cafe.
"Just fine," Takemi smiled from behind her coffee cup. "We're just sharing stories about how you can't mind your own business."
Iwai let out a grunt of affirmation, looking sidelong at the new arrival.
"Come on Iwai-san, Takemi-san, let's not be too hard on Akira," Chihaya smiled. "It's because of him that we're all here now."
"Chihaya-san is right. I'd say it's quite fortunate that we all had the pleasure of meeting Akira," Yoshida laughed in agreement.
"I agree," Hifumi added.
Ohya grinned ear to ear. "Doesn't change the fact that he's still a cheeky brat sometimes." She said sarcastically.
"Honestly, You're such a troublemaker. Can't you respect other people's privacy," despite how she sounded, Kawakami smiled.
"Oh come on, don't sound so harsh. It's one of my best character flaws," Akira responded with a cheeky grin.
A groan could be heard from the booth the Thieves were sitting in and a black cat finally emerged from his seat, "Stop acting so cocky," said Morgana, making his way over to greet his friend.
"Nice of you to finally wake up Morgana," Futaba chuckled.
"Accuse me for wanting to get some sleep. Plus, I figured it would be best for me to stay quiet while everyone got here. Didn't want everyone to think you guys were crazy for talking to a cat."
The Thieves simply nodded to the cat while the rest of the cafe looked on. The only one to know that Morgana was talking being Sojiro decided to add, "I kind of wish you had told me how many people were coming. This is probably the most packed this place has ever been. Would have appreciated the heads up."
"Sorry Boss," Akira rubbed the back of his head. Taking another look around the cafe, Akira noticed one absent person, "Speaking of that, where's Sae? Is she not here yet?"
"I'm here," Sae's voice came from the back of the cafe as she descended the staircase. She smiled as she made her way over to the group." "It's good to see you Akira," she hugged her friend and smiled, "before anything else let me share with you the good news."
Akira's eyebrows went up, "good news?"
Ryuji wrapped his arm around Akira's shoulder, "Trust me man, you're going to love this."
"Of course it's not officially announced yet, but Shido has officially been convicted and sentenced to life in prison."
The prosecutor's words made Akira smiled proudly and triumphantly, "That's great news, Sae. I take it my testimony was helpful then."
"More than you know."
"Isn't that great Akira," Haru smiled.
"Yeah. That's a big weighted off my shoulders Sae. Thank you for hard work," Akira bowed to her. "I'm glad I got to hear this before I left."
"You're welcome. Setting that aside, what took you so long to get here," she asked, taking notice of the black box under Akira's arms. "Is that why you took so long?"
"Yes and no," chuckled Akira. "I also had to convince another person to come."
His words caused the eyebrows of everyone to go up while Sojrio sighed, "Another person."
"Don't worry Boss, he should be the last one to come." Akira turned his head towards the door and yelled, "Hey you can come in now."
Just then, everyone heard the bell to Leblanc chime and the door open.
It took a second for everyone to take in the new arrival. The most obvious feature was the large white lab coat he wore atop his blue dress shirt and tie. His khaki pants he wore were rolled up near the bottom and he wore black sandals on his feet. The man raised his hand to push his long brown hair to the side so it would not cover his glasses. "H-hello everyone."
There was a very long beat of silence as the thieves took in the presence of the new arrival. Than they all yelled, "Dr. Maruki!"
"Hello everyone," he said again nervously. "Are you all doing well?"
Sumire took the lead to ask, "What are you doing here Dr. Maruki?"
"Akira asked me to be here. He said he wanted me to come to his farewell party. Though I'm not sure I really deserve to be here."
"Doc," Akira placed his hand on the doctor's shoulder. "I've told you, it's fine. This party is for all my confidants and that includes you. I don't think anyone has a problem with you being here."
He still seemed hesitant despite Akira's words,"Still, after everything I…"
Maruki didn't even get to finish his sentence as he was interrupted by a hug from Sumire. All the other thieves just smiled as they watched the doctor's face change to genuine surprise. Breaking free from her hug, Sumire smiled at the doctor. "How are you Dr. Maruki?"
