Author's Note: I've realized I haven't been 100% consistent with Shou's attributes thus far. So from now on, the official attributes are knowledge, courage, charm, expression, and understanding. They're the same as the Persona 4 attributes, except I've included P3's charm over P4's diligence. Also know that I'm tracking all the increases, and the rank ups will actually be based on specific numbers, rather than me just winging it. ;)

Also, a piece of information that will inform a part of this chapter. The Japanese word "yaru" means literally "to do," but is also slang for "doing it." You'll see why you need this bit of info as you read.

XIII

Thursday

April 11, 2013 — Early Morning

Light Rain

That morning, Shou waited for Oshima's trolley with Emi, huddled beneath the overhang of the G Hall entrance. "Forget that," Kouta had said, and laughed. "I'll see you guys later." Then he'd taken off toward school on his bike, one hand on the bars, the other holding an umbrella.

"Kouta-senpai's a real character, isn't he?" Emi remarked. She stifled a giggle.

Shou grinned. "Definitely," he said.

"You'd never know it if you see him fight, though," Emi said. "I saw some of his matches last year, and it's like he's a completely different person. His whole body posture was straighter, more rigid. Disciplined, I guess."

Shou nodded.

"And when he watched the rest of the team's matches, his face was totally serious. Actually . . . Ugh, this is kind of embarrassing," Emi said. Sheepishly, she looked away and idly scuffed the concrete step with her shoe.

Embarrassing? Was Emi about to confess her feelings or something?

"I used to think Kouta-senpai was really scary," Emi said.

Poor Kouta, Shou thought, and shook his head.

Emi took the gesture for a response, and said, "I know, ridiculous, right? But I didn't really get to know him until this year. Before that, I only knew him from kendo and from fighting all the time with Itami-senpai in the dorm. I had no idea he was so, um . . . laid back?"

She smiled brightly at Shou, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Oh look, there's the trolley," she said.

Shou sighed. Real great timing, he thought. Well, he'd have plenty of time to get to know Emi better over the rest of the year.

The trolley pulled to a stop. Shou and Emi boarded, and a moment later Ariwa, Itami, and Endo exited G Hall and boarded as well.

The trolley drove off toward school.

Thursday

April 11, 2013 — Afternoon

Light Rain

In Japanese History, they were studying the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate, starting with the rise of Oda Nobunaga. Abe-sensei paced the front of the classroom, his gnarled hands clasped behind his back. "Though Oda Nobunaga was one of the most brilliant and brutal military leaders of his time," Abe said, "in his early life he was known as the Fool of Owari, for his bizarre behavior, his penchant for alcohol, and his outrageous style. Not unlike some of the youth of today, mm?"

Shou heard a couple of groans from the back of the class at what had quickly become recognized as Abe-sensei's catchphrase. The youth of today, indeed.

"Why, at his own father's funeral," Abe said, "he interrupted the proceedings and hurled the ceremonial incense at the altar. One of his mentors actually committed seppuku in shame at his behavior. However . . ." Abe-sensei cleared his throat. "Unlike the youth of today, Oda Nobunaga was not actually lazy, or careless. It is believed that his outlandish actions were a ploy, for by his twenty-first birthday . . ."

Shou covered his mouth with his hand to hide a yawn. He felt himself getting sleepy . . .

But he forced himself to stay awake and listen to the rest of the lesson.

. . .

. . .

His knowledge increased!

Thursday

April 11, 2013 — After School

Light Rain

As Class B finished sweeping up the room, an announcement played over the loudspeaker. "Dear students," said the gravelly voice of Principal Takahashi, "this is your principal speaking. It's my pleasure to inform you that club sign-up sheets are now posted in the east first floor hallway. If you are interested in club activities, please line up at the bulletin board in an orderly fashion and sign up one at a time. Thank you."

Shou watched as most of the students threw down brooms, and window and desk cleaner, and stampeded out into the hallway.

