Persona Trinity

by IIIIIIIIII

Six months have passed since the defeat of Yaldabaoth and the disbandment of the Phantom Thieves. Ren Amamiya now enjoys a normal high-school life, hard-won though it may be. For once, normalcy started to feel normal. However, the whims of fate would set the Wild Card User on another path. And he would be far from the only one fate would call on. Pairing: Pseudo RenxHarem YuxHarem

36. Festival Under a Starry Night - Part II

A/N Here's the last chapter prior to the end of the year, so enjoy! Also, happy holidays, happy new year! And of course to those that celebrate it, Merry Xmas! I'll be taking a break for the holidays, so the next chapter will likely not get posted until 2nd/3rd week of Jan.

Disclaimer: I do not own Person, or any of its characters, and I make no money off of this

Chapter 36

Both the Wild Cards stood patiently besides the Nijima sisters as they enjoyed candied apples that were much more difficult to get than they should've been. However, they'd manage to find a nice spot away from the massive crowds and were now settling in to the closest thing to a quiet moment they'd had the entire night.

"So, how are they?" Yu asked conversationally.

"Delicious," Sae replied, then giving her sister a small smirk. "And it'll stay that way as long as a certain someone can keep from smacking it onto the ground."

"Again, I was five!" Makoto exclaimed defensively. "And will you just let it go already?!"

"I'll consider it."

When both Yu and Ren started to chuckle, Makoto could only sigh, although she did give a bit of a sideways glare at a certain black-haired Shujin student who she thought was laughing a little too hard.

"Well, I guess this is as good a time to go use the restroom as any," grumbled Makoto. She moved her candied apple over towards Joker. "Ren, would you mind holding onto this?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks."

As the brunette started to walk off, she almost immediately tripped on a large rock that she hadn't noticed on account of how dark it was outside. She quickly threw her arms out try and get her balance back, which if course she did, but it had one unintended side-effect. The back of one of her hands slammed right into the candied apple that Sae was holding on to.

Makoto had realized what she'd done even before hearing the loud thud as the apple hit the ground. She looked over at her sister, wide-eyed and speechless, while Sae on the other hand stood motionless with her eyes clamped shut and a scowl marking her features.

To say Sae looked annoyed was an understatement.

When she finally did open her eyes, they looked about as Makoto and the Wild Cards had expected. She was glaring directly at her younger sibling, and she was not happy.

"Five years old, huh?" Sae asked rhetorically.

"Pfft—" Makoto started to laugh, only to slap her hands over her mouth to stop herself. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to… Pffff—haha…!"

What made it worse was the fact that it clearly wasn't nervous laughter. Makoto actually found it hilarious—so much so that she had tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

Her sister, however, did not.

"So, that was funny to you, was it?" Sae inquired.

"N-No, I'm just… H-Haha…!" Makoto replied.

As she was trying to get herself under control, she randomly moved one of her hands off to the side. This time the candied apple she smacked wasn't Sae's; she'd hit the one that she'd given over to Ren just a few seconds ago.

No one could believe it as they saw the apple smack into the ground.

"Now that was funny," Sae remarked.

The Nijima sisters broke out into laughter then and there, and even Yu and Ren couldn't stop themselves from joining in. More time passed than any of them had realized before they'd all calmed down, with Makoto wiping away tears and Sae nearly having to do the same.

"I-I've gotta calm down. My sides are starting to hurt," Makoto half-groaned.

"Well, you can always…" Ren began.

He stopped mid-sentence when the overpowering sound of a crowd randomly hit them all at once. Off a short distance away, a good number of people had randomly come together out of nowhere. For what reason though, none of them could tell.

"Is that—"

"Hang on, aren't you—"

"No way. Can't be, right?"

"I mean—"

"I wonder what's happening over there all of a sudden?" Makoto thought aloud.

"Should we go check it out?" Ren offered.

"Considering the last time we ended up in a crowd that size we all got separated from one another, I think it's better that we don't," said Sae. "Plus, it seems to only be getting bigger and bigger by the second."

"Yeah, no kiddin'," Ren stated in mild shock. "But what could be grabbing their attention like that?"

"Sorry—think you—the wrong person. I'm just—"

Yu's ears immediately perked up when he'd heard that voice. It was faint, but he'd recognize it anytime and anywhere. He started to step away, knowing he needed to act fast.

"I think I might have an idea," Yu remarked with a bit of a sigh. "Excuse me for a sec."

"Hey, wait, you shouldn't just…!" Sae stated.

Her words fell on deaf ears as within a split-second, Yu was gone and somehow already out of sight.

---

At the center of what was quickly becoming a sea of people was Rise Kujikawa, though she desperately wanted to make sure no one around her knew that fact. However, what had started as a 'hey, aren't you…?' quickly developed into something that was getting out of her control to stop.

It didn't help that a good number of the people she was trying to talk to were either half-drunk or just outright plastered.

"Are you sure you're not Rise Kujikawa? I mean, you look so much like her it's kinda freaky!" one of the young women exclaimed.

"She totally does, right?!"

"Sorry, but you really do have the wrong person," Rise replied, holding her hands up somewhat defensively as she heard more whispers coming from the gathered crowd. "Thanks for the compliment though."

"But, like, could you still take a picture? It'd be totally insta-worthy to get a pic of such a good look-alike, y'know?"

"Me too! Me too!"

"Aw no fair, I want a pic too!"

"I-I'd really rather not, if it's just the same to you," Rise stated politely.

The not-so-well disguised idol was completely ignored. In fact, it didn't look like a they'd heard a single word she'd just said.

Things were also starting to get worse from the crowd as she started to hear 'is that who I think it is?' more and more with each passing second. She would've done just about anything for her usual hero to swoop in and bail her out.

Luckily for her, she'd get just that.

"Hey, sorry for the wait."

It took her less than a second to recognize the voice, though she was shocked to hear it. Out of nowhere, Yu had appeared in front of her and was now standing just a short distance away, charming smile and all.

He didn't say anything else and calmly started to lead Rise away, something which totally confused everyone in the surrounding crowd. The casual way he'd spoken to her and how he'd randomly just shown up had them second-guessing if the person they were looking at was really Rissette.

Clearly, that had been Yu's intent from the start. No one that had been swarming her seconds ago had stopped them as they walked away, and it wasn't long before they'd lost the crowd entirely.

"Phew…" Rise sighed, a weight visibly lifting from her shoulders. "Thanks for the save back there. You have no idea how relieved I was to see you show up out of nowhere."

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad I was able to get you out of there in one piece," Yu remarked.

Rise giggled playfully, "Doesn't it remind you of old times? You know, like how you helped me avoid the mobs of reporters when I'd first moved back to Inaba?"

"Yeah, it does," Yu replied. He gave her a concerned look. "Although I guess this means it's safe to say Naoto and Kanji were right. You probably should've dressed to keep a lower profile. To be honest, I don't know why you felt the need to go all-out for tonight."

Although Rise's eyes were locked at her front, they sank into a bitter, agitated glare. Just hearing him say that last sentence boiled her blood, and for more reasons than one.

"Aaaand he's clueless. Surprise, surprise," Rise muttered, her voice so heavy with sarcasm that even a literal rock could've understood it.

"What?"

"I was just saying that I thought you said I looked good enough to justify the risk," Rise stated pointedly.

She was right, of course. He did say that, and he knew it.

"Well, yeah, but I…" Yu trailed off.

In an instant, Rise had stopped in place and put her hands on her hips. She glared at the silver-haired young man so heavily that it would've terrified just about anyone else.

"So you're saying I don't look good?" Rise questioned.

"What? No, of course not," Yu replied. When her eyes narrowed, he was quick to clarify his words. "A-As in of course you don't not look good."

"Okay, then how do I look?" Rise pressed. "You've got to have something better than 'don't not look good', right?"

"I said earlier that you looked great, didn't I?"

"You said 'pretty' great, and you 'pretty' much said the exact same thing to everyone," Rise countered.

Although Yu was about to respond, he quickly realized something and stopped himself before another word left his mouth. It was obvious that Rise had spent an unbelievable amount of time getting her appearance as perfect as it could be—whether that was her hair, her makeup, or her stunning kimono.

He'd couldn't ever admit it out loud, but he knew why. He knew exactly why she'd put in all that effort. She hadn't done all that to get some empty, meaningless compliment out of him that he'd toss out to anyone. No, she wanted to get an honest, from the heart response out of him. She wanted it so badly to the point that she was afraid she wouldn't get it; the vulnerable look in her eyes was proof enough of that.

Inwardly, Yu could only sigh. On some level, he knew he probably shouldn't tell her what he really felt because it'd just push him further down a hole he didn't want to be in, but seeing her like that, he didn't have a choice.

He just didn't have the heart to push her away.

"You look beautiful, Rise. You really do," Yu stated, his gray orbs locking with the redhead's eyes as he spoke.

What happened after was about what he'd expected. Even if he'd only said a handful of words, the fact that he spoken them with all the honesty he could give, and the fact that Rise could recognize that, was more than enough.

"I-I see," Rise stammered, her face heating up as a smile crept onto her features. "Thanks. I'm… I'm glad my hard work paid off."

"Hey, wait a second, is that…?"

A few murmurs started to sound off from a bunch of random festival-goers that they'd passed by. It didn't take a genius to guess what they were wondering about, though.

"…although I'd say it was still barely worth the risk," Yu commented with a sweatdrop.

"Relax, it'll be fine. I've got you here with me now, after all," Rise said, clearly self-assured. "C'mon, let's go enjoy the festival. That is what we're here for, right?"

Yu nodded. "We should be careful with the crowds though. I was just with Ren, Sae, and Makoto, but I think they got eaten up by the crowds and now I can't see them anymore. If we're not careful, the same things bound to happen with us."

"Hmm, yeah, good point," Rise mused, now sporting a devilish smile. "I guess that means we should make extra-sure we won't get separated, huh?"

"Yeah, we—"

Without missing a beat, Rise leaned in and latched onto his arm, wrapping herself around him like a tiger leaping onto its prey.

"Uh, Rise?" Yu uttered confusedly.

"What? You said we should make extra-sure we don't get separated, right?" she answered innocently.

"True…" Yu trailed off, sighing inwardly at his own words turning against him.

"And this way, there's no shot of that happening, right?" Rise answered, tightening her grip more so.

Yu couldn't say she was wrong. After all, with how tightly she was latched onto his arm, there really wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that they'd wind up getting separated.

Then again, even if he did try to disagree with her at first, he knew things would end up the same either way.

"So, anything in particular you wanted to do?" Rise abruptly asked.

"Actually, I was about to ask you that," Yu admitted.

"Honestly, I'm fine just walking around like this," Rise stated. She smiled playfully, adding, "I guess you could say I'm already doing what I was most looking forward to."

"I'm good with walking around for a bit. Just let me know if anything catches your eye," Yu replied.

Rise leaned onto his shoulder, her grip tightening slightly. Something already had caught her eye, and she wasn't letting it out of her sights anytime soon.

"Sounds good to me."

---

Ren Amamiya stood perfectly still, his eyes blankly staring in front of him at the sea of people passing him by. The reason was simple: he was trying to process how the hell he could have possibly lost both Sae and Makoto in the span of two seconds.

Worse was the fact that the entire surrounding area seemed to have changed. It was as if he'd been teleported to another part of the festival entirely. He tried his best to search the area for any sign of Sae, Makoto, or Yu, though of course he wasn't having any luck.

"…yeah, that's about right," sighed Ren.

As he continued looking through the crowd, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He could see what looked like blonde hair, though he only saw it every few seconds as his line of sight kept getting cut off by the endless line of people that kept walking out in front of him.

When he caught a glimpse of red, he was almost sure he'd found Ann.

'It should be right over… there,' Ren thought.

Given what had happened just minutes ago, the Wild Card didn't want to waste any time out of fear that his friend would be gone again in an instant. Thankfully, she wasn't, and when he got through the tide of festival-goers, he came out on the other side to see thankfully see Ann out in the open right in front of him.

