A2, Ch. 2: R&R

Akira kept walking towards the bookstore at the corner, pushing his eyes towards the gum-littered cobblestones instead of the people passing by. "...That was close."

"What, you thought that wasn't real for a minute?" Morgana said, tucked in by a wad of cash. "So warm..."

"I just assumed you like shiny things." He then took another deep breath and exhaled. "What a bluff...but man. I was kinda hoping for at least an extra grand. Whatever."

He realized that a certain someone would be looking for him and took off his hat. Better not give her an excuse to roleplay as a gumshoe again.

And not a moment too soon, with a familiar tingle creeping into his nose. Like the rush of the tide. It put a smile on his face...and a flutter in the chest.

He turned around to find Makoto wearing a warm-looking blue button-up jacket and black leggings, leaning forward towards the bag. "Did you bring Morgana along, even now?"

"...Force of habit." Please don't ask to pet...

"...Would he mind if I...pet him? It's a he, right?"

Shit. "I would, but...actually, I don't even know what gender it is."

"This shouldn't be hard, though. Here we can check-"

"Nuh uh," he replied, pulling his bag away as a precaution. "He, she...whatever. It's not in a friendly mood. And he probably wouldn't be in a worse mood if you start giving him an exam, though."

She put a finger on her chin. "But I thought it was an 'it'...whatever. I get the point." Her eyes then lit up. "I have to say, though, I'm quite excited. I hear so many of the students talking about ramen shops amongst themselves. I've pondered going there myself. For reference."

He chuckled. "For reference? It's food for a cold night like this one. It's not a safari."

"I know...but, something tells me of late I need it..."

...She's getting all pensive again. He reached out to tap her on the wrist lightly. "C'mon. I'm famished."

She looked up, seeing him all smiles, and felt a giddy warmth deep from her core wash over her.

...It's cold after all...I guess he won't think it's weird. Makoto inched a bit closer to Akira, bag-side, while they walked down in the underground.

Kikuno entered a dimly lit room, one 80 stories above the ground and bordered with glass windows.

"Ma'am," she said, bowing entirely to a figure in a thick, white minx coat, who was seated on the other side of the room and staring out across a Tokyo skyline, one whose lights twinkled and blended into a golden horizon.

Like a line of embers being swept away the master observed, with those words echoing further and further in her head.

Kikuno trotted over to her master's side, doing her duty as always. "I hope you are not too lost in the sights," she said, laying a polished silver tray on the table.

"It's nothing, Kikuno. I'm just relaxing my eyes."

With the eye of the hawk, Kikuno went to work looking through the razor-thin gaps of her master's long, silky-red hair and peer into the irises, around the eyes, at her stiff furls and at the pained creases around her mouth. It was all too familiar a sight these days. The only solace she could take was that the red-haired lady could relax a little from a freshly-brewed cup of kopi luwak, presented in a bone-white, gold-rimmed cup. "Your coffee. I figured that, despite the caffeine, it would loosen you up."

"In a second."

Kikuno sighed through the nose, maintaining a soft smile. "To update, Amamiya-san was correct about the general area. The radius is narrowed to within a mile, the most likely center being around Central Street. A few more surveillance rounds, and we might be able to locate the epicenter."

"That's good," her master uttered with a small sense of relief. "Precision is always important. We can't waste any more time on false leads."

"I found it peculiar how your father consulted even mystics like him even with the Group's research. Seeing it in person...it's indescribable." A bit...too indescribable.

"Well, father was curious back then, when we knew nothing," she said with a sinking feeling. "Any reference off which we could go on...well...it's only rational we'd try." She swiveled around to meet her tray and imbibe in the sharp smell. "Kikuno. A regular espresso would have been just fine," she said coldly, her bashfulness not making its way through.

Kikuno though had seen her master, in her bib and in her boardroom. She was, at this point, attuned to her master's every intention. "Unfortunately, even the conglomerate is not immune to buying excessively priced coffee," she wisecracked.

"To think we could afford any type..." Despite this, she went to drinking, doing so in preparation for a long night of thought. "Kikuno?"

"Yes, Kirijo-san?"

"...You think I'm making a mistake?"

"In what manner, madame?"

"They deserve normal lives. Everyone, from the old team. They are reserve members for a reason."

"I believe, ma'am, you should trust your judgment. And respect their decision, for it will be theirs, not yours."

"C'est vrai?" She took another zip. "I suppose I'll decide on that later when I feel less...perturbed. At the very least, can Amamiya be trusted?"

