Hello students, I am here to present this chapter. You can call me First Mate Violet while my sibling Captain Blues is grieving. He's going to take a break from all the writing to handle everything and I offered to take over this fic for him. I usually write Supergirl Fanfics on my AO3, VioletTheLostOne, but I dig Persona 5 and with his permission, this bad boy is mine to update until he returns!
Persona V: Reversing the Wheel of Fate
Chapter Forty-Eight
[Opening Scene: Okumura Residence (Evening)
[Theme of Apprehension: Premonition from Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP Ver)]
"Unless someone ordered takeout, I think they know we're here…."
The group of teens went silent as there was another knock at the door.
"Alright… Any plans?" Ryuji questioned.
"I'm struggling to think of one," Haru answered, with Ren and Morgana nodding in agreement.
Ann and Shiho looked frazzled.
Yūki and Yusuke looked concerned.
Makoto and Hifumi glanced at one another, both scrambling for an idea mentally until a lightbulb went off in Yūki's head. He quickly turned to Haru and asked, "Do you have a paper and pen for each of us?"
Haru nodded.
"I have an idea. Everyone gather around," Yūki told the group.
[Theme of Investigation: Monochrome from Persona: Revelations]
"Think they bailed?" Zenkichi asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they did," Sae muttered. "We've been out here for three minutes. More than enough time to hide or run."
"It's a good thing we have your protégé waiting at the bottom back exit," Zenkichi said.
Sae smirked. "Well of course. There is no way they will escape us tod—" Sae was interrupted as the door opened to reveal her baby sister.
"Oh, hey Sae-nee," Makoto said with a smile.
"M-Makoto. What are you doing here?" Sae questioned. She was stunned at the sight of her sister being here. She did not see her in that group huddle that had left the alleyway.
"Oh, we're doing a session zero for Dungeons and Dragons," Makoto said. She then stepped aside and Sae was treated to the sight of the Shujin Six, Togo Hifumi, and Kitagawa Yusuke on the couch, all of them with a paper and pen.
"Holy shit, a bard and a fighter look awesome," Sakamoto said. "Is it possible to cross-classes?"
"I'm wondering the same thing because fighter and druid look very cool," Togo muttered.
"It's definitely possible," Mishima answered with a smile. "My character is a Cleric, but she has some wizard abilities."
"Sorcerer sounds just like me," Takamaki said.
"See, I'm more of a rogue-type myself," Amamiya said. "Shiho, what class are you looking at?"
"I'm having a hard time deciding between a warlock or a ranger," Suzui murmured.
"Hm, I believe Paladin would be a good option for me," Kitagawa muttered.
"I call dibs on Barbarian!" Okumura shouted from wherever she was.
"See, I decided on going pure monk," Makoto said as she turned back to Sae and her partner. "Seems simple but with vast potential."
"How long have you been here?" Sae questioned. "With them?"
"Oh, we've hung out all day," Makoto answered. "First I helped them prepare for a quiz, then we went over to Yusuke's place to get him. Mishima had the idea of playing Dungeons and Dragons, so here we are. Why do you ask?"
Sae and Zenkichi exchanged a look.
It sounded plausible.
Sae watched as Okumura Haru walked into view with a platter of coffee cups and cakes. She then walked to the door and said, "Thank you for answering the door for me, Makoto-chan. I really appreciate it."
"No problem, Haru-chan," Makoto replied.
"Hi, I'm Okumura Haru and this is my home. May I ask who you both are?" Haru questioned.
"I am Niijima Sae. And this is my partner, Hasegawak Zenkichi," Sae said.
"Oh, You're that public prosecutor father has spoken about," Haru said. "I heard you do marvelous work. You haven't lost a case, correct?"
Sae felt a small burst of pride hit her. "I have not," she answered.
"She's very diligent," Makoto told Haru. "She works hard to achieve her victories."
"Interesting," Haru said. "However, I fail to understand why you and Hasegawa-san are at my residence."
Sae noticed a cold expression wash over Haru's face.
"We were investigating a disturbance at Madarame's residence. He claims a few teenagers were trespassing," Sae said.
"And they sent a public prosecutor on an errand like this?" Haru questioned.
"That's a good point, actually," Makoto said. "Sae-nee, why did you respond to this? You should be at work handling that case."
Sae narrowed her eyes.
"I can answer that," Zenkichi interjected with a friendly smile. "I'm a detective and we're working on a case together, Okumura-san. She happened to be with me when we overheard the call from Madarame. I figured, since we were close by, we would look into it."
"And that brought you here because?" Haru questioned.
"You teens happened to be around his location when we arrived," Zenkichi answered.
"So, you suspected us to have anything to do with whatever a famous artist was going on about?" Makoto questioned. "Were we the only teenagers around the area?
"No, there were several more," Zenkichi admitted.
"But you targeted my friends?" Makoto asked. "Did Madarame describe the teenagers in question?"
Sae frowned.
"Did he even give hair color? Eye color? Anything?" Makoto questioned.
"He did not," Zenkichi mumbled.
