A/N As promised, here's the next chapter.
One quick thing to bring up. I've recently created a few images for some of the characters in this story for readers' reference, namely Older Yu, Fem Yu, Fem Ren, and one for Ren's new look (you'll know what I mean when you read the chapter).
The links for the above are on my profile. I know FFnet is a pain when it comes to that stuff, but everything should be there so you can browse the pictures there if you want. They're just AI Generated images, so I can't really take credit for them in any real way, but hey, I think they're good enough for readers' reference, so hopefully people enjoy them.
I may expand them to include some of the OC's. One of them is already on there right now, may add more later, but we'll see.
Anyway, with that out of the way…
Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this.
Chapter 38
August 31st – Tokyo: Yongen-Jaya
Sojiro Sakura, for what felt like the first time in forever, smiled happily while looking at the coffee shop he proudly owned. After weeks of extensive repairs, the cafe was once again ready to open for business.
The middle-aged man stepped towards the entrance of Leblanc and pulled the door open, smiling back at Futaba as he held out a hand like a true gentleman would.
"Ladies first," Sojiro said.
"Why thank you," Futaba replied.
It took less than a second for the orange-haired teen to excitedly run into the shop to get a good look at the inside. However, when she laid eyes on it, she started humming in thought.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Sojiro asked as he closed the front door. He took a look around himself and didn't see any obvious problems. "It's exactly the same as before. Didn't you want it that way?"
"Well sure, it looks the same, but it's got that 'brand new' smell," Futaba replied. "And it's not Leblanc until it's got just a touch of your famous curry in the air."
Sojiro chuckled. "Was that your way of asking for breakfast?"
"Maybe," Futaba said with a smirk.
"Coming right up," he replied.
"Leave it to you to twist the boss's arm for food, Futaba," Mona said in a judgmental tone as he entered the cafe.
"Pfft, oh please, like you're one to talk. You literally beg him for food every other hour," Futaba shot back. "Besides, today's an extra-special day, so of course it's gotta start with Sojiro's famous curry!"
"Well," began Mona as he hopped up to the counter. "Leblanc's reopening is definitely a special occasion. I'll give you that much."
Futaba grinned playfully. "True, but that's not what I was talking about."
"What do you mean?" Mona inquired.
"I'm glad you asked because I was really looking forward to not telling you," Futaba replied with a playful grin.
"I walked right into that," Mona muttered to himself. The cat jumped down off the counter and headed towards Ren's room. "Well, if you need me, I'll be upstairs for a while."
"You gonna roll around everywhere to make it feel like home again?" Futaba questioned knowingly.
"N-No."
"Have fun totally-not doing that then," Futaba said through a laugh.
Shortly thereafter, Sojiro put a plate of his famous curry in front of Futaba. Just the smell of it alone was enough to bring a big smile to her face, the sight of which made his heart feel as light as a feather.
"Thanks for the meal!" Futaba stated energetically.
She was about to dig in, but right before she did, the plate was yanked out of her reach. Futaba blinked confusedly before
"Before you dig in…" Sojiro began leadingly. "There's just one thing I wanted to ask."
"…and that is?" asked Futaba, eying her father skeptically.
"I wanted to take a few pictures before you head out today," Sojiro replied. "Just a few, I promise."
"I thought you said you weren't going to ask for that," Futaba groaned.
"Ah, easy explanation. I lied," Sojiro replied.
"Of course," Futaba sighed. "And can I assume I won't get that curry unless I agree?"
"Absolutely."
"Ugh, fine," Futaba replied, giving the shopkeeper an annoyed glare. "I didn't know you were such an extortionist, Sojiro."
"Did I never mention that before? My bad."
"Ha-ha," Futaba laughed dryly. "Also, just to make sure, you didn't tell anyone about today, right?"
Sojiro smiled. "Don't worry, I haven't. I've kept that and the surprise upstairs to myself."
"Good," Futaba said with a nod. She ate another spoonful of curry and sighed pleasantly. "You're still an extortionist, but this is some really good curry."
"Glad to hear it," chuckled Sojiro.
Tokyo – Shibuya: Shujin Academy, Later that Morning…
Ryuji entered class 3-A with all the enthusiasm of a dead man walking. Coming back after summer break was always more brutal than usual, though. He spotted Ann already sitting at her desk looking out the window, and she noticed him as he took his seat nearby.
