2017(4/1)
"So, this is…Shibuya."
Now that he was here, this looked pretty different from what he imagined before. Sure, there's some high buildings and a bulk of faceless mob walking around.
….
'It is exactly what I imagined.'
Makoto walked through the intersection and to the street. The street was also bustling. 'Are people always this many?' Shops are lined up in each sides. Bookstores, rental, drugs, arcades and even a movie theater. 'Beef bowl, huh, brings back memories'.
'Big bang burger,…never heard of it.…Ah, the first time I eat burger with Mitsuru-senpai, this brings back a lot of nostalgia. The city sure has everything.'
….
Makoto stopped walking in the middle of the street.
'Wait,…what should I be even doing now?'
Now that he thought about it, what did he even normally do? Social links? Coffee? 'Um, I don't think so.'
Makoto checksed around his suit and pants. 'What do I have in person?'
As he himself, he found that his clothes has changed. It's not gekkoukan uniform no more. It's a suit of black and red with a white shirt underneath. 'Classy'. Oh, and a black handbag…
'…did I carry this all the way without knowing.…I'm really a ditz.'
Makoto sat down on a nearby bench and looked into his bag. A phone, some money(nowhere near his savings), his headphones, a certificate and a transferal to shujin academy. 'So, going to school again. Isn't retaking velvet room enough, why do I need to go to school?…Looks like I will be a third year. 'Minato arisato'… huh. At least better than my last name.'
Makoto checked his contents and the bag again and reread the pages to be sure.
'Well, it's late, So I better go home…'
….
"…."
'…Uh oh, I don't think I have a home.…I'm gonna be a hobo, aren't I? Will this money be enough to stay at hotel?' Makoto stood up in hurry and some sort of paper fell down from the bag.
'Hm, what's this? Oh, it's a receipt for delivery in yogen-jaya.' Then he checked back the pocket from where it fell down, to find a key. 'So, that will be my apartment. With certificate and transferal I wonder how did Philemon do this?' Makoto shook his head in annoyance.
'…No point thinking about that. Let's just go to Yogen-jaya.'
x-x
As the door of the train opened, many people went out from the folding dorrs while the others are waiting to get in. Among the people, a blue haired boy with Shujin uniform can be seen going out of the station. With unusual bright blue hair and student uniform, many people started to look at him in surprise but, he didn't pay any attention to them. He just walked out of the station with eyes cold as ice.
Compare to a city like Shibuya, Yogen-jaya looked like a backwater country filled with run down shops and old people. But as like every other country, there's a clinic. From there walked out a delinquent looking woman. Her name is Tae Takemi.
"Another failure, huh, it's really hard to develop a medicine without test subjects" said the woman as she walked out of the clinic. She sighed tiredly. 'I have to do something fast with or without test subjects', the woman thought to herself as she walked into the streets.
She the turned right to go to nearby cafe. She's not a regular or not really that acquainted with the owner but sometimes she went there just to think.
As the woman kept walking while thinking to herself, someone brushed past her. And as she was deep in thought she became unable to handle herself as she slipped and fell sideways but before she could fall down completely, said someone grabbed her hand and stopped her fall.
"…you okay?"
She looked at the speaker and found a guy, but he looked more like a kid with his face and student uniform. He has bright blue hair covering his half of the face. His skin is so pale that if not for the black school uniform, he would be entirely invisible. His silver eyes looked ready to close up any moment and he looked like he's about to faint anytime soon.
"Yeah, I'm alright." Takemi stood up as the boy helped her. "Sorry I wasn't looking ahead."
"Oh, it's okay." Having said that the boy turned around, walking towards his destination holding a piece of paper in his hand.
"What a strange kid." Takemi said to herself as she also turnes back and leaves.
If she stayed there just for a moment, she would've seen the boy turning back and looking at her with his deep silver eyes.
"Death...huh"
x-x
"hehh, so this will be my new home…." The apartment looked a little run down but serviceable. It's not that far from the station but he would have to walk a little.
'…I'm already tired.' Makoto, well now Minato, entered the apartment. He had to wonder if no one living around because it was too quiet. 'Well, no use thinking about it.'
He walked towards the door with the number from the key. He tried to use the key on the door and unsurprisingly it opened. He turned on the lights and nothing greeted him.…There's nothing at all. The floor is with green mat and on the closet there's a futon and in the middle of the room, there is a box and on the far end there's a chair and a desk. Well, there's air conditioner so there's silver lining.