"Did you not hear the announcement?" Sayoko yelled at the rushing students. She hurried after them, barking at them to proceed in the suggested "orderly fashion." Some of them even listened.

After a moment, the classroom was virtually empty, save for Shou and Emi.

"Aren't you going to join a club?" Emi asked.

Shou nodded. He'd already decided to try out for the baseball team. "What about you?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm already in the tennis club," Emi said. "Didn't I mention that?"

Shou shook his head.

"Well, I am," she said. "And I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself." She beamed. "The other night at dinner, you were talking to Itami-senpai about baseball, right? You'd better hurry if you want a tryout spot. If you wait too long, you won't get a slot until like 1800. Or you might get shut out completely."

Shou grimaced. He told her he'd better hurry, then.

"Yup," she said. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

A few minutes later, Shou and Emi took up a spot at the back of the line, which now stretched all the way down the hall, nearly to the lobby. And it wasn't an "orderly," single-file line, either. Students grouped in clumps of friends, chatting away, awaiting their turn to add their names to the respective lists.

Suddenly, there was a loud commotion from behind Shou. Lots of people, talking loudly. And someone yelling, "Make way, make way!"

A moment later, a throng of girls rounded the corner into the hall. At their head was a tall, rail-thin young man with long brown hair, streaked with blond and red, walking with a loose-limbed swagger. His face was angled, yet pretty, even feminine; his shirt was open at the collar, revealing the sharp edge of his clavicle. Shou thought he looked strangely familiar.

The young man grinned as he saw everyone turn in his direction. He waved. "Not to worry, ladies, your hero is here!" Then he balled his fists and thrust his pelvis. "Yaruuuuu!" he howled.

Shou's mouth dropped. No. Way. "Is that . . . ?"

"Yaru?" Emi asked. "Yep."

Yasuda Masaru, idol, and bane of the parents of high school girls everywhere. He went by the nickname "Yaru," which only made parents hate him all the more. Magazines had proclaimed him as the one every girl wanted, and the one every guy wanted to be. Shou'd had absolutely no idea he attended Morigami.

Yasuda made his way down the hall, his hips swaying as if music was playing. He walked right up to the head of the line, and the girl who was in front stepped back and offered Yasuda the pen. She even blushed and smiled at him, batting her lashes as she let him cut the entire line. He jotted his name down on one of the sheets, then turned to the students in the hall. "I'll win the part of Romeo this year," he yelled. "Count on it!"

In unison, most of the girls in the hall let out dreamy sighs. Many of them had glazed expressions. Shou wouldn't have been surprised to see some of them start drooling.

Yasuda thrust his hips again. "Yaruuuuu!" Then he headed back toward the lobby, his entourage in tow.

Shou glanced at Emi. She was observing with a bemused look on her face.

"Shocked I'm not falling all over myself?" she asked, when she noticed Shou looking at her.

He chuckled.

"I don't go for pretty boys," she said. "I like guys who look like, you know, guys," she said. She quirked an eyebrow at Shou, and smiled.

His stomach did a flip. Was she . . . trying to tell him something? His mind searched for a clever response. Some kind of play on the "pretty boys" comment? What if he told her that he liked "pretty girls" and then smiled at her? Wait, no, that was terrible! All guys liked pretty girls! If he said that, he'd just come off like an idiot. There had to be something . . .

"Oi, Emi," yelled a girl's voice.

A moment later, a sporty girl with short, dark hair stepped up to Emi and Shou.

"Oh, Akiko-senpai," Emi said.

"You're not leaving us this year, are you?" the girl named Akiko asked.

Emi shook her head. "I'm just keeping my friend company. Akiko-senpai, this is Tanimoto Shou-kun. He's a new transfer student. Shou, this Kanda Akiko-senpai, the captain of the girl's tennis team."

"Hey there, Tanimoto. You mind if I steal her away?"

Shou didn't have the guts to say he did mind, even in a joking way, so instead he just gestured with his hand, as if to say, "be my guest."

