A/N: Well then... this chapter took a little longer to write than I'd initially hoped. It's the first time I've had to go back through a chapter and re-write sections because I'd changed the direction of the flow of events, or had to change specific events because they didn't make sense with the facts of the Persona 5 universe and logic in general (I screwed up a lot on the latter, and hopefully I've fixed it...). But after spending ages trying to get things together, the next update is here. Thank you again to those who have been giving this fanfic attention through reviews and such. Your support is greatly appreciated.

And speaking of the reviews... I kinda expected split opinions to start popping up about Caroline and Justine at some point. XD But, as one anon reviewer summed up, the twins cared about Ren despite their behaviour towards him and had good intentions to help him from the start (although I'd argue Caroline treated Ren worse than Justine. Justine was a little more patient with him). That's initially why they're my favourite characters in the game, but... to each their own. ^^

Also, the guesses I'm seeing regarding my OC's persona in the reviews had me chuckling. Not in a bad way, but because I'm the only person who knows what's going to come and that it'll probably shock some of you. I will give you a hint, though: I've put 'strange powers' in the summary for a reason. It's not going to follow what you'd probably expect.

I hope you enjoy the next instalment, regardless. We're slowly closing in on the true beginning of the story, so hopefully this chapter will be the last one to properly set up the events to come. We'll have to see where my creativity flows...

Chapter 4: Resisting Temptation

11th April 20XX [Early Morning]

My walk through Aoyama-Itchome towards Shujin Academy was a lonely one. With my phone held in my hand as I followed the hordes of students making their way towards the main gates, I re-read the text message Yuuma had sent me this morning before leaving for school without me.

'Sorry, but I won't be able to walk with ya to school today. Got some business I need to take care of. Don't wait for me. I'll walk home with ya later. Keep ya chin up in the meantime!'

'I'm not surprised. This is normal for Yuuma. He often disappears and does his own thing without telling anyone what it is. I don't think he realises just how much he worries us sometimes… Or at least Mom.'

I furrowed my brow out of thought.

'Thinking about it, Yuuma is the opposite of me. Whereas I don't like to talk about certain aspects connected to my life, he doesn't like to talk about anything that makes him upset or causes him pain. It's like he prefers to take the brunt of his problems instead of seeking help from others. It's not really a healthy way to live…'

A weak smile crept onto my face for a few seconds at this, but was quick to disappear again before anyone noticed.

'Ha. But I'm one to talk. I sound like such a hypocrite right now…'

I dared to glance behind me to seek out a distraction, and found myself staring at the swarm of students conversing in their pairs or small groups as they walked in their lines, with the odd one or two who happened to be on their own jogging ahead on the sides. I recognised some of those students from my classes, so I wasn't surprised when a few of them chose to turn their eyes my way and stop talking when they saw me staring at them. I was quick to look away and hunch my shoulders to avoid further attention, but it wasn't long before I thought I heard mutters which included the term 'Phantom-Hater' being tossed around when they resumed their conversations.

'Yuuma chose an awkward time to leave me on my own. After yesterday, I can only imagine everyone in the school probably knows I don't support the Phantom Thieves by now...'

I raised a hand to my neck and gave it a rub at feeling the nausea beginning to creep up on me at seeing the school gates coming up on my right, prompting my eyes to droop.

'Ugh… I don't need this right now…'

Seeking out another temporary distraction until I could get inside the gates, I focused my gaze back on my phone as I exited the chat, soon finding myself staring into the star pupiled red-eyed app that lacked a name which was still somehow lingering on my phone. I'd already seen it once this morning when I'd checked my phone to make sure it was gone, so seeing it a second time didn't surprise me as much.

'And that weird app is still there.'

I let out a huff of dismay as I returned my phone to my bag, shaking my head.

'I don't know what else to do about this. I haven't been able to find any information about that app, and consistently deleting it is not an option. The last thing I want to do is have to reset my phone-'

"Hey. 'Verity', right?"

"…!"

I turned my head to the right at hearing the familiar voice beside me with a startled blink, only to gape upon finding my gaze crossing with the black glasses of the male student I recalled seeing at Shibuya Station yesterday. He was walking next to me at the same pace, with his hands placed in the pockets of his trousers and a friendly smile on his face. I must have been too wrapped up in my thoughts to notice he'd joined me.

"Oh-! It's you!" I frowned when I realised I didn't even know his name. "Um…"

"Ren Amamiya," he replied, his smile widening a little in amusement. "My bad. I didn't introduce myself last time."