He opened the box and looked inside. There are some clothes and…that's it…'Well, so much for that.' Minato closed back the box. At least he's not gonna be living here that long anyway. He opened the closet and took the futon out when something dropped from it towards the floor.
A gun.
An all too familiar gun with the words S.E.E.S written on it.
He looked at the gun fondly with a smile on his face even though a tear falls down.
"I wonder how they are doing."
x-x
A young boy with frizzy hair can be seen sitting in his room. He is staring at the wall and waiting like a prisoner waiting his sentence. But his situation is not much different from that. Although his sentence has already been decided, he is still waiting for the school where he would have to go to spend a year on probation.
"Hmm, nobody say that being a hero has a chance to be sent to juvenile hall." As he pondered on about what in his life had gone wrong, his father called from downstairs.
"Akira, come down for a moment."
His father sounded sad or angry or both. He didn't know anymore. He walked downstairs and saw that his parents and a man were sitting face to face with each other.
His father looked angry and his mother's eyes were swollen. 'Looks like she's been crying.'
"Kurusu-kun, the school you has to go has been decided."
He looked a little surprised but still nodded and went to sit beside his parents.
"We searched for many schools but the only school that acceptes you is in Tokyo, And so with that said, you will be attending at shujin academy for this year."
'Tokyo, that far? I gonna have to spend the whole year with complete strangers.'
"As we cannot provide you with a place to stay, your parents has their friend for living arrangement and he will also act as your guardian. We are doing background checks but if it goes well you will have to leave next week."
Both his parents looked shock. Looked like they don't know he wouldhave to leave next week. But his father broke the silence by slamming his hand down on the table angrily.
"Next week? Don't you think that's a little too sudden. He got out of his holding just yesterday. And we only have a little time to prepare." His father said angrily.
But the man was unfazed, "I apologize but the headmaster there insisted that he will have to come as soon as possible beacause the term was already bagan and if we don't hurry, he will be late for his study."
His father dud not say anything but everyone could see that he's lying. He just wanted to be done with this and sent him as fast and as far away as possible.
"If you got no more questions then please excuse me." Saying his piece, the man left.
The sound of a door opening and closing can be heard. Nobody said anything for some time and then Akira turned towards and asked his father "So, who is your friend that I'm supposed to live with?" His mother looked uncomfortable at the question but his father answered him.
"A coffee shop owner that I knew of when I lived there." 'Huh?' "We don't have any relatives there and he seems okay so we asked him and we arrived at an manageable arrangement."
"What!? He seems okay!? Don't be ridiculous! You are sending me to a stranger because he seems okay!?" Akira angrily shouted standing up from his chair.
"RIDICULOUS!? What's ridiculous is what you've done? Why did you have to do something stupid?"
"When does helping people become the wrong thing?"
"I'm not saying what you did is wrong. I'm saying what you did is stupid. You're already a grown man, don't you know not to butt in other people's business?"
As they argued with each other, his mother with tears said, "Please, stop. Both of you. There's already more trouble than we can handle. Don't start fighting with each other." As his mother said that, his father settled down. But, he had enough already.
"Fine, just stay there. Maybe the owner will be a better father for me", he spatted that and ran towards his room.
His parents said nothing but they looked hurt. He didn't mean to say it but looked like he lost control. He closed the door angrily and leaned on it.
"Can this be any worse than this?"
x-x
In a place that looked like a prison, a long nosed man is sitting at a chair while listening to something. Then he opened his bloodshot eyes and called for his attendants.
"Justine, Caroline" as soon as he said that two young girls who looked no older than nine came out.
"What's the problem, Master?" the braided girl, Justine, asked.
Her master, Igor(?), said with a grin that stretched across his face, "I need you to do something for me. There's someone you would need to dispose of from the outside world."
Justine looked surprised, but the other girl with two hair buns on her head said, "But, Master, aren't we not supposed to interfere with humans from outside world?."
The old man laughed softly and said, "Do not be alarmed, Caroline. This matter is entirely personal."
x-x
2017(4/2)
A young boy, who was once known at Makoto Yuki but now Minato arisato, is trying to sleep on the train. Luckily he got a seat but there's just too many people on the train. At Iwatodai, he did always sleep on the train and yes, there were also people there, but never this much. This is like staying at a sauna.
