The Impossibility of Perfection

by WinterSky101

In which Yusuke learns something new about his past, but his future is more important. Slight AU.

Yusuke: Would any of you be available to accompany me on an excursion tomorrow?

Yusuke: The police have informed me that I may recover my belongings from the atelier, but I would rather not go alone.

Yusuke: I understand that tomorrow is Sunday and you may have plans, but if any of you have even a short amount of time to spare, I would be extremely grateful.

Ren: Of course, Yusuke, I'll be there.

Ren: Morgana too.

Ren: Where should we meet up?

Ann: I'll be there too! I don't have any other plans!

Ryuji: Yeah, I've got nothing better to do, I'm in.

Makoto: Unfortunately, I have plans in the evening with my sister, but I am available until dinner time.

Yusuke: I did not expect that all of you would be willing to help.

Yusuke: Please accept my most sincere gratitude.

Yusuke: Would it be most convenient to meet outside the station in Shibuya? The atelier is not far.

Ryuji: Sounds good to me.

Ann: Me too! What time?

Yusuke: Perhaps after lunch, if that would be acceptable?

Makoto: That should give us plenty of time before I need to leave.

Ren: Okay, it's settled.

Ren: We'll meet at the station in Shibuya after lunch.

Yusuke: Again, thank you all very much for being willing to help.

Ann: Of course, Yusuke! (＾◡＾)っ

---

"I see Yusuke!" Morgana cried as they approached the station. "It's a good thing he's so tall. It makes him easier to spot."

"Ah, Ren," Yusuke said as they approached. "And Morgana, of course. I must thank you again for your companionship. I… would not wish to return to the atelier alone."

"Of course, Yusuke," Ren agreed. "What are friends for?"

"An interesting philosophical question," Yusuke began, then he paused. "Which I believe you meant rhetorically, did you not?"

"I did," Ren admitted. "But I think friends are for helping each other out when they need it. So, if you need help, I'm going to do what I can."

Yusuke inclined his head slightly. "You are very kind."

"Yeah, he's a good guy," Ryuji agreed, appearing out of nowhere and slinging an arm around Ren's shoulders. Morgana yowled that he better not squish him. "We still waiting on the girls?"

"Ah, I believe I see Makoto," Yusuke declared.

"And I see Lady Ann," Morgana added. "That's all of us!"

"Apologies for my lateness," Makoto said the moment she approached. "I had to do some shopping this morning in preparation for dinner, and the line at the grocery store was longer than I expected it to be."

"Worry not," Yusuke assured her. "We have only just assembled ourselves."

"Oh, good!" Ann said cheerfully. "I was hoping I didn't hold you up."

"Since we have all arrived, shall we begin towards the atelier?" Yusuke asked. "Makoto, you have never been before, but Ann, Ren, Ryuji, do you recall the way?"

"I know I do," Ann agreed. "Come on, Makoto, it's this way."

Ann led Makoto towards the atelier, regaling her with stories of how they'd stolen Madarame's heart. Ryuji quickly joined in, but Yusuke hung back, so Ren stayed back with him.

"Yusuke, are you alright?"

"Thank you for your concern." Yusuke didn't look up. "It will be… difficult, I believe, to return to the atelier. But I do wish to recover my belongings. At least, whatever was not seized as evidence. When the investigation began, I was only able to remove a few things, as many things in my room were thought to perhaps bear some relevance to the case. My art supplies and works in progress in particular were inspected. I hope at least some of them are now available for me to reclaim."

"Is there anything else you want there?" Ren asked. "Anything of Madarame's? You'd probably be able to take it."

"No, I do not believe there is anything of his that I would want," Yusuke replied, his voice a bit firm. "However, I believe there may be important documents regarding his guardianship that may be wise to claim."

"Okay, we can keep an eye out for that," Ren promised. "And if it gets to be too much, we can leave whenever you want."

"I thank you, Ren. You are truly a good friend."

"I know you'd do the same," Ren replied, bumping bumped his shoulder into Yusuke's gently. Yusuke blinked down at him like no one had ever done that before.

"Indeed," he quickly replied, recovering himself. "Should you ever require my assistance, you need only say the word and I will come."

"Yusuke, is it a right or a left turn here?" Ann called.