The blonde, however, wasn't alone. There was a total of four college-aged boys around her trying to chat her up.

"—so if you want, you can totally hang with us," one said.

"Thanks for the offer, but I've actually got plans," Ann answered, showing off a pleasant smile to hide her growing annoyance.

"Oh? Meeting up with your boyfriend?" another inquired.

"No, just with a bunch of friends," Ann replied.

"That all? C'mon, it'll be a lot more fun hangin' with us," said another. "That much I can guarantee."

"Again, thanks, but—" began Ann.

"Are you really sure?" he pressed, sounding pleasant enough. "I don't mean to be pushy, but it's kinda crazy to see a beautiful girl like you go to waste just wandering around here all by herself, ya know?"

"At the very least, we'd make sure you don't get lonely," another added.

It was clear that they were trying to be charming, but it was also clear to anyone with eyes that it wasn't working. Ann was trying her best not to let herself blow up at them, but her smile was starting to crack, and if the college boys hadn't been so busy staring at her breasts, they'd have noticed one of her hands ball into a fist.

To put it simply, if they'd been in the Metaverse, this would be about the time that Carmen would get called out.

'Guess that's my cue,' Ren thought, a bead of sweat dripping from his temple.

"So, how 'bout it?"

If a few more seconds had passed, there wasn't any telling just how heavily Ann would start to lay into them. However, before she even opened her mouth to respond, a certain raven-haired teen made his presence known.

"Hey, Ann," greeted Ren as he walked up to her side. "Finally found you. Everything okay?"

His voice was like music to the blonde's ears. She turned to make sure her hearing wasn't playing tricks on her, and the relief that showed in her eyes when they laid sights on him was clear even in the heart of the night.

"Ren!" Ann happily exclaimed.

The way that he walked up next to her, and the way she reacted to him doing so, seemed to send a clear message to the group of college boys.

"Oooh, you must be one of her, uh… friends," one of the young men said in a pleasant manner. He rubbed the back of his head a bit bashfully. "We'll be on our way. Take care, 'kay? And try not to get lost again."

They were gone in a flash. In fact, once they laid eyes on Ren, it seemed that they couldn't get out of there fast enough—though for whatever reason, the teen himself couldn't really say.

"Thanks for the save, I owe you one," Ann quickly stated.

Ren gave her a disbelieving grin. "Actually, I think I was more saving them than you. You looked like you were about a second away from smacking one of them into a different reality."

"I so was not," said Ann in denial. "I mean, I wanted to, but I still wouldn't have."

"Glad to hear it," Ren chuckled.

"So anyway," began Ann, clearly intent on changing the subject. "Were you alone before bumping into me or have you managed to find anyone else?"

"Yes to both," Ren answered, earning a confused look. "I was with Yu, Sae, and Makoto, but we lost each other a few minutes back. As for how that happened…"

"Crowds?" Ann reasoned.

Ren nodded. "Crowds."

"Why am I not surprised?" Ann asked rhetorically. "As for me, you're the first one from our group I've managed to run into. You have no idea how relieved I am to not be walking out here all alone."

"I think I can imagine," Ren stated almost amusedly. "So, what—"

Someone accidentally bumped into his shoulder and cut him off mid-question. At least the person who did it hadn't meant to; it had just been a drunk young man walking alongside his girlfriend.

"Sorry bro, my mistake!"

"No problem," Ren replied.

"Looks like the crowds are starting to find us," Ann grimaced, taking notice of the influx of people.

"All the more reason to get moving," Ren muttered.

"No arguments here."

A comfortable silence set in as the two walked away in search of somewhere a bit less crowded. Eventually, things thinned out enough to the point they didn't have to worry about getting run down while they were talking, allowing them to continue on with their conversation.

"The amount of people here is seriously crazy," Ann commented offhandedly.

"Yeah, it feels like the closer we get to midnight, the more of 'em keep showing up," Ren stated in agreement.

"I guess that makes sense though," Ann mused. "I just hope we don't lose each other like when we first got here…"

"You and me both."

As the two fell into another silence, Ann stared into the crowds and couldn't help but be reminded of the time they were at the mall just a few weeks ago. Her eyes started to drift over towards his arm, and she felt a sudden urge to just reach out and grab onto it in the spur of the moment.

Whatever part of her thought that was a bad idea was completely ignored, if it was even heard at all. Ann reached out and gently slid her hand through the gap under Ren's arm before leaning into him a split-second later.

"H-Hm?" Ren muttered in surprise, obviously caught off guard.

"So we don't get separated," Ann simply explained. "You know, because of the crowds."

"Ah, gotcha," said Ren a bit stiffly.

"…is that okay?" Ann asked, trying her best to hide the shyness in her own voice.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's fine," Ren replied. "Like I said before, I do this all the time with Futaba. It's no big deal."

Just hearing those words would've ordinarily had Ann's confidence sinking to rock bottom or worse. Then and there, however, she could only find herself smiling after having heard them.

After all, he didn't blush like he was right now when he was with Futaba.

Ann didn't know the reason behind the blush at all. It could've just been that he wasn't expecting her to do what she had, or it could've been something else entirely. She didn't know, and the truth was she didn't care. The answer wouldn't stop her from enjoying the moment regardless of what it was.

"Yeah, it's no big deal," repeated Ann, leaning in slightly more so as she spoke.

---

"Looks like the crowds have thinned out a bit," mused Rise.

"For now," Yu uttered plainly.

Rise giggled. "It wouldn't kill you to dial it back just a bit, you know."

"We don't know that for sure."

"Come on, don't be like—"

"Yu-san? Is that you?"

The feminine voice that called out was by that point almost too familiar. Off to the side, Chihaya was seated at a fortune-telling booth, smiling at the pair as they passed her by.

"Hey there Chihaya-san," Yu greeted in a friendly manner. "Long time no see."

"Hardly," said Chihaya, laughing slightly as she did so. "I see you made it to the festival after all. And is that Kujik—"

"Yeah, it is," Yu quickly interrupted. "No need to point that out though, if you know what I mean."

"Ah, I see," Chihaya muttered to herself in realization. "Life as a celebrity must be pretty annoying sometimes, huh?"

"It definitely has its ups and downs. Although, tonight might not be so bad if it wasn't for the crowds," Rise sighed.

"I know what you mean," Chihaya uttered in agreement, her shoulders slumping as she spoke. "I've been so swamped tonight that I've barely had five minutes to myself. In fact, this is the closest I've come to a break since I got here tonight."

Yu started to look around, saying, "Speaking of which… why are there hardly any people here all of a sudden?"

True to his words, the crowds walking by were starting to get so thin that there wasn't even a continuous stream of people anymore. It was like the foot-traffic had suddenly vanished altogether.

"You know, I was wondering about that too. It's strange, really…" Chihaya thought aloud. "Still, business has been booming. There's been no shortage of couples that've asked for a reading on their romantic fortunes."

"Oh right, the whole 'destiny written in the stars' thing," Rise uttered.

"Yep, exactly," Chihaya chirped in an upbeat manner. Her mood soon reversed as a frown started to show on her features. "Granted, not everyone has been happy with my predictions. Some just seem to take bad news less well than others."

"Do people really get that bent out of shape over fortune readings?" Rise inquired curiously.

"You'd be surprised," Chihaya replied.

It was clear by her forced smile that she was repressing unwanted memories.

"Ren mentioned to me that Chihaya-san has a reputation for her predictions coming true, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it too," added Yu.

"You're not wrong about that…" sighed Chihaya. She perked up, saying, "A-Anyway, since you're the only people here right now, would you like your romantic fortunes read?"

"Oooh, that sounds like fun," cooed Rise, smiling eagerly as she looked towards her silver-haired friend. "Although I'd bet just about anything you'll come up empty if you read his."

Although the idol had only said that as a joke, it had the odd effect of depressing Chihaya to the point that she nearly slammed her forehead onto her table.

"Funny you should say that…" Yu began, trying to hide his amusement out of respect for the fortune teller. "This'd be the second time, and I'm pretty sure you can guess how the first went."

"W-Well, this time might be different!" Chihaya exclaimed. "I might've just been having an off day last time! A-And even if I was, I'm certain I came closer to divining your romantic fortunes than Margaret-san ever could! In fact…!"

Without wasting a second more, Chihaya's expression became scarily determined. She picked up her deck of tarot cards and began to set them up for a fortune reading, and as she was doing so, her focus was so great that it seemed as if she'd sealed herself off from the rest of reality altogether.

"I'm so confused…" Rise whispered. "But she definitely seems determined at least."

"I think that's what they call 'professional pride'."

"And did she say Margaret-san? As in that Margaret-san?"

"Yep."

"I don't even… What?"

"I'll explain later."

After a few short seconds later, the cards were set, and Chihaya was getting ready to work her magic. Her expression was unmoving and her eyes were as cold as stone, but eventually, as she started to flip more of the cards in front of her, she started to crack a smile.

"Yes! I knew I could do it!" Chihaya exclaimed, pumping her fist up in the air.

"You actually see something?" Yu asked curiously.

"Wait, really?" Rise uttered in shock.

At first Chihaya didn't respond, and even when she did, she looked surprised to even see Yu and Rise standing in front of her table. She'd been so absorbed in actually reading the Wild Card's fortune that she had quite literally forgotten the reason she was reading it in the first place.

"Um, yes!" Chihaya replied, gathering herself as she snapped back to reality. "It's still mostly a ball of chaos, but I was able to see one thing. It's not much, but it's definitely not nothing!"

"And that thing was…?" Yu asked leadingly.

"The color red," Chihaya answered. "I can't exactly discern the meaning, but I can say for sure that the color red is integral to your romantic future. It could symbolize a deep, burning passionate love is in your future at some point, or it could be literally related to the person you'll end up with. It's difficult to say."

"Huh, I see," Yu muttered to himself.

Off to the side, a certain redhead glance at her bangs and started to wonder just how 'literal' that fortune could've been. Even if it didn't really matter to her all that much, she still couldn't stop the thought from popping into her head.

"So, will I be doing yours next, Kuji—I-I mean, miss?" Chihaya offered.

"O-Oh, um, sure!" Rise replied.

With a firm nod, Chihaya reset her deck of tarot cards and started off yet again. This time however, she didn't look quite as determined as before, which probably had something to do with Rise's fortune being much easier for her to read. When all was said and done though, she looked down at the cards with a bit of a frown.

"I take it things aren't looking great?" Rise half-guessed.

"Not exactly," Chihaya replied cryptically, her eyes never leaving the flipped cards. "It's just that I sense a great deal of… stress in your romantic future."

'Shocking,' Rise thought bitterly.

"However, I sense that you have a firm conviction and a strong will. If you stay true to yourself, then I believe that even in spite of the hardships you encounter, you may yet find a path to happiness," Chihaya went on. She gave a sympathetic look towards the idol, saying only, "Although I will warn you that it'll be a long road ahead."

Their conversation and the fortune reading itself soon came to an abrupt end as off to the side, whispers of an all-too familiar set of phrases started to sound off yet again.

"Dude, look over there! Check it out!"

"Huh? Hey, wait, is that…?"

Yu sighed. "Looks like the crowds starting to pick up again."

"Ugh, again?" Rise grumbled. "Sorry, but that's probably our cue to leave, Chihaya-san."

"Oh, it's not a problem," she replied with a smile. "I don't think I need to be able to see the future to know that you two are better off somewhere else right about now."

With that the two waved goodbye to the fortune teller and went on their way. They moved quickly up ahead with Yu managing to find a bench that was sort-of hidden away in a rest area set up inside a small flower display.

They quickly sat down for a much-needed rest. Both of them settled in to the peace and quiet, thankful that a hoard of people hadn't suddenly shown up to force them away again.

"We should be good here," Yu remarked.

"Perfect. I was just thinking that my legs definitely need a break," Rise stated. "And I guess as an added bonus, we've still got a pretty good view of the night's sky, don't you think?"