"Yo," Ryuji greeted.
"Morning," Ann replied.
The blonde-haired beauty yawned deeply, which wouldn't have normally caught Ryuji's attention, but as he saw her more clearly, he couldn't help but realize how tired she looked. She seemed worn out even for a 'first day back from summer break' scenario.
"Wow, you look tired as shit," Ryuji bluntly stated. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ann replied. She yawned once again, then saying, "I just didn't sleep all that well last night."
"I get that," Ryuji admitted. "I was up like an extra hour being all pissed off about how we have to go back to school starting today."
"Well, that's not what kept me up, but I get what you mean," Ann replied.
A comfortable silence passed between the two, though it was obvious by the way that they were staring at the doorway that it had more to do with them waiting for a certain someone than anything else.
"So," Ryuji began, realizing what they were both doing. "How's sittin' here waiting for Ren been goin' for ya?"
Ann looked away a bit embarrassed. "Is it that obvious?"
"Oh yeah," Ryuji said amusedly. "But I guess I can't say shit since I'm doin' the same thing. It's been what, like, a week since we've last seen 'im? I even got here a bit earlier than I usually do so I could catch him for a few minutes before class."
"Yeah, I had the same idea," Futaba chimed in. "Although probably for different reasons than you."
"Oh, hey Futaba," Ryuji said pleasantly.
Both Ann and Ryuji quickly realized that hearing the orange-haired teen at school was not normal. They turned over towards her and saw her standing a few feet away sporting a genuine Shujin Academy uniform from head to toe.
"F-Futaba?!" Ann exclaimed in shock. "You're wearing a Shujin uniform! Wait, are you…?!"
"Yep," the orange-haired teen replied with a cheerful smile. "As of today, I'm officially a first-year student at Shujin Academy and a proud member of class 1-B."
Ann leapt out of her chair and captured her new underclassman in a tight hug, her excitement and happiness clearly showing all the while.
"Why didn't you tell us?! That's awesome!" Ann cheered. "Congrats, Futaba! I'm so happy for you!"
"C-Can't breathe, bones crushed…!" Futaba groaned.
Ann quickly pulled back, chuckling nervously. "S-Sorry about that, I got a bit too excited there."
"It's all good, I was mostly kidding," Futaba replied.
"Well how 'bout that, you're a legit high-schooler now," Ryuji said with a friendly smile. "So, you gonna start calling Ann and I your senpai?"
Futaba cupped her chin in thought. "Well, Ann is definitely a senpai-type. You on the other hand…"
"Oh, wha—come on, I'm totally a senpai-type!"
"In your dreams, maybe," Ann remarked.
Ryuji rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I'm gonna get Ren to back me up on this."
"He'd have to get here first," Futaba stated pointedly. She looked around the room, asking, "Where the heck is he anyway? I put in all this effort to surprise you guys, and he's not even here!"
"He does usually get here a bit earlier than this…" Ann thought aloud. "I'll shoot him a text. Gimme a sec."
Before her fingers even touched her phone screen, a bunch of loud whispers from students started to echo in the hallways just outside the room. She and the others wondered what was happening, but they soon got their answer.
Ren Amamiya walked through the door, though for a split-second, it was hard to tell it was actually him. He no longer wore his glasses, instead letting his captivating gray eyes be put out on full display. His hair was also styled differently; it had been cut to be slightly shorter, and it didn't look quite as frizzy as he'd brushed back his left side and let the rest part slightly to the right side of his face.
Even Ryuji, Ann, and Futaba could hardly believe the sudden change in appearance, so it was no shock whatsoever that everyone else in the room that saw Ren with his new look had their eyes glued to him.
The Wild Card ignored all the attention and headed straight towards his three friends, and of course he quickly realized that was one more than usual when he saw Futaba standing right next to his desk.
"Didn't expect to see you here. That uniform suits you great though," Ren said, sporting a smile that somehow looked even more charming than usual. "When were you gonna tell us you decided to start here at Shujin?"
"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise," Futaba replied. She crossed her arms, adding, "Although I'm not gonna lie, I feel like your makeover is stealing my thunder just a bit. Seriously though, what is with the glow-up?! You look so different!"
"It's not too much, is it?" Ren asked, inwardly a bit uncertain.
"Nah, not at all," Ryuji answered, only to then take on a cheeky grin. "Although it's pretty obvious you're takin' a page outta Yu-san's book. Guess you're goin' for his whole 'pretty boy' look with the hair and all, huh?"