Emi turned to Akiko. "What's up?" she asked.

"I just found out Rina broke her ankle. She's out of commission. I was hoping you could step up and sub for vice-captain . . ."

Emi fell in beside the tennis captain, and together they headed off down the hall.

Shou exhaled, only then realizing he'd been holding his breath. His chest felt tight and uncomfortable. Somehow he'd missed an opportunity with Emi twice in one day. He still wasn't sure whether he liked-liked her, beyond his initial attraction to her, but the only way to find out would be to get to know her better. And to do that, he needed to work on his courage and charm. Back in Kamikawa, he'd gone on a few dates, kissed a couple of girls. But the girls at Morigami were on an entirely different level. They were smart, and talented, and beautiful.

He decided some sort of training was in order. Briefly, he thought of the haunted castle and dating games at Mori-Mooru that Kouta had mentioned. Maybe they would help. It was worth a shot.

Shou waited nearly a half hour for a shot at the club sheets. By the time he made it to the front of the line, the only available spots for baseball tryouts were after 1700. He signed up for 1715. Briefly, he also surveyed the sign-up sheets for the other available clubs. There were almost too many of them to count. Soccer, judo, kendo, track, tennis, swimming, softball, volleyball . . . And then the culture clubs: English, drama, art, journalism, literature, calligraphy, science, mathematics, yearbook committee. There were also forms to apply for positions in the disciplinary committee, or to sign up as an assistant for the elected student council members.

His head swam just looking at everything. He felt like he wasn't living up to Morigami expectations if he only joined one club. Then again, Kouta and Emi were only in one club, weren't they? The truth was Shou didn't actually know. He hadn't even known Emi was in a club at all until today. Still, there was nothing that jumped out at him. He considered kendo so he could hang out with Kouta, but he had no familiarity with the sport, and he wasn't going to join two sports clubs. Then there was journalism club, which handled the school paper; Sayoko was the editor-in-chief. But he'd never had much of an affinity for reporting.

Well, he could always think it over and hope all the lists hadn't filled up by tomorrow.

He started back toward the lobby, figuring he could work at the school store and finally get a chance to talk to Kazami again. The hallway was practically empty now; only the last handful of students waiting for signups remained. But as Shou passed Classroom 1C, he heard something . . .

Someone . . . crying?

Shou paused outside the door. He could hear the soft sound of whimpering within.

His heart fluttered. There was a part of him that wanted to leave whoever it was alone. He didn't know why they were upset, or if he'd even be welcome. But his conscience wouldn't let him ignore someone in need.

He hesitated one more moment, then opened the door.

Ariwa Reiko sat at a desk in the corner of the room. She held several folded sheets of paper, but she wasn't looking at them. She was staring out the window. As soon as she heard Shou enter, she turned toward him, wide-eyed. For a few seconds she blinked at him, bewildered, her cheeks wet.

Then she looked away and dabbed at her face with the sleeve of her school jacket. "Tanimoto-kun," she said. Her voice quavered slightly, but it was otherwise strong. "You surprised me."

"Are you all right?" he asked. He shut the door behind him and took a step toward her.

"I'm fine," she said. She smiled, then unfolded the papers in her hand. "I was just practicing the final scene, when Juliet sees that Romeo is dead and decides to kill herself. 'Oh, happy dagger . . .' I think I got a little too into it."

Shou was silent for a moment. It wasn't hard to figure out that Ariwa was lying. When he'd entered, she hadn't been paying any attention to the script pages. But if she had something personal going on, it wasn't any of his business. He didn't want to pry. He apologized for bothering her and went for the door.

"Wait," she said.

Shou stopped.

"Would you, um . . . Would you be willing to . . . read lines with me?" Ariwa asked.

He hesitated a second, then smiled, and bowed his head. "I'd be happy to, Ariwa-san," he said.

"Call me Rei-chan," she said. "Everyone does."

"What do you like to be called?" Shou asked.