A polite smile of my own made itself known as I slowed my walking down to a complete stop just in front of the gates, with Ren doing copying me and causing the students formerly behind us to change their path and go around us to head up the steps.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Ren."

Ren nodded in agreement, with his smile fading as he briefly glanced around at the area behind me.

"… On your own today, huh?"

"Sadly," I mumbled, prompting my own smile to fade as I reached a hand to rub at the back of my neck. "My friend had important things he needed to do."

"That's a shame." Ren paused to furrow his brow. "He was kinda scary, though. No offence intended."

I snorted in amusement and nodded in agreement.

"No, it's true. His temper has a way of making him come across as terrifying as Godzilla." I sighed. "Still, he chose a frustrating time to leave me alone."

"I can imagine…"

Ren briefly glanced towards a pair of male students passing us by who I recognised as first-years, watching as they fixed their eyes on me for a second before turning away and walking through the gates. My shoulders slumped when I heard their remarks anyway.

"Wasn't that the girl you told me about? The foreigner who hates the Phantom Thieves?"

"Yeah! She's in my homeroom!"

"Man, you weren't kidding when you said she stands out!"

'Say it louder, guys. It's not like anyone can hear you…'

"I had a feeling those rumours I heard yesterday about 'The Phantom-Hater' were about you…" My gaze focused on Ren when he spoke up, with his own turning to me with a smile clearly intended out of pity. "I know exactly how you feel. I've been there myself."

I found myself returning the smile and nodding.

"I've heard. Yuuma kindly caught me up on your rumours."

Ren shrugged his shoulders and slouched a bit.

"That explains a lot about his reaction towards me."

He paused to take his right hand from his pocket and glance at his phone, quickly putting it back once he was done.

"We still have some time to kill before school starts. Do you want to continue our conversation from where we left off yesterday? I'm still interested in knowing your views on the Phantom Thieves."

"…"

I hesitated for a moment with my response, briefly turning my gaze in the direction of the school gates as I recalled mine and Yuuma's text conversation from yesterday.

'I promised Yuuma I'd be careful around him. And since he isn't with me today, it's probably not a good idea that I let myself be alone with Ren. And yet…'

I focused back on Ren, who was patiently waiting for me to give an answer despite my delays.

'… he really doesn't seem like a bad guy. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to give him a chance and see what he's really like as a person. I can't judge him based on rumours, after all. I should be fine as long as we stay on school property.'

"Yes," I eventually answered, glancing between my left and right sides out of wariness as a few more students passed us on either side. "… As long as we can go somewhere that's a little secluded."

Ren gave me a wide smile that clearly indicated he was pleased that I'd agreed to his proposal, his head tilting to the side slightly.

"You just read my mind."

It was decided between Ren and Verity that the courtyard of the school seemed like the least likely place for anyone to eavesdrop on them. Settling down on the blue wooden bench residing between some of the school's vending machines, Ren sat in silence on the left side of the bench with his hands resting against his thighs as he kept his gaze on Verity on his right.

'… I saw the Nav on her phone. I knew my suspicions weren't just out of paranoia. She's just like us.'

Out of the corner of his eyes Ren caught sight of Morgana moving his head close to the gap in the zip of his bag resting in between them, which he assumed was his way of trying to avoid moving the bag around whilst eavesdropping and avoiding attracting Verity's attention. Ren wasn't surprised by the fact Morgana was also intrigued by what Verity had to say, but he knew their reasons for doing so differed.

'The others aren't like me, though. Because they don't remember what happened with the Holy Grail, they think we finally ended things with Shido and gained the public's respect. Like before they're letting the fame get to their head, but continue to believe they're helping people.'

Sitting hunched over with her hands under her chin and her elbows resting on her lap, Ren gave Verity a quick look over again as he waited for her to bring herself to speak. She appeared to be trying to think through her words carefully before saying them, giving Ren the impression that she was a naturally cautious person around those she didn't know that well.

'I can't be sure if everything she says to me is going to be true. It's difficult to judge if she knows about the app or awakened her abilities. Even so, I need to confirm my suspicions. Because if she has a will strong enough to fend off influence from the Holy Grail…'

Verity kept her gaze locked onto her shoes, but soon straightened out her shoulders as she finally brought herself the courage to speak her mind. Her tone still came out quiet, though.

"… Just to clarify, I don't 'hate' the Phantom Thieves. I just don't agree with what they've been doing recently."