"I-I mean, that wasn't really what I was going for, and I'm pretty sure his hairstyle is a lot different from mine," Ren replied, sounding a bit embarrassed for a split-second.
"If you say so."
"Well, I think it he looks great," Ann stated pointedly. "And there's no shame even if he is taking after Yu-san. I think it's cute."
"I'm with Ann on this one, he looks so cool!" Futaba remarked.
Ryuji could only roll his eyes. "Shocking."
"Anyway," began Ren, clearly about to change the subject. "What class are you in, Futaba?"
"Class 1-B," she replied, a clear note of excitement in her voice. "Speaking of which, I should probably get going so I don't miss the bell. But oh, hey, do you guys wanna meet up for lunch?"
"Absolutely," Ann chirped. "And if you need anything before then, just shoot me a text, 'kay?"
"Same goes for me," said Ren.
"Thanks, you'll be the first to know if I need anything," Futaba stated cheerfully. She started to head towards the door, though she turned back "Oh, and Ryuji, that's what senpai-energy looks like, in case you were curious."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ryuji muttered through a laugh. "Get goin' already. You don't wanna be late on your first day."
As she walked out of the classroom, Ren found himself staring nostalgically at her as she made her way out the door. She looked so much different from how she was when they'd first met that he couldn't stop himself from appreciating where she was now.
"She's come a long way, hasn't she?" Ren wondered aloud.
"Yeah, she really has," Ann said warmly. "It's crazy to think that basically a year ago, she could barely leave her room. Now she's here with us at Shujin."
"Ehem, y-yeah, I guess it's kind of a big deal. I dunno, it's kinda cool and all that she's here and shit," Ryuji commented.
He was clearly starting to get a bit teary-eyed and trying to hold it back, but neither Ren or Ann decided to give him a hard time about it.
"Um… Amamiya-kun?" a voice abruptly called out, though it sounded more like a question than anything else.
"Yes?" Ren uttered plainly.
The emotional moment that he and his friends had been having came to a sudden end when a group of girls came up out of nowhere and swarmed Ren in all directions.
"Wow, it really is you, Amamiya-kun…" one of them said in awe. "You look so different. Did you get contacts or something?"
"No, my glasses were only for show," Ren answered. "I just decided to stop wearing them is all."
"Well, you look great without them," another stated playfully.
"I'll say. I never knew you had such nice eyes…"
Most of his classmates expected him to have a bashful response to the sudden compliments. After all, that's what they knew about his personality so far.
That's why it came as such a big surprise when instead of shying away, a confident, devilishly-charming smile took its place on his face. Even before a word left his mouth, a few of the girls had reddened faces just at the sight of it.
"Thanks," Ren replied.
He'd said only one word, but most of the girls around him started to blush. Several could barely speak, and even those that did started to gasp cutely. No one could blame them, though; even for the rest of the girls in the classroom who'd been watching the entire time could barely believe their eyes.
"Doesn't Amamiya-kun look so much…"
"Hotter?"
"W-Well, yeah."
"Did Amamiya-kun bulk up over summer break? He looks more muscular now."
"Is it me, or does he look, like, a thousand times cooler all of a sudden?"
Similar 'whispers' started to echo all across the room, and of course a certain blonde-haired young woman heard just about every last word.
Ann's reaction to hearing all of the other girls was obvious and predictable. She scowled heavily and her left eye briefly started to twitch. Although she was doing her best to ignore it, clearly it wasn't working.
Ryuji, unable to help himself, leaned in a bit closer to her. "Still think it's cute?"
It took less than a second for Ann to give the thuggish Persona user a glare that was so razor-thin it would've made knives jealous. He expected that to happen, though, and in his opinion, it was still totally worth it.
As loud and lively as things were, everything came to a crashing halt all of a sudden when the teacher walked through the door.
"Alright everyone, please take your seats," announced the teacher.
On cue, the bell rang, and everyone ran towards their seats to get ready for the lecture. However, even as things got quiet, it was obvious that wouldn't be the end of it.
"Now then," said the teacher as he straightened out a stack of papers. "We have one item to take care of before class. With your last summer here at Shujin now over and done with, it's now time to fill out your career surveys. You'll have ten minutes, and please do try to take this seriously."