Her eyelids flared in surprise. Then, her face reddened, and a slight, yet truly real smile played across her lips, dimpling her cheeks. "Reiko," she said. "Just Reiko." In an instant, all her careful poise and elegance was replaced by genuine warmth. Shou was amazed at the difference. Where before her bearing had made her seem somehow inaccessible, now there was a light in her eyes that beckoned him closer.

"Reiko," he repeated. "You can call me Shou."

Over the next couple hours, he read scenes with Reiko. Not all were for the auditions. Reiko said that practicing and understanding the most pivotal scenes for Juliet allowed her to comprehend the emotions of her character more fully, and apply what she'd learned to the audition scene. Shou could tell that she took her craft very seriously, and he couldn't help but admire her for it.

And she was talented. That was undeniable.

"Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!" she cried in horror, in the scene where Juliet found out that Romeo had slain her cousin. She was torn between her love for Romeo and the agony he had caused her. "Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb!" She cursed and praised him in the same breath, and somehow managed to convey the deep dichotomy of the character's emotions; it was the edge in her voice, the glistening tears in her eyes, the way her face contorted in pain.

As for Shou, he was tentative at first, but quickly found himself wrapped up in Reiko's enthusiasm. He'd never read or studied Shakespeare, nor had he tried acting before. But there was something gratifying about delivering these lines. Oftentimes, they had to stop for Reiko to explain the meaning of the archaic language, or the poetic, but sometimes confusing phrasing. Yet after some of her careful coaching, he felt up to the task.

The last thing they did was the scene where Romeo and Juliet first speak to one another. It was to be one of the audition scenes for those going for the two leads. There were other scenes as well, but this one was the real clincher. Reiko took him through the scene's opening monologue a handful of times, and eventually he began to get the hang of it. "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?" he said, while Reiko stood at the head of the classroom, pretending to be on a balcony. He read the rest of the monologue with growing intensity, and then he and Reiko went into the meat of the scene, their eyes locked together, the powerful emotions swirling between them.

The performance left him feeling better able to articulate himself.

His expression increased!

When they finished, they remained there for a moment, looking at each other. As Shou gazed at her, he felt a longing, a hollow yearning beneath his ribcage. He found himself unsure of whether what he was feeling was real. Did his heart stir for "Juliet?" Or Reiko?

"That was . . . surprisingly good," Reiko said.

Shou told her she could be honest with him.

"No, I mean it," she said. "You really gave it your all. I'm impressed. You're a natural."

Shou blushed and thanked her for the compliment.

"I was wondering . . . Would you like to be my audition partner?" she asked. "I'd completely understand if you're not interested. It's one thing to practice a scene and another to actually audition for the play."

"Don't you have a partner already?" Shou asked.

Reiko cast her eyes at the floor.

Shou blanched. Had he said the wrong thing?

"I don't," she said. "No one signed up to audition with me. Everyone thinks I'll make them look bad."

"You couldn't make anyone look bad," Shou said.

At this, Reiko perked up. She smiled at him. "You're too kind, Shou-kun."

He smiled back at her.

"So? Will you do it?" she asked.

Shou nodded.

Her mouth widened into a grin. It was the first time Shou had seen that expression on Reiko, and it suited her well. She grabbed his hand. "Thank you, Shou-kun. I . . . I really want you to be my Romeo."

Snap!

The breath left Shou's lungs.

Thou art I . . . And I am thou . . .

Thou hast established a new bond . . . It brings thee closer to the truth . . . Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana . . .

They looked at each other for a moment, and then suddenly Reiko yanked her hands away from Shou and covered her face. "I can't believe I just said that. I meant my Romeo for the play. That's all." With every word, her skin turned a brighter shade of red.

"I understand," Shou said, pushing away a pang of disappointment.

"I . . . I appreciate it." She made a deep bow. Then, when she stood straight again, she tilted her head and laughed. "It's funny, you know. I never stumble over my words. But for some reason you put me off guard. There's a certain quality about you . . . Maybe that's why you make such a good Romeo."