"I gathered that," Ren replied, shifting position slightly so his body faced more towards Verity. "I heard you express your annoyance towards their recent escapades and how often they're talked about." He paused to tilt his head to the side out of curiosity. "But why does the attention annoy you so much? What did the Phantom Thieves do to cause you to think that?"

Verity leaned back to rest against the bench and moved her hands to her lap, wriggling her fingers around out of nerves and taking a deep breath to seemingly to compose herself. She appeared to be hesitating much to Ren's confusion, but was quick to realise that she might have been reluctant to express a reason many most likely wouldn't agree with.

"… Because they've made society lazy."

Ren blinked in surprise at this response, with him catching sight of Morgana's own eyes widening out of shock. Neither of them had been expecting that answer, but neither of them dared to interrupt her as Verity continued and explained herself.

"It sounds ridiculous, right? 'How do a group of vigilantes who are helping people make a society 'lazy'?' That's a question I've been asked multiple times, because no one else seems to see it except me."

Sighing, Ren watched as Verity's eyes drooped and focused on the skirt of her uniform.

"I mean… don't get me wrong! In the beginning, the Phantom Thieves did come across as if they were doing good. They convinced that gym teacher to own up for his crimes, they brought justice to the victims, and they even set up a public site to give people a voice."

Verity paused to frown, her hands balling into fists.

"But then as time went on, I noticed people's attitudes started to shift the more popular the Phantom Thieves became. Wherever I went, I kept hearing conversations about how terrible people thought the police were at their job, and how the Phantom Thieves were better because they actually did something. Whenever bad things were brought up or happened in front of their faces, they always brushed off others' concerns and said, 'It's not our problem to deal with! Leave it to the Phantom Thieves!'. They started to believe that they didn't need to do anything and that they could leave it all for others to solve for them."

Ren raised a brow as he heard the anger slowly seeping into Verity's voice despite her trying to keep at a low volume. He could tell just how much this truly was affecting her, especially at the sight of her fists beginning to shake with rage.

"But it wasn't until everyone started to feed off the hype that this tipped me over the edge. TV stations mention stories and stuff on the Phantom Thieves for more ratings. Shops have made fake merchandise based on their escapades for more profit. People have even made up silly lies about them being members of the group just for attention!" Verity gritted her teeth. "And what have the Phantom Thieves actually done about this…? Nothing. They've encouraged this way of thinking!"

Ren briefly glanced away from Verity to stare at Morgana still inside his bag as the former went on with her explanation turned rant, who was staring Verity's way with drooped ears and a frown. It was clear to Ren that Verity's words were beginning to affect Morgana in a 'contemplative' kind of way, which caused him to frown for a few seconds.

'Her opinion sounds too logical. And it's strong enough to get people questioning their way of thinking. Looks like I was right. She is immune to the influence of the Holy Grail…'

"The people whose hearts they change are no longer random. They're either people who the public vote for in that silly website poll or who are connected to the Phantom Thieves' arrest warrant." Verity finally turned to look at Ren with a deepened scowl on her face by the time he'd glanced back at her. "Like… doesn't it seem strange to you? If the Phantom Thieves' goal was to help people, then why are they just following public opinion rather than their own as well? Why not also focus on the people who nobody takes notice of?"

Ren said nothing and continued to stare at her with a surprised look, causing Verity's eyes to widen and her cheeks to turn a bright shade of pink. Clearing her throat out of awkwardness, the blonde braided girl was quick to turn her head away and lower her gaze to her lap again.

"S-Sorry. I got a little carried away…"

"It's okay. Your anger is understandable," Ren said with the shake of his head, prompting Verity to turn to him with a shocked blink. "I've never really thought about it that way. And hearing you say it now… you make a good point."

"… I do?" Verity allowed her shoulders and hands to relax as she raised a finger to scratch at her still pink cheek. "Huh. Your reaction is a lot calmer than what I was expecting, to be honest. Usually people just yell at me to shut up because they think I don't know what I'm talking about."

"But don't you think the Phantom Thieves are still doing good, even if it seems to be through their own personal gain, too?"

Verity's brow furrowed at Ren's question, giving herself a moment to consider her answer carefully before she dared to give it.

"… I suppose so. In a way." Verity's frown deepened. "But I just can't bring myself to support it either way. It just… doesn't feel right, you know? For me, it sends the wrong message."

Ren raised a brow out of curiosity.