"I'm f-fine," he responded in surprise.
Ryuji grinned like he always did, "Yeah, We haven't seen you since February."
"Indeed," Yusuke nodded while adopting a smaller smile. "It has been quite some time since we last saw each other. You appear to be well."
The doctor just looked at the Thieves in confusion, "So none of you hate me for what I did?"
"Not in the slightest," Haru answered. "Just because we disagreed with your ideals does not mean we do not like you as a person."
"Haru's right. You're a good person Dr. Maruki and you were just doing what you thought was right," Maktoto smiled.
Futaba chuckled, "Besides, If you think just because you were one of our previous targets you aren't allowed to be here then me and Sae wouldn't be here."
The group chuckled at this as Maruki looked at everyone in surprise. He turned when he felt Akira's hand on his shoulder, "I told you they would act like this."
The doctor paused for a second but smiled at the teen. "You did." He turned to the Thieves, "thank you everyone for having me."
Sumire smiled, "It's no problem Dr. Maruki."
They exchanged one more round of smiles before a voice cut in from the back of the cafe, "So… you guys just going to stand around or are you going to introduce yourself," Ohya piped in.
"Right. I should properly introduce myself." He bowed politely to everyone. "My name is Takuto Maruki. It's nice to meet you all. I was the councillor at Shujin for a time and that's how I met Akira and everyone."
"It's nice to see you again Dr. Maruki," Kawakami offered a smile and wave of her hand.
"I never expected to see you here Doc," Mishima added. "It's been awhile."
He smiled at the other two familiar faces, "Mishima-kun, Kawakami-san. It's nice to see you two."
"I guess I'll get introductions going," Ohya waved her hand. "Ichiko Ohya, Ace Reporter."
"Toranosuke Yoshida. A pleasure."
"It's nice to meet you Maruki-san. My name is Hifumi Togo. Hifumi is just fine. "
"I'm Chihaya Mifune. Please just call me Chihaya."
"Munehisa Iwai."
"Shinya Oda. Shinya is fine."
"Tae Takemi."
"Sojiro Sakura." The cafe owner had a face of a mixture of feelings, "Aren't you that guy who came in asking about Wakaba's work."
"Calm down Sojiro." Futaba waved her hand to defend Maruki. "He's a friend so don't go scaring him off with your scowl."
All Sojiro did was look back and forth between Futaba, Akira and Maruki. Eventually letting out a sigh with the wave of his hand. "Alright."
Finally, Sae stretched out her hand, "It's nice to meet you Dr. Maruki. My name is Sae Niijima. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," he responded by shaking her hand. "You had your heart changed by the Phantom Thieves as well."
The prosecutor chuckled, seemingly not bothered by the question at all. "Yes, it's a rather long story. From the sounds of it your story is just as complex."
Maruki scratched the back of his head, "Yeah… I suppose."
"You don't have to talk about it if you feel uncomfortable Dr. Maruki," Sumire assured.
"No, it's fine Yoshizawa-san. The thing that I learned from you all, Akira especially is that I can't change or run from what happened. I need to accept it before I can move on."
Those words did make the Thieves smile. Seeing the pained councillor come to understand their reason's for defying his world. "Alright."
As the group broke apart, Akira leaned in in order to whisper in Maruki's ear. "If you are going to tell them about what happened, keep in mind that they don't know about the Metaverse."
The doctor nodded his head and the two made their way to the bar. Maruki took the seat Sae had occupied at the bar and Sae moved to take the open seat next to Yoshida. The Thieves took their positions back in the booth and at the bar while Akira placed his stuff down behind the counter and took up an apron.
"How do you like your coffee Dr. Maruki?" asked Akira.
"With a little cream and sugar please?"