"I thought you remembered the way," Ryuji taunted.

"I mostly do! Do you know which way we're supposed to turn?"

"Nah, but I never pretended that I would!"

"Guys…"

"It is a right turn," Yusuke answered. "After that, we take the second left, and the atelier is about halfway down the street."
"Right, I think I remember now!"

"No, you don't, you're just makin' that up."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Makoto slowed down until she'd abandoned Ann and Ryuji to their bickering and joined Ren, Yusuke, and Morgana instead. "Are they always like that?"

"Mostly," Morgana said, sounding about as long-suffering was it was probably possible for a cat to sound. "I think they just like arguing."

"Is there any way to get them to stop?"

"I normally just let them get it out of their system," Ren said. "I've gotten pretty good at ignoring it."

"I suppose that's a skill I'll need to cultivate," Makoto said. She turned to Yusuke. "Do you know what you'll be allowed to collect? I know from my sister's cases that the police like to seize anything that might have any connection to the case."

"Yes, I believe they've already done so with many things," Yusuke replied. "But I would hope that I can collect my clothes and books, for example. I was only able to take some of them before."

"How will you carry them?"

"I hope that I will also be able to collect my suitcase."

"Here we are!" Ann called from the front of the group. "Yusuke, it looks like there's a police officer by the door. Maybe you should talk to her?"

Yusuke hesitated, and Ren gave his arm a quick squeeze. "We'll be right behind you."

"I can speak to her with you, if you want," Makoto offered.

"That… would be appreciated," Yusuke agreed. "Thank you."

Ren watched them step up to the police officer, wishing he could be there with Yusuke too. He figured that a student council president whose sister was a respected prosecutor would probably be a better companion in talking to the police than someone with an assault charge on his record. And he trusted Makoto, of course, he just wished he could be there too.

Yusuke, Makoto, and the police officer were a little too far away for their conversation to be audible, but Ren figured Yusuke was explaining the group of teenagers he'd brought with him when he gestured at them. There was a bit more back and forth, then Yusuke and Makoto both bowed and the police officer unlocked the door. Yusuke beckoned to Ren and the others, and Ren quickly crossed to his side.

"The police took a lot for their investigation," Makoto said, "but there should still be some things left that Yusuke can take with him. And Officer Ito says she can help find Yusuke's suitcase so we can bring it back more easily."

"Thank you," Ren said, bowing respectfully to the police officer.

"Of course," Officer Ito said. She was young, and she looked sympathetic. "I'm afraid there's not much, but we did put together a box of important documents that you may want to take with you, Kitagawa-san. Feel free to stay as long as you like to look through them, and everything else."

Yusuke bowed. "Thank you," he said, his voice tight. "May we enter now?"

Officer Ito opened the door. "Of course. I'll see if I can find out where we put your suitcase when we went through the storage. Everything that was in your room should still be in there."

Yusuke nodded and started up the stairs. The others hurried after him. Ren cast a look back at Officer Ito to make sure she wasn't offended by Yusuke's abrupt exit, but she still only looked sympathetic. If she'd been investigating Madarame, she likely had an idea of what had happened to Yusuke in this atelier; she seemed to have at least some idea of how difficult it was for him to return.

Upstairs, Yusuke hesitated in front of a closed door, then pushed it open. His room looked like it had been gutted. It wasn't messy, at least, but the few remaining belongings were in neat stacks that looked entirely unnatural for the room. The box of papers Officer Ito had mentioned was sitting innocuously in the middle of the room, and judging by the paint splatters on the floor below it, an easel had previously stood there. Judging by the way Yusuke stumbled in the doorway, it seemed the state of his room wasn't what he'd been expecting.

"Hey, you okay?" Ren asked quietly, putting a hand on Yusuke's shoulder.

"I…" Yusuke shook himself. "I will begin with collecting my clothes."

"How can we help?" Ann asked.

"Perhaps you could… look through the box of documents," Yusuke suggested. "For the rest of the belongings, I fear there is little you can do, especially before Officer Ito is able to retrieve my suitcase."

"Got it," Ryuji agreed. "Come on, let's look for all the important stuff."

"Make sure to run everything by me before you try to get rid of anything," Makoto sighed, sitting down on the floor with Ryuji and Ann. Morgana jumped out of Ren's bag to join them, but Ren hesitated, stepping over to Yusuke as he stared into his open closet.