"We are arriving at shibuya." The announcer, well,…announced. He never liked the sound, but now it sounded like music to his ears.
"Oh, sorry."
"Oof"
"Hey, who touched me?","Sorry,…didn't mean to."
He fumbled around with difficulty but he finally got out.
Freedom. He was not this happy even when he finally got out the seal. He walked through the gates and without paying much attention to anyone, he went straight to school.
x-x
The school is…alright. It's not as big as his previous school but big enough. He went into the school and tried to find the faculty office.
Keyword being 'tried' as he didn't have any idea where to go.
"Can I help you?" A short girl with amber eyes asked.
….
"…I'm trying to find the faculty office." Minato said back in his usual monotone voice.
"Oh, you must be the transfer student. I'm Makoto Nijima, the student council president." The girl seemed unfazed and replied back with a small smile.
….
The conversation didn't move.
….
She seemed like she's waiting for something.…'Oh, an introduction.'
"I'm Minato Arisato…the transfer student."
She seemed satisfied, '…Really?', "If you're looking for faculty office then please follow me."
'Great, another Mitsuru. I remembered studying all days and nights, getting the top score in the whole school to start a social link with her and ended up teaching her how to eat hamburger…Good times.'
x-x
"Pardon the intrusion." Makoto said as they enter the faculty office.
"Oh, Nijima-san! what can I help you?" A lazy looking teacher with the lazy look asked in a strangely chirper voice.
"I'm looking for Chunno sensei. Is she here?"
"What is it, Makoto-san?" The tanned woman from the back, which he assumed was Chunno-sensei, asked.
"This is Arisato-san. He is the transfer student."
"Oh, you took him here. As expected of a honor student."
"Don't worry, that is my job. Ahem, well then I will take my leave." and she left gracefully.
…. *Slides*
….
"*Sigh* , even though she's already a third year, I'm still not getting used to her." The lazy looking teacher said with now lazy tone.
"Don't say that Kawakami. Her sister can rip you a new one." Chunno sensei said. 'Is there some kind of plot going on?
"Oh arisato-san, don't mind us." 'So there's some kind of plot going on'.
….
She seemed to be waiting. 'For what?'
"Uh, Arisato-san, your papers?
"Oh, I'm sorry…here", Minato took it from his bag and gave it to her.
"Oh, you transferred a lot, hmm…looks like you are in my class, well homeroom's about to start. Come on, come with me." She then started to get out of the room, and he also followed her back without a word.
x-x
"I'm Minato Arisato. Nice to meet you."
As soon as he introduced his name, a lot of murmurs can be heard.
"New student, huh?"
"Isn't he handsome?", "I don't know he seems moody."
"Alright, settles down. Arisato-san, you can sit besides Okumura-kun."
"Yeah." a girl in a pink cardigan with timid looking face said holding her hand up.
Minato nodded and went towards there. It looked like student council president is also here.
'The empress and priestess. Is it a coincidence?…I hope so.'
x-x
The day went past uneventfully. With nothing interesting going on. Even if it is, he wouldn't notice. As he kept thinking what he actually had to do. Philemon wouldn't send him to school if there's nothing going on. Looks like he must investigate the school first.
"Makoto-san?"
"Yes","Yeah?" Although only one name is called, two voices answered back.
All the students were looking at him weirdly. Even the said Makoto and the teacher were looking at him.
….
'…Crap.'
He looked back at the window and acted like nothing happened. That seemed to work as the speaker walked to the said Makoto-san. All the students shrugged and did what they were doing again. 'I can't let my guard down.'
Minato sneaked out without saying anything and that seemed to work but the priestess was burning a hole through his chest with her eyes. But he shrugged and walked out without saying anything.
x-x
He searched the whole school and didn't find anything noteworthy. Although the only thing he did was all from his classroom to the cafeteria. But nothing interesting can be seen on the way. Until now, that is.
He saw a pony-tailed girl with bruise on her face and hands. And if he looked carefully there seem to be some who are in the similar condition. But no one said nothing when he asked. They said that they are injuries from practice. And he didn't probe further and they slipped away uncomfortably.
'Strange.…Not as strange as a transfer student asking around but still…strange.'
x-x
'The entire day wasted and nothing happens. Am I doing something wrong?'
Minati stopped at the entrance and saw a girl lifting a bag from the ground to the cart. And as he looked closely he found that it's the girl with a pink cardigan from the class. '…Okumura…I think.' Thinking that he walked over to her.