"What do you mean?"

Crossing one leg over the other, Verity sat up straight and turned her body a little so she was facing Ren. Out of the corner of his eyes, Ren could see Morgana's ears had since raised, his gaze fixed intently on Verity from where he could see her inside of the bag.

"The public often forget that behind the anonymity and heroic deeds, the police and other emergency services in this city are made up of ordinary, everyday people like them. They're not 'super-humans' who can magically solve problems. They need at least a little bit of help from those who have the courage to call out immorality when they see it."

Verity paused to pull her left sleeve back up her arm, something Ren noticed but didn't comment on.

"The same can be said about the Phantom Thieves. I think the only way they've managed to get this far is because they've found people who were willing to help get rid of the injustice being spread by their targets. They act as the voice of the weak and give them the strength to stand up for themselves." She sighed and shook her head in dismay. "But now the opposite is being conveyed. And I don't think that's a good thing in the long run…"

Ren stared at Verity in silence for the longest time, reaching out a hand to place under his chin as he studied her current stance closely.

'I wonder…'

"… Can I ask you something?" Ren started after a while of silence, prompting Verity to blink in confusion but nod to show it was fine. "You speak of ignorant people who stand by and allow others to fight their battles for them, but if you ever found yourself in a situation where someone needed help, would you step up and help them?"

Verity raised her brows in surprise at the bold question, leaving Ren to smile out of reassurance and raise his hands up in surrender.

"I don't mean to call you out on your opinion. I just find it hypocritical when people complain about something but aren't prepared to follow their own beliefs. I'd like to know if you're one of those people…"

But Ren was soon widening his eyes in surprise when Verity responded with a bright smile on her face.

"I'm not. Whilst I don't consider myself to be as heroic as the Phantom Thieves were in the beginning, I would help someone if I knew for definite that I could do something." Verity paused to chuckle a little in amusement. "Because let's be honest; I'm not noble enough to be considered on their level. But that doesn't mean I would turn a blind eye if there was no one else to help them."

Ren gave a chuckle of his own in response, but on the inside the cogs in his mind were slowly turning as he gave himself the necessary time to process Verity's words. Out of the corner of his vision, he thought he saw Morgana smiling in reminiscence at Verity's words, clearly proving that they had somehow struck a cord with him. But he decided that wasn't going to be his focus right now.

'Spoken like someone who my teammates would have considered a potential Phantom Thief…'

Whilst Ren mused away in his thoughts for the time, Verity turned her focus to her bag so she could pull out her phone and check the lock screen. Her eyes widened when she saw the time displayed on the screen, prompting her to shove her phone back into her bag and stand up, wiping her former smile clean off her face.

"Oh- Look at the time-! I never realised we'd been talking for so long! We should get going!"

Ren nodded in agreement and reached out for his bag as Verity started to jog away, only to quickly come to a stop and glance back with a friendly smile to boot.

"It was nice talking with you, Ren. Thank you for hearing me out and not judging me like everyone else."

Putting his bag over his shoulder, Ren stood and returned his hands to his pockets, nodding in agreement.

"Same to you, Verity. It's refreshing to hear a different take on things for once. I hope we can talk more in the future."

Verity's smile widened a bit.

"… I'd like that."

Ren returned the smile as he watched Verity briefly wave before she turned around and started her run away from the area. It wasn't until she had disappeared around the corner that Ren finally let his smile drop, his brow furrowing out of suspicion.

'She's definitely one I need to watch out for. But she's just as easily manipulatable as everyone else. If she has already awoken to that power…'

Ren's thoughts trailed off when he heard Morgana chuckling from inside his bag, prompting him to turn his head towards it with a confused blink.

"Hm? What's so funny, Morgana?"

Ren saw Morgana smiling up at him through the gap in the zip, his blue eyes sparkling a little from the glint of sunlight streaming in.

"Oh, it's nothing! She just sounded a lot like someone we know. Don't you agree, leader~?"

Ren's eyes drooped in dismay at Morgana's teasing outwardly, but inwardly the teenager's reaction was way different than what his feline companion would have probably expected.

'In the past? Probably. But not anymore.'

Beginning his walk away from the courtyard, Ren narrowed his eyes when he was sure Morgana was no longer paying any attention towards him.

'Still, Morgana makes a valid point. After watching the others awaken to their Personas, there's a possibility that Verity can or may have already awoken her own. It might be worth testing this theory out at some point. Maybe once I've found a way to grasp what her daily routine during the week is like.'