Abashed, Shou didn't know what to say to that, so he just shrugged his shoulders.

"And you're humble, too," she said. "It's an important quality in an actor." She paused, then looked at Shou. "I think we've done enough for today. Would you . . . like to walk back to the dorm together? I think the rain's stopped."

Shou told her he'd like that very much.

Together, they headed back to G Hall.

Thursday

April 11, 2013 — Evening

Cloudy

By the time they arrived at the dorm, Kumiko-san almost had dinner ready. Shou enjoyed yet another tasty meal, and chatted some more with Reiko, as well as Kumiko-san. Endo kept to himself. As for Kouta, Emi, and Itami, they were still at school, most likely dealing with sports club business. Preparations for next week's tryouts.

After dinner, Shou headed up to his room to do his homework and study. He did pages of calculus problems; he studied countless chemistry formulae; he wrote five paragraphs on Oda Nobunaga's trick as the "Fool of Owari" for Abe-sensei; and more.

He felt tired, but somehow managed to keep going.

. . .

. . .

His knowledge increased!

Friday

April 12, 2013 — Early Morning

Clear Skies

Shou sat in Classroom 2B, listening to Abe-sensei make homeroom announcements.

"The library has concluded renovations," Abe said, "and is open again to students starting today." He gave a loud harrumph. "Disgraceful, the youth of today . . . Back in my day, a school would never begin the semester without the library available. But now, with you youngsters and your new-fangled technology and your interwebs, you don't even need libraries! Why . . ."

Shou groaned inwardly as Abe went on with his rant.

Friday

April 12, 2013 — Afternoon

Clear Skies

Shou sat in a line with the other guys in his gym class. He was dressed in gym clothes he'd picked up from the school store.

The gymnasium was a cavernous space, with rows of collapsible bleachers, basketball hoops on either end, and court markings on the wooden floor, which was coated in a shiny finish. Coach Kawamura, bull-necked and thickly built, but with a budding belly, stood in front of them, pacing up and down the line.

"It's every bit as important to practice your skills in sports as it is to practice your mindset," he said. "Modern science shows us that our minds can have a powerful effect on our performance. Olympic athletes now use visual-motor rehearsal to increase their chances of success before they compete. Now, it's my job here to teach you principles that you can apply toward living a balanced, fit, and healthful existence! And those principles start not in the body, but up here, in the brain." He tapped his forehead.

Sitting on the floor, listening to Coach Kawamura go on and on, Shou found himself growing sleepy. He pinched the inside of his forearm to stay awake.

"First we're going to begin with some simple breathing and meditation techniques, to calm the mind," Coach Kawamura said. "Inhale deeply through the nose, counting to five. Then exhale, also through the nose, to another count of five. As you do this, imagine your mind is like a TV screen. When intruding thoughts arise, just change the channel. Bring it back to a visualization you find relaxing. A peaceful lake. The beach. Clear blue skies."

Shou began to regulate his breathing. He had practice at this, so it came easily. The visualizations, however, were new to him, and helpful. They allowed him to find a deeper serenity than he ever had before. With it came a greater ability to know himself and his own mind.

His understanding increased!

Friday

April 12, 2013 — After School

Clear Skies

After school, Shou decided to visit the newly opened library.

The moment he stepped inside, his eyes widened in wonder. Even the public library in Kamikawa wasn't nearly as big!

Round globe lights were suspended from the high vaulted ceiling. Rows of dark, polished wooden bookshelves filled the space like a forest. Off to the right were sets of long tables where students could study. Some of the tables had partitions, creating a cubicle effect where students could have privacy if they wanted it. And beyond that, through glass windows, Shou could see a computer room, with what had to be at least thirty desktop PCs for student use.

Morigami Academy sure was something.

To the side lay the librarian's station, where a prim, middle-aged woman with her hair in a bun dealt with a line of students, one-by-one. The nameplate in front of her identified her as Mihara-san.