"And I'm guessing there were no cameras at his location to prove the identity of the teens that invaded his home?" Makoto asked.
Sae's frown deepened.
"There was not," Sae answered.
"So why were we targeted?" Makoto asked. "Is it because my friends are the "Shujin Six" that we were unfairly harassed?"
"Perhaps we shouldn't talk to them," Haru told Makoto. "I think I should have my family's personal lawyer talk to them instead."
"That won't be necessary, " Sae told Haru. She stared at her wayward sister and said, "I apologize for interrupting your time with your friends. We will leave you to it."
"Thank you," Haru said.
"We will be talking later," Sae told her sister.
Makoto chuckled. "I'll see you in a few days, nee-san. Have a great day," Makoto told her. She then shut the door in their faces.
"Oh, this spells trouble," Zenkichi mumbled. "I was unaware your sister was friends with them."
Sae narrowed her eyes and replied, "It's her childish way of rebelling after our disagreement the other night. I'm sure it will pass."
"Here's hoping," Zenkichi mumbled. "Well, for now, they have us dead to rights. It's troublesome that Madarame didn't have cameras or anything in his home. You would think he would, considering his status and all."
"You'd be surprised. The rich and famous often keep their homes surveillance-free," Sae said.
"To hide their dirt?" Zenkichi asked.
"To hide their dirt," Sae confirmed.
"Well, we'll just have to keep watching them for now," Zenkichi said.
"They'll slip up sooner or later," Sae told him as she walked away. "And when they do, I will be there to catch them."
[Theme of Okumura Residence: Have a Short Rest from Persona 5]
After five minutes of silence, Haru and Makoto grinned and said, "Close is clear."
"Very good," Morgana announced as he hopped onto the couch. "Nice job working on the fly like that."
"Thanks," Makoto said. "It was hard poking holes in why they were here. I was terrified the whole time."
"But you did it," Ren told her. "You were great."
"Yeah, but we have to be more careful," Makoto said. "They are definitely onto us now."
"Yeah. I think that other hiding spot will do us well," Ren told Haru.
Haru nodded and said, "I will have the keys from Otou-san within the next twenty-four hours."
"Thanks," Ren said. "And quick thinking on using DnD as our cover story, Yūki."
"Thank you," Yūki proudly said. "I wasn't expecting my nerdy side to help us out. But thankfully, it did."
"I don't know about you guys but um, I actually want to play Dungeon and Dragons now," Ryuji announced.
"God, me too," Ann said. "Even faking a character made me want to play it."
"Right?" Shiho stated. "I was having so much fun. I can't believe you had these books on hand, Yūki-kun."
"I always come prepared," Yūki flushed.
"I mean, we already know the game plan in stopping Madarame…." Ren offered.
The room grew quiet.
"So, how do we officially play?" Yusuke murmured.
Yūki smiled.
[Scene Change: Café LeBlanc (Nighttime)
Theme of Café LeBlanc: Beneath the Mask From Persona 5]
"Ah, you're back," Sojiro greeted as Ren walked into the café. "How was your day, kid?"
"Went great. Played some DnD with my friends. Haru wanted me to stay over, but I kind of wanted to stay home for a little bit," Ren said.
"Good. I'm glad you had a good time," Sojiro told him. "These friends of yours are keeping you on the right path, so far. As long as you stay on track, I have no complaints about what you do."
"Thanks, Boss," Ren said.
"Now that you're here, how about I teach you a little something," Sojiro offered.
Ren nodded, removed his school jacket, walked behind the counter, and slipped on the green apron. "Now, since you're going to be working in my store, I'll need to hammer home the basics," Sojiro began. "You know what I'm talking about, right?"
Ren nodded.
He had almost forgotten about that deal Sojiro made with him.
"I remember. The perfect cup of coffee," Ren replied.
"Very good, kid," Sojiro told him.
"This store's not the busiest around, but I'm real particular about how we do things around here," Sojiro explained. "One bad cup of coffee served from you, and I'm kicking you out, no questions asked, got it?"
"Crystal clear," Ren answered.
"Let me tell you, So-Chan definitely does things right with his coffee," a voice said, which prompted Ren to turn to the stall.
"Sup," Ohya said as she raised her cup.
"Ohya-san," Ren said with a polite smile. "Nice to see you again."
"You two have met?" Sojiro asked.
"Yeah, she was asking me and my friends about a case she was working on," Ren said. "Any luck on that by the way?"
"I wish. At this rate, my publisher is going to assign me to another case." Ohya sighed. "But anyhoo, don't let my blatantly obvious love of So-Chan's coffee skills interrupt your coffee lessons, schoolboy."
Sojiro chuckled. "No, by all means, keep going," Sojiro told her.
Ohya grinned. "Okay, So-Chan. Listen up, schoolboy, his coffee goes so well with his special curry, I can't have one without the order anymore. It's damn tasty."
"She raves about it so much, I'm starting to think that's why she's going out with me," Sojiro joked. "But, that's the beauty of this place. While we aren't the busiest, each of my regulars gets an experience personally tailored to them."