"Yeah, we do," said Yu with a nod, his sights now set towards the air above. "It's really beautiful, isn't it? Reminds me of the view at night in Inaba."

Yet another meteorite, bright and blazing with blue fire, shot across the sky no sooner than those words left Yu's mouth. Again, just like last time, that was where it ended, though it was as beautiful as it was short-lived.

"Must be another stray meteor," Rise mused. "Although that one was waaay bigger, and was it just me, or was it even brighter than the last one?"

"No, I think so too," Yu replied. "It also seemed like it flew straight above us. It's actually kinda crazy…"

"See, baby? I told ya."

"Hehe~ oh stop, we're in public, you know~"

"That was beautiful, wasn't it, Kujou-san?"

"Yes, and for more reasons than one."

With another meteorite also came the playful flirting between couples that seemed to be amped up ten times over. It also seemed to grab just about everyone, as whether the couples were old or young, new or experienced, they were affected all the same.

"Whoever's behind the marketing campaign for this deserves a medal…" Yu thought aloud. "People are taking that whole 'destiny written in the stars' thing really seriously."

"That doesn't really surprise me. Some people just like to believe in folktales like that, ya know?" Rise responded conversationally. "Well, for me at least, all that 'destiny' stuff really isn't my thing…"

"Really?" asked Yu, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, of course," Rise stated with an amused laugh. "Believing in destiny is accepting an outcome that'll happen no matter what you do, so whether you try your best or do nothing at all, it won't matter. I just think that's kinda…"

"Stupid," Yu finished, knowing exactly what was on her mind.

"I wasn't going to put it that harshly, but you're not wrong," Rise admitted. "Like, let's say that it's someone's dream was to become an athlete and they were to somehow find out from someone that could see the future that it was their destiny to become the greatest athlete to ever live. I'd imagine that'd make someone really happy, but then if it was the opposite and they were told they'd never make it, they'd be crushed, right? For me though… knowing the outcome in the first place is totally pointless. I'll try my best no matter what, and if I don't succeed, then that's that. At least I'll have given it my all, and I'd be fine knowing that. It's got nothing to do with destiny or fate."

"I can't say I disagree," Yu said solemnly, appreciating every word the redhead had just said. "Still, there are some things that'll happen no matter what you do. You know, like how sooner or later, everyone eventually passes on."

Rise nodded. "That's true, but I still think that the things that happen before you get there are mostly up to you based on the choices you make and the effort you put in to make life turn out the way you most want it to. I'm not sure how many people are out there that actually think that way, but for me, that's how I feel."

"Yeah, that's just like you," Yu said through a chuckle. He looked at the idol with a warm smile and a soft look to his calming gray eyes. "When you put your mind to something, you always give it everything you've got no matter what. I really admire that about you."

"W-What's with that all of a sudden?" Rise asked, offering a teasing smile to hide her growing blush.

"No reason in particular. I just felt like saying it," Yu stated.

As a comfortable silence settled in, the two were left to their own thoughts. In Rise's case, she could only think of how perfect this moment actually was. The more she thought on it, the more it felt like it was right out of a dream.

Sitting there next to Yu as they both stared up at the beautiful night sky was a more romantic moment than she could've ever hoped for at the festival. Inevitably, she remembered Chihaya's words from just a few minutes ago and began to twirl one of the ends of her beautiful red hair.

"W-Well… even if I don't believe in it, maybe if destiny existed, it wouldn't be all too bad," Rise whispered to herself.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Yu asked curiously.

"Just that you were right," Rise said. She scooted closer to his side, a cheerful smile showing from ear to ear. "The view does remind me of Inaba."

"Right?"

---

"Aaand two taiyaki! Here ya go!"

"Thank you!" Futaba replied.

The orange-haired teen gave the vendor the money before taking the taiyaki, after which she immediately gave one to Yusuke. Although they'd had to wait longer than either of them would've liked, just smelling the sweet scent of the still-warm snack was more than worth it.

"I can't remember the last time I had taiyaki," Futaba sighed blissfully as she took her first bite. "Man that's good!"

"I couldn't agree more," said Yusuke. "And thank you for paying for my share."

"No biggie, think of it as a 'thank you' for keeping me company while we did all the stuff I wanted to do," Futaba replied, sporting a cheerful grin.

"It was my pleasure to do so, although thank you for the food all the same," Yusuke stated.

Despite his answer, Futaba still couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Thus far, they'd only done what she had wanted to do—and even if Yusuke looked like he was enjoying himself, she still wasn't sure if that was just him faking it or being polite.

Granted, neither of those two things seemed like things Yusuke would do, but she still couldn't stop herself from worrying that he was.

"So, uh, while we eat, do you… do you maybe wanna people watch or something?" Futaba offered.

Yusuke gave her a curious look. "I beg your pardon?"

"Um, you know, people watching. Isn't that a thing that you like to do?" Futaba went on.

"…ah, I see," Yusuke uttered in realization. "You're offering to do something that I would have an interest in because thus far we've done only things you've asked to do. However, I told you before I had no preferences, didn't I? And for the record, I've quite enjoyed the time I've spent with you."

"W-Well, I'm definitely glad to hear that, but I'd still like to do at least one thing that you want to do," Futaba countered, rubbing the back of her neck a bit awkwardly. "And who knows? Maybe I wanna try people watching too."

Yusuke smiled pleasantly. "Futaba, as I said—"

"I insist," she interjected firmly.

Hearing the bit of bite to her tone was enough to let even Fox know she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. In a way, it was actually funny that she was putting her foot down when it came to doing something that he wanted to do. However, he appreciated the thought behind her words too much to crack so much as a smirk.

"Very well," Yusuke replied with a nod. "In that case, please follow me."

With that, Fox walked off with Oracle in tow, and eventually they came across an open bench. It was a fair distance away from where they'd gotten their taiyaki, but at least they'd found exactly what they were looking for.

"An ideal location," Yusuke said with a firm nod.

The aspiring artist soon took his seat, and of course Futaba remained silent and just took the spot alongside him. After all, what else was she supposed to do? She'd never people-watched in the first place, so it wasn't like she could tell whether the spot was 'ideal' or not in the first place.

At a glance though, Futaba could at least appreciate that the bench was in front of a really busy section of the festival. If the goal was to literally see as many people as was possible, then the spot they'd picked out was definitely perfect for it.

'Okay…' thought Futaba as she casually began to observe the sea of people. She continued to stare for a few seconds more. 'Yep, this is exactly as boring as I thought it'd be.'

Out of curiosity, she glanced over at Yusuke, only to find herself shocked by just how focused he seemed. However, at the same time, he was also clearly enjoying himself. There was even a peaceful smile showing on his features.

Futaba held her eyes steady and continued to stare at the blue-haired teen as she wondered what on earth could've been going through his head. Eventually, Yusuke noticed her out of the corner of his eye and became just as surprised as she was, though of course in his case it was because she was just staring right at him.

"Is something wrong?" Yusuke asked.

"No, not really," Futaba replied, a bit of nervousness in her voice as he turned towards her. "I was just thinking that you looked really into staring at the crowd."

"Well, you're certainly not wrong," said Yusuke amusedly.

"…do you mind if I ask why?" Futaba inquired.

"Why what? I'm not sure I understand," Yusuke replied.

"Why do you enjoy people watching so much?" clarified Futaba. She turned back towards the endless stream of people in front of them. "No offense, but I think it's kinda boring. For you though… well, you looked like you were enjoying it so much that it makes me feel like I'm missing something."

"I see," Yusuke said, nodding in understanding.

Yet again, the aspiring artist had a reaction that was more serious than Futaba had expected. He stayed totally silent for quite some time, cupping his chin in deep thought all the while.

"Has stopped working?" Futaba asked, sounding as if she were serious.

"By that, I assume you're asking if I'm alright? If so, then yes, I'm fine—just deep in thought. It's just that I've never been asked that question before, and so I'm left wondering where to begin with my answer," Yusuke admitted. "If I had to put it simply… I'd say it has to do with art."

"I'm shocked," Futaba uttered.

"Yes, I'm aware of how predictable that was," Yusuke said, giving off a laugh at her sarcastic tone. "However, my reasoning goes far deeper than that. You see, when you boil art down to its purest form, it comes from the visualization and understanding of human emotion. Many artists capture said emotion by tapping in to their own personal experiences in life. It could be something as dramatic as a fall from grace or a torrid love affair. Alternatively, it could be something as sweet and pure and the bliss of friendship or a deep familial bond. The intent of all art is to convey those emotions in some way, and those that are eventually known as masterpieces are those that can somehow most easily convey said emotions. Ah, sorry, I'm not boring you, am I?"

"Of course not," Futaba replied, almost as if insulted by the sudden question. "I understand what you mean, too. I get a feeling like that whenever I stare at the Sayuri back at Leblanc for long enough."

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it," Yusuke stated, his voice a bit more cheerful than normal. He caught himself as he was about to get off-topic and cleared his throat, then saying, "W-Well, as I was saying, conveying those emotions is key to becoming a master artist. However, in order to convey, you must first understand, and as I am still young, and while there are many things I have experienced that others haven't, there are still many, many things that I've yet to experience. That's where people watching comes in because it is an opportunity to observe peoples' emotions in a given moment."

"Hmm, I see," Futaba muttered. She looked back at the crowd, then adding, "I mean, what you said makes sense, but… I just think you're seeing something that I'm clearly not."

"Well, perhaps that's because you're looking at it from the wrong perspective," Yusuke reasoned.

Before the orange-haired teen could respond, he leaned in closer to her to the point his cheek was just inches away from her face. He looked so calm and confident as he did so that her heart nearly jumped out of her body, though she calmed down when she noticed that his hand was pointing off into the sea of people.

Clearly, he was just trying to show her something specific.

"Do you see that young man over there? The one holding onto the child's hand?" Yusuke asked, his eyes never leaving the mentioned pair of people.

"U-Um, yeah," Futaba stammered. She adjusted her glasses and tried to focus up as best as she could. "The one with next to the brown-haired boy with glasses, right?"

"Yes, exactly. Now, next I want you to look at the man's expression and tell me what you see."

Although it was still difficult for her to hold herself together with the blue-haired teen so close to her, Futaba did what was asked of her. In a way, something clicked as she did so.

"He seems… so happy. But somehow, I don't think he's happy in a general sense," Futaba uttered.

"My thoughts exactly," Yusuke stated, his tone revealing he was pleasantly surprised by her answer. "His is a happiness that is born from a parent cherishing a moment with their child. Every fiber of his being is showing that soft, sincere joy. If you look at the son, he too is happy in a similar way, but his happiness is also different. His is born from that of a child cherishing a moment with their parent. So you see, even if they are experiencing happiness for almost the exact same reason, the way that they interpret and show it differs."

It wasn't often that Futaba was at a loss for words, but then and there, she had to admit she was. She understood him perfectly, and of course it helped that she could see he was right with her own two eyes just by looking at what was right in front of her.

"Let's look for something else," Yusuke mused. His hand moved to another section of the crowd. "Do you see that elderly couple near the flower vendor? Notice the serene comfort between them and the harmony with which they move side by side." A second later, his finger pointed to another set of people. "Now take a look at the young couple a short distance away from them. Notice that the two of them are clinging to one another, and how there is a rougher sense of passion between them. Each couple cherishes one another, but notice the different stages experienced between one that's old and one that's new."

With that having been said, Yusuke retracted his hand and calmly moved away from Futaba once more. He stared back into the crowd with a soft smile, still enjoying the sight of the very same emotions he'd only just pointed out.

"I actually find this to be the easiest way to come to understand people's feelings since the only other option is asking them outright," Yusuke continued, almost as if to himself. "After all, I'll be the first to admit that my communications skills, especially with those my own age are… rather subpar. This way, however, I needn't worry about that."

"Well, your social skills do kinda suck," Futaba said with a wry grin.