"…Can I help?"
"Ah, Arisato-san. Umm, Yes, a little help might be nice." The girl said back smiling gratefully.
Then they lifted all the bags and put it on the cart.…Well, he lifted all the bags and put it on the cart.
"Thank you, Arisato-san. It's really a great help."
Minato just shrugged and nodded in affirmative.
"Haru!"
"…I'm sorry?"
"My name. It's Haru Okumura."
"…Minato Arisato, but you already knew it."
"Thank you, again." The girl said with a slight smile with a light blush and pushed the cart away.
Minato stood there for a moment.
And another moment.
….
'…Isn't something supposed to happen now?…I suppose not.'
"Look, transfer student is putting the moves on Okumura-san."
"Well, that takes guts."
Two students who he didn't know and didn't want to know said to him.
"…Why?" Minato askes back skeptically.
"Hm, you don't know? So you live under a rock before transferring here?" Well, actually he did but not under a rock, as a rock.
"Okumura-san's father is the CEO of big bang burger, you know. The one with many branches."
"I hear they are one of the richest family in Tokyo."
"Oh, I also hear the her father is trying to become prime minister."
"Really, I never knew that."
…Student dumb and dumber talked among themselves. Looks like they forgot that he was here. Makoto turned around, ignoring them and walked out of the school.
"Hey, you know Risette is doing concert here next month."
'Wait, how did they change from burgers to idols?'
x-x
Makoto walked to the station with his mind thinking about the bruised students from school. 'This is the only lead I have. Philemon also said to save the wildcard but I don't see anyone like that…yet. And I don't see any world threatening things. Which leads me back to only suspicious thing, the bruised students. Okumura seems nice, maybe I can ask her tomorrow.'
As the blue-haired boy walked into the station, he didn't notice the world around him is changing with people strangely disappearing.
x-x
Mementos
'Hm…where am I?'
The whole place is red with veins like things growing on many place. Trains can be seen on either sides but they only seemed to go on one side. To the depth.
'What is this place?…Did I make a wrong turn somewhere?'
Then he felt it. Underneath this, in this tunnel, shadows. 'Wait, no, not shadows.… Personas? Why are there personas in here?'
Minato looked inside the depths keeping his guards up.
'They are not coming up…Hmmm….'
The boy went out of the station, while being careful of his surrounding.
'…Not a single soul. The entire city is quiet. Well,…no coffins, so that's a start.'
He took out his phone. The phone still worked but there's no line. "Well, I can rule out dark hour now" The boy walked further with his phone in his hand as he kept looking around. Not even animals exist. And there's something weird on hi-
'Wait…', "Change."
As soon as he said that a baton came flying right into his face. He doesn't know how farther he was blown back. He just knew it's far. *Crash*
Something fell down on him.
"Tch, he changed at the last second." A kid said with a huff.
"As master said, this will not be a easy battle." A cold voice with no emotion said.
Well, just like she said, he did change at last second, so he didn't suffer any injuries. But, The same thing can't be said about his phone though.
"Well, stand up, convict! We don't got all day, you know!" The first voice said angrily.
Minato awkwardly stood up and looked at them, two kids in matching uniforms. 'Cosplays? Well, they certainly looks adorable,…if they are not human…and are dogs.'
"Well, I see. You certainly looks strong." The kid with the emotionless face said. "But, our master's orders are absolute."
Minato looked at them tilting his head.
Master…blue. "…Wait, are you guys velvet attendants?" Makoto asked them with a raised eyebrow.
Both of them seemed surprised at his question. Even the emotionless kid seemed…not emotionless.
"How do you know of the velvet room, convict!?"
Of course, she is more true to her emotions than the other one.
"It does not matter, Caroline. The convict will be disposed of as our master's request."
"Yeah, I hope you are ready, convict! Because you are going down now!"
'So, their master, huh?' Minato scratched his head. 'Looks like the lead leads me to the lead.'
-x-x-
Next chapter will be the fight scene, I cannot write like the others with detailed fight scenes. But, I will try. Oh, the thing about chunno being the teacher of both makoto and haru is not canon. and both of them in the same classroom is not canon either. There is not many third years in persona 5, so I just put all the ones we know into the same classroom. Then again, if we are talking about canon, the moment minato is at shujin, canon is thrown out of the window.
Thanks for reading my story. I know this still has flaws, But I will try to be better in the next.