As the single sheets of paper started to be handed out, Ann could only stare at the clock; she already wanted the day to be over even as it had just started. She was tired, annoyed, and to make matters worse, the first class for today was math, which was by far her least favorite subject.
'…this is gonna be a long, long day, isn't it?' Ann internally sighed.
Shujin Academy: Cafeteria, Early Afternoon…
The group of four Phantom Thieves sat at their own table after having just gotten their food. They, however, were completely silent at first on account of the fact that there were so many people staring over at them.
Most of them girls, of course.
"So," Ren began, trying to shake off the prying eyes. "How's your first day of classes going so far, Futaba?"
The orange-haired teen perked up instantly. "Great! All my classmates seem super nice so far! Although the actual 'learning' thing is super boring…"
"I feel that," sighed Ryuji.
"It's not that bad, but you'll definitely have to get used to normal classes again," Ren stated. "You're smart enough that you probably won't have any issues, but if you ever run into anything you need help with academics-wise, you can always come to me. I'm sure Makoto or Haru would also help out whenever they can, too."
"I've got you covered when it comes to English," Ann offered cheerfully.
"And I've got you covered whenever you feel like goofing off," Ryuji added jokingly.
"And yet you wonder why Makoto gives you a hard time about school stuff," Ren said with a smirk.
"I never said I wondered, did I?" countered Ryuji.
Although the four of them shared a brief laugh, Futaba seemed to realize something when the former council president's name had been mentioned.
"Aw crap, I just remembered!" Futaba grumbled. "I totally forgot to tell Haru and Makoto I was starting classes today! I guess Yusuke too, but that I'm less worried about…"
"That's no big deal," Ann said reassuringly. "Let's fix that right now, shall we?"
The blonde took out her phone and held it out while she got closer to Futaba. Both Ren and Ryuji quickly understood she was about to take a picture so they too moved in to the frame so she could get a good shot.
It was over in no time at all, and Ann immediately headed into their main group chat to send the photo.
"Aaaand there we go," said Ann with a smile.
Chat: Meta Chat
Haru: Futaba-chan, you're a student at Shujin now?!
Yusuke: Ah, so I'm not the only one that was unaware. I'd thought I missed something.
Futaba: Nope! Just wanted to keep it a secret until the big day (=^ェ^=)
Rise: Looking good, Futaba-chan! Enjoy your first day at school with everyone!
Haru: Mako-chan is at class, so it might be a while before she sees this, but I'm sure she'll wish you luck!
Yusuke: I have one question. What is '(=^ェ^=)'?
Futaba: …it's an emoji, Inari (－‸ლ)
Yusuke: Ah, I see.
As the four continued to read through their group chat, a few whispers nearby were loud enough to catch their attention. People were still stealing glances every so often at their table, and as time had gone on, it was like they got less and less stealthy about it.
Ryuji chuckled. "Looks like you're still the talk of the school, huh bro?"
"Seriously though," Futaba uttered in disbelief. "The guy styles his hair differently and takes off his glasses and suddenly he's the only thing anyone's talking about."
"I think you're exaggerating," Ren replied nonchalantly.
"I wish we were," Ann grumbled. "It's like every-other second I hear someone whispering something about you. They stare, too."
"And it's mostly girls, btdubs," Ryuji bitterly stated. "Hell, half of 'em look like they're about to jump you in the hallway or something."
"Come on, quit being so dramatic," Ren stated. "Anyway, I'm gonna go throw some stuff away. Anyone want me to take anything else to the trashcan while I'm at it?"
His friends gave him a few things and then the raven-haired teen went off to throw all their trash away. As he left the table, the eyes of half the people in the entire room followed him—something that his friends could only groan at the sight of.
"Do you think he seriously doesn't notice or is he just faking it?" Futaba inquired.
"Honestly? Tough to say," Ryuji thought aloud. "He usually notices all kinds of shit, but he's got the weirdest blind spots when it comes to some stuff. It's actually kinda crazy."
Nothing much happened as the raven-haired teen turned around to head back towards his friends. Along the way, one of the second-year students that passed him by suddenly tripped up as she was trying to steal a glance.
Luckily for her, there was someone nearby that was more than ready to help her.
Ren instinctively reacted when he saw the girl headed for the floor, moving faster than most even knew he could. He caught the second-year by wrapping his arm around her midsection and stopping her fall, all the while his other hand reached out to catch the box of food she'd dropped when she'd first started to fall.