"Need any help with the clothes?"

He'd been hedging his bets that Yusuke would want companionship more than he'd want solitude; judging by the look of gratitude on Yusuke's face, he'd picked right. "It would go more quickly with two."

"Let me know what you need."

Yusuke and Ren quietly went through Yusuke's closet, setting most of the clothes on his futon. There was one formal outfit that Yusuke flinched away from, so Ren shoved that to the deepest corner of the closet, but otherwise, they assembled a modest pile. Officer Ito appeared in the doorway with two suitcases, one large and one small, and so Ren began folding away the clothes. Meanwhile, the other four went through the box of documents, occasionally commenting on what they'd found.

"Oh, Yusuke, this looks like it's important for your scholarship, you should definitely keep this!"

"I think this is a bill? I dunno how it got in here, but I don't think you need it."

"This appears to have medical information on it, so it's good to keep. And Ryuji, let me see that bill before you put it in the discard pile, just to be safe."

After Yusuke had gone through the clothes, he moved on to the remaining books, splitting them into two piles. As Ren filled the big suitcase with clothes, Yusuke began to pack the smaller one with one of the piles of books. The other pile, he set aside, apparently to leave behind.

There was no art in the room, nor any art supplies. Ren wished there had at least been something.

"Oh!" Ann suddenly cried. "Look at this! I found some old pictures of you when you were little, Yusuke!"

The entire group huddled around Ann immediately, although Yusuke himself hesitated. The picture showed a little gap-toothed Yusuke, probably about seven, smiling in front of a painting with a ribbon in his hand.

"That was the first art contest I won," Yusuke said. "As I was only seven at the time, Madarame did not claim the piece under his own name, but it was only a few years later than he began to."

Ann blinked. "O-oh! Well, um, what about this one?"

The next picture was of an even smaller Yusuke, probably five or six, holding hands with an older boy. The boy's face looked vaguely familiar, but Ren couldn't place it.

"Ah, that would be me and Yamada-san," Yusuke said. "He was one of Madarame's students. He used to bring me to the library on the weekends. He left when I was eight. I'm unsure of what happened to him afterwards."

If he was one of Madarame's students, Ren must have recognized him from the gallery in Madarame's Palace. He wondered what happened to him. He knew from Nakanohara that Madarame could be cruel to the students who left.

"Did you spend much time with Madarame's other students?" Makoto asked tentatively.

"Some of them. Yamada-san was one of the kinder ones. When I was young, many of the students were uninterested in spending time with a child, and as I grew older, they began to become envious or resentful. Many claimed that Madarame favored me unfairly, due to the fact that I had spent longer with him than anyone else."

"Those assholes!" Ryuji cried immediately. "Madarame was a shitbag to all of you!"

"Ryuji!" Ann hissed, elbowing him in the side.

"What?"

"What about this picture?" Makoto asked, scooping up the stack of photos and turning to the next one in a clear attempt to change the subject. "Is that a birthday party?"

"That is my eighth birthday party," Yusuke said. "Yamada-san organized it with a few of the other students. Madarame saw little point in celebrating birthdays, so this was the last one that I celebrated. As I said, Yamada-san left later that year, and none of the other students took the initiative to organize a party for my later birthdays."

"You haven't had a birthday party since you were eight?" Ann demanded.

"When's your birthday?" Ren asked, already starting to formulate a mental list of things he'd need.

"The twenty-eighth of January," Yusuke replied. "Why?"

"Because birthday parties are the best, and we're throwing you one on your next birthday," Ann declared. "A huge one, to make up for all the ones you missed."

"I assure you, such a thing is unnecessary."

"Hey, it gives us an excuse to party," Ryuji said. "Ann's good at planning parties."

"I am!" Ann agreed cheerfully. "I'll give you the best birthday party ever, Yusuke!"

"I- Indeed," Yusuke replied, looking a bit flustered.

"Oh, I've found the custody document for Madarame," Makoto declared. "This is definitely important."

"Indeed," Yusuke agreed, his voice going slightly stiff as he took the paper from Makoto. Ren looked over his shoulder at it and frowned.