Just as Ren turned the corner to walk back towards the school's building, however, he came to a stop and raised a brow at seeing a familiar face walking across the grass towards the school's building whilst staring down at the phone in his hands.

'Isn't that Verity's friend? Didn't she say his name was 'Yuuma'?'

Despite the distance between them, Ren was still able to make out the annoyed mutters that managed to escape his mouth, prompting him to remain where he was stood and listen in for the time being.

"Dammit! I can't believe they've demanded that much yen from me! If I'm going to pay 'em back, I'll have to ask my boss if I can work more hours during the week…"

Ren tilted his head a little when he heard Yuuma huff in annoyance as he got a little further away from him.

"Guess I'll also have to ask Verity to go to Shibuya for Auntie, depending on what he says. God, she's gonna be so mad at me!"

'Shibuya, huh?'

Ren smiled faintly in triumph as he turned his gaze away at seeing his bag shake around, knowing that Morgana must have shifted position upon hearing Yuuma mumbling away to himself.

"Wonder what his problem is," he heard Morgana say aloud. "It sounded like he was in some kind of trouble."

Ren shrugged his shoulders as a response to feign interest when his smile vanished, but in truth he wasn't concerned with Yuuma's problems like his former self would have been. Instead his mind was concocting an idea that he could act on as soon as possible, much to his glee.

'That's perfect. Looks like I can test my theory out after all…'

"Morgana?"

Ren paused to wait for Morgana to turn his head his way before continuing.

"Will you be alright to head back to Café Leblanc with Futaba after school? There's something I need to look into."

Morgana frowned in confusion at his leader as he took a moment to process the question. But he was soon relaxing his expression and giving a cheeky grin.

"You're the boss! Just be careful, okay?"

Ren returned the grin.

"I always am."

11th April 20XX [After School]

'Can't walk home with ya today. Something came up. Go on without me. Also, could you stop by the convenience store in Shibuya for me? Auntie asked me to pick a few things up on the way home. I'll send ya the list in a separate message. See ya soon.'

"Goddammit, Yuuma," I muttered under my breath as I re-read the text message he'd sent to me earlier, eventually shaking my head and returning my phone to my bag as I walked away from Shibuya Station and towards the busier areas of the district.

'I can't believe he decided to send that text to me right before school ended for the day. I was hoping I could squeeze in some time to get my homework done, but now I'm being made to run errands.'

Huffing in annoyance, I pulled my bag strap further across my shoulder as I found myself entering the bustling crowds that made up Central Street, beginning to pass by various places that were known very well around the area. Had I been with someone else (or at least Yuuma), I wouldn't have been as cautious. But I was a young high school student on her own amongst a bunch of strangers, so I felt I had to remain wary. Luckily, Mom happened to work in the bookstore that was located at the bottom of Central Street. Should I have found myself in a dangerous situation, at least I knew I could flee there. Even so, I still needed to keep my guard up.

'Still, I suppose someone had to do it to keep the load off Mom's shoulders. She spends most of the morning preparing to go to work, works through until evening, and then by the time she gets home she's shattered. It's not easy for her to find the time to do simple things when she's on her own…'

My grip tightened on my bag strap as I started to pass 'Million Sweets' on my left, being aware I was closing in on the alleyways now.

'I just wish Yuuma wasn't so spontaneous with his plans. It's like he doesn't think of anyone else when he goes out of his way to-'

I came to a sudden stop in the middle of the pavement as I'd begun to pass the first alleyway to my left when a bright blue glow caught the corner of my vision, prompting me to glance in that direction whilst the people around me continued to pass by without a care in the world. I squinted when I noticed what appeared to be a transparent blue barred door with a strange bright blue glow around it. It had something else stuck in the middle of it in a circle, but I was too far away to see what it was.

'… The hell?'

I'd been in Shibuya's Central Street plenty of times with Yuuma or Mom, and although I'd never actually gone down that alleyway I'd felt that I'd glanced at the area in passing enough times to know that strange-looking door wasn't there before… Not to mention it was positioned in a rather awkward place in between the left corner where the walls connected, and it didn't look like it had anything on the other side. It was just lingering there on its own with no support.

'No way. I don't ever remember that thing being there before. This is…'

I dared to glance left and right at the crowds of people swarming around me with a confused blink, with none of them appearing to take any notice of this weird phenomenon. Even the people who were loitering by the entrance to the alleyway didn't even seem to notice this weird-looking door.