"...I believe he can be trusted more than the others in our organization at the moment. Both our picks, and the Prime Minister's."

The Kirijo lady sighed, slinking deeper behind a set of balled-up, interlocked, gloved fingers. "Don't get me started on that..."

"Madame, we've done all we can," Kikuno said placatingly. "We knew the risks of being transparent with the government. Pooling their resources and ours for the management of the Shadow threat: you're not wrong in trying something different from your predecessor. In light of the Group's past, it is perhaps necessary."

"Necessary..." Her head lurched down a bit. "Frankly, I'm not sure what is warranted from here on." She then stood up, wanting to loosen her knees a bit. "The group, including Nanjo, will be on pins and needles for a long time until this no-confidence business in Parliament settles."

"And until then?"

The lady turned around and smiled. "Until then, get some rest."

I knew my master was going to say that. Even if it should be the other way around. "A most forceful request. I will oblige, as much as my duty will let me." With a bow, she left the room, shutting the door gently behind her."

The lady in minx continued to peer out the window, in some attempt to clear her mind.

Her reflection, faint as it was, though, brought the reality back into the picture. The decision always rests on you. And, lately, the choices were plenty. It was all R&R at this point: Restructuring, and Reassurances.

And with Japan's largest conglomerate in this current environment, it wasn't a job. 'R&R' was a juggle for dear life, one that betrayed the cold, almost icy persona she displayed in front of the board, investors, and a long list of people that looked at her every move.

She only had a few she to whom could show her true mask, ones who knew the world of the Shadows as much as she did:

Iori? Ensconced in the States. Doubt he can come back here discreetly.

Akihiko? Still consumed by wanderlust. He'll be hard to track.

Yukari? Also in the States, for the time being. More than I'd like, from a "logistical" perspective.

Aigis? She's been through too many flashpoints as of late. She needs the repair. And the rest.

It just left Fuuka and Ken.

The last one made her wince. He's only but a short plane ride away. But...he deserves normalcy more than anyone else. And for the preliminary stage of an investigation? This seems...excessive.

She sighed heavily and laid her forehead on the cool windowpane. It came back to her. The small amount of rot...that small amount...that small amount can always bore in...leave everything a mess. Grandfather...Itsuki...

"Back to the task at hand." Yes, indeed, the tasks at hand, aside from looking at more downward trends in the numbers...and writing eulogies for executives that have passed all of a sudden.

For now though...it's better to be safe than sorry.

Still...

Whose life should I disrupt, for an absolution I'll never get?

"...Man, that hit the spot," Akira exclaimed, slinking back in his bar stool.

"Indeed," Makoto said, smiling. "You know, Ren, this was so delicious I ended up drinking all of the broth myself. And there's quite a lot in these bowls, too. I was almost kind of worried the broth would spill on me when I tried lifting up the bowl to my mouth."

"Don't worry, Makoto. I bet if you come here more often, you'll get better at swall-" ...Renren, you're slipping again. Don't give her the wrong idea. "...You'll get better at it. Anyways...I'm still surprised. You actually were serious about calling me that for now on."

Makoto shrugged. "...I guess it stuck. Shorter to say that than your other name. Would...you prefer me calling you by-"

"No, no," he exclaimed. "I'm still not used to it...someone from outside my family calling me by that name, that's all."

Makoto then eyed the place they were at: a small hole-in-the-wall, with a pair of chefs, fussing among themselves as they switched between the stations for boiling noodles and those for broth. "Quite a cramped space, wouldn't you say?" She then saw the line forming outside. "I didn't expect this place to be popular, but given how great the ramen place is, I can understand why. How did you find out about this place so quickly?"

"A recommendation. That kid, Sakamoto, has a penchant for ramen. Glad to know he has a genuine taste for this stuff."

"Well, I see you're at least getting along with him still; that's good." She then heard Akira's bag rustle. "Careful, Ren. You don't want the owners to find out about your little secret."

He laughed nervously, unsure if the sweat beading from the forehead was from the steam of the ramen or something else. Right...the dirty secret in my bag. "Worst case, I'll just fling the cat at them and run." He leaned forward in jest. "Hope you can keep up if that happens."

She grinned. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She then yawned. "Sorry, can we start heading back? I don't want to keep you out too late, and we shouldn't keep others from eating."

"We can do that."

The two squeezed their way past the line of people outside and out towards the station. By now, the skyline speckled away in the distance. It's a nice sight, Akira observed. Still prefer the natural thing, however.

The station wasn't too far off. Would make for a great walk. Despite the wind chill cutting at my cheeks. The two started to retrace back to the station through the labyrinth of yellow-saturated alleyways.