It was like something straight out of a movie, and yet everyone in the cafeteria had seen it play out right before their very eyes. Ren had moved with such effortless speed, style, and finesse that it was almost unbelievable.
None of the students all over the cafeteria said so much as a word, but their sights stayed glued on Ren as if they were caught in a trance. It didn't help that he was basically posing as he held the second year in his arm, though.
Ren pulled the girl to her feet as gently as he could. "You okay?"
"H-Hm?" the girl practically squeaked. "U-Um, yes! T-Thank you…!"
Almost everyone in the crowd were gasping and whispering to one another as he handed the girl back her food and casually started to walk back to his table. Of course, it went without saying he didn't get very far before people started to swarm him.
"That was amazing, Amamiya-senpai!" another second year exclaimed. "How'd you do that?! That was, like… unreal!"
"It was super cool!"
"Just good reflexes, that's all," Ren said, sweatdropping as more and more people started to come towards him.
Things only got worse from there with his friends watching the entire thing from their table with half-lidded eyes.
"Exaggerating things, huh?" Futaba uttered sarcastically.
"You know, I'm kinda conflicted," Ryuji said through chuckle. "On the one hand, it's great Ren's gettin' so much attention all of a sudden, but on the other, I'm so jealous I could chop my arm off just so I could have somethin' to throw at him."
Abruptly, Ann got up from her chair, and although she was smiling, it wasn't because she was happy. In fact, it was a smile Ryuji recognized from whenever she was trying her best not to blow a fuse and rip someone's head off.
"Class is about to start up soon, so we should probably go get Ren," Ann simply stated.
"R-Right, good call," Ryuji replied. "You good to get back to your class, Futaba?"
"Yeah, I'm good. Go save pretty-boy from the mob before he somehow makes things worse for himself."
"Roger that."
Shujin Academy: Class 3A, Later that Day…
The teacher put down her chalk and the book in her hands, marking the end of the lecture and nearly the end of the school day. There were only a few minutes left on the clock, and then they were finally free.
Ann in particular breathed a deep inward sigh of relief. She'd been right to think it was going to be a long, long day.
"Ah, before I forget," the teacher suddenly said in realization. "One final reminder that tomorrow is the sport's festival. For anyone that hasn't yet, please make sure you know your assigned teams and report approximately fifteen minutes before normal school hours tomorrow to ensure you aren't late for the first events."
"Huh? Sports festival?" Ryuji uttered confusedly.
Ren chuckled. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you didn't see the e-mail?"
"No surprise there," said Ann.
"Both of you can bite me," Ryuji shot back as he took out his phone. "When the hell did they send it? Like last week?"
"Yeah, last Monday," Ren answered. "They also sent out a few reminders on—"
"Da-da-da-da," Ryuji muttered nonsensically. He just wanted to cut him off to avoid hearing a half-lecture. "Okay, here it is. Looks like I'm on the Red Team… and I've got no idea why the hell that matters."
"Same team as us then," Ren remarked. "What events did you get assigned to?"
Ryuji furrowed his brow and looked back at his phone. "Assigned to what now?"
"Oh for the love of—read the rest of the e-mail, Ryuji," Ann said annoyedly.
"Geez, alright, alright. No need to chew my head off," Ryuji replied. "Huh, looks like there's way more here than I thought there'd be. Meh, I've got time, so I'll just figure it out later."
The final bell for the day then rang, and with that, almost everyone in the classroom headed for the doors. Of course, the three Persona users were no exception. They went into the hallways, though instead of making their way to the gate, they instead headed towards the staircase so they could wait for the fourth addition to the new Shujin crew.
"Futaba says she'll be down in a few," said Ren as he scrolled through his phone.
"Fine by me," Ryuji said, stretching his arms before leaning up against a nearby wall. "I'm just glad today's finally over."
"It did feel a lot longer than usual," Ren admitted.
"Tell me about it," said Futaba.
The trio's eyes turned towards her as she joined up with their group at the bottom of the staircase. However, they were shocked to see just how drained she looked. Her shoulders were slumped, and her eyes were half-lidded as if she were about to pass out from exhaustion any second.
"F-Futaba?" Ann uttered in shock.
"Is everything alright? What happened?" Ren asked, a touch of concern in his voice.
Futaba's tired eyes quickly formed a slight glare that she directed straight at the Wild Card.