'I can't be the only one seeing this, right? Or has it been here a while and I'm the one left in the dark?'

After a moment of staring around at the seemingly oblivious people continuing to walk past, my wandering eyes finally locked with the strange-looking door for the second time. That was more than enough proof I wasn't seeing things. That door was definitely there.

'As if the whole mess with that app wasn't already making things weird for me… Now there's this- this door?! I mean… Can I even be sure that it's real?'

I furrowed my brow for a moment in thought and allowed my gaze to briefly wander again, just as a way to make sure that everyone around me didn't have their attention on the alleyway. And that there weren't any people who looked like 'threats'. My gut was telling me to leave it and just return to the errand I was supposed to be occupying my time with. But my curiosity and need to confirm the door's existence was niggling at the back of my mind.

'I know I shouldn't go wandering into random alleyways on my own. But something about that door just doesn't feel right. Maybe I should get a closer look.'

However, I'd barely taken my first step towards it before I felt familiar aching pains spring to life in my chest, causing me to come to a halt and place a hand over the affected area.

'Dammit. Why now?!'

But I knew exactly why I was beginning to feel this way, prompting me to tighten my grip on my school shirt.

'What am I saying? Of course I know why. It isn't the same situation as that was, but the feelings are the same. My curiosity was the only reason I got myself into that mess to begin with…'

My breathing grew heavy as I kept my eyes locked on the barred door, eventually prompting me to scowl in annoyance. Had this been any other situation, I would have chosen the cowardly route and left things as they were, just like I always did. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do that now. It was almost like the door was beckoning me to come to it.

"…"

Eventually shaking my head to get my focus back on track, I was quick to turn away and force myself to continue walking in the direction I'd originally been going.

'Nope. Nope. I can't go through this again. It didn't end good back then. What's to say following my curiosity this time won't be any different?'

Standing amongst the crowd that walked back and forth in front of the diner, Ren watched Verity's retreating back as she walked away from the alleyway and continued through Central Street towards her initial destination. He didn't need to be close enough to where she'd stood to guess why Verity had been reacting the way she had been. It was obvious to him that she had most likely seen the door to the Velvet Room in the alleyway… which he hadn't expected at all.

'This goes beyond what I could have imagined. I only followed her to make sure she went into Shibuya's Central Street. Did she actually see the door to the Velvet Room?' Ren briefly paused when a sudden thought struck him. 'Don't tell me… Has a new wild card been chosen?'

He didn't think it was possible. Yaldabaoth had expressed no interest in finding another human to grant powers to after him and Goro Akechi. It made Ren wonder if the real proprietor of the Velvet Room – the one Lavenza had claimed Yaldabaoth had imprisoned – was responsible for this. If so, this spelt trouble for both him and his master.

'I was originally going to activate the Nav and travel to Mementos when she returned to the station. But if she can see the Velvet Room, then she can't be any ordinary Persona user.'

Scowling and turning his gaze to the entrance of the alleyway, Ren began his walk in that general direction as he continued dwelling in his thoughts.

'I think I should consult with my master about this issue-'

His phone ringing in his pocket brought Ren to a halt, prompting him to reach for it with a hand and unlock it. It was an IM message from Ryuji.

'Yo! Where are ya, Ren-Ren? Mona said you'd gone off somewhere. I'm at Leblanc with Ann, Futaba and Yusuke. We need to talk about your 'welcome back' party and the Phantom Thieves' one-year anniversary. Get your ass over here asap!'

"…"

Letting out a loud sigh of annoyance, Ren locked his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

'I probably shouldn't ignore him.'

Turning around and returning his hands to his pockets, Ren started his walk in the direction of Shibuya Station.

'I can always speak with the master another time. It's not like Verity can get past the lock on the door should she choose to try to open it…'

11th April 20XX [Evening]

Having changed into a pair of black pyjama bottoms with a white star pattern and a sleeveless white pyjama top, I sat alone on my bed with my legs crossed and my hands in my lap. With only the light from my desk lamp filling the room, I glanced around at the ten different photographs I'd spread out in a semi-circle across the quilt. These were pictures that I rarely bothered with since the last of the collection had been taken six years ago. They were given to me in a brown envelope when I was first put into care, and up until now I hadn't bothered to open it. But for some reason my encounter with that strange door in Shibuya that afternoon had compelled me to do so when I'd returned home, and it's where I'd been ever since. Aside from when Yuuma had come home twenty minutes ago and briefly poked his head in to say 'hi' before going straight to bed, I'd been sat here in silence staring at the photographs the whole time.