"While you're not wrong, I believe this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, no?" Yusuke shot back, sporting a bit of a grin himself.

"Fair enough," Futaba chuckled. Her expression softened a moment later as she went on, "But you know, I think it's pretty awesome how you put in so much work all just to make yourself a better artist. It's weirdly… cool of you."

"Is that a compliment? From you no less?" Yusuke questioned teasingly.

"Don't push your luck, Inari. You'll ruin the moment," Futaba shot back, sporting a playful smile as she spoke.

"Don't worry, I won't," said Yusuke through a chuckle. "And thank you."

In an instant, a meteorite flew across the skies above them. It happened so quickly that both of them were startled at first, but that was quickly replaced by a sense of awe at the beautiful sight that their eyes then landed on.

"It's even more majestic the second time," Yusuke remarked. His subtle cheer vanished as he hung his head. "If only I'd brought my art supplies to capture such natural beauty…"

"Meh, just think of seeing it as a 'life experience' and I'm sure you'll be able to make a painting out of it someday," Futaba said good-naturedly.

Yusuke perked up again. "Actually, that's a good point."

Their conversation took a pause when a sea of whispers coming from the crowd in front of them started to sound off. Predictably, they mostly came from couples who had their eyes set straight at the sky. The pairs of men and women began to cling together. Most just held hands while some were doing much, much more.

It went without saying that being at the center of something like that hit both Yusuke and Futaba with so much social awkwardness that they could hardly sit still.

"Ehem, yes, well," Yusuke began as calmly as he could. "I believe we've done enough people watching for now. Perhaps we should go elsewhere?"

"Y-Yeah, good call," replied Futaba.

---

"Hmm…" Akihiko muttered.

The gray-haired young man was leaning against a lamp post going through a few recent messages on his phone. He still didn't have any service or internet connection, so he couldn't really tell if anything new had come his way in the last few hours.

That typically wouldn't be a problem, but he couldn't stop thinking that the one time a certain red-haired ice queen needed to reach out to him urgently would be the one time he couldn't read it.

With a nod of acceptance, he put his phone back in his pocket and went back to waiting for Yukiko and Chie to get back from the restroom.

As he was waiting, a trio of girls suddenly started walking up to him. They seemed to be outgoing, friendly young women maybe a year or so younger than he was.

"Hey there," one of them greeted with a bright and cheerful smile. "Sorry to just jump at you out of nowhere, but are you here with someone or just by yourself?"

By that point, almost anyone would've understood what was going on.

Akihiko, however, did not.

"It's no trouble," he replied. "And yes, I am here with a few people. They just stepped away to find a bathroom."

"Oh, so you're here in a group? If you don't mind me asking, how many people?"

"Three if you count me," Akihiko replied.

"Sounds almost too perfect," one of them giggled girlishly. "Would you and your friends maybe wanna hang out with us? We promise it'll be fun~."

The girl who'd been speaking leaned in and playfully brushed against his arm before giving him a flirty smile.

"And who knows? Depending on how the night goes, maybe a lot of fun," she added.

For a split-second, Akihiko was confused and wondered what on earth she was talking about. Then, once he was ready to stop being an idiot, he finally understood what was going on.

'Ooooh,' Akihiko uttered in thought. His realization quickly turned into awkward discomfort. 'Oh boy.'

"So, how 'bout it, handsome?" she went on.

Akihiko rubbed the back of his neck nervously, his mind drawing a blank as to what he was supposed to say. Sadly, his embarrassment only made him look even more adorable in the eyes of the three young women, which in turn only made him even more embarrassed.

Luckily for him, that cycle didn't keep going for too long.

"Akihiko?" Yukiko uttered curiously.

The Amagi heiress would turn out to be Akihiko's savior. Though it wasn't what she was trying to do, the moment the three women laid eyes on her, they started to take a few steps back.

"Ooooh, so she's… got it," one of them uttered in realization.

"Sorry, we just assumed the people you were with were your guy friends," another stated, clearly a bit embarrassed. "We'll be heading off now. Take care, 'kay?"

"I-It's not a problem," Akihiko replied, still clearly a bit shell-shocked.

Just when he thought the awkward moment was finally over, he could hear the three of them whispering to one another even as they walked away.

"Damn, his girl's a real beauty, don't ya think?"

"I mean, she should be, cuz' damn is he hot."

"True. It was worth a shot, right?"

"For sure~."

The gray-haired Persona user let out a deep sigh to clear his head. When he'd finally done that, he turned towards the woman who'd saved him more of a headache than he'd care to admit.

"You have no idea how thankful I am that you got back when you did," Akihiko uttered.

"Just call it returning the favor for earlier," Yukiko said, unable to fight back a giggle. "To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should interrupt. But you just seemed so embarrassed by it that I regret not helping sooner."

"Was it that obvious?" Akihiko asked, his shoulders slumping a bit as he spoke.

"Well, you certainly could've handled it better," Yukiko admitted, trying to phrase her answer as delicately as she could. "Not used to being flirted with, I take it?"

"Not even a little, though thankfully it doesn't happen often," Akihiko replied. "Having said that, I'll be honest, I'm not really great at recognizing when a girl is flirting with me. A close friend of mine likes to remind me constantly that I suck at that, actually."

"Yu's the same way," Yukiko remarked with a laugh. "In fact, I think no matter how bad you are, he's probably worse, so don't beat yourself up too bad about it."

"Is that so? Huh, that's…" Akihiko thought aloud. Whatever he was about to say, he stopped himself before he could. He shook his head clear of that train of thought, adding, "Anyway, even if that's true, I think I've got him beat. In high school, there used to be a pretty big group of female students that more or less formed a fan club. They'd follow me around and for the longest time I had no idea why. That for the best though since if I had known, it probably would've just made things way more awkward."

"Well, that is pretty bad."

"Told you so," stated Akihiko. "Anyway, I'll eventually get better at dealing with girls. At least, I hope so…"

"I'm sure you will. It'll just take time, right?" Yukiko offered good-naturedly.

"Sweetie, look at the sky!"

"Oh my gosh, look at that!"

"Honey, look!"

Similar things were said all over the area as another stray meteor shot across up above the festival. Both Yukiko and Akihiko joined what was essentially everyone else in marveling at the gorgeous sight.

"It's even bigger than the last one," Akihiko uttered in amazement.

"I can only imagine how beautiful the actual shower is going to be," Yukiko commented idly.

Akihiko suddenly blinked before looking around the area confusedly.

"Um, Yukiko-san…?"

"Hm?"

"I probably should've asked sooner, but where is Chie-san?"

Yukiko froze immediately when realization struck her. Chie was right next to her just a minute ago, but obviously that wasn't the case anymore.

Thankfully, they wouldn't have to spend much if any time searching for her since the brunette suddenly appeared out of the crowd, looking a bit out of breath.

"Found… found you…!" Chie uttered, panting all the while.

"Did you walk off on your own again, Yukiko-san?" asked Akihiko.

"No, this one's on me," Chie groaned. She finally stood upright after catching her breath. "I started walking in the wrong direction and lost sight of her. It took me freakin' forever to figure out which way I needed to go."

"Well, you found us, and that's all the matters," reasoned Yukiko. "You look worn out though. Come on, let's go get something to drink."

Chie smiled. "Ya read my mind."

---

The festival had many food areas where vendors had lined up to sell the patrons any number of easy-to-make easy-to-eat meals and snacks, and both Ren and Ann had seen plenty of them since they first entered the festival area some time ago.

However, the one that they currently found themselves in was by far the biggest, and it really couldn't be described as a 'food area'.

The only thing really being sold there were deserts.

"I guess that explains what we were smelling a few minutes ago," Ren thought aloud.

"No kidding," Ann said, still in shock at the sheer number of desert stalls in the area. "I was wondering what it could've been to make such a sweet smell, but I was not expecting this."

"You and me both," agreed Ren. "So, did you want to get anything?"

The blonde hesitated to give her answer, and it was clear that it took all of her willpower to hold herself back.

"N-No, I'm good…" Ann answered, trying her best to force a pleasant smile.

"Are you sure?" Ren asked surprisedly. "I mean, there's so much to pick from. Candied apples, taiyaki, crepes, coffee jellies, ice cream, chocolates, and I think there's even brownies at one of the stands."

"Ugh, could you please not do that?" Ann practically begged.

"Do what?"

"I'm on a diet, remember?! I can't just eat all the deserts I want whenever I want, ya know!" Ann exclaimed. She slumped her shoulders and let out a frustrated groan. "Hearing you list off all that stuff is basically a form of torture."

"I disagree," said Ren with a cheeky smirk. "If I wanted to torture you, I'd just go get something from one of the stands and eat it right in front of you."

In less than a second, Ann froze in place. She looked over at Ren with her jaw dropped and her eyes so wide that it looked like she'd heard something that struck at the very core of her being.

It was as if she really couldn't believe he'd said what he did.

"You wouldn't dare…!" Ann uttered in pure disbelief.

"Relax, I was just kidding," Ren said with a chuckle. "But are you serious? There's not anything you want?"

"W-Well…" Ann muttered.

"Alright, how about this: We get the least-bad thing we can find. My treat," offered Ren.

"Ugh, fine," Ann relented. "But if I gain any weight, I'm blaming you."

"Noted."

The pair settled on getting some shaved ice and found the nearest stand selling it. Luckily, the line wasn't too massive, especially compared to everything else within eyesight.

After some time, their order was placed and all that was left for them to do was wait patiently while the vendor worked her magic.

"Alright, here you go," said the young woman operating the booth with a cheerful smile. "Anything else?"

"No, that'll be it," Ren answered.

"Okay, then enjoy your night!"

"Thanks, you too," replied Ann pleasantly.

"Next customer!"

The two quickly got out of the way and walked away from the swarm of festival-goers that surrounded them. That was easier said than done, though. Each of them nearly dropped their shaved ice as they were moving through the crowd.

"Looks like we lucked out getting in line when we did," Ren commented.

Ann sighed, "True. I just wish the stand next to it wasn't selling crepes."

"Yeah, I noticed that, but I figured it was better to keep quiet and hope that you didn't," Ren replied.

"Oh, I noticed," Ann stated firmly.

Their conversation as interrupted when they were forced to move aside to avoid a group of people headed down the stretch of desert stands. They weren't the only ones incoming, though, as it was obvious that more and more people were starting to flood towards them with each passing second.

"We should probably try to find somewhere a bit less crowded before we get trampled to death," suggested Ren in a deadpanned tone of voice.

"I mean, I agree, but where are we supposed to go?" Ann inquired.

The blonde had made a good point. Everywhere they looked was just dozens upon dozens of people, and that's all they really had seen since they'd started walking together.

"I think I might know a place," Ren said, staring off towards the southern side of the area. "Come on, follow me."

"Lead the way."

With that the two managed to make their way back at the front of the desert area. After that, the Wild Card led them through a small, almost unnoticeable side path that got dimmer and dimmer with each passing second.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Ann questioned.

"Don't worry, we should be just up ahead. Right about… here," Ren answered, ending on a confident note.

Sure enough, the two came towards the end of the dimly lit path and came out just in front of the Kamakura bay area. It was a small rest area of benches that was tucked away on the edges of the festival, which you could still see just a few dozen feet behind it. There were a few benches overlooking the bay itself, and with the city powered down like it was, it currently had a gorgeous view of the night sky.

Most importantly, there were hardly any people there.

"Wow, this is basically perfect," Ann thought aloud, sounding genuinely impressed. "How'd you know about this place?"

"Honestly? Lucky guess," Ren admitted. "I barely saw it while we were passing by earlier. It didn't look like there were a lot of people there, so I figured it was worth a shot."

"Well, I'm not complaining," giggled Ann. She held up her shaved ice, taking a spoonful of it as she added, "At least it means I get to enjoy this in peace."

"You and me both," Ren remarked.

In no time at all the two of them took their place on a bench overlooking the bay, sitting under the captivating starry night sky as they enjoyed the rest of their shaved ice.