"You happened, that's what," Futaba replied. "A couple of my classmates saw me having lunch with you guys and then everyone started swarming me asking all kinds of stuff! You would not believe the number of people that came running up to me saying stuff like 'ohmigod, you know Amamiya-senpai!?'! It was super annoying!"
"…I'll be honest, I don't think I could ever have pictured something like that happening," Ren thought aloud, butting the back of his neck tiredly. "I am sorry about that though. I didn't mean for you to—"
"It's okay, it's not like it's really your fault," Futaba stated reassuringly, now feeling a bit guilty for even complaining about it in the first place. "Let's just head out before we get ganked again."
Thankfully, nothing got in their way while they made their way to the gate. When it seemed things would be peaceful, the raven-haired teen looked back to the new first-year student.
"By the way, Futaba, what team did you get for the sports festival tomorrow?" Ren asked offhandedly.
"They put me on Red," she answered.
"Aw, cool, same as us!" Ryuji said with a cheerful grin. "Man, now I'm kind of gettin' hyped up for tomorrow. Think we'll end up in all the same events?"
"You seem pretty excited about the sports festival for a guy that just found out about it five minutes ago," Ann stated cheekily.
"I mean even if I hated sports, it sure as shit beats havin' classes," Ryuji laughed.
"Same old Ryuji," Futaba uttered amusedly.
It wasn't long before they were outside the gate where everyone seemed to stop in place. The first to speak up was Futaba, who seemed to have magically regained some of her energy.
"So, you guys feel like doing anything now that we're done school?" she asked.
"Sorry, I can't today. I've got a modeling gig to go to," Ann replied, a sad frown marking her features. "I'm totally free after school tomorrow though. You know, if we wanted to do something after the sports day."
"I'm down," Futaba instantly replied.
"I'm good whenever. Even if we wanna hang out a bit today, I…" Ryuji began, only for his phone to cut him off.
What sounded like an alarm went off on his phone, which seemed to confuse even him. However, when he looked at his home screen, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Oh shit, that's today? How the hell did I forget?!" Ryuji uttered, his voice filled with absolute panic. "U-Uh, sorry, I've gotta go run and catch a train, like, now, or I'm gonna be late for PT. Ren, if I die, you know what happened."
The Wild Card nodded. "I'll make sure to notify the police ASAP."
"Thanks."
The blond-haired teen then ran away so fast it was as if he were running a hundred-meter dash. Both Ann and Futaba looked at one another confusedly, and when they realized that both of them had no idea what had just happened, they turned to Joker for an explanation.
"The person that oversees his PT terrifies him and may or may not have threatened his life if he ever misses another session," Ren explained.
"I have several other questions now, but I'd better get going," Ann replied. "Take care, you two! See you tomorrow!"
"See ya," they replied.
When the aspiring model walked the opposite way, the raven-haired teen turned to Futaba with a kind smile spread from ear to ear.
"So," began Ren casually. "Feel like doing anything special after your first day at a real high school? Maybe we can stop by a shop and pick something out you've had your eye on?"
"Oh, c'mon, it's not that big of a deal. You don't really need to get me anything," Futaba replied dismissively. "I'm not some little kid that needs a reward anytime I do literally anything."
"Okay, fair enough," Ren said with a shrug. "I was just thinking the PC port of that game you like comes out today, and I figured you might want it. But if you don't, that's fine too."
He started to walk away with a knowing smirk on his face only for Futaba to immediately reach out and grab onto his blazer to stop him from leaving. On the inside she knew he was doing it completely on purpose just to embarrass her, and of course it was working.
"N-Now hold on there, I didn't say no," Futaba stated, a bit of blush on her cheeks.
"Then just to be clear, you want me to get you the game?"
"Only if you wipe that smirk off your face!"
"Hmm… No."
"You drive a hard bargain; however, I accept."
"I had a feeling you'd say that," Ren said with a chuckle. "C'mon, let's get going. We've probably only got a half hour to go before Sojiro starts spam-calling us asking where you are."
As both of them knew he was right, they set off towards the train station quickly, each with a smile spread from ear to ear. Even if neither of them said it out loud, it was a nice feeling to be walking next to one another after a long day of classes.
And it was comforting to know they'd get to do it again and again from that day on.