"Ren? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Ren dismissed. "Just… this looks different from the document that Sojiro has about my custody. But that's temporary, and I'm sixteen, so it's probably different than permanent custody for a three year old, right?"

Makoto's brow furrowed a little as she looked at the paper again. "I… don't really know, to be honest. Family law has never been my focus."

"Regardless, I am certain it will be important," Yusuke said, setting the paper in the keep pile carefully. He looked uncomfortable, but Ren wasn't sure what to say. Instead, he grabbed the stack of photos and began flipping through them. So far, all the photos seemed to have some horrible story attached to them, so he looked for something that wouldn't. He couldn't be sure, of course, but he avoided anything with Madarame or with Yusuke and someone who looked like they could be one of Madarame's students. Finally, he came across a picture that he thought he could share.

"Hey, look at this one. Tiny baby Yusuke, probably right after he was born."

Everyone immediately leaned over to look at the picture. "Aww!" Ann cooed. "You were so cute!"

"Why did your head look like that?" Ryuji demanded.

"That's just how a newborn's head looks," Makoto groaned.

"For real? Why?"

Makoto shook her head and pulled out another stack of papers from the box. "Oh, Yusuke, perfect timing! I just found your birth… certificate…"

Her voice trailed off as her eyes went wide. "Um, Yusuke, could you…" She held the paper out to Yusuke and pointed at something on it. "Is that…"

Yusuke looked at the paper, then the blood drained from his face. "No. That cannot- That is impossible."
"It was added later," Makoto murmured. "Then that means…" She began digging through the box, then she unearthed another paper and passed it to Yusuke. "This looks like the test results."

"No," Yusuke repeated, a hint of hysteria in the firmness. "This cannot be."

"Yusuke?" Ren asked gently. "What is it?"

"I…" Yusuke looked down at the papers in his hands helplessly. "But it cannot be…"

Ren shot Makoto a look. He didn't want to go behind Yusuke's back, but whatever this was had clearly rattled Yusuke a great deal, and he hated not knowing how to help.

"Yusuke?" Makoto asked tentatively. "C-can I tell the others?"

Yusuke shoved the papers at Ren wordlessly.

"Can we all look?" Ann asked.

"You may as well," Yusuke said, bitterness clear in his tone. "I doubt I will be able to hide it forever."

The others all huddled around Ren as he looked down at the papers. The top one was Yusuke's birth certificate, as Makoto had said. His mother, it said, was named Hanae Kitagawa, and his father-

"For real?" Ryuji demanded.

"The other paper is a paternity test," Makoto said miserably. "It seems like he wasn't listed at birth, but after Yusuke's mother died, he had the test done so he could have a better claim at custody."

"I… don't want to believe it," Yusuke said, "but it seems impossible to deny. Madarame is my father."

He said it so hopelessly, and Ren wished desperately that there was something he could say to help. "Yusuke…" Ann whispered, sounding like she might cry.

"He never told me. He raised me from when I was three years old, and he never told me that he was my father."

"What an asshole!" Ryuji yelled.

"Prison is too good for him," Morgana agreed angrily.

"Yusuke," Ren said, stepping up next to him, "what can we do to help? What do you need?"

"I… I need…" Yusuke looked at him helplessly. "I need to leave."

Ren nodded. "You guys, finish packing everything into the suitcases. Yusuke, come on, let's go."

No one moved for a moment, then Yusuke took a shaky step to the door and Makoto leapt into action. "Ann, you finish with the clothes. Ryuji, you finish with the books. I'll pack up all the documents. Morgana-"

Ren and Yusuke left the room before they could hear what task Makoto assigned to Morgana. Yusuke walked down the stairs slowly, like he was in a daze. Officer Ito was waiting by the door, but Ren shook his head when she opened her mouth to speak to them. She subsided, pity clear on her face.

"Is there anywhere specific you want to go?" Ren asked as he and Yusuke left the atelier. "I saw a park on the way, I think."

Yusuke nodded, so Ren retraced their steps until he saw the park again. It wasn't very big, but it was empty, and there were a few benches where they could sit. Ren led Yusuke over to one and pulled him down to sit.

"I will never be free of him," Yusuke whispered. "I thought, perhaps… But he is my father. He will always be my father."