That didn't change even when I heard the front door open and close downstairs, instantly guessing who it was based on the rattling of keys that quickly followed.

'Mom's home.'

I didn't look up to my open bedroom doorway when I heard her making her way up the stairs, instead choosing to wait until I heard her footsteps stop before meeting her gaze.

"Hey. How was it today?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"It was okay. … At least, as okay as it could be."

I noticed a faint smile of sympathy appear on Mom's face at this, but I pretended not to notice by focusing my gaze on the photograph that was closest to me, which depicted seven-year-old me sat in a bright red armchair of my former British home on the lap of my Dad; a tall, compassionate man with dark brown hair tied into a small ponytail, bright green eyes glistening behind oval-shaped glasses, and a smile that had once masked his demons so well from the naked eye.

"And Yuuma?"

"He's fast asleep in his room," I said in reply, not once glancing in Mom's direction when she spoke.

There was a long silence before I heard Mom step into the room and make her way over to my bed, feeling the weight shift slightly as she seated herself on the edge whilst avoiding the spread of photographs as best as she could. At first she said nothing, allowing the silence to linger for a moment longer. Out of the corner of my eye I could see her glancing in between me and the photographs, as if she was taking time to study my current reaction. But eventually she was the first one to break it.

"Looking at some old photographs, huh?"

I nodded.

"Uh-huh."

I saw Mom lean in a little closer to me so she could get a better look at them. She was probably surprised I was even looking at them to begin with, considering I rarely spoke about my real family to anyone. To be honest, even I was surprised.

"I don't think I've seen these before."

"You most likely haven't," I replied, reaching out a hand to pull another photograph closer to me, showing five-year-old me throwing bread crumbs at a duck pond from a bench I was sat on beside my Dad. "These are from back when I was known as 'Verity Cecil'. I haven't looked at any of them in six years."

I briefly glanced Mom's way when she focused her gaze on the photograph I'd pulled towards me, wondering why she was being so curious. I had a hunch, though, that she was probably trying to distract me from the bad things that had happened recently. It was something I noticed she often tried to do. And although the questions were related to things she knew I wasn't quite comfortable talking about often, she was aware of which things to specifically avoid.

"Is that your Dad?"

"… Yeah."

"He looked quite handsome for a British gentleman."

I turned to face her just as my mouth dropped open in surprise, only to see her smiling at me in amusement.

"… I was joking, sweetheart."

"I know! But I still can't believe you said it!"

I looked away when Mom started to laugh and placed a hand to my closest shoulder, my eyes drooping in dismay as she did so. But it wasn't long before she was quick to draw my attention back on topic.

"Did your Mom take the photos? I can't see her in any of them."

I was quick to shake my head.

"No. It was by a family friend. But she wouldn't have been in any of them anyway. My parents were divorced by the time these were taken."

I side-glanced Mom to see her staring at me with a frown of pity, feeling her grip tighten on my shoulder.

"Did you ever get to see her before…" She paused to think of a way to phrase it without accidentally causing me to get worked up. "… that happened?"

I scowled down at the two photographs in front of me.

"I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't. She was a vile woman. She treated Dad like a doormat and continued to break his heart even after he willingly divorced her." My scowl deepened. "Despite the way she treated the both of us, he just couldn't get over her…"

I fell quiet when I felt Mom's hand rub against the back of my shoulder, neither of us choosing to say a word for some time. But during this time I found my thoughts once again wandering towards the door I'd seen in the alleyway in Shibuya today, and before I knew it I was relaxing my brow and glancing Mom's way to speak again.

"… Can I ask you something?"

Mom raised her brows at me out of surprise, but was quick to nod without a moment's hesitation.

"Of course you can. You know you can ask me anything."

Taking that as confirmation, I straightened out my back and took a few seconds to collect myself. I obviously knew I couldn't be blunt with what I was referring to, so I had to try to be as vague as possible without her getting suspicious.

"If you had the chance to learn the truth about something, but you were too scared to look into it yourself… what would you do?"

Mom blinked at me and stayed silent as she took a moment to process my question, leaving me to stare back as I waited for her to give me an answer. The question was quite out of the blue, so I'd expected her to be shocked by it in some way. But she was soon relaxing her expression and tilting her head to the side with a confused blink this time.

"What's brought this on all of a sudden?"