"So good~," Ann uttered as she took another helping. "How's yours?"

"It's good," Ren answered. "Wanna try some?"

"Sure! Here, you try some of mine too," Ann chirped. Her expression remained cheerful even as she added, "And if you intentionally take a smaller spoonful from mine than I do from yours, I'm kicking you, 'kay?"

Ren chuckled. "Got it."

The two moved their spoons into the others cup in such perfect harmony that it was almost shocking.

"Oh wow, that's super tasty!" Ann exclaimed. "What'd you get again?"

"Cherry," Ren answered.

"I might have to try that next time," Ann uttered in an upbeat tone. "So how was mine?"

"Great. I'm not suspired though, since—"

The Wild Card was cut off by a meteorite racing across the skies. Compared to the one he'd just seen not too long ago, this was seemed bigger, and much brighter by comparison. Its blue fired shined so beautifully that it was almost unbelievable.

It was simply a magical sight.

"It's so gorgeous, don't you think?" said Ann as if it were on reflex.

Ren turned to look at her for only a second as he gave his response, but the moment his eyes landed on her, any words he might've said died in his throat.

Under the fiery afterglow of the meteorite, Ann's eyes shined like sapphires, and her flawless skin seemed to have an angelic glow as it was hit by the pale light of the moon and the stars of the night sky. The raven-haired teen couldn't understand it, and he couldn't explain it. For some reason, Ann looked so incredibly stunning in that moment that he literally couldn't do anything else but stare.

Eventually, Ann looked over at him and noticed what he was doing, but she too found herself at a loss for words. Just the sight of his gray eyes, each filled with subtle intensity, made her heart start to race.

She'd never quite seen him look at her like that before.

Normally, the way Ann would react in that situation was about as predictable as the sun rising in the morning. Her face would go bright red and she'd probably turn away out of embarrassment, maybe muttering something awkward while she did so. However, in that moment, she didn't do any of those things, nor did she feel the urge to.

For some reason, she felt calm and oddly confident. Maybe it had to do with what he'd said the other day, or maybe the way his eyes were so fixated on her. The truth was, Ann didn't know the reason, but she did know she was going to use it for everything it was worth.

Ann smirked, a playful look in her eyes as she said, "You know, a girl could get the wrong idea if you stare at them so seriously."

Hearing her voice of course brought Ren back to reality, and between the two of them, he was the one to look away out of embarrassment.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…! I mean, I wasn't really…" Ren trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry, it's fine. I was just messing with you," Ann said through a giggle. "You were probably just spacing out, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Ren answered.

Hearing the uncertainty in his voice was like music to Ann's ears. It only made her want to press further, and that's exactly what she did.

"Plus, it's not like it's the first time either," Ann stated matter-of-factly. She giggled, adding, "Although this time it isn't pouring rain out."

Ren blinked confusedly. "Huh? What are you… Oh, right, you mean when we first met," Ren said in realization.

"Bingo," chirped Ann.

"Man, that feels like forever ago," Ren stated as if in awe.

"Tell me about it. It's so hard to believe it was barely a year and a half ago, right?"

"Well, a hell of a lot's happened since then," Ren went on. "I mean, looking at you now, I hardly even recognize you as that girl I met on the street in Shibuya that day."

Although the blonde had an idea of what he was trying to get at, she couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him while she could still bring herself to do so.

"You mean I've slimmed down a bit? Maybe that I'm more toned? Something about little changes carrying a lot of meaning?" Ann said, her voice striking a bit of a playful tone.

It took Ren all of two seconds to realize she was talking about what he'd said a few days ago at the beach. At some point during the festival, he'd forgotten about it completely. That was a good thing, too, since it meant that he at least got to enjoy himself before that awkwardness hit.

And boy did it hit.

"R-Right, I did say that, didn't I?" Ren muttered under his breath.

"Don't worry, I understood what you meant," Ann said reassuringly. "And just so you know, you better not even think about apologizing. I'd be super annoyed if you did."

Although relieved, the raven-haired teen couldn't help but raise a curious brow.

"Why's that?"

"Isn't it kinda obvious?" Ann asked rhetorically. She looked at him with a gentle smile, a soft glow now showing in her eyes as she said, "Hearing you say all those things about how far I'd come, and how amazing it was that you could see all the effort I was putting in to be a better model… it made me really happy. That's all there really is to it, so… thank you, Ren. It means a lot to me that you said all that."

Things briefly went quiet between the two. Ann's emotions were just so genuine that for the second time since they'd sat down, Ren was nearly at a loss for words.

That might've been the reason he also felt a strange sensation in his chest. It was like a weird pressure that hit him out of nowhere and simply made him feel awkward all of a sudden. Still, it only lasted a few seconds, so he moved right past it.

"For what it's worth, I wasn't going to apologize, and I meant every word I said," Ren replied, his voice a bit quiet.

"Good," replied Ann cheerfully. "Although, I kinda knew that. You're not the type of guy to say stuff like that if you didn't mean it."

"Well, you've got me there," admitted Ren with a smile.

Before another word could be said, a large set of meteorites, coated in brilliant, blue flames shot across the starry night sky. It caught both Ren and Ann completely off guard, and for a moment, they thought the shower had started up in full force. However, it quickly became apparent that it hadn't.

"That's definitely the most I've seen all at once so far," Ren thought aloud.

"Same here," said Ann.

"I love you, sweetie."

"I love you too."

"Darling, don't you think that was beautiful?"

"Yes, you are."

"Oh, stop~."

The whispers from the small number of couples around them drew both Ren and Ann's attention away from the sky. At first most of the couples started off innocently enough, but within seconds most were kissing passionately.

And some started to take things a step further.

Ren and Ann immediately turned their heads in front of them where they could no longer see what was happening around them, each of them blushing a bit on account of what they'd just seen. That, and also the fact that they could still hear what was going on.

"We should probably head back to the main festival area," Ren mused.

"Y-Yeah, for sure," Ann replied.

They walked about as fast as was possible without breaking out into an outright sprint until they moved back into the main festival area. There was still a huge number of people there to greet them when they did, but they were at least lucky enough not to get trampled as they were merging back into the crowd.

"Well, I think I speak for both of us when I say that was super awkward," Ren stated blankly.

Ann grimaced. "I really wish they'd just kept it at kissing…"

"Ditto."

A time passed as they kept moving on side by side, and all the while Ann found herself constantly thinking about what had just happened between them just minutes ago. There was just something about the moment they shared that felt so much different from normal.

There had been times before when Ann thought that it was possible Ren could see her in the same way she saw him. However, she'd never been more confident than she had been minutes ago when they were sitting next to one another under the starry night sky.

'I've never seen him so off his game before. It was… kind of cute,' Ann muttered internally.

Although it was cute, she knew it also meant he wouldn't have made any moves on her. However, Ann couldn't help but wonder what might've happened if she'd been the one to take a step forward instead. When their eyes were locked, if she'd leaned in slowly, closed her eyes, planted a kiss on his lips, and finally told him how she really felt, what would've happened?

Just the thought of it made her heart race and her face heat up. Obviously, it was possible he'd have turn her down, but in that moment, Ann's mind wouldn't even let her picture that happening.

All Ann could bring herself to imagine was Ren looking back at her softly. He'd give her that trademark unbelievably charming smile, and he'd simply say, 'I feel the same way'. The mental image alone made her feel so happy she could barely keep herself together.

'I guess it doesn't matter since the moment passed, r-right?' Ann thought nervously.

A part of her still wanted to make that fantasy a reality. She glanced shyly towards her right trying to steal a glance at Ren as if trying to test the waters to see how he was holding up, but that quick look turned into a confused stare within seconds.

The reason was simple: Ren was no longer standing right next to her.

She stopped in place and looked in every direction physically possible, finding no signs of the raven-haired teen whatsoever no matter where she looked.

Ann's eyes fixed into a deep glare.

"You have got to be—"

---

"—kidding me," Ren uttered in disbelief.

He rubbed a hand against the back of his neck, having no idea how he could have possibly lost Ann the way he had. One second she was right next to him as they walked in comfortable silence, and the next, she was gone.

"Seriously, how can that even happen? It literally doesn't make any sense," Ren thought aloud.

The Wild Card let out a frustrated sigh before pulling himself together and walking back into the crowd. With any luck, maybe he'd still be able to find Ann.

However, with the way that night had gone so far, he had his doubts.

---

"—and that's when I ran into Mona, Ryuji, Yosuke, and Teddie, but they all ran off somewhere. Then a maybe around a minute ago, I ran into Kanji-san and Naoto-san, and I turned away for a second and somehow wound up getting separated from them as well," Haru summed up.

In front of her were the Nijima sisters, and after hearing everything they had, both were looking back at her at a near loss for words.

"And you ran into all of them recently?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Yes."

"Considering that we've not seen or heard a single one of them, I find that hard to believe, and yet at the same time, I somehow don't," Sae uttered, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"I find not thinking about it too much helps out quite a bit," Haru offered in a positive tone of voice.

"Good advice," said Futaba.

Seeing as how the orange-haired teen hadn't been there a second ago and none of them had seen her walk up to them, she received several confused looks.

"I heard you guys talking while I was walking by looking for Inari and figured it was better to step in before you all vanished into thin air somehow," Futaba explained.

"You were with Yusuke before?" Makoto inquired.

Futaba nodded. "Yep. We were together for a pretty long time too, but then he just randomly disappeared when he went to find the bathroom. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have let him go on his own."

"And by chance, was Ann with you?" Haru questioned.

"Uh, no, why do you ask?"

"Because I'm pretty sure that's her right over there."

All heads turned to where the heiress had pointed, and of course Ann, blonde hair and all, stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd. She appeared as if she were also searching for someone, though the frustration showing on her face made it obvious she wasn't having much luck.

"Ann, over here!" Makoto called out.

Although it took the red-clad young woman a second to register her friend's voice, she soon followed it back towards them and wasted no time walking up to join the group.

"I'm so glad to see you guys," Ann sighed in relief. "Uh, by the way, did any of you happen to see Ren walking around here?"

"Sorry, but the last time I saw Ren was a few hours back after our group initially split," said Makoto. "I take it he was with you just now before you got separated?"

"Yeah, but I've got zero idea how it happened!" Ann exclaimed. She let loose a frustrated grunt, adding, "I mean, we were literally right next to each other, like, two minutes ago! I just don't get it!"

"I know that feel," sighed Futaba in agreement.

"I think all of us do by this point," Sae tiredly remarked. "Which also means we know not to dwell on it. Besides, it's almost time for us to meet up anyway."

Makoto nodded in agreement. "True. We're better off enjoying the little time we have left anyway."

"Well said," chirped Haru.

---

As Ren continued to stroll through the festival in search of his friends, he eyed just about everything in front of him as keenly as he could. He at least hoping he could spot Ann since she couldn't have gone far and was probably still looking for him in much the same way. Plus, it would've been easy to pick her out of a crowd.

'Damn, still no sign of her,' Ren thought with a small frown.

A tap on his shoulder forced him to turn around, and while he didn't know who he was expecting, it certainly wouldn't have been Yu of all people.

"Hey there," greeted the silver-haired Wild Card, sporting a friendly smile.

Ren smiled back in kind. "Long time no see."

"Well, I guess you could say that. You know, if you wanted to be dramatic about it," Yu joked back. "I take it you're looking for someone?"

"Yeah, Ann," Ren replied. He started to glance around the area again. "We ran into each other after I got separated from Sae and Makoto. She was right next to me and then—"

"Poof?" Yu asked in a deadpanned tone.

Ren nodded firmly. "Poof."

"Seems legit," Yu muttered plainly. "I was actually looking for Rise before I ran into you, and I'm sure you can already guess how we got separated."

"Poof?"

"Poof."

"It really is crazy that this keeps happening," commented Ren. "This festival's gotta be in the Metaverse or something. That's the only way any of this makes any sense."

"Well, we could test it out. Wanna try shouting 'Persona' at the top of our lungs just to see what happens?"