Metaverse: Central Shibuya
Both Naoto and Yu stood in a wide-open streetway within the Metaverse with contemplative looks on each of their faces. Next to them was Akihiko, who remained completely quiet while they took in what he'd already discovered earlier that very day.
Across the cityscape, there were very strange changes that were starting to take place. Certain buildings and parts of the city were becoming, for lack of a better word, corrupted. Well, at least more corrupted than they were before.
Several buildings within eyesight now had small circular holes at their entrances that swirled with red and black energy. All of them seemed identical in nature, but strangely, each of them felt different to look at. It was as if every otherworldly portal had their own unique eerie vibe to it.
"And you're certain this has only happened recently?" Naoto inquired.
"Positive," Akihiko replied. "These things have only started to pop up in the last week or so. Conveniently right after our friend decided to show himself."
"True, that does seem oddly coincidental," Naoto mused.
"Although exactly what's happening, I've got no idea," stated Akihiko.
"Neither do I. Though I know it can't be good," replied Naoto.
The detective noticed that her partner was remaining oddly quiet, and when her attention shifted over towards him and saw his serious expression, she became curious.
"Have you noticed something?" Naoto inquired.
"Maybe," Yu answered. "Come on, follow me for a sec. I want to get a bit closer to some of those distortions."
Not having a reason to disagree, both Naoto and Akihiko followed the Wild Card as they moved a bit further down the streets. He suddenly stopped in place, and his expression became deathly serious as if he'd found what he was expecting.
"Do you guys hear that?" Yu abruptly inquired.
"I don't hear anything," Akihiko replied.
"Neither do I," said Naoto.
"Focus as hard as you can. I'm sure you'll be able to."
The detective duo closed their eyes and did just that, and after a few more seconds of waiting, the most certainly heard it.
"—can't believe they—"
"Why shouldn't I have told her? I was just being honest! She's so—"
"Who does he think he—"
Raspy voices from different speakers hit their ears like a cold splash of water over their faces. Although it was difficult to hear what each individual person was saying, one thing was clear: their voices were all twisted beyond belief.
"What on earth…?" Akihiko uttered.
"They sound like Shadows," Naoto stated firmly. "People's Shadows."
"My thoughts exactly," said Yu. "I've talked with Ren a lot recently about everything he and the others went through as Phantom Thieves. Seeing this, I can't help but remember what he told me about Mementos—about how some Shadows that had become really corrupt would form small pockets around them, and that if they weren't stopped, they'd eventually create Palaces of their own."
"…hmm, then in that case, perhaps the cause of their appearance isn't as obvious as we'd thought," Naoto replied. "Although based on what you've told me about that Shadow, it still wouldn't surprise me at all if this turned out to be his doing after all."
"Me neither," Akihiko muttered bitterly. "Either way, I suppose it doesn't make a difference with what we have to do. I mean, if these become Palaces…"
"That shouldn't be a problem," reassured Yu. "My understanding is that it takes a pretty long time for these to reach that point, so we do have time."
"Well, at least we've got that going for us," Akihiko thought aloud.
Yu turned towards his partner yet again. "I think it's best if we tell everybody what we're up against soon. If this really is him after all, we'll need to be ready to act. All of us."
"Agreed," said Naoto with a nod. "I'll send a message into the chat and check to see when everyone can meet up."
"Sounds good. Let's head out for now, not much else we can do here."
Tokyo – Shibuya: Luxury Shopping District
As Ann walked onto the photoshoot for the magazine she was scheduled to model for, the entire set was thankfully calm. She didn't have much trouble finding the stage manager, who was thankfully a kind middle-aged woman by the name of Kiriko Kanzashi that she'd worked with before.
"Oh, there you are, Ann-chan," greeted the woman, beating the blonde to the punch. "I was starting to think you might be late. It's rare for you to arrive so close to the start."
"Y-Yeah, I've been moving a little slow today. Rough night's sleep—you know how that goes," Ann replied.
The young woman looked at her curiously.
"Huh, must just be one of those days…" she muttered to herself.
"Hm?"
"It's nothing," replied Kiriko. "Anyway, feel free to head over to the dressing area to get ready."
"Right."
Once again it took Ann longer than it probably should have to make her way towards the dressing rooms. She was trying her absolute best, but she could only do so much when her legs felt like they had sandbags tied to them.
However, she eventually made it, and when she'd arrived, she was greeted by a sight she wasn't used to seeing. The room was completely empty, and it didn't look like anyone other than her had been in there so far.