The teen responded with a nod and began working on the coffee for Maruki, who turned around in order to speak clearly to everyone else in the cafe. "Alright, I guess I should start by speaking about how I met Akira." He said before clearing his throat. "Around the beginning of May, I was hired to be a temporary councillor after the Kamoshida case. That's when I met Akira and everyone else."
"Except for me," Sumire added in. "When Kasumi died, my parents had me see Dr. Maruki."
"So you're a doctor in Psychology then," Takemi asked.
Maruki nodded his head, "Yes. Psychology, specifically in dealing with trauma. Sorry it's not as interesting as medicine."
"No, it's a very respectable field. Especially in this country where many people overlook the mental aspect of health." The doctor smiled at her fellow colleague. "So let me guess, you and Akira formed a deal of sorts?"
"Yes. Akira agreed to help me with some research I was doing in exchange for some mental training. Like tricks to stay focused when under pressure."
Akira placed a cup of coffee in front of Maruki, "Which was very helpful."
"Thank you." The councillor took in the scent of the black nectar before taking a sip. A musical hum escaped his lips, "Wow Akira, this is amazing."
"I aim to please."
Shinya leaned forward from across the bar, "So did you and Akira become friends because of your deal."
Maruki nodded, "Correct. Me and Akira became more acquainted as more of our sessions happened throughout my time at Shujin. Of course Akira wasn't the only one I met, I became acquainted with everyone else as well because of my counselling sessions. Kitagawa-kun and Sakura-san included."
"Ah I still remember our talk at Shujin's cultural festival," Yusuke smiled. "It was quite a pleasant talk. And please, Yusuke is fine."
"Yeah," nodded Futaba. "First name is fine with me."
The rest of the Thieves nodded their heads. "Alright. If you all are ok with it."
Ohya took another sip of her coffee, "So… How did you go from being Akira's friend to a target of the Phantom Thieves?"
"Ohya..." Akira cut in before the councillor could speak up.
"Don't give me that look," replied the reporter before turning to Maruki. "You did say he was a target in the past, but you don't look like a bad guy like Shido or Kamoshida."
"Well that's quite a long story," Maruki scratched the back of his head nervously, unsure of how to talk about the events that occurred between. "I'll try my best to explain what happened. You see, I have an ability similar to Akira and everyone else. This ability allowed me to change reality itself."
There was a beat of silence that swept through the room. As Akira expected, everyone aside from the Thieves look confused beyond words. "Uh…. Could you explain what you mean by 'Change reality'," asked Yoshida.
"It's as it sounds Yoshida-san," Akira added in. "It would take too much time to explain the details, but essentially Dr. Maruki affected the collective unconscious. There for changing reality itself." Of course this was simplifying the details quite a bit, but since everyone didn't know about the Metaverse, this was the best they could do.
Everyone still looked confused, but took the time to consider Akira's words. "So you… changed reality," Takemi sipped her coffee. "Methods aside, Why? And why did you guys target him?"
"The reason for my actions was an event that happened a few years ago," Maruki continued. "You see… I had a fiancée named Rumi. One day while she and her family were home, some men broke into her house and assaulted them. Rumi was fortunate enough to survive, but… her parents died that day."
"Dr. Maruki," Sumire placed her hand on the councillor's shoulder. Comforting as he had done for her.
"I'm alright, Yoshizawa-san."
"Ok. And Sumire is fine."
He chuckled, "Alright, Sumire-san." Taking a breath to collect himself he continued, "After the home invasion, Rumi went into a catatonic depression where she would have panic attacks if the memory of what happened resurfaced." Maruki clenched his fist, "It pained me so much to see her like that. The girl I loved reduced to that state. That's when I awakened to my power and I used it to change Rumi's cognition. Effectively erasing the memories of what happened entirely."
The councillor's words did surprise everyone and it was Mishima who put it into words, "It's kind of like a change of heart than."
"I suppose that it may be one way to look at it. But since it was the first time I had actually done it, I wiped all the memories she had of me. I was just a stranger to her after that."