Makoto kept nibbling on the bottom of her lip. It's probably a good time, now that we're alone. "Are you sleeping alright?"

"I'm alright."

Fine. I suppose if you want to be like that..."The black outlines around your eyes suggest otherwise."

"...Fine. I've been staying up as of late. It's a bad habit I'm trying to shake, but-"

"Kurusu..."

Ah shit...she used my last name.

"...How much sleep are you getting?"

He straddled the back of his head. "Um...I guess 3...maybe 4 hours. And then, well, one all-nighter..."

"...Do you know how unacceptable this is?"

"Makoto..."

"I swear...how does anyone, ANYONE, consider getting less than 6 hours of sleep at MINIMUM?"

"Makoto..."

"AND ALL-NIGHTERS!? ARE YOU ASKING TO SELF-DESTRUCT?"

Akira gave up at this point.

The venom was now front and center. "I swear...I didn't imagine you to be as stupid as my sister when it comes to this stuff..." Her eyes then lit up. "Ren...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to go on that much of a tangent, much less...what I said..."

"No offense taken." He then grumbled. "...I...suppose I have bad studying habits."

"You've been studying into the night!?"

Studying, Experimenting, and getting my hands singed and stained from touching too many beakers. "Pretty much."

She herself then groaned. "Once again, you are a handful. You do realize you need some amount of sleep to retain information? Did your parents not force you to go to sleep when you were younger?"

"Yeah, well...I guess I preferred to stay up, even when they told me."

She pressed a finger between her eyebrows, sighing while doing so. "...You know, Kawakami complained about you sleeping in class. Now I know why. At the very least, for the sake of the midterms, can you get on a normal sleep schedule?"

"Well...I guess I'll try."

She started to glare, edging menacingly towards his face. "At this rate, you will. I don't want you ending up like one of the students last year who slept through the midterms and wasn't woken up. He had to do remedial for the rest of the year..."

"...Yes, ma'am." Ren uttered.

She recoiled back. Here's to me overdoing things again..."Also, have you tried studying with others at this rate?" she said, blushing and turning away.

"Tried. But really, I only have Sakamoto and Takamaki. They're both friends, so it makes sense. But..."

"...What?"

...God...you shouldn't be able to shove that much Pockys and talk at the same time. He shuddered. "...I need tips on social studies."

"Social studies?"

"...I sleep in that class the most. Despite the chalk flung at my head."

"Ushimaru?"

"Yep."

"Well...if you need any help, I can drill you the same way I drill myself. At least, in my head."

"Your head, uh? I think I can manage whatever comes out your head."

The two found themselves on a bench, the train towards Shibuya only a few minutes out. The wind kept on brushing by the pair a loose piece of paper.

"You know, Makoto, I guess, now that we're waiting, you can tell me what's up."

She snapped her eyes towards him. "I..."

He kept on staring at her intently, eyes lowering a bit. The night sure feels nice...

She couldn't help but look down at her lap.

"It's your sister, isn't it?" he pressed. "Coming home late again?"

"...Yeah."

"She, um...doing something that's making you worry?"

"Well...I always worry. As much as anyone can in similar circumstances. But it's probably not what you're thinking. I've tried my best to support her after Dad passed away. She breaks her back for both of us. At least...part of me thinks of it that way."

"What makes you think that way 'partly'?"

"As much as I don't want to, since she doesn't like me comparing her to him..." She took a deep breath. "My dad would usually come back home late sometimes, sure. Being in the police does that, and I don't get mad at her when she does. I also don't get mad at her when she gets all...intense about letting a perp slip through her fingers in court. He got like that, too. I trusted her that she was doing the right thing, despite whatever was eating at her mind. Deep down, though...I get the feeling that, as of late, she's handling it all so...ungracefully.

"'Ungracefully?' That whole incident at the grave still bothering you?"

Makoto grimaced. "...Amongst other things. At the end of the day, I can't help but think that if she were in the same vein as my dad, she could be dutiful to everyone, ANd try to be at home more than once a week. Have her make the air around me less...still when I'm studying."

...ONCE A WEEK!? "Has it...been like that for a while?"

"Since, well...the day after my birthday. The reassignment, looking into these mental shutdowns...I think I'm done speaking about for it for now. You must think I'm so selfish, venting like this."

Damn..."If anything, I think you're not selfish enough. Balance is important. Or well, should be important. Now...I know it's off-topic, but I don't think we discussed the "conditions" of you helping me?"