"Says who?" Ren countered. "He never acted like a father, did he?" Yusuke shook his head. "Then he doesn't deserve to be one."

"But the paternity test-"

"It doesn't matter what the paternity test says," Ren said. "You can choose your family. You don't need to stick with the people you were born with." He took Yusuke's hand and squeezed it. "We're a family, all of us. You don't need him."

Yusuke clung to his hand, holding it so tightly it almost hurt. "But he is my father. I was born from him."

"You were born from your mother who loved you," Ren corrected. "Madarame might be your biological father, but he doesn't need to be a part of you."

"I already feared I would never be rid of him," Yusuke whispered. "Sometimes, I still think of him as sensei."

"It's only been a month," Ren said, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. "He was your sensei for years. But you'll get him out of your head, and we'll help you do it."

Yusuke looked like he was going to say something more, but before he could, Ren's phone buzzed. Yusuke subsided immediately.

"You should see who it is."

Yusuke didn't need to be pushed; he needed someone to let him go at his own pace. Ren nodded and pulled out his phone.

Makoto: We've finished packing all of Yusuke's belongings. Where should we meet you?

Ren: We're at a park between the atelier and the station. Retrace our steps and you'll pass it.

Ren: Or we could meet you at the station.

Makoto: We can meet you at the park.

Ren: Okay, see you soon.

"The others are coming to meet us here," Ren said. "They packed all of your things."

"Extend my gratitude to them for me, please," Yusuke murmured.

Ren typed a quick Yusuke says thanks for the help into the chat. "You can thank them too, when they get here," he added.

"Indeed."

"Do you have plans for the rest of the day?"

"No, nothing."

"Do you want to come over to Leblanc?" Ren asked. "Or I could go with you to Kosei and help you put your things away. Or we could go somewhere totally different. I just… I don't think you should be alone right now."

"I… do not wish to be alone," Yusuke admitted. "I would rather not return to Kosei at the moment. My classmates already talk about me a great deal, and I would prefer not to provide them with any more ammunition. Would we cause a disturbance at Leblanc? It is still opening hours, correct?"

"The place is always basically empty, and we can go upstairs to my room," Ren assured him. "Besides, Sojiro likes you."

"He is a good man," Yusuke agreed. "You are lucky to have him."

"He's definitely better than my biological father," Ren agreed.

Yusuke looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "As far as I can recall, you have never previously mentioned your parents. Do you not get along with them?"

"My parents sent me off to Tokyo to live with the person who runs a café that one of their friends likes to visit when she's in Tokyo," Ren said, his words coming out flatter than he'd intended. "They never even tried to defend me when I was arrested. I… I don't think they're bad people, definitely not as bad as the people we deal with as the Phantom Thieves, but I was just never their top priority."

"Perhaps I am lucky, then," Yusuke mused. "While I do not truly remember my mother, I have her painting now, and I know that she loved me. At least I had one good parent."

"And you have us now," Ren added. "We're your new family, remember?"

Yusuke hesitated, then he nodded. "I remember."

"I see them!" Ryuji's voice yelled from the street, which was the only warning they got before Morgana came sprinting over and leapt into Yusuke's lap.

"Petting cats can provide emotional benefits," Morgana told Yusuke seriously. "I'm not a cat, of course, but you can pet me if you want. Just this once, though!"

"You never let me pet you without complaining about it," Ren grumbled.

Morgana curled up in Yusuke's lap and looked up at him. "Well?"

"Thank you," Yusuke said, looking understandably thrown by the very demanding not-a-cat in his lap. He tentatively petted Morgana's head, then his back. Morgana made a choked noise and Yusuke pulled his hand away immediately, but Ren laughed and shook his head.

"He's trying not to purr. Keep petting him, he likes it."

"I do not!" Morgana protested. He looked up at Yusuke and subsided. "But you can keep petting me, if you want."

"You know, you say you're not a cat, but this is pretty much how cats act," Ren remarked.

"I'm not a cat! I'm a human!"

"Are you tormenting Morgana, Ren?" Ann sighed as she walked up to the bench where they were sitting. She was pulling the smaller suitcase while Ryuji pulled the larger one and Makoto carried the box of documents.

"Morgana is letting Yusuke pet him," Ren reported.

"You sure you're not a cat?" Ryuji asked.