I raised a hand to the back of my neck and gave it a rub as I turned my gaze towards my lap and tried to think of a way I could make an excuse that didn't sound farfetched. It seemed like I was going to have to exaggerate the truth… At least, a little bit.

"Honestly… I don't know for sure. But I suspect it's because of something that's been playing on my mind a lot recently." I paused to close my eyes, using the silence between us as my cue to go on. "Most people are vaguely aware of my past because of the police report and my social care files. But what they don't know is my side of the story; what I saw that night. Not even I know. I only know it must have been bad because my memories of the event are all jumbled up."

Letting out a quiet sigh, I opened my eyes and lifted my arms to wrap around my middle.

"I want to remember what I saw. But at the same time, I'm scared letting my curiosity run wild will result in something horrible coming to light."

I furrowed my brow and finally brought myself to face Mom, unable to read her current expression as she listened to what I had to say.

"… Am I wrong for trying to run away from the truth?"

Having taken that question as my cue that I'd finished and her cue to answer me, Mom frowned out of concern and moved the hand still on my shoulder so she could wrap her arm around me.

"Verity…"

When I felt her pull me close to her side I made no move to pull myself away, even at the cost of watching the photograph semi-circle I'd created get destroyed and pushed in different directions on top of the quilt. With Mom repeatedly rubbing her hand against my upper-arm to offer me comfort, I chose to rest the side of my head against her closest shoulder and listen to what she had to say. I rarely asked her for advice, but whenever I did it was more than helpful.

"It's a natural defence mechanism for our minds to suppress horrible memories when the body falls into shock. It's how we protect ourselves and keep going for survival. This isn't the case for everyone, of course, but there are some people out there who can't handle certain situations as well as others. You shouldn't be ashamed of not wanting to know the truth. It just means that at this moment in time, you don't feel you're ready to handle it in the appropriate way." Mom paused to glance down at me as I glanced up at her. "Does that make sense?"

When I responded with a confused frown and a few seconds of silence, she tilted her head so that her cheek was resting against the top of my hair.

"It's a little like when I moved to England eight years ago and spent three of them on my own. My situation isn't on the same level as yours, but the feelings were the same when I decided I wanted to adopt a child. I was scared to find out the backgrounds of the children in care, because I knew they were going to be terrible and I was worried I wouldn't be able to deal with the necessary situations properly. I was essentially scared of uncovering what I would be like as a parent."

I kept my eyes on Mom from my awkward angle as I watched a reminiscent smile appear on her face.

"But there eventually came a point where I knew I had to take the plunge and see the truth for myself, because I couldn't live in fear forever. And when I did and finally had you, I realised my worries were for nothing."

Feeling her wrap her other arm around me, I watched as she tilted her head slightly so she was looking at me directly.

"My point is, it might not feel like it now, but you'll know when you're ready to face what you saw that night. So you don't need to rush into things or feel ashamed for the way you feel. Just take your time and it'll come to you naturally. I can guarantee it."

I furrowed my brow in thought, taking a moment of reflection.

'She's right. I've spent the last six years feeling ashamed of myself for wanting to hide from memories that have yet to resurface. And yet the only reason they're suppressed in the first place is because my mind obviously doesn't feel I'm ready to handle it. The same goes for that app and that door. Since seeing them I've noticed I've become a little bolder regarding myself and my opinions.'

My gaze remained focused on Mom, who was watching me in silence and waiting for my answer.

'I mean… it sounds crazy, but… maybe they're signs that I shouldn't be scared of wanting to know the truth. I don't think they're connected to my past memories in any way. In fact, I know they aren't. They're just weird coincidences. But perhaps if I use them as a stepping stone to overcome my fears… I'll eventually find a way to trigger my missing memories and uncover what I saw.'

Even saying it all in my head made me think I'd gone nuts. But it all seemed to fit together in a strange little way…

Eventually bringing myself to smile, I turned my body further towards Mom's and raised an arm to wrap around her back, trying to give her a hug despite our current positions.

"I believe you. Thanks. That was honestly a big help."

I didn't see Mom's reaction to my words, but I soon felt it when her grip around me tightened a little.

"You're welcome. You know I'm here for you anytime."

My smile widened at that, prompting my grip in the awkward hug to tighten, too, when my gaze locked with one of the photographs close to me turned on its back.

'It's settled, then. When the time is right, I'll take it slow and return to that door in Shibuya to confirm its existence for myself. No more running away.'