'Huh…?' Ann wondered confusedly. She took out her phone to double-check the schedule. 'No, Mika is definitely supposed to be here for the shoot.'
Almost immediately, Ann started to feel something was off. She couldn't remember a time that Mika hadn't gotten to a photoshoot before her. In fact, she had a suspicion that Mika always tried to beat her to every venue as a petty way of showing her up.
And yet right now, she was nowhere to be seen.
"Well, the photoshoot's not for another fifteen minutes, so it's not like she's late or anything…" Ann thought aloud.
With a shrug, she put down her bag and walked towards her dressing stall. However, just then, the door started to open, and for maybe the first time in her life, she was almost relieved to see that it was Mika.
That feeling was one-sided though.
"Ugh, are you kidding me? You beat me here? Great, just what my day needed," Mika sighed annoyedly.
All the relief Ann had previous felt instantly vanished.
"And your charming personality is just what my day needed," Ann shot back with a scowl.
The blonde-haired beauty was ready to continue their back and forth, which was what usually happened whenever Mika showed up in that kind of mood. However, when her eyes landed on the brunette's face for the first time, she practically froze.
"M-Mika, are those bags under your eyes?!" Ann asked in shock.
It was more than that, though. The brunette looked more tired than she'd ever seen her before. In fact, it was almost as if she'd been up all last night without even a second of rest.
"I didn't sleep well. What of it?" Mika defiantly replied. "And you're one to talk. You look dead-tired too."
There was an awkward pause for a moment as the two kept fully took in one another's appearance. Shockingly, the one to break the silence ended up being Mika.
"Clearly you didn't sleep well. Did… did something happen?" Mika asked, her voice a bit softer than before.
Ann couldn't believe her ears. That might've been the first time she could ever remember that Mika sounded genuinely concerned about her.
"Um, I kind of feel like I should be the one asking you that," Ann said quietly. "Mika… are you okay?"
Although it took a second, she reverted back to her usual self and looked at her with an aura of cold superiority.
"Of course I am," Mika responded plainly, a scowl marking her lips. "Why would you even waste your breath asking such a stupid question anyway?"
Ann eyes fixed in a glare. "I was just trying to—"
"Yeah, well don't," Mika cut in, her tone a bit fiercer than normal. "If you're going to fill your empty head with concern for anyone, it shouldn't be me of all people, got it?"
"Whatever," Ann grumpily replied.
"Either way, we're both clearly having a rough day, so let's just change and get this over with," Mika went on. "The sooner I show you up out there, the better."
"In your dreams," Ann replied with a scowl.
Lightning may as well have been shooting out of the two young women's eyes by that point. For the time being, it seemed to give them their energy back, though it wasn't clear if either of them did that on purpose.
A knock suddenly came from the other side of the door.
"Ten minutes to start, girls."
"Okay," the two replied.
Mika quickly took up a confident smirk. "Ready to be out-staged?"
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Ann immediately replied.
A/N The next chapter will be posted two weeks from now (most likely). It may end up getting pushed a week because of its length, but we'll see.
Explanations:
Ren's New Look: Obviously we've already got Chad Yu, and now this is the birth of what I affectionately refer to as Chad Ren. This was alluded to at the end of last chapter and I didn't want to waste any time having him get his glow-up. It's a pretty stereotypical 'look who got hot over the summer' moment that you see in high school, but hey, if it works it works. Reference to this is linked in my profile.
What's Next?: Sports Festival and more Chad Ren, and then after that it should be a flashback set of chapters.
Futaba Attending Shujin: I doubt people were really expecting this to happen this chapter, though to be honest, I felt like that was fitting because I think Futaba would want that to be a big surprise. It was also nice to have Sojiro act more like a dad at the start of this chapter wanting pictures of her first day of school, which of course I had to write in there because how could I not? Anyway, when it comes to Futaba, she'll be with the Shujin crew from this point forward, though her school life won't revolve around them entirely.
The Red Portals in the Metaverse: They're basically what you encounter in Mementos in P5. Is them suddenly showing up like that because of Mephisto? Well, I can't say. They're not unrelated though.
Ren Moving back to Leblanc: That is actually planned for next chapter, not this one.
The Sayuri: I think someone asked before, but yes, it's fine. It wasn't destroyed when Leblanc was shot up in Chapter 27.