"I think I'll pass," Ren chuckled. "But you can feel free to try if you want."

"It's not as fun if I'm the only one doing it."

"Fair enough."

"Anyway," began Yu with an amused smirk. "If we keep searching, we might end up finding them. The two of them should be easy enough to spot in a crowd, right?"

Ren hung his head and sighed. "You'd think that, yeah, but somehow I feel like it'll be easier said than done."

"That's no reason not to try, right?" Yu countered good-naturedly.

"True," Ren said with a shrug.

In the minutes that followed, the two Wild Cards walked side by side in search of their respective Lovers Arcana. Sadly, they didn't see anyone even resembling either of them as far as their eyes could see. All they could do, however, was keep looking.

"Why do I get the feeling the two of them have already found each other and are doing the same thing we are, but somehow moving in the opposite direction?" Ren wondered aloud.

"Because that sounds about right, honestly," Yu said through a laugh. "I get the feeling Ann and Rise are on the same wavelength."

"Like you and I, right?" Ren mused.

"Pretty much, yeah," Yu replied.

"You know, now that I think about it, our groups really do have a lot of similar personality types, huh?" Ren thought aloud. "Like how Ann and Rise get along so well. Kanji, Yosuke and Ryuji, Yukiko and Haru, Makoto and Naoto, Futaba and Chie…"

"Yeah, you're right," said Yu. His lips curled into a smile as he stated, "And thank goodness for that, otherwise it might've taken a hell of a lot longer for us to come together as a team. I mean, it's only been little over a month, but it feels like we've known each other a lot longer than that."

"Has it really only been that long?" Ren uttered rhetorically.

"As hard as it is to believe, yeah," Yu chuckled.

"I guess all the near-death experiences make the time fly, huh?" replied Ren.

The sarcasm in his voice made it obvious he was telling a joke, but someone listening intently nearby spoke up with a clear purpose to make sure it actually was one.

"That had better be a joke, my little guinea pig. If it's not… well, let's just say we'll need to have a nice, long chat."

"What she said."

Ren was able to recognize both of the voices immediately, but Yu on the other hand was only familiar with one of them. Right behind them were both Takemi and Kawakami, each of whom were dressed in style for the festival. The former of the two wore a pitch-black kimono with large dark-pink spiderwebs marking the fabric, while the latter wore a simple but incredibly beautiful light blue kimono with white trimmings.

While both of them wore different outfits, they were identical when it came to the half-glare that they were giving the younger of the two Wild Cards.

"Dr. Takemi? Kawakami-sensei?" Ren uttered in surprise. "Rare to see you two out together."

"Don't change the subject," Kawakami cut in, her glare deepening. "You mentioned something about 'near-death experiences', and it sounded like more than a few. Explain, now."

"Don't worry, I was only kidding," Ren said reassuringly.

"I can vouch for that," Yu chimed in.

It was then that the two women seemed to realize that the silver-haired man was actually there in the first place.

Kawakami blinked confusedly. "Oh, um… Sorry, but who are you?"

"Wait a minute," Takemi began, eyeing the young man analytically. "You're Narukami-san, right?"

Yu nodded cheerfully. "In the flesh."

"I thought that was you, but to be honest I wondered what you'd be doing here with my little guinea pig," said Takemi. "Though based on what you just said, I'm guessing the two of you share… let's say 'extracurricular activities'?"

"Good guess," Ren stated.

"I figured as much."

"Wait, so then he's also…" Kawakami began, putting the pieces together as she spoke. Of course, she didn't finish her sentence for obvious reasons. "And you've met him before, Tae-san?"

"Yes, I've had the pleasure of speaking with Narukami-san before," Takemi replied. Her lips curled into a bit of a smirk as her eyes shifted towards the mentioned Wild Card. "He came to my clinic around a month ago asking questions about a man I'd treated for a gunshot wound. Congratulations, by the way. I remember reading that the gang behind the crime was dealt with. I'm happy to see that law enforcement agencies in Tokyo have at least some competent people after all."

"All I did was help to catch the shooter and other members of the gang," said Yu, shaking his head at the praise he was given. "In the end, Ren and his friends were the ones that got him to you, and you're the one that saved his life. I don't consider what I did as impactful as that."

Takemi blushed slightly. "You're giving me too much credit. Thank you, though."

Things were a bit quiet for a second, and awkwardly so for a certain black-haired teacher.

"Ehem, so then, you work in law enforcement, Narukami-san?" Kawakami inquired.

"Yes, I work for the SIU," he replied. "Also, I don't think I've formally introduced myself yet. My name's Yu Narukami, nice to meet you."

"Likewise," said Kawakami, cheerfully. Realizing she too hadn't given an introduction, she then added, "My name is Sadayo Kawakami. I work at Shujin as a teacher, and I was actually Ren's homeroom teacher last year."

"He ever give you any trouble?" Yu asked knowingly.

"You have no idea," Kawakami stated in a joking tone. "He might be the smartest student I've ever taught, and he was always well-behaved, too… but that didn't even come close to making up for how nosy and cheeky he ended up being."

"I resent that," Ren replied, sporting a smirk to match that of his former teacher.

"You saying I'm wrong?"

"I didn't say that."

"That's what I thought," said Kawakami.

The two shared a laugh briefly, though soon the Trickster went back to his first question to satisfy his own curiosity.

"Anyway, what actually brings the two of you here?" asked Ren. "Like I said before, it's rare to see you two hanging out together."

"It's not that surprising," Kawakami stated. "But to answer your question, we've hung out a few times since your surprise party at the start of summer. We get along pretty well, actually."

"Sadayo-san heard about this festival, and while I wasn't too crazy about the idea, I got to choose the last thing we did, and so here we are," Takemi explained. "I assume the two of you are here with friends?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah, we made plans with a bunch of our friends to come to the festival together, but uh… we kinda all got separated."

"Which has somehow happened more than once…" Yu sighed.

"What he said," uttered Ren, sounding just as deflated as his fellow Wild Card. "We're set to meet up before the meteor shower starts, though."

"Is that so?" asked Takemi. She moved in a bit closer, giving Yu a bit of a flirty look as she did so. "In that case, do you two feel like keeping us company until you have to head out?"

Kawakami rolled her eyes. "Oh brother…"

"What, don't like the idea?" Takemai asked playfully. "The way I see it, there's one for you and one for me. I think that works out pretty well, don't you think?"

Kawakami's eyes went wide, and when her eyes landed on Ren, her cheeks turned pink. She started stammering cutely, though she wouldn't end up saying anything before the raven-haired teen gave an answer of his own.

"As much fun as that'd be, we've actually got to get going," Ren stated. "The place we're meeting up with everyone is outside the festival, so sadly we're just about out of time."

"…well, guess there's no helping that," said Takemi, sounding a bit disappointed. "Enjoy the meteor shower, though."

"Same to you," Yu remarked.

"And be safe on your way out of the festival. There are a lot of people coming in to see the shower, so just be mindful," Kawakami chimed in.

Ren nodded. "Will do."

After the two Wild Cards had left to go meet up with their friends, Kawakami wasted no time in giving a sideways glare to Takemi. She of course noticed, though judging by the look on her face, it only amused her.

"What?" Takemi asked innocently.

"Like you don't know! One for each of us, for the love of…!" muttered Kawakami. "He's my student, you know."

The blue-haired doctor just gave her a cheeky smirk.

"Funny, I don't recall saying who'd get who."

Yet again, the young teacher's cheeks broke out in a blush.

---

As the clock neared the time that the meteor shower was meant to start, the crowds in the festival became worse than ever. However, the group consisting of Haru, Futaba, Ann, Makoto, and Sae had managed to stay together.

Despite that one silver lining, the young women did have one very big problem: They were lost. None of them had any idea where they needed to go to actually get out of the festival area. They knew what general direction the exits were supposed to be, but with how large the festival actually was, finding them was like walking tracking down a needle in a haystack.

It also didn't help that they had no idea where exactly they were and that there wasn't a map around as far as they could see.

"—so I think right over there should get us to one of the exits," finished Haru, pointing down one of the nearby festival sections.

"Are you sure? Because I'm almost positive I've been through that area before, and I don't remember seeing one…" Futaba said.

"Same here," Ann chimed in.

"Well, now that you've said that, I'm admittedly less sure than I was," sighed Haru. "What do you think, Mako-chan? Sae-san?"

The uncertainty in the sisters' expression was more than enough of an answer.

"Got it, so we're all clueless. Yippee," concluded Futaba sarcastically.

"Ugh, I wish we'd managed to find Ren. I'll bet anything he'd just magically know where to go," Ann sighed.

Although it wouldn't be the devilishly handsome Wild Card to do it, the group would get a helping hand courtesy of a certain fortune teller.

"Well, if you're looking for the nearest exit, then you want to go towards section 5A, which is just off in that direction where you see the strength-testing game. It's actually not too far off."

"Ah, okay, got it. Thanks, Chihaya-san," Futaba uttered with a nod of understanding. She took half a step before turning freezing in place with widened eyes. "Wait, Chihaya-san?!"

Everyone seemed to realize who the speaker was around the same time that Futaba had. They all turned around to see that they'd been standing directly in front of her booth, which, somehow, they'd managed to completely miss.

"In the flesh," the strawberry blonde replied with a giggle. "Sorry for eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but overhear."

"Actually, we're the ones who should be sorry. I mean, we were just standing in front of your booth making so much noise," Makoto stated apologetically.

"If you're worried about disturbing my customers, don't be. It's really no big deal," said Chihaya with a smile. "Things have been winding down recently since the meteor shower is supposed to start soon."

"Were things busy before recently then?" Haru inquired pleasantly.

Chihaya's shoulders slumped. "You have no idea. There've been so many people asking for readings on their romantic futures that I've lost count. The last I remember, it was around two hundred, although that was hours ago at this point."

"Wow, that many?" Ann uttered reflexively.

"I'm not suspired, especially if you consider how the festival was marketed in the first place," Sae remarked dispassionately.

"True," Chihaya admitted. "Although speaking of which, would you all like to have your fortunes read before you head off? If you have the time, of course."

"Ooh, sounds like fun!" Haru chirped, sounding weirdly enthusiastic. She turned to the others say, "It should be fine, right? We still have a little bit of time left, don't we?"

"Not much, but yeah…" Makoto uttered quietly.

"Then it's decided," declared Ann.

"Glad to hear it," Chihaya said with a smile. "So, who's first?"

That one simple question caused most of the younger girls to grow a bit nervous. Even if all of them wanted to have their fortunes read, it couldn't have been more obvious that none of them wanted to go first.

"W-Well, Haru, you seemed like you were the most excited, so would you like to do the honors?" Makoto offered.

"Actually, I'd prefer not. Getting a romantic fortune reading is a bit embarrassing for me," Haru admitted. "Ann-chan, why don't you go first? You seem like you've got experience with this kind of thing."

"Huh?! Wait, that's totally not true!" Ann exclaimed.

"I'll go first," interjected Futaba.

Makoto nodded her head in approval. "Okay, then that settles—wait, huh?"

The brunette's confusion was shared by just about everyone. None of them could believe that Futaba had volunteered in the first place, and they really couldn't believe that she did it so calmly. Most of them expected her to fight tooth and nail to go last.

"Are you sure, Futaba?" Ann asked. "Cuz' if you want, I can always go first instead."

"Nah, it's cool," she replied. Her eyes shifted towards the strawberry blonde. "Alright, I'm ready for you to work your magic, Chihaya-san!"

A nod was all that was given before the veteran fortune teller went to work. She laid out a set of tarot cards, flipping them over one after another as if turning through the pages of a story that was playing out before her very eyes.

"Your romantic future is… interesting, to say the least," Chihaya said, almost as if she were struggling to find the right word to describe it. "I'm sensing that a deep inner journey will need to be completed before you become comfortable enough to seek out a partner. When that will be, I can't say. You'll only know when and if that time comes."