"C-conditions?"

"Well...suffice it to say, I am aiming for top ten. I have done it before...but I'm not taking any chances. In return..."

"...What?"

Ren rubbed his chin in jest. "Let's see..."

She leaned forward, hands clasped. "...What?!"

"...I'll fix your bike."

"...Bike?"

"Yes, your bike. What, you don't have a license? I thought you would have a license if you had a bike."

"Well I do, but...this is too much! Do you even know how to fix one of them?"

Now I'm just insulted. "Why you'd think I carry all that stuff in my bag? Decoration?"

"Well...but...Sis should drive it, and-"

"Does she use it often?"

"...No..."

"Then it's YOUR bike, for the time being. And perhaps, you can take it out like you've wanted to."

This is so odd for him to request this...but...

Her mind then drifted to an open road, snaking through the hills, the breeze pushing her air back...

"I'll get you more Buchimaru stuff as well," Ren piped.

"Then...I WILL NOT HOLD BACK!" she said, with rosy cheeks.

Well, that was fast. "Alright then. Just, don't overdo..."

"I'LL MAKE YOU NUMBER 1 THEN!"

"...it." Ren yawned. "Alright, then. I'll guess I'll shoot for number one then." Maybe then a part of me will enjoy rubbing it in once I get it.

The train eastward rolled up. And not a moment too soon. I felt like I was going to doze off on the bench like a schlub.

The pair, now tutor and tutee, found themselves now on an empty train. All the while, Makoto couldn't help but be stuck replaying the picture in her mind. She couldn't help but sprout a grin, one in expectation of the actual wind rushing past her soon. In the middle of the night, when Sae is not around...but, maybe. Just maybe...

"You know, Ren, I take it back. I HAVE gone to a ramen shop before."

"You...did? Why did you say-"

"Well, it's been so long, but having ramen today made me remember the last time I did. I think I was still in elementary, but...I remember it was a small shop out near Akihabara. My dad brought me along on one of his off days. I remember it was so busy when we visited...I almost felt weird, being so small in a cramped place and surrounded by people. I couldn't think of going there on my own then." She then paused. "...I can't see myself going alone, even now. To think, all this time, I'm about to be an adult, and I'm no better than my younger self..."

"Yeah, well...I guess you aren't alone now," he droned.

She smiled. "I guess-"

She then felt a soft thud on her shoulder. She turned, making her face redden on the sight of him passed out on her.

...W-well...he did need the sleep after all. "I'll just let you enjoy the ride then," she whispered. She then took out her phone to look at the time. Oh no! It's so late! Did I get that distracted!?

She sighed.

Well...at least Sae didn't spam me...I'll just cross my fingers she won't be awake at home, waiting for me.

Her spirits dimmed.

Sae...

She then looked at Ren, sleeping peacefully on her shoulders, rocking back and forth from the rattling of the train. Like a newborn in the cradle.

She then grinned. I guess I'm not alone then.

Her eyes then drift towards the bag.

Whatever merriment she felt went down a few decibels, as she couldn't shake the feeling. The "itch."

The one she kept on feeling when he 'held back.'

She pondered about it, but she decided against zipping open the bag. The cat wouldn't let me do it quietly anyway.

4/29

Midnight struck on Endo's digital watch.

"...Goddamn back." He held the finest cup of old, microwave-heated coffee he could scrounge this late at night. He took a sip. "That cardboard taste always does it for me," he said dryly. "The very least I can do, given that I'm going to get shit for filing things late. I'm going to have to do contort-"

He then saw a table with a lamplight on and a frazzled ball of grey hair over a desk, hunched over.

...Tryhard. "I thought prodigies of the law should look presentable."

She slowly raised her head, revealing a clenched set of incisors. "...Save that for the boy wonder detective who has to attend school and has a stable sleep schedule."

"You act like you ain't above it, but the way I see it, you all are a bunch of bookworms that have a small bit of time in the spotlight. "

She grunted. "I just did a stupid test earlier than everyone else, and the media made their business off my back. I gave them my piece of mind..." She forced her baggy eyes onto his wizened ones. "And I'm not afraid to do it now."

Endo smirked. "Coffee?"

She waved him off. "I already had four."

He then looked at her trash bin. "Liar. There are no cups in there."

She snarled. "Fine. I just don't want coffee. I just...need a quick nap."

He sniffed the air around her. "Goddamnit, treat the job with some dignity and mask your odors, woman."

She slammed the desk. "I would if I didn't forget to get more perfume. And I thought I had enough for myself...Whatever. I'll wash back when I drop by early in the morning."