Morgana hissed, then Yusuke's fingers found the spot under his chin that always made him purr helplessly whenever Ren managed to pet it. Ren could see that Morgana was trying desperately to keep up his anger, but it didn't take long for him to give in.

Ryuji burst out laughing immediately. "You're purrin', man! And you say you're not a cat!"

"Ryuji," Makoto sighed, "must you?"

"But, I mean, look at him!" Ryuji protested. "That looks like cat behavior to me."

"It's to help Yusuke," Morgana retorted. He looked up. "Am I helping?"

"Indeed," Yusuke murmured, and Ren did think he looked perhaps a bit calmer than he'd been before Morgana arrived. "You have my thanks."

Morgana stuck his tongue out at Ryuji, who promptly stuck his tongue out back. Ren wondered how he'd become the leader of a team of toddlers.

"Yusuke, do you need help in bringing your things back to Kosei?" Makoto asked. "I still have time before I need to meet my sister."

"Yusuke and I are going to go to Leblanc," Ren said. He tried to catch Yusuke's eye in a sideways glance, but Yusuke was focused on Morgana. "We can probably handle everything ourselves, but if you guys want to help…"

He didn't know which Yusuke would prefer, and he didn't feel like he could ask flat-out; Yusuke could be blunt, but Ren didn't think he'd say that he didn't want to spend time with the others in front of them, no matter how he felt. On the one hand, Ren thought having everyone together might be nice to remind Yusuke that he wasn't alone. On the other hand, their group could be… a lot, and if Yusuke was already feeling fragile, it might be too much.

"I believe we can handle everything ourselves," Yusuke said, his voice quiet. Ren supposed that answered his question. "But thank you for the offer, and thank you for your help."

"Let us know if you need anything," Makoto said, setting the box down on the bench. "We're all here for you, Yusuke."

"Yeah, you're a Phantom Thief, and we take care of each other!" Ann added. "If you need anything, we can help!"

"Yeah, dude, we've got your back," Ryuji agreed. "You can always text."

"Thank you," Yusuke said softly. His voice was thick with emotion, but Ren didn't think he was going to cry, at least not yet. "I do not know how I could be deserving of friends as incredible as all of you, but I am intensely grateful for it."

"Like Ann said, we're the Phantom Thieves," Ren said, grateful that the park was entirely empty. "You're one of us, and we watch out for our own. So if you need anything, we'll always be here."

Yusuke ducked his head, and Ren thought that tears might come if they didn't give him a moment to recollect himself. "Are you ready to head to Leblanc, or do you want to stay here a little longer?"

"I… would like to go to Leblanc," Yusuke said. "If you are ready to go."

"I'm ready," Ren agreed, standing up. "How about I take Morgana and the big suitcase, and then you can take the box and the little one?"

Yusuke nodded. "That sounds acceptable."

"We can help out until you we get to the station," Ann offered. "We're all heading back in that direction anyway, right? I thought I might do some shopping in the mall."

"I'm probably gonna go to the arcade, and the station is on the way," Ryuji agreed.

"And I ought to return home, which means I'll have to catch a train," Makoto finished.

"You have all already done far more than I could have expected," Yusuke said. "I could not ask you to do anything else."

"You're not asking," Ann said gently. "We're offering."

"Then I would be honored to accept your offer."

Morgana leapt out of Yusuke's lap and into Ren's bag. "Let's go, then!"

Ren shouldered his bag and took the big suitcase from Ryuji. Yusuke took the smaller one from Ann, but Makoto picked up the box of documents. "I can carry this until we reach the station. It'll be easier."

Yusuke inclined his head. "Thank you."

"I… looked through a few more papers," Makoto admitted. "I tried to sort them so the most important things were at the top. There are a few medical papers that I believe you should look at."

"I will," Yusuke said, although his voice went a bit faint at the words.

"We've got this," Ren said gently, hoping to both support Yusuke and indicate to Makoto that she should back off. It seemed to work on both sides; Yusuke relaxed slightly, and Makoto subsided.

The walk back to the station was quiet, although it wasn't for lack of trying on Ann and Ryuji's part. Both of them tried to start up conversations, but every attempt fizzled and failed. Ren understood why they wanted to fill the silence, but he also understood why Yusuke wasn't in the mood to talk. By the time they reached the station square, Ann and Ryuji had given up, so they stepped up to the station in silence.