Futaba nodded. "I see."

"Wait, you understood that?" Ann inquired.

"Not at all."

The blonde then sighed.

"I don't know why I expected you to say anything different."

"It's perfectly normal to not understand something when the fortune is so vague. Romantic fortunes are often so general that finer details don't come out during readings," Chihaya explained.

"Interesting," Haru uttered. "Then, um… I'll go next."

Yet again the fortune teller went to work, and while previously she showed almost no emotion when doing the reading for Futaba, this time was much different. When she'd finished flipping through the cards, her eyes went wide, and she started to appear a bit nervous.

Needless to say, it wasn't a good sign.

"I-Is it that bad?" Haru asked nervously.

"W-Well, um it's not necessarily bad, but…" Chihaya trailed, giving the fluffy-haired young woman a sympathetic smile.

"But what?" Makoto pressed curiously.

"Hmm, how should I say this? Do you know how on a sunny day, storm clouds just randomly fly in overhead and it starts to rain? As in horrific, torrential rain?"

"That sounds more than just 'bad'!" Ann exclaimed.

"Well, after the storm, the sun comes out again, doesn't it?" Chihaya muttered, trying her best to sugar-coat her reading as best as she could. "Just… keep your chin up and I'm sure you'll be okay!"

Haru let loose an adorable groan and slumped her shoulders. Makoto started to pat her on the back in an attempt at comforting her, which actually seemed to help just a bit.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Haru," Makoto said reassuringly.

"It's also worth noting that my predications aren't absolute. They just happen to be accurate most of the time, so think nothing of it," Chihaya stated cheerfully.

"Word of advice, if you were trying to make her feel better, you probably shouldn't have included the second half of what you just said," Futaba remarked.

"W-Why don't we move on to the next reading? You can go ahead and do mine, Chihaya-san," Makoto stated.

Queen didn't exactly want to go next, but by that point she'd have done anything to change the subject away from Haru's reading. Of course, her fortune was then read in the same way all the others had, and she nervously watched to see Chihaya's reaction.

"Hmm, that's strange," Chihaya said analytically. "I'm not getting a solid reading for some reason. Although I can sense a great deal of stress, most of which you appear to bring onto yourself…"

Futaba leaned towards Ann, whispering, "That sounds like Makoto alright."

"Oh come on, don't be mean," Ann said, fighting back a laugh of her own.

"I noticed you didn't say I was wrong."

"Well…"

"I can hear both of you very clearly, you know," Makoto stated, giving the pair a sideways glare.

They just giggled nervously, not knowing what else to do.

"My apologies, but that's really all that I can see," Chihaya stated.

"That's not so bad," Futaba chimed in.

Haru sighed tiredly. "It was certainly better than mine."

"I'm not thrilled about it, but in a way I'm relieved for it to at least have not been on the bad side," Makoto admitted.

Off to her side, Sae was looking at her younger sibling with half-lidded eyes, obviously trying to show her disappointment without saying anything.

"D-Don't give me that look!" Makoto exclaimed.

Her sister remained silent and continued to give her the exact same look.

"So, who's up next?" Chihaya inquired.

"Um, I guess that'd be me. Unless you'd like to go, Sae-san," said Ann.

The stone-cold silver-haired beauty turned towards Ann, and without changing her expression all that much, simply raised an eyebrow.

"O-Okay, so that's a no," Ann mused. She cleared her throat, saying, "Then I'll be next, Chihaya-san."

With a polite nod, the fortune teller went to work yet again. A nervous Ann waited patiently for the cards to be set in place and for Chihaya to perform the reading, though it at least didn't seem as if she were seeing anything bad for the time being.

"Strangely, it's much the same as with Makoto-san," Chihaya stated, cupping her chin in deep thought. "While your overall romantic future remains oddly unclear, I can sense that you have a great deal of love to give, and that you're a very kindhearted young woman. There will be difficult times for you down the road, but if you stay true to your heart, I believe you'll live a life without regrets."

Inwardly, Ann felt nothing but relief after hearing the result of her reading. She already had someone she liked, after all, so hearing no bad news was good news in a way.

"Got it, thanks," Ann finally replied.

"Well, with that out of the way, I feel the need to remind everyone of the time," Sae spoke up.

"Hm? But we should still have…" Makoto began, only to pause as she looked at her phone. "Scratch that, we've got to get going. Fast."

"And once again, the nearest exit is just over that way towards section 5A," Chihaya stated, gesturing a hand in the direction she was referring to.

"Thanks, Chihaya-san, you're a life saver!" Futaba exclaimed. "C'mon ladies, let's get a move on!"

---

The rooftop of the Yaksha textile building was almost totally silent. It was high up enough that the noise from the festival and the city itself could barely be heard, and none of the Persona users had made their way up there just yet.

That changed the moment that Yu opened the door to the roof and stepped onto it alongside Ren. The two Wild Cards looked around in search of any of their friends, though obviously they didn't find any of them.

"Looks like we're the first ones here," Ren mused.

Yu nodded. "Unless our friends have figured out how to turn invisible."

"Also possible."

The two shared a cheeky smirk with one another before waking over towards the edge of the roof. Although the view of the lantern-lit festival just a short distance away was certainly beautiful, their eyes were firmly fixed up at the sky. With the cities lights practically turned off, the view they had from the rooftop was second to none. They could see the stars almost perfectly alongside the full moon that made them glow all the more.

"It almost looks too good to be real," commented Ren.

"You know, I thought the same thing when I first saw the night sky back in Inaba," Yu stated. "Moving to a small town like that was definitely a culture shock, but there were a few things I fell in love with right away, and the view of the sky at night was one of 'em."

"I get why. Especially if it looked this good," Ren said good-naturedly.

There was a pause in the conversation as a comfortable silence set in. However, soon enough there was a burning question that Ren couldn't help but ask.

"…do you ever miss Inaba?" Ren asked as the two continued to observe the star-filled sky.

"Of course," Yu admitted immediately. "I met so many people there that I'll consider family for the rest of my life, and no matter where I go or what I do, nothing will ever change that. I might've grown up here in Tokyo, but Inaba will always feel like home to me."

"Yeah, I get that," chuckled Ren. "In my case, Tokyo is my 'Inaba'. My family is nowhere near the big city, but honestly, I don't really care. The people I consider my family are here, and that's all that matters to me."

"By the way, I've been wondering something for a while. Before I ask though, I want to stress you don't need to answer if you don't want to," Yu stated, earning a curious look from his younger friend. "How did things end up with your parents? Did they ever try to get back in touch with you after your record was cleared?"

Almost immediately after the questions were asked, Ren's eyes became cold, steely, and almost unfeeling. It was a reaction that Yu had hoped not to see, though sadly, it wasn't one that entirely surprised him. The look only lasted a second or two, but it more than showed what had to have been going on in his head.

"No, not really, and to be honest, I don't really care," Ren answered, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Yu muttered to himself. "Sorry for asking, I didn't mean to—"

"Come on, it's totally fine," Ren stated reassuringly, giving a friendly smile towards his fellow Wild Card as he spoke. "After I was arrested, it was a given that some things wouldn't go back to the way they were no matter what, right? And all things considered, I think it all worked out just fine. The way my life is now… I honestly prefer it."

Hearing that and knowing it was the truth gave Yu at least some peace of mind. Then again, he also understood what he was saying on a deeply personal level since he too was a Wild Card. Yes, the journey they'd taken were difficult at times, but along the way, they'd managed to meet the most remarkable people and form deep friendships that they valued above all else.

Even Yu had to admit to himself that his friends held a special place in his heart even over his own parents. He loved them, of course, but what he felt for his friends went beyond even that, and Ren, without a doubt, felt the same way.

In the end, they simply valued those connections above everything else, and nothing would ever change that.

Suddenly, the sound of the rooftop door swinging open caught both of their attention, alongside a familiar voice sounding off.

"Open sesame!" Teddie exclaimed.

"Didn't I just tell you not to push the door too hard?!" Kanji grumbled angrily.

"You told him twice, actually," Naoto pointed out.

Yu chuckled. "Don't be too hard on him. He's just excited."

A bright smile marked the faces of the three new arrivals as they laid their eyes on Yu for the first time in the past few hours.

"Sensei!" Teddie cheered.

The blond-haired Persona user started to bolt straight towards Yu and probably would've tackled him in a fit of joy, but Kanji grabbed his collar without batting an eyelash and kept him from doing so.

"You've really mastered the art of stopping Teddie, haven't you?" Naoto complimented with an amused smirk.

"He gives me so much practice that I better have at this point," Kanji chuckled.

"Did someone say art?"

Yusuke's voice abruptly came up from the stairwell, and seconds later he alongside Ryuji, Mona, and Yosuke walked up.

"Sorry, it was just a figure of speech," Naoto replied.

"Ah."

Ryuji ignored the interaction completely and instead walked over towards Ren, giving his best friend a toothy grin as he threw his arm around his shoulders.

"Yo, long time no see my man. The hell have you been?" Ryuji asked good-naturedly.

"All over the place, actually," he sighed.

"Same here," Mona muttered as he walked towards the two. "And worse, I was somehow with Ryuji the entire time. The emotional trauma nearly killed me."

"Just be thankful I didn't end up skinning you alive, cat," Ryuji shot back.

"Whatever," Mona uttered dismissively. "Anyway, where are Lady Ann and the others?"

"No idea," Ren answered plainly. "I was with her a little while ago, but we got separated after grabbing some shaved ice. Then I ran into Yu, and here we are."

"Huh, that so?" Ryuji asked, his inward curiosity a bit piqued.

Just as the blond was about to open his mouth to dig a little deeper, the door opened up once again. Mona was the first to turn, hoping of course that it was Ann on the other side, but it would end up being Yukiko, Chie, and, to the surprise of many, Akihiko.

"Yo, Yukiko, Chie," greeted Yosuke pleasantly. "Looks like you picked up a familiar face. I wish you'd let us know you were comin' to the festival, Akihiko-san, we'd have asked ya to come with us."

"Actually, Yu already did, which is why I'm here in the first place," Akihiko said with a chuckle. "I had a few things to take care of before heading out, so that's why I didn't meet up with you guys beforehand."

Yosuke eyed his best friend strangely. "And when the heck were you planning to tell us?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to mention that," Yu muttered blankly.

"Dude."

"It's just as well. After all, he's here with us now, right?" Yukiko reasoned.

"By pure luck, yeah," Chie remarked.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with that," Kanji said through a laugh.

A loud series of footsteps could be heard rushing up the staircase yet again, though they sounded more like a stampede the closer they got. Soon enough, the rest of the missing members of their group entered the rooftop, led by an out-of-breath Futaba who was the first one through the door.

"Damn that was a lot of stairs…!" Futaba gasped, her hands on her knees.

"I really wish you paced yourself up the stairs a bit better," Makoto stated pointedly.

"Oh, c'mon, I'm sure she'll be fine. I've seen her go through worse," Ann commented cheerfully.

"True facts," Futaba said with a laugh. "Seriously though, we didn't miss anything, did we?"

"No, it still hasn't started yet," Ren answered.

As this back and forth was going on, Sae started to quietly, if not stealthily make her way towards the side of a certain silver-haired Wild Card, who greeted her with a friendly smile.

"This might be the first time I've ever seen you late to something before," Yu joked light-heartedly.

"It wasn't my intent to be, but then again, I don't have control over how long fortune readings take," Sae replied with a shrug.

"Oh, you ran into Chihaya-san then?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, I see," Yu said. He gave his former upperclassman a cheeky smirk. "Funny, I didn't take you for the type to be into that sort of thing."

"Wha—of course I didn't get one," Sae replied indignantly. "It was Makoto and the others. I just stood silently and watched."

"Okay," Yu said, his voice a bit on the teasing side.

"I'm serious," Sae replied, her cheeks heating up a bit.

"I know."

"And you know I think things of that nature are idiotic!"

"That I do."

"So then why are you giving me that infuriating grin and talking in that ridiculous tone of voice?!"