"Oh no," Hifmui looked at Maruki with compassion. "I'm sorry to hear about that Maruki-san."
Chihaya wiped away a forming tear, "She was your fiancée. That must have been hard."
"It was… After that I vowed that I would progress in my research with cognitive psience. This way I could rid the world of suffering. That's what I meant when I said I changed reality."
Sae looked at the man quizzically, "You… rid the world of suffering."
Takemi closed her eyes and tapped her finger on the table, "So you developed a messiah complex of sorts. You thought it was your duty to save the world with your power."
"Yes…," nodded the man
The cafe was silent now. Everyone was trying to take in everything they had heard about the events leading up to this supposed 'change of reality'.
"So… Akira?" Shinya waved to the teen behind the bar. "Why did you guys decide to change his heart?"
"Well, not all of us were so willing to deny Doc's reality at first," Ryuji chimed in.
Akira looked over to his friend, "Ryuji…"
"In Doc's reality, Kamoshida never broke my leg and I was still a part of the track team. I was even the big star of the team."
Ann added, "I wanted Shiho to come back to Shujin. Like the whole thing with Kamoshida never happened."
"I wished so desperately for my mother's painting to be accepted by society for what it really was. And to have my Senesi back," Yusuke looked down to the floor.
Makoto looked to her sister, almost ashamed to admit, "I wanted dad back. So we could live as a family again. Just like old times."
"Makoto," Sae was unsure of how to respond.
Futaba nodded her head, "It was the same for me. I wanted mom back in my life."
Sojiro didn't say anything. Instead he walked over to his daughter and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I wanted father to be alive again. So we could make more happy memories together," Haru wiped away the forming tears."
Reactions were mixed as they looked at the Thieves. It was clear that this 'reality' Maruki created seemed happier than the original. This led to the question on everyone's mind. "So why?" Iwai, who had been relatively quiet up until now asked. "If this 'reality' that he created was so good, why did you reject it?"
"We couldn't accept the false reality he created. If we did, we'd be turning our back on everything that we learned as the Phantom Thieves." Akira could see that everyone still didn't understand so he continued his thought, "When I was convicted for helping that woman back in my hometown, the days after that were the worst in my life. The looks of disgust from people I called my friends. How people treated my parents for raising me. Stuff like that isn't just forgotten, it sticks."
"But, after everything, I wouldn't change a thing that happened. Sure it sucked to leave home, but coming here to Tokyo was the best thing that happened to me. Coming to Shujin, forming the Phantom Thieves." Akira smiled widely as he looked over everyone in the cafe. "If I hadn't helped that woman, I wouldn't have met all of you, the best part of my time here. We decided that despite how painful the bad times can be, we need them to be a part of our lives so we can grow beyond them."
The Phantom Thieves smiled at Akira's words. This was the decision they had come to after accepting reality. That they wouldn't run away from the past, but accept it and use it to fuel their ambitions for the future.
"Akira's right," Maruki smiled. "When I lost Rumi, I got so hung up on the past. I bottled up my grief about what happened and forced myself to endure the pain. In the end, I was just trying to forget my own problems. To run away from them…"
"Yo Doc," Ryuji broke him out of his reverie. "Regardless of what happened back then, I still think each of us came out ahead."
"Huh…"
Ryuji scratched the back of his head nervously and chuckled a bit, "I've already told everyone else this but I feel like you should hear this too, since you got me thinking about the future and all. But I'm moving away pretty soon."
This news was not only a surprise to Maruki, but to everyone besides the Thieves and Sojiro. Mishima asked wide eyed, "You're moving away Sakamoto-kun."
"Yeah. There's a physical rehab place near my new school and I want to get my leg fixed. I want to keep running, no matter what."
"I guess if we're talking about our future plans," Ann smiled. "I'm going to study abroad. Just for a while, I thought it would be the best thing for my modeling career."
"Me and Makoto-chan are moving into our own places soon so we can attend college," Haru added happily.