For a short while, Shou browsed the shelves. He stopped at a book called "One Punch: First Round." He'd heard about this book. It was the first in a series of novels that followed an underdog featherweight boxer from lowly beginnings to becoming a one-hit KO phenom. Supposedly, just reading it could bolster a person's courage. He decided to give it a try.

As he was heading to the checkout line, he noticed Abe-sensei reading a book at one of the tables. To Shou's surprise, it wasn't a history book. It looked like . . .

Was that a romance novel?

He was so curious that he thought of actually walking over and asking Abe-sensei about it. But then, as if sensing Shou's attention, Abe looked up, and glowered.

Shou paled.

He'd need a bit more courage before trying to engage Abe-sensei.

He scurried off to checkout.

In the lobby, he spotted Kazami working in the school store. It was Friday, so he could pick up a shift if he wanted one. He still hadn't had the chance to talk to her about the list of names Emi had come up with. Maybe this would be a good time.

Shou joined Kazami behind the register, donning an apron. She nodded at him, but gave him no more greeting than that.

What was up with her?

With the club signups posted, the store was way busier than the first time Shou had worked there. Even with him, Kazami, and Tanaka-san working, they were still swamped. Students bought everything from tennis racquets to textbooks.

Over the next few hours, during any brief lull, Shou tried to engage Kazami in conversation. Every time, she either ignored him, or blew him off with a, "Not now." It began to frustrate him, but he remembered the calming exercises from Coach Kawamura and kept his cool.

At last, around 1800, the activity began to die down. Tanaka-san took off at the first opportunity, leaving Shou and Kazami alone together.

Shou couldn't take the cold shoulder anymore. "Why won't you talk to me?" he asked.

She looked at him, then glanced away, shirking his gaze. "I said too much the last time," she said. "If you're not going to join us, then . . . we can't be friends. It's as simple as that."

Shou told her that was ridiculous.

"Why is that ridiculous?" she demanded. "If you don't listen to what I told you in that world, we could end up fighting each other. So . . . let's not make this anymore complicated than it has to be."

"Is Kageshiro making you do this?" he asked.

She inhaled sharply. "Where did you hear that name?" she asked.

He told her it didn't matter.

"No one makes me do anything," she said. "And whatever you think you know, you don't. Leave it alone."

"I'm trying out for baseball next week," he replied. "I'm going to meet him, no matter what."

Again, Kazami looked at him. This time, her expression softened. She bit her bottom lip. "Look," she said, "you're . . . a nice guy. So, I don't want you to get hurt. You have no idea what you're messing with. Please . . . let this go."

He said, "I can't."

"That's what I thought you'd say," she replied. "Which is exactly why we can't be friends." With that, she brushed past him and grabbed a broom to begin sweeping up the store.

Shou sighed, feeling utterly bewildered. Why was Kazami acting like this? Was it really because she didn't want him to get hurt? Or did she just not want him to interfere, and figured appealing to his emotions would work best? He just didn't know. He'd thought they had gotten along so well before, too.

For the next half hour, they cleaned up, saying not a word to each other. Shou watched the clock tick closer to 1930.

At 1920, Kazami's cell phone rang.

Kazami looked at the number, and the color drained from her face. Then she retreated into the supply room and shut the door behind her.

Shou continued to straighten up, all the while wondering what had just happened. He couldn't hear anything on the other side of the door. Not that he would have eavesdropped, but he was curious. And concerned.

A few minutes later, Kazami emerged from the supply room. Her eyes were red. She looked like she'd been crying.

"I . . . have to . . . go," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can you . . . ?" She gestured vaguely at the store, and then, without waiting for a response, began to amble toward the exit.

"Wait!" Shou called. He ran up beside her. Despite the way she'd been treating him, his entire body felt tight with worry for her. "What happened?"

She shook her head. "I . . . can't," she managed.

"Kazami," he said, "let me help. I'm sure there's—"

"No one can help me!" she screamed.