"Am I?"

The second those words left his mouth, Sae gave him a venomous glare. Her crimson eyes were like fiery knives, but of course Yu being who he was, he didn't even bat an eyelash.

"You know, you have some nerve joking around with me right now," Sae went on, her arms now crossed in her trademark 'not happy' posture. "Especially when the last time I saw you, you just randomly walked off into the crowd. Against my advice, I might add."

"Sorry, but that's kind of my fault," Rise stated.

The redheaded idol rushed to Yu's side and latched on to his arm. It seemed like she was just being playful, but it was a little too close for Sae's liking. Even so, she didn't let her annoyance show.

"I was getting swarmed by a bunch of people who started to recognize me in the crowds. Yu had to swoop in and rescue me," Rise explained, giving him a playful look before she continued on. "Honestly, you show up so conveniently sometimes, it's like you have a sixth sense or something."

"My theory is that he somehow sets everything up himself so he can play the hero," Sae remarked jokingly.

Rise smirked. "Well, he does love to play the hero more than he admits out loud, so maybe you're right after all."

"I'm starting to feel personally attacked here…" Yu said, sweatdropping as the two continued to pile on.

"Meh, I don't think partner would go that far," Yosuke said as he seemed to step in to give his friend a helping hand. "You know, probably."

"I'd say it's just a 'maybe'," Chie chimed in.

Yukiko nodded. "For sure."

"Well…" Naoto trailed off, sporting a rarely-seen teasing smirk.

"Even you, Naoto?" Yu sighed.

"As fun as this is to watch," began Futaba through a slight laugh. "When is this meteor shower supposed to start off again?"

A meteor flew across the night sky as if in direct response to Futaba's question. More and more started to show up with each passing second, appearing like blue flames dancing across the starry night in full view for them to appreciate.

No one said a word. They silently crowded around the edge of the rooftop, gazing up at the sky as the meteors continued to race above them. The bulk of the show was over and done with after only a minute or so, though none of them really minded.

"I kind of wanna say 'is that all', but like… damn, that shit was even more unreal than I thought it'd be," Ryuji said.

"Have I ever told you how much I love it when you get poetic?" Ren asked jokingly.

"He does have a way with words, doesn't he?" Ann piled on.

Although Ryuji didn't take his eyes off the sky, he knew for a fact that the two of them shared the same cheeky smirk he'd seen a thousand times before whenever they decided to mess with him.

Not that he ever minded, of course.

"Can it, you two," Ryuji shot back, fighting back a grin as he did so.

"Ryuji is right though. That meteor shower was somethin' else," Yosuke stated, still sounding as if he were in awe of the sight.

"Indeed. It was as if it were a work of art playing out before my very eyes," Yusuke remarked.

"Although, now that it's over…" Yukiko began leadingly.

All eyes turned to the heiress as she reached into to a pocket inside her kimono and took out her phone. She smiled back at the group before next she spoke.

"Who's for some commemorative photos?"

"I am a so in," Futaba quickly chimed in.

"Same here!" Rise exclaimed.

"Me too!" said Ann.

"Photos? For real? But we already did that before we got here," Ryuji groaned tiredly. "Why do you guys even—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a hand placed itself on his shoulder and tore his attention away. He noticed it was Yu, who'd come to his rescue to prevent him from saying something that might've gotten him thrown off the rooftop.

"Take it form me, the photos aren't really for us," Yu whispered. "Remember earlier when I said girls spend more time to get ready for special occasions? Well, let me put it this way: they didn't spend all that time getting ready to not get a few photos."

At first the blond was a bit confused, but he quickly pieced together what the tall young man was saying. Suddenly it made sense why it took all the young women no time at all to get behind the idea. In hindsight, it was so obvious that he really should've understood it without even needing an explanation.

Ryuji scratched the back of his neck. "Damn, am I seriously that clueless when it comes to girls?"

"You're just realizing that now?" Ren asked in a deadpanned tone.

"Wha—shut up. Like you're one to talk, you ain't got a girlfriend either," Ryuji shot back.

He left out the part where Ren could have one if he wanted to, but saying that would've turned his comeback into a straight-up compliment.

Ren just shrugged. "True, but at least I knew why they wanted to take pictures."

"…just stop talking and get next to me for the photo already."

Tokyo – Fukushima Towers, Some Time Later…

It was nearly two in the morning as Ren and Yu entered their apartment, though thankfully the full moon in the sky just outside the window gave them enough lighting that they could at least see where they were going when they walked in.

"Did you need anything before we turn it in for the night?" Yu abruptly asked.

"No, I'm good," Ren answered with a shake of his head. "To be honest though, I don't feel all that tired right now. Not sure why."

"You know, its funny, I feel the same way," Yu chuckled.

"Do you think maybe it's—"

Both of their phones started to vibrate like crazy, and the second they took them out to look at the home screen, they saw that the source was the main group chat blowing up. It wasn't messages that were being sent, though.

"Looks like everyone's putting all the photos into the chat," Yu mused.

"Yeah, looks like it," Ren said idly. "Wow, some of these are really good."

"Right?"

The raven-haired teen started to scroll through pictures, stopping to appreciate each and every one of them for just a moment before turning to the next. Seeing everyone so happy and having as good a time as they seemed to brought a smile to his face, and some of the more ridiculous photos—yes, some where unintentionally caused by Teddie—almost made him burst out laughing.

At some point however, he came across a photo that caused him to freeze up.

It was a photo of just him and Ann standing side by side as they smiled back at the camera, all the while Ryuji took the photo. In it, however, they were so close together that you could clearly see it made both of them a bit nervous.

'Why did Ryuji have to keep telling us to get closer to each other? We look plenty close enough to me…' Ren thought, his face heating up at the memory of feeling certain 'assets' pressed against his side.

It wasn't just that, though. The way she was leaning into him, and the soft look she had in her eyes despite how embarrassed she seemed just stuck out to him for some reason.

There was just something about the way she was in the photo that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"You okay?" Yu inquired. "You've been staring at your phone for a while now."

"Y-Yeah, I'm good," Ren said, clearing his throat as he put his phone back in his pocket. "I'm gonna turn in for the night. It's probably not a good idea for me to stay up much later, right?"

"Gotcha," Yu replied. "I think I'll turn in too. Good night."

"Good night."

The two parted ways and Ren wasted no time getting into his room, leaving Yu to his thoughts as he went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.

'I wonder what that was about…' Yu thought.

---

The second Ren entered his room, he went through his normal nighttime routine in the hopes it'd clear his head so that he could just crawl into bed and get some sleep.

Sadly, he'd get so such luck.

From when he was changing into his sweats to when he was brushing his teeth to when he was washing his face—at every point, he still couldn't get that picture of him and Ann out of his mind.

Maybe it also had to do with how strange the night had been even before that. After all, he'd been uncharacteristically nervous around her, and she clearly didn't hesitate to take full advantage to mess around with him a little bit.

It was usually the other way around, so in the end, he really couldn't complain about it.

"I guess this is just an off-day for me…" Ren sighed.

He took a seat on the foot of his bed, and unable to hold himself back, he brought up the photo again. Regardless of what he tried to tell himself, deep down there was a thought that simply wouldn't go away.

"It's not like she was acting all that differently tonight. I know that, so then why can't I shake this feeling that she…?" Ren trailed off in frustration.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down, knowing that it wasn't worth getting bent out of shape about it. Soon enough, he was back to his usual self—calm and collected.

"No, there's no way. I'm probably overthinking it," Ren thought aloud.

The raven-haired teen abruptly stood up, his eyes now steely and devoid of almost any emotion whatsoever. He absentmindedly walked over to his window, gazing at his slight-reflection and the shining moon that was just outside.

Even if it was the last thing he wanted on his mind, he couldn't help but think back to the last time he'd had thoughts like that—from before he was first arrested. Unpleasant memory after unpleasant memory started to eat away at him more and more with each passing second. Though he didn't like it, each was a needed reminder not to read too deeply into what'd happened that night.

It was a reminder not to see something that wasn't really there.

"It wouldn't be the first time, after all," Ren muttered to himself.

Tokyo – Shibuya: Takamaki Household

"Haaah~"

Ann let loose a deep breath of relief and fell back onto her bedspread after changing into her nightwear. Given how tired she was, she knew she should have gone to bed with how late it was, but a part of her was just too giddy for her to even consider that.

She thought back to everything that happened earlier that night. Just spending time with Ren was always nice enough in its own way, but that she was able to chip away at his always calm-cool-collected mask was like something out of a dream. Just the thought of seeing him blush out of embarrassment made her want to scream out of joy.

'And the way he was looking at me… it was like for a moment there, I was the only thing in the entire world he was paying attention to,' Ann thought.

It got to a point that the blonde couldn't contain her happiness anymore. She grabbed her pillow, brought it close to her chest, and rolled around her bed a few times just to get rid of all the nervous energy that had built up inside her.

"I can't believe tonight was real…!" Ann muttered into her pillow.

Almost absentmindedly, she went into her phone and looked at the picture that Ryuji had taken of both her and Ren.

It made her smile warmly just looking at it.

"I hate to admit it, but Ryuji definitely knocked it out of the park when he took this," Ann thought aloud. Her brow furrowed and she started to scowl. "Although he definitely went overboard when he kept saying 'get a little closer'! We were close enough, dammit! Any more and I may as well have been shoving my… Ghhhh!"

Despite that once again she wanted to smack Ryuji upside the head for going too far, the night itself was still beyond anything she could've hoped for.

The only way it could've been better, in fact, was if she'd outright confessed.

"One step at a time, Ann. One step at a time…" she muttered to herself.

With that, the blond-haired beauty took one last look at the photo before closing her phone. She put it back at her bedside on its charged and turned off the lights before pulling her blankets up and getting ready for a deep sleep.

As Ann closed her eyes, she had a bright, warm smile etched across her face. She had a feeling that tonight, she'd end up sleeping just fine.

A/N Alright, so with that we've reached the last chapter for the year. Happy holidays, and Merry Xmas to those that celebrate it, and happy new year! I'll be taking a bit of a break for the holidays, so the next chapter will either be out the second week of January or the third.

Explanations:

What's Next?: Rise's concert is the next chapter, which will continue focus on the Lovers and the Wild Cards. After that, it'll be back to school for some more slice of life, and then back to the 'plot'.

Ren's Reflection at the End/His Conversation with Yu on the Roof: This is a bit of foreshadowing to his 'core' character arc, which we'll start to get into in the near future. It centers around his trip back home over the summer/what happened to him after he was arrested. It also lays out exactly why Ren doesn't realize Makoto or Ann (or anyone else's) feelings for him. At least, it starts to. It'll more be a continued theme that gets fleshed out over time similarly to how Yu has his own reasons for 'playing dumb' about Rise and Sae's feelings for him.

Rise and Ann: The two of them definitely got more of a 'romantic' focus this chapter compared to Sae and Makoto got in the previous one, which was absolutely intentional on my part. The Nijima sisters kinda got the primary focus for a long while, both with the Shinjuku Arc and even on the beach day, so I wanted to give the two Lovers' time to shine. Hopefully fans of those two characters enjoyed that.

Yu's Fortune: That is actually true. Yu's 'end girl' will have red associated with her in some way. That much I can guarantee.

Yusuke x Futaba: I hope people enjoyed the little romance scene I put in for those two. I'm actually pretty proud of it just because I think it flows very well and feels pretty in-character for the two, though I've got no idea how anyone else feels about it, of course.

The Girls' Romantic Fortunes: Will this have some relevance? I mean yeah, I love foreshadowing, even if it is as high-level as what happened in this chapter. And no, Haru's doesn't have anything to do with Yu. I just figured I'd mention that just in case anyone was wondering for some reason.

Sae vs. Rise: Obviously the past two chapters have given subtle hints they're starting to catch on. This'll boil over soon enough, though it won't be the major focus for a while given that the next chunk of the story centers more on the Phantom Thieves.