Ann, unsurprisingly, was the one to break it. "Let us know if you need anything," she told Yusuke, throwing her arms around him in a hug he was clearly not expecting. "We all want to help!"

"What she said," Ryuji agreed. "And, I mean…" He looked down and scuffed his shoe against the pavement. "Not like you're the only one with a shitty dad. So, if you wanna, like, talk or somethin', you can just… let me know."

"Thank you," Yusuke murmured.

Makoto offered him the box of documents and a small smile. "If you need us, we're just a text away."

"Ren and I have it covered for now," Morgana declared, poking his head out of Ren's bag.

"The next train to Yongen-Jaya should be arriving in two minutes," Ren said. "We should go."

The trains ran frequently enough that they didn't have to rush, but Ren had the feeling that Yusuke wanted the escape. For an artist, Yusuke didn't seem to enjoy the spotlight; he wanted people to look at his art, not at him. Ren wondered how much of that was a reaction to Madarame, and also how much was a reaction to the aftermath.

"Then let us go," Yusuke agreed. "Thank you all again for your assistance today."

"Any time," Makoto said gently.

Yusuke followed Ren to the platform for the Yongen-Jaya train, then onto the train itself. There weren't any seats available, but it wasn't a long ride, and managing the suitcases was difficult enough while they were standing. Ren guided them off when they reached Yongen-Jaya, then he led Yusuke down the backstreets until they reached Leblanc.

The café was empty except for Sojiro, as Ren had more or less expected. Sojiro looked up at them, visibly ready to welcome them like he would any other customers, then he blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you staying over again? It's okay if you are, but remember that tomorrow is a school day."

"Thank you for the offer, but I will return to my dorm tonight," Yusuke replied.

"We were able to pick up some of Yusuke's things," Ren added. "Anything that wasn't important for the investigation."

"Looks like it would be a pain to deal with on the train," Sojiro said. "I can drive you back to Kosei, if you want."

Yusuke blinked. "I could not ask you to do that, Boss."

"Eh, I don't mind as long as we avoid the rush hour. Besides, a car will be a lot easier with all those suitcases."
"Are you certain?"

Ren worried for a moment that Sojiro, who could often be grumpy, would be annoyed at Yusuke's repeated questions, but he softened instead. "Wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it."

"Then… I thank you a great deal for the offer."

"Just let me know when you're ready to go and we'll head out," Sojiro said. "Doesn't have to be now, though. Stay as long as you like."

Yusuke's eyes flickered to the Sayuri, then down to the floor. "Thank you."

"Do you want to go upstairs, or do you want to stay down here?" Ren asked gently.

"As long as we would not be disturbing anything, I would prefer to remain downstairs," Yusuke said quietly.

"Does it look like there's anyone in here to disturb?" Sojiro countered. "Put the suitcases by the door so they're out of the way. I'll get you a coffee."

"Oh, I do not-"

"On the house," Sojiro added. "I'm trying out a new blend. I need opinions on it before I start serving it to customers."

It wasn't the most subtle of excuses, and Ren was certain Yusuke saw through it, but he didn't protest. "Then I would be happy to help, although I must admit that my palate is not particularly refined when it comes to coffee."

"I can get coffee snobs to buy anything as long as I spin a story behind it," Sojiro dismissed, taking down a jar of beans. "I need to make sure it tastes good for people who don't know much about coffee too."

"Then I will provide my most honest opinion."

"Sit down," Ren said, grabbing the suitcases. "We can take the booth closest to the door."

That was, of course, the booth with the clearest view of the Sayuri. Ren knew that Yusuke knew that, considering how many times he'd found Yusuke sitting in that exact spot, staring at the painting with a combination of awe and wistfulness on his face. Yusuke hadn't explicitly said that he wanted to be near his mother's painting, but Ren knew him well enough to know.

Yusuke sat as Ren tucked the suitcases away and Sojiro made their coffee. The box of documents remained on the table, and Ren could see the way Yusuke's gaze flickered to it every few moments. He wasn't sure whether it would make things better or worse to put it away, but he figured they definitely didn't want to risk spilling coffee on it, so Ren picked up the box and set it down beside the suitcases. Yusuke's eyes followed him, then he tore his gaze away and back to the Sayuri. He waited until Sojiro placed their coffees on the table and stepped away, and then he spoke.