Then she sank to her knees, and began to weep.

Shou sucked in a breath, feeling like he'd taken a physical blow. For a moment, he stared at Kazami, grief-stricken, her entire body shaking. Then he knelt beside her. He wanted to put his arm around her, but he didn't have the courage. Instead, he offered her reassuring words. "I'm here," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said through her tears. "It's my mom, she . . ." She was cut off by another sob. "It isn't fair! It's just not fair!"

"What isn't fair?" he asked.

"She . . . she . . ." Kazami hiccupped, her breath coming in unsteady gasps. "My mom has . . . stage three ovarian cancer. She just . . . she just . . . went through another round of chemo, and . . . we were hoping for good news, but . . ." She began to bawl anew. She laid her head against his shoulder, her sorrow robbing her of even the ability to support her own weight.

They stayed there for several minutes, until Kazami's sobs became ragged gasps, and then, finally, the deep, exhausted breathing that followed the release of such powerful feelings. When she was calm, she looked at him with wonder in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "For staying with me . . . after I was so awful to you, these past few days. I . . . I don't deserve you as a friend."

Shou told her he'd meant it when he'd said he wasn't going anywhere. "I'm here to stay," he said. "Kaede."

She didn't reprimand him for using her first name. Instead, she looked like she might start crying again. Her voice still weak, she said, "You really are . . . a nice guy. You know that?"

He laughed.

Despite herself, she laughed as well.

Snap! The sound echoed through Shou's mind.

Thou art I . . . And I am thou . . . Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana . . .

He felt the warmth of the growing Social Link pulse through him. He offered Kaede his arm, and she accepted. He helped her to her feet.

"This is why I work so much," she told him. "Because my mom can't anymore. And my dad can't work as much as he used to, since he's taking care of her. We're . . . not in great shape. I have to do everything I can."

"That sounds really tough," he said.

"Yeah," she said. "It is." She took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm . . . I think I'm all right for now." She looked at him. "Would you feel like waiting for the trolley with me?"

He nodded.

Together, they waited for the trolley at the city-bound, front gate stop. After Kaede boarded, Shou walked back to G Hall.

Friday

April 12, 2013 — Evening

Clear Skies

That night, in his room, Shou could barely concentrate on his homework, much less study. He kept thinking about Kaede, and her mom. He knew there was nothing he could do, except offer his support. The same as with Emi, after Kudo-sensei had died.

Once again, he felt powerless.

Giving up on his studies for the night, he instead decided to pick up the book he'd taken out from the library. He cracked open the cover of "One Punch: First Round" and began to read.

It didn't take long for him to sink into the story of Makino Ikko, an unassuming young man drawn into the world of professional boxing. Despite his inexperience and his kind nature, he quickly discovered that he was a natural at the sport, and had a passion for it. The early chapters of the novel followed Ikko's joining a professional boxing gym, and preparing for his first fight in the Rookie Rumble tourney.

Shou's pulse quickened just reading about the powerful punches and techniques Ikko would soon have to face, from cross counters to flicker jabs. By the time Shou set the book down for the night, he felt like he could grasp some of the bravery necessary to compete in such a sport.

His courage increased!

Next time, on Persona Gaiden: New Class . . .

Two mysterious newcomers make themselves known at Morigami Academy. Who could they be? Are they friend or foe? Tune in next time to find out!

Social Links

The Fool — Morigami Exploration Team — Rank 2

The Magician — Hayabusa Kouta — Rank 2

Justice — Kazami Kaede — Rank 2!

The Hanged Man — Ariwa Reiko — Rank 1!

Author's Note 2: In case anyone picked up on it, yes, "Makino Ikko," is totally an homage to George Morikawa's "Makunouchi Ippo." Clearly, I'm a Hajime no Ippo fan. ;)

I'll see you all in a few days with the next chapter. It's one I've been waiting to share with you for weeks now. Look forward to it! :D