"And his damn recipe for my specialized curry and coffee is so damn complex, I can't even make it at home," Ohya pouted. "He certainly knows how to trap beautiful ladies into his coffee-scented webs."
Sojiro smirked.
"So knowing their personalities is absolutely vital in making their favorite dish?" Ren asked.
"Exactly," Sojiro answered. "That's the secret of not only capturing a woman's heart, but the secret of the business is like."
"See, knew it," Ohya stated. "But, there are a lot of perks once the woman's heart is captured. Remember that, schoolboy."
"So, to capture a woman's heart is with a cup of coffee? Hell, sign me up even more for this," Ren said with a wide grin.
Sojiro laughed. "Glad to see you're so on board. I'm going to teach you right, kid. That way, I'll be able to sit back and relax while you work."
"Looking forward to it," Ren sincerely said.
"I am thou... Thou art I...
Thou hast deepened the vow with Sakura Sojiro.
Thou shalt have our blessings when thou chooseth to create a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana."
The door to the café opened.
Sojiro turned his head as he said, "Welco—" only to cut himself off at the sight of the man. Ren and Ohya exchanged a look. "You…." Sojiro whispered.
[Theme of Questioning: Suspicion from Persona 5]
"Hello there! It's been quite a while hasn't it, Sakura-san?" the man greeted.
Something about this cheerful old man rubbed Ren the wrong way.
"I heard you opened up a shop, so here I am! It wouldn't have hurt to mention it to me, though," the man continued. "Really nice location, too. Right by the station and everything."
"Your order?" Sojiro questioned, his tone frostier than before.
"I can feel the chills from your voice," the man said as he faked a shiver. "Oh, but this smell… Sure brings back memories. You're still making that curry, huh?"
"Um, who are you?" Ohya questioned.
"He's either ordering or leaving," Sojiro answered her.
"Alright, alright, I see when I'm not wanted," the man surrendered, his smile still in place. "But, it's nice to know that you still haven't gotten over her." He turned away and walked out the door.
Ren and Ohya slowly turned to Sojiro as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know where he caught wind of this place…." He muttered.
"He seemed like a dick," Ohya said.
"Also super suspicious," Ren tacked on. "He happens to show up out of nowhere, taunt you about some woman, and then leave? He's up to something…."
Sojiro chuckled. "Hey Ohya, it seems Ren has an eye of an investigator," Sojiro teased.
Ohya's eyes glinted in delight at this as she said, "Yeah, I can tell."
"With that said, I wouldn't worry too much about him," Sojiro said.
Ren nodded.
[Scene Change: Crossroads (Nighttime)
Theme of Crossroads: Crossroads from Persona 5]
"Welcome back, Sae-chan."
Sae sighed as she sat at the counter. "Thanks, Lala," Sae said as she looked at the woman behind the bar.
Behind the counter stood a heavyset woman with a purple bob haircut, blue eyeshadow, and red lipstick. She was dressed in a black and purple kimono with gold detailing. "Anytime, deary," Lala told her. "Your usual?" Lala questioned.
"Yes, please," Sae said. She then held up two fingers and added, "Two glasses."
The door opened again and Sae looked up and smiled. "Hey, you," Sae greeted.
"Hello yourself," Takami Tae greeted as she sat beside Sae. "You look like hell warmed over. You alright?"
"I'll be fine," Sae said. "Today was just a trying day."
Tae nodded as Lala walked toward them and sat two glasses of Umeshu in front of the pair. "Same here," Tae said. "That bastard showed his face again."
"I'm sorry to hear that. You'll find a way to get over him," Sae told the doctor. She then sighed and asked, "Did you ever imagine going through all this shit when we were going to Gekkoukan?"
"Being known like this wasn't in the game plan that I had," Tae answered. "You?"
"I knew my journey was going to be long when I passed the bar exam in our last year," Sae said. "But everything since then? Not in my wildest dreams."
"Yeah," Tae sighed. She took a sip of her Umeshu, then added, "At least we weren't saddled into our jobs while at Gekko, unlike Mitsuru."
"Good point," Sae conceded.
"So, why did you call me out here? Not that I need a reason to see you, but still, I'm curious," Tae asked. "It's not like you to brood over the past like this."
Sae frowned, her cheeks reddening slightly. "I've been thinking, about our previous conversation…." Sae admitted.
Tae's right eyebrow rose. "Oh, have you now?" she drawled with a slight grin.
"Yeah. You were right. I've been stressed beyond belief. Between the Phantom Thieves, the director breathing down my neck, and Makoto with her foolishness. I need some relief." Sae admitted.
Tae nodded and asked, "So, I take it that's a yes?"
"I've never done something like this before," Sae forewarned. "I may make a mistake."
"There are no mistakes in something like this," Tae told her. "It's all about learning."
Sae nodded. "Then, I suppose you have your answer."
Tae grinned.
"Good. Let's finish these drinks and get back to my place."
First Mate Violet: And that is this chapter. A little Sae focused but that's what the Captain ordered. I'll see you all next time with another chapter!