"I'll be attending high school soon," Futaba adjusted her glasses and she smiled. "Once I graduate, I plan on going to college so I can study cognitive psience just like mom."
"While my plans aren't as grand as everyone else's, I still plan on dedicating myself to my art in order to become the great artist I aspire to be," Yusuke pumped his fist.
Sumire smiled at Maruki, "I plan on reaching the highest point in the gymnastics world. Just like I promised Kasumi"
"Everyone…" Maruki was at a loss for words. Hearing that everyone had considered the future thanks to his effect on them.
Now it was Akira's turn to add in, "And we're not the only one's thinking about the future now. Right Mishima?"
The blue haired teen looked surprised as all eyes turned to look at him, "Akira, don't put the spotlight on me like that." He shook his head and looked at the table nervously, "Well, after I graduate from Shujin, I plan on attending a university down in Kyoto. They have a really good arts program and since I want to make a novel and documentary about the Phantom Thieves. I thought it was the best thing for my future."
Ohya chuckled loudly while wrapping her arm around the boy's neck, "That's awesome Mishima. And since we're talking about the future, I still plan on being the best reporter out there, exposing the scum of the earth like Shido."
Everyone seemed to get in the spirit and Hifumi smiled, "I, of course, still plan on becoming a master Shogi player. Perhaps I'll even teach it in the future."
Yoshida placed his fist over his heart, "I plan to stride down the road of politics. Upholding my ideals so I can so I can inspire the next generation."
Sae sensed it was her turn, "My work as a defense attorney is what I plan to do for the foreseeable future. Since I wish to enact rightful justice."
"I'm too old to do stuff like that," Sojiro added. "I just plan on supporting Futaba as long as I can. And running this cafe of course."
"I'm sort of playing with the idea of going to college to make video games," Shinya smiled. "I know I still have a long way to go, but it's a start."
"I'll continue to support my clients in all their endeavors," Chihaya cheered with a bubbly smile.
Kawakami smiled as well, "It will be a lot of work, but I want to keep working hard as a teacher and help repair Shujin's reputation."
Takemi let out a chuckle,"A doctor's work is never over. As long as there are patients to treat, I'll help them as best I can."
"Kaoru needs someone to look after him," Iwai let out a half chuckle. "Not like I'm much good for anything else."
Maruki looked over everyone in the cafe as they discussed their own plans for the future. He felt a hand placed on his shoulder and turned around to see Akira meeting his gaze. "What about you Doc? Any plans?"
"I'm not sure, but… I know I wish to put the past behind me." The councillor began to open and close his hand a few times. Akira could tell that he was remembering the fight they shared as his palace was collapsing. How Maruki poured his emotions into his fist and Akira took each punch head on. It was an unforgettable memory. "If you find yourself struggling in life, you can start over… That's the thing you and everyone else showed me. Thank you… for everything."
"It was my pleasure," Akira smiled. He turned to everyone in the cafe, "Now since everyone is here, we can officially start this party." His words managed to get a few cheers, mostly from the Thieves and Ohya.
"You sure everyone's here," Sojiro asked in a joking voice. "Not expecting anyone to surprise you."
Just then, everyone heard the bell to Leblanc chime and the door open.
Author's notes:
Wow this chapter took a long time and I'm sorry for the delay. I had to take a lot of time to get this chapter just right since Akira finally makes his entrance. So let's get right into it.
Sae would obviously know all the confidants since everyone helped overturn Akira's sentence. I had a lot of fun writing her part since she was a past target. The main thing that took me a long time was having to work around everyone not knowing about the Metaverse I could have just said Akira explained it all to them earlier, but that would feel kind of cheap. This also goes for Maruki's part as well.
His part is similar to Sumire's in the sense that I lean more towards the events of the story rather than the confidant line itself. All and all, I'm very pleased with how his part turned out as well. Especially the part near the end where everyone talks about their future plans. That's my favorite part.
The next chapter should be the finale so hope you all are ready.
See you all next time :)