"Early in the morning? Sure. Maybe you can get 15 minutes of sleep on the couch and eat a small grain of rice and be back here just in time."

"...What do you want?"

"Nothing. I was passing by. Now, I'm just wondering when you're going to go home."

"...I'll go home when I want to change."

Endo groaned and rubbed his eyes, which, at this hour, were throbbing from staring at computer screens for too long. "What about your sister?"

"She's fine. She's more than fine. She's just a teen."

"Yeah...alone and carefree. Perfect ground for her to slack off and NOT wonder where her sister is.."

Her eyes bulged toward him. "...Don't make light of this."

"Fine. Remind me again. She got into Shujin, right?"

"Yeah. She's about to graduate. Top of the class."

He then put another cigarette in his mouth. "Like sister, like sister. You think she'll do better than you?"

She stood up and began to walk around, hands on her hips and head tilted down to the ground. "...If she is, it will be because I enabled it."

Something about the phrasing made him want a hard drink. Geez..."Enable? Alright then...So I don't have to brief you about what we're doing, right?"

"We're just going to be looking at some shops in Shinjuku. That's about it."

He struck a match. "That's right. We are LOOKING. We are not trying to find anything. The Director might act otherwise...but we will not ASK for trouble. Don't be impatient."

"I'm not stupid."

He puffed. "No, but you're young and you have terrible work-life balance."

"You're no better," she seethed.

He riposted with a chuckle. "That's also because...I was young and had terrible work-life balance." He then took the cigarette out of his mouth. "So, Shujin, eh? You aren't concerned about that whole mess with the principal and the gym teacher?"

What should have produced a loud thud in her heart made only a soft thud in the exhausted Sae. "She'll be fine. She's capable. She can take down anyone who'd dare try to touch her."

"I'm not talking about the physical aspects."

"Even then, the gym teacher is in custody and he'll be readily tried with the testimony given," she said coldly.

"...Seriously?" Endo exclaimed. "You'd think you'd give a...whatever. And the Principal? You know how these schools work? You probably don't even have a clue what the Principal kept hush-hush for that man. What he might have had Makoto do to keep things in his favor."

She sighed even heavier this time as she grabbed a nicely trimmed sandwich from her desk. "Come over here."

"What the hell are you doing, Sae?"

"Come over here!"

Endo dragged his aching feet over to her desk.

Sae had a picture of Kobayakawa strewn on the autopsy bench.

Stitched up, thank god. "Why the hell are you showing me this? I already know he's dead."

"My point exactly." She then took a bite, the energy zapped from her voice. "Good is good. Bad is bad. As much as I talked to that man, time to time at PTA meetings...one bit of rot gives everything a fetor. He just saved me time. So did that gym teacher." She took another bite, savoring every flavor her sister packed in between the pieces of the bread.

Her callousness made him shudder, worse than anything he's seen at a crime scene. He stepped away from the desk. "You really are one fucked-up lady."

"Justice comes in different ways. After this, I can focus on what's important. These damn mental shutdowns..." It's all a goddamn conspiracy...

...Important, huh? Stupid fucking bitch. Endo shook his head. "See you tomorrow with Pretty Boy. I'll file in the morning." He then trudged to the elevator, reduced to muttering to himself. "Kazu...I'm sorry."

All the while Sae kept munching away, staring at the screen. It's not like this is the first time I've seen a dead body.

At the very least, now, it's from the OTHER side of the law.

"Just a leveling of the scales," she smirked.

Notes: Hey guys! So to explain some things:

The last part with Sae was a last minute thought, which fed into the delay of the new chapter. I'm definitely wanting to play with the idea of contrasting stories in the arc, and I'm hoping to create some really interesting scenarios that build on what's already in the game.

Second of all, a bit fluffy in the middle here. Hope some of you enjoy that.

And third:

...I definitely been priming the inclusion of the other Queen for a while, if you haven't been sensing it from my gratuitous inclusion of best doge. I was just waiting for the right moment. I'll still try to make this mainly be a Persona 5 story. I am not planning on making this entirely a crossover (yet). Just something to explore and expand the scope of the world, since many bring up questions about what happened to the other teams during the game.

To respond to comments:

Krulla Chief: I know we talked about it on PM, but I actually took some time to re-read that manga when I was writing it. That surprisingly might be the basis for writing a more humorous side of Iwai when I brainstorm future chapters, considering he's a single Dad and all. Suffice to say...but you might see some references here and there *wink wink*

Stay tuned...