"Do you think she knew?"

Ren hesitated, not knowing what answer Yusuke wanted to hear. Yusuke continued before he could answer.

"He was not listed on the birth certificate. I don't know why she wouldn't- He clearly knew, but-" Yusuke shook his head. "I know my mother was a widow, but I don't know when her husband died. I don't know if she thought I was his or if she knew I couldn't be."

If they did a bit of digging, they could probably find out when Yusuke's mother was widowed. Ren knew that Yusuke knew that too, though, and he hadn't suggested it. Ren wouldn't either.

"Look at her face," Ren said instead. "Look at the way she's looking at the baby. Regardless of anything else, your mother loved you with all her heart."

"I am the son of the man who killed her."

"And you're also her son."

"Do you think he loved her? When they… Do you think he ever cared for her at all? Before he left her to die?"

"I… I don't know."

"Is that why he kept me, then? Not because he hoped I would show talent, not because he wanted to keep me from avenging my mother, but because he knew I was his?"

"You're not his," Ren said. "He might biologically be your father, but that doesn't mean you're his."

"I lived with him for longer than I ever lived with my mother," Yusuke murmured. "And that was because of him. I don't truly remember her, and that was because of him. I- Ren, how can I reconcile myself to the fact that half of me came from him?"

Ren knew that the truth behind Yusuke's mother's death was what had pushed Madarame past the point of no return in his eyes. The plagiarism and abuse, he'd withstood for years, and even the forgeries that had upset him so much probably could have been dismissed with time. But what Madarame had done to Yusuke's mother… That was more than Yusuke could take. Ren didn't blame him for that for an instant. He just hoped that that justified hatred towards Madarame didn't turn inward too much with Yusuke's new knowledge. He hoped that Yusuke's distress would lessen with time. Maybe Ryuji could help, given his own father. Maybe Ren could help, although his parents were on an entirely different level than Madarame. Maybe the support of the Phantom Thieves would be enough for Yusuke to help himself.

At the very least, Ren promised himself that Yusuke wouldn't be alone.

"Madarame might be your father," Ren said quietly, "but I don't see him in you. I've been inside his heart. I've seen what he is. But I've also seen you and your Persona, and I don't see Madarame there." He looked over at the Sayuri. "I didn't know your mother, but that painting… I think I understand her heart too. And I see her in you."

Yusuke stared at Ren for a long, silent moment, then he bent over and buried his face in his arms, his shoulders shaking. Ren hesitated a moment, then he held out his hand and gently put it on top of Yusuke's. He'd been hoping the contact would help, and he was pretty sure it did, given the way Yusuke's hand twisted to grab his tightly. It was so tight it was almost painful, actually, but Ren could bear it. He'd borne worse, and if Yusuke needed him, he'd be there.

When Yusuke finally raised his head, his eyes were red and puffy, and his face was stained with tear tracks. There was something almost peaceful on his face, though, or at least more peaceful than he'd been before.

"I miss her," he whispered. "I will have to live in a way that would make her proud."

"I'm sure you already do," Ren replied. "I'm sure she would be so proud of you."

"I wish you could meet her. I wish she could meet all of you." Yusuke stared at the painting. "I think she'd like to know that I'm not alone."

Ren squeezed Yusuke's hand lightly, and Yusuke looked down at their entwined fingers like he hadn't even realized they were holding hands. He didn't let go, though, so Ren squeezed again.

"You're not alone. And if the rest of us have any say in it, you never will be again."

"He may be my father, but he doesn't need to be part of my life. Not anymore. And, if you would have me… I would much rather have you as my family."

Ren smiled. "I think that sounds perfect."

"Perfect," Yusuke repeated. "True perfection is often thought to be impossible, but here…"

He hesitated, and Ren thought almost guiltily about everything Yusuke had been through to get to this point. After all the pain and sorrow, of course this wouldn't be perfect. He opened his mouth to take it back, but before he could, Yusuke smiled.

"Here, I think you're right. In this, at least, we have achieved perfection. Thank you, Ren."

Ren's smile grew. "Any